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St Mark’s Remarks
St. Mark's Lutheran Church
1008 Franklin Rd., SW
Roanoke, VA 24016
December 2014
Youth Ministry
the coin, and the son. The hope was that
our youth at Lost and Found would be
reminded that whether we’re lost, found,
or not sure which of those we are, God
never abandons us and always seeks to
bring us closer.
MIDDLE SCHOOL
YOUTH MINISTRY
Trinity House, Caleb Anders, Abby Trout and Pastor Ar mentr out
joined several hundred other youth and
adults from across the Virginia Synod
at the Eagle Eyrie retreat center in
Lynchburg from November 21—23.
They were attending Lost & Found, the
Virginia Synod youth retreat for 7th &
8th grade youth.
L to R: Abby Trout, Triniti House, & Caleb
Anders singing at Lost & Found.
The youth and adults spent the weekend
making new friends, singing, dancing,
worshiping, eating junk food, and conversing about God’s abiding presence
with us.
going on in their day to day of life.
When you see Trinity, Caleb, or Abby,
be sure to ask them about their experiThis conversation led them quickly to ence, what they enjoyed the most, and
the three parables about being lost and how much they look forward to the next
found in Luke, chapter 15 – the sheep, youth retreat.
Winter Celebration
The theme for this year’s retreat was
“Finders Keepers” The youth who were
a part of the event planning group
talked about how, during the Junior
High years, life’s decisions can be cluttered by things that are not only timeconsuming but can also be very disorienting. The group decided that a lot of
life could be organized around two
questions:
1. I’m lost, now what do I do? And,
2. I’m found, now what do I do?
It’s a good set of questions to ask when
we’re thinking about whether and how
faith has anything to do with what’s
Winter Celebration is the Senior High version of Lost & Found. Like its middleschool counterpart, Winter Celebration is a weekend-long retreat held annually
in January at Eagle Eyrie in Lynchburg but for youth in 9th—12th grade.
Winter Celebration is a bit larger than Lost & Found so it is held over two consecutive weekends (Jan. 16—18 &
Jan. 23—25, 2015). The time has
come for youth to choose which
weekend they will be attending.
Please get registrations from Pastor
Armentrout.
Participants at a previous Winter Celebration sing during one of the large group sessions.
As always, our congregation helps
to pay the $165 per-person registration fee. For more information,
speak with Pastor Armentrout.
Contact the Church
David’s Kingdom Preschool
Phone: 540-344-9051
Phone: 540-344-7144
E-mail: stmarksluth@yahoo.com
Web: www.stmarkslutheran-roanoke.org
E-mail: davidskingdom@ymail.com
Web: www.davidskingdom.com
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S T MA R K ’ S R E MA R K S
Faith Formation through Education - Preschool through Adult
Angel Tree Sponsors
We have identified eight
children and families in our program
whose income, housing, and family
situations dictate they have a need for
help. We have gathered clothing sizes
and preferences for toys & games,
books & movies, and other interests.
If you would like to shop for a child
or partner up with someone to do so,
please contact Martha Eddleman at
meemail79@gmail.com or 540-9820052 (mornings are the best time to
reach her).
You will be given an information
sheet with all the child’s information
and other instructions.
From the Director
A
s the Director of our Child Development Ministry, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about writing something that would show folks what a
child’s day in our preschool is like.
I’ve decided that is a tall order for
one article so I’m going to share with
you one very important part, the faith
formation part, with the plan to share
more with you later.
First, it is very important that our preschool be understood as a place of
learning and not a “daycare”. I never
like to define something by stating
what it is not but the simple truth is
we don’t baby sit. Instead, we learn.
Everything we do is about learning.
We have the philosophy that we learn
everything in the same way- whether
it is the things a child needs to know
to go to kindergarten, or how to be in
community with other children, or
just who Jesus is and what faith in
our Lord, lived out daily, means. We
call this part faith formation and it is
as much a part of our mission and
purpose as anything else we do.
Gifts will be due to our director’s
office by December 10th. Gifts of
wrapping paper and supplies will also
be needed.
St. Mark’s
Preschool
Christmas Program
Monday, December 15th
at 6:o0 PM in the
Fellowship Hall
A FEW FACTS ABOUT OUR
PRESCHOOL AND AFTER
SCHOOL PROGRAM:

We currently have openings in
both programs. Spread the word.

Tuition is based on income and
ability to pay in as much as we are
able to do so.

We employ a staff of seven with a
combined 74 years experience
working with children.
All are invited to hear the
Nativity of our Lord
according to St. Luke!
