Saint Mark’s episcopal church mystic, connecticut
T
ake a look at all
these people, from the baby at the font, the very young sitting on the floor, to the teenagers helping us worship, to the adult family members looking on, to the seniors sitting and standing in the pews. Everyone of us was there to welcome the newly baptized into our special community here on Pearl Street, as well as into God’s mission of healing and reconciliation in the world. In God’s mission, God invites us to live deep into our call as disciples of Jesus and to live wide into our call as apostles sent out to serve God in the world. Here at St. Mark’s Church, we are forming disciples and apostles for God’s mission. A disciple is a person who learns, who listens to Jesus our teacher, who seeks intentional avenues for personal growth. An apostle is a person whom Jesus sends out to serve, to bear witness, to end the day with dirt beneath fingernails. Disciples practice awareness. Apostles practice action. Disciples breath in the peace of God. Apostles breathe it out again into the world. And thus a cycle forms, supported here at St. Mark’s Church by prayer, worship, reflection, and the love of community. With your prayerful and financial support, we will continue forming disciples and apostles of all ages for years to come.
C
ome Alive!
Theologian Howard Thurman once said, “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do it, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” These words, along with the work and witness of an amazing group of older teenagers, have led us to the creation of a new offering for our middle and high schoolers. Spearheaded by Pastor Stacey Kohl, “Come Alive” recognizes that what our teens (and really, all of us) need most is the space and the support to discover the people God is creating them (and us) to be. On their recent pilgrimage to Maine, these teens and their adult mentors lived deep into this space of listening, which will help them discern how God is calling them to live wide in God’s mission in the world.
Funding God’s Mission at Saint Mark’s – 20 The bar graph below shows total dollars pledged each year this decade. As you can see, the generous
2010
$220,000 2011
$231,000 2012
$227,000 2013
$224,000 2014
$223,000 2015
$258,000 2016
$258,000 2017
$283,000 2018
$334,000
010 to the Present nature of this church grows and grows!
A Wonderful and Faith-Filled Leap We invite you to join more than one hundred individuals and families in making a financial and faith commitment to our growing piece of God’s mission at St. Mark’s. Last year the vestry invited the parish to take a leap of faith in funding our mission, and the parish responded with such overwhelming generosity that we leapt well beyond our goal. We targeted an increase of $21,000. With your support, we achieved an increase of $51,000! This year, we ask you to join us where we leapt last year and perhaps walk a few steps further in faith. Together we are living deep into our discipleship as we follow Jesus and living wide into our apostleship as Christ’s hands and heart in the world. Please join us in this commitment.
$51,000 $21,000
A Message from Fr. Sonley Joseph at the end of the 2017-2018 school year This is the time for us to give thanks to God for the successful school year at St Luc School. St Mark’s Church and St Luc School were blessed to work side by side with the Spirit of God guiding us throughout the school year. All that we had to do worked well: • We fed the students, • We paid teachers salaries, • We had more than 80% of success in every class Our generous supporters have showed love and commitment to support the programs of the school. It is time to give thanks to God. At St Luc, we are very grateful for all that we have been able to accomplish with your help. We want to say thank you. The other day, we gathered the parents to hand over bulletins. It was a wonderful time of sharing. The teachers and parents asked me to thank you for your love for the children of Mercery to whom you offer the chance to be educated. We are hopeful that God will continue to bless the relation between St Mark’s and St Luc, so that many more Haitian children can continue to go to school.
St. Luc’s, Mercery
St. Mark’s, Mystic
Over the summer, teachers and local craftsmen built the school library with the financial support of St. Mark’s and other Mystic-area groups. Unfortunately, our planned trip was canceled due to civil unrest in Haiti.
Living deep happens in myriad
ways here at St. Mark’s Church – from our worship and fellowship to our education. Joining your financial support with that of so many others helps us continue to offer so many and varied opportunities to live deep into our discipleship as followers of Jesus Christ. • Nursery Care • Godly Play PreK–1st Grade • Godly Play 2nd – 5th Grade
• • • • • • • • • •
Summer Stretch Children’s Program Children’s Music Time “Come Alive” Middle School “Come Alive” High School Confirmation Class Adult Forum Hour Theology Sandwiched In Book Group Thursday Morning Bible Study Episcopal 101 Newcomers Class Financial Peace University
Living wide takes our deep
living and spreads us out in service to one another, our local neighborhood, and around the world. The best way to live wide is to partner with others who are living God’s mission and work together for healing and reconciliation here in Mystic and across the globe. Here’s a sampling of our mission partnerships. • St. Luc School, Mercery, Haiti • St. Mark’s Toddler Playgroup
• • • • • • • • • • •
WARM Center Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center Always Home (formerly M.A.S.H.) VITA Tax Preparation The United Way Bread for the World Church World Service Doctors Without Borders Narcotics Anonymous Overeaters Anonymous The Girl Scouts
this y Join us fo r e Food ar’s Unit Stew Packing E ed Way ardsh ip Ce vent on Sund ay, O lebrati on ct at 9 a ober 28 th .m.
Saint Mark’s episcopal church mystic, connecticut
15 Pearl Street Mystic, CT 06355 (860) 572-9549 stmarksmystic.org