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Jesus demonstrated love by his humility. May we have the same spirit of humility and love.

PASTOR'S NOTE: PALM/PASSION SUNDAY

The Sunday before Easter is celebrated as both Palm Sunday and Passion Sunday. It was on that Sunday before Good Friday that Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem to shouts of hosanna! On this Sunday we also remember that later that week the voices were crying “Crucify!” and we celebrate the Passion or death of Christ.

Please join us on Wednesday, March 27 at noon in the sanctuary to hear guest preacher Ryan Wilson from Trinity Baptist Church deliver the final sermon of the 2024 Lenten Services series: "Father, Into Your Hands I Commend My Spirit." We will host lunch in the gym following worship.

DONATE A CROSS FOR A LOVED ONE

During Lent the Aesthetics Committee is collecting crosses for the cross wall. If you would like to donate a cross in memory or in honor of someone, please turn it into Jens Holley in the church office. Attach a note with the name of the honoree and who is donating the cross. All crosses will be hung by Easter.

DEVOTIONALS FROM OUR DISCIPLES

Ash Wednesday on February 14 marked the beginning of the spiritual season of Lent. Please CLICK HERE to read this week's devotionals by Saint Mark disciples.

PASTOR ALEX ON VACATION

Pastor Alex will be on vacation from Thursday, April 4 through Wednesday, April 10. Bob Stillwell will be on call in the event of a pastoral emergency.

Membership Audit Update

We provided an update to the membership audit in a January Heartbeat article and got some very valuable feedback from several of you; at that time we had a list of 167 names of persons we had been unable to locate by phone or email or a letter mailed to the last known address.

We have since reduced that list but still have 134 names that we need your help in locating. We ask that you review the attached list and advise me ([email protected]) of any names for which you have an updated address or phone number or email - we want to reduce this list considerably by the time of our 2024 annual charge conference. There are some on the list that we know where they live but have been unable to contact.

For your information, of the 958 names on the original list we were given:

• 18 are deceased
• 197 to be recommended for removal at this point
• 609 confirmed members at this point
• 134 as yet unable to contact

Thanks for your help! ~ Bob Dobson

General Conference - April 23–May 3, 2024

The General Conference of the United Methodist Church is coming up in late April through early May, and it will be held in Charlotte, NC. The General Conference is the highest legislative body of the worldwide United Methodist Church. Like the United States government, the government of the United Methodist Church is divided into three branches. A legislative branch (General Conference), a judicial branch (Judicial Council), and an executive branch (Council of Bishops). The General Conference usually meets every 4 years or every quadrennium and is the only body that can speak for the whole United Methodist Church.

CLICK HERE to read more.

• Golden Corner Food Pantry

CLICK HERE to email Pastor Alex with your prayer concerns.

We are expecting a large crowd that includes our CDC families! We need volunteers to help with the event and donations of candy and small toys for the egg hunt and games. Please contact Julie Spoelstra.

Holy Thursday, also known as Maundy Thursday, is the day on which Christ celebrated the Last Supper with his disciples, four days after his triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Only hours after the Last Supper, Judas would betray Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, setting the stage for Christ's Crucifixion on Good Friday.

Holy Thursday begins Triduum, which is the three-day celebration of the heart of the Christian faith: Christ's death and resurrection. The name "Maundy" comes from the Latin antiphon Mandatum Ovum, i.e. "a new mandate." This new mandate from Jesus is taken from John 13:34: love one another as I have loved you.

FLOWERS REQUESTED

Please bring flowers and greenery for our Living Cross on Easter Sunday, March 31. The cross will be at the front of the church. The Worship Team will assist you as you place flowers. Contact Sally Boggs with any questions.

On Wednesday, April 17, we will have our final Recharge meal and program for this season. "W-R-E-CH FM" - The Recharge Radio Station will need your help as we "broadcast" our comedy show with YOU as the live audience! Andy Campbell and Chris Keese will be our announcers with several special guests! Come and de-stress your life with a lot of huge belly laughs! Questions? Contact producer Donna Poston.

The menu that evening will be Baked Spaghetti, Salad, Rolls, and Ice Cream Bar. RSVP to Donna Jaynes for dinner.

This year's Rise Against Hunger event will be held on Saturday, April 27 beginning at 10:00 AM in the Saint Mark Center (Gym). There will be both standing and sitting jobs available. Bring the kids over age 5 -- they have the important job of being "runners" helping to deliver the filled bags to the sealer stations! Please use the QR code to sign up. If you are uncomfortable with QR codes, don't worry; come early, and we will help you with signup.

BTW, the final destination of the meals we packed last year was Madagascar!

MARCH: "WHAT WONDROUS LOVE IS THIS"

Our hymn of the month for March is "What Wondrous Love Is This." The words of this hymn remind us that the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for us is indeed an example of "wondrous" love and inspires us to "sing on" through eternity with joy. 

