The newsletter for St. Mark's UMC in Murfreesboro, TN
 

"The Messenger" Online Newsletter

April 28, 2026

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Dear St. Mark’s,


In the coming months, many milestones and changes are happening in the life of the St. Mark’s congregation, and the staff wants you to be prepared and participating as we celebrate each one together. Be sure and mark your calendar and watch St. Mark’s various media so you can be fully prepared and engaged in all that is ahead. In the meantime, please be in prayer for each person and situation involved, as well as our church as a whole.  


As we prepare for each of these special events, helping hands are needed. If you are willing to assist with any of the events listed below, please volunteer to me at martha@stmarkstn.org.


May God bless St. Mark’s UMC in the days and weeks ahead!

Save These Dates:


Tuesday, June 9th –– Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference Service of Licensing, Commissioning, and Ordination, including the Commissioning of Hannah Underwood, 6:30 PM at First United Methodist, Murfreesboro (nursery available by reservation).


Sunday, June 14th – 11:30 a.m. Ministry Celebration Reception and Send-Off for Rev. Tommy Ward, Hillary and Liliana


Sunday, June 21st – Rev. Ward’s final Sunday at St. Mark’s UMC


Sunday, June 28th – Reception and Celebration in honor of the commissioning of Hannah Underwood


Sunday, July 5th – Churchwide Potluck Brunch, 9:15 – 10:15 a.m. in lieu of Christian Education


Sunday, July 12th – Rev. Rickey Wade’s first Sunday preaching at St. Mark’s UMC, Reception following.  

May Communion Offering: First Things First

May's communion rail offering supports First Things First, a ministry begun by our own John Colvert, whose mission is to provide a safe, clean, and loving environment for men to build a long-term foundation of recovery from addiction.

Easter Series: Building Blocks

We're in the midst of a new sermon series, "Building Blocks." Over the course of the next four weeks and culminating on Pentecost Sunday, we will explore stories of the early church and what they teach us about the fundamentals of faith. 


Here are the upcoming Scriptures and tentative sermon titles:



May 3: John 14:1-14 ("Asking Questions")

May 10: Acts 17:22-31 ("Sharing our Faith")

May 17: Acts 1:6-14 ("Seeking Guidance Together")

May 24: Acts 2:1-21 ("Being Moved")

 

A new sermon series is always a great time to invite others to join you for worship, especially if they do not have a church home of their own.

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.


This Week's Menu, Wednesday, 4/29

Chicken Wraps, Potato Salad, Green Beans, Salad Bar, and Build-your-own Ice Cream Sundaes (Gluten-free options available!)

ST. MARK'S CHURCH FAMILY FEUD - April 29th

St. Mark's UMC Clergy/Staff vs. MTSU Wesley Leadership


The teams are playing for a $1000 prize!



Please join the fun by coming to cheer on your church staff!!!

News!

Servants Needed at Annual Conference

The 2026 Annual Conference of the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference will be held June 7 – 10 at First UMC in Murfreesboro, with St. Mark’s providing a supportive role.


Volunteers are requested to serve as Acolytes, Ushers, and Communion Servers at the Ordination Service the evening of Tuesday, June 9th, which will include the commissioning as Deacon of our own Hannah Underwood, as well as other services. If you are willing to serve in this way, please contact Rev. Martha Touchton at (615) 893-3455 or martha@stmarkstn.org.  
 

Mother's Day Slideshow Pictures

Email your Mother’s Day pictures to Photos@stmarkstn.org by Tuesday, May 5th. Please include the names of those in the picture. 

Prayer Garden Blooms

The Prayer Garden and Iris beds are blooming beautifully this Easter season. Be sure to visit them and enjoy. Many thanks to our volunteer gardeners!

St. Mark's Name Tags

Learning and using one another's names is a valuable way to build connections and show our love for our neighbors. This is why we provide name tags for our church family to wear at church events.


If you want a name tag or need an updated one, please do one of the following: visit the welcome desk, contact the office, or fill out the Shelby form linked below.
Request a Name Tag!

