Monthly Newsletter of St. Mark’s UMC

Sunday, April 9 - Palm Sunday (8, 9:30 & 10:50)

Thursday, April 13 - Maundy Thursday (6:30 p.m. service)

Friday, April 14 - Good Friday @ 6:30 p.m. (Prayer stations in the sanctuary for self-guided reflection. The Beta Ringers will play “In the Sorrowful Garden,” composed by Kieran Leopold at 6:35, 6:50 & 7:05.)

Sunday, April 16 - Easter Sunday

6:30 a.m. - Easter Sunrise service in the Courtyard

8:00 a.m. - Easter Worship with Organ and Brass

9:30 a.m. - Easter Worship with Organ and Brass

10:50 a.m. - Easter Worship with St. Mark’s House Band

*There will be no Sunday School on Easter Sunday. We would like the children and families to worship together.*

St. Marks

matters

4.9 Palm Sunday

4.13 Maundy Thursday 4.14 Good Friday

4.16 Easter Sunday 4.20 Women at the Well visit

4.23 Church Spring cleaning 5.7 Confirmation Sunday

Mark Your Calendar

April 2017

Crop Walk Sunday, April 9th @ 1:30 p.m.

Consider walking 2.7 miles to raise funds to help Church World Service continue their work alleviating hunger in developing countries. 25% of the money raised goes to our local Crisis Center to provide food to those struggling locally with hunger. This year’s CROP Walk will begin at the Crisis Center of Johnson County (1121 Gilbert Court), due to construction at the former start site. You can sign up to walk and/or provide financial support for a walker in Fellowship Hall between church services. Questions? Contact Suzanne Krogh at 319-330-6305.

Easter Flowers

It is that time of year again; we are taking orders for Easter plants. The plants are given in homor or in memory of a loved one. The cost is $10 and checks should be made payable to Judy Brookhaus. Please place your orders by April 13th. Please see Judy Brookhaus or Pam Bleckwenn with any questions.

Church League Softball

St. Marks is once again hoping to field a team to play in Coralville’s Friday night church softball league. This league is for anyone who is in high school or older, and is willing to have some fun and fellowship. Season usually runs May through August. If you are interested in playing or have any questions feel free to contact Cory Berwald at: 319-530-1485 or 97redf150@mchsi.com.

Midwest Mission Distribution Center Trip

The Mission Trip to Midwest Mission Distribution Center is scheduled for May 30 through June 3, 2017. MMCD is an UMCOR warehouse in Chatham, Illinois that stores supplies so they are available whenever and wherever UMCOR may need them. Plans are to prepare kits and store or ship them as appropriate and/or work on anything else that is needed.

Cost is $142/person for lodging on Tuesday through Friday nights (May 30-June 2) with check-out by noon on Saturday (June 3). The cost for meals is not included. The dorm has a kitchen where we can prepare our own meals or we can eat out. The $142 will be due on or before May 8, 2017. A meeting with those participating will be held in late April or early May to finalize plans. Please see the sign-up sheet in Fellowship Hall if you would like to participate in this Mission trip.

Contact Dennis Preslicka at 319-331-4552 or Paul Schroder at 319-400-4762 if you have any questions or need more information.

St. Mark’s UMW

St. Mark’s UMW

St. Mark’s United Methodist Women will meet on Wednesday, April 26th at 6:30

p.m. The program is, Eastern Iowa Veterans Honor Flight. The guest

speakers are Rose Hanson and Bill Thorne.

MEN and WOMEN are all invited.

Card Shower

Let’s shower Iva Sagert with

cards for her 91 st birthday!

Iva’s birthday is April 9th.

Please send cards to:

2200 Oakdale Rd. Room 401,

Coralville, IA 52241

Blankets of love, warmth and caring for our Graduating Seniors Submitted by Kay Seagren & Barb Fisher-Krueger

June 15, 2017 More information and rubber

chicken jokes to come!

