“We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention
you in our prayer.” -1 Thessalonians 1:2
Friends,
I do hope that all of us have been able to celebrate Christmas with peace and joy in our hearts, and that we may enter the new year with great hope. Leslie and I enjoyed some quiet time watching old movies on Christmas Day and going through some of the many cards we received from you. We want to thank you for your holiday greetings, thoughtfulness, generosity, and encouragement. We are very grateful to be a part of St Mark.
THANK YOU
On behalf of the staff and Congregation Council of St Mark, I want to extend our gratitude for your partnership in the Gospel. This has been a very good year at St Mark. In addition to worship, classes, fellowship times, and other things that you may normally think of a church doing, the outreach of St Mark has reached more and more persons in the Storm Lake community and beyond. Add to it the important work that is taking place through the Western Iowa Synod Staff, Lutheran Social Services, SALUD, and other groups that make St Mark their home, we are making a BIG difference in the lives of people in the area. This is a good season to be St Mark.
2023- ANNUAL MEETING OF ST MARK LUTHERAN CHURCH
The Annual Meeting of St Mark Lutheran Church will take place on January 29, 2023, immediately following the 9:00 worship service (Time @10:00). In addition to the election of officers, and reports of the Congregation, the Congregation Council has recommended changes to the Constitution of St Mark that will be voted upon at that meeting. We will have 2 opportunities to talk about the changes at Congregation Conversations on Sundays January 15 and 22 @10:10 in the Fellowship Hall.
I am very grateful for all of the persons and their efforts to make these important changes. I would like to especially lift up Julie Sievers who has a very good understanding of these things and has worked diligently on it for years. Many of the changes being made will keep us up to date with the changes being made at the Churchwide Assemblies over the past 14 years. Most of those changes are update in language and legal requirements. Other changes have largely to do with governance of the congregation. As the years have worn on since the last major changes were made in St Mark’s governance, the size of the congregation no longer necessitates as large of a structure to lead our mission and ministry. I do hope that you will attend the Annual meeting and one or more of the Congregation Conversations on January 15 and 22.
LIFE TOGETHER AT ST MARK You can find us at:
1614 West 5th Street
Storm Lake, IA, 50588
Phone: 712-732-5255 You can email us at hello@stmarkstormlake.com
You may log into Saint Mark Wi-Fi
Password- devotion
WORSHIP
We gather for worship this weekend on Saturday Christmas Eve at 3:00 and 5:00, and Sunday Christmas Day at 9:00AM. You can join us in-person in the Sanctuary, or via livestream on our Facebook page. Recordings of services may be also found on the St Mark Website.
PRAYERS- We are all invited to keep the following persons in our prayers:
Prayers for Healing:
Barb Movall, Irv Strand, Marlon Gasner, Royce Larsen, Marilyn Jones, Ken Russell, Don Northrup, Hildy Clewell, Julie Egland, Val Anderson, Jon Kruse, Donna Schulz, Steve Korner, Jane Evans, Evelyn Messenbrink, Alex Kron, Steve Berg, and all persons seeking healing and wholeness.
Prayers for Comfort:
For Kandi Anderson’s children as they mourn the loss of their father/step-father Greg Twombley.
For Lisa Shepherd and Family as they grieve the death of her father Orin Rinkel
SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES- Methodist Manor- The residents of Methodist Manor are in need of persons to visit. Training will be available to prepare volunteers for the conversations. If you are interested, please contact Maxine Lampe 712-732-1058, or Pat Cowan 712-299-3120.
Worship Techs- we are in need of at least 2 more persons (families) to serve one Sunday a month as worship tech. New tech helpers may include families with junior high or high school aged kids, possibly a great way to involve them more with helping with church service. If you are interested, you are invited to sit back at the console on a Sunday morning and watch/help the persons working on that weekend. Contact Pastor Dave if you are interested.
VETS TOGETHER-
Is an opportunity for veterans of the United States military branches. There is no agenda other than an opportunity for veterans of the United States military services to have a place to be with others who have had similar experiences and who are willing to receive and give encouragement to others. As veterans go through re-entry into civilian life they may experience, short and long term, challenges unique to veterans such as: PTSD; disabilities; reconnecting to family and friends; finding meaningful employment; and other struggles. Vets Together meet on Wednesday evenings, 6:00 PM in room 128. The gatherings are open to all community persons. Please share this opportunity with friends.
