12/07/11- The Messenger-Vol.100 Issue 12

Holiday Worship Schedule Friday, December 23 ········································································ Office Closed at 12:00p.m. Saturday, December 24 ···································································· 3:30p.m.-4:00p.m. Choir & Instruments 4:00p.m.-5:00p.m. Eucharist 6:30p.m.-8:00p.m. CAYA Christmas Eve Eucharist 10:00p.m.-10:30p.m. Choir & Harp (no nursery) 10:30p.m.-12:00a.m. Eucharist Sunday, December 25 ······································································· 10:00a.m.-11:00a.m. Eucharist (no nursery) Monday, December 26 ······································································ Office Closed All Day Sunday, January 1 ············································································ 7:45a.m. Eucharist 10:00a.m Eucharist Sunday Christian Formation classes will not meet. 11:11a.m. CAYA Eucharist

When they saw the star, They rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. Matthew 2:10

IN THIS ISSUE: From the Rector-pg. 2 | Treasurer’s Report-pg. 3 | Christmas to the Street-pg. 4

Happy Holidays from St. Mark’s!

The Messenger is published monthly and is available in magazine format online at www.stmarks‐sa.org Parish Clergy The Rev. Michael D. Chalk Rector The Rev. Jonathan Wickham Assistant Rector Assis ng Clergy The Rev. Dr. John Lewis Co‐director, The Work+Shop The Rev. Dr. Jane Pa erson Co‐director, The Work+Shop The Rev. Andrew Lobban Assis ng Priest Making a Gi of Their Service The Rev. Mary Earle Assis ng Priest The Rev. Cliﬀ Waller Assis ng Priest Staﬀ Todd Allison Youth Director Priscilla Briones Accoun ng Janet Carrizales Nursery Coordinator Joseph Causby Director of Music Bill Edwards Parish Administrator Elaine Enloe Clergy Execu ve Administrator Database Manager Sandy Falkenberg Cherub Choir Conductor Emmet Faulk Community Forma on Director Heather Herschell Children’s Ministries Director Melanie Lizcano Communica ons Director Ruby Merrill Facili es Manager Pat Hutchison Noble Community of Care Dr. Edwin A. Rieke Dir. of Music & Organ Emeritus Kris n Roach Assistant Director of Music Sara Talley Asst. Director Youth Ministries

From the Rector Christ is Coming! By The Rev. Mike Chalk, Rector

he church season of Advent pronounces a wonderful proclamation: our God is One who comes to the world. For many, God is viewed as remote and uninvolved in the affairs of the world. The charge is that God may have created the world, but God let go of creation long ago. Advent proclaims God cares deeply about the world in general and each one of us in particular. God’s care is demonstrated by being present in our lives to be a source of strength and encouragement. For some people, God’s lack of involvement may be due to an inability to perceive God in the world. One principle theme of Advent is a call for watchfulness for the coming of Christ. Without being especially alert, there is a good chance we will miss Christ in our everyday lives. Christ often comes to us hidden or concealed in events or people, hence, careful attention is necessary. To be alert and watchful for Christ during the month of December is exceedingly difficult. With so much to do, the presence of Christ can easily be missed. May I suggest that in all that you do, be alert to the possibility that Christ may be present in the most ordinary of places, whether it is in the store or at a party. I would remind you that years ago, the people of Bethlehem never expected the Messiah to come to their insignificant corner of the universe, and thus they missed a monumental event. Oscar Uzin declares the Advent message in the following way: “Be alert, be alert, so that you will be able to recognize your Lord in your husband, your wife, your parents, your children, your friends, your teacher, but also in all that you read in the daily papers. The Lord is coming, always coming. Be alert to his coming. When you have ears to hear and eyes to see, you will recognize him at any moment of your life. Life is Advent; life is recognizing the coming of the Lord.” I realize you may not have the time, but give serious consideration to silence sometime during the day to be attentive to your own soul. Take a walk or read some scripture. Frederick Buechner decided that he would live one day especially attentive to God’s presence. In his book, The Alphabet of Grace, he chronicles his amazement at how often God appeared, often in ordinary ways such as the people he met or through events he observed in the news. What happened? Did God finally make an appearance or was Buechner merely more alert? I would suggest he was more watchful for signs of God’s Spirit. Christ is coming, always coming! Be alert! Life is Advent! Meeting Christ can make all the difference in the world.

