In the sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life,

we commend to almighty God

Ray Polasky

With the passing of Ray Polasky earlier this month, his funeral service will be held at St. Mark's on Saturday, March 15th @ 11:00am with a reception to follow. Please contact the church office if you would like to volunteer to help with the service or reception.

+Rest eternal grant her, O Lord, and light perpetual shine on her+

LandMARKs

Sunday, March 2

New to St. Mark's? Want to get to know the people here? Interested in getting involved with what God is doing in this place? LandMARKs is a monthly meeting with Pastor Matt and/or Deacon Katie that helps visitors and new members learn about the ministries of St. Mark's, get to know the staff and members, and ask questions about our community. Meet us at the bottom of the main staircase at 9:45am to join!

Between the World and Me

March 2 - March 30

In response to the St. Marks vision goal to continue work of racial healing, we will read Ta-Neishi Coates’ Between the World and Me as part of our Adult Faith Formation class. This book is a letter written by the author to his then teenage son. Coates relates his experiences as a Black man growing up in America to his child. The purpose of the letter is to share with his son the realities of being Black in America. Between the World and Me won the National Book Award for Non-Fiction in 2015. With discussion led by RJ Hroneck, this class will meet March 2 - March 30. *Books are available in the Commons with a suggested donation of $10 per book* Meet in the library!

CWA Black History Month Celebration

February 28th @ 5:15pm

The Christine Avery Learning Center has invite St. Mark's to join them as they celebrate Black History month.

Their Black History Month program, led by the children themselves, will take place on February 28 5:15 pm at The Eddington Center.  The children, who you’ve helped uplift through your generosity, will be bringing history to life!  They will be honoring the legacy of Black leaders and trailblazers through storytelling, dance, drumming and art! 

Plus, we're excited to feature “Blessed Soul Food Truck” so come ready to be inspired and enjoy a delicious meal.

This program is more than just a celebration—it’s a testament to the progress we’ve made together, and a look at the bright future your support is helping us build.  We’d be honored if you could join us to experience firsthand the creativity, joy, and resilience our children embody. We can’t wait to share this special day with you!.

The Ongoing Fight for Freedom

March 7th @ 7pm

The North Carolina Black Veterans will present "The Ongoing Fight for Freedom" at the Black Mountain Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets are required but free.

Register and get your ticket here. Find more information on by clicking on the image.

Ash Wednesday Services

March 5th @ 12pm & 6:30pm

On March 5th, Ash Wednesday, we will hold two worship services for those wanting to begin the season of Lent with imposition of ashes and a service of Holy Communion. The first service will begin at 12:00pm followed by another at 6:30pm. If you will be attending and are willing to serve as a worship assistant, please reach out to Danielle in the church office.

Lenten Devotional Available in the Commons

In The Hardest Part: Hurt We Carry, Hope We Find, we’ll walk through these paradoxes together. Each day, we’ll look at the hardest parts of being human—heartbreak, emptiness, shame, and longing—and acknowledge the weight of it. You’ll find Scripture, a reflection, a response prompt, and a blessing to remind you that grace has a way of sneaking in, even when life feels impossible (kind of like finding your phone after you’ve torn the house apart for the fifth time). Prefer a digital copy of this year's devotional resource? Click here to access the online content.

Small Groups

beginning March 12th

For the past few years, we have taken Lent as an opportunity to grow in faith and community together through Small Group ministry. Last year, we combined our tradition of midweek Lenten dinners and worship with small groups. It was a blast, so we are doing it again!

Each week, groups of 6-8 people will spend time together to grow in relationship with God and one another, then join the larger gathering for a provided meal, and Holden Evening Prayer in the Fellowship Hall.  

Schedule



• 5:30pm - Small Groups
• 6:15pm - Dinner
• 6:45pm - Worship

Sign up for Small Groups this Lent by clicking the button below or fill out the tear and share in Sunday's Markings!

Faithful Feet

beginning March 8th

Looking for a Lenten discipline to support both your spiritual and physical wellbeing? Join Deacon Katie "Faithful Feet" to pray and walk your way through Lent! Each week there will be two morning opportunities to meet out in the community to pray together, then walk, run, skate, or skip for as long as you'd like.

