Worship, Education, & Congregational Life

ALL SAINTS SUNDAY: All Saints Sunday is Sunday, November 1. We honor those loved ones who have gone before us into the church triumphant by saying their names and ringing a bell toward the end of the service. We take this special time to pause, sit quietly, and remember those who have been important in each of our lives and in the life of St. Mark, those who have been our examples of faith and love, and those who remain in our hearts. 

You are invited to bring a photo or photos of loved ones you would like to remember on All Saints Sunday and place the photos in front of the altar. 

COFFEE HOURS IN NOVEMBER: St. Mark will  actually have two Coffee Hours in November. The first is following the November 15 worship service and will be a time to thank and honor veterans. The second is following the November 29 worship service and is in honor of Bishop Kevin Shock preaching at St. Mark on the First Sunday of Advent! 

Usually held the second Sunday of each month, the coffee hours are a time to enjoy some fellowship and refreshments following worship. If you would like to help with coffee hours for one month or in general, contact Pastor David.

“UNRAVELED” BIBLE STUDY, PART ONE: The Bible study “Unraveled: Seeking God When Our Plans Fall Apart” finishes up the first half in November, with gatherings 6pm November 10 and 17. The second half will be in the spring. The study is based on a series from A Sanctified Art. 

“What happens when our world falls apart? How do we press onward when our tightly-knit plans unravel into loose threads? What do we become when our identity — or the path we’re on — comes undone? … In our unraveling, sometimes life surprises us with unexpected joy, love, and hope … Sometimes we need God to unravel us, for we long to be changed.”

The study features 12 stories from the Bible that explore unraveled shame, identity, fear, grief, dreams, and expectations. Some of the stories include Zacchaeus, Saul’s becoming Paul, Peter’s sinking in the water, and more.

If you have any questions, contact Pastor David.

FAITH EXPLORERS CLASSES: Faith Explorers (Sunday School) classes for all ages are at 9:30am Sunday mornings. The adult class meets in the second floor classroom. This fall, the group will finish the devotional book, The Chosen: 40 Days with Jesus and start a new study.  

The family and youth class will again feature engaging activities and conversations around life and faith today for both youth and adults alike. Anyone who is interested is invited to come and offer their input or contact Pastor David. Come to church a little early prior worship for these 30 minutes of faith formation and fellowship!

HELP DECORATE FOR ADVENT/CHRISTMAS: It is time to get out the tree and decorations! On Sunday, November 22, following worship for Christ the King Sunday, which is the final Sunday of the church year, you are invited to help decorate St. Mark for Advent and Christmas. We will have a light lunch and then prepare the Sanctuary and other parts of the church for Advent and Christmas and the start of a new church year. It is a wonderful family event and time to spend with your St. Mark family.

LOOKING AHEAD TO ADVENT/CHRISTMAS: November 29 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. Here are just some to mark down (subject to change):

Midweek Online Discussion and Worship. Do you ever wonder why we do some of the things we do during worship? Pastor David will lead a discussion on Zoom about some of the traditions of the church and the Lutheran worship service. Here is the schedule:

December 1: The church year and lectionary, including a deeper look at the Gospel of Mark, which is what the main gospel for the 2026-2027 church year.

December 9: Worship Part One: Gathering and Word.

December 16: Worship Part Two: Meal and Sending.

The discussions begin at 6pm and will go until around 6:45pm. It will be followed by midweek Advent worship at 7pm on Zoom and Facebook Live. The worship service series, “Wandering and Wondering in Darkness,” is based on evening prayer and exploring how God works, dwells with us, and guides us in the darkness. The services include prayer, reflecting on scripture, and music.

• Blue Christmas Worship. St. Mark holds its annual Blue Christmas worship service Saturday, December 19 at a time to be announced. 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.

• Christmas Eve Worship. Worship for Christmas Eve will be 7pm Thursday, 

December 24. The service includes Holy Communion and plenty of music!

• Family Christmas Program. Christmas continues at St. Mark on December 27 as youth and family from St. Mark will present a family Christmas program as part of the worship service, starting at 10:30am.

• Christmas Cantata. The Christians with Rhythm Choir’s Christmas Cantata, “The Heart of Christmas,” will be performed 10:30am January 3 and 2pm January 10. Both concerts are at St. Mark.

CONGREGATIONAL MEETING SET: St. Mark’s annual congregational meeting will be Sunday, December 13 following worship. It will be held in the Sanctuary. If you are a member of St. Mark, please plan to attend as during the meeting the congregation, among other items, will be voting on the 2027 budget as well as voting for new council members.

HELP GUIDE THE FUTURE OF THE CHURCH: St. Mark’s church council is looking for new members for 2027. Would you like to guide St. Mark in the coming year and near future? It is a chance to play an active role in what happens at St. Mark. If you have any questions or concerns, contact Pastor David or a current member of council. The council elections will take place during the annual congregational meeting, held this year on December 13, following worship.

CALLING ALL THRIVENT MEMBERS: If you currently hold Thrivent contracts, you are entitled to direct some of their charitable funds to organizations of your choice at no additional cost to you. You need to direct these funds each year, so please consider choosing St. Mark as your recipient. If you have questions or need help, please contact Pastor David and he can talk you through the online procedure. It’s easy and costs you nothing additional.

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 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 and we can include that 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 play or 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 you in this community may have.

COUNCIL MEETING HIGHLIGHTS: Council met on Thursday, October 15.

• At least three council members are not returning next year. If we don’t have enough people to fill the vacancies, council plans to ask the congregation to amend the constitution so that the number of council members will be seven. The amendment, if it becomes necessary, will be advertised for three weeks before the meeting.

• The motion detector light system on the back door is not working. That will be fixed ASAP.

• Council will be cleaning and painting the sign on the front of the church as soon as the weather and his health allow.

• The Youth and Family Faith Explorers will be working through the book, Manna and Mercy, in 2027. Copies of the book were purchased. It also will be used to develop a confirmation program for any families who are interested.

• The pest control company will be coming for initial treatment. They also will do an assessment of the bat issue by going into the belfry and will offer options. 

• A humidifier system was installed in the Fellowship Room.

The next council meeting is scheduled for 7pm Thursday, November 12.

YOUTUBE CHANNEL: Yes St. Mark has its own YouTube channel @stmarksnydertown. Currently, the site has videos of Sunday worship services. We are looking to include content that would be meaningful to you and 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. 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 to help on Sundays — greeters, readers, etc. It is much appreciated and needed! If you would like to help on Sundays, you can 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 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.