St. Mark’s Episcopal Church 315 East Pecan St. San Antonio, TX 78205 www.stmarks‐sa.org 2

The Ordina on of a Priest on January 5

Treasurer’s Report By Len Briley, Vestry Treasurer

By The Rev. Jonathan Wickham

his is my first report as your new treasurer, and I'd be remiss if I didn't take the opportunity to commend the efforts of all those who dedicate their time, energy and expertise to ensure the financial well being of St. Mark's. Because of limited space, I can't name names, but you know who you are! We are truly blessed. I have good news to share on the Renew campaign. As we noted in the last parish meeting, we are close to reaching our goal of $5.17 million. As of this publication, we have now received $4.8 million, or 94 percent of our goal. As a result of our collections on these pledges, the Vestry has approved a payment in the amount of $733,000 to further reduce the debt incurred to renovate the parish house, leaving a principal balance of $973,815. We encourage everyone to consider a donation, or even increasing your existing one, so we can meet or even exceed our goal. If you need a little encouragement, I would remind you that an anonymous donor has graciously pledged to match dollar-for-dollar (up to $300,000) any new cash gifts made to the Renew Campaign before December 31st. Also, we are pleased to be doing well with our Stewardship campaign. As of this writing, we have $1.26 million in pledges for the budget year 2012, which is $180,000 more than was pledged at this point last year. In addition, we have 335 pledges to date, which is 75 more than we received at this point last year. We are also encouraged to see that we have more new pledgers this year than we did at this point last year. This may account to some degree for the slight decrease of our average pledge from last year's $4,100.90 to this year's $3,876. That said, we are encouraged by your efforts and ask you to keep those pledges coming in!

Andrew Lobban and his lovely family

he Rev. Andy Lobban, Chaplain at Good Samaritan Community Services, and Deacon in the Episcopal Church will be ordained as a priest on Thursday, January 5 at 7:00p.m. at St. Mark’s. While Andy serves full-time at Good Samaritan, the church where he performs his regular clerical duties is St. Mark’s. During his time here he has been assisting at Sunday morning services, teaching and leading discussions with the youth program and developing new worship and outreach offerings connecting St. Mark’s with Good Samaritan. Please make plans to attend Andy’s ordination in January as we celebrate and embrace the movement of

Finally, it appears we are well positioned from a financial standpoint for year end. As of this writing, our revenues continue to exceed expenses for the year, and it appears that we will meet our budget, perhaps even with a small surplus that we can carry over to next year. I'd encourage you all to continue making those pledge payments and other giving so we can end the year in good fashion! If you have any questions about the financials at St. Mark’s, please contact Priscilla Briones at 210-226-2426 or email her at pbriones@stmarks-sa.org.

Reminder: For tax purposes please be sure that any 2011 contributions to St. Mark’s are dropped off at the church office by 12:00p.m. on December 30 or postmarked December 31. Thank you so much for your generosity.

St. Mark’s Hosts 7th Annual Christmas to the Street Barbeque and Outreach Event December 17 By Todd Allison, Director of Youth Ministries

650 meals for lunch.

eams are just about complete for the 7th annual Christmas to the Street Barbeque & Outreach event. This year in continued partnership with Haven for Hope, the San Antonio Food Bank, and St. Vincent de Paul, our volunteers will serve over 1800 meals at three locations.

As lunch comes to a close, the Haven for Hope Crews will arrive and load up an additional 1200 meals and all the extras to serve at two locations at Haven for Hope. One crew of about 18 volunteers will serve 550 meals in partnership with St. Vincent de Paul at Prospects Courtyard while another crew of youth and adults will serve about 600 meals in the main dining hall at H4H, in partnership with the San Antonio Food Bank.

Preparations have been ongoing but the work will start full swing on Friday, December 16 as the pits arrive and the No Ties Allowed volunteers get things fired up throughout the night. At the same time, youth (6th through 12th grade) will arrive around 8:30p.m. for the Annual Lock-In to take care of the last minute details for Saturday and have a little fun and fellowship. Saturday welcomes a flurry of activities as adult volunteers for the kitchen crews arrive to help behind the scenes as St. Mark’s prepares to serve roughly

If you would like to contribute or participate in the 2011 Christmas to the Street Barbeque & Outreach event please contact Todd Allison at (210) 226-2426 or visit the website (www.stmarkssa.org) and follow the link to the Christmas to the Street information.

Volunteer and dona on informa on available at www.stmarks‐sa.org or call 210‐226‐2426.

2011 PARTNERS Haven for Hope | St. Vincent de Paul | San Antonio Food Bank | St. Mark’s Youth Ministries | Ruby’s Kitchen Ministry

The St. Mark’s parish family & all our volunteers

VOLUNTEER INFORMATION LUNCH Saturday, December 17 Volunteers needed from 9:00a.m. - 3:00p.m. Lunch from 11:00a.m. - 2:00p.m. Youth: Contact Todd, Sara or Erin Youth will receive community service hours. Adults: Contact Laura Stokes PH: (210) 872-8676 castokes@idworld.net

