Seventeenth Sunday After Pentecost
The grumbling of the Pharisees and the scribes in today’s gospel is actually our holy hope: This Jesus welcomes sinners and eats with them. That our God wills to seek and to save the lost is not only a holy hope, it is our only hope. As Paul’s first letter to Timothy reminds us, “The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” Thanks be to God.
This Sunday at St. Mark’s- Service Projects All Day
9:00 am - Holy Communion with Children’s Time - Auditorium
10:00 am - Refreshments and Fellowship Hour - Fireside Room
11:00 am - Holy Eucharist Worship Service - Auditorium
12:15 pm - Refreshments and Fellowship Hour - Fireside Room
1:30 pm - Young Women’s Choral - Conference Room
2:00 pm - Night Ministry Training - Fireside Room
"God's Work. Our Hands. Sunday" - THIS Sunday September 11, 2016
Serve our community along with thousands of other ELCA congregations on this nationwide day of service.
Please sign up in advance for the service projects: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090f4badab2aabfd0-gods1
- Personal Care Kits Assembly (Urban Life Center Auditorium, 10 AM - 1:30 PM)
Assemble personal care kits to be distributed to San Francisco citizens in need. Children and families are especially encouraged to help with this project!
- Honoring First Responders (Urban Life Center Auditorium, 10 AM - 1:30 PM)
This September 11 marks the 15th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the United States. We will have a station to offer prayers and make thank you cards to remember those first responders who rush in to protect us. The cards will be delivered to our local first responders after the event.
- Service Project at Lutheran Social Services (meet after the 11 AM service)
Meet to walk over to one of the Lutheran Social Services sites in the Tenderloin and provide grounds clean up and painting for LSS. LSS provides much needed case management, financial management, housing services and training for those in need. Help us support this wonderful organization.
Please contact Cristin Owens (cristinowens@gmail.com) or Clovis Curl (clovisameliahs@gmail.com) for more information.
Women’s Monthly Study Gatherings
All women are welcome to come and study together at our evening and/or morning Women of the ELCA Gatherings. In September our groups will meet on:
Second Tuesday – September 13 from 11:00am to 1:00pm in the Fireside Room
All women are invited to come for study at 11:00 and then at noon to eat their sandwich or salad and share fellowship. Drinks and dessert will be provided. Our Bible Study will be on “Jonah and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” as found in the September issue of Gather Magazine.
If you have any questions, please contact Suzanne Smith at 415.285.7438 or
suzathome@comcast.net.
Holy Land Ministry
Let’s get together Sunday, September 18 from 10-11:00 AM in the church office Break Room. Bring your coffee and ideas along! We’ll look ahead to Fall and Advent programming. All interested folks are welcome!
The San Francisco Community Partnerships Present Aging Your Way
A Community Gathering, September 15 @ 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Join us in celebration of aging YOUR way! Visit our interactive vendor square, get a free blood pressure screening, and learn something new from one of our guest speakers! For more information please contact Rowena Fontanos at rfontanos@ioaging.org.
Hot Fugue, Sunday Sept 18 at 3PM
St. Francis Lutheran Church invites you to Hot Fugue Sunday. A special Concert with music of J.S. Bach and an Ice Cream social to follow. Free admission but donations are appreciated.
Help Wanted and Needed!
Presently we are in great need of more Assisting Ministers and Acolytes. If you are interested in serving in either or both of these important ministries of worship please speak with either of our Sacristans. Sacristan Richard Boyle will be available after both worship services this month to train anyone interested in participating in these ministries. Don’t be shy. The training is not difficult, and the view from the chancel is lovely!
Join us for Night Ministry’s Annual Fall Gala
The members of the Governing Board of the San Francisco Night Ministry invite you to attend their Fall Gala under the theme “1001 Nights around the World: An International Extravaganza”.
Proceeds will support the ministry and outreach of Night Ministry which has offered pastoral care, counseling and crisis intervention every night of the year between the hours of 10:00 PM and 4:00 AM for the past 52 years!