College Ministry

Sunday Mornings: All college students and friends are invited to be part of the College group, meeting Sundays, 9:15 – 10:15 a.m. in Room 502 across from the church office. Everyone is welcome, bring a friend!

Bless the Youth with Meals

Every Sunday we meet, we feed our youth. If you, your family, or your Sunday school class would like to sponsor one of those meals, please sign up using the link below. You can cook food, buy food or donate money!


Upcoming meals needed:

May 3 & 24
Feed the Youth!

St. Mark's UMC Women's Bible Study on Psalm 23: The Shepherd with Me

7 Sessions on Thursdays, 11 a.m. in Room 1203, beginning April 16th. Please purchase your own book.

Training Dates for VBS Volunteers!

Sunday, May 3rd at 2-4pm in the Banquet Hall - VBS Leader Orientation

Tuesday, May 19th at 6:30-8pm in RM 503/505 - Safe Sanctuaries Training for any volunteers working with children, youth, or any other vulnerable persons. New volunteers and those whose training has expired are strongly encouraged to attend. Safe Sanctuaries training must be renewed every 5 years.

Tuesday, June 2nd at 6:30-8pm in the Banquet Hall - VBS Orientation for Shepherds

Cedar Crest Camp Registration

If you have registered your child or youth for Cedar Crest Camp this summer, please click here to let us know which week they’ll be attending. We will send camp scholarships for the students on this list!

Martin Methodist Foundation Scholarships

Martin Methodist College may have closed its physical doors in 2021, but its heritage of helping undergraduate students lean into their dreams lives on through the Martin Methodist Foundation.


The Martin Methodist Foundation seeks to serve deserving undergraduate students by lowering their financial burdens so they can better concentrate on becoming who they were made to be.


Their online scholarship portal is now open! You can find details on eligibility, deadlines, and other important information here.


  • Scholarship awards could be as much as $5,000
  • Deadline to apply is May 1, 2026
Apply Here!

Living the Generous Life!

St. Mark’s Spring Blood Drive is taking place on Wednesday, May 6, from noon until 5:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary Foyer area. The need for blood is constant. Every single day hospitals rely on donors to help patients facing surgery, cancer treatments, serious accidents, and other medical emergencies where blood is urgently needed. All donors who give at this drive will be eligible to receive a $20 Amazon e-gift card, and registering today helps ensure you can choose the time that works best for you. St. Mark’s has always been known for its generosity, and giving blood is a simple yet powerful way to share that generosity with others. It’s truly an act of loving our neighbor, one small gift that can make an extraordinary difference for someone in someone’s life.



To register, click on the link below. ❤️
Register to Give!

VBS Registration is Open!

Get ready for Snowball Mountain Challenge VBS: Find Your Strength in God! June 22-25 from 9 a.m. to noon. Registration is open!


Children ages 4 through 5th grade are invited to attend. Younger children of VBS volunteers and kids enrolled at St. Mark’s Preschool are also welcome. Invite a child in your life!


Click here to register your child!

Adult and youth volunteers can register here!

If you feel led to serve in this ministry area, please email Hannah at hannah@stmarkstn.org.
Register your Child!

St. Mark's Parkinson's Support Group

A new support group for persons dealing with Parkinson’s Disease, including persons suffering the effects of Parkinson’s as well as spouses, family members, and caregivers, is forming at St. Mark’s UMC. This group will provide emotional and spiritual encouragement, share helpful resources, and celebrate victories together.  


The next gathering will be at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 27th, in Room 503/505, with lunch following at a local restaurant. Guests are always welcome! For more information, contact Rev. Jim Clardy or Rev. Martha Touchton at (615) 893-3455. 

Project Transformation Seeking Regional Program Coordinators

Project Transformation Tennessee (PT) seeks Regional Program Coordinators to strengthen local support of program offerings. Staff in this role will connect with and support the college-age young adults, children, and churches who are active in PT’s programs to ensure the highest-quality experience possible. This role is part-time from August to April and full-time from May to July. To read the full job description, click here.  
 

