Newsletter November 2018 Vol. 16, No. 11

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1 Newsletter November 2018 Vol. 16, No. 11 My St. Mark s family- As I write this fall message to you, we are getting ready for Trunk or Treat. Then after Halloween, November will begin, and our hearts and minds will turn to the holiday season. And of course, the first family holiday we ll celebrate will be Thanksgiving- which happens to be Katy s favorite! In this season of thanks, we ll be turning our thoughts and prayers to all the things and people we are thankful for. What does it mean to be truly grateful for our blessings? Are we sincerely thankful for our God, and all God has done for us? Have we become so consumed with our culture s pursuit of things that we ve forgotten what s most important? So join us in worship this month for an Attitude of Gratitude. Let s show God our overwhelming joy and thanksgiving for all we have. God meets our every need, and we are most thankful for the gift of Jesus Christ. Strength and Wisdom, Pastor Justin INSIDE THIS ISSUE NEWS /ANNOUNCEMENTS 2 CHILDREN S MINISTRIES 6 YOUTH MINISTRIES 8 BIRTHDAYS/ANNIVERSARIES 8

2 news announcements news announcements news November, 2018 This is the month to be thankful. Easy when we have plenty and everything is going well, but life is full of hard knocks and anxiety. What then? Philippians 4: 6-7 tells us to be thankful... in everything. As I pondered what to write about gratitude, we lost power in our small Mountain View Road neighborhood. Turns out it was off for almost 36 hours, with freezing temperatures overnight and no water, since we are on wells. I actually found many things to be thankful for: roof over my head, family of scouts next door, plenty of water that we had saved for hurricanes Florence and Michael, a church with a shower...and now gratefulness for power, heat and indoor plumbing!!!!! Makes me more mindful of those who don t have any of those things. Coincidentally, my devotional for today seems especially appropriate. It reminds me that thankfulness opens my heart to God s presence and my mind to God s thoughts. Though circumstances may not have changed, the Light of His presence brings His peace that removes the sting of adversity. What I have in Christ is greater than anything I don t have in life! Ephesians 5:20 Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. May you have a blessed and thankful November! Peggy Lootens, Lay Leader Thanksgiving Meal In 2014, a few St. Mark's members considered something that we could do for Thanksgiving for those that were far away from family; so they began to pass the word about having a special dinner here at the church. We had just opened our Family Life Center and thought it would be a special day. Phil McManus agreed to prepare the turkey and dressing, and others could bring their best "A-game" dish. We were expecting 20 or so for our first event. After just 10 days, the number jumped to 40, and finally or the Sunday before, 96 had committed to our special day. During the next two years, our attendance grew from 140 to nearly 180. This event has taken on a life of its own, and its continuation seems inevitable. As thankful as we are that God has opened our lives to hosting everyone of this special day, it has become quite a daunting labor of love. We are in need of a strong committee to lead the necessary groups for directing a successful event. We need help in several areas: Setting tables Final Clean-up Silverware washers Calling those that sign-up to get food commitments Heating food Beverage and Desserts tables If you would like to help make this wonderful day of fellowship and Thankgiving a success, please contact Phil McManus at pmcmanus24077@gmail.com. Attitude of Gratitude On Sunday, November 25, as part of our "Attitude of Gratitude" sermon series, we will be presenting a slide show of pictures from our church family. Please submit one photo and a two or three word description of something for which you are thankful. Send your photos by Friday, Nov. 23 to Michele Richardson at mrich.hotlanta@gmail.com. Move Your Feet So Others Might Eat! Sign-up now for the Roanoke Rescue Mission's 2018 Thanksgiving morning Drumstick Dash. Register by November 13th to guarantee a DASH t-shirt. You can help make sure others will not go hungry on a day when most of us are blessed to have more than enough to eat. The DASH is sure to get you into a thankful spirit as you help feed the hungry. Go to drumstickdash.net for information and to register (the preferred method of registration). 2

