May 17, 2015

Join Us This Sunday

9:00 am — Holy Communion with Children’s Time  Sanctuary
10:00 am  Refreshments  Heritage Hall
10:10 am  Adult Forum — "We Are Church for the Sake of the World" — Auditorium
11:00 am — Choral Eucharist — Sanctuary
12:15 pm — Refreshments & Fellowship Hour — Heritage Hall
2:00 pm — Noe Valley Chamber Music Concert — Sanctuary

2:00 pm — Reconciling Works — Conference Room

Celebrate Bike to Worship on May 24th!
St. Mark's will celebrate Bike to Worship Week on Sunday, May 24th.  You are invited to be part of the celebration by biking to worship, bringing your child's bike to ride on the square, and/or having your bike blessed following each service.
Additional Bike to Worship Events!
Intro to Urban Bicycling Workshop
May 21 | 6:30- 7:30PM | Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Church, 100 Diamond St
Free workshop to educate people on the joy of biking in San Francisco and to prepare for Bike to Worship Week. This workshop is open to the public and will cover the basics of how to pick the right bike for everyday riding in SF.
Interfaith Ride 
Sunday, May 31 | 1-4PM | Starts at San Francisco Lighthouse Church (1337 Sutter Street)Celebrate the environment, the community, and general health by joining like-minded citizens of different faiths to tour our beautiful city by bicycle! The 13-mile, slow bike ride begins at 1 pm on Sunday, May 31, and concludes with an interfaith ceremony in the music concourse at Golden Gate Park at 3 pm.

Sharing our Spiritual Stories
Every Monday from 11:00 - 12:00 in Brockie Lounge at Martin Luther Tower with Pastors Elizabeth and Bekah.  Everyone welcome! Refreshments provided.

Mt. Cross Ministries Memorial Work Weekend & BBQ, May 22-24, 2015 
Join us this Memorial Day Weekend as we prepare our facilities for the upcoming summer season! 
Participate in skill appropriate work projects, enjoy evening family activities and Relax at our Memorial Day BBQ!
Unable to attend for the whole weekend? Come for our Memorial Weekend BBQ (May 24 2-5 PM) and enjoy camp activities and delicious food! To register or receive additional information, visit www.mtcross.org

Save the Date!
Summer Day Camp at St. Mark's: June 29-July 3, 2015
Children can come enjoy a week of faith-based fun here at St. Mark's during the week of June 29 - July 3. Day Camp is a unique partnership between our congregation and Mt. Cross Lutheran Camp. Children will enjoy group games, arts & crafts, worship, community building activities and Bible Encounters. The camp is open to youth who have completed kindergarten through 6th grade. Visit http://www.stmarks-sf.org/summerdaycamp to sign up or for more information.

Castro Upper Market Studio for Rent 
$2,100  Available Now.   For details please click here.
For photos go to http://www.vacationrentals.com/vacation-rentals/10961.html

ELCA partners continue assessments in Nepal
A second earthquake struck May 12 in Nepal, with its epicenter approximately 40 miles northeast of Kathmandu.  Through Lutheran Disaster Response, ELCA members had allocated an initial $500,000 to support ELCA partners engaged in emergency assistance following the April 25 earthquake that struck 50 miles northwest of Kathmandu. The funds were sent to ACT Alliance – $200,000 allocated to The Lutheran World Federation based in Geneva, and $200,000 to Lutheran World Relief based in Baltimore. Separately, the ELCA had allocated an initial $100,000 to the United Mission to Nepal.  Staff members of The Lutheran World Federation World Service in Kathmandu and elsewhere in the country are safe and will resume relief activities. Information about Lutheran Disaster Response is available at http://www.elca.org/Our-Work/Relief-and-Development/Lutheran-DisasterResponse.

Job Opportunities at St. Mark's
St. Mark's is accepting résumés for three staff positions:
Full Time Office Manager - Accountant
Part Time Administrative Assistant and Events Administrator
Part Time Communications and Media Coordinator
More information about the jobs and how to submit résumés may be found on the web at http://www.stmarks-sf.org/job-openings/ or contact Jeremy McClain at 415-928-7770 ext. 2460

Adult Forum - May 17: 
We Are Church for the Sake of the World—Pastor Elizabeth leads us in part four of the discussion series: Claimed Gathered Sent.  Does being the church matter? If it does, why and how do we as members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) make a difference in the world? By being church together, what can the ELCA uniquely offer to the world? This Sunday we look at how we are church for the sake of the World.
Next Sunday, May 24th: What difference do we make?
The last of the discussion series Claimed, Gathered, Sent.  In this series conclusion, the conversation will ask how we as church make a difference in the world.  