Spring is here - so save the date!

Again this year, we will be presenting our graduating seniors with a tied fleece blanket celebrating their accomplishments and wishing them well as they go on to college, find employment or wherever life takes them. Our hope is every time they wrap up in it they remember God’s blessings and feel the joy and comfort He will always provide.

Our graduating seniors are:

Emily Bywater Rachel Fischer Bryce Frantz Nathan Herreweyers Anton Kruger, Jr. Andre Magalhaes

Gabriel Nkumu Lauren Sammons

If you know of others graduating this spring, please provide us with their names. You can participate by helping tie blankets in Fellowship Hall on Sunday, April 30th between 1st and 2nd or 2nd and 3rd worship services. Blankets will be presented to the seniors during worship services on Sunday, May 21st.

If These Walls Could Speak, Volumes 1 and 2 Submitted by the Finance Team; written by Sally Hoelscher

As the familiar song reminds us, “the church is not a building.” The people of the church embody God’s love and share that love with the world through our words and actions. And yet, the church building is witness to a great deal of ministry. What if these walls could speak? What stories would they tell?

Let’s listen in as the sanctuary at St. Mark’s tells its story…

This is the room where it happens! Sure, not all of the ministry at St. Mark’s happens here, but over the years I have witnesses some pretty amazing things. I have rejoiced with families gathered to witness baptisms. I have felt the hope in the air during weddings as couples pledged their love for each other before God and family and friends. There have been tears as the community gathered to remember and mourn those that have died. One of my favorite times of the year is when my rock wall holds the banners made by young people who have chosen to be confirmed.

Sunday is my favorite day of the week. That’s when the most people come to visit. People gather to worship God - candles are lit, songs are sung, instruments are played, scripture is read, prayers are lifted up, sermons are preached, communion is shared - it’s an exciting day! It’s definitely my busiest day, but I see people on other days, too. Sometimes the Boy Scouts visit me and have special ceremonies. The choir practices here, too. I do enjoy hearing them sing. I’m always up for the visitor seeking a quiet place to pray. I’m honored to be able to offer such a space to those in need of my sanctuary. (continued on next page)

(continued article)

The fellowship hall also has stories to tell…

I absolutely love my name...fellowship hall. It’s fun to say...fellowship hall. And the word fellowship makes me think of community and friendship and people spending time together. That’s exactly what I see happening in this room all the time. Over the years I have witnesses a lot of people sitting at the tables here and sharing meals together. Pancakes, chicken, pork chops, cinnamon rolls, donuts, cookies - they’ve all been eaten in this room.

Eating isn’t all that happens here, of course. The youth sometimes visit me to play games. There’s always a lot of laughter at those times. Over the course of a month I get to see people from many different groups - girl scouts, boy scouts, 4-H, Kiwanis, United Methodist Women, United Methodist Men, and Bible Study groups. Don’t forget the meetings. Whether it’s a few people meeting weekly to count money or fold bulletins, or a lot of people gathered for a church conference, I like it when people gather here. I’ve heard many conversations and watched important decisions being made.

Because of my convenient location, I often get to help collect and distribute things. Whether it’s coats, books, mittens, food, or supplies for ingathering kits, I enjoy when people gather to organize, sort, and distribute the things that have been collected here. It makes me happy to know I’ve played a role in helping the people that eventually receive these items. No matter what purpose brings people here, as they gather they share fellowship. That’s what happens here in the fellowship hall.

Your financial gifts and offerings to St. Mark’s support ministry that happens in the sanctuary and the fellowship hall.

8:00 a.m.

