Deep Gratitude to our Professionals and Volunteers
The Beloved Community at Saint Mark's Episcopal Church came together in one joyous gathering after another this Advent and Christmas Season. The momentum built steadily from our first coffee hour back in the Fall. It grew with the size of our choir and the enthusiasm of our school. So many reached out and pitched in. A huge thank you to everyone who took part! Especially those behind the scenes who do such inspired work for our Saint Mark's Family.
Thank you to the Vestry for hiring Father Harvey, Father Joseph, and Dr. Estes, all outstanding choices. Thank you for your leadership in reviving coffee hours, fellowship, lay leadership, involvement, music, Sunday School. In addition to partnering with Saint Mark's School and the use of the Parish Hall by the parishioners. Your hard work continues to rejuvenate Saint Mark's. We are grateful.
The Saint Mark's congregation is so grateful to our Priest in Residence, Fr. Harvey, who ALWAYS displays so much enthusiasm, dedication, and energy for us. For Christmas Eve, he deserves special thanks as he drove from Miami to officiate at the 7:00 pm and 10:00 pm services, which must have been a very late night getting back to Miami. They were glorious services, and we are so grateful to have him. Thank you, too, Father Harvey, for those early morning services during Advent on the beach in Lauderdale by the Sea.
We are blessed to have Dr. Kevin Estes. From day one as our Music Director, he fit right in. A superb musician, and teacher in less than six weeks, he organized an amazing musical gift to the parish for Christmas Eve, with a 19-voice choir, and a 9-piece orchestra. Thank you to Kevin, Saint Mark's Choir, and Jenny, Kevin's wife, who has an outstanding soprano voice. Parishioners are proud to support the orchestral and voice programs which inspire us.
There are many invisible heroes. The Altar Guild adapted to new protocols and a new priest's preferences. Many thanks to Harry and Karen Richardson, Paula Green, Joan Billings, Carol Lee Ortman, and Lori McFadden for keeping it together while setting the table for our brothers and sisters in Christ every Sunday of the year, funerals, weddings, and special Holy Days.
Thanks to Mike Mike Mullins for planning and organizing the greening and decorating of our beautiful Church this Advent and to everyone who turned out to help. Thank you to Lynne Coughlin for enlisting the Vestry and hosting our first coffee, as well as orchestrating an especially jolly Christmas potluck dinner. Thank you to Terry Gaw and Lori McFadden for keeping the coffee hours going at the 8:00 am and 10:00 am services. Thank you to the kindness of all volunteers who help to keep the coffee hours going including Sarah Weitz, Giselle Dorsett, Pat Giese, Lillie Griffin, John MacArthur, Christy Lambertus, Charles and Kirk Bookman, Ed Abdale and Joe Bruzzi, Lynne Coughlin, Carmen Coriazzo-Cannon, Ryan and Dianela Brukardt, Jim and Billie Hairston, and Terry Gaw and Mike Mullins. Please consider hosting an upcoming coffee hour!
Thank you to Ryan Brukardt and Kelly Harris for your work to reinvigorate our acolyte program. Ryan also serves as our verger and our thurifer. It is wonderful to see the young people serve as acolytes. Thank you, Jim Sentman, for organizing our Lectors and Norm Carroll for training our lectors, attending our Services, and offering online Bible Study Sessions. Thank you, Kelly, for all the video live streaming of our services, extra media prints, and emailing efforts during the Advent and Christmas seasons. Thank you, Terry Gaw, for shouldering the ushering job. Volunteers are very needed. Thank you to the heads of all committees and church organizations for your vision, leadership, and hard work.
Important information contributed by Robin Dreyfuss, Mike Mullins, and Lori McFadden for thank yous.
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