1

St. Mark’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

3216 W. Main Street P.O. BOX 550

Claremont, NC 28610 (828) 459-2161

Worship Schedule

+ + +

November 13 26th Sunday

after Pentecost 9am Sunday School

10am Worship Congregation Meeting

Covered Dish Luncheon

+ + +

November 20 Christ the King

W-ELCA Thankoffering 8:15 am Contemporary 9:20 am Sunday Brew

9:30 am Sunday School 10:30 am Traditional

+ + +

November 20 Community

Thanksgiving Service 7 pm First Baptist Church

+ + +

November 27 1st Sunday in Advent

St. Mark’s Newsletter

The Reminder

November 9, 2016

There will be one worship service at 10 am on Sunday, November 13. During the service there will be a slide presentation and booklet honoring our veterans.

Immediately following worship, the annual congregation meeting will be held in the sanctuary. The purpose of the annual congregation meeting is:

Approve the Annual Budget for 2017 The proposed budget summary is published in this newsletter for you to review. A copy of the complete proposed budget will be available at the entrances to the sanctuary. Elect four Council Members to serve 2017-2019 The slate of nominees for Congregation Council are Gigi Sigmon, Edie Connor, Angela Brown, Tanya Stephenson. You may also nominate someone from the floor during the congregation meeting, provided you have that person’s permission to do so. Vote to approve changes to the St. Mark’s Constitution to reflect the changes to the Model Constitution for Congregations as approved by the 2013 Churchwide Assembly. Proposed changes to the St. Mark’s constitution were mailed with the newsletter dated October 12. Extra copies of the booklet are available at the church entrances.

For the Covered Dish Luncheon, you are asked to bring a family size dish and dessert to share. Drinks will be provided.

Annual Congregation Meeting is November 13

Sunday School: 9 am

One worship service: 10 am

Congregation Meeting follows worship

Covered Dish Luncheon immediately after meeting

2

Women of the ELCA Sunday is November 20

The Women of the ELCA will host their Thankoffering service at both services on November 20. Women will be participating in the service and Ginger Carpenter will deliver our message. The church will be beautifully adorned with mums and various fall items. There will also be a bake sale between services. Two envelopes will be available at the entrances. The blue envelope is designated for the annual Thankoffering. This offering is sent directly to the national Women of the ELCA church office in Chicago to help with grants for women and other services for our women. The other envelope is for the annual W-ELCA St. Mark’s project.

W-ELCA Mums Order Form

The W-ELCA have mums available for purchase for the W-ELCA Thankoffering Service on Sunday, November 20. Mums are $10 and the deadline for submitting your dedication is Tuesday, November 15.

Name: __________________________________________Number of Mums________ X $10 = $_____________

In honor of:___________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

In memory of:________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

St. Mark’s Veterans Will Be Honored During Worship on November 13

Thanks to all who contributed photos for the Veterans presentation scheduled during the worship service on November 13. Four beloved veterans who will be included in the presentation joined the Church Triumphant in the last two years and were also remembered on All Saints Sunday.

Joe Brady Yount U. S. Army

5/16/45—11/17/15

Leonard Arndt U.S. Navy

8/5/32—1/26/15

Duane Carpenter Army & National Guard

2/1/43—2/25/16

J.B. Sherrill National Guard

7/22/36—10/18/16

3

“One”derful Wednesdays

The last “One”derful Wednesday meal of 2016 will be a Thanksgiving celebration on November 16. The menu is turkey, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, dessert. The meal is served from 5:15—5:55 pm in the Family Life Center. The suggested donation is $5 for ages 12 & up and $3 for children. Following dinner, from 6-7 pm, there is recreation, music, and Bible lessons for youth and children. Adults meet in the lounge for “Graced Pathways For Spiritual Growth III.” This study explores the graced pathways that will help us grow in our Christian life.

Our annual Trunk or Treat event drew a huge number of treaters this year! Thanks to all who provided a trunk.

Community Thanksgiving Worship Service

This year’s Community Thanksgiving Worship Service will be held at the First Baptist Church, 4791 S. Depot St, Claremont, on November 20 at 7pm.

You are asked to bring a canned or dry food item for the Thanksgiving Food Collection which will be given to ECCCM.

4

John Alvin Kanipe (November 3) Loren Kanipe Miller, Liane Kanipe Isenhour, and their families

Glenda Williams (October 28) Gaye (Glenn) Morrison and family

Nancy Pannell (October 30) Meredith Huret, Vance Moose, and their families

Isaac Landon Starnes (October 19) Hilda Deal and family

J.B. Sherrill (October 18) Carolyn Sherrill, Randy Sherrill, Tim (Deborah) Sherrill and family

Joe Edwards (October 10), Christy Sigmon and family

Isaac Landon Starnes (October 10), Hilda Deal and family

Glenn Elmore (October 5) Henry (Ellen) Hunt and family

Claremont Christmas Parade is Saturday, December 3

The 33rd annual Christmas Parade takes place on Main Street in

downtown Claremont on December 3. Application forms are due

in Claremont City Hall by November 21. Contact is Michael Orders

at City Hall (828-466-7170).

