6th Easter
April 27, 2008

Welcome Guests - If this is your first Sunday here at St. Mark’s, may you find a gracious welcome. Your questions are welcomed. Please note that there is music only at the 10:15 am service. Even if you might be here just for this day, may St. Mark’s feel like home to you.

Today at St. Mark’s:
We happily welcome the Rev. Mary Tudela this morning as our interim rector. Please join Mary and all of us in the Rogation celebration this morning.

Contact information for our new interim rector: What a wonderful way to join you as your interim rector celebrating Rogation Sunday! I am excited about being among you and look forward to a summer filled with blessings from the Spirit! I will be working two days a week and Sundays. My current plans are to be at church Wednesdays and Thursdays of most weeks as I manage the administrative needs of the church and support our staff. For informal questions and non urgent matters the best way to contact me is via email mtudela@st-markschurch.org. In the event you have an emergency pastoral need, I can be reached via mobile phone at 630-715-0943. met

This morning is Rogation Sunday: the blessing of animals, plants and seeds after both the 8 and 10:15 am services. The youth group will happily care for your pet while you are in church.

Also today the Sunday school kids will host an ice cream social, after the 10:15am service. Cost: $2 per sundae. They wish to acquire outdoor toys for playing outside on Sunday mornings after the services. Please help support your kids!

The Adult Forum has been cancelled this morning due to the Rogation celebration. However, there will be church school this morning.

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.

The Altar Flowers are given this morning to the glory of God and in memory of Zena Colterjohn by Thelma and Nels Stevens.

Let us remember those celebrating their birthdays this week: Cary Loomis, David Ware, Abbey Mathewson, Mackenzie Greene, Darcy Nelsen, Carson Greene, Betty Coffin, Louis Gross, Nels Stevens, Matthew Zambelli, and Meredith Greene; and those celebrating the anniversary of their marriage: Susan & Dan Nelsen, Diane & Rich Beverley, Allison & Carson Greene, and Linda & Robert Burkhard.

St. Mark’s is greening up with permanent name tags, courtesy of Fred and Caroline Hille. To participate, please fill out the paper name tag, wear it and after the service attach it the board in the narthex. And next week, VOILA! Your new badge will be waiting for you. And when you forget or lose your name tag that will be OK. The sticky ones will still be there. Cool, eh?

As you may have noticed, the Episcopal Church flag and the American flag are missing from the sanctuary. They are in need of repair and cleaning and will be away for a few weeks.

Field Trip Time to the city. Join us next Tuesday, April 29 to view the Keiskamma altar piece -- now visiting St. James Cathedral -- 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. I have arranged for us to have a docent lead our group as we experience this remarkable work. We're planning to Metra and Water Taxi our way from Barrington to the cathedral. Let us know if you'd like to join us by calling the office at 847-381-0596. 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. vlg

Need to get yourself in shape for summer? Spring Work Day is back. From 9am until noon on Saturday, May 3, you can tighten those abs, strengthen those biceps, and thin that waistline by spreading mulch, weeding, and other tasks on our list. There will something for everyone of all ages to do! Start getting in shape for the summer! Please bring your rakes, shovels, and work gloves.

HELP! The sun is getting higher and hotter and the brick wall outside the parish office is beginning to warm up rapidly by 2:00 pm. So, we are looking for a few strong persons to aide in bringing up the two air conditioners from the furnace room and installing them in the rector’s office next to her desk and the other in the parish office behind Lis’s desk. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

St. Mark’s New Website Is Live! Go online to www.st-markschurch.org to see our new website. Designed and donated by Clifford Price who grew up at St. Mark’s and is the son of Betty Kilgore and brother of Lauren Peterson. Our new website looks fabulous and is filled with a great deal of useful information about our life as a parish. Oftentimes, a website is the first and lasting impression of an organization. Believe me; this first impression could not be better. Visit it often to stay abreast of the latest at St. Mark’s. ekl

Looking Ahead:

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.

A memorial service for Jane Morkemo has been scheduled for Saturday, May 10 at 11:00 a.m. A reception for family and friends will be held in the Anniversary Room after the service.

Seeking Volunteers We are still looking for a few more volunteers able to come to the church office 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

United Thank Offering Ingathering
at St. Mark’s – May 11
We will significantly impact the lives of
women and children because of Christ’s love.

When you support a woman, you not only support her, you help the entire family, the parish, the community, and ultimately a nation:
* Women make up 2/3 of the 1 billion worldwide who cannot read.
* The 2nd best way to eradicate disease & poverty is to educate women. The 1st is gender-equality.

The United Thank Offering’s (UTO) new vision for the 21st century builds upon their core values of thanksgiving, generosity, mission, and ministry, and upon UTO’s mission to expand the circle of thankful people. The United Thank Offering’s new vision continues their historic mission to address compelling human need and expand the mission and ministry of the church.