Office Hours & Contact Info

Elly Swartz, Office stmarks@smluth.org

Mon—Thurs. 8:30 am-2:30 pm

Fri. 10:00 am-2:00 pm

Karin Lindell karin@smluth.org

Tues. 9:00 am— 11:30 am

Wed. 1:00 pm — 4:00 pm

Thurs. 9:00 am—11:30 am

Mary Johnson, Financial mary@smluth.org

Thurs. 1:00-4:00 pm

_____MAY CALENDAR _____

Events and Activities May 5: Last day of Sunday School

May 12: Offering of Letters

May 26: Summer worship schedule

begins

May 30: Worship at St. Dysmas

____WORSHIP TIMES______

SAT 5:30 pm Worship

SUN 8:15 am & 10:45 am Worship

Beginning May 26 only 10am worship on Sundays

Dear sisters and brothers in Christ, Words have such power in our lives. We know that words can hurt deeply or bring healing to our lives. Yehuda Berg writes, “Words are singularly the most powerful force available to humanity. We can choose to use this force constructively with words of encouragement, or destructively using words of despair. Words have energy and power with the ability to help, to heal, to hinder, to hurt, to harm, to humiliate and to humble.” Often we justify our cruel and insensitive language as being honest or refusing to remain silent. We are called to speak up for those who have no voice. We are called to protect ourselves and our loved ones. No where are we called to be cruel or act as a bully. Freedom, including freedom of speech, comes with responsibility to the community into which we speak. Thich Nhat Hanh, a contemporary Buddhist monk and global peace worker and writer in his book, Being Peace states “speaking honestly in any negotiation between individuals or groups is necessary. Speaking the truth in a loving way is also necessary.” So let us speak up for ourselves and others but let us also remember "Kind words are like honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing for the body." Peace, Pastor Lori Hope

ST. MARK’S GRADUATES

If you or someone

in your family is

graduating (or has

graduated) from

high school, college

or any other degree

program this year, please contact

the office with their name, the

name of the school, and their

future plans by May 8.

Thank you!

Because it seems impossible to determine who to invite to the party, everyone is invited!

There are invitations in a basket on the table in the

narthax if you would like one to take home.

Please join us in celebrating the graduation of Ellis Hope from Lincoln High School

Reception Monday, May 27

from 1-4pm 2013 S. Hawthorne Avenue

Liz Luke’s Adventures in Cameroon

Liz Luke will be on her journey to Cameroon

on May 9th. She is traveling with others from

the South Dakota Synod to visit our Synod’s

companion church in Africa. Worship and

visitation to many worship spaces where

roofs have been funded by the efforts of the

South Dakota Synod is on the agenda.

Please pray for this delegation as they travel

and meet with our

brothers and sisters

in Christ in

Cameroon.

The group will return on May 23

rd.

CHURCH

SOFTBALL LEAGUE

Come and play for the “Saints”!

We are needing 3 more women and a couple more men to play.

Anyone is welcome as long as

you’re 16 years of age by May 6.

Please contact Pat Hartigan at 605-351-6956

Moving to weekly Communion

Every single day of their lives I have told my children I love them. For over 6,660 days I have told Ellis I love him. For over 5,886 I have told Simon I love him. For over 4,865 days I have told Bridger I love him. Not one day I have wondered if it was too much. Not once have I thought maybe it will lose its significance if I say it so often. It is one of hundreds of ways I show my children that I love them. Holy Communion is a physical reminder of God’s unconditional love for us. Beginning the first weekend in May we will have weekly communion at all our services each weekend. We call this gift the means of grace and we declare that we are a place that practices word and sacrament. The ELCA’s statement on word and sacrament, The Use of the Means of Grace, follows the counsel of the Lutheran confessions, stating: According to the Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Lutheran congregations celebrate Holy Communion every Sunday and festival. This confession remains the norm for our practice (UMG, Principle 35).

To my St. Mark’s Family, I recently received an envelope full of gift cards and cash from Pastor Lori. To say I was over-whelmed would be an understatement. I would love to thank each of you personally but there were no names given. I want all of you to know how much I appreciate the gifts. This will relieve a lot of the pressure I have been under. Also, I thought I was adjusting to being on my own but realize now that I am not alone and never have been, I have all of you. Thank you for being part of my life and for the prayers and hugs. God’s peace and love, Donna Hirsch

Thank you doesn’t begin to name our grati-tude. Thank you to everyone who shared music, read the lessons, and meditations during our Lent and Easter season. Thank you to Shari and Gretchen who played the organ or piano so many extra times to make our worship services so meaningful. Thanks to our incredible and dedi-cated choir who shared such beauty and passion. Thank you for all the delicious Wednesday night meals. Thank you for all your financial gifts to so many wonderful causes. Thank you for all the items donated to help make cheer bags and welcome bags. Thank you for all the quarters, supper and loving presence to make it possible to host Laundry with Love. Thank you for making the “Thinking of You” meals. Thank everyone for the help and support of the Easter Brunch sponsored by our Youth Group. Thank you to those who set up and decorated the tables. Thank you to everyone who donated muffins and egg bakes. Thank you to all the volunteers, parents and youth who prepared, served and cleaned up. Thank you for the money donated to Flood Relief for Pine Ridge. Special thanks to Karin and Elly for all the extra time, editing, printing and organizing to make all the services and correspondence possible. Thank you to Deb Neiderhiser for all of her creativity, passion and planning of our Lent, Holy Week and Easter services. Thank you!

