Worship Schedule

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November 26 Christ the King Sunday

December 1 1 Advent

December 10 2 Advent

December 17 3 Advent

December 24 Christmas Eve

10:30am Service 10:30pm Service

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Sunday Mornings 8:15 am Contemporary 9:20 am Sunday Brew

9:30 am Sunday School 10:30 am Traditional

St. Mark’s Newsletter

The Reminder

November 21, 2017

Christmas Caroling on Sunday, December 3, 5pm

St. Mark’s members will gather at the Family Life Center at 5pm 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!

St. Mark’s Annual Christmas Party Sunday, December 10, 4pm

Catawba Valley Community Chorus Concert in the sanctuary at 4pm.

Pot Luck Dinner in the Family Life Center after the concert. Please bring a family size dish and dessert to share.

Children’s Christmas Play after dinner. This year’s play is “The Christmas Story” directed by Judy Carpenter, Phoenix Waters, and Christina Carpenter. Rehearsals are on Sundays at 4pm in the sanctuary for the next two weeks. Dress rehearsal will be held at 10am on Saturday, December 9.

Women of the ELCA Christmas Celebration, Sunday, December 3, 2:30pm, Family Life Center

St. Mark's Women of the ELCA will meet on Sunday, December 3, at 2:30pm for our Christmas Celebration in the Family Life Center. This celebration is for ALL women at St. Mark's. We will be having an ornament exchange game. Please bring a wrapped ornament valued no more than $5. Everyone will take a different ornament home than you brought. This will be lots of fun! Also, we will celebrate Christmas with a devotion, lots of fun, fellowship, finger foods, and punch. All you are asked to do is come join us in the fun and bring a wrapped Christmas ornament. If you would like to come and participate and don't have a ride, please call or text me at 828-446-8728. I will see that a ride is available for you. We are trying something new this year and would love to see a big turnout. ~ God's Peace, Tamarah Hefner, St. Mark's Women of the ELCA President

You are Invited to these Holiday Events!

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Please Remember In Prayer the Families of Avery Kornegay (November 16), husband of Mary Kornegay, grandfather of Allyson (Alex) Sestric, brother-in-law of Betty (Gary) Powell Josephine Setzer (October 27), mother of Nick (Evelyn) Setzer and George (Joyce) Setzer

Mary Ellen Ford (October 29), mother of Rona Saunders

Mary Green Cloninger (November 13), sister-in-law of Eva Cloninger and aunt-in-law of Jean Cloninger

Congregation News

Linda Hewitt to be Installed as Stephen Minister on December 3

Stephen Ministers are congregation laypersons trained by Stephen Leaders to offer one-to-one Christian care to people going through tough times. They will usually work with one person at a time, meeting for about half an hour a week.

For the last several months, Linda Hewitt was part of the Stephen Ministry training offered by Stephen Leader, Pastor Gilbert, every Monday night at Grace Lutheran in Newton. Linda will be installed on December 3 as St. Mark’s third Stephen Minister.

To speak with a Stephen Minister, contact Rocky Miller (828-459-1219), Chris Cloninger (828-464-1057) or Linda Hewitt (828) 381-7979. There is no charge to meet with a Stephen Minister.

St. Mark’s,

Thanks to the congregation for your cards and meals during my recent illness. Special thanks to Pastor Haddock and Pastor Christ. Your prayers and acts of kindness meant a great deal to me!

Sincerely, Jackie Devlin

St. Mark’s,

Thank you all so much for the incredible set of stoles! They are beautiful and I will be so honored to wear them. I am so thankful for your continued love and support. No matter where I go or where I serve, St. Mark’s will always be an essential building block in my ministry.

Thank you!

Pastor Daniel

Congratulations to the Hamann

family!

Katie, Charlie, and Joe Hamann with new babies, Jude and Kaiya, born November 17.

Willie & Linda Hewitt

Congratulations to the Theisen Family!

Rachael, Drew, David, and Hadley Theisen welcome Judah, born November 10. Grandparents are Pastor Gary and Rebecca Haddock.

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Calendar Highlights

Please check monthly/weekly calendars for times.