3 news announcements news announcements news Financial Update The wonderful missions and ministries of St. Mark's are only possible because of your support! Through the end of August, St. Mark s YTD receipts were $261,697. The YTD expenses were $280,554. While this leaves a shortfall of $18,857, we are moving in the right direction. Giving is up and expenses are down as compared to YTD figures last year. Keep up the good work!" News from TAME We wish to thank everyone who packed meals and even stayed later than expected to achieve our target. Despite the longer day the spirits were high and our goal was met. At our recent meeting we identified ways that we could improve for our next event including having childcare. Also many thanks to those that baked or purchased treats for our Taste of Fall. There were many tasty baked goods enjoyed by those that supported this fundraiser. Join us on February 3rd for a Souper Bowl Soup and Sandwich event after church. Last year this was popular and well attended. No need to worry with lunch on game day. If you would like to contribute a crockpot of soup or a platter of sandwiches call Karen Sledd at Have you thought about joining TAME? We would love to have you. Join our efforts to feed the hungry. Our next meeting is January 8th at 6 pm. Friends of Our Troops With the chill in the air, we are gearing up again to show our thanks to our service and military people who defend our great country through troop fan mail. Thank you to everyone who participated in our 2017 Troop Fan Mail Program. We had an amazingly successful campaign this past year and St. Mark s got several national recognitions. Use the guidelines below for any greetings you d like to send to our troops. Please place your letters to the troops in the basket in the church Narthex by November 18th. We also accept cash donations to help with the mailing and shipping expenses as some of you have done in the past. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me, George Pappas at or gpappas1959@comcast.net 3 Guidelines St. Marks United Methodist Church has been participating in this program which provides letters and Christmas cards to our service people throughout the world. There are a few guide lines that you need to follow and several options. OPTION 1 1. Using 8 ½ x 11 paper or light card stock, fold each sheet (individually, sharply) in half to form 8 ½ x 5 ½ folders. Colorful or pre-printed stationary with various themes may be used. 2. On either the front or the backside of each letter place your name and return address 3. Your message should be positive, upbeat, and cheerful (nothing such as I hope you don t get killed ) write about yourself, your hobbies, interests, job, classes, pets, etc. 4. The inside of the letter can be formatted as one page, or it can be set up as two separate pages. The writer s personal message can be continued on the back page of the letter if desired. 5. Please note that all 8 ½ x 11 sheets MUST be folded to 8 ½ x 5 ½ size. Full size sheets will not work in their sorting/mixing process, and they are not staffed to do the folding. OPTION 2 1. Greeting cards which have been purchased may be used without envelopes. The senders name/address should be one the back of the card. Since the front and back of many cards are too slick to write on, it may be necessary to use labels. 2. Personal messages may be written on the cards as space permits. OPTION 3 1. Please use envelopes only if you wish to enclose letters with cards. 2. The senders name/address should be in the upper left corner of each envelope as well as on the cards and letters, as the enclosures are sometimes separated from the envelopes. Leave the remainder of each envelope free and clear of any writing. 3. The individual envelopes must not be sealed: each flap must be tucked inside the envelope. SOME DOES AND DONTS 1. DO NOT: use cards that may have three dimensional items on them or glitter.

4 news announcements news announcements news 2. DO NOT: affix postage stamps to the individual cards or letters. 3. DO NOT: use staples 4. DO NOT: address the individual cards/ letters to Friends of Our Troops, etc. 5. DO: rubber- band your cards/letters in groups of 50 or 100 or less. 6. Options 1 and 2 are the preferred methods of most. Cards and letters can be dropped off at St. Mark s United Methodist church; there is a basket in the narthex that is labeled TROOP FAN MAIL. If you can t drop them off feel free to contact the church to arrange a pick up. You can also contact George Pappas for any further information or questions at or gpappas1959@comcast.net PECANS are coming soon! Our annual Pecan Order has been placed and will arrive before the second week in November WELL BEFORE Thanksgiving and the making of pecan pies! They come packaged in 1 lb. bags in halves or chopped. If you are planning to use pecans in your Holiday baking - be sure and wait for the best pecans available - from Whaley s Pecan Company in Troy, Alabama. They are THIS YEAR s crop and are always DELICIOUS! We will let you know as soon as they get here! For more information or to place your order, please contact Donna Henderson at nd ANNUAL CHRISTMAS FAIR St. Mark s United Methodist Church FAMILY LIFE CENTER Saturday, December 1 8 am to 2 pm Can you believe it? Our 42nd CHRISTMAS FAIR is only about a month away! For almost 42 years, our FAIR has been a means for our entire Church family to share in a significant fund raiser. Over these years, FAIR funds have been used to support various mission projects, enable building and parsonage improvements and pay off building debt. This year s FAIR profit is also designated for the Family Life Center s Capital Funds Campaign and other mission projects. As in previous FAIR years, we will have our own St. Mark s HAND-MADE Crafts table. In addition to Crafts, a large part of our Fair is the Bakery, Canned Items and delicious Breakfast and Lunch meals. We know MANY of you in our St. Mark s family have crafting, cooking, baking, canning and other skills. We would very much welcome and appreciate any special craft or other item that you would donate. Another part of our FAIR are the MANY quality crafters some from past years and some new faces too that will join us to share their many craft items. It is always exciting to see what each year s FAIR brings! Although December 1st seems far away, it is really almost here! We are all so busy with upcoming Fall and Thanksgiving activities, but please keep our December 1st CHRISTMAS FAIR in mind as you ponder what special item you may want to create and share. For those of you who love our St. Mark s Apple Butter, we will have many decorated ½ pint jars to sell along with our St. Mark s Cookbooks both perfect to give as Christmas gifts. As you enter the FAIR, be sure to enter your name for a Door Prize! As always, Botetourt Town & Country Women s Club will sponsor a Silent Auction with MANY wonderful items to bid on. St. Mark s QUILT!! Every year our talented St. Mark s ladies busily sew and complete a beautiful queen-sized Quilt. This year s Quilt, Reindeer Magic is a 9- patch variation square with lovely mini scenes of sleighs, gifts, stockings and more. Quilt tickets are available now from Nancy Hamblin -- and will continue to be sold through FAIR day. Cost: $1 each or 6 for $5. All monies from the Quilt will be applied to the Capital Campaign Building Fund Principal. The drawing will be at 2 pm on the afternoon of the FAIR. For more information or if you have questions about the Fair, please contact: Bakery Donna Henderson Quilt Nancy Hamblin Crafts Susan Lust Vendors Dottie Flinchum Reception/Registration Barbara Wiley Publicity/Cashiers Mona Tolley Kitchen contact any of the names above 4