Each week our children hear and learn
from the same texts that you hear on
Sundays. The text is introduced to them
at their chapel service on Mondays and
it always informs our emphasis for the
week. For example, this past Sunday
we all heard the Gospel from Matthew
about the sheep and goats and what it
means to care for each other. Our emphasis then is to explore and learn just
what that means to care for each other.
Our children explored what that means
for each other daily at our school with
the importance of sharing and helping
and using nice words and of remembering those that don’t have enough. We
toured our food pantry and clothes closet and they met with volunteers around
the church. Our mission comes alive in
their learning and practicing of these
things.
We support this with another chapel
service on Wednesdays that continues
the theme but explores it in a different
way. Then on Fridays we have what we
call “chapel groups” where the children
discuss their learning from the text with
their teachers along with song and prayer.
Each day also begins with what we call
Morning Celebration. Staff play guitar
with the children and we sing songs of
faith. We talk about the day of learning
in front of us and talk more about our
Bible story for the week. The children
learn to pray and remember things to be
thankful for and the needs that we see
around us.
While this faith formation has certainly
long been some part of what we do, this
academic year we have given it a much
heavier emphasis. We have come to
see that to “Love God and Love Our
Neighbor” means also to equip others
with this mission and purpose and it
has everything with how we choose to
see the world around us and how we
understand our place in it.
Have heart and be encouraged that every day at St. Mark’s we are at work,
God’s work.
Advent Blessings,
Wil Robertson, Dir.
S T MA R K ’ S R E MA R K S
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Worship & Music Notes
is a win-win opportunity for our congregation and CHIP of Roanoke Valley.
The response to support this year’s Carols by Candlelight service has been
overwhelmingly positive. There has
been a wonderful, generous outpouring
of gifts to make this major community
worship service a success.
If you have not yet done so prayerfully consider how you may wish to support this worship service and help St.
Mark’s continue to grow its mission in
the community. You may designate
your gift in honor or memory of anyone you wish.
More importantly, however, your generous outpouring of support is helping us
reach our goal of giving 100% of the
offerings from the worship service to
CHIP of Roanoke Valley.
If you have already made a
gift, you are welcome to designate that gift in honor or
memory of anyone you
like—just as we have always
done. Either way, complete
the card below and send it
to the church office.
CHIP stands for
Child Health
Investment
Partnership.
CHIP of Roanoke Valley is an early
childhood home visiting program. They
pair low-income children, ages birth to
kindergarten-entry, with a Community
Health Nurse and Family Case Manager
for health care coordination (help accessing needed medical services, assistance with the management of chronic
conditions, and preventive services like
fluoride dental varnish); developmental
education, kindergarten preparation and
regular child assessment and monitoring.
Their families receive services like anticipatory child development guidance,
employment and education support,
parent meetings and transportation.
These services work to help build parenting capacity and to provide support
to families as they set and reach goals
and move toward self-sufficiency.
CHIP also offers supplemental case management services that target specific
needs: Prenatal Case Management, Mental Health Case Management, and Asthma
Case Management.
This community ministry is one which St.
Mark’s has not been a part of the in the
past but we are excited to be able to support now. By giving the offering collected at Carols by Candlelight we will be
able to support a well-established community ministry, grow our own mission in
this one-time gift and continue to share
the grace of God in the community. This
Your generous giving now will make
the flowers and music at this worship
service and throughout the Christmas
season possible.
St. Mark’s music program enthusiastically
welcomes new members.
If you would like to be a part of
the adult or handbell choir,
please speak with the , Organist—
Choir Director, Steve Lawrence,
the pastor or any choir member.
Carols By Candlelight 2014
I would like to support this year’s Carols by Candlelight, music & flowers for Christmas at the following level:
Sustainer ($500 and above)
Benefactor ($200-$499)
Patron ($100-$199)
Sponsor ($50-$99)
Friend ($25-$49)
Name: _____________________________________________ Address: __________________________________________
In honor____ or memory_____ of: __________________________________________________________________________
Please make checks payable to St. Mark’s Lutheran Church
Please do not print my name in the service bulletin as a contributor
PAGE 4
S T MA R K ’ S R E MA R K S
Outreach Outlook
THE FOOD PANTRY
DURING THE MONTH
OF NOVEMBER, THE
FOOD PANTRY DISTRIBUTED FOOD TO
FEED 549 INDIVIDUALS! Thank you to the
November volunteers: Ralph, Sandy,
McKinley, Caleb, Luke, Melissa, &
Scott Anders, Sidney Miller, George
Kegley, Laura Bolton, Clara Chitty,
Judy Adkins and Mark Heinlein.