Claremont Christmas Parade (December 2)

Women of the ELCA Christmas Party (December 3)

Christmas Caroling (December 3)

Red Cross Blood Drive (December 4)

City of Claremont Senior Dinner (December 9)

Christmas Party (December 10)

Rising Hope Farms Live Nativity (December 16)

Christmas Eve, Services at 10:30am & 10:30pm (December 24)

Just A Reminder!

Last day for 2017 contributions is December 31. Ministry Team Reports are due by January 19.

Claremont Christmas Parade Saturday, December 2, 3pm

The 34th annual Christmas Parade takes place on Main Street in downtown Claremont.

City of Claremont’s Annual Senior Citizens Dinner

December 9, 4—8pm St. Mark’s Family Life Center

Contact Danny Hedrick 828-459-2255 to R.S.V.P. by December 1

Rising Hope Farms Live Nativity December 16, 5—8 pm

3775 Bethany Church Road, Claremont

Rising Hope Farms is a ministry that provides a safe and inspirational en-vironment to interact with horses. It is their mission to provide hope and heal-ing to those with special needs in our community by way of therapeutic horse interaction.

Claremont Community Blood Drive Monday, December 4, 2:30—7pm

Family Life Center

To schedule an appointment, call the church office (828-459-2161) or go online: redcrossblood.org and enter “St Marks.”

Christmas Eve Worship at 10:30am & 10:30pm

on Sunday, December 24

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Volunteers are Needed to Serve Lunch at Corner Table on December 12

Members of the Witness Team plan to serve lunch on December 12. If you wish to participate, please contact Cathy Sigmon or Linda Hewitt. The Corner Table is a soup kitchen located in Newton, NC which serves nutritious meals to those in need in the Newton area.

Shop ELCA Good Gifts this Christmas

Donate Coca-Cola Bottle Caps & Boxes for Claremont Elementary School

Funding for media centers in Catawba County has been cut this year, leaving Claremont Elementary with no money to buy new books. These are our children; they deserve the very best books to get the very best education. Here is how you can help by donating your trash! That is right, donate your Coca-Cola brand bottle caps and boxes to any of the containers that you see at each entrance to our church. The inside of a Coca-Cola brand bottle cap has a code that Claremont can type in to get 5 cents a cap! For every Coca-Cola brand box, inside there is the same code where you open the box. For the boxes, Claremont gets 15 cents!

List of Coca-Cola brands:

Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero, Diet Coke, Dasani water, Fanta, Powerade, Sprite, Minute Maid

Food Donations for ECCCM and St. Mark’s Pantry on December 17

The third Sunday of the month is the designated Sunday when St. Mark’s asks for non-perishable food donations for the ECCCM and St. Mark’s Food Pantry. Please place donations in the bin at Parish Hall entrance to the sanctuary.

Each year, Americans spend over $300 billion on Christmas shopping. Imagine what would happen if we could redirect that spending toward the things that really matter, like putting an end to hunger.

With ELCA Good Gifts, you can do just that. Choose from more than 50 charitable gifts to give in honor of loved ones – from goats to water wells, school uniforms to food for refugees. Start a new tradition by giving these gifts in honor of friends or loved ones this Christmas. Shop now by visiting ELCA.org/goodgifts.

Local Outreach

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Financial Update

Memorial & Honoraria Gifts to St. Mark’s

In Memory Of Josephine Setzer by Susan Williams Glenn Cloninger Sr. by Jean Cloninger Josephine Setzer by Glenna Pope Glenn Cloninger Jr. by Jean Cloninger

Memorial & Honoraria Gifts to Alec C. Sigmon Memorial Camp Scholarship In Memory of:

Betty Null by Gina Null

Worship Attendance

11/12 - 123 11/19 - 142

Ministry Financial Update as of September 30, 2017

Reported as of September 30 September Year to Date General Fund Receipts $29,208.33 $250,301.71 Expenses (includes payables) $30,496.56 $256,989.65

All bills are paid.

Financial Pledges for 2018

As of November 8, we have received Financial pledges of $210,756.00 for 2018. Thank you for sharing your gifts abundantly!

Tabulators Meeting is December 4

The annual meeting for the Tabulator Team will be held on Monday, December 4 at 9:30am 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!

Poinsettias for the Sanctuary - Reserve by December 17 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 17. Make checks payable to St. Mark’s with poinsettias on memo line.