5 news announcements news announcements news United Methodist Women meet on Monday, November 12 Join us on Monday, November 12 at 6:00 PM. to hear Botetourt Resource Center s new CEO Melissa Lucas and Robyn Dobbins, former CEO talk about the services of Botetourt Resource Center. The Botetourt Resource Center s motto is Together We Make a Difference. They say 90% of their clients served are at or below the poverty level and on fixed incomes. The services they provide are at no cost to the residents. Civic organizations, church groups, companies, foundations, businesses, and others partner with BRC, Inc. to do good works in Botetourt County. Women s Daytime Bible Study The Women s Bible Study that meets on Tuesdays will resume meeting on January 9th at 10:00 am in the Choir Room. Scrapbook Fellowship The Scrapbooking Fellowship will not meet in November and December. We will resume meeting on January 17th from 9 am-2 pm. Brunch will be served that day to kick off the New Year. A ladies support group for 5th - 12 grade along with moms. Other ladies of the church are welcome to join the fun. Our next event is Baking Wars. Teens will have a bake off against the mature ladies. Join us on December 8 at 5:00 in the FLC. Please RSVP to reach2sky14@gmail.com by December 1. Joyful Journey Travel Club A Wohlfhart Haus Christmas Reminder: The $74 payment in full is due by November 7. There will be NO REFUNDS after Nov. 7 because the bus company and dinner theater will have your payment. Make checks payable to Joyful Journey Travel Club and give them to Julia Greer, Nancy Craft, or Becky (church secretary). Or, checks may be left in the envelop stapled to the bulletin board where you sign up for trips or placed in Julia's mail box next to the church office. It is essential that you write your cell phone number next to your name on the sign up sheet on the bulletin board. The bus will leave from the church parking lot at 10:00 am on Tuesday, Dec. 11, and return around 6:30 pm. The price covers everything: bus, driver's tip, meal, and program. The Joyful Journey Travel Club has " jumped out of the box" in 2019 offering an 11 day Alaskan cruise-land tour. Flyers containing the trip details are on the bulletin board across from the choir room. Space is limited. To reserve a place for you a $250 deposit is due by Dec. 31. The deposit is refundable until the final payment is due March 1. Contact Julia Greer at if you have any questions. 5

