December 1, 2024

9:45 AM English Worship

in person, on Facebook and YouTube

11:00 AM Sunday School and Confirmation Classes

12:15 PM Spanish Worship

in person, on Facebook and YouTube

Flowers from November 24, 2024

With a new year looming on the horizon, it’s time to renew our support for St. Mark’s flower ministry. Flower dedications make possible the outstanding floral displays that grace the chancel area every week. These dedications are an opportunity to lift up a loved one or special occasion or to simply acknowledge the glory of God. Flower dedication forms are available in the narthex and at the link below. A donation of $25.00 is requested for each weekly dedication. Please return the completed form(s) to the church office by December 15 with a check payable to St. Mark’s Lutheran Church.

In addition, a volunteer is needed to manage the dedication process. It entails no more than a few hours once a year to assemble a list of dedications. Office staff and eMessenger volunteers then ensure that the dedications appear in the weekly worship bulletin. If you feel a calling for this task, reach out to Patty or Steven Carlson at (703) 455-8239.

All Women Are Invited to the Women of the ELCA December

Combined Circle Meeting

St. Mark’s Women of the ELCA will have their winter soup luncheon on Saturday, December 7, 2024 at 12:00 NOON in the Fellowship Hall. All St. Mark’s women are invited! The program is “The Colors of Christmas.” Join us for food, fun, fellowship, carol singing, and a cookie exchange. If you want to participate in the cookie exchange, please bring three dozen cookies and then take home three dozen of a variety for your holiday dessert plate.  

Put the date on your calendar now—you won't want to miss this celebration! All women are invited!

Military Care Packages Collection: November 24 and December 1 (or Anytime)

Our recipients for the end-of November/early December are an Air Force group; our contact person is Grace Martin. She says this about their mission and our project: 

We appreciate the love and support from you all. You remind us why we love to serve our country. U.S. B-52 Stratofortress bombers from Minot Air Force Base are integrated with RAF and regional partners over the Arabian Peninsula during bomber task force missions. These missions demonstrate our commitment to regional security and deterrence alongside our allies.

She did send us a wish list from her group—but you know that the items you furnish are always on target and very appreciated. In addition to your usual wonderful items, they suggested drink flavorings, books, notes from the congregation, loofahs or body sponges, toothpaste, candy, cookies (including Oreos!). We know they are in serious military situations, and many of them are young folks, away from home for their first deployment.  

A huge thank you to all of you for your continuing support of this project—and that thank you comes from us as well as from the troops who receive your special packages, letting them know we are thinking of them.

Congregation Meeting Recap

The Congregation held our Fall Meeting on Sunday, November 24.

We passed the Operating Budget for 2025, available [here]. The budget makes assumptions about giving, but please rest assured that we do not take anybody’s contributions for granted! 

We passed the following resolution:

The Congregation endorses the position that

• Safety of the Montessori school children should be given priority. Keeping the gateway closed during Montessori school hours would provide a more secure environment for the Montessori school students.
• Council may implement this Congregational priority by authorizing that the gateway be normally closed during school hours until such time as effective alternate measures are in place to protect the Montessori School children throughout the school day.

What does passing this resolution mean? The Community Gateway will be normally locked during Montessori school hours, with operating adjustments made for events such as Food For Others. This will be implemented in the near future when we can prepare signs and other communications to explain to our neighbors that a change will be coming and what the new operating hours will be. Then, when the new schedule is in place, operating hours will be clearly posted. The congregation did not vote for a permanent change regarding the gateway. Other efforts will continue to look at security for the school, but nobody can say at this point how long it would take to fully develop any alternate plans that might meet our needs. As a volunteer organization, such efforts are dependent on people having the time to devote to the task. Thanks to everyone who spoke on the subject of security regarding the school itself and on the other safety/security concerns around the church. 

We elected the following members:

Council:

  Jim Kyger

  Peter Weekly

  Maureen Murphy

2025 Synod Assembly Voting Member:

  Erik Long

  Larry Long

  Colleen Struss (alternate)

Thanks to all who have volunteered for elected positions, especially our new Council members in their three-year positions. We did not have anyone volunteer to be elected as Nominating Committee members. If you would like to volunteer to help with that at sometime in 2025, please let one of your council members or Pr. Albert know.

