Worship & Congregational Activities

HAPPY NEW (CHURCH) YEAR!: November 30 is the first Sunday of Advent and the start of a new church year! As always, St. Mark has a number of special events and services during the seasons of Advent and Christmas. Information about each of the events and services can be found in this newsletter.

MIDWEEK ONLINE BIBLE STUDY AND WORSHIP: Each week during Advent, Pastor David leads a Bible study at 6pm on Zoom. The study is on the texts that will be part of the midweek worship service later that same evening. The midweek worship services will be evening prayer services, starting at 7pm, on Zoom and Facebook Live. The services include prayers, scripture readings, reflections, and music. The Bible study and worship services are December 4, 10, and 17. Note, the first Bible study and worship service are on a Thursday because of a scheduling conflict.

BLUE CHRISTMAS: St. Mark holds its annual Blue Christmas worship service 2pm Saturday, December 20. The service is for anyone who feels grief, weariness, fatigue, or just wants some quiet and peace during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.

While the service has usually been held at night, the decision was made to have it during the day to help with anyone who don’t wish to drive at night, especially in the winter. 

CARDINAL BRASS QUARTET CONCERT: The Cardinal Brass Quartet returns to St. Mark and performs a concert of Advent and Christmas music during the December 21 worship service. The concert will happen during the middle of the service.

CHRISTMAS EVE WORSHIP AT ST. MARK: St. Mark celebrates the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, with its Christmas Eve worship service. The service is at 7pm Wednesday, December 24. It includes wonderful music, scripture readings, a message, and Holy Communion. 

MONTHLY COFFEE HOUR IN DECEMBER: St. Mark’s next monthly coffee hour is December 21 and follows the worship service featuring a concert by the Cardinal Brass Quartet.

St. Mark’s Monthly Coffee Hours are usually held the second Sunday of each month. It is a time to have some fellowship together following worship and enjoy some refreshments. If you would like to help with coffee hours, contact Pastor David.

SPECIAL FAMILY PROGRAM DURING CHRISTMAS SEASON: Some youth and families of the 

St. Mark community will present a special Christmas program during worship on January 4. It will be a different kind of Christmas pageant but with the story still the same — celebrating the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ!

EXPLORE YOUR FAITH WITH OTHERS: Faith Explorers (Sunday School) classes for all ages are at 9:30am Sundays. The adult class meets in the second floor classroom. This year, the group is reading the devotional book, The Chosen: 40 Days with Jesus.  

The family and youth class features engaging activities and conversations centered around life and faith today for both youth and adults alike. 

Anyone is welcome to come anytime you can! If you are interested in helping or have ideas for activities and discussion topics, contact Pastor David.

SHARE YOUR NEWS: Have you recently received a promotion at work? Changed jobs? Does your child/grandchild have a ball game or a part in a play coming up, or made honor roll? If there is something you would like to share with the St. Mark community, let us know! 

It is wonderful that we share our prayer requests and/or if we or someone we know has any needs. It also is good to share news that is something we want to celebrate as we journey on in our lives of faith here. We can celebrate together.

If you want to share any news, email stmarksnydertown@gmail.com or email Pastor David, and we can include the news in our weekly or monthly communications. And if you or another family member is doing something that is open to the public, such as a ball game or a play or a concert, etc., let us know and we can pass it along for people to mark on their calendars if they are able to attend.

We share the Good News of Jesus Christ with one another and with all we meet, and we can share in the good news each of us in this community may have.

COUNCIL MEETING HIGHLIGHTS: Highlights from the council’s meeting on November 11:

• Council expects to present a recommendation on air conditioning/air quality at the December 14 congregational meeting. The recommendation will be voted on by the congregation.

• In 2026, Pastor David will be forming a focus group representing different ages, years as part of the St. Mark community, and viewpoints to set goals for St. Mark for the next few years.

• The church directory will be updated after the new year.

• The next council meeting is 7pm Thursday, December 11.

CONGREGATIONAL MEETING SET: St. Mark’s annual congregational meeting is following worship on Sunday, December 14. It will be held in the Sanctuary. If you are a member of St. Mark, please plan to attend. During the meeting, the congregation will be voting on the 2026 budget as well as voting for new council members.

If you are unable to attend in person, you can watch the meeting on Zoom and ask questions. However, you will not be able to vote.

CONSIDER COUNCIL: Would you like to guide St. Mark in the coming year and near future? With the term of some current council members ending, the church is looking for people to be on the new council that will start in January 2026. It is a chance to play an active role in what happens at St. Mark. If you have any questions, contact Pastor David or a current member of council. The council election will take place during the annual congregational meeting, held this year on December 14.

YOUTUBE CHANNEL: St. Mark has its own YouTube channel — @stmarksnydertown. Currently, the site has videos of Sunday worship services and other prayer and worship services. We are looking to include content that would be meaningful to you in your faith formation/journey. If you have ideas, please contact Pastor David.

ENJOY SINGING? JOIN THE CHOIR: St. Mark Choir welcomes anyone who is interested in singing. Choir practices are held 7pm Tuesdays. Anyone who is interested in joining either the St. Mark Choir or Christians with Rhythm Choir, or both, is invited to join! If you have any questions, contact Pastor David.

HELPERS ON SUNDAYS: ​​Thank you to everyone who volunteers and helps during St. Mark’s worship services — greeters, readers, etc. It is much appreciated and needed! If you would like to help, contact Pastor David. Thank you!

GIVING ONLINE: Did you know you can make offerings to St. Mark online and also set up a schedule for continued offerings to be done securely online using a credit card or bank account? This is done through the church’s online giving platform Tithely. Visit https://bit.ly/3bhr907 to give online. If you have any questions, contact Pastor David. 

MEETING WITH PASTOR DAVID: If you would like to meet or talk with Pastor David about anything, either in person, on Zoom, or a phone call, you are invited to contact him to set up a time.