Prayer, Reflection &

Contemplation Immerse yourself in Prayer and

Scripture

When: May 11 from 4:00-5:00 pm Where: St. Mark’s Lutheran Church (main level)

What: Prayer Stations

The prayer stations are designed to follow the Contemplative Tradition: Discovering the Prayer-Filled Life as presented by Richard J. Foster in his

book Streams of Living Water.

Organized by Rachel Gertner, a senior at USF. Rachel is a Psychology and Theology double major. This church project is for her Senior Seminar course

as the capstone project of her Theology studies.

ST. MARK’S FAMILY CAMP

St. Mark’s Families,

Thinking about summer plans? Why not join your St. Mark’s friends for a week of FAMILY CAMP at Outlaw Ranch in the beautiful Black Hills?!?! Kyle Alberty and Ann Rosendale are organizing a group from our congregation to attend family camp together the week of July 28-August 2. Each family is assigned their own cabin and counselor. Daily activities include worship, games, crafts, bible study, horseback riding, canoeing, hiking, resting, campfire, and eating delicious food! Families even have flexibility to venture out on their own for a day to sight-see in the area. There is something for ALL ages, and all family configurations are welcome. Cost varies depending on number of people per family. St. Mark’s is providing generous scholarships of $300 per family! Online Registration is now OPEN! Spots will fill quickly. Contact ann.rosendale@augie.edu if you and your family are interested in attending, or if you have any questions. Family Camp is truly the best family vacation. The cost for the week includes everything (meals, lodging, etc.) and you can pay a little bit each month to make the cost more manageable. Counselors provide childcare if parents need a night away. Connecting with other families makes the week a fun adventure. The setting is beautiful, and God is guaranteed to show up! Register your family or get more information at: http://www.losd.org/family-camp

Our date to worship with the St. Dysmas congregation inside the SD Penitentiary is

Thursday, May 30. Because it is behind the walls, we must do paperwork each year and be approved to go inside. If you would like to go, please sign up on the bulletin board AND fill in the accompanying

forms. Put the completed forms in the church office. (Slide them under the door if needed.)

Bible Study Wednesdays at 10am Join us for a Bible Study of Jeremiah/Lamentations from the Books of Faith series. Eight week study will be held May 15, 22, 29; June 5, 12, 19, 26 and July 3. If you are interested in this study but there is another day or time that works better for you please let us in the office know as soon as possible.

Our 2019 “Offering of Letters”

Better Nutrition - Better Tomorrow

No one wants to give funds to corrupt governments. However, direct U.S. support for focused programs that improve lives is another matter. This year our Offering of Letters asks Congress to ramp up efforts on improving nutrition, especially in the critical first 1000 days of a child’s life. This photo from the first St. Mark’s trip to Nicaragua shows our teens, Kevin and Ali, beside two girls of the same age and the effects of malnutrition. Might more than just their height be diminished? Nutrition represents only 4% of the total global health spending through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). At only $125 million in FY2018, this is low compared to the need. Bread for the World has more info: www.bread.org.

45% of child deaths are linked to malnutrition.

Please take a letter writing packet and write to our members of Congress on behalf of hungry neighbors in God’s world. Write at a letter table at church, or write at home. Bring letters back for the dedication, or let us know that you sent letters, so we can estimate whether we reach our goal of 100 letters. We will dedicate the letters on Mother’s Day, May 12, honoring our mothers and mothers everywhere. Thanks for being a voice for people in need.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - footnotes - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Is our letter writing ok with the IRS?

Yes, it is. A comment from the American Bar Association: "There is a widespread perception that nonprofits cannot lobby, or if they do lobby, they are exploiting some kind of legal loophole. The fact is that nonprofits, even 501(c)(3) organizations, which are the most restricted type of nonprofits, may legally lobby. Getting involved in the legislative process and having a say in policy discussions is not just an appropriate role for nonprofits; it is vital. If nonprofits are not speaking on behalf of their often-vulnerable communities, chances are nobody else is either."

Of course our advocacy on policies (“lobbying”) is never partisan, ie, We never promote a party or candidate. Like Moses and the prophets and many Christians through the ages, we lift our voices to the sources of policies that impact whether people can live and thrive.

Pastor Lori on Maundy Thursday: “As we learned from Jesus on Maundy Thursday,

some acts of love are unexpected and even unwelcome. … Hearing is good. Doing is better.

