EPIPHANY

Epiphany means “manifestation.” On this day we celebrate the revelation of Christ to the Gentiles—that is, to all nations. Some Christian traditions celebrate three great epiphanies on this day: the magi’s adoration of the Christ child, Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan River, and his first miracle in which he changes water into wine. The word and sacraments are for us the great epiphany of God’s grace and mercy. We go forth to witness to the light that shines brightly in our midst.

This Sunday at St. Mark's

9:00 am - Choral Eucharist Worship Service - Sanctuary
9:50 am - Sunday School - Sunday School Rooms
10:00 am - Refreshments and Fellowship Hour - Heritage Hall
10:00 am - Adult Forum - Epiphany Celebration - Heritage Hall
10:00 am - Confirmation - Youth Room
10:00 am - Journeys in Faith - JIF Room
10:00 am - Sanctuary Task Force Meeting - Break Room
11:00 am - Choral Eucharist Worship Service - Sanctuary
12:15 pm - Refreshments and Fellowship Hour - Heritage Hall
3:00 pm - Memorial Service for Randy Hicks - Sanctuary

ADULT FORUM - EPIPHANY CELEBRATION - SUZANNE SMITH AND PR. ELIZABETH, JAN. 6 AT 10:00AM IN HERITAGE HALL
Everyone is welcome to learn about the Festival of Epiphany - the traditions, the story (think camels and Wise ones!) and the sweets associated with this Liturgical day. We will finish the Christmas Season by celebrating Epiphany together in Heritage Hall. All are welcome.

INTERFAITH HOMELESS SHELTER
St. Mark’s will be participating in the San Francisco Interfaith Council Winter Shelter program and will be hosting January 13 to February 2.

Please consider volunteering for this very worthwhile ministry. Volunteers will be needed to serve during both Breakfasts and Dinners. Please contact John Elford at 415-490-7966 or jbruceelford@gmail.com if you would like to participate in this ministry, which helps so many people in need at this time of the year.

JOYOUS GENEROSITY COMMITMENTS - PLEASE TURN YOUR COMMITMENT IN!
As of this week, we have received $398,979 in commitments for 2019 with a total of 95 commitments out of a possible 186 giving units, totaling 51% participation. Thank you for everyone who has made a commitment! Our goal is to have everyone participate by sharing their commitment to St. Mark’s ministries. Please bring your commitment card to worship and place it in the offering plate, mail it to the church office, or go online and fill out your commitment card on the website: stmarks-sf.org/giveagift. Every commitment has a direct impact to St. Mark’s ministries in 2019 and our goal is to have 100% participation!

BRIGHT STARS OF BETHLEHEM EVENT THIS SUNDAY - JANUARY 6
You are invited by BRIGHT STARS OF BETHLEHEM at an EPIPHANY GATHERING AND CELEBRATION OF LIGHT this afternoon, January 6 from 2:00 - 5:00 PM at the new location of Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, 2000 Center Street #200, BERKELEY (near Downtown Berkeley BART station.) Be a Wise Woman or Wise Man of the West! Enjoy Palestinian music by Georges Lammam, wine, food, door prizes, drawing - and good fellowship!

Join us to celebrate the wonderful support from our communities for the work in Bethlehem, Palestine at Dar al-Kalima University.

TREE DE-DECORATING, SATURDAY, JAN. 12 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
All members of Saint Mark’s Church Family are invited to join the Team as we de-decorate our Christmas trees. This goes a lot faster, and is easier than putting the decorations up. Enjoy fellowship and treats while we care for our beautiful Church. Please contact Tim Bohan if you are able to attend, timelain@pacbell.net or 415-694-9499

“TOWN MEETING: WHAT DO SANCTUARY CONGREGATIONS DO IN SAN FRANCISCO IN 2019? JANUARY 13, 2019 AT 10:05-10:50AM IN ST. MARK’S HERITAGE HALL
In November 2018, we held two Town Meetings on Sunday mornings to discuss whether St. Mark’s should become a Sanctuary Congregation. We looked at what Sanctuary looks like in the 21st century, the legal and financial issues associated with becoming a Sanctuary Congregation, and the differences between AMMPARO and Sanctuary.

Come join us as the conversation continues on January 13 at 10am in Heritage Hall when we will hear about what Sanctuary congregations in San Francisco are doing now. We also will review a proposed St. Mark’s Sanctuary Declaration to be presented and considered at the St. Mark’s Congregational Meeting on January 27, 2019.

Be part of the conversation. Let us know if you have questions before or after the Town Meeting.

St. Mark’s Sanctuary Task Force

Laura Evenson, Kimberly Hamilton-Lam, Jason Jennings, Pastor Ron Moe-Lobeda, Cora Rose, Mary Ritter, Chair

MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR DEBBY HALLADAY
Please join us as we give thanks to God for Debby Halladay on Saturday, January 19 at 11:00 am. A reception will follow in Heritage Hall. Cards of condolences for her family may be sent to her sister at the following address: Lauris Halladay, 7002 NE 66th St., Vancouver WA 98661

MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR RANDY HICKS, RESIDENT OF MARTIN LUTHER TOWER
Please join us as we give thanks to God for Randy Hicks on Sunday, January 6 at 3:00 pm. A reception will follow in Heritage Hall.

SUNDAY SCHOOL SCHEDULE
January 6: Big Group Community Service: Stockings for the Homeless
February 10: Big Group: Valentines for MLT and Lenten Box art.
March 10: Big Group: Mardi Gras/Lent observance.
March 24: Big Group: Pastor led lesson on the Sacraments
April 14: Big Group: Palm Sunday lesson and activity.
April 21: Easter: No Sunday School
April 28: Big Group: Passover meal and lesson.
May 19: Bay to Breakers, no Sunday School
May 26: Last day of Sunday School PARTY!!