DINNER at HAVEN FOR HOPE Saturday, December 17 Volunteer Teams needed from 3:00p.m. - 7:00p.m. Meet at St. Mark’s and caravan to H4H St. Vincent de Paul Prospects Courtyard Volunteers must be 18 or older Contact: Pat Bridwell PH: (210) 621-8228 lewbrid@aol.com San Antonio Food Bank Main Dining Hall Volunteers must be 16 or older Contact: Pat Bridwell PH: (210) 621-8228 lewbrid@aol.com 4

CHRISTMAS TO THE STREET YOUTH LOCK‐IN 8:30p.m. Friday, December 16

(open to all youth and friends 6th grade through 12th) Arrive at St. Mark’s (please eat dinner before arriving) for a night of fun and fellowship as we prepare for the 7th Annual Christmas to the Street BBQ & Outreach event on Saturday. Youth will be assisting in preparing items for the 3 meals to be served on Saturday in addition to some fun surprises. The night’s work is a must for Saturday so bring friends and join us! There will be time for sleep, to be as rested as possible for the next day’s activities. COST: $10 INCLUDES: Snack, Breakfast, Lunch, t-shirt, and lots of fun! All participants must complete a registration form at www.stmarks-sa.org/ youth.kt

NO TIES ALLOWED BBQ CREW Friday, December 16 and Saturday, December 17 Volunteers needed from 7:00p.m. (Friday) through 12:00p.m. (Saturday) An annual tradition for the men of St. Mark’s. Spend the night enjoying fellowship and food while cooking 40 briskets and 1000 sausage links. Additional details of dinner and shift times available when you sign up. For more information contact Craig Stokes at (210) 867-4500

HAPPENING 120 by Todd Allison, Director of Youth Ministries

Happenings are spiritual renewal weekends for high school students in grades 10 through 12 led by high school students from around the Diocese of West Texas. The diocese sponsors three weekends each year in various locations. Five of our St. Mark’s Youth and one adult participated in Happening 120 that was held the weekend of November 18-20 at St. Phillip’s in Uvalde. Each Happening weekend is a unique experience to the participant but in talk with those who attend it is obvious that the Lord was with them throughout the weekend and they are excited about what is ahead of them as they continue to grow and share their love and relationship with Christ. Happening 121 will be the weekend of March 2-4, 2012 at St. David’s in San Antonio. If you would like to attend please contact Todd Allison or visit the Happening website located in the Youth Ministry section of the diocese website at www.dwtx.org.

BAKERS NEEDED! CALLING ALL BAKERS! We are in need of bakers and their cookies, 4000 cookies to be exact. If you can offer your baking skills please contact Patrice Oliver at poliver1@satx.rr.com WHAT IS NEEDED? Cookies (NO NUTS or PEANUT BUTTER PLEASE) to provide as a dessert for the meals. 6-8 dozen per volunteer. Cookies should be in a zip lock/freezer bag labeled with the type and number of cookies in bag along with your name. Bags should be labeled C2S2011. Cookies can be brought to the church any time and placed in the freezer. Please have all cookies to the church no later than Wednesday, December 14.

Not just another Sunday Service!

SNL is an opportunity for 9th-12th graders of all faiths and backgrounds from around San Antonio to come together and share and discuss topics impacting their lives.

SNL meets on the TMI Campus December 18 5:30pm – 7:00pm

www.facebook/ SNLSanAntonio 5

The St. Mark’s Chapter of The Daughters of the King requests the honor of your presence as we celebrate

the Feast of the Epiphany with an

Sunday, January 8, 2012 At 10:10 a.m. In Gosnell Hall

In the tradition of the Magi (Wise Men), bring a bagged or wrapped baby gift to celebrate! All gifts will be donated to Good Samaritan Community Services.

ITEMS NEEDED:   

  

Diapers (Sizes 2-5) Pull Ups® Infant and toddler clothing (3 mos.-24 mos.) Wipes Blankets Crib sheets

 

Sleepers and onesies PLEASE: NO food or formula

Gently used or new baby clothes will are acceptable. Thank you! 6

The Audio Ministry of St. Mark's is proud to currently oﬀer 3 series of audio produc ons. All three produc ons are published in ONE podcast subscrip on (subscribe via iTunes or S tcher SmartRadio). From St. Mark’s website, you can click on the “audio graphics” for episodes of your favorite podcasts from St. Mark's. Chose from Sermons from St. Mark’s, This Episcopal Life, or Guest Lecturer Series. You can also listen directly from your computer!

Visit www.stmarks‐sa.org/audio_sermons.kt

Advent Wreath Fes val November 27, 2011

A Special Christmas Eve for Families By Jonathan Wickham, Assistant Rector

amilies with young children are important to the life of the church. In an effort to welcome these families we have paid particular attention to the 4:00p.m. Christmas Eve service. At a special time during the service we will invite the little ones to a program just for them during the first portion of the liturgy. This Children’s Chapel service will be led by The Rev. Dr. Jane Patterson, Dr. Heather Herschell, Director of Children Ministry, and many volunteers. Activities will include storytelling and craft projects helping kids get into the Christmas story. We look forward to seeing you and your children this Christmas Eve.

