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

It might be Thanksgiving week, but we are busy here at St. Mark's!

• Tonight (Wednesday), our Celebration Singers will join Rev. Deborah Christine and Pastor Kim Ogle in our annual Thanksgiving Service. We will give thanks to God through song, scripture, and communion. No dinner is served; come at 6:30 for the service in the Magee Campus sanctuary.
• Thursday is our Thanksgiving Dinner. A fabulous group of volunteers have cooked turkeys and set the tables, ready for the 70 people who signed up to come. It will be a great time together around the table!
• Friday we have a memorial service for longtime church member Jack Armantrout. Jack and his wife sang in the choir for years, and Jack was instrumental in getting our carillon installed.
• Friday the Marksmen and the Youth will be stringing lights around campus, getting us ready to literally "let our light shine"!
• Saturday we will deck the halls at the Magee Campus. Come help trim our trees and put up all the other decorations in the sanctuary and narthex.
• Sunday we light the first candle on our wreath on this first Sunday of Advent. Join us for one of our four worship services!
• We have another concert Sunday afternoon - the Old Pueblo Brass Band (see below).

Each one of these events help us to fulfill every part of our mission statement - We gather, connect, and serve so all can experience the love of Christ. I am grateful to see how we live out who we say we are!

Whether you come to every event this weekend, or choose one or two,

I truly give thanks for you, for our amazing volunteers and staff here at St. Mark's, and for all the blessings that I get to witness in this life.

See you soon,

Pastor Lynn

PS: Our newsletters were mailed this week... watch for this publication full of Advent and Christmas opportunities. Don't forget to invite a friend or neighbor!

THERE IS NO SOUL STATION THIS WEEK! Instead, join us in person or online at 6:30 pm for our annual Thanksgiving Service. Use our website to join us online.

Funds from the Thanksgiving offering will support Estes Elementary School and the Pascua Yaqui Nation. These funds go to support programs and tools that are needed to uplift and educate the youth and children. All money given at the Thanksgiving service will go to this offering, or you may designate your gift online or on your check to this special offering.

Come help decorate the Magee Campus sanctuary and Fellowship Hall for Christmas!

We will have cider and donuts in the narthex. Come for all or part of the fun!

Coming Up

3PM 12/1 Magee Campus

The Old Pueblo Brass Band of Tucson, Arizona is a British Style brass band. It is the only British Style Brass Band in all of Arizona. OPBB has its roots in Tucson's desert, but its musical heart beats in the fine brass tradition of Britain.

7PM 12/7 Magee Campus

The Sonoran Bells of Tucson, Arizona will present their Holiday Concert, "Joy!" Come get in the holiday spirit! This group is celebrating their 25th anniversary.

3PM 12/15 Magee Campus

Come experience this year's Cantata, a piece that brings Advent to life, capturing the season’s promise and the gradual dawn of hope. The work reflects the image of a small but determined light breaking through darkness—a symbol of Christ’s birth in Bethlehem. Receive this gift from our choirs and instrumentalists.

St. Mark's next blood drive is taking place on Sunday, December 8th, from 7:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. in our Fellowship Hall. You can sign up now to reserve your spot at https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/drive-results?zipSponsor=stmarks

Contact Cheri Schwartz for additional details

10AM Wednesdays Magee Campus

The Wednesday Morning Study will begin the Advent Study “The Christmas Letters” starting November 26 in room 17/18 from 10-11:30. Join the class for any or all the four sessions.

A Memorial Service for Jack Armantrout will be held on November 29 at 10 a.m. in the Magee Campus sanctuary. Internment in the Memorial Garden will follow immediately.

A Memorial Service for Scott Bauman will be held on Saturday, December 7 at 1 p.m. in the Magee Campus sanctuary with a cookie reception following.

Marana Winter Festival and Tree Lighting

Love people? Love Festivals? The Growth and Outreach Committee needs you! Signups for helping at the St. Mark’s booth are now open. This is an easy way to tell people about the exciting things going on at St. Mark’s. You may sign up online at https://umcstmarks.breezechms.com/form/TreeLights.

Questions, talk to Chris Shafer at 214.729.6399.

Project Supply Request!

Children and Family Ministries will be doing a craft project in December, and we need lots of empty cylinder shaped oatmeal containers. Any size will be great. Please turn in the containers to the church office during the week or bring the containers to church on Sunday. Look for the collection bin in the courtyard. Thank you for your support!

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 November) 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!