The Journey Home Seeking Meals for Family Room Residents

The Journey Home has opened its new Family Rooms – one of which is sponsored by St. Mark’s UMC – and is seeking families or small groups who would be willing to prepare an evening meal once a month for those residents. The meals do not have to be elaborate, but they do need to be cooked either at The Journey Home or another commercial kitchen or purchased as take-out from a local restaurant. Due to Health Department regulations, we are unable to utilize food cooked in home kitchens.  


This simple act of kindness can bring comfort, stability and a sense of care and ease the burden for a family who is working toward a fresh start. There are currently just a few families in residence at The Journey Home, but there is potential for 10 families and up to 46 people. This would be a wonderful service ministry for an adult Sunday school class, family, or other group from St. Mark’s!


For more information, contact Rev. Martha Touchton at martha@stmarkstn.org, or volunteer directly to Cherie Jobe, volunteer coordinator at The Journey Home, at cjobe@lovegodservepeople.org or (931) 607-5828.



Thank you for being the hands, feet and heart of Christ in our community, and for considering this important mission and ministry to our neighbors! Your service and generosity makes a difference in so many lives!

SAGES News

The Sages enjoyed a wonderful trip to the Bell Buckle Café last Wednesday.


The Sages Ministry Team will meet at 9:30 AM on May 11 in Room 503-505.


The Sages will be going to the Granville Marina for lunch on Wednesday, May 20. The bus will leave at 10:30. Please make your reservations in the gathering room or in the church office. Please look for the book.


And remember, each Monday SAGES deliver the Sunday altar flowers to our homebound and nursing home residents.


Our Communion Teams are scheduled to share communion with our homebound friends on Sunday, May 3 or sometime during the following week.

Preschool Updates

Summer Fun Enrollment Open

St. Mark’s Preschool is taking registrations for its Summer Fun program; preschool children ages 2 – 5 may attend, and they do not have to be currently enrolled in St. Mark’s Preschool. 



The program will include 6 Tuesdays and Thursdays, June 2 – 18. We have a lot of fun things planned, we would love to have your child be a part of this special summer experience!  Please call to Lani either by phone, (615) 895-1803 for more information, stop by to pick up a registration form, or email preschool@stmarkstn.org.  

Missions Updates

Mission Team Update

The St. Mark’s Mission Team would like to reassure everyone that although we lost Paul Givens on 4/9/2026, the ministries that he coordinated will continue to go on.


You can read more about what this will look like here.


Click below to see recent photos from the disaster response team and Red Bird food ministry.

See Photos!

Summer Mission Trip

The fun doesn’t stop when the semester ends. This summer we have a lot of fun things planned. One of those things is our summer mission trip. July 5-10 we will go to Henderson Settlement for a chance to serve the folks of Frakes, Kentucky and participate in the being the hand and feet of Jesus. If you are interested in the mission trip, please sign up using the button below. 
Sign Up Here!
 

Flower Dates Available


The flowers on the altar each Sunday are available to be sponsored in honor of in memory of loved ones. To reserve a date, please call the church office or sign up on the Flower Calendar at the receptionist desk in the church office.


Each bouquet (there are two per Sunday) is $30 which can be paid by placing a check in the offering plate with "Flowers" on the memo line or contacting the church office for other arrangements.


The next available Sundays are:

May 31 (one or both bouquets)

June 7 (one or both bouquets)

June 21 (one bouquet)

June 28 (one or both bouquets)


Several more 2026 dates are available. Call the church office at 615-893-3455 for more information.
 