2019 MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY
Our 2019 Membership directory will be in production soon and we want to make sure we have the most up-to date information. Please send any address changes to Stefani at lawrence@stmarks-sf.org by January 2. Thank you!

EAST SAN FRANCISCO NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP OUTING!
St. Mark’s East San Francisco Neighborhood Group is having its next gathering on Saturday January 5. We will be headed to LoveJoy’s Tea Room at 11:00. If you’re a member of the East San Francisco Neighborhood Group and you’d like to attend, please contact Sheryl at sherylsquires@yahoo.com or (415) 316-9835.

ST. MARK'S WELCOMES A PASTORAL INTERN
In January 2019 Sonja Pilman will begin her pastoral internship at St. Mark’s. The internship is 12 months long and split with St. Andrew’s in San Mateo. Sonja Pilman is going to be 50% of the time at St. Mark’s and 50% at St. Andrew’s. Sonja is a candidate for ordination in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and her internship is part of her candidacy requirements.

She grew up in Switzerland and earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Theology from the Universities of Zurich and Basel respectively. Also in Switzerland, she has worked as a youth director in Zurich for two years and has done a substitution for a pastor on maternity leave.

In 2016 she came to the Bay Area with her husband Markus Pilman for his job. They both fell in love with the diversity of California’s nature, cities, and culture. They have settled in very well. Sonja Pilman is now looking forward to being able to continue her path of becoming a pastor.

St. Andrew’s in San Mateo has been the parish she has been an active member at for a year now. She took a Lutheran Worship class at PLTS in Berkeley, did Clinical Pastoral Education at UCSF, and went through the needed part of the ELCA Candidacy process.

She has a great passion for preaching and for working with youth in confirmation. She is eager to learn about joys and challenges of a congregation in San Francisco.

In addition to church and family life, her interests are traveling, time with friends, cooking, and great TV shows.

Sonja Pilman is looking forward to meeting you and having your support in this year of learning and growing. If you would like to serve on her Internship Committee, please speak with Pr. Elizabeth

DONATE FLOWERS
St. Mark’s members and friends can sign up to donate flowers for the chancel on a Sunday by placing your name on the chart for the Sunday you wish. We still have dates available in December for Advent so please sign up!

Your donation can be in memory of a loved one or in honor of a particular occasion. Please go to www.stmarks-sf.org/flower-donations/ to sign up on our online chart. If you are unable to sign up online please call the office (415-928-7770).

The donation is $50 and can be paid via check in the offering plate. Please note “Flowers” in the memo of the check. If you would like to submit your payment online please click on the donate tab on the main page on St. Mark’s website and enter your flower donation under the “other” option and write flowers in the box.

YOU ARE INVITED!!

Bright Stars of Bethlehem
is hosting the 5th annual
Wise Men and Women from the West
Epiphany Gathering and Celebration of Light!

January 6, 2019
2 PM - 5PM
Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary
2000 Center St #200, Berkeley, CA 94704

Live music with Georges Lammam
food, wine, door prizes, fellowship and DRAWING!

PLEASE JOIN US to celebrate the wonderful support from our communities for the work in Bethlehem, Palestine at
Dar al-Kalima University!!
RSVP:
Martha Meyer - marthalou45@gmail.com
Jeanette Cool - jeanettercool@gmail.com

You're Invited!

Please join the San Francisco Interfaith Council and local civic leaders as we explore together the interconnections of faith, financial empowerment, and community strength. Co-hosted by a planning committee of women of faith and action, including Congregation Emanu-El Senior Rabbi Beth Singer, Human Rights Commissioner Hala Hijazi, St. Mark's Lutheran Church Lead Pastor Rev. Elizabeth Ekdale, and Grace Cathedral’s The Rev. Canon Dr. Ellen Clark-King, this special "mini-summit" will feature nationally recognized leaders, San Francisco Treasurer José Cisneros and Commissioner on the Status of Women Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz.

Financial Capabilities: A Social Justice Issue
Thursday, January 31, 2019
9:00 am – 11:00 am
Latino/Hispanic Community Room of the San Francisco Main Public Library
*Refreshments will be provided*

Please RSVP here

This event will help raise awareness about the vast inequities in pay and wealth impacting our diverse San Francisco community, pioneering local efforts responding to this challenge and strengthen economic security and mobility for our families, and ways we can support this important work. The program will feature faith leaders on social justice, a keynote from Commissioner Schwab-Pomerantz on the importance of financial capability, and a vibrant discussion led by Treasurer Cisneros about the San Francisco Office of Financial Empowerment’s programs, and powerful roles the faith-based community can play to expand this work. We will be joined by a strong delegation of peers from amongst San Francisco’s various faith-based congregations, community associations, labor organizations, and social service organizations. We look forward to seeing you in the new year.

San Francisco Interfaith Council
P.O. Box 29055
San Francisco, CA 94129
(415) 474-1321
office@sfinterfaithcouncil.org

WORSHIP LEADERS THIS SUNDAY
Director of Music...Dr. Timothy Zerlang
Assisting Ministers...Rachel Boles (9); Greg Jahnke, Steve Ernst (11)
Lectors...Barbara McCormick (9); Lisa Gray (11)
Communion Ministers...Matthias Will, Kate Knickerbocker (9) Nadine Robinson, Geri Bailey (11)
Altar Guild...Sharon Reinbott
Acolytes...Emma Gray, Alison Schieber
Sacristan...Liv Beck
Ushers...Jon Moeller, Vanessa Hierbaum (9) Donna Dindia, Linda Jackson, Pam Cheung (11)
Fellowship Hour Chairs...Lisa Gray, Mari Tuominen
Next Week’s Fellowship Hour Chairs...Donna Dindia, Chuck Lewis