1

St. Mark’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

3216 W. Main Street P.O. BOX 550

Claremont, NC 28610 (828) 459-2161

+ + +

Worship Schedule

8:15 am Contemporary 9:20 am Sunday Brew

9:30 am Sunday School 10:30 am Traditional

+ + +

November 27 First Sunday in Advent

December 4

Second Sunday in Advent

December 11 Third Sunday in Advent

St. Mark’s Christmas Party

December 18 Fourth Sunday in Advent

December 24 Christmas Eve

4pm Family Service 10:30pm Candlelight

Service

December 25 Christmas Day

10am One Service Lessons and Carols

St. Mark’s Newsletter

The Reminder

November 22, 2016

Hanging of the Greens November 30 Supper at 5:15pm Decorating at 6pm

Come help decorate the sanctuary for Advent and Christmas! The evening will begin at 5:15pm with a simple meal in the Family Life Center. Decorating begins at 6 pm.

Christmas Program December 11

Covered Dish Dinner 5pm Christmas Program 6:15pm

This year’s program, “The Power of the King” will be given by the children and youth of our church along with the Chancel Choir. Please bring a dish to share.

Children’s practices are Sundays, November 27 and December 4 from 2—3:30pm. Parents please arrive at 3:30pm, practice may last until 4pm. There are only two practices left before Dress Rehearsal! Dress Rehearsal will be Saturday, December 10, 3:30—5:30 pm. Pizza celebration in the Parish Hall after practice.

Image form St. Mark’s Christmas Party 2015

2

J.B. Sherrill (October 18) Carolyn Sherrill, Randy Sherrill,

Tim (Deborah) Sherrill and family

W. Paul Monroe (November 16) Will (Pam) Monroe

Claremont Christmas Parade

Saturday, December 3

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

downtown Claremont on December 3. Support our church by

riding in the float! Contact Judy Carpenter with questions.

All are Invited to Make A Joyful Noise!

Christmas Caroling

Sunday, December 4

St. Mark’s 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!

Would you like to sponsor a local

family during the holidays?

Claremont Elementary has identified

several families who need assistance this

Christmas. St. Mark’s Support Team is

promoting our support for these families.

Please see Terry Hefner after worship

services for more information.

Gifts will need to be brought to the office

by December 11 so they can be distributed

to the families before school is recessed for

the holidays.

Worship Services on

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

Christmas Eve worship services will be held

at 4pm and 10:30pm.

There will be one worship service on

Christmas Day at 10am. Join us for Holy

Communion and Lessons and Carols with

the Praise Team.

3

Mark your Calendars

Office closed for Thanksgiving (11/24 & 25)

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)

City of Claremont Sr. Citizens 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)

City of Claremont and Parks & Recreation

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)

Rising Hope Farms

Live Nativity

December 17, 5—8 pm

3775 Bethany Church Road

Claremont, NC 28610

Congregation Meeting Results

Following worship on November 13, St. Mark’s held their annual congregation meeting. The results of the meeting were:

Approval of the Annual Ministry Budget for 2017.

Approval of changes to the St. Mark’s Constitution to reflect the changes to the Model Constitution for Congregations as approved by the 2013 Churchwide Assembly.

Election of four Council Members to serve 2017-2019. The new council members are Gigi Sigmon, Edie Connor, Angela Brown, Tanya Stephenson. Installation will take place on Sunday, January 8, 2017.

The four council members who will complete their term of service at the end of 2016 are Aaron Carpenter, Bill Dotson, Rocky Miller, Melanie Sigmon. We thank these members for their commitment and dedication to St. Mark’s!

Council members for 2017 (including the above) Teresa Rozzelle, Michael Korn, Cathy Sigmon, Kerri Nash, Terry Hefner, Scott Ramsey, Carol Schaefer, Nicky Setzer.

4

Veterans Honored in Worship on November 13

On Sunday, November 13, veterans, both living and deceased, were honored with a slide show presentation. CD copies are available at the Tech booth. Paper copies are available at the entrances or through the church office. The flag was presented by Kody Nash. Ethan Campbell played an Offertory solo on the new piano.