Donate Flowers in 2015
The 2015 Flower donation chart is posted in the hallway across from the church kitchen. 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. Your donation can be in memory of a loved one or in honor of a particular occasion. The donation is $50 and can be paid via check in the offering plate. Please note "Flowers" in the memo of the check.

Interfaith Food Pantry
Each year, St. Mark's - along with several other churches - rotates on a weekly basis to distribute food to the needy at Old First Presbyterian Church (1751 Sacramento Street near Van Ness Avenue.) We are looking for at least 12 volunteers for each session to help. The dates for 2015 are 
Saturdays May 9, June 27, Aug. 8, Sept. 26 and Nov. 7. 
The time commitment is from 7:30am-10:30am. Visit http://www.stmarks-sf.org/ministries/pantry to sign up or for more information

Lands of Luther Tour with Pastors Elizabeth and Hans Oct. 30 - Nov. 9
n Sunday, May 17, Hans and I will welcome all confirmed travelers to our home, 2:00 - 3:30, for light refreshments.  We will use this opportunity to begin building our community, looking at the itinerary in detail, and preparing our hearts and minds for this trip.  If you are thinking of joining this pilgrimage, please turn in your reservation form and deposit at your earliest convenience.  If you have any questions, please contact Pr. Elizabeth at Ekdale@stmarks-sf.org or 415 928-7770 ext. 230.  There is room available on the tour!

Lenten Box Collections-Please return them!
The money collected in the St. Mark's Lenten boxes this year will be split between the Campaign for the ELCA and Lutheran Social Services of Northern California.

News from Mt. Cross Lutheran Camp
Registration is now open for summer programs at Mt. Cross! This year's theme, "A Love that Never Ends", centers around discussion of Deuteronomy 6:5 and what it means to love as God loves. Visit the Mt. Cross website to view a list of  exciting programming options for children, youth groups, and families: 
http://www.mtcross.org/#!summer-programs/c3vg 
Mt. Cross has also begun hiring staff for the summer of 2015! Camp can be a transformative and rewarding experience for participants and staff alike. Know of anyone 18 years or older who would enjoy working at camp? Please encourage them to apply at: http://www.mtcross.org/#!employment/c1vudoccasion. The donation is $50 and can be paid via check in the offering plate. Please note "Flowers" in the memo of the check.

 Upcoming Sunday School Events
 May 17th: No Sunday School or confirmation Class
 May 24th: Memorial Day: Regular Classes
 May 31st: Last Day of Sunday School. PARTY!!!!
 Worship Leaders This Sunday

The Stars Come Out Talent Show/Fundraiser for the Friendship Line, 
Sunday, June 14, 2015 3:30-5:30 p.m. 
Heritage Hall, St. Mark’s Lutheran Church,1111 O’Farrell Street, San Francisco. Come join the fun and help to raise funds for the Friendship Line. We have a tap dancer, dog act, wonderful pianist, clown, singer and possibly even you! And, of course, everyone needs an audience. Purchase tickets for $20 and donate at https://starscomeouttalentshow.eventbrite.com.  Institute on Aging’s Friendship Line reaches out to older and disabled adults offering emotional support, reassurance, crisis intervention, elder abuse prevention, well-being checks, and information and referral via phone as a lifeline of hope. Thrivent Financial provided seed money for this event. Please contact Judith Dancer at 415-437-7370 x117 or Judith.dancer@thrivent.com to be exhibit your talents-serious or funny!

Worship Leaders This Sunday

Assisting Ministers...Liv Beck (9); Kyle Schiefelbein, Richard Boyle (11)
Lectors    Randy Schieber (9); Cory Schoolland (11)
Chalice Bearers...Cristin Owens, Viknesh Silvalingam (9); Jane Borg, Jacqueline Nader (11)
Acolytes...Mila and Tayte Sall   
Ministry of Welcome...Omer Voss (9);  Jacqueline Nader, Susan Sall (11)
Coffee Hour Chairs...Barbara Bock
                      Next week Coffee Hour Chairs...Nadine Robinson and Kimberly Hamilton-Lam