Food, Fellowship, Faith, and Fun for All Ages!

Featuring food preparation and service by

THE SWEET ADDICTION catering and

St. Mark’s United Methodist Men.

Next Week’s Menu, 9/17:

Lasagna with Roasted Zuchinni, Garlic Bread, Salad Bar, and Italian Cream Cake Reservations Due on Monday Prior!

September Adult Classes and Groups, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.

CALLED TO JOURNEY, CALLED TO WELCOME:

A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE ON IMMIGRATION

The Bible is a story about migrant people, from Abram and Sarai to Jesus himself. Come explore what the scriptures and the United Methodist Social Principles say about immigration and our response to the immigrants in our midst.  September 3 – 24, led by Rev. Martha Touchton in Room 402/404.

LINE DANCING! Make your heart happy by learning to line dance with friends! September 3 – 17 in the gym, led by MTSU student Kae Sigler.

BOOKS OF FAITH: Take a deeper look into the Gospel of Luke, led by St. Mark’s retired clergy. Study Manuals $10. Wednesday, September 3 – Lesson #5 with Rev. Barry Culbertson in the Banquet Hall.

COLLEGE STUDY SESH: Need a little peace and quiet among friends? We’ll be studying every Wednesday in our regular space, Room #502.

Coming Soon – Register Now!

SAVING GRACE: A GUIDE TO FINANCIAL WELL-BEING helps people of faith create healthy relationships with money and bring their financial lives in line with their faith values. This is a completely confidential approach to concrete guidance on saving, earning, giving, spending, debt, and how to build a sustainable financial plan. Six Sessions, October 1 – November 12, led by Rev. Mike Waldrop in Room 405. 

Registration and $20 Fee required; email martha@stmarkstn.org.

SAGES News

The Sages have an outing to Emma’s Restaurant in Manchester on September 24. The bus will leave the church at 10:00 AM. Please sign up in the church office or the narthex. Look for the book!!

The next meeting of the Sages Ministry team is Monday, October 13 at 9:30 AM in Room 503-505.

The Alzheimers/Dementia Support Group will meet Thursday, September 23 in Room 503-505. If you are caring for someone who has dementia, or if you just want to learn more about the disease, or to be supportive, you’re invited.

The Annual Adventures in Learning Program will continue on September 15 and 22. AIL in always celebrated in memory of one of our own, Florence L. Williams. Jeff Henry from St. Mark’s is the Chairperson of AIL. Adventures in Learning is being held at First United Methodist Church, Murfreesboro. There are many offerings this year including “Seniors-Shape Up”. Reverend Martha Touchton, St. Mark’s Minister of Adult Discipleship and Mission, is offering a course on “End of Life Planning.” 

Please check out all our Wednesday evening programming. Many different activities are offered. You can find a reference to them in this newsletter. The Study of the Book of Luke is available on Wednesdays at 6 PM., Fridays, (10:00 AM), Sunday, (9:15).

We look forward to the delivery of Communion to our homebound members in the month of September. That will continue monthly with the support of our Sages.

Thanks to Wayne and Nancy Bradshaw, who continue to offer worship services at Adams’ Place on Mondays and Saturdays.

And remember, each Monday SAGES deliver the Sunday altar flowers to our homebound and nursing home residents. Thanks to Linda Tackett who is delivering them this week.

Thank you, Sages!

Music Ministry

Dr. Clark Performs at MTSU

Dr. Adam Clark will offer a program on Friday, September 12 at 6:00pm in MTSU's Hinton Hall as part of the MTSU Keyboard Artist Series. He will perform Rachmaninoff's 3rd Piano Concerto in a new arrangement for piano and string quintet. The program will also include Bach's Piano Concerto in D Major. He will be joined by MTSU professors, Bryan Hayslett and Andrea Dawson, along with local artists, Emily Walsh, Katja Yeager, and Tiffany Freeman. Rachmaninoff's 3rd Piano Concerto is one of the most challenging and celebrated works in the piano repertoire. It is well known for its dazzling virtuosic displays and sweeping lyrical themes. The performance is FREE and open to the public. 

Recognition of Director of Children's Music Ministry Mrs. Kathy Edwards

With mixed emotions, we announce that Mrs. Kathy Edwards, our distinguished Director of Children’s Music, will be retiring on October 5^th after 33 years of serving our church. While we are sad to see Mrs. Kathy go, we honor her contribution to the growth of our children’s music program through her excellence and leadership.

On October 5^th during the Sunday Worship, the children’s choir/SONlight Youth choir will sing one of her favorite songs “I Am A Small Part Of the World”

I Am a Small Part of the World (2-Part), by Sally K. Albrecht & Jay Althouse – Score & Sound - YouTube

If you sang under her direction in past years, please come and join us and sing this beautiful song with our children’s and Youth choirs to honor Mrs. Kathy Edwards’s ministry.

Here are the rehearsal dates and times:

• September 14^th (Sunday)
• 11:30am to Noon
• September 21^st (Sunday)
• 11:30am to Noon
• October 5^th (Sunday)
• Warm up at 8:45am
• Sing at the 10:30am Worship Service

If you see her around, be sure to say Thank You for her Ministry!

Missions Updates

Furniture Ministry

From January 1, 2025 through August 31, 2025, St. Mark’s Furniture Ministry has made 66 furniture deliveries. Twenty-one Begin Again boxes and eighteen Bath in Box (from First UMC) were also delivered. 

We could really use some more volunteers!! We schedule furniture pick ups and deliveries two Saturdays out of each month from 7:00 a.m. until noon. If you would like to volunteer on the furniture truck, please contact Karen Alexander at (615)707-3166.

Red Bird Christmas Kids

ATTENTION ALL SANTA’S ELVES!!!  Mrs. Claus has already started shopping for our Red Bird students for Christmas (due to upcoming shoulder surgery in October).  Thanks to these elves who packed the students’ school supplies/hygiene items in their boxes on 8/27/2025!!

If you or your Sunday School Class are interested in adopting Red Bird kid(s) for Christmas, please contact Karen Alexander at (615)477-4244 and/or send check for $125 per student to the church office (check to St. Mark’s UMC with a designation “Red Bird Christmas”) at your earliest convenience.  We will be needing several elves to wrap in November, so please let Karen know if you want to help!

Preschool Updates

Fall Mum Sale

Fall Mum Sale

Now Thru Monday, September 15th

$15 per 12" Mum

Red, Purple, Yellow, Orange, & White Mums

Pick up Monday - Friday, September 22 - 26

Proceeds Benefit St. Mark's Preschool

Scan the QR Code or click the button below to order!

From the Office...

Printed Directories

There are copies in the office ready for pick up for those who reserved a copy of the printed directory. They are free; however, a small donation of $5 from each person would cover the costs involved with printing.

You can still request to join the online directory. Please email directory@stmarkstn.org if you need assistance getting plugged in to the online directory. If there are updates to your contact information, or if you would like to opt in or out of the directory, please send those requests to directory@stmarkstn.org before next year's printing in July 2026.

What's Next?

• In the coming months, we will send more information on how to use the online directory to those who opt in.
• Email any questions or concerns to directory@stmarkstn.org.