Examples of nutrition assistance:

• Education and guidance for mothers on early and exclusive breastfeeding

• Supplementing and fortifying food with micronutrients, including vitamin A, iron, folic acid, calcium, and iodine

• Nutrition counseling for mothers and families and support groups, such as mothers’ groups and care groups

• Management, in places such as health clinics, of acute malnutrition using food rations and therapeutic foods, which provide the necessary protein, energy, fat, vitamins, and minerals for survival

Christmas in Cameroon

Since 1995, St. Mark’s has committed to travel to

meet, serve, and learn from our global Christian

family. After 12 mission trips with 30 St. Mark’s

travelers, there is a treasure trove of memories to

share. This month’s memory snippet is from Rich

Kemmis in Cameroon.

In 2004, St. Mark’s sent seven of our members

to Cameroon, Africa during the Christmas

season. Our group included Dawn and JJ

Hartigan, Lorie Laurila, Darla Wilkens, Rhonda

Kemmis, Rex Rolfing and myself.

We spent some time at the church compound

in Ngaoundere early in our stay, then embarked

to the remote “bush” area of that region.

Our ultimate destination was the little village of

Ngaoui. As we approached the village, there

was a large crowd of people gathered at the

edge of town to greet us. They were singing and

chanting with excitement after waiting two

years for our arrival. All of us got out of the

vehicles and were paraded to the compound

where we would be staying and, ultimately,

building the new roof on their church.

Although we had an interpreter assigned to us,

we were pretty good at communicating - to

some extent - with the villagers, as there seems

to be a universal understanding in the hearts

and minds of all people. Every day they would

feed us their local cuisine and wait until we

were done before eating themselves. Every

night there was jubilant singing and dancing in

the week leading up to Christmas, which was so

enjoyable for us to experience.

We finished the roof in time to celebrate with

the locals at their first-ever worship service in

their new church on Christmas Eve, 2004. It was

at this service where the villagers were

presented a supply of Bibles in their native

language as a gift from St. Mark’s. It was a

Christmas memory for the ages!

Rich Kemmis

April 14, 2019

St. Mark’s Global Encounters

St. Mark’s Lutheran Church Council Minutes

April 16, 2019

Present: Kyle Alberty, James Coffman, Todd Goldammer, Dawn Hartigan, Pastor Lori Hope, Lorie Laurila, Karin Lindell, Dan Luke, Terry Phillips, Shari Smith

Devotions: Lorie Laurila led in devotions.

Minutes: MSC to approve the March 20 Council minutes

Old Business: A bid for roof repair was presented. MSC to repair the roof out of the Property budget repair and maintenance line item. Entire replacement of the flat roof will need to be addressed in the next five years.

New Business: The “Thinking of You” frozen meals task force has distributed 40 meals since September. They are requesting a new upstairs freezer. MSC to use unspecified memorial funds to purchase an upright, self-defrosting freezer up to $750.00 in cost.

MSC to remove the names of Verlyn Lindell and Cathy Wencil on all St. Mark’s En-dowment Fund accounts and add the names of Luanne Alberty and Peggy East.

Treasurer’s Report: MSC to approve the March financial report. It was noted that at this point we are around $6,400 below budget. A reminder to the congregation to keep their pledges up to date will be placed in the bulletin after Easter. Pastor Lori asked committee members to be sure to use expense vouchers and attach bills or receipts when seeking monetary reimbursements.

President’s Report: Dawn noted that she will be out of town on the day of the July Executive meeting. A meeting may not be necessary.

Pastor’s Report: Pastor Lori noted that we will be celebrating St. Mark’s Augustana Synod heritage on Sunday, April 28 at Adult Forum and that the 10:45 am worship service will use the old Augustana liturgy. Chapel of the Hills near Rapid City will be celebrating its 50

th anniversary in July. A poster will be placed on the bulletin board.

Committee Reports

Youth: The youth will be serving Easter brunch. The free-will offering will go to Pine Ridge Flood Relief.

Mission: St. Mark’s served more than 240 people at the Banquet on April 12. We will be worshiping with the men of St. Dysmas in the SD Penitentiary on May 30. Liz Luke will be commissioned for her trip to Cameroon at the 7:00 am East-er service.

Worship & Music: We will be practicing every-Sunday communion starting Sun-day, May 5.

Congregational Life: The committee has several projects in mind including a pyramid meal invitation scheme to help members get to know one another bet-ter.

Property: The committee is deciding on a spring clean-up date.

Christian Education: The last day of Sunday School will be May 5.

Prayers: Office Manager Elly Swartz is still recovering from her recent surgery. We will initiate a Sign-Up Genius schedule to help provide meals for her and her family Monday-Thursday for three weeks following Easter.

The meeting closed with the Lord’s Prayer.

Karin Lindell,

Secretary

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St. Mark’s Lutheran Church

2001 S. Elmwood Avenue

Sioux Falls, SD 57105

May 2019