The e-Lion

Week of January 25, 2024

The Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany

All of us at St. Mark’s share a commitment to our faith and to our community, and we welcome visitors regardless of religious background, race, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Everyone is welcome!

Sunday, January 28, 2024

Holy Eucharist, Rite II

Serving at 10:00 am

Celebrant & Preacher

The Rev. Gregory L. Millikin

Musician

Westley Art Hodges

Music

St. Mark's Parish Choir

Ushers

Rich Forst & Ric Ashley

Acolyte

Vince Pappas

Lector

Doug Sondgeroth

Intercessor

Aina Gutierrez

Lay Eucharistic Ministers

VOLUNTEER NOW!

Altar Guild

Alice Pappas

Flower Guild

Dale Seifert

Vestry Persons of the Day

Nancye Kirk, Kathy Hart

Coffee Hour Hospitality (after the 10 am)

Last Names ending in N-Z

Click on the image of the bulletin to view the full 10am leaflet.

Texts for Sunday, January 28

**The 1 Corinthians lesson will not be read at the 10am service this Sunday

Rector's Message

Dear Church,

I am a self-professed geek for Episcopal polity. The governance structure of this denomination came into being at the same time as the government of this country in the late 1700's post-Revolution. Like our system of checks and balances, there are three branches of Episcopal government: an executive branch (The Presiding Bishop), a judicial branch (Title IV councils), and a legislative branch (The General Convention, which is bi-cameral as well). What we do at a churchwide level is replicated at the diocesan level, which is replicated at the congregational level.

All of this leads me to anticipate this Sunday's 160th Annual Meeting of the parish. Since our incorporation as a church community in 1864, we have gathered once a year as a full church to receive a budget, elect vestrypersons, hear or read reports on the state of the parish, and celebrated our participation in the life of the Episcopal Church.

While I cannot make everyone as geeky as me for these things, I can at least implore you to read our Annual Report, come to the meeting either in-person at 11am or virtually via Zoom, and share in this annual process as a church family.

Below are two important links for Sunday's Meeting - the 36-page Annual Report and the Zoom log-in information. If you do choose to Zoom, we ask that you remain muted and use the "raise hand" feature at the appropriate times to vote or speak.

Annual Report

Zoom Link

Our 10am service is slightly abbreviated, aiming to be done with enough time for restroom breaks as well as give everyone a chance to get some coffee, tea and snacks from coffee hour. Last names beginning with N-Z are asked to bring treats or baked goods to share as it is the 4th Sunday for Hospitality at coffee hour.

A follow-up email will be sent on Sunday morning with the Report and the Zoom link again.

Blessings to this wonderful place on its 160th Annual Meeting.

Greg+

This Week at St. Mark's

Sunday, January 28 :: The Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany

8:00 am - Holy Eucharist, Rite II in the Lady Chapel
9:00 am - Choir Rehearsal in the Sanctuary
9:00 am - Adult Forum: The Letters of Paul - 1 Corinthians in the Parlor
10:00 am - Holy Eucharist, Rite II with music in the Sanctuary
11:00 am - Annual Meeting in the Sanctuary or on Zoom
4:00 pm - Candlemas Cross-Quarter Days at St. Luke's Evanston

Wednesday, January 31

8:00 am - Morning Prayer led by Andy Howard via Zoom (Click here to join)
11:00 am - Wednesday Lunch served from 11-12:00 noon in Cunningham Hall

Thursday, February 1

7:00 pm - Choir Rehearsal in the Sanctuary

Friday, February 2

6:30 pm - First Friday - Pizza Potluck in Cunningham Hall

Ongoing at St. Mark’s . . .

Interfaith Action Hospitality Center for the Homeless: Every Monday through Friday, 7:00-11:00 am - volunteers always needed (click here to volunteer )
Volunteers are needed Wednesdays from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm for preparation and distribution of lunches and clean-up in Cunningham Hall and as door monitors. (Click here to volunteer)

Save the Date

Sunday, January 28, 2024

11:00 am - 160th Annual Meeting - on Zoom or in the Sanctuary
4:00 pm - Cross Quarter Days - Candlemas Celebration at St. Luke's Evanston

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

Ash Wednesday - Season of Lent Begins

Sunday, March 24, 2024 through Sunday, March 31, 2024

Holy Week

Announcements

Annual Meeting This Sunday, Jan. 28 at 11am

Please view the Annual Report on the link below, and find the Zoom link for those who will tune in from home.