Saturday, October 8, 2016, 5:30–8:30 p.m.
St. Mark’s Lutheran Church (Urban Life Center)
1111 O’Farrell Street, San Francisco CA, 94109
Reception, program, live music, small plates from around the world, beer and wine bar, soft drinks, with silent, live and reverse auctions
$104.00 General Seating at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2589844
Sponsorships available upon request by contacting Night Ministry at Office@sfnightministry.org
St. Jude 5K
In September, communities across the country will join together to raise money through the St. Jude Walk/Run to End Childhood Cancer. Thrivent Mutual Funds is honored to sponsor St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® to support children and families as they battle childhood cancer.
This inspiring, family-friendly 5K event helps raise funds to support the lifesaving mission of St. Jude.
Event Details
Please join our team for the St. Jude Walk/Run to End Childhood Cancer.
Date: Saturday, September 24, 2016
Location: San Francisco Zoo, I Zoo Road, San Francisco, CA 94132
Time: 7:00 AM to 11 :00 AM
Register online: http://www.thrivent.com/offers/st-jude.html
National team: Thrivent Mutual Funds
Our team name: Thrivent - San Francisco
Donate Flowers in 2016
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. Please go to http://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.
Produce Market on the Square every Wednesday
Support our community market! Please come and purchase fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs every Wednesday from 11am-12pm in the Urban Life Center Auditorium! The market is co-sponsored by Episcopal Senior Communities and Martin Luther Tower.
Worship Leaders this Sunday
Guest Musician...Stacy Cullison
Assisting Ministers...Liv Beck (9); Sharon Reinbott, Kyle Schiefelbein (11)
Lectors...Deborah Halladay (9); Diana Gomez (11)
Chalice Bearers...Jeremy McClain, Matt Helland (9);
Acolytes...Grace Ekdale-Hoch, Nora Hurley
Sacristan and Altar Guild...Ed Chitty
Ministry of Welcome...Tapio Boles (9) Viknesh Silvalingam, Rachel Letchumanan, Donna Dindia (11)
Coffee Hour Chairs...Diana and Greg Gomez
Next Week’s Coffee Hour Chairs...Gail Culp, Cal Culp, and Phil Krikau
Prayers of the Parish
Cassie Allen
Michael Aune
Debbie Brant & Ted Bernardi
Pastor Raymond H. Birkel
Diana Bock
Natalie E. Bock
Riley Brooks
Ed Chitty
Corrine Cottrell
Marilyn Desmond
Indar Dutt
Bonnie Elliot
Jack Heiter
Carolyn Johnson
Dennis Jones
Taylor Jones
John Krauskopf
Stephen Krefting
Arnold Lehmann
Margaret Massialas
Roderick Mobley
Stan Moeller
Lee & Irma Opitz
Ryan Parker
Cassie Pili
Marc Randall
Travis Schwartz
Matt Seiples
LaVonne Strutz, mother of Geri Bailey
Dana Utz
Carl Velleno
Jerry Witherspoon
Brent Wolfe
For “God’s Work. Our Hands.” service projects and all first responders
For Diana Bock and Todd Swart on their September 10 wedding in Colorado Springs
For all military personnel, especially Will Lehmann
For the growing families of St. Mark’s, especially those who hope for and those who are expecting children
For the Kigali Parish of the Lutheran Church of Rwanda
For the Cordero de Dios congregation in El Salvador
For our Missionary, Pastor Kate Warn, YAGM coordinator in Rwanda
For all Christians in the Holy Land, especially Bethlehem
For the people of Sao Tome & Principe, Burundi
For the Kindergarten Cynthia Espinoza in Paraguay
For MLT Residents who are hospitalized or in hospice care
Every effort is made to keep the Prayers of the Parish current.
Please email Lawrence@stmarks-sf.org to add, remove or update a name on the prayer list.