Upcoming Calendar

Wednesday, April 29

3:30 p.m. Chair Yoga - RM 1203

5:00 p.m. WNT Dinner - Banquet Room

6:00 p.m. WNT Closing Event - Game Show! - Gym

7:00 p.m. Chancel Choir - RM 1119


Thursday, April 30

9:00 a.m. Women's Bible Study - RM 1203

10:30 a.m. Knit Together - RM 503/505

6:00 p.m. Softball Games vs. Trinity Presbyterian

6:30 p.m. ACOA Meeting - RM 503/505


Friday, May 1

10:00 a.m. Bible Study - RM 503/505


Saturday, May 2

7:30 a.m. UMM Meeting & Breakfast - Banquet Room

8:30 a.m. AA Group - RM 503/505

1:00 p.m. Private Birthday Party - Playground


Sunday, May 3

9:15 a.m. Christian Education

9:15 a.m. Confirmation Class - Banquet Hall B

10:30 a.m. Worship - Sanctuary

11:30 a.m. Children's Choir Rehearsal - Sanctuary

11:30 a.m. Family Ministries Team - Library

12:00 p.m. Church Council Meeting - Banquet Hall A

2:00 p.m. Sewing Class - RM 503/505

2:00 p.m. VBS Station Leaders Training - Banquet Hall B

4:00 p.m. Bible Study - RM 1203

4:00 p.m. SONlight Youth Choir - RM 1119

5:00 p.m. Chancel Ringers - RM 1117

5:00 p.m. Youth - Rec Center/Youth Center/Banquet Hall


Monday, May 4

Preschool Staff & Teacher Appreciation - Banquet Hall

9:40 a.m. Preschool Chapel - Sanctuary

10:00 a.m. Watercolor Class - Banquet Room

10:00 a.m. Wings of Hope - Banquet Room/Kitchen

5:00 p.m. Cub Scouts - Banquet Hall/Rec Center/Youth Center/Kitchen/Select Classrooms

5:30 p.m. Big Book Group - RM 503/505


Tuesday, May 5

9:30 a.m. Note Writers - RM 506

9:40 a.m. Preschool Chapel - Sanctuary

10:00 a.m. Staff Meeting - RM 503/505

5:30 p.m. Local Team Little League Practice - Philpott Field


Wednesday, May 6

12:00 p.m. St. Mark's Spring Blood Drive (12-5pm) - Sanctuary Foyer

3:30 p.m. Chair Yoga - RM 1203

6:00 p.m. Confirmation Rehearsal and Family Dinner - Banquet Hall A/Kitchen/Sanctuary

7:00 p.m. Chancel Choir - RM 1119


Thursday, May 7

9:00 a.m. Women's Bible Study - RM 1203

10:30 a.m. Knit Together - RM 503/505

6:00 p.m. Softball Games vs. North Boulevard - Barfield Field #8

6:30 p.m. ACOA Meeting - RM 503/505


Friday, May 8

10:00 a.m. Bible Study - RM 503/505


Saturday, May 9

8:30 a.m. AA Group - RM 503/505

10:00 a.m. Flying Solo Fellowship Disc Gold - Barfield Park (pack lunch)


Sunday, May 10

9:15 a.m. Christian Education

10:30 a.m. Worship - Sanctuary

12:00 p.m. Flying Solo Fellowship Lunch - Cinco de Mayo

2:00 p.m. Sewing Class - RM 503/505

4:00 p.m. Bible Study - RM 1203

4:00 p.m. SONlight Youth Choir - RM 1119

5:00 p.m. Chancel Ringers - RM 1117

5:00 p.m. Youth - Rec Center/Youth Center/Banquet Hall


Monday, May 11

9:30 a.m. SAGES Meeting - RM 503/505

9:40 a.m. Preschool Chapel - Sanctuary

10:00 a.m. Watercolor Class - Banquet Room B

5:30 p.m. Cub Scouts - Banquet Hall/Rec Center/Youth Center/Kitchen/Select Classrooms

5:30 p.m. Big Book Group - RM 503/505


Tuesday, May 12

9:30 a.m. Note Writers - RM 506

9:40 a.m. Preschool Chapel - Sanctuary

10:00 a.m. Mary Martha Circle - Chapel/RM 502

10:00 a.m. Staff Meeting - RM 503/505

5:00 p.m. Girl Scout Troop #2408 Meeting - RM 212

5:30 p.m. Local Team Little League Practice - Philpott Field


Wednesday, May 13

Water Day - Preschool

3:30 p.m. Chair Yoga - RM 1203

7:00 p.m. Chancel Choir - RM 1119
 
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St. Mark's UMC | 615-893-3455 | www.stmarkstn.org
 

St. Mark's UMC | 1267 N. Rutherford Blvd. | Murfreesboro, TN 37130 US

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