December 17, 2014 - St. Mark's United Methodist Church

St. Mark’s Messenger
Volume XXXXI Issue 50
December 17, 2014
3502 Clairemont Drive, San Diego, CA 92117
(858) 273-1480
DEAR FRIENDS,
This is going to be a very good Christmas for St. Mark’s, because we are looking out and reaching
out. We are extending ourselves to those who need us.
Some in our congregation and community are struggling with “holiday blues,” grief, loneliness, or
sickness. Others are having trouble making ends meet. Others have no home to go to at night. We are
helping each other, and we are bringing hope to each other, as we share a plate of cookies, a warm meal, a
ride to church, a caring note, or a compassionate ear.
On Christmas Eve, we will extend ourselves beyond the church walls. There will be two familyfriendly services, at 5:30 and 8 p.m. Both services will include candle lighting, carols, brass, bells, and
choirs. But this year, both services will contain something else that will be even more special. This
Christmas, St. Mark’s will not just get a gift, we will give a gift. And you can be part of it.
This season brings out the best in us. It’s as if the Spirit has come upon us and we implicitly know
to watch out for each other and to help each other at every opportunity. There is no better way to
celebrate the birth of our Lord. It is an embodiment of his message and purpose.
Merrie and I will be in church at 5:30 and 8 on Christmas Eve, after which we’ll spend a quiet
evening together. On Christmas Day we’ll pack our two cats and dog in the car and travel to Cambria,
where we’ll spend Christmas Day with Merrie’s brother.
I hope to see you here! Blessings and peace to you as we get ready to celebrate the coming of
Christmas!
Craig
CHRISTMAS POINSETTIAS
Poinsettias will adorn the alter on Christmas Sunday, December 21
thru the 8 p.m. Christmas Eve service. If you ordered a plant, you are
welcome to take it home with you after the 8 p.m. Christmas Eve service.
Any plants left in the Sanctuary will be placed outside the front church
office for you to retrieve.
CATCH UP/GET AHEAD
A GIFT FOR THE STAFF
Some of you find it advantageous from a tax
standpoint to prepay your church commitment for the
coming year. All gifts, whether they are to fulfill
your 2014 intentions or to prepay part or all of
your 2015 planned giving must be in the church
office by noon, Wednesday, December 31st (or
postmarked no later than 12/31/14), in order to be
credited on your 2014 giving statement for tax
purposes. There is no “grace period” as far as the IRS
is concerned! If your gift is a prepayment of part or
all of your 2015 planned giving, please make sure that
you label it as such so that it gets credited properly. If
you would like to find out whether or not you are
caught up on your 2014 intended giving, please call
our finance secretary, Arlene Dempster, at (858)
273-9938.
During this holiday season the Pastor/Parish
Committee (PPRC) wishes to offer you the
opportunity to thank the hard working church staff
and ministers with a monetary gift.
FOOD COLLECTION SUNDAY
UPDATE: SPECIAL ADVENT CAMPAIGNIMAGINE NO MALARIA
Please remember to bring non perishable food
items and hygiene items to church the first Sunday of
the month. All items donated will be distributed to
both the Community Christian Service Agency and
the Good Neighbor Center.
2015 CHURCH CALENDAR
By Malinda Whiteley
With 2015 just around the corner it is ever so
important to make sure your upcoming events get on
the church calendar. The best way to do so is by
coming into the church office and completing a
Facility Use Request Form. Once the completed
forms are submitted to me, the events will be added to
the church calendar. Everyone’s prompt cooperation
is greatly appreciated. The calendar is a great
resource but is only as good as the information I
receive.
So, if your event meets monthly, bi-monthly,
quarterly or just once, please stop by the church office
and complete a form for all 2015 events.
St. Mark’s Messenger (USPS 516-260) is published weekly by St.
Mark’s United Methodist Church, 3502 Clairemont Drive, San Diego
CA 92117. Periodicals Postage paid at San Diego, CA
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to St. Mark’s Messenger,
3502 Clairemont Drive, San Diego CA 92117
If you would like to contribute to the
monetary gift from the congregation, please give your
donations to a PPRC member, drop it in the offering
plate, or you may send it to the church office. Please
be sure to designate your contribution as "staff Gift."
Your PPRC members are the following
friendly people: Arlene Dempster, Dennis
Hemmingway, Debbie Bell, Kirk Hinkleman, Cathy
Martin, Robin Nuspl, Brad Cannon, Susan Holko, and
Andy Guevara.
Thank you to all who have donated so far!
Together we have raised over $2700! That means we
are just $800 short of our goal. This money will
support the efforts of the United Methodist Church to
eliminate malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa. It takes just
$10 to supply a family with a bed net and the
education on how to use it. For every donation you
make of $10 or more please accept an angel ornament
as a thank you from our youth. These beautiful
handmade angels are available in the church office,
just waiting for you to take home.
MEN’S MEETING
There will be a Men’s meeting on Sunday,
December 21 at 7 p.m. in the New Room. All men of
the church are invited to attend.
CAR MAGNETS
The United Methodist Women have a new
supply of the flame and cross magnets for your car or
other steel surfaces. They are available in the church
office for a donation of $5.00. Proceeds will be used
to support mission projects around the world.
A GIFT FOR 2015
A gift is waiting for you in the church office.
It’s a copy of The NRSV Daily Bible: Read, Meditate,
and Pray Through the Entire Bible in 365 Days. You
may make a $10 donation to help sustain the Adult
Ministry fund, or consider it a Christmas gift from the
church. We ran out last Sunday, but we’ve received a
new shipment.
