This summer St. Mark’s Lutheran Church is partnering with Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Fayetteville, NY to bring 31 youth and adults to New Orleans for the National Lutheran Youth Gathering July 2012.  We will gather together with 37,000 of our closest friends and partners in ministry in New Orleans to practice discipleship, practice justice and practice peacemaking.

The theme, citizens with the saints, comes from the book of Ephesians 2:14–20, paraphrased here:

Jesus is our peace. In his life and death on the cross, Jesus broke down the dividing walls so that we are no longer strangers and outsiders, but we are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God. The foundation of God’s house was built of apostles and prophets, and Jesus, the cornerstone, holds it all together.

I love this theme because I believe that it is so important for the adults and youth who attended the 2009 National Youth Gathering to follow-up and experience again the wonderful hospitality, the generosity and the love that we felt from the people of New Orleans.

On January 29th youth and adults gathered from St. Mark’s and Good Shepherd and we talked about the meaning of the gathering’s theme “Citizens with the Saints” and how it related to our lives.  We talked about how in the world there are areas where we can and cannot go because of the access given to us.  However, Jesus gives us access to the entire Kingdom of God.  It is an amazing thing and we are blessed because of it.

We also worshiped together, ate together, watched a video from the last gathering and just spent time together so everyone could get to know one another.

Looking ahead as we prepare ourselves for our trip to New Orleans we will talk specifically how we need to prepare ourselves to practice discipleship.  This means we will help the youth realize that while at the gathering they will be claiming and valuing their baptismal identity, they will seek the ability to talk about the grace that Jesus offers, and they will be allowing themselves to wrestle with questions of faith and demonstrating openness to the movement of the Spirit in their life.

When we talk about peacemaking we teach the youth to act in a way that reflects God’s value for everybody, particularly those who are marginalized by society.

We see this happening by recognizing when they hold the power in relationships with people who are marginalized, and freely giving that power away, being able to take a back seat comfortable, listening before speaking, and working toward reconciliation in Christ in all relationships.

Finally they will learn to practice justice  by living boldly in the face of injustice, crisis and suffering and Knowing that it is Jesus who makes us able, not our efforts.

All of this is amazing stuff and I am so excited to be walking with these young people on this important journey.  To learn more about the National Youth Gathering please enjoy the video below.

This year at St. Mark’s we decided to have a trunk or treat.  We invited people from the church and community to come to St.  Mark’s and dress up the trunk of their car and hand out candy to kids.  There was also a halloween treat waiting for them inside the church as well as some songs and games.

Each car that came was entered into a contest and the kids got to pick the best “dressed” car.  Believe it or not Pastor Joe McGarry’s car won!!  He said it was a last min idea but he went for it and the kids dubed it “Evil Elmo” 

Overall the kids had a great time and were able to celebrate Halloween a little early!

OTHER YOUTH ANNOUNCEMENTS

Babysitting for St. Mark’s  Progressive Dinner:  December 3 from 5:30-8:30

The youth will be  babysitting at the church during the upcoming progressive dinner.  If you can be there to help, please sign up on the poster in the youth room.  Two shifts will be available, 5:30-7:00 and 7:00-8:30.

Don’t forget to sign up to light the advent wreath.  We need two youth at each service starting on November 27-Decemeber 18

Cookie Bake at Church : December 11 from 6-11. We will gather at church to bake cookies to sell on December 11.    In order to generate a profit, we are asking each participant to donate the ingredients for a no-bake cookie, bar cookies, or to make cut outs at home and bring frosting to decorate them at church.  A sign up poster will be in the youth room with suggestions, so that a variety of cookies can be made.  The youth will purchase flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking soda and powder, and vanilla.  Please bring the recipe, pan and all remainder ingredients with you that evening.

Christmas Bureau Distribution Day December 22 2:30-5:30 or 5:00-8:00

The Salvation Army of Syracuse will service 2500 families at the OnCenter on this day.  This is for families in need to help them to have a brighter holiday season.  Recipients will receive a food basket, a toy, a book and stocking stuffers for each child in their family.  This is a wonderful opportunity to give back during the holidays. If you would like to volunteer, please call Mrs. McCabe ASAP. She will sign you up and work on carpooling and time details.

 Upcoming Events:

January 8                              Degreening of the Church and sledding party for the confirmation youth (grades 6-8)

January 14                            Applebee’s Fundraiser

January 16                            Luther Bowl     A fun event for all youth grades 6-12

February 10-12                     Vanderkamp Winter Retreat   for all youth grades 7-12

On Monday October 10th, when many kids spent their day playing video games and sleeping in because they did not have any school — ten youth and four adults from St. Mark’s Lutheran Church went to the Samaritan Center in Syracuse, NY to help feed 200 adults and children.