POINSETTIA ORDER FORM

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

In Honor of: _____________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

In Memory of: ___________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

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Leadership

Minutes from the Annual Congregation Meeting on November 12

Following worship on November 12, St. Mark’s held their annual congregation meeting. The meeting was called to order by Vice President, Terry Hefner. By a show of hands the congregation: Approved the Annual Ministry Budget for 2018. Approved Congregation Council recommendation regarding calling a full time Associate Pastor.

By ballot, elected four Council Members to serve 2018-2020. The new council members are Barry Bumgarner, Tiffany Caudill, Marcheta Campbell, David Tucker. The council members who will complete their term of service at the end of 2017 are Teresa Rozzelle, Michael Korn, Cathy Sigmon, Kerri Nash. We thank these members for their commitment and dedication to St. Mark’s!

Council members for 2018 (including the above) are: Terry Hefner, Scott Ramsey, Carol Schaefer, Nicky Setzer, Gigi Sigmon, Edie Connor, Angela Brown, Tanya Stephenson.

Minutes from the Congregation Council Meeting on October 16

Call to Order Opening Prayer Roll Call: Gigi Sigmon, Kerri Nash, Edie Connor, Terry Hefner, Angela Brown, Teresa Rozzelle, Cathy Sigmon, Pastor Gary Haddock, Nicky Setzer, Michael Korn, Carol Schaefer, Scott Ramsey (absent – not excused), Tanya Stephenson, (absent – excused); Dale Sherrill Approval of Minutes from September Meeting Pastor’s Report - Written Report submitted. Action Items - Motion was made and approved to submit 2018 ministry budget to congregation. Motion was made and approved that St. Mark’s move forward with calling a full-time Associate Pastor with Dale Sherrill bringing information to congregation related to Faith Challenge campaign Finance Report - All bills are paid Team Reports

Learning Witness and Social – Written report submitted with emphasis on serving at the Corner Table on December 12. Support – Written report submitted Technology Youth Congregational Care Property Finance—Edie Connor reviewed 2018 Ministry budget with church council. Council approved an increase in worship from $500 to $900. Worship & Music—Written report which included update of report on acoustic panels for sanctuary and plans about Christmas Eve worship with services at 10:30am and 10:30pm. Fellowship Preschool Memorial Global Missions Personnel—Dale Sherrill conducted an evaluation of Pastor by Council members Women of the ELCA

Old Business New Business Adjournment and Lord’s Prayer

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Photos from Senior Lunch on November 17

We honored our Seniors over 90. Those attending the lunch on November 17 were Glenna Pope, Jack Whitener, Hazel Setzer.

And a good time

was had by all!

Those over 90 who were unable to attend: Christine Stewart Mary Frances Busbee Ernestine Morrow Mabel Little Margie Whitener Mary Kornegay Marie Cline Deal Norman Morrow

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St. Mark’s Lutheran Church

P.O. Box 550

3216 West Main Street

Claremont, NC 28610

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

NON-PROFIT ORG.

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P A I D

Claremont, NC

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) Myra Long: Choir Director, Int. Praise Team Leader longmyra@ymail.com (704-213-7623) Randyl Abernathy: Preschool Director stmarkspreschool@charter.net (828-459-2873) Katie Hamann: Interim Youth Leader katie@smarklc.org (828-459-2161) Lisa Underwood: Church Secretary lisa@smarklc.org (828-459-2161) Karen Hunt: Financial Secretary karen@smarklc.org (828-459-2161) Mike Baker: Church Sexton (828-459-2161) mikebaker411@bellsouth.net

Congregation Council Meeting Council will meet at 6pm on December 18

Newsletter Mailing The next mailing will be on December 6

Church Office Hours Mon - Thu, 8:30am - 4:00pm; Fri, 8:30am - 12:30pm

Vol. 7, No. 22 11-21-17

Follow Us Online

StMarksLutheran...Claremont, NC www.smarklc.org Stmarksclaremc

Congregation Council

2017 2018 2019 Teresa Rozzelle Terry Hefner Gigi Sigmon Michael Korn Scott Ramsey Edie Connor Cathy Sigmon Carol Schaefer Angela Brown Kerri Nash Nicky Setzer Tanya Stephenson