Photos by Ma Herschell

Birthdays of the Month January Birthdays January 1st Robert Cadwallader, Jane Elm, Frank Sutter January 2nd Jules Boudreaux, Sharon Dukes, Terri Shaw, Earl W. Tracy, Lauren Wood January 3rd Ann Allega, Ed Bardgett, Marjory Newman, Carla Pineda, Jim Queen January 4th Steve Allison, Linda Hulett, Nancy Zachry January 5th Lewis Clements, Judy Rux January 6th Stephen Blount, Doug Earle January 7th Albert Burnett, Lela Crawford, Greg Skillern, Diana Truumees, Nicole Young January 8th Ross Anderson, Victoria Flores, Dick Johnson, Mariah Luna, Peter Merritt, Mark Thornton January 9th Jack Hebdon, Suzanne Vollmer January 11th Hattie Colglazier, Peyton Down, Linda Hammond, Bill Smith January 12th John Franco, Jan O'Brien, Karen Perretta, Janie Scholz, Lottie Sherwood

January 13th Bryan Holdsworth, Ellen Lantz, Suzy Tackett January 14th Clara Jeanne Baca, Ann Tobin January 15th Jim Bliek, Juliane Wise January 16th Sarah Mills, Ann Reeks, Ronnie Schenk January 17th Missy Campos, Ben Carlisle, Elisabeth Patiala January 18th Judy Freeman, Anna Hurd, Carolyn Meyer, Catherine Remington, Thomas Stamp, Patsy Warncke January 19th Sam Hamilton, Linda Morse, Cathy Robinson, Kelly Zimmerhanzel January 20th Patricia Bowen, Nadia Luna, Kim Morris January 21st Penny Compton, Vickey Haff, Carol McElligott January 22nd Jim Freeman January 23rd Anna Brelsford Coiner, Leonor De Lara, Marilyn Middleton January 24th

McKenna Carpenter, Tom Heron, Lisa Spielhagen January 25th Denise Dahm, Craig Donegan, Mechelle Fowler, Eleanor Johnson, Dan Lane, Sam Newman, Devin Watson January 26th Gail Mydlow, Jordan Tanner January 27th Doug Addington, Robert Bain, Jack Englehardt, Nicole French, Susan McCloskey, Marilyn Preddy January 28th Henry Wyatt January 29th Liz Bondurant, Bruce Houston, John McFadden January 30th Marilou Long, Anne Tucker, Stephen Walker January 31st Judi Cardenas, Christina Howe, Sarah Lozano, Susan Matthias, Mark Remington, Carolina Roberts

Christmas Flowers to Adorn the Church Christmas flowers to adorn the church may be given in memory or in honor of loved ones. If you are interested in Christmas flowers, please fill out a green form. Forms are available throughout the church and can be left in the offering plate or mailed to the church. $10.00 donation for each memorial or honor.

CHRISTMAS FLOWER DEADLINE IS SUNDAY, DECEMBER 18. Questions? Contact Pat at (210) 226-2426 or email her at Hutchison@stmarks-sa.org.

Memorials ST. MARK’S MEMORIAL FUND Christine Dobbins by Elizabeth Ridenhower Ralph Williamson by Lynn & Louis Renaud SPECIAL GIFTS A special gift to St. Mark’s in honor of the confirmation of Thomas Redmond by David & Rebekah Shulman A special gift to Good Samaritan Community Services in honor of the 50th birthday of Neel Lane by Elizabeth & Drew Cauthorn A special gift to St. Mark’s in honor of the confirmation of Thomas Redmond by Elizabeth & Drew Cauthorn A special gift to St. Mark’s in honor of the confirmation of Quendon Jerrell by Jenny Therkelsen A special gift to St. Mark’s Choir Fund in honor of Ann Coiner by Alan & Heidi Dorris

St. Mark’s Thanksgiving Dinner Tuesday, November 22

Photos by Melanie Lizcano

The Messenger (USPS 514‐020) Published Monthly (3rd Wednesday) ST. MARK’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH 315 East Pecan Street, San Antonio, Texas, 78205 Telephone: (210) 226‐2426 Periodicals Postage paid at San Antonio, Texas POSTMASTER: Send address changes to THE MESSENGER c/o ST. MARK’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH 315 E. Pecan Street, San Antonio, Texas 78205 Rector: The Rev. Michael D. Chalk Editor: Melanie Lizcano Layout & Graphic Design: Melanie Lizcano e‐mail ar cles to mlizcano@stmarks‐sa.org

Ar cle deadline is 2nd Wednesday of each month

from your friends at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church