2016
News &
Articles
12.18.2016 - Photograph's from Pastor Elkin's Retirement dinner
12.13.2016 - Cookies, Cookies & More Cookies!
12.12.2016 - Preparing for Christmas - Kids Night Out
12.5.2016 - Praying for our College Students
12.5.2016 - A Christmas Carol Performance
12.1.2016 - Making Advent Wreaths
11.30.2016 - Pastor Elkin summarizes 20+years of life together in St. Mark's?
11.21.2016 - Christ the King Sunday Milestones
11.14.2016 - Pack 'n Wrap at Redeemer
11.6.2016 - Recognizing & Honoring All the Saints
10.29.2016 - Celebrating Reformation Sunday
10.16.2016 - Gage Charles Pittinger - Baptism Milestone
10.16.2016 - Harvest Home Sunday
10.9.2016 - Crop Walk 2016
10.5.2016 - Support the St. Mark's Crop Walk team
10.2.2016 - Photos from Consecration Sunday
10.2.2016 - It's Raining Quilts - They're Everywhere!
9.19.2016 - Confirmation Milestone: Sean Jensen & Dylan Ott
9.12.2016 - CELEBration!
9.12.2016 - Fall Bazaar Brings in Funds for Charity
9.4.2016 - Christian Education: Learning & Encouraging the Bible
8.24.2016 - Locked-in at St. Mark's
8.12.2016 - St. Mark's 2016 Fishing Derby
8.12.2016 - Pastor Elkin Announces Upcoming Retirement
8.10.2016 - Kits for victims of Disaster & Poverty
8.8.2016 - 70+, SINGLE, AND STILL PRAISING GOD!
7.23.2016 - Helping Hands Day
7.6.2016 - St. Mark's July 4 Hospitality
6.29.2016 - “La frontera: Where Jesus Meets Us”
6.28.2016 - Stefan Weber and Jacob Schreckengast celebrate driving milestone
6.28.2016 - Synod Assembly report; Bishop elected
5.17.2016 - 2016 Annual Congregation Assembly
5.9.2016 - Youth Conduct Service
5.9.2016 - 2016 Annual Report
4.24.2016 - Applegate Baptism Celebrated
4.21.2016 - Pastor Elkin's Surprise Party Celebrating his 20th Year at St. Mark's
4.16.2016 - Commemorating 20 Years of Service - With a Youth Feast!
4.6.2016 - Food Packaging Event
3.27.2016 - Breakfast with the Pastor & Easter Egg Hunt
3.26.2016 - The Vigil of Easter
3.25.2016 - 2016 Confirmation Trip
3.19.2016 - Making Palm Crosses
3.5.2016 - VALENTINE FUNDRAISING DINNER A SUCCESS!
3.5.2016 - Tubing
2.17.2016 - A piece of our past: 1941 Confirmation Class
2.8.2016 - Prayer Pillows for Brennan and Dallas
2.8.2016 - Join the Bell Choir!
1.31.2016 - Lenten Services Scheduled
1.10.2016 - Commemorating Baptism with Faith Chests
How do we
summarize
20+years of life
together in St. Mark's? Let's use the image of “milestones.”
On some sections of the Camino Santiago there are stone
markers every few kilometers that list where we are on the
journey, how much further it is to Santiago, and point the
direction for the next portion of the trip. They are there for
information and for encouragement to keep going despite
the aches and pains of the pilgrimage. The “Milestones” that
we celebrate in the congregation function in the same way.
We mark the beginning of the journey with a gift of a receiving
blanket for newborns, and the subsequent Sacrament
of Holy Baptism. We encourage growth in the faith with the
Prayer Pillow, All the Gifts of Good News, participate in
Sunday School and First Communion instruction, engage in
Catechetical instruction and work with parents and mentors,
mark progress with Confirmation, expand relationships with
Marriage, celebrate anniversaries and other accomplishments,
come again and again to celebrate the Holy Communion
until our birthday into heaven in the funeral service,
and at various times remember all the saints and especially
those near and dear to us. So many milestones, so many different
ways of encouraging one another in trust of the Lord
Jesus and his promises to us! We have lived together using
all of these and more; what a blessing it has been. May the
patterns that we have established continue, and expand in
new directions as well, to the glory of God the Father.
One of my walking companions on the Camino this fall
was a person who has significant heartaches, beginning with
an alcoholic father and a painful divorce of parents, a disastrous
marriage of her own with a domineering spouse, difficult
and deadly illnesses of close relatives, and several coworkers
with inappropriate expectations. As we talked
through all these things in many kilometers together, we
noted that life is filled with “goodbyes” and grieving for all
of the imperfections of human community.
That is simply the way it is. But we also noted that
what makes it bearable is that God gives us even more
“hellos” along the way, fresh presents of his grace and enduring
mercy through those whom he sends to us in his
name and bearing his promise. These are our special gifts to
each other, the things that we have experienced together in
the congregation of St. Mark's in the name of Jesus.
Some of these gifts of God's grace have been mediated
through several different approaches in St. Mark's. One is
The Way, our process of encouraging and mentoring new
and renewing members. Information is shared, but more
importantly, personal relationships are nurtured as we gently
explore the Good News together over a period of nine
months each year.. It has been a blessing to so many in the
congregation. I hope that this process is now woven deeply
into the fabric of the identity of the congregation. Another is
Stephen Ministry, our process
of one to one caring and listening
ministry. Nearly twenty
persons have trained and served
as Stephen Ministers, and dozens
of persons have personally
benefited from their ministry.
Further, the Stephen Ministers
have discovered that the skills
they acquire are applicable in
many other relationships as
well: at home, at work, and in
other social settings. What a
profound effect it has on countless
lives!
The chief milestone is the
one that occurs with weekly
regularity, our gathering around Word and Sacrament Sunday
after Sunday. It was painfully difficult for me to be in
worship in Spain this fall and not be able to participate fully
in the event; to be an observer is not the same as being a
participant. May St. Mark's congregation recognize what a
powerful tradition has been established among us and guard
it, rejoice in it, and continue to warmly invite others to be a
part of it.
To accomplish all that we can, we have been blessed with a number of beautiful and useful tools, the things we call “property.” Even before meeting the people, the minute I stepped into the nave I knew that this would be a wonderful place to work and worship. Over the years we have made improvements to the nave so that it can point ever more clearly to the Word of God, and we have completely renovated the chapel so that it can function in a variety of appropriate ways for worship, visitation, meetings, and devotions. All of the buildings and grounds get regular and detailed care and attention to the end that they can all serve as tools to invite others to Jesus. As long as they do that, they are good things; may they never become ends in themselves, a museum to a dead faith, but rather remain a living laboratory for a vibrant, living faith.
There are so many things that could be said, but perhaps
this is enough for the moment. There will be many
twists and turns in the process which now faces the congregation.
You must discern what is vital, what is the center of
congregational life, and search for leadership that will eagerly
grasp that core and lead you to fresh expressions of the
faith once delivered to the saints. May you be blessed by the
continuing gifts of the Father, for the sake of the Son, in the
power of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Farewell, dear friends.
The Rev. Kenneth R. Elkin, STS, Pastor