April 20, 2008
5th Sunday of Easter

Welcome Guests - If this is your first Sunday here at St. Mark’s, may you find a gracious welcome. Your questions are welcomed. Even if you might be here just for this day, may St. Mark’s feel like home to you.
Today at St. Mark’s:

On You Go - Prior to coming here I used to say I was four for four. Now I’ll say “I’m five for five.” It means I’ve served five churches as an interim rector, and all five have made a great choice for a new rector. I have every confidence that you will thrive and grow with a missionary spirit making new friends all the time and living with joy under the leadership of your new rector. Thank you for your gracious welcome, your willingness to look at things in a new light, and for sharing your lives with me. I shall follow the St. Mark’s story with prayer and expect to hear great things about your ministry. ghm

Come to the [last]feast! John Henry Newman once opined that "To live is to change and to be perfect is to have changed often." I guess that means we're on our way since today marks another change in our lives. We wave bye-bye to 'ghm', as he has come to be known from his bulletin and Messenger notes. George has been a great interim rector for us and he has done with and for us just what he told us to expect from him the first Sunday he came to us. He's had us jumping, learning new ways of doing things, learning new ways of thinking, It's not been same-old, same old with George Martin around and we are, as they used to say, "right greatful". So join us for the party in the lobby to thank him -- and Caroline for lending him to us -- for this almost year of residence, ministry and fun in our midst. vlg

Name Tags - I applaud all of you for your ready willingness to wear name tags on Sunday. As I leave, another step will be taken with nametags. It will be possible to have a clip-on name tag waiting for you. With the help of Fred and Caroline Hille, new to St. Mark’s, we’ll have these name tags printed. All you need to do today is print your sticky name tag, wear it in church, and put it on the poster board in the narthex before leaving. Your new name tag will show up next week. And when you forget or lose your name tag that will be OK. The sticky ones will still be there. Cool, eh? ghm

Adult Education this morning: April 20 at 9:05am. The interim rector and Vicki Garvey will continue the series of Living the Questions.

Childcare is available each Sunday morning from 7:45 until 11:30 a.m. in the last classroom on the left in the upstairs hallway.
Baptisms this morning: Jerelyn Zepeda and her two daughters, Sophia and Isabella, will be baptized at the 10:15 service. It seems fitting to celebrate this sacrament with all of you on my last Sunday here at St. Mark’s. ghm

Let us remember those celebrating their birthdays this week: Darryl Rorison, Heath Davis, Olivia Anderson, Celine Maiworm, and David Wroblewski; and those celebrating the anniversary of their marriage: Elizabeth & Sean Davis and Susan & Tim Dilsaver.
Hospitality hosts are needed for the last Sundays in April and all of May after the 10:15 service. If you would care to sponsor a particular Sunday, please contact Holly Dietz this morning or call her at 847-669-0184.

Looking Ahead:

Chicago Master Singers presents a concert entitled "Music of France and America" this evening, April 20th at 7P.M. at Divine Word Chapel, 2001 Waukegan Rd, Techny, IL. Featured are American composers Morten Lauridsen and Randall Thompson and French composers Villette and Vierne. The group will take this repertoire on tour to France in July. For tickets see Thelma Stevens, Bob Alberding, or Kate Graham this morning or online: www.chicagomastersingers.org

The new interim rector, the Rev. Mary Tudela, begins her ministry with us tomorrow, April 21. Mary has served as a supply priest several times at St. Mark’s.

Care N’ Share will meet Saturday, April 26 at Kaye Zook’s home at 6:30 pm. Please call Kaye at 847-381-3581 with your choice of a dish to pass.

Rogation Sunday with the blessing of your pets, plants and seeds will be celebrated Sunday, April 27 after both the 8 and 10:15 am services. This Sunday, which is closest to April 25th, is the feast day of St. Mark. The annual Rogation Sunday celebration goes back to the English church when local parish priests would bless the land and the animals prior to the planting of a new crop.
St. Mark’s invites friends and neighbors from all surrounding communities to come to church this Sunday and to bring their plants and pets; even their horses.. Those bringing pets may leave them in the care of the youth of the church who are happy to do pet-sitting while worship takes place.

Invitation Cards for Rogation Sunday will be handed out to everyone. Extras in narthex. These cards will be fun for you to share with a neighbor or relative’s pet. We ask that you make the card out in the name of the pet. If their owner chooses to come with them they will be welcome as well. While most people will probably bring pets to the 10:15am service, we want folks who come at 8 o’clock to feel free to bring their pets as well.

Also on Rogation Sunday, the Sunday school kids will host an ice cream social, after the 10:15am service. Cost: $2 per sundae. They wish to acquire toys for playing outside on Sunday mornings after the worship services i.e. soccer balls, footballs, frisbees, basketballs. Please come support your kids!

Spring Work Day is Back!! Please mark your calendar for Saturday, May 3, and become a part of the St. Mark's beautification crew. We will work on the grounds from 9am until noon spreading mulch, weeding, and other tasks on our list. There will something for everyone of all ages to do! Can't wait to see everyone here on May 3rd! And please bring your rakes, shovels, and work gloves.

Seeking Volunteers: In our continuing effort to reduce expenses around St. Mark's, we are forming a team of people to handle the mailings that are processed by our office. We need a team of 3-5 volunteers able to come in at a pre arranged time to stuff envelopes and/or affix postage. An individual or two may be needed once a month. Please contact Lis Schoon in the office if you are interested in serving your church in this manner. Your help is greatly appreciated! ekl

Board Members of The Bishops Associates cordially invite you to attend The Annual Spring Luncheon in honor of the Rt. Rev. Jeffrey Dean Lee, 12th Bishop of Chicago and the Rt. Rev. Victor A. Scantlebury, Assistant Bishop, Thursday, May 8, 2008 at the Union League Club located at 65 W. Jackson, Chicago. Refreshments 11:30 am / Lunch 12:15 pm. Please R.S.V.P. to Jill Meyer at 847-381-0552.

The Flower Guild gala last Sunday was a great success. Thank you to all the guild members who worked so diligently and thank you to all who attended and signed up to sponsor altar flowers for this coming season. There are three Sunday still available. Please check out the sign-up poster in the narthex. If you wish to sign up for a particular Sunday and someone has already signed up on that date, you may share that date. If you have any question, please contact Bev Sweeney at 847-847-7884 or Jo Loughridge at 847-382-1188.

It's -- almost -- Field Trip Time to the city. The Keiskamma altar piece -- now visiting St. James Cathedral -- was made by the grandparent generation of a village in South Africa to tell and to pray the story of the death and resurrection of their town. The death, a result of ignorance and deception as nearly a generation was wiped out by AIDS, the resurrection as the survivors refused to be victims, but redefined themselves by telling their story and finding hope. A group of us is planning to go and visit and I have arranged for us to have a docent lead us as we experience this remarkable work. We're planning to Metra and Water Taxi our way from Barrington to the cathedral on Tuesday, 29 April. let us know if you'd like to join us by calling the office. Precise time TBA, but we plan to leave mid-morning so that we can eat lunch in the city before our tour of the cathedral and the Keiskamma. vl