The Food Pantry shelves following
food distribution on Monday, Nov. 24.
Food Pantry Donations
Congregational support of the Food
Pantry has been exceptional! Increased demand has been met with
increased generosity. Thank you!
Know that your ongoing giving to the
food pantry is not in vain.
THANKSGIVING FOOD BAGS
Tuesday, November 26
was a beautiful day to
deliver Thanksgiving
food boxes. A new record number of volunteers came out to
work. 50 boxes of food were delivered
to families across the city. Thank you
to Ralph & Sandy Anders, David &
Pearle Thompson, Alex Adkins, David Johnson, Pat & Brad Gibbs,
Walley Coffey, Lynn Gregory, Carl
& Carol Jensen, Harris Scere, Mark
Heinlein, Ashley Spangler, Kathleen
Miko, Sid & Gail Scott, Howard Barnard, Avi & Pratibha Joshi, George
Kegley, Sissy Kegley and Edmond
Koroma for volunteer ing.
THE CLOTHES CLOSET
During the month of
November the Clothes
Closet provided clothing to a total of seventy-five (75) people.
Thank you to the November Clothes Closet volunteers: Suzy Bubnell, Laura Bolton, Judy Adkins, Sonny & Charlotte Scholz, Gail
& Sid Scott, Wayne Eddleman, Brad
Gibbs, Melissa Anders, and Barbara
McLelland
Particularly helpful donations to the
clothes closet would be men’s socks,
underwear, jeans, thermals, shoes &
childrens’ sizes 8—16
Congregational Life—Member Profile: George Kegley
A Call to Social Ministry:
Loving God,
Loving Our
Neighbor
George Kegley grew up in Wythe County, Virginia, attending a one-room school
house until the seventh grade. He has
deep roots in Virginia. His German ancestors have been in Wythe County since
the 1760s. George grew up with many
Christian mentors. Three of his uncles
were pastors, and his grandfather was a
Lutheran preacher. Sometimes,
when George sings hymns at St. Mark's,
he wonders if his grandfather once sang
the same ones too. His mother, a very
compassionate woman, especially influenced George's commitment to social
ministry.
As a child, George attended to Holy Trin-
ity Lutheran in Wytheville. He then
attended Roanoke College, a Lutheran
college. After graduating, he became a
journalist for the The Roanoke Times.
He was with The Roanoke Times for
forty-four years, and is actively involved in the Roanoke community
with organizations such as Meals on
Wheels, the Historical Society of
Western Virginia, and Blue Ridge Literacy, and the Rescue Mission, to
name a few.
In 1958, shortly after he married his
wife, Louise, he began attending St.
Mark's Church. Since then he's been
involved in many programs at the
church. Currently, he teaches the men's
bible study, volunteers at RAM House
once a month, participates in the Crop
Walk, coordinates our bi-monthly food
pantry and the LuCom program to send
children in need to Caroline Furnace, a
summer camp, and volunteers at the
Rescue Mission and Highland Park Elementary School as a lunch body. He also
spends time working with Congreagations in Action at Highland Park School
and arranges food bags from the church
for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. He has been the editor for the V irginia Lutheran since the 1960s, and is currently editing a book about the history of
the Lutheran church in southwest Virginia. George has a particular fondness for
working with refugees, and has assisted
refugees from many countries including
Hungary, Liberia, and Vietnam. He is
now one of the three trustees of our
church.
George doesn't talk much about what
motivates him, but it is his faith that undergirds what he does. Next time you
see George in church, ask him about one
of these social ministry programs and
how you too can get involved.
S T MA R K ’ S R E MA R K S
PAGE 5
Finance Notes
T
alking about money is uncomfortable for us sometimes. We generally don’t like to do it. But it is important for us, as
Christians, to be able to talk about money with the same faithfulness, conviction, and ease with which we talk about worship,
Christian education, or social ministry. The way we begin to do this is by understanding that our money isn’t ours. Like everything else money is a resource entrusted to us by God. It is simply another resource with which we are called to be good
stewards. As stewards we invest, we care for, we make faithful use of what God gives to us—including money.
As we begin to wrap our heads around the notion that money isn’t really ours—it’s just entrusted to us—then we can really
make a great leap of faith and stop fearing and functioning with an attitude of scarcity. We can, instead, begin to trust that
God is always providing us with the resources we need to be about his work in this world. God won’t short change us when it
comes to doing the work of the kingdom. God is providing for us abundantly.
When make that leap of faith we realize that we can be generous without fear. We can be generous without worry that there
won’t be enough. We give to God in gratitude for his abundant love. We give to God generously and boldly because God is
being generous with us.