Ushers

4.2 - Jeff & Dianne Wasson, Barb Smith, Randy Krutzfield

4.9 - Barb Fisher-Krueger, Chuck & Phyllis Lindeman, Pam

Bleckwenn

4.16 - Tony & Pam Freund, Neil & Jeanne Bennett

4.23 - Lavon & Nancy Rutt, Carolyn Brown

4.30 - volunteers please

Greeters

4.2 - Clarence & Jean Skog

4.9 - Eleanor Carthey & Leonard Hixson

4.16 - Rose Hanson & Jen Lewis

4.23 - Jerine Strommer & Chris McMorris

4.30 - volunteers please

Readers

4.9 - Rebecca Weatherford

4.16 - Traci Huffman

4.23 - Angie Bywater

4.30 - Chris McMorris

Communion Servers

4.2 - Tony & Pam Freund, Chris McMorris, Jan Soboroff,

Rose Hanson

4.9 - Chris McMorris, Rose Hanson, Barb Smith

9:30 a.m.

Ushers

4.2 - Bob & Maggie Elliott, Gary & Jeanie Nagle

4.9 - John & Carla Melby-Oetken, Ed & Suzanne Krogh

4.16 - Jim & Mardee Wood, Jim & Elaine Warth

4.23 - Mary Brown, Roberta Caris, Judy Brookhaus

4.30 - Mary Curtis & Kathy Harrison

Greeters

4.2 - Dennis & Wanda Stevens

4.9 - Lynn Dornfeld, Marlene Slaubaugh

4.16 - Kaye Surls, Barbara Nelson

4.23 - Bill & Janice Thorne

April Worship Servants

4.30 - volunteers please

Readers

4.9 - Carla Melby-Oetken

4.16 - Cheryl Davis

4.23 - Tom Shepherd

4.30 - Janice Thorne

Communion

4.2 - Judy Brookhaus, John & Carla Melby-Oetken,

Mary Brown, Eileen McPherson

4.9 - volunteers please

10:50a.m.

Ushers

4.2 - Laura Lage, Peg Horn

4.9 - Abbie Buhr, John Green

4.16 - Steve & Karen Laughlin

4.23 - Don Anderson & Jane Dohrman

4.30 - volunteers please

Readers

4.9 - Marsha Lowe

4.16 - Lou Schooley

4.23 - Jo Hoover

4.30 - Peg Horn

Communion

4.2 - Sue Brenneman, Peg Horn, Melanie Justice

4.9 - Steve & Karen Laughlin

4.16 - Karen Miller, Laura Lage

4.23 - Bob & Jo Hoover

4.30 - volunteers please

Is This You? You may know that the mission of St. Mark’s United Methodist is “to make disciples of Jesus Christ for

the transformation of the world.” You may even know that our Discipleship Pathway is known as

“Gather, Grow, Go” and provides many different ministry opportunities that will help you grow in your

faith and discipleship. But, do you know where you are on your personal path of discipleship? Have you

had the opportunity to assess your growing edges and where you want to move forward? Guess what?

There’s an app for that!

Excellence in Ministry has created a very useful tool known as the Discipleship Survey. It measures

where you currently find yourself in 6 areas of discipleship. They are:

A life of worship

A life of hospitality

A life open to Jesus

A life of obeying Jesus

A life of service

A life of generosity

Taking the survey allows you to self-assess these areas of your faith life in four categories: Exploring, Be-

ginning, Growing, and Maturing. This survey is your personal report. No one else will see your results.

Once you have taken the survey, and see where you fall, you can look to the Discipleship Pathway to se-

lect ministries that will help you move forward on your path of discipleship. Want to move from

“Beginning” to “Growing” in a life of service? We can help you do that. Here’s how to take the survey

and continue on your journey:

TO CREATE YOUR ACCOUNT:

Go to http://discipleshipsurvey.com/

Click “Church Member Sign Up”

Enter code LOVEANDJOY and click “Login” button

From the pull down menus:

Select District: East Central

Select Church: Iowa City, St. Mark’s

Enter your Name and Email

Create and enter your new Personal Password

Select Language: English or Spanish and click the “Sign Up” button

TO TAKE THE SURVEY

Go to http://discipleshipsurvey.com/

Click “Church Member Login”

Enter the Email and Password you used to create your account

Living on Purpose Groups

How about a Living on Purpose group? These groups are designed as Wesleyan class meetings. They help you discover your strengths and then serve as a support and accountability group in living those strengths and growing in your faith.