Helping A Family Have a Holiday Meal

Once again, ECHO will be connecting local donors with our clients who would welcome the gift of groceries for a December holiday meal. A donor may ask for a specific size of family to assist, and ECHO will match the donor with a local household in need. ECHO will offer a list of foods for the donor to deliver directly to the family or suggest an appropriate amount of grocery store gift cards that can be delivered or mailed to them. Groceries should be delivered by December 15, and gift cards should be mailed to arrive at the recipient’s home by that date. If you would like to help one or more families have a happy holiday, contact Fran Eck at franalaneck@msn.com.

ECHO’s Holiday Gifts for Children

The elves are so excited! ECHO’s Christmas Shop is about to open! ECHO clients who are parents come in by appointment to choose appropriate gifts for their children from the donations of books, games, toys, and new clothing. ECHO still needs donations (not gift-wrapped, please) for children ages 0-15 by December 6. Gifts can be chosen from our Amazon wish list and delivered directly to ECHO. The wishlist may be most easily accessed through our website, www.echo-inc.org/wishlist-on-amazon. Or, donors may simply deliver gift items directly to our Donation Door. See a complete list of popular items at www.echo-inc.org under the “Donate Goods” tab. ECHO, located at 7205 Old Keene Mill Road, is open on weekday mornings from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM and Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM.

All That?! Wow!

Recently a Cub Scout Troop and their leaders arranged to tour ECHO’s facility at a time when clients were not being served. The troop participates in Scouting for Food to collect food for ECHO. Their volunteer tour guides reported that the group was surprised by the number and range of donated goods, beyond food, that ECHO collects and distributes to people in need. People who are experiencing financial difficulties need clothing and household goods too. ECHO uses every nook and shelves up to our tall ceilings to organize and store donations of the things we know that people need. We are grateful for both the storage space and the donations. Some items, though, are often in short supply.

ECHO’s Housewares Department really, really needs towels and wash cloths. They don’t have to match or be new or in sets; all those that are clean and in good condition are welcome. Queen size sheets and comforters are also needed.

Brrrr! ECHO’s Clothing Department needs cold weather clothing: boys’ winter gloves; girls’ and boys’ winter coats sizes 14/16 and 18/20; new athletic socks for boys or girls in sizes L or XL; men’s winter coats in sizes S, M, L; and men’s sneakers in sizes 7,8, 9.

Toy and Food Drive by Community Outreach Police Officers

On Saturday, December 7, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, West Springfield District Community Outreach Officers will hold a Food and Toy Drive in front of the Cardinal Forest Giant, 8320 Old Keene Mill Road. Toy donations will go to hospitalized children at Inova Children’s Hospital and Georgetown Hospital Lombardi Cancer Center. Donations of non-perishable canned and boxed foods will go to ECHO. A list of ECHO’s most-needed food items is always available at www.echo-inc.org.

Evening Volunteers Needed

ECHO’s holiday wish is for some evening volunteers to sort donations in the Clothing Department and Housewares Department. We need a Tuesday evening volunteer who wants to work directly with clients. We are also looking for one or two people who would enjoy supervising our teen volunteers on one or two Wednesday evenings a month. If you are interested in finding out more about these opportunities to serve our community, email Volunteercoordinator@echo-inc.org.

Upcoming Dates to Note

December 7, 8, 10 - Holiday Gift Shop

December 7 - Food and Toy Drive by West Springfield Officers, Cardinal Forest Giant

December 14 - Saturday Opening

December 15 - Christmas Meal gift delivery deadline

December 23 - January 1 -Closed for the holidays

January 11 - Saturday Opening

January 20 - Closed for Martin Luther King Day

For more information about ECHO on the following topics, please click the links to our website:

Find Us on Facebook 

Donate Money

Needed School Supplies

Tips on Holding a Donation Drive

ECHO’s Amazon Wishlist

Save the Date: December 15

Food Distribution Event at St. Mark’s

St. Mark’s has accepted an invitation from Franconia District Supervisor Lusk to host a drive-through food distribution event on Sunday December 15, from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM, with boxes of food for those in need. As we learn more details, we will arrange a sign-up schedule for volunteers to distribute the boxes. We also expect to learn details of when and where volunteers can help fill the boxes with food from local food bank sources. We plan to invite other area churches to participate in the filling and distribution of the boxes. We feel so blessed to be asked to help serve our community and nearby neighbors in new ways!

