St. Mark's Weekly E-blast

We gather, connect, and serve so all may experience the love of Christ.

By Rev. Lynn Bartlow

Lead Pastor

I love to cook. From baby food to black bean brownies to everyday dishes, I've always enjoyed spending time in the kitchen making something out of a bunch of ingredients.

But I also love it when someone else cooks. I'm busier now than I was 15 years ago, and I don't have the energy to spend figuring out what's for dinner. It's a gift to me that my husband cooks many nights, and I simply show up to eat and clean up the kitchen! In Flagstaff, our family loved our weekly dinners at the church, a night nobody had to cook or clean, only eat and enjoy the company of our church family.

Here at St. Mark's, we offer a similar opportunity to come and eat together each week at Soul Station. We get to come and eat, grateful for the hard-working volunteers and staff who have done all the work to provide the meal.

We want to expand the opportunities for fellowship and food, as we shared in our introduction to the Whole World Bistro. Dinner, with no strings and no expectations for programs. Dinner, with friends in our space or taken home to eat with your family.

As you know, we have our annual Church Conference next week, October 22 at 7 pm. You will receive an email later this week with the zoom link if you want to join online and with a digital version of the Annual Report.

But we invite you to come eat before. Join us for dinner before we convene our annual Church Conference. This special dinner will be prepared by one of our very own church members, Chef Gavin Powers. Gavin is a graduate of the Arizona Culinary Institute (December 2023) and is returning to share his love for food and community with us.

Watch your emails on Friday for our menu and a way to RSVP. Come prepared to savor each bite of his menu he will share with us! And stay for the Church Conference.

See you soon,

Pastor Lynn

This week's dinner is hot dogs, chips, salad, and cookies to decorate.

Join us for a fun night inspired by Isaiah 43:1-2 "Do not fear".

We'll have jumping castles, mask making, and more!

Don't Forget!

Ukulele lessons tonight at 4:30pm in Room 20!

Meet The Pastors Upcoming Dates:

11AM 10/19 at the home of Bill and Chris Shafer

1PM 10/20 at the home of Ray and Ainsley Legner

10AM 10/22 at the home of Carol Fouch

Ask a pastor for details!

You choose! Join us either 5-8pm Monday, 10/21 OR 9am-12pm Saturday, 10/26.

Want to know more about St. Mark's? Or what it means to be Methodist? Want to spend time with Pastor Lynn and Tricia? You are invited! Sign up by emailing Tricia@umcstmarks.org

Red Volunteer Shirts!

Do you need a red volunteer shirt to wear when you are out volunteering? Do you already have one and don't like how it fits? ...Or does it just plain not fit? How frustrating!

Bring Your Red Shirts To The Office!

• Turn in the ones that don't fit for someone else to use or borrow
• Bring in a red shirt of your choosing with your name on the tag or safety pinned to the collar. Give us a week to heat press the logo onto your shirt and pick it up the following Sunday or during office hours.
• Don't want to wait a week? Stop by during office hours to take home a transfer sheet and instructions to press your shirt at home! (Please note that transfer may last longer when pressed using a heat press as opposed to a clothes iron)

There are 13 propositions on the Arizona ballot. All but two were proposed by our state legislators and many give state legislators more control.

Here are a couple questions you might consider in deciding your vote on each proposition.

1. Who may be hurt or have less control if this proposition passes? Who will gain control? 
2. These constitutional changes and laws apply regardless of the party controlling the state legislature. Would you want legislators to have this power independent of which party has majority control?
3. Voting "no" will keep things as they are today.

For more information about specific propositions, view the recording of the League of Women Voters Info Session hosted by United Women in Faith and Church and Society here:

https://dscumc.zoom.us/rec/play/bDe31JUVuMqKfU9e-2s7phYuR8OjounFbBlXE239e5IeaybGMd_52dcU1dJymdttFq8ciurk0FwhadRX.yTrKdPxQrVNTJS3A

For the United Methodist guide to Vote for the Common Good, click here:

https://www.umcjustice.org/documents/501?emci=ce7da1ad-0888-ef11-8474-6045bda8aae9&emdi=9ff61b74-238a-ef11-8474-6045bda8aae9&ceid=11863846

Please join us for "On Your Mark's Walking Group".  We will meet Monday, October 21, at 7:15am in the church's North parking lot. Bring water, sunglasses, hat, sunscreen. Plan 2 hours, (includes travel time) for under 3 miles. Remember no rain/only shine! Contact Cheri Schwartz 602-320-2152.  

Are you missing items? Reading glasses? Did you bring a water bottle to an event and leave it behind? Sunglasses? Did you take off a ring to wash your hands and leave it by the sink? Back up reading glasses? Have you looked in the office during the week? We might have your missing item here, please come and pick them up!

If you haven't had a chance to check out the current art show in the Welcome Center, don't miss out! The art will be on display until Nov. 17th and is available for purchase as a fundraiser for our youth.

If you are interested in:

• Purchasing the youth art, click the image above or visit tinyurl.com/SMYouthArtShow
• Allowing us to display your own art at a future date, contact Tricia@umcstmarks.org
• Knowing more about a current or past Art Show, contact Tricia@umcstmarks.org

SUNDAY WORSHIP SCHEDULE

·    8:30 and 10 a.m. Traditional service in Magee Campus sanctuary and child care in Rm 15

·    10 a.m. Modern service at Sanctuary Campus with Children's Sunday School and childcare

·    10 a.m. Magee Campus youth and children's Sunday School (except fifth Sundays) and childcare

·    10 a.m. Traditional service and Modern Service live stream airs on YouTube and our Website

Worship online at 10 a.m. on Sundays at YouTube UMC St. Mark's AZ. You can also watch the service at a later time. 

Office Hours – 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mon-Thurs, closed Friday - Sunday

Our monthly Messenger newsletter (for October) is available here: LINK

*For our friends who worship with us online, you will see on the front page an invitation to worship online, and it gives you the option for each campus. We have the bulletin, a section for prayer requests, sign-ins, and more right there on the same page. Please go check it out before Sunday!