6 Children s Ministries Children s Ministries CHILDREN'S MINISTRIES Down at the Pond Our pond is filling this fall with FROGs and Tadpoles! Please mark your calendars for the FROGs and Tadpoles meeting on November 11th from 5 to 7 pm. We will not meet on the 4th Sunday in November due to the Thanksgiving holiday. The FROG store will not be open during the month of November. Trunk-or-Treat Thank You! Thank you to all those who provided a trunk and candy for Trunk-or-Treat! What a fun night it was! Also, thanks to those who donated candy! There is no such thing as too much candy at Trunk-or-Treat! Children s Worship Have you ever wondered just where the children go after Children s Sermon at the 11:00 Worship Service? They go to Children s Worship! Children s Worship is held every Sunday, except on Communion Sundays, for children age 4 through first graders in the Fellowship Hall. During Children s Worship, the children are led through similar patterns of worship as in a regular service, by a team of dedicated adults. Worship Leaders lead once every three months, along with Lee Ann Critz. Please let Lee Ann know if you are interested in learning more about this important ministry. No musical ability is necessary to lead, just a love of children and the desire to share the good news of Jesus! Thank you to our current 11:00 Children s Worship Leader Team: Ian Graham Elizabeth Wilmer Jennifer Newbill Susanna Reedy Tracy Watts Salena Harvey Melissa Nicely Amanda Dillard Linda Koloda Linda Blankenship Katy White Jeannie Ohler Starting November 11th, Children s Worship will also be held during the Ecclesia Worship Service. More volunteers are needed to enable this to happen. Please let Lee Ann know if you are interested in serving as a Worship Leader for this ministry to our children! The goal is to have enough Worship Leaders for this service that the commitment will be once a quarter. *Please note that both Ecclesia and 11:00 Children s Worship services will be held in room 101 downstairs starting on November 11th, unless otherwise stated in the bulletin. Operation Christmas Child Our Fall Mission Project is Operation Christmas Child! EVERYONE in the church is invited to participate, not just the children! Will you prayerfully consider joining us in this exciting ministry?? How to pack a shoebox: 1. Get a standard size shoebox, plastic or cardboard to pack for a boy or girl. If you need one, let Miss Lee Ann know. 2. Select a quality wow toy, such as a doll, a deflated soccer ball with pump, or a stuffed animal. 3. Pack the box full of other fun, quality toys, hygiene items and school supplies. 4. Pray for the child who will receive your gift. Include a personal note and/or photo to make an impact. 5. Include a donation of $9. This is critical to cover shipping and other costs. You can give online through Follow Your Box and discover the destination of your shoebox. If you do not wish to give online, please get a brochure off the FROG bulletin board, across from the church office and follow the directions within. 6. Drop-off your box at the church by Sunday, November 11th and it will be delivered to a local drop-off location for you. You may leave your shoeboxes on the table on the front right side of the Sanctuary. PLEASE do not include: candy, toothpaste, gum, used or damaged items, war-related items, seeds, food, liquids, lotions, medications, vitamins, breakable items, glass containers, or aerosol cans. For additional gift suggestions, giving donations online and more, visit samaritanspurse.org/occ. Please feel free to wrap your box, but please wrap the lid and the bottom separate. Also, do not seal the box, but please put a large rubber 6 (Continued on page 7)

7 Children s Ministries Children s Ministries band around your box. If you pay the $9 shipping fee online, you will receive an informing you of where your box was delivered. Please let Lee Ann know this, as the children will be tracking where in the world all the boxes were delivered! If you have questions, please contact Lee Ann Critz. Remember that every shoebox offers an opportunity to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with a child in need! Mark Your Calendar: Christmas Pageant and Practice! Our FROGs and Tadpoles will be playing the role of Peanuts kids for our Charlie Brown Christmas Pageant on Sunday, December 9th at 5 pm! This pageant will be followed by a church-wide Potluck Dinner in the Family Life Center. Please plan to drop off your dish in the FLC and your child in the Sanctuary at 4:30 pm that day! FROGs and Tadpoles need to wear a solid colored t-shirt, black shorts or skort, tennis shoes, and white socks or solid color socks that match their shirt. Please invite your family and friends to join us that night, but adjust the size of your dish/recipe to accommodate more if you do! There will be a Practice at 10 am the day before the performance, Saturday, December 8th! Please make every effort to get your child to this practice. Please let Michele Richardson know if your child is not able to attend. Can you find all the hidden Thanksgiving treats? One fork Three pumpkins One milk carton Three corncobs Two apples One spoon Two Pilgrim hats Three turkeys Two loaves of bread 7