All are Invited to Make A Joyful Noise!

Christmas Caroling

Sunday, December 4

St. Marks’ members will gather at the Family Life Center on Sunday, December 4 at 5 pm to go Christmas Caroling throughout the community. Please come and share your “joyful noises” with those who are unable to come to worship to experience the songs of this Christmas season! Dress according to the weather and wear comfortable shoes. Everyone is invited to come and be blessed through Christmas caroling!

Hanging of the Greens is November 30 The evening will begin with a meal at 5:15 pm.

Decorating begins at 6 pm. Choir will practice

at 7 pm. Come help decorate the sanctuary for

Advent and Christmas!

5

Mark your Calendars

Congregation Meeting/One Service/Potluck (11/13)

Honoring our Veterans during Worship (11/13)

“One”derful Wednesdays Thanksgiving (11/16)

Backpacks at Claremont Elementary (11/17)

W-ELCA Thankoffering Sunday (11/20)

Community Thanksgiving at First Baptist (11/20)

Church office closed for Thanksgiving (11/24)

First Sunday of Advent (11/27)

Hanging of the Greens (11/30)

Annual Altar Guild Meeting (12/3)

City of Claremont Christmas Parade (12/3)

W-ELCA Christmas Celebration (12/4)

St. Mark’s Christmas Caroling (12/4)

Claremont Community Blood Drive (12/5)

Town of Claremont Sr. Citizen Dinner (12/10)

St. Mark’s Christmas Program (12/11)

Annual Tabulators’ Meeting (12/12)

Preschool Christmas Pageant (12/15)

Christmas Eve Worship Services (12/24)

Christmas Day Worship Service (12/25)

"The Power of the KING"

Christmas Program

December 11

Covered dish dinner 5 pm

Christmas Program 6:15 pm

This year’s program will be given by the children and youth of our church along with the Chancel Choir.

Children’s Christmas Practices will be held on the following dates and times:

Sundays, November 13, 20, 27, and December 4 from 2—3:30 pm. Parents please arrive at 3:30, practice may last until 4 pm. There are only have four practices before Dress Rehearsal.

Dress Rehearsal will be Saturday, December 10, 3:30—5:30 pm. Pizza celebration after practice.

Children’s choir and the Praise Team during the early

worship service on November 6

6

Please think about sponsoring the Altar Flowers in 2017

As the year comes to a close, now is the time to start thinking about sponsoring altar flowers for the next calendar year. Thank you to those who have sponsored them in the past. If you would like to reserve a specific date for next year, please call the church office and speak to Lisa.

Altar flowers are a way to worship God, for they are always first and foremost given to God’s glory. They also assist us in worship in beautifying our worship space. They boldly proclaim that “This is My Father’s World.” Altar flowers are also a way to honor or memorialize someone special. Certainly, honoring or remembering birthdays and anniversaries are appropriate, but there is so much more. Here are some suggestions.

Consider honoring or memorializing someone in the church who has given of themselves and made a difference in the church or the community. They could be those who are upfront, as well as those behind the scenes – those making preparation in the kitchen, the ones that set up the nave for special events and make sure everything needed is prepared and packed and carried to the park or other places for special services – just to name a few. Honoring a person for their valiant fight against a horrible disease can show your love and care for them.

Some suggestions for different months include:

January would be a great time for early and late service worshippers to honor council members – the early worship could honor the outgoing members in appreciation of their work over their term, the late service for incoming members for their willingness to serve.

May would be a nice time for a few families of service men to get together and sponsor flowers in memory of their family member or members for the occasions of Armed Forces Day and Memorial Day.

August would be a great time to honor our Preschool teachers and local school teachers, assistants and administration.

September begins the new Sunday School year. This is a good time to honor our Sunday School teachers with adults sponsoring a vase for adult teachers and parents of youth sponsoring for youth teachers.

October is Pastor Appreciation Month. Early service could honor one pastor while the late could honor the other.

November would be a great time to sponsor the flowers in honor or memory of their veteran for Veteran’s Day.

December is a perfect time to honor our choirs and their leaders for their time and work given to enhance worship with the early service.

The cost for next year will stay the same at $54. Feel free to share the costs of altar flowers. Two or more persons or groups may share flowers on any given occasion and therefore split the cost.

Many thanks to Maebelle Sigmon who has been our flower coordinator for many years. She has been a conscientious, patient, and faithful servant. In 2017 she will give up her position as coordinator and the church secretary, Lisa Underwood, will take over.

