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Jesus said that the Kingdom is like somebody who wasted a bunch of seeds but reaped a barn full! ~ Pastor Alex

BAPTISM THIS SUNDAY

Please join us during Celebrate! worship service at 9 am in the gym to witness the baptism of Elijah Daniel Mack, son of

Casey and Samantha Mack. We look forward to welcoming Elijah into the Church family!

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

SUMMER VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

AT THE FOOD PANTRY

Summer is always a challenging time at the food pantry. Kids are out of school eating three meals a day at home instead of just one or two, so the number of local residents visiting the pantry can spike at this time of year. Plus, many of our volunteers are taking trips or hosting extended family from out of town. On any given day, we might find ourselves missing 5-10 of our regular volunteers. Can you help?

People are needed on weekdays from 8:30 am -12:30 pm

to help sort food and stock the shelves, help clients shop for their food in the "grocery store" part of the pantry, or load cars once the clients are finished shopping. We can also use help on the first Saturday of every month.

If you can help out this summer, whether for one day a week, or one day a month, please visit our website at goldencornerpantry.org and click on "Volunteer" for more information or to sign up as a volunteer. Our clients are all low-income residents of Oconee County, and they are very appreciative of the volunteers who help them feed their families when they can't make ends meet. 

LAY LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Every Christian has a calling. God calls each of us to serve

in one way or another. In the coming months, the Lay

Leadership Committee will be seeking out the people God

has called to serve in various ministries in this church. We

need your help.

You can fill out the insert included in the church bulletin, or you can CLICK HERE to link to the online form. You may also contact Lay Leader Peter Salis or Pastor Alex Stevenson. We appreciate your participation.

Church Finances through the Month of June 2026

Expected Contributions to Date $ 488,506.16 

Received Contributions to Date $ 514,613.34 

Expenses Paid to Date $ 452,214.28

Uplifting Campaign Status through the Month of

June 2026



Amount Pledged through 5/31/28 $ 364,702.00 

Outstanding Amount to Date $ 158,472.81

A detailed Analysis of Revenues & Expenses is posted on the bulletin board outside the church office.

A Planned Gift strengthens Saint Mark during lean times and helps us dream bigger in good times.

ENDOWMENT SURVEY RESULTS

Last month your Endowment Committee developed a congregational survey to assess the level of interest in Planned Giving at Saint Mark. 56 disciples completed the survey. The highlights from my perspective were as follows:

• 100% of respondents have a Will
• 10 indicated they have already included Saint Mark in their Will
• 23 said they are “Likely or Very Likely” to consider including SM in their Will
• 37 indicated they’d be interested in attending a Lunch & Learn on Planned Giving

Thank you for participating. I’m excited and encouraged by the responses. Click here to see survey results.

Bob Graves, Chairman

Endowment Committee

RECAP OF 2026 ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Pastor Alex, Rodger Chapman, Bob Stillwell, and Marian Stillwell attended the South Carolina Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, held in Greenville on June 7-10. They have shared their take-aways from the conference via video. CLICK HERE to watch!

CLICK HERE to read "What happened at Annual Conference" provided by the South Carolina Advocate.

CLICK HERE to email Pastor Alex with your prayer concerns.

CHRISTMAS IN JULY has become a part of the Marvin’s Kids tradition of helping to make Christmas brighter for families in our community. 2026 will be the eighth year the Marvin’s Kids team has signed up toy shoppers in the height of summer, giving us a head start on building the inventory of toys required to stock Santa’s Secret Shop in December.

Typically, 140+ children, from infants to age eighteen,

receive the gifts their parents or guardians choose from the

wonderful selection provided by Saint Mark disciples.

Sign-ups will continue through the month of July.

CLICK HERE for details.

Our second Intergenerational Ministry Lunch & Learn is coming up Sunday, July 19. We invite anyone interested in learning more about this endeavor, whether you attended the last one or not. We will be covering new material that focuses on storytelling and connection. Please RSVP

to Julie by Thursday, July 16. 

Get WACKE at Faith Formation Sunday while we bless backpacks and acknowledge rising K, 3rd and 6th graders! There will be a special performance from our WACKE campers and worship led by the WACKE band. All are especially invited for this special service in the gym! Let’s start the school year with a show of support for all our children and youth!! 

In the Bible, we have four books that tell the story of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These gospels offer us four different perspectives on the meaning and importance of Jesus and his ministry and miracles. Beginning on Monday, September 14th, and hopefully finishing before Thanksgiving, we will look at these gospels in parallel, looking at how they are similar and different in the way they tell the same basic story.

Come join us on Mondays at 11 am in the Table Talk Classroom for these studies. Contact Pastor Alex with questions.

Join Sandy James and Linny Ledbetter as they lead a

10-week Women’s Bible Study of God of Covenant: A Study of Genesis 12-50, by Jen Wilkin. Classes will begin Thursday, September 17 at 10:00 am.

CLICK HERE for the Family Ministry newsletter

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

Consider supporting this year's WACKE camp by donating small paper plates or cups for snack time. We will be using about 75 of each, EACH DAY! In our Visual Arts Station we will be making crafts out of recyclable materials, so bring in some cans, cardboard, plastic, etc. and watch it turn into a masterpiece! If you have the available time, we are still in need of 2 more adults to be shepherds. You will guide a group through all the stations, along with a youth helper, and make sure they get were they need to be. No prep or teaching required, just a great attitude for joining in the fun! Please drop off supplies to Julie's office by Monday, July 20th. For more information about anything WACKE, please contact Julie. 

• July Birthdays
• Pickle Ball Mondays
• Church Directory on Your Mobile Device
• Need a Replacement Name Tag?