Living on Purpose groups meet once per month. We are currently forming groups, so if you want to jump in, now’s the time! Contact Pastor Sean or Deacon Chris and we can help you get into one of these groups forming now. HOWEVER...there does not need to be an existing group for you to join. If you feel that a Living on Purpose group is your next step on the discipleship pathway, let us know! We form groups around people who are hoping to enter into this experience. Let us know what times work for you, and we will begin to pull together another group around those parameters. Questions? Contact Deacon Chris at 319-337-7201 extension 103 or deacon@stmarks-umc.net.

Do You Work with Children?

If you are a teacher, a childcare or preschool provider, or work with young children in some way, we want to hear from you.

We would like to recognize your calling to work with kids, during the Week of the Young Child in April. Please call the office

and leave your name so we can celebrate you and your work during this time. Thanks!

On Sunday, April 23, the St. Mark’s congregation will gather together for a potluck lunch after 3rd service and

then do some spring cleaning both in and outside of the church. More info to come.

Good Lunch Bunch will

meet on Tuesday, April 18

at 11:30 a.m. at Applebee's

in Coralville

Operation Backpack

You are invited to help fill

food bags for elementary aged

school children in Iowa City.

We will be filling bags on

April 7 and May 5. Please

join us in rooms 108/109 at

8:30 a.m.

Grayye Matters will meet

on Tuesday, April 4th at

9:30 a.m. at Pizza Ranch in

Iowa City. We will be

discussing the book, Yes,

Chef, by Marcus

Samuelsson.

Please pray for:

Insook Matthews in Hospice Care at

the Bird House

Iva Sagert for health issues at Lantern

Park

Kathy Fountain for health issues

Bill Thorne for health issues

Julie Murray recovering from

surgery

Tom Shepherd recovering

from surgery

Neil & Jeanne Bennett fol-

lowing the loss of Jeanne’s

mother

Beth Ackerson, awaiting re-

sults of biopsy

Favorite Hymn Sing

Submitted by Kay Seagren

“That was so much fun!” “…brought back wonderful memories!” “We need to do this again, maybe even outdoors in the fall.”

These are just a few of the comments heard after the Favorite Hymn Sing. A huge thank you to Diane Thayer for playing the

piano and Pam Bleckwenn and Lavonna Gaunt for preparing the fellowship time. But most importantly a blessed thank you to

everyone who participated in singing our favorite hymns! It was a dream come true and a very special time. We will definitely

do it again!

Youth MISSION Trip

to Denver, Colorado

July 22-29

Vacation Bible School

Save the Date

July 16-20

Senior Recognition

Sunday is May 21st

Save the

Date:

Saturday,

Aug. 12

Confirmation

Sunday is May 7

Our next Senior Group will meet on Wednesday, April 12 from 2 to 4 p.m. at St. Mark’s UMC. Bob and Jo

Hoover will be our guest speakers and all senior people are most warmly invited to come. The

presentation will be followed by a time for fellowship with coffee and snacks. For more info, please

contact sage-river@icfirstchurch.org or call 319-354-5484.

SENIOR GROUP

Feed my Starving Children’s Iowa City MobilePack is back for the fifth year, and St. Mark’s is helping to host this

year’s event!

So save the dates June 8-9 and come on our to the fairgrounds to help us pack 150,000 meals. We promise it will be

the most fun you can have in a hairnet! Stay tuned for your chance to contribute to our fundraising efforts.

icmobilepack.org

FEED MY STARVING CHILDREN

St. Mark’s United Methodist Church

2675 E. Washington Street

Iowa City, IA 52245