2016 Altar Flowers Dates

Please reserve your dates for this year’s altar flowers. To reserve a Sunday and to provide the dedication for the bulletin: churchoffice@stmarksclaremont.org or 828-459- 2161. The cost of flowers is $54.

Upcoming Dates

12/11 Available 12/18 Gloria Sigmon 12/25 Edie Connor

11/13 Edie Connor 11/20 Susan Carpenter 11/27 Alex & Whitney Kau 12/04 Shirley Fisher

7

DOWN, IN, AND OUT:

LOVING GOD

AND LOVING OUR NEIGHBOR

When we practice stewardship

in this way we are

making the sign of the cross.

God makes the first vertical line

DOWN; we follow by moving IN to

the center and then OUT

to our neighbors on either side,

both near and far.

We form a cross with our lives and

through our faith, we are marked

with the cross of Christ forever.

Excerpted from ELCA resource

“Stewards of God’s Love, A Year-round Guide to Stewardship in your

Congregation.”

IN

DOWN

OUT OUT

We continue our practice of stewardship by looking out to see the

many ways that God is calling us to love our neighbors both near

and far. Throughout the Bible we hear God’s commandment to love

God and our neighbor not just with our words, but with our actions.

When we share the abundance that God has entrusted to our care

with our neighbor, we not only love our neighbor, but God. In

Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus tells us that when we feed the hungry,

give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked,

care for the sick and visit the imprisoned we are doing it to Jesus.

Jesus says, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of

these who are members of my family, you did it to me” (Matthew

25:40).

We are called to be good stewards of God’s justice. We are a

church that is a catalyst, convener and bridge builder. Our faith

calls us to share a common vision to uphold human dignity and to

love, walk alongside and serve people, particularly those who are

facing poverty. As the prophet Isaiah cries, “learn to do good; seek

justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the

widow” (Isaiah 1:17). It is not good enough to talk about justice, but

to act justly — crossing boundaries for the sake of the neighbor.

With the lens of God’s justice, we listen to our neighbors in both

our local and global communities. Who are those most in need?

How might we share the abundance that God has entrusted to our

care? God calls us, like the Samaritan, to reach across boundary

lines, setting aside our differences, to live lives of love.

Ask: How might we use the abundance that God has entrusted to

our care to love God and our neighbors both near and far? How

might we be good stewards of God’s justice?

Stewards of God’s Love: MOVING OUT: Relationship with our neighbors

Sponsored by the St. Mark’s Support Team: Over the course of the year, you will hear from one of the Ministry Teams in the second edition of each month in the newsletter, and then briefly as we gather for worship on the fourth Sunday of the month.

Featured ministries in November:

W-ELCA & Quilting Mission

8

Financial Update

Memorial & Honoraria Gifts to St. Mark’s

In Memory Of: JB Sherrill by Ginger Carpenter Iris Hoke by Elaine Brooks JB Sherrill by Susan & Tony Williams Iris Hoke by Celia Hollar JB Sherrill by Dale & Sandy Sherrill Alma Winters by Celia Hollar JB Sherrill by Robert & Kimberly Pressley Ross Benfield by Elaine Brooks JB Sherrill by Glenna Pope Ross Benfield by Celia Hollar JB Sherrill by Celia Hollar Rupert Little by Celia Hollar JB Sherrill by Ted & Janice Sigmon Polly Cloninger by Celia Hollar Joe Yount by Elaine Brooks Duane Carpenter by Celia Hollar Bill Devlin by Elaine Brooks Richard Brown by Phyllis Brown Macie Brown by Her Family

In Honor Of: None Received

Memorial & Honoraria Gifts to St. Mark’s Preschool

In Memory Of: In Honor Of: JB Sherrill by Emma Davis None Received Wayne Pharr by Celia Hollar

Worship Attendance:

10/30 - 157 11/6 - 199

Ministry Financial Update as of September 30, 2016 Reported as of September 30 Year to Date General Fund Receipts $31,128.95 $260,200.93 Expenses (includes payable) $31,107.84 $274,932.20

Thank you for your generous donations to Lutheran Disaster Relief for Hurricane Matthew.

As of November 6 we have collected a total of $2,092.00

Milk Pail Offering Designated For the period, October 2 through December 11, the Milk Pail Offerings have been designated to provide support and gifts for local families in need.

Annual Altar Guild Meeting

The Altar Guild will meet on Saturday

morning, December 3, at 9 am in the

Parish Hall for their meeting. During

this annual meeting they will make

plans and set their schedule for the

coming year. If you are interested in

being a part of the Altar Guild, please

contact Dotty Isenhour (828-459-7950

or dottycisenhour@gmail.com).

Annual

Tabulators

Meeting

The annual

meeting for the

Tabulator Team

will be held on

Monday,

December 12

at 9:30 am in

the Parish Hall.

