Update for the week of February 7 -13, 2019
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Our Mission Statement

To Be and Make Disciples of  
Jesus Christ 

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Contact Information?
 
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Need to 
Contact Us?
 
Saint Mark UMC
616 Quincy Road
Seneca, SC  29678

Call us:
9 am - 5 pm (M-Th)
(864) 882-2603
Pastoral Care
Emergencies or after regular office hours

call or text
(864) 888-7072  

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to  
send an email
Saint Mark 2019 Ministry Guidebook 
Click here to view the entire Saint Mark 2019 Ministry Guidebook with information about church structure, leadership, ministries and our 2019 budget. 
Check Out Our Entire Church
 Calendar of Events
Click here to see what is going on at Saint Mark this week and the weeks to come.
 
February 10, 2019
 
Sunday 
Schedule
 
 9:00 am 
  Sunday School
A Disciple's Path Study 
All Classes 
 
9:55 am
Fellowship Time in the Atrium
   
10:15 am
Traditional Worship 
Sanctuary
 
10:15 am
Celebration Worship
Saint Mark Center 
 
4:00 pm 
TREK for Children  
 
4:00 pm
Youth  
Wings 'N' Things
 
5:30 pm
Special Friends Valentine Party 

Quick, easy and available HERE 
Listen to Last Week's Sermon Today 
If you were not able to attend worship on any given Sunday, you can still listen to the sermon.   Click here to select and listen to sermons that you may have missed.
Got Good News To Share With Your Saint Mark Family?   
Good news lifts our spirits. Share your good news with us. We will publish your good news in our "People 'Neath Our Steeple" feature. Your news will be sent out as an email. Click here to share your good news (achievements, births, awards, etc.). Include pictures if you have them. 
Interested in LGBTQ+ Inclusion?

Click here for more information. 
Prayer Focus for This Week  

Prayer for Black History Month

Written by
Fr. Clarence Williams, CPPS

Father of creation,
whose Son, Jesus, incarnated in time,
and whose Spirit enlivens our lives today,
may we honor the height of your creation,  
the Human Family - 
in every hue that you chose to give each person of our family human.

Jesus, brother of us all,
your prayer to the Father "that they all may be one," through the Holy Spirit, may we witness this Unity of One.

Each people with its history of your love . . .
Each people created in your earthly garden seen from above . . .
A people's story woven in struggle and triumph -
Tears of pain and shouts of joy -
The journey of a people in its history's flow -
The divine weaver's loom hand does show.

Spirit of God, in the month of appreciating
the gift of your children of African descent,
may we be inspired to see your kingdom mystery in one facet of the jewel of our Human Family's descent.

Unity - the prayer of your incarnate Son
Disciples praying the "Our Father" that we may all be one
One in love of the family human
One in hope for the family human
One in faith in the family human . . .
This month, next week and everyday
Henceforth.
Amen.
  
Submit Your Prayer Requests
Saint Mark is pleased to receive your prayer requests . . . for yourself or for friends or loved ones.   Click here to submit your request to Pastor Todd Davis.
WORSHIP THIS SUNDAY  

Worship With Us!
A Disciple's Path Sermon Series
THIS Sunday, February 3
10:15 am  
"Disciple's Path - Presence" 
Psalm 100
 
Traditional Worship
bringing the message  
Rev. Shawna Darnall 
 
Celebration Worship
bringing the message
Rev. Todd Davis 
 
THIS WEEK AT SAINT MARK 
It's Not Too Late . . .
 
It's not too late to begin A Disciple's Path.   
 
The sermon series will continue through Sunday, March 3 at both services.   
 
You may still join a group that is studying A Disciple's Path.  All of our Sunday School Classes (children, youth and adult) are using this study on Sunday mornings at 9 am.  There are other studies being conducted during the the week.   
 
 Wednesday 5:30 pm - 7 pm led by Rev. Bob Stillwell
         Co-Ed group meeting, Bess' Table Room  
         (Room B212 in the Music Suite hallway) 
         Email: restillwell@umcsc.org
 
Thursday 10 am - 11:30 am led by Rev. Todd Davis
         Co-Ed group meeting, Commons Room 
         Email: tdavis@smumcsc.org
 
Ongoing midweek small groups welcome you to join them for this study.
        
    Tuesday 9:30 am - 11 am led by Debbie Barton
                  Women's group meeting in homes
                  Email: mamadebbieb@gmail.com 
    
    Thursday 10 am - 11:30 am led by Sandy James
         Women's group meeting, Room A206 
         Email: s4e4j4@bellsouth.net
 
If you prefer to not participate in a group study, you are welcome to pick up a workbook (for $5) in the church office to study on your own.
Wings for the Lord
Lunch Theater
Annual Fundraiser
TICKETS GO ON SALE  
THIS SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 10 
 
As you enjoy your delicious meal, you will become the "live audience" for the WINGS-FM variety show. You are guaranteed to experience light-hearted entertainment, laughter and love.
 