5

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

The St. Mark’s Quilting Mission meets every Tuesday morning from 10am to noon. The primary purpose of the quilting mission is to make quilts to send to Lutheran World Relief. In addition to the quilts made for Lutheran World Relief, the group also makes and donates quilts to non-profit groups for fund-raising events and various other projects. In 2015, the group took 79 quilts and 21 blankets to New Jerusalem Church in Hickory to be shipped to Lutheran World Relief in Maryland. The group made and donated 5 quilts to the following groups for fund-raising purposes:

1 Quilt to Claremont Rescue Squad 1 Quilt to Bunker Hill High School’s “Hope for a Cure” 1 Quilt for Rising Hope Farms 1 Quilt to Relay for Life 1 Quilt to the Women’s Abuse Thrift Store in Hickory

A quilt was also presented to Susan Harris, president of North Carolina’s W-ELCA when she came to preach on Women’s Thankoffering Sunday in November 2015. Seven children’s quilts were made and given to those attending summer camp for the first time. The Quilting Mission and the Women of the ELCA would like to thank Charles and Edie Connor for the use of their building to help them do God’s Work throughout the world.

STEWARDSHIP EMPHASIS:

SPOTLIGHT ON THE QUILTING MISSION

Women of the ELCA Purpose Statement: As a community of women created in the image of God, called to discipleship in Jesus Christ, and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we commit ourselves to grow in faith, affirm our gifts, support one another in our callings, engage in ministry and action, and promote healing and wholeness in the church, the society, and the world.

Women of the ELCA presented Bible studies at regular meetings held on the third Tuesday of the month at 11am. The Bible study lessons were from the Gather magazine. During January, May, September, and December, General Meetings were held on Sundays at 2pm.

Women of the ELCA promotes and recognizes Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Child Abuse Prevention Month, Literacy Awareness Month, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Lutheran Services of the Carolinas, Rachel’s Day, Bold Women’s Sunday, Human Trafficking Awareness Day, and Thankoffering Sunday.

For more information visit www.ncwelca.org.

STEWARDSHIP EMPHASIS:

SPOTLIGHT ON WOMEN OF THE ELCA

6

Lutheran Response Update

We still need your help in for the

Hurricane Matthew response.

Gifts to Hurricane Matthew will

continue to 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 the

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.

Annual Altar Guild Meeting

is December 3

The Altar Guild will meet on

Saturday morning, December 3,

at 9 am in the Family Life Center.

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 is December 12

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!

Financial Update

Memorial & Honoraria Gifts to St. Mark’s

In Memory Of: In Honor Of: JB Sherrill by Harley & Libby Brown None Received JB Sherrill by Marcheta Campbell

Memorial & Honoraria Gifts to St. Mark’s Preschool

In Memory Of: In Honor Of: None Received None Received

Worship Attendance:

11/13 - 165 11/20 - 157

Ministry Financial Update as of October 31, 2016 Reported as of October 31 October Year to Date General Fund Receipts $27,540.86 $287,741.79 Expenses (includes payable) $27,194.15 $302,126.45

Milk Pail Report

A total of $630 was collected in the Milk Pail this year to purchase barnyard animals through the ELCA’s Good Gifts Program to combat World Hunger. This allowed us to purchase 4 goats, 6 pigs, 1 sheep, 80 chicks, and 3 roosters. Eggs, milk and meat from the farm animals

provide a lifetime of food to eat and sell on

the market, helping a family escape the

cycle of hunger and poverty – for

good.

Money collected since October 2 will go towards helping local families this holiday season. A total of $389.52 has been collected for this ministry so far.

7

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

11/27 Whitney Kau

12/04 Shirley Fisher

12/11 Available

12/18 Gloria Sigmon

12/25 Edie Connor

POINSETTIA ORDER FORM

Name: ____________________________________________ # of Poinsettias: _______x $10 = $________

In Honor of: _____________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

In Memory of: ___________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

POINSETTIAS FOR THE SANCTUARY - ORDER BY DECEMBER 18

Poinsettias are available for purchase to beautify our sanctuary this Christmas

season. The cost of the poinsettias is $10.

You may dedicate the poinsettias to the Glory of God, or to the Glory of God in

memory or in honor of someone special. Deadline for ordering is Sunday,

December 18. Make checks payable to St. Mark’s with poinsettias on memo line.

Cub Scouts Recognized in Worship

On Sunday, November 6, Christopher Thomas and Aidan Waters were honored for completing the requirements for the God and Family award. Nathaniel Carpenter was honored for completing the curriculum for the God and Me award. Also pictured are Cub Scout Master Christina Carpenter and former Youth Director Susan Tucker.

8

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 December 7. Please have information that needs to be in the newsletter to the church secretary by Thursday, December 1.

The Congregation Council Meeting will be on Monday, December 19, at 6 pm in the Lounge. Leaders, please have your team reports to the church office by Thursday, December 15.

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. 22

11-22-16