Please note that this food distribution event is separate from St. Mark’s support for the ECHO program to provide Christmas meals to needy families. Stay tuned for further information about that program.

Sacristry: We Have a Signed Contract!

Last week, the Congregation Council approved the contract for the Sacristy, and we now have a signed contract with WRB! Thanks to Carl Bauersfeld for coordinating the details with WRB. Now that we have a contract, WRB can order the materials, especially the long lead-time items, and get their subcontractors lined up to work. At this point, we may see contractors making some site visits for planning and coordination, but there will be no significant demolition or construction disruptions at St. Mark’s during the holiday season.

Please continue to fulfill your pledges. If there are any changes to the schedule you indicated on your pledge form, please advise the Treasurer so she can manage expectations for cash flow. If you have not pledged or donated to date, any additional contributions will be gratefully received. We have already received some unpledged donations to the project after our congregation meeting to approve the project!

Holy Days Schedule

Midweek Advent Prayer Services

December 4, 11, & 18

10:30AM Daily Prayer, followed by a soup lunch,

live from the sanctuary and streamed-archived on YouTube and Facebook

7PM Spanish Communion liturgy, live from the sanctuary

Sunday, December 1 – Advent 1

9:45AM English Communion Liturgy & 12:15PM Misa en Español

Saturday, December 7

12PM, WELCA combined circle luncheon

4PM, NOVA Symphony Chamber Concert

Sunday, December 8 – Advent 2

9:45AM English Communion Liturgy

12:15PM Misa en Español

1:30PM, Community Meal with Christmas Carol Singalong and Crafts

Wednesday, December 11

7PM, The Vigil for the Virgin of Guadalupe, en español

Saturday, December 14

4PM, NOVA Chorale Concert

Sunday, December 15 – Advent 3

9:45AM English Communion Liturgy, with Children’s Christmas Pageant Presentation

12:15PM Misa en Español

Monday, December 16

7PM, Las Posadas, en español

Sunday, December 22 – Advent 4

9:45AM English Communion Liturgy, with Chancel Choir Advent Cantata

Tuesday, December 24 – Christmas Eve

3:30PM Pre-Service Music

4PM Traditional English “Family Service”

6PM Spanish Service

8:30PM Pre-Service Music

9PM English Holy Communion Liturgy, with Chancel Choir

Sunday, December 29 – Christmas I

9:45AM English Communion Liturgy,

with Christmas Lessons and Carols

12:15PM Misa en Español

2025- Hypothermia

Sunday January 26, 2025 through Sunday February 02 2025

Wednesday: Lohre Holter, prayers for a speedy recovery after surgery.

Thursday: Mike Hardy; grieving family of Dr. James Kriewald, friend of Karen Randall.



Friday: Maximiliano Blanco, father of Pr. Varinia Espinosa; Pr. Varinia Espinosa; Dionisio Baldelomar, father of Selva Cuellar; Luis Baldelomar, brother of Selva Cuellar.

Birthdays This Week:

Dec 1: Sebastian Avila

Dec 2: Nancy Hartman

Dec 3: Michael Bianchetta, Tiffany Kalmar

Dec 4: Sam Bowerman

Dec 5: Peggy Harris

Dec 6: Carl Anderson, Daniel Peterson

Dec 7: Peter Pate

Birthdays Next Week:

Dec 8: Rachel Bowerman, Janet Maltz Pacheco

Dec 10: Harriet Latta

Dec 12: Bonnie Gauch, Celeste Leyhe, Ann Webb

Dec 13: Jerry Haggin

Dwelling in the Word Bible Study

"Dwelling in the Word Bible Study" meets via Zoom meetings (see church calendar for Zoom link) every Thursday at 10:30 AM. Please plan to join us as we continue to study the Psalms!

Men’s Bible Study

We meet at 9:00 AM in the Lounge, and on Zoom (see church calendar for Zoom link). We are studying the book of James.

Kristin's Message based on the lectionary of the week by Kristin Berkey Abbott.

Article Deadline We need YOUR help! In order that ALL OF US receive the necessary documents for This Week, The Messenger, and the website, please send all articles you wish to have published no later than 5:00 PM on the Tuesday before the Sunday you wish for the articles to appear. Send those articles to communications@stmarks-elca.org.