For many of these kids this was a first time they have served people who are homeless and needy.  It was an eye-opening experience for many of them.

Depending on their job during the meal they got to see different sides of the people who came to eat.  Some of the youth had a very pleasurable experience and they received lots of gratitude for the service they were providing, while others heard some of the frustration and struggles some of these people experience everyday.

Thank you to the congregation of St. Mark’s who were gracious and helped provide over 200 cookies, cupcakes and other dessert items for the meal and thank you to the youth and adults who made this trip happen!

Bunco October 16th at 6:30pm

Please bring $5.00 and a snack to share

Saturday October 22nd 2:00pm – 4:00pm

Gather and park your car at St. Mark’s. Have your trunk decorated and get ready to pass out candy. This event provides a safe family environment for trick or treaters. From babies on up to grandpas and grandmas, there will be fun for everyone. All are welcome!! We will provide Apple Cider and a Halloween Snack after Trick or Treating.

 Please bring candy or treats to pass out

 Prizes for Best Costume & Best Trunk

If you have any questions or need ideas…

call the office @ 315-638-0406

July always brings a week of Vacation Bible School.  This year our program ran from July 26th – 29th.  The theme for the week was “Big Jungle Adventure.”  Each day the kids learned about how they can live out their faith journey with Jesus  .One of the reasons we love VBS at St. Mark’s is because we have an opportunity to bring the word of God to the community of Baldwinsville (and beyond).  Every year we average about 50 kids, 15 youth volunteers, and 15-20 adult volunteers this year was no different.

On the first day of VBS the kids learned that God takes care of us through Jesus, our Savior.  The Bible story for the day was about how baby Moses was rescued (Exodus 2:1–10).

Day two we learned that Jesus rescues us from our enemies.  We talked about how the Israelites crossed the desert and through the Red Sea into freedom.

Day three we had special guests visit us at VBS.  The program Zoo to You came to St. Mark’s for a presentation.  Our friend Ashley showed us a bunch of jungle animals.  It was a fantastic program!  Through this program and the other programs at VBS the kids learned that Jesus is the light of the world.

The fourth day we learned that Jesus rose from the dead to save us.  It was a fantastic day full of fun, games, crafts and laughter.  Our final day of VBS the fun did not stop!  We learned that Jesus is preparing a place for us in our heavenly home. We also took all the things we learned about throughout the week and we showed our parents.

Our mission objective was to collect food items for the Baldwinsville Food Pantry.  Throughout the week we collected 133 items for the pantry!  That is amazing!

Overall, VBS was a fantastic time for the kids and the adults that were there.  We cannot express how much we enjoyed our time with the kids and we are already talking about all the exciting things we can do next year!

This program cannot run unless we have a group of dedicated volunteers.  The person who coordinated the program and all the volunteers is Misty.  Thank you so much Misty for all that you did for VBS it was a fantastic week that touched so many lives.

We look forward to meeting you on your first visit. Directions to the church are listed on the directions page. Come as your are — you’ll see people dressed in all styles—from jeans to business suits. St. Mark’s Lutheran Church offers classic worship that features a traditional and modern repertoire of hymns and songs.

Where To Go, What To Do

Ushers stand at the doorway to the sanctuary to hand out the bulletins for that morning’s worship and also to help you find a seat if necessary. You are welcome to sit anywhere.

You don’t have to stand up and be introduced, or come forward for any reason. And you don’t have to put anything in the collection plate just for visiting St. Mark’s Lutheran Church. There’s no reason to feel uncomfortable!

Pew Books

Please let us know you visited by filling out a one of the pew books in the sanctuary.  Better yet, introduce yourself to some people around you or speak to the pastors before you leave. We would love to get to know you!

Dinner and Holden Evening Prayer

Every Wednesday night during Lent St. Mark’s Lutheran Church fellowships with one another during a dinner and then worships together using the service Holden Evening Prayer.

Holden Evening Prayer is written by Marty Haugen.  It was written in 1985-1986 while Marty was the musician-in-residence at Holden Village, a Lutheran retreat center in Washington State, this lovely setting of vespers follows the traditional form while using contemporary and inclusive language. Contents include “Service of Light,” Evening Hymn-”Joyous Light of Heav’nly Glory,” “Evening Thanksgiving,” “The Annunciation,” “The Magnificat,” “Litany and Prayers,” and “Final Blessing.”

Dinner starts at 6:00pm

Worship starts at 7:00pm