The hymn text was first published in 1811 in a camp meeting songbook in Lynchburg, VA but was also found in a songbook published in Kentucky around the same time. Many of these camp meeting hymnals published hymn lyrics without musical notation, so the lyrics were sung to popular songs of the day. The tune we know as WONDROUS LOVE comes from the secular song "The Ballad of Captain Kidd." The text and tune were first published together in Southern Harmony, a book of shape note hymns by William Walker. The first denominational hymnal to incorporate this hymn was the 1966 United Methodist Book of Hymns.

SECOND BOOK CONVERSATION

We continue with our “Exploring Social Justice” Book Conversations series presented and facilitated by the Church & Society team. Please join our second book conversation on Thursday, April 18 from 6:30-8:00pm as we explore themes of identity and violence from the book 

A Place for Us: A Memoir by Brandon J. Wolf. To participate, please register by Thursday, April 11 (see link below).  

About this book: From one of the most vital and passionate LGBTQ+ activists comes a powerful memoir about self-discovery, community, love, and resilience in the face of adversity. In this unforgettable coming-of-age memoir, Wolf shares his transformative journey from young outsider to galvanizing activist. Marshaling the compassion and strength of a community, Wolf explores how to get through the darkest times with healing, hope, and resistance. “With our backs against the wall,” he writes, “we find a way out together.”

This series of book conversations will focus on how God calls us to love and act toward justice in these areas in order to experience and honor our faith in full. This will be our second of five books that will bring awareness and understanding to important social justice matters such as racism, identity, gun violence, able-ism, environmental sustainability and, finally, advocacy & action. Choose to participate in some or all of the five books and discussions throughout the year. Our next book will be announced in May with the discussion to be held in June. 

To register or if you have questions, CLICK HERE to email Stacy Keelor.

The Environmental Stewardship Committee is promoting a Photo Contest to coincide with Saint Mark's "Festival of God's Creation" to be observed on Sunday, April 21, 2024. The theme for the contest will be 'Caring for God's Creation'. CLICK HERE for contest rules and details on how to sign up and submit photos. 

CLICK HERE for example photos.

The Environmental Stewardship Committee's focus for 2024 is CLIMATE, FOOD, CLEAN WATER & SUSTAINABILITY. These initiatives of the United Methodist Church can be found at GBCS Home under "climate". 

Sign up for Saint Mark's EcoEarthlings and join the effort to preserve and prosper planet Earth.

Please look for Action Alerts and other programs each quarter in the Heart Beat and on OUR WEBPAGE.

CLICK HERE to see all that's happening!

May 29th - June 5th

For 8 days, 13 young people from Saint Mark will embark on a mission adventure unlike any they have ever experienced. We pray that you will show your support by becoming a "Shell". All Shells will donate funds to support each person's meals for a day. We ask that you wear your shell bracelet, pray for them, and receive communication during their adventure.

Each young person will have at least 8 Shell Supporters for $30 each. Please contact Tammy Garland.

NEW CDC

OFFICE SPACE

The Child Development Center has a new office! Thanks to the efforts of the Trustees, Aesthetics Committee and CDC Steering Committee, the CDC has a beautiful new office. The new office is located behind the Atrium and is much more spacious than the previous one. Lisa Simmons and Kristen Shaver have done a terrific job setting up the new space. CLICK HERE to see more photos.

Lots of happenings with the Berries! The Berries primarily cater to those who are 50+ years of age, BUT we welcome anyone! Bring a friend or family member along. The More the Berrier!

We are booked for the Arthrex Tour on April 11, but you can join us for good southern comfort food and fellowship afterwards at Dyar's Diner in Pendleton. We'd love to see you there! Contact Mario Suarez to RSVP.

We've added an April bonus event in a show of support for Saint Mark staff members Laura Ritter and Kristine Montgomery. Laura is Music Director for The Clemson Little Theatre's upcoming production of musical comedy Once Upon a Mattress, and Kristine is playing Queen Aggravain. We have 20 tickets available for the first Sunday matinee. We will most likely carpool as parking space is limited.

RSVP to DiAnne Crisp.

Join the Berries for a free tour of Clemson's Bob Campbell Geology Museum, home to rocks, minerals, fossils, skulls, skeletons, and faceted gemstones. Bring a sack lunch, and we will gather in the Botanical Garden to socialize after the tour. Contact Lavonne Sloop with questions or to RSVP.

For more info about the museum, click on the link below:

https://www.clemson.edu/public/geomuseum/Exhibits.html

We have already filled our two boats, but we do have a waiting list. You can STILL plan to join us for the fish fry at Devils Fork Park, helmed by Paul Herren and Eddie Rembert. Time and details will be published in the future. For questions or to RSVP, contact Karen Suarez.

• March Birthdays
• Pickle Ball Mondays
• Drums Alive! Class
• CPR Instructional Videos
• Church Directory Mobile App
• Fighting Fraud Booklet Available

The Flower Calendar is posted in the hallway opposite the sanctuary by the Music Suite. Please consider donating a floral arrangement in honor of a special someone or special occasion. Sign up on the calendar or call Sarah Boylston with questions at 864-650-0635.