This year at St. Mark’s you have been and are being faithfully generous. Together we are moving toward a way of giving that
is rooted in faith, not fear. Well done! You are giving to St. Mark’s mission and ministry. Well done! You are giving and
making a difference in the lives of God’s people within the congregation and beyond it. Well done!
Below is a chart which shows the generosity of our congregation through Sunday, November 23. (In other words, there is still
one more Sunday to report for the month of November). If our giving continues as strongly as it has thus far we will not only
finish the year in the black but we will most likely finish the year ahead of the budget! Well done!
We are moving forward in mission and ministry as a congregation. God is providing us with an abundance of resources to
change lives and live out our mission of “Loving God, Loving Our Neighbor”
Stewardship Reminder
Mission &
Ministry
Surveys
2015
2015 Mission & Ministry Surveys—Have you completed and returned your blue 2015 Mission & Ministry Survey (a.k.a. Time & Talent)? If so, thank you! If not, please do so ASAP. We use these forms to
update the church directory and to help identify ways to keep everyone in the congregation plugged into
the ministries here.
We’ve simplified the surveys so they are easier to complete. Extra copies are available in the church office and on the table in the Highland Avenue hallway if you need / want one.
S T MA R K ’ S R E MA R K S
PAGE 6
December
Baptismal
Birthdays
We give thanks to God for the gift of
new life through the sacrament of Holy
Baptism. Celebrating baptismal birthdays in December are:
12/1
12/16
12/19
12/20
12/21
Kathy Bryant
Kathleen Pillis
Margaret Pillis
Jessica Thompson
Mitch House
Becky Whisnant
Jordan Bryant
Janet Natt
Seth Poore
THE ANNUAL
CONGREGATIONAL
MEETING WILL BE ON
SUNDAY,
DEC. 7 FOLLOWING
WORSHIP.
On the agenda:
election of new church
council members, trustees, and consideration of
the 2015 spending plan.
In the Congregational
Family
Welcome new members: In November
we welcomed into the congregational family through Affirmation of Faith, Candace
Ordean, Katalin Adamku and her son,
Sandor Deli, Sr. We welcomed thr ough
the sacrament of Holy Baptism, Katalin’s
daughter, Norah Al-Asadi.
Congratulations to Whitney Snider on the
birth of her daughter, Brooklyn, in October. Congratulations to George and Karen
Arthur on the bir th of their gr anddaughter, Lilah Grace.
Prayer Matters
The following individuals and
families were named in prayer
in worship during November.
Let us continue to keep them
in prayer. We pray:
O God, the strength of the weak and the
comfort of sufferers: Mercifully hear our
prayers and grant to your servants the help
of your power that they may experience
the healing power of your Holy Spirit. We
pray for:
Judy Riley
Calvin & Arbutus Compton
The Anna Kugler Class
Sharon Barbour
The Financial Books:
St. Mark’s will close the financial books
for the 2014 fiscal year on Dec. 31, 2014.
In order to receive credit on your 2014
contribution statement for any pledges and
or donations for the year, your check must
be dated no later than 12/31/2014.
We will continue to receive 2014 pledges
and contributions through January 4, 2015.
Valerie Turner
Nena Elechi
Jack Brumfield
Cathy Thompson
James White
Sharon Nickerson
Blake & Sharon
Norma Bradford
Alma Wertz
David Wertz
Georgia Sieler
Kathy Jo Finn
Steve Thompson
Shirly Aynes
Teresa Kincer
Rae Karkos
Roy & Joyce Sisson
Mary Ann Wade
Don Williams
Kathy Bryant
Jean Wills
Wanda Miller
Lori Lucas
Pam Kingery
Dick Moore
Opal Dyer
Bert Hood
Buddy Captio
Joe May
Shannon Thompson
Starr
Wendy
Haylee
Frankie
Ricky Eakin
Terry Parsell
Holiday Closings:
St Mark’s church office & preschool
will be closed on Wednesday, December 24th and Thursday, December 25th
in observance of the Christmas
holiday.
The church office and preschool will
also be closed on Thursday, January 1,
2014.
The Roger Lee Family
Elsie Spangler
Chelsea Ellis
Sam Southerland & family
Dale Hagen
Arnold Terveen
Mary Claire Suggs
Frank McFadden
Jennie Crites
Eugene
Through Jesus Christ our
Lord, Amen.
Advent Program
Mark your calendars for
Sunday, December 14th,
immediately after worship
for lunch and a fun afternoon of Advent crafts and
activities.
Speak with Mary Ann
Snider for more details.