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We often call him "Doubting Thomas," but he is no different from us. ~ Pastor Alex

The Great 50 Days: “Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again!” Every time we celebrate Holy Communion, we remind ourselves of this good news. From now until May 24th we will celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. In the church Easter is actually 50 days long! Jesus rose on Easter Sunday, but he appeared to his disciples for 40 days and then ascended into heaven. Then ten days later he sent the Holy Spirit to anoint the disciples at Pentecost. Make time to celebrate the new life that we have through the resurrection of Jesus, not just today, but every day!

JAMES "JIM" GORDON

Our deepest sympathies and prayers go out to Saint Mark disciple Donna Gordon and to the family and friends of disciple Jim Gordon, who passed away on Thursday,

April 2.

A service and celebration of life will be held at the Keowee Key Vista Room at the Clubhouse on Friday, April 10, 2026 from 2-5 pm. Click here to read Jim's obituary.

COS PRIORITIES FOR 2026

My fellow disciples, in an effort to keep the entire congregation informed of the happenings in the church, I would like to report to you what transpired at our recent Council of Stewards meeting. As you know, the Council of Stewards (COS) is comprised of clergy, church staff, administrative committee leaders, ministry committee leaders, annual conference delegates and lay members at large. It is the decision making body of the church. You can see who is a member of this year’s COS by referring to the 2026 Ministry Guidebook that can be found on the Saint Mark website. One of the most important jobs of the COS is to set the strategic direction of the church, and it has decided to focus on four main priorities in 2026, namely:

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE.

Apportionment Corner:

Spartanburg Methodist College

This year we have been exploring Saint Mark’s apportionments to better understand our support of the world wide ministry of the church. Apportionments are the funds that Saint Mark UMC gives for the ministry of the larger United Methodist Church, and they would make up about 8% of our annual budget if we included them all. We have already featured World Service, Conference Benevolences, and the Senior Scholarship Fund. Today we are highlighting Spartanburg Methodist College.

Spartanburg Methodist College began as a two year college whose mission is to provide an educational opportunity for everyone. Their goal is that no student would be turned away for lack of funds. They began offering Bachelor’s degrees in 2019. About 95% of the students at Spartanburg Methodist College receive some kind of financial aid. About 85-90% who get an Associate’s degree go on to a four year college and finish a bachelor’s degree. “Our-portion-ment” for Spartanburg Methodist College is $1,794 this year. Half of that has been included in the budget for 2026. Please give faithfully so that Saint Mark can hopefully support these apportionments in full.

• Golden Corner Food Pantry
• Ann Hope UMC Feeding Ministry
• Collins Children's Home

CLICK HERE to email Pastor Alex with your prayer concerns.

The Berries Committee and Family Ministries is combining efforts to bring together disciples of all ages for an evening of fun in downtown Seneca. Join us for Jazz on the Alley on Thursday, April 16 at 7pm. It's fun, and it's free! We will meet in front of Mayberry's Restaurant at 6:30. We recommend you bring your own chair. The featured musician that evening is Nathan Angelo. You can contact Karen Suarez or Julie Spoelstra with questions.

Next Sunday we will celebrate both the Festival of God’s Creation and Native American Ministries Sunday. The United Methodist Church designates the Sunday closest to Earth Day, April 22nd, or another Sunday near it, as the Festival of God’s Creation.

In the beginning God created the earth and all that is in it and called it good. Then God planted a garden and placed the first human in it to care for and tend the garden. God has given us the beauty of creation. Through the Earth, God provides all we need to live: air, water, food, clothing, shelter, medicines etc. God created it so that it would provide for us and all the other animals of the world in perpetuity. Humans have been given the unique responsibility to care for that creation. On this Sunday we celebrate the gift of the earth and remember that responsibility to care for God’s creation.

Next Sunday also happens to be Native American Ministries Sunday. This is the Sunday that the United Methodist Church celebrates the cultural and spiritual contribution of its over 20,000 Native American members. We will recognize this heritage and thank God for the goodness of creation in our service on April 19th.

Saint Mark Festival: The Feast Day of Saint Mark the Evangelist is April 25th. On the following Sunday, April 26th, we will celebrate Saint Mark the church with a combined service followed by a covered Dish Supper. On April 26th we will have one service in the Sanctuary at 10:30 am. Sunday School will be at 9:30 am. Following the worship service we will have a covered dish supper in the Saint Mark Center. Come and bring a friend!

PARLEZ-VOUS FRANÇAIS? SPRECHEN SIE DEUTSCHES? ¿HABLAS ESPAÑOL? On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples and gave them the ability to speak in different languages.

On Pentecost Sunday, May 24th, we will reenact that event as we read about the day of Pentecost from Acts 2:1-11. We will do this by having different members of the congregation, who speak languages other than English, read aloud the Pentecost account while it is being read in English from the pulpit. Please contact Pastor Alex Stevenson and let him know what language you can read. If you do not have a copy of Acts 2:1-11 in that language, we should be able to obtain one for you.

CLICK HERE for the Family Ministry newsletter

to see all that's happening with children and youth!

Contact Lisa Simmons or Julie Spoelstra.

FOSTER PARENTS NEEDED

In March, Oconee County had nearly thirty children in need of foster parents. Needless to say, our community has a need when it comes to taking care of our greatest resource, our children. April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and the Oconee Foster Care Review Board is asking for you to promote foster care or, more importantly, consider becoming a foster parent. 

For more information, you can call our local DSS office at 864-638-4400, visit https://dss.sc.gov/media/01xj5bkv/dss-brochure-2431-mar-25.pdf, or contact one of the following foster parent licensing agencies: https://dss.sc.gov/child-well-being/foster-care/licensing-partners/oconee



Additionally, our local non-profit, Fostering Faithfully, would welcome an opportunity to speak to your church and/or provide a small informational session.

To report suspected child abuse or neglect, contact the SCDSS 24-hour, toll-free hotline at 1-888-CARE4US or

1-888-227-3487. Contact 911 immediately if the situation is a life-threatening emergency. 

COME SEE MARIO SUAREZ &

LANCE GLENN!

Support regional community theater at The Historic Ritz in Toccoa, GA and see our own Mario Suarez and

Lance Glenn in Frozen on Saturday, April 25 and Sunday, April 26. CLICK HERE for ticket info.

THEN COME TO

CLEMSON LITTLE THEATRE!

Come see a wonderful cast including Saint Mark's

Kristine Montgomery and Lance Glenn in a whacky southern-fried comedy:

In the backwoods of the Bible Belt, the beleaguered Turpin family proves that living and dying in the South are seldom tidy and always hilarious. Despite their earnest efforts to pull themselves together for their father’s funeral, the Turpins’ other problems keep overshadowing the solemn occasion. Amidst the chaos, the Turpins turn for comfort to their friends and neighbors, an eccentric community of misfits who just manage to pull together and help each other through their hours of need, and finally, the funeral.

Show Rating: PG-13 

Run Time: Two Hours

CLICK HERE for ticket information.

• April Birthdays
• Pickle Ball Mondays
• Church Directory on Your Mobile Device

Please help to enhance worship service by donating a floral arrangement in honor or memory of a special someone or event. And remember, those flowers are then divided and sent on to disciples in senior living or medical facilities to let them know we're thinking of them. Contact Sarah Boylston for more information.