January 13, 2023

This Sunday,

January 15, 2023

• 9:30 am: Blended Worship service. Onsite and online
• 10:30 am: Fellowship Hour
• 10:45 am: Sunday School
• 11:00 am: Adult Bible Study
• Remember to wear your name tag so all can get acquainted
• The nursery will be staffed during this worship service
• Please sign attendance pads in the pews
• Bring a friend!

Online Worship:

The 9:30 am service can be viewed live here. Click here for Sunday's service bulletin. Click here to see previous worship services on St. Mark's YouTube Channel. Be sure to "like" the service, subscribe to the YouTube Channel, and share the post on your Facebook page so more people can hear the good news!

The Church office will close at 1:00 pm on Monday, January 16^th in honor of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. Program staff will be doing calendar planning that morning.

Important Dates

Sunday, January 22^nd: Meet and Greet with Pastor Scott Bacon and his family. Pastor Bacon will join us for worship and then lead a devotion in the FLC. A brunch will be served during fellowship to allow time to mingle and meet Pastor Bacon. Sign up to bring food for the brunch here. There will be no Sunday School this day.

Sunday, January 29^th: Congregational Meeting to vote on calling Pastor Scott Bacon as Senior Pastor. After worship, we will stay in the sanctuary for prayer, distribution of ballots, and voting. Children will be dismissed for Sunday School. During Fellowship, the results will be announced. Copies of the congregational Annual Report will be available for distribution.

Sunday, February 5^th: Congregational Annual Meeting for elections, reports, and accepting the 2023 budget. After worship, we will gather in the FLC for fellowship and the meeting. There will be Sunday School classes during the meeting. 

Support St. Mark’s in ministry and mission by attending worship and each of these important events in the life of our congregation.

Staffing Updates



I am sad to announce that our candidate for Executive Director of Operations withdrew due to issues beyond his control and did not begin work at St. Mark’s. We are, however, in conversation with another excellent candidate and will keep the congregation posted. Continue to pray for God to lift up a good fit for this important staff position. –Pastor Kendra

A Big Thank You!

We owe many thanks to several members of our property team, Nick Ripley, Glen Calvert & Joey Metzloff, for dealing with the recent water line break at the Burton House. They vacuumed up the water and got fans and industrial dehumidifiers going to dry things out. We are waiting to find out if insurance will pay anything on the carpet which is being removed. Also, the area above the South entrance vestibule where the break caused the Christmas weekend closure of the South parking lot has been insulated with spray-on foam to prevent further problems.

We are fortunate to have this knowledgeable and dedicated team responding to emergencies and taking great care of our property!

Adult Bible Studies Continue

This Sunday, January 15 from 11:00-11:30 am: We conclude our look at the St. John's Bible – the first hand copied, illuminated version of the scriptures in over 500 years. We will learn about this marvelous celebration of God’s Word, as well as do Bible study on some of the illuminated passages.

Thursdays, from 10:00-11:00am: “The Way: Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus.” Using videos by Pastor Adam Hamilton, we retrace the footsteps of Jesus from his baptism to the temptation in the wilderness to the heart of his ministry of healing and teaching. No experience necessary! Note the change in day of the week!

It's back! St. Mark's will play host to the Second Annual Wacky Winter Olympics from 5:30pm-7pm on Sunday, January 15!!! The sports at this event will be: Snowboarder's Balance Challenge, Human Curling, Downstairwell Moguls, Beanie Bear Hockey, and more! 7-12 Graders: Come ready to represent whatever country you want and bring a friend!!

YYAM Service Opportunity

January 21

7-12 Graders are invited to join Jeremy at the Dream Center in Peoria as we help with the Hope Store. The Hope Store is a free clothing and household item store that is available to the Peoria community. During our time there, we will be assisting shoppers, sorting donated items, and helping the event run smoothly. We will leave the church at 7:45 am and will return around 1:00pm. If your child is interested in going, please click here to sign up! We are also in need of some parent volunteers to help out so if you're interested, please let Jeremy know!

Offering Envelopes

2023 Offering Envelopes have been delayed. We expect them to arrive within the first couple weeks of January. Feel free to use envelopes at the church, give by using the QR code in the Buzz, or by texting 833-948-2192, enter the amount you would like to give, and follow the instructions.

January WHIP Donations:

Canned Chicken and Tuna

WHIP is in need of canned chicken and tuna. Donations may be left in Beckwith Hall and in the boxes inside St. Mark's East Entrance vestibule (the glass doors facing Main Street). Please note that expired items cannot be accepted by WHIP.

The St. Mark's Missions team would like to wish you a Happy New Year! We are putting plans together for some wonderful volunteer opportunities for this year. Our first mission opportunity will be at Midwest Food Bank of Morton on Monday, January 23rd from 6pm to 8pm. Adults and children are welcome to attend! Please contact Cindy Shuckford at 309-431-9229 or [email protected] to register to attend. There will also be a sign-up sheet in the Gathering Space. We look forward to serving together at this event and throughout the year.

If you have any ideas or suggestions regarding Mission opportunities, please don't hesitate to reach out to Cindy Shuckford to discuss further. Our team is definitely open to any new ideas as we plan our outings for the year. We also hope to inform our church members of other ways you can serve the community on an individual basis. Look for further information regarding these opportunities in the Mission Connections section throughout the year!  Thank you!

Sunday, January 15

• 9:30 am: Blended Worship
• 10:30 am: Fellowship Hour
• 10:45 am: Sunday School
• 11:00 am: Adult Bible Study
• 5:30 pm: YYAM Wacky Winter Olympics (7-12 Grades)

Monday, January 16 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day - Office Closes at 1)

• 9:30 am: Staff Meeting (Quarterly Calendar Meeting)

Tuesday, January 17

• 4:30 pm: Worship Planning Meeting
• 5:30 pm: Childcare Board Meeting

Wednesday, January 18

• 1:30 pm: Hanna Circle
• 6:30 pm: Confirmation and Cross Trainers

Thursday, January 19

• 10:00 am: The Way Bible Study
• 1:30 pm: Powell Memorial

Saturday, January 21

• 8:30 am: YYAM Service Day at Dream Center in Peoria (Leave church at 7:45 am)

Sunday, January 22

• 9:30 am: Blended Worship with Change for Charity
• 10:45 am: Meet and Greet Pastor Bacon and family/Potluck
• No Sunday School or Bible Study

Monday, January 23

• 9:30 am: Staff Meeting

Tuesday, January 24

• 4:30 pm: Worship Planning Meeting

Wednesday, January 18

• 6:30 pm: Confirmation and Cross Trainers

Thursday, January 19

• 10:00 am: The Way Bible Study

Giving Thanks

Your gifts and offerings support the ministry of this congregation, as well as benevolences we share with others to feed the hungry, provide shelter, and give hope and dignity. Thank you.

St. Mark's Staffing Needs

Perhaps you or someone you know is looking for a new opportunity and possess the skills needed for one of our open positions. There are both ministry staff and childcare/preschool positions available. The following are areas of need:

• Contemporary Music Director (link)