Annual Report

Zoom Link

First Friday Next Month - February 2 at St. Mark's

On February 5, 2024, we are planning a Pizza TASTING Party at St. Mark's! This is a potluck meal focused on enjoying the great variety of pizza options. Think thin crust vs. stuffed; red sauce vs. white vs. green (pesto); wheat crust vs. gluten free, veggie vs. meat, pepperoni vs. Italian sausage, black olives vs. green, pineapple vs. tomatoes, etc. There are so many choices! Please bring enough of your favorite Pizza (or side dish) so that others can sample. You may want to request that your pie be cut in squares (vs. wedges).

We are assembling at 6:30pm in the renovated Hospitality Center space so we'll have access to warming ovens if needed. Plates and silverware will be provided. Don't forget to come with a favorite pizza eating beverage.

Let me know if you have any questions. Can't wait to enjoy what everyone brings! Contact me at 224-234-9380 - Rachel Easton

Cross Quarter Days - Candlemas Celebration This Sunday at 4pm

Dear families of St Mark's: Does anyone in your family enjoy making crafts? Candle-making materials will be on hand as well as natural items for making ephemeral art. Please consider joining us at St Lukes Sunday, January 28 at 4 pm for a fun interactive time together. Bring along candles from home as well to have blessed during the worship time. St Mark’s is co hosting this along with St Luke's located at 939 Hinman. See some photos below of Candlemas last year that we hosted at St Marks.

Questions? Call Allison Ashley at 847 271 1668 or contact at [email protected]

Nature Celebration of Candlemas! All are invited to celebrate the midpoint between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox when God's cold resting world holds just the faint promise of the new life to come. We will gather together for rolling beeswax candles of many beautiful colors (no heat involved) and also making elegant ephemeral nature art with tree "cookies," seeds, beans, rocks, pinecones and other natural materials on black felt. We'll have a brief liturgy to bless the church's candles for the year, led by our own the Rev. Greg Millikin This is an all ages event; we will be welcoming members of St. Mark's and other churches in the deanery for this beautiful celebration of God’s world. Join us! Sunday, January 28, 4pm - 5pm at St Luke's Episcopal Church.

Home Lay Eucharistic Minister Team - Assemble!

St. Mark's is bringing back the ministry of Home LEMs, or Home Lay Eucharistic Ministers. Home LEMs are lay volunteers who support the clergy in pastoral visitations, visiting the elderly, homebound or hospitalized with Home Communion kits and specialized liturgies. This is a wonderful ministry for those looking to serve their parish community at a deeper level.

For the next several weeks, we are asking for volunteers to join our team, and then in February, Greg+ will coordinated an orientation meeting including training for LEMs. The goal is to have our homebound or shut-in parishioners visited at least monthly and offering the sacrament of communion from already-blessed wafers and wine. There will also be a sending out, or commissioning of Home LEMs during worship services.

If you are interested in volunteering or assisting, we could really use your help! Please contact Greg+ at [email protected]. We are also looking for someone to help coordinate and schedule the visits to help out the parish office with this task.

Worship Leader Training Course led by Milner Seifert

The Worship Leader Training Course through Bexley-Seabury Seminary is designed for any who want to explore more deeply the Daily Offices of the Episcopal Church and for laity who wish to be equipped to lead weekday offices and Sunday worship in the absence of a priest. St. Mark's parishioner and professor Milner Seifert leads this wonderful course aimed at lay persons in the Church.

Course participants will gather as a community of learning January 28-March 23, 2024.

The 3 90-minute synchronous Zoom sessions will occur on Sundays, 7:30-9:00pm ET / 6:30-8:00pm CT / 5:30-7:00pm MT / 4:30-6:00pm PM.

For More Information, Click Here.