Purchase your ticket(s) in the atrium and Narthex Sunday, February 10 - Sunday, February 24.  For your convenience, click here to reserve your ticket(s) online.  For online reservations, you will pay at the door.  For more information, click here to contact Donna Poston. 
For more information, click here to contact Donna Poston.
Join Us For a Very Special Evening!
Dinner, Music and Dancing

Celebrate Valentine's Day and help fund our Saint Mark feeding ministry at Ann Hope UMC.  On the first Wednesday of every month, disciples from Saint Mark provide meals for up to 120 men, women and children in our community.  We hope you will plan to attend this fundraising effort, and enjoy a delicious meal with your Saint Mark family.   
 
"Surf and Turf on the Grill" by Ryan Keese 
Your Meal Will Include . . . 
Filet Kabobs
Shrimp Kabobs
Grilled Potatoes with Carrots
Grilled Asparagus   
Full Salad Bar
Delicious desserts made by Cara Davis
 
The price for adults is $25 per person.  Children will enjoy a meal for $3.   
 
You may make your reservation this Sunday, February 10 in the atrium and Narthex. Or click here to make your reservations online.  
 
The deadline is Sunday, February 10.   
 
PLEASE NOTE: The Gathering Master List does NOT apply for this special fundraiser.  Please make a separate reservation for this event. 
LOOKING AHEAD  
Special Parents Night Out
sponsored by  
the Saint Mark Child Development Center
February 15, 2019
5:30pm-10:00pm
 
Take your love out for Valentine's Day Weekend....we are extending parents night out until 10pm on this day.
 
One child - $10/hr
Two children - $15/hr
Three children - $20hr
 
We will provide supper for children 2 and older. This care is available to all Saint Mark families and friends. There will be crafts, games and lots of fun.
 
Click here to make your reservation.
Comedian Henry Cho Is Coming to Walhalla!!

Henry Cho is a regular on television and film. His clean comedy is so versatile that he can headline Vegas and then tour with Michael W. Smith in the same month.  Henry Cho's TV credits include appearances on NBC's "The Tonight Show," CBS' "The Late, Late, Show," and NBC's "Young Comedians Special." Henry was co-creator, co-producer, and co-writer of "The Henry Cho Show" on GAC. Henry's one hour clean Comedy Central Special, "What's That Clickin' Noise?" is currently airing as well as being available on Netflix. He can be heard daily on Sirius XM, Blue Collar Radio, and Pandora. He is also a regular performer at the Grand Ole Opry.  
 
Only 9 tickets are available. Click here to make your reservation(s).  Pay for and pick up your ticket(s) from Marla Fuller at the church office.  
 
TRANSPORTATION IS AVAILABLE.  
 
Do you want to join us for supper before the show?  As we typically do, we will gather at Puerto Nuevo Mexican and Seafood Restaurant in West Union at 6 pm.  Please click here to let Marla know you plan to join us for supper so that she can reserve a seat for you. 

The next session in this five-part series is:  
 
Historical and Social Impacts  
(Panel Discussion)   
Sunday, February 24
11:30 am - 2 pm
Commons Room 
 
There will be a light lunch and door prizes!  
 
It's not too late to register.  Click here.  
 
Contact Stacy Keelor at (914) 217-8092 with any questions about the program.
Click here to make your reservation by Sunday, February 24. 
An Elderberries Event
Anderson Senior Follies
"A Class Act"

The seed for the Anderson Senior Follies was planted in 1989, and each show since then has been a huge success!  Click here to learn more about this annul event. 

Since we will be attending the Anderson Senior Follies a few days before St. Patrick's Day, before the show we plan to enjoy supper at McGee's Irish Pub located in Anderson. 

It should prove to be a most enjoyable evening!  Watch for more details!  You will be able to make reservations beginning next week.  In the meantime, mark the date on your calendar.  
Let's Help Alleviate Hunger!
 
Our seventh annual Rise Against Hunger meal packaging event will be held on Saturday morning, March 23, in the Saint Mark Center. Join us for this fun, hands-on mission work. Our goal again this year is to package 50,000 meals! Trinity Baptist Church will again be our partner, sharing the cost and providing volunteers. We will also host a diverse group of student and smaller faith groups.
 
