26Jan23

A Message from our Rector,

Father Grant Wiseman

Dear Parish Family,

It was wonderful to have such a large Annual Meeting. I am grateful for the incredible work that Chuck Gregory accomplished as Senior Warden. I am also thankful for the leadership that Lynne Coughlin and Debbie Ferguson provided during the transition while on vestry. I look forward to the work our new vestry will accomplish over the next year. The new members of our vestry, Doug Reynolds and Alex Barcellos, bring some amazing gifts to our vestry.

We are in the process of installing the new cameras and the sound system is on order with hopes for it to be installed soon. There are several ministry opportunities at Saint Mark’s and you can find more information and sign up to become involved on the table in the Narthex (The Entry to the Church).

Ash Wednesday and Lent will be coming soon, and I am looking forward to enjoying that season with you all. We will be restarting the Wednesday Night Suppers during Lent. Also, I want to remind everyone of the Family First Saturday event coming up on February 4th that will be a Karaoke Night.

Yours In Christ,

Father Grant +

SAINT MARK’S GOT TALENT!

Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12; The Address of the Ages – 1/29

Winston Churchill, Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Abraham Lincoln: these and others have given wonderful speeches, but Sunday’s Gospel, the Sermon on the Mount, ranks as the most amazing and inspiring in all human discourse. “Blessed” {from the Greek word makarios) means “how joyful”. Jesus is telling us how to have everlasting joy. Understand His words; proclaim them; follow them, and you will have everlasting joy. (Norm Carroll)

In Appreciation

Vestry Thanksgiving

This week we express gratitude for the service of three term-limited members of the Saint Mark’s Vestry.

Chuck Gregory has served on the vestry for the past four years. He served as our Senior Warden the past two years, helping lead us through our rector transition. Chuck has been the voice of pragmatism, understanding and compassion.

He has been a significant contributor to our virtual worship experience. Chuck had an opportunity to reflect on his four-year tenure as a vestry member (CLICK HERE TO READ). According to Robin Dreyfuss “he helped construct and lead a new vestry during an extremely difficult time for the church. He stayed dedicated, calm and determined to see the church through turbulent and challenging times – a great achievement.”

Lynne Coughlin has been a long time parish leader for the Saint Mark’s journey. Lynne has helped the vestry focus on our best near-term opportunities. She led the reorganizing of The Guild, our senior ministry and is an integral contributor to our ECW relaunch.

Debbie Ferguson is a long time leader within the parish. She has led our ECW chapter in addition to being a wonderful presence. Debbie sadly spent time away from us in order to care for the tragic loss of her grandson. Her care is inspirational. (Mike Mulllins)

Link to the Church and School Calendars on the Web

CLICK HERE to view up-to-date, easy-to-read church and school schedules of activities, a very useful tool.

Let Us All Pray Together Daily

Father Grant has a daily prayer blog which he starts each morning. He shares this with all who would like to pray together at www.atwinfather.com. When you go to the prayer of the day, there is an option to receive the daily prayer in your email inbox so that you don’t have to type it in every day.

Face Mask in Church – Optional

Now that the cases of COVID have thankfully abated, wearing a facial mask is encouraged, but not required. Please respect the space of those who choose to be more cautious.

Pastoral Care at Saint Mark’s

Father Grant, our rector is currently available to provide pastoral care for our parish. You may contact Fr. Grant at 954-334-0131, or by email at gwiseman@saintmarks.com.

Please submit your future write-ups to Dorothy Seibert at dorothyseibert@comcast.net. We also invite you to post on our church website blog, https://saintmarksftl.com/submit-post/, which helps us keep up with the sharing of information. All information will be reviewed and considered for posting on the church website, Facebook page, and Instagram, as well as in this Parish News.

If you are not receiving our Parish News, please sign up at https://saintmarksftl.com/#subscribenow, and complete the Constant Contact form located on the right side of the web page.