Red Cart Sunday - Sunday, February 18th

Help the Wednesday Lunch Program! Bring jugs of juice/non- carbonated drinks ( apple juice, cranberry juice, lemonade, or iced tea) or powdered mix for iced tea or lemonade. Package cookies ( Oreos, windmill, and fudge stripe, etc. are preferred). We also need grocery style plastic bags that we use to pack lunch items for people who request a lunch to go. Place items in the cart at the back of the sanctuary. Next date: Feb. 18th. Thank you - SJOM Team

Adult Forum Series, Sundays at 9am in the Parlor:

The Letters of Paul and 1 Corinthians

Join Greg+ at 9:00am in the Parlor for a Bible Study about Paul's letters, with a particular focus on 1 Corinthians. We will learn a bit about this saint who may or may not have known our own St. Mark, and study excerpts from his first letter to the people of Corinth. The Conversion of Paul fell on January 25th, and our lectionary provides for several passages during the season of Epiphany from Paul's letters to the Corinthians. Everyone is welcome!

Thank You to Those Who Have Already Pledged for 2024

Thank you to all those who have made a pledge for 2024, which will fund our mission and ministries for St. Mark's this year. If your name is missing on this list inadvertently, please let us know and we will correct it for next week! Thank you so much for your generosity.

Allison & Ric Ashley

Bob & Trish Barr

Judson & Gabrielle Brooks

Richard Brooks

Lynn Carver

Gretchen Constantine

Hector Cortes

Adrianna Dangremond

Rachel Easton

Lynn Erickson

Florence Estes

Maryellen Estes

John Fitts

Richard & Margaret Forst

Desmond & Sarah Francis

Janon Furlong

Pat & Emily Furlong

Lori Goede

Joanna Greene

Kathy Hart

Jack & Anne Heinz

Karla Heuer

Tim Heuer & Vannia Phillips

David & Lola Himrod

Seth Himrod

Westley Hodges & Joseph Doyle

Andrew & Sandra Howard

Michael & Tacia Johnson

Rebecca Keays

Anne Kirchner

Matthew & Emily Kirchner

Nancye Kirk

Judy Kopp

Lindsay Lansdale

Fred & Susan Lewis

Robert & Rima Lockwood

Phyllis Lyons & Manel Valdes-Cruz

Motoko Maegawa

The Rev. Greg Millikin

Bob & Edie Molumby

Nonie Morris

Natasha Oussenko

Alice & Tom Pappas

Donna & Ted Richardson

Evelyn Russell

John & Betsy Sagan

Chris Schultze

Byron Scott

Milner & Dale Seifert

Marene Smith

Doug Sondgeroth & Aina Gutierrez

Casmir & Dorothy Szczepaniak

Helen Trainor

Dan Whitmore

If you would like to make a virtual pledge now, please follow this link to fill out a form for your 2024 Pledge to St. Mark's. Once again, we apologize if anyone's name is missing here, and we will work to rectify it immediately. Let Greg+ know at [email protected]

♫ All Things Music ♫

2024 Spring Concert Series:

2-19, Noon—Fulton Chamber Players, violin duo

3-18, Noon—Lauren Moldenhauer, flute

4-6, 7pm—Amethyst Winds, woodwind quintet

4-22, Noon—Michael Brazile, harpsichord

5-5, 7pm—Evensong

5-11, 7:30pm—Coriolis, a cappella choir

Click HERE read the latest issue of RIDGE NOTES, the monthly music newsletter for St. Mark's and the community

Click here to subscribe to RIDGE NOTES

Creation Care Corner

Next Creation Care Team Meeting

The next Creation Care team meeting will be Tuesday, February 13th at 7:30 on Zoom. Contact Allison Ashley at [email protected] for more information and for the Zoom link.

Candlemas Cross Quarter Day - January 28 @ 4pm

Nature Celebration of Candlemas! All are invited to celebrate the midpoint between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox when God's cold resting world holds just the faint promise of the new life to come. We will gather together for rolling beeswax candles of many beautiful colors (no heat involved) and also making elegant ephemeral nature art with tree "cookies," seeds, beans, rocks, pinecones and other natural materials on black felt. We'll have a brief liturgy to bless the churches’ candles for the year, led by Rev. Greg Millikin. This is an all ages event: all Episcopal churches in the Evanston deanery are invite for this beautiful celebration of God's world. Join us at St. Luke's on 939 Hinman Ave on Sunday, January 28, 4pm - 5pm.

Contact me (Allison) at [email protected] for more info or feedback!

Parishioner Flo Estes in Concert on February 8th at 7pm at Uncommon Ground

Come see Flo Estes along with Haden Lee and Lisa Medina in a concert at Uncommon Ground coffee shop at Clark & Grace in Wrigleyville on Thursday, February 8th at 7pm (seating at 6:30pm). Flo is a singer-songwriter, and you can learn more about this concert on this link. Tickets are $10. Let's get a great showing from St. Mark's!