PROCLAIM RADIO MINISTRY
Proclaim is a radio ministry of St Mark and is broadcast every Sunday morning at 7:30 AM via FM 101.7 KAYL. The message and music are from the previous weekend. This ministry is one of the ways we reach out to Storm Lake and Western Iowa with the love of Jesus. We invite you to consider supporting this ministry in addition to your regular financial support of St Mark. Cost is $38 per week and can be given online, or by check. You can sign-up for a Sunday on the bulletin board sign-up located on the bulletin board near the west entrance to the building. Call Jane Hartwell 732-5255 if you have questions.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR OFFERINGS AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT- We are grateful for your faithful financial gifts to St Mark as they provide the needed support for all of our ministries, outreach, operating expenses, and staff. We are hopeful that through all of our gifts we will finish our year strong. If you have a financial gift you would like to share today you may place it in the offering box found at the welcome center. You are welcome to drop off an offering at the Church office or send it in the mail. You can also go to the St Mark Give Page where there are links and instructions for sharing your gifts:
You can also give during the service electronically through the new Vanco Mobile Giving App available at Google Play Store on Apple App Store
And a new way to give is through Amazon Smile each time you purchase something online.
FRIENDS WITH FOOD- Thank you to the volunteers who helped with filling bags and delivering food in December. Friends with Foodis a partnership of St Mark Lutheran Church, SALUD, and other community persons who work together to offer a monthly food distribution to those who are permanently or temporarily homebound and without easy access to transportation. The next distribution will be January 19th. If you would like to help, and if you know of someone who could use some food, please contact Jane Hartwell 712-732-5255, Di Daniels 712-299-9863 or Julie Cook- Western Iowa Synod Office 732-4968.
UPPER DES MOINES FOOD SHELF NEEDS OUR HELP-
The Upper Des Moines Opportunities Food Shelf staff has stated that any food is welcomed at the pantry. The following items are very low and needed at this time: cereal, oatmeal, peanut butter, canned fruit & vegetables, beans and rice, spaghetti sauce and pasta. Meat is very much needed (lunch meat, hot dogs, ground beef, ground pork, chicken. Freezers are available at Upper Des Moines if you drop off there, address below). Other items needed: laundry soap, dish soap, shampoo, body soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, toilet paper, paper towels. You can drop the food off in the grocery cart by the church office, or at Upper Des Moines Opportunities Food Shelf, 620 Michigan Street, in Storm Lake.
LIFE SERVE BLOOD DRIVE The next Blood Drive date is January 3, 2023 at St. Mark from 12:30-5:30. You can register online or text LIFESERVE to 999-777 to make an appointment to Give Blood. If you would like to know any other info about donating blood and Life Serve Blood Center, just click on this link, or contact Jane Hartwell in the Church Office.
AN OPPORTUNITY TO HELP OUR PARTNER SYNOD GIRLS SCHOOL AND HAVE BRUNCH TOO.
The Western Iowa Synod has a relationship with the Igumbilo Lutheran Girls School in the Southern Diocese of Tanzania. The synod's relationship with the girls' school dates back to 2005 when the Western Iowa Synod helped found the school. They are currently in the process of creating a computer lab at the school. Individual congregations are being asked to purchase computers (approximate cost $225), hoping to supply at least 50 computers for the lab. Computers are needed so students and staff can access resources that are only available electronically.
A brunch will be served following the church service on Sunday, January 8th with the free will offering to go to help purchase at least one computer for the school. Thrivent will be providing some seed money for this event. Please join us after church for a meal and a chance to make a difference in these girls' lives.
SUICIDE GRIEF SUPPORT GROUP
The Buena Vista Suicide Prevention Coalition would like to invite you to attend Suicide Grief Support Group at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Storm Lake on Wednesday, January 4th from 7-8 p.m. This group offers a safe, confidential support group to anyone (age 18 +) surviving the loss of a loved one through suicide. This group will meet monthly on the first Wednesday of the month at St. Mark Lutheran Church, Storm Lake, from 7-8 p.m. For more information, please email Casey Orth-Nebitt at coneebitt@icloud.com or Willa Castevens at wjcass@gmail.com.
THIS WEEK AT ST MARK
Sunday, January 1 HAPPY NEW YEAR
7:30AM - Proclaim Radio broadcast on FM101.7
9:00AM- Worship Service- in-person and streamed live on Facebook Live
10:00AM- Fellowship Time
Monday, January 2
6:30 PM- Stephen Ministry (Conference Room)
Tuesday, January 3
12:30-5:30PM- Blood Drive (Fellowship Hall)
Wednesday, January 4
6:00PM-6:45PM Confirmation Class
6:00PM- Vets Together (Room 128)
7:00PM- Suicide Grief Support Group (Room 128)
Thursday, January 5
12:00PM- AA-(Fellowship Hall)
Saturday, January 7
9:00AM-3:ooPM Quilt Sewciety
Sunday, January 8
7:30AM - Proclaim Radio broadcast on FM101.7
9:00AM- Worship Service- in-person and streamed live on Facebook Live
10:00AM- Brunch (free will Offering to Igumbilo Lutheran
Girls School)
10:00AM. Sunday School (Sanctuary)