8 youth news youth news Birthdays Anniversaries Youth Events and News: We have had a very busy October from a Lock-in to Fundraising! This November we will be completing our Food Pounding and Helping Prepare for the Christmas Program along with planning our next semester. 4th Youth 5-7 pm We will have a planning meeting to come up with ideas for the next semesters activities! Bring your fun and best ideas! This is Mash Potato Sunday - bring 1 box of instant mashed potatoes! 7th Unwind from the Grind 5:30 to 7pm Get ready for some devotionals, snacks, games relaxing time together! 11th Youth 5-7 pm We will be preparing for the Christmas Program! Be prepared to watch and talk about Charlie Brown Christmas! This is cranberry sauce or jelly Sunday - 1 can 16 oz! 14th Unwind from the Grind Get ready for some devotionals, snacks, games relaxing time together! 18th Monthly Mission Food Pantry Deliver Food Pounding Items 5-7 pm This is our last Sunday of our Food Pounding. This is our Mac n Cheese Sunday - 1 box of Mac n Cheese! You can also bring in all the items at this time! Which include: 1 Box of Stove top dressing 2 Cans of 14.5 oz of Green Beans 1 Box of Instant Mashed Potatoes 1 box of Cornbread Mix 1 Box of Mac n Cheese 1 Can 16 oz Cranberry Sauce/Jelly 21st No Unwind from the Grind 25th No Youth - Enjoy time with your families for Thanksgiving! 28th Unwind from the Grind 5-7 pm I am very proud of all the hard work the youth have put in this month! Thank you to all the youth, parents, volunteers and church members that have helped and supported this wonderful ministry at the church! The growth and development and to see how the youth are ministering to themselves and others around them is such a reward! Newsletter Deadline is the 20th of each month Bulletin Deadline: Thurs. 9 AM St. Mark s United Methodist Church 19 Cedar Ridge Drive Daleville, VA Phone: Website: Rev. Dr. Justin White: justinwhite@vaumc.org Becky Arthur: stmarksumcdaleville@gmail.com Lee Ann Critz: leeanncritz@yahoo.com Erin Huddleston: StMarksErinH@gmail.com Michele Richardson: stmarksmusicminister@gmail.com Kelly Berry: ShipyardYouth@gmail.com 8

9 November 2018 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 Thousand Thursday s 10-11:30 am GriefShare 10 am GriefShare 6:30 pm Ladies Bible Study 7 pm 2 3 Don t forget to set your clocks back tonight! 4 Worship 8:30 & 11 am Sunday Classes 10 am Worship: Ecclesia 9:15 am Girl Power 12:30 pm Youth Group 5-7 pm 25th Sunday after Pentecost 5 Finance Mtg 6 pm NarAnon 6:30 pm Worship Band 7 pm AA/Al Anon 8-9 pm 6 Diner s Club 10:30 am Cub Scouts Scouts BSA 7 pm God pm 7 Midweek Service 11 am Adult Fellowship Luncheon 11:30 am Youth: Unwind from the Grind 5:30-7 pm Handbells 6 pm Chancel Choir 7 pm AA Meeting 8-9 pm 8 Thousand Thursday s 10-11:30 am GriefShare 10 am Trinity Outreach 5 pm (Norman s Team) GriefShare 6:30 pm Ladies Bible Study 7 pm 9 10 Red Cross Blood Drive 10 am-2 pm 11 Worship 8:30 & 11 am Worship: Ecclesia 9:15 am Sunday Classes 10 am Charge Conference 4 Bonsack UMC FROGs and Tadpoles 5-7 pm Youth Group 5-7 pm 12 UMW 6 pm NarAnon 6:30 pm UMM 7 pm Worship Band 7 pm AA/Al Anon 8-9 pm 13 Diner s Club 10:30 am Cub Scouts Scouts BSA 7 pm God pm 14 Midweek Service 11 am Youth: Unwind from the Grind 5:30-7 pm Handbells 6 pm Chancel Choir 7 pm AA Meeting 8-9 pm 15 Christmas Fair Candy Making 9 am Thousand Thursday s 10-11:30 am GriefShare 10 am GriefShare 6:30 pm Ladies Bible Study 7 pm th Sunday after Pentecost 18 Worship 8:30 & 11 am Worship: Ecclesia 9:15 am Sunday Classes 10 am Youth Group in Mission 5-7 pm 19 NarAnon 6:30 pm Worship Band 7 pm AA/Al Anon 8-9 pm 20 The Diner s Club 10:30 am Cub Scouts Scouts BSA 7 pm God pm 21 Midweek Service 11 am NO Youth Handbells 6 pm Chancel Choir 7 pm AA Meeting 8-9 pm 22 Thanksgiving Dinner Thanksgiving th Sunday after Pentecost 25 Worship 8:30 & 11 am Worship: Ecclesia 9:15 am Sunday Classes 10 am NO Youth Group Christ the King Sunday 26 NarAnon 6:30 pm Worship Band 7 pm AA/Al Anon 8-9 pm 27 The Diner s Club 10:30 am Cub Scouts Scouts BSA 7 pm God pm 28 Christmas Fair Cheese Ball Making 9 am Midweek Service 11 am Youth: Unwind from the Grind 5:30-7 pm Handbells 6 pm Chancel Choir 7 pm AA Meeting 8-9 pm Christmas Fair Set-up 29 Thousand Thursday s 10-11:30 am Prayer Shawl 1 pm Ladies Bible Study 7 pm Christmas Fair Set-up 30 Christmas Fair Set-up December 1 Christmas Fair 8 am-2 pm