In Our Prayers

For Healing in Body, Mind or Spirit

Elsa Sondgeroth

Jay Johnson, brother-in-law of Tacia Johnson

Lola Himrod

Katherine Lewis, daughter of Fred & Susan Lewis

Mickie Heidtke, friend of Nancye Kirk

Mary Joyce Stewart, grandmother of David Hood

Ed Wentworth

For Those Who Have Died

Nicholas Perry, friend of Fred & Susan Lewis

George Roth, friend of Tacia & Mike Johnson

St. Mark's Community Prayers

For the 160th Annual Meeting of the Parish

Anglican Communion Cycle of Prayer

The Anglican Church of South Africa

Diocese of Chicago Cycle of Prayer

Congregations in the Aurora Deanery: Calvary in Lombard; St. John in Naperville; St. Charles in St. Charles; Trinity in Wheaton

Companion Dioceses of SE Mexico and Renk: San Juan in Chogota; St. Peter in Wun-Kur

Long-Term Prayer List

(Parishioners) Bob & Tricia Barr • Mary Pat & Bob Buckley • Lynn Carver • Sherri Crawford • Lynn Erickson • John Fitts • Judy Kopp • Anne Myers • Bob Molumby • Jan & Jeri Offutt

(Friends, Family) Carlota Acosta • Rick Artwick • Angelo Augustinos • Rosemary Bolas • Ronda & Inis Carol • Michael Collins • Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church • David & Donnie Cresap • Alana Dickey, granddaughter of Chris & Andy Schultze • Carolina Graiales • Elizabeth Harris, friend of Donna Richardson • Jane & Rich Herman, friends of Tricia & Bob Barr • Gabriel Howard, son of Andy & Sandra Howard • Teresa Johnson • Judy Justus • Delaney Kirchner • Charlie Lettner • Grace Lettner • Kathleen Lettner • Joey Moag, friend of Tacia & Mike Johnson • Lynn Parsons • Lisa Polk • Jenny Ruckley, friend of Tacia & Mike Johnson and former members • Jim Ryan, friend of Tacia & Mike Johnson • Mary Ellen Seamonds • Gail Seinberg • Dick and Stephanie Solar • Madison White • Jordyn White • Diane Yost

If you have a name to add to the prayer list, please send it to [email protected]

Celebrating Birthdays

Will Suvari (1/25)

Byron Scott (1/28)

Lindsay Lansdale (1/28)

Neena Gaede (2/11)

Emily Furlong (2/14)

Manel Valdes-Cruz (2/16)

Evelyn Skelton (2/20)

Robin Maegawa-Goeser (2/20)

Abigail Seifert (2/21)

Nonie Morris (2/23)

Bob Lockwood (2/25)

Seth Himrod (2/26)

Thomas Bergman (2/27)

Celebrating Anniversaries

Hardy and Lynette Murphy (1/25)

Have we missed your birthday or anniversary?

If so, please send an email to [email protected]

so we can correct our records and include you in the next issue of the eLion.

Make Note

Vestry Minutes. Interested in all the work is doing by our vestry? Learn more by reading the minutes of the September 2023 vestry meeting. You will find the December Meeting Minutes HERE.

Note from the Treasurer. 2023 Giving Statements are on Their Way! Please be aware of something that might look strange on your 2023 Giving Statement. June 1, 2023, was the official end of the 3-year Capital Campaign. And donations to the Capital Campaign made BEFORE 6/1/23 will show up on one line. If you donated AFTER 6/1/2023, you will see an additional line for those gifts. Therefore, donations made after 6/1/23 will not reduce your pledge on paper, but of course, it has! Your total at the top should be correct. We’re grateful for all your support. If you have other questions about your statement, please contact the Treasurer’s Office at [email protected].

Book your meeting space. If you or your committee or group want to use space at St. Mark’s for a meeting, contact [email protected] to reserve space in the library, parlor, Bethlehem chapel, sanctuary, or any other space.

News for the eLion. News for eLion is due no later than 12:00 noon on Thursdays for the next day's newsletter. Send to [email protected]

Offerings and pledges. You can fulfill your pledge or extend your giving by going to our website at stmarksevanston.org and clicking on the Donate button or by mailing a check to the church.