Where:

Meet/Park at the Asheville Botanical Gardens (151 W.T Weaver Blvd) to walk the Reed Creek Greenway

When:

Tuesdays at 8:00am - March 11, 18, 25, & April 1, 8, and 15

Saturdays at 9:00am - March 8,15,22, and 29, April 5, 12, and 19 

Collecting Clothes & Food for ABCCM

ABCCM is requesting non perishable food items for their Crisis Ministry pantry. They will begin letting us know exactly what their immediate needs are every month, and we will let you know accordingly.

Currently they are asking for reading glasses, 2x and 3x, Men's size 32-34 denim clothing which are clean and in good shape (no rips, tears, and stains), and dental hygiene items. Talk to someone from the Christian Action Team (CAT) if you have a question.

Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women

The RHT will be presenting a small window into the MMIW crisis right here over the next few weeks. MMIW is an acronym for Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women and refers to the ongoing violence against the First Nations, Metis, Inuit, American Indian, and Alaska Native. MMIW is an urgent human rights issue and has become the rallying cry for action against such acts of violence. The very first action we can take is educating ourselves.

The MMIW Red Hand ~ It is a Native American belief that the dead can see red, so by wearing red it invokes the help of ancestors and spiritual guides. A red hand over the mouth stands for all the missing sisters whose voices are not heard. It stands for the silence of the media and law enforcement in the midst of this crisis. It stands for the oppression and subjugation of Native women who are now rising up to say, “No more stolen sisters!”

Week 5 Resources

Indigenous women in the U.S. face high levels of violence - more than 4 out of 5 women/girls have experienced violence! Legal limitations hinder tribal prosecution of non-Natives for crimes on tribal lands, exacerbating domestic, sexual violence, and MMIW issues. As you have been reading over the past weeks, these challenges stem from historical government policies affecting Native communities.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports that MMIW cases are widespread but underreported due to gaps in federal data. Inconsistent data collection and entry challenges faced by tribal law enforcement, due to resource and technological limitations, obscure the crisis’s full scope. 

U.S. jurisdictional complexities involving tribal sovereignty and varied laws impede MMIW case resolution. Determining jurisdiction based on crime location, victim’s, and perpetrator’s tribal status adds to these challenges. Look at this chart for “clarification.” Spoiler alert - it’s confusing!

Search for the movie Wind River on your smart TV and look out for the indifferent attitude of the FBI when it comes to MMIW cases, which in turn affects the timeline of working these cases. 

Week 4 Resources

Last week, as you read about the systems and laws developed in the United States in the 1800’s, were you able to make the connections to the MMIW crisis of today? 

The twentieth century was a roller coaster of ups and downs for Native Americans.

The 1900’s

-VP Charles Curtis serves at the first Native American US Vice President

-Public Law 280 passes Congress, authorizing some states to prosecute several crimes on tribal lands

-Indian Relocation Act of 1956

-Indian Civil Rights Act of 1968

-Indian Self Determination & Education Assistance Act

-Oliphant v Suquamish Indian Tribe US Supreme Court case ruled Indian tribal courts can’t exercise criminal jurisdiction over non-Indians

-The Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act

It’s a lot of information to go through, we get it, but the crisis of MMIW is linked to the ways (above) Indigenous people have historically lacked legal protections due to the systemic erosion of tribal sovereignty. For centuries it has been this way - power grabs and broken treaties.  

Hood Huggers Historical FREE Tours

Each year during Black History Month, Hood Huggers International offers FREE BLACK HISTORY TOURS to Black youth and adults who live in Buncombe County.  Their Black History tours through Asheville offer a journey through African American historical sites in the downtown area, neighborhoods throughout the city, and highlight historical artwork. If you would like to donate to Hood Huggers to support this initiative, or to find out more about this community gem, please visit their website hoodhuggers.com or call (828) 275-5305 ext 0.

Contact Information

Parish Administrator

admin@stmarkslutheran.net

Our Mission:

Making disciples by loving Christ,

growing in faith, serving all people

Our Vision:

Experiencing and sharing God's grace as an inclusive, intergenerational congregation through Worship, Outreach, Learning and Fellowship