I invite you to join me in taking 10 minutes
each day starting January 1, 2015 to read through the
most-important book in the English language. This
daily bible is new, published in 2012, and features a
short reading, contemplation, and meditation each day
from the very best theological writers--such as N.T.
Wright, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Frederick Buechner, and
Mother Teresa.
You can read completely on your own, or you
can join discussion groups offered from time to time
throughout the year. The first groups will meet
January 12 and 19 at 1 p.m. or January 14 and 21 at 6
p.m. You can also check out the daily Facebook
postings, or you can do all the above!
Do something important and meaningful in
2015, and deepen your spiritual life! You can sign up
by emailing, calling, or visiting the church office.
MOVIE & CONVERSATION
Rev. Jeri is inviting those who are interested to
join her on Sunday, December 28 to see the film,
Unbroken. This film is based on the extraordinary
life of Olympic athlete Louis “Louie” Zamperini. The
film will be shown at AMC Fashion Valley at
1:15PM.
Those who wish to join in conversation after
the film can join her at California Pizza Kitchen
(located across the walkway from the theater)
following the movie. You can find out more about the
film at http://www.unbrokenfilm.com.
NEW IN 2015
Martha Hilker has been faithfully coordinating
39’er events for many, many years and has decided it
is finally time to retire. So in 2015 Wendy Holman
has volunteered to coordinate the 39’er events.
Beginning in January, the .39’ers will meet the
first Tuesday of each month at 11:30 a.m. at Troy’s in
the Clairemont Square. Anyone who is or was 39 is
invited.
Special thanks to Martha for all her years of
faithful service and contribution to the 39’ers.
THIS WEEK @ A GLANCE
Monday, December 22, 2014
1:00 P.M.
6:00 P.M.
Advent Study/NR
Carillon Bells/SH
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
5:30 P.M.
Christmas Eve Service
8:00 P.M.
Christmas Eve Service
Saturday, December 27, 2014
9:00 A.M.
12:00 P.M.
1:15 P.M.
St. Mark’s Alumni Bell Rehearsal
Bell Alumni Luncheon/SH
Movie & Conversation/Offsite
Sunday, December 28, 2014
8:30 A.M.
9:30 A.M.
10:45 A.M.
12:00 P.M.
1:15 P.M.
Pastor’s Sunday School/NR
Church
Joyful Noise/CR
Blood Pressure Screening/NR
Tongan Fellowship Worship
Movie & Conversation/Offsite
OFFICE HOURS
The church office will be closed for the
Christmas Holiday beginning at noon on Wednesday,
December 24 and remain closed until Monday,
December 29.
Any and all newsletter articles for the
remaining of the year must be submitted by Sunday,
December 28 for inclusion in the final newsletter of
2014 which will be mailed on Tuesday, December 30.
Please contact Malinda in the church office
with any questions or concerns.
From all the staff of St. Mark’s, may you have a
blessed and joyous Christmas!
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2014
8:30 A.M.
9:30 A.M.
10:45 A.M.
12:00 P.M.
6:00 P.M.
7:00 P.M.
Pastor’s Sunday School/NR
Church
Joyful Noise/CR
Tongan Fellowship Worship
Tongan Christmas Event/SH
Men’s Group/NR
PASTOR’S SUNDAY SCHOOL
Begins at 8:30 a.m. in the New Room.
Everyone is invited. Child care is available.
Below are the lectionary reading for this week:
2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16
Luke 1:47-55
Romans 16:25-27
Luke 1:26-38
CHRISTIAN BELIEVER – KNOWING GOD
WITH HEART AND MIND
IN OUR PRAYERS
Are you looking for more understanding about
the Christian Faith? Rev. Jeri will facilitate Christian
Believer, Knowing God with Heart and Mind
beginning on Thursday, January 8th and running
through September 17th.
When we joined the United Methodist
Church, we made vows to commit ourselves to
support the Church by “our prayers, our
presence, our gifts, our service and our
witness.”
This is different from a traditional Bible Study
as participants focus on what the church teaches and
believes regarding various life questions. Christian
Believer invites the participant to read a variety of
biblical texts and theological writings regarding
Christian traditions and doctrine, what the church
teaches and believes. Together we will explore our
current thoughts in light of writings by theologians
throughout the ages, gaining a sense that Christians
before us have wrestled with some of the same issues
of belief that Christians wrestle with today.
Participants will engage in daily readings, prayer and
meet for conversation with other Christian Believers
on a weekly basis.
The class will meet on Thursdays at 6:30 p.m.
to 8:30 p.m. in the New Room. The January 8th class
is an orientation. Breaks will be taken April 2nd and
July 2nd with three additional dates to be determined.
The cost for the reading and workbooks is $40. You
can sign-up in the Church Office or call Rev. Jeri at
858-273-1480.
Gratitude…Growth…Giving…
2015 Stewardship Campaign
Continued prayers:
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Nancy Deitzler
Justin King
Phyllis Mosher
Editha Audencial
Pam Wiiewel
Gene Hagar
Shirley Coffey
Mitch Boyer
Ken Murphy
Joe Cook
Thelma Johannesen
Michelle Innis
Sharon Kuessel
Joan Johnson
Deanna Marshall
Harry Meyer
Renae Pierce
…and our military personnel, including:
Kris Brendal, Army
Robert S. Chisholm, Navy
Craig Clemans, Marines
Paul Clemans, Air Force
Blake Cross, Navy
Brandon Dempster, Navy
Samuel England, Navy
Lenny Hezelett, Navy
Michael Hunter, Navy
Brady Jackson, Army
Jeremy Munson, Navy
Daniel Ness, Army
Milo Riegle, Marines
Casper Stalnaker, Navy
Nathan Streeter, Army
Robert Tarango, Navy