We need your help! Fundraising for this year's event begins this Sunday, February 10. We must cover the cost of the food, packaging and shipping of the meals we pack. Please contribute generously toward the $16,000 cost for 50,000 meals. Saint Mark still needs to raise $7000.

To volunteer to participate, please sign up on Sundays in the Narthex or the Atrium. You may also sign up online - click here.  Brochures and donation envelopes will be in this week's bulletin and in our literature rack in the atrium.

For more information, click here to see the entire brochure.
It's That Time Again!!

Our Wings for the Lord youth choir is gearing up for their summer tour in July.  One of their biggest fundraisers is their annual ginormous garage sale. But they need lots of items to sell.  Chances are that you have stuff you don't want or need any more.  Start putting these items aside for the sale. Watch for more details.   
 
We are NOW collecting jewelry for the Wings Garage Sale. A drop box is located in Church Office. 
 
For more information, click here to contact Cara Davis or click here to contact Donna Poston.
 Mental Health Conference
"There Is No Health Without Mental Health: 
The Role of the Church  
in Addressing Mental Illness"
Presented by  
Anderson United Methodist Conference
District Connectional Ministries
Saturday, March 30
9 am - 2:30 pm
Bethesda UMC 
516 Piedmont Rd. 
Easley, SC 29642  
 
Click here to see the complete brochure.
Mission Trip Opportunity
 
We have decided to forego a trip to Eleuthera this spring - too many conflicts and hopes of a new focus beginning in 2020, but we are pursuing an alternative for those of you, who like us, want to be in mission on behalf of Saint Mark and the Methodist church.  
 
We have made a tentative reservation through Rev. Pam Carter, volunteer coordinator  for the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church for our church for the week of May 4-11, 2019.  Organization of the recovery effort was still ongoing as of the time of our contact with Pam, but there is plenty to do!  We do not yet know the exact nature of what we would be doing, although it is likely to include "mucking" of houses rendered uninhabitable by Hurricane Michael and other rebuilding efforts.   
 
If you would be interested in this possibility, please click here to contact Bob or Lynn Dobson or call (864) 723-1854 or (864) 247-1320.  We do not yet have budgetary information but expect the cost/participant to be under $1,000 - perhaps around $500.  The area of our effort would be the Florida panhandle.
 
Bob and Lynn Dobson
OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS 

Ash Wednesday
Wednesday, March 6 
Gathering Meal
5:30 pm
Saint Mark Center 
Ash Wednesday Service
6:30 pm  
Sanctuary
Contact: Todd Davis
 
150th Birthday of UMW
Sunday, March 24
Contact: Becky Hazelwood  
 
Racism and Its Impact (Session #3)
Sunday, March 24
11:30 am
Commons Room
Contact: Stacy Keeler 

ELDERBERRIES EVENTS (FOR 50+)   

ARE YOU 50+?
Here are some
Elderberries Events
that might interest you.  Save the date(s) on your calendar. 

Lunch Bunch
at Blue Marble Deli 
Tuesday, February 26
12 noon
 
Memory Cafe
Tie-dyeing Activity
Monday, March 6
1 - 3 pm 
 
Anderson Senior Follies
Thursday, March 14
7:00 pm
Anderson University
Paramount Theater
Cost: $20 per ticket 
 
Lunch Bunch
with a guest speaker 
"Avoid Getting Scammed!"
with Mandy Tinsley  
from the Oconee County Sheriff's Office  
Tuesday, March 26
12 noon
Ye Olde Sandwich Shoppe 
 
For more information about our Elderberries ministry or any of these events, click here to contact Marla Fuller. 
THE "E" WORD     
The E-Word
 
Your Saint Mark Evangelism Team encourages you to click here and read an article by Rev. Heather Heinzman Lear entitled, "How to Reclaim Ethical Evangelism." The article speaks of the tendency of some Christians to shy away from evangelism because they have past pain around the subject.   
 
One pastor was quoted, "For evangelism to be authentic, it should mean a real welcome into a faith community! It's not about getting people to church.  It's about getting church to people."   
 
Our February meeting will focus on this as we continue to reach out to new members of the community, Blue Ridge Elementary School, CDC, our Marvin's Kids families and other diverse populations in our area.  There is so much happening at Saint Mark!  Are there additional opportunities in the relationships you create in your life to invite someone into our community of faith?
CHURCH AND SOCIETY    
 
United Methodists Celebrate
Black History Month

Black History Month honors the contributions of African Americans to U.S. history. Did you know that Madam C.J. Walker was America's first woman to become a self-made millionaire, or that George Washington Carver was able to derive nearly 300 products from the peanut?