All current

tabulators are

asked to attend.

We also invite

anyone who

would like to

join the team,

either as a

regular, or as a

substitute,

to attend!

9

10

Lutheran Disaster Response to Hurricane Matthew

Please pray for the people who have been affected and are in the path of Hurricane Matthew. May God’s healing presence give them peace and hope in their time of need. Gifts to “Hurricane Matthew” will be used to assist those affected by the hurricane until the response is complete. If you would like to make a donation to Relief Efforts, write “Hurricane

Matthew” on your check’s memo line and make payable to St. Mark’s Lutheran or send directly to ELCA Gift Processing Center, P.O. Box 1809, Merrifield, VA 22116-8009.

Council Minutes of October 17

In attendance: Nicky Setzer, Bill Dotson, Melanie Sigmon, Terry Hefner, Aaron Carpenter, Scott Ramsey, Teresa Rozzelle, Michael Korn. Keri Nash, Rocky Miller, Pastor Gary Haddock excused; Carol Schaefer absent. Nicky Setzer called meeting to order with prayer.

Approval of Minutes from September Meeting—Revision of previous minutes related to the Fall Thankoffering. Motion was made to clarify that the Fall ThankOffering was designated to building repairs and maintenance. Minutes approved as amended.

Council requests that reports and minutes be sent out at least two days prior to the meeting so everyone has a chance to read them prior to the meeting.

Pastor’s Report—Written report

Finance Report—$21 above expenses. Cash flow is still good and we are in decent shape.

Budget—The ministry budget for 2017 was presented by the Finance team. It is noted that there is a reduction of $3,174.04 or 0.8% from 2016. Motion to approve and carried.

Worship and Music—Highlighted the need to install sound-absorbing panels to improve the acoustics in the nave.

Property—Hallway toward sacristy has been painted and crown molding replaced. Some concerns related to custodial cleaning were discussed and will be communicated to our custodian.

Support Team—Initial commitments from Generosity Sunday: $143,156. There were 24 time commitments for the church and 14 time commitments in the wider community.

Witness Team—The witness team will open the church for prayer on Election Day and host those who visit. As part of God’s Work. Our Hands, the witness team planned to feed First Responders and Claremont public works employees on October 18 and 19.

New Business—Scott Ramsey created a Twitter account for the church (address is stmarksclaremc).

Council Elections coming up. Right now on the ballot is Edie Connor. Others need to be finalized.

Adjournment and Lord’s Prayer Witness Team members Evelyn Setzer, Sandy Sherrill, Jo Marilyn Hewitt, Camille Patrick, Linda Hewitt, Barbara Shaffer, Chris Cloninger, Hilka Cox, Cathy Sigmon

11

City of Claremont and Parks & Recreation Committee

cordially invites you

to the

Annual Senior Citizens Dinner

December 10 at 5pm

St. Mark’s Family Life Center

Doors open at 4 pm

RSVP to Danny Hedrick

(828-381-2603 or 828-459-2255 or rdhedrick54@gmail.com)

Live

Nativity

Rising Hope Farms 3775 Bethany Church Road

Claremont, NC 28610

December 17

5 – 8 pm

12

St. Mark’s Lutheran Church

P.O. Box 550

3216 West Main Street

Claremont, NC 28610

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

NON-PROFIT ORG.

Permit #2

U.S. Postage

P A I D

Claremont, NC

St. Mark’s Newsletter—The Reminder

Church Staff

Pastor Gary Haddock: Senior Pastor gsh.elca@gmail.com (828-781-3060)

Pastor Paul Christ: Associate for Pastoral Care paulernestchrist@yahoo.com (828-409-4681)

Lisa Underwood: Church Secretary churchoffice@stmarksclaremont.org (828-459-2161)

Karen Hunt: Financial Secretary finsec@stmarksclaremont.org (828-459-2161)

Randyl Abernathy: Preschool Director stmarkspreschool@charter. net (828-459-2873)

Jordan Moretz: Praise Team Leader jordanbmoretz@yahoo.com (828-238-4695)

Myra Long: Chancel Choir Director/Organist longmyra@ymail.com (704-213-7623)

Newsletter Mailings/Congregation Council Meeting

The next mailing of the St. Mark’s Reminder will be on November 22. Please have information that needs to be in the newsletter to the church secretary by Thursday, November 17.

The Congregation Council Meeting will be on Monday, November 21, at 6 pm in the Lounge. Leaders, please have your team reports to the church office by Thursday, November 17.

Church Office Hours

Monday - Thursday, 8:30am - 4:00pm; Friday, 8:30am - 12:30pm

Follow us online: Facebook: stmarks...claremont

Twitter: stmarksclaremc

Vol. 6 No. 21

11-9-16