"Negro History Week" was established in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson, an NAACP leader, educator and historian, to recognize the central role Blacks played in the development of the United States. The second week of February was chosen to coincide with the birthdays of abolitionist Frederick Douglass and President Abraham Lincoln. In 1976, the federal government expanded the celebration to Black History Month.

Click here to see a Black History timeline.

The General Commission on Religion and Race (GCORR) focuses on bringing about full and equal participation of the racial and ethnic constituencies in The United Methodist Church. The commission carries out its work through advocacy of the issues and by reviewing and monitoring the practices of the denomination. 

Contact Information

100 Maryland Avenue, NE, Ste. 400
Washington, DC 20002
202-547-2271
IN THE COMMUNITY 
A Night of Revival
Ann Hope United Methodist Church
Wednesday, February 27
6:30 pm
Fellowship Hall
 
You are invited to join the Ann Hope UMC community of faith for a night of revival on February 27. Following the regular 5:30 pm community meal, worship will begin in the fellowship hall of the church. The guest evangelist is Rev. Denver Thompson of New Life Community Church in Yeadon, UK. Music will be lead by Bob & Cheryll Crenshaw.  
 
For more information, click here to contact Rev. Matt Turner, pastor of Ann Hope UMC.  
FOR YOUR INFORMATION   
Pastor's Discretionary Fund Update
 
Many thanks to those who have contributed to the Pastor's Discretionary Fund this past year. Recently, I used donations to help support Shop with a Bobcat Christmas Program at Seneca High School, provided utility assistance to three different families, made a donation to the Golden Corner Food Pantry, and sponsored 10 children through the Shriners Hospital. This account is getting low on funds and needs additional donations.

You can make your check out to Saint Mark UMC, and on the "for" line, write "Pastors Discretionary Fund.

Thank you for your generosity,
Pastor Todd
Thank you from Ripple of One
 
I want to thank you and your church again for all your support.  This is a journey for our families and it means a lot that you are part of this walk.  I'm sharing our 2 min. trailer year end video.  What a great year!  
 
End of year 2018! 
End of year 2018!
 
We are so grateful for your partnership! It takes a village to make this happen -- and you've been a part of this transformational growth.
 
Magan Luzzi
Community Outreach Coordinator
Ripple of One - STOP Enabling and START Empowering
Office: (864) 882-8777  Cell: (864) 364-0656 
Statement on 2019 General Conference  
of The United Methodist Church
 
In May 2018, the Council of Bishops of the United Methodist Church entered a covenant to honor the work before the 2019 General Conference delegates - who are charged with speaking for the denomination - by supporting the delegates rather than attempting to influence them.
 
Bishop L. Jonathan Holston, resident bishop of the South Carolina Conference of the UMC, has chosen to keep that covenant and to remain focused on promoting and encouraging the mission of our church - to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
 
Therefore, as the spiritual and temporal leader for all United Methodists in the South Carolina Conference - where diversity of thought and understanding are present among clergy and laity - Bishop Holston has chosen to remain neutral in support of the covenant to which the bishops have entered into by allowing the delegates to do their best work.
 
The 2019 General Conference is scheduled for February 23-26 in St. Louis, Missouri. Click here for more information.
 
Media contact: Dan O'Mara Communications Coordinator domara@umcsc.org 803-786-9486 (Ext. 260) (office) 803-260-3681 (cell) 
Are You Looking For a Physical Outlet,  
Along With Great Fellowship?   
 
Look no further!  We have a group of Saint Mark disciples that meets every Monday evening at 6:30 pm in our Saint Mark Center (gym) to play Pickleball! 
Interested?  Just show up!!  Or click here to contact Tom Lund.
Thank You Saint Mark!!!
 
Because of your generosity this past Sunday, our Souper Bowl Offering totaled $1,074.48. The entire amount will go to the Golden Corner Food Pantry, and will be matched dollar-for-dollar, totaling $2148.96 to help feed our Oconee neighbors. 
Sorry to Say "Good-bye"
 
We are so sorry to say good-bye to custodian, Linda Bryant.  She has been a hard worker and ray of sunshine at Saint Mark.  She leaves us (effective Tuesday, February 5) to enjoy a much deserved retirement. Best wishes and may God bless you, Linda!  Thank you for your service!!  
SAINTS IN SERVICE
HELPING YOU PLUG IN . . . 

LET US KNOW HOW YOU WANT TO PLUG IN!
Click here to discover the many ways to serve at Saint Mark. Fill out the form and return it to Marla Fuller in the church office. We will get you plugged in!    
 
 

Saint Mark United Methodist Church

616 Quincy Road
Seneca, South Carolina 29678-3820
mfuller@smumcsc.org
 

864-882-2603
Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors