Hugs & Quiches For A Successful Fall Food Take Out!

Our first attempt at the Fall Food Takeout was a smashing success! The sale raised over $1100 in just over 30 minutes!

Thanks to everyone for cooking and purchasing your friends’ dishes. HOWEVER, Julie E. got the feeling that several folks did not get the Quiches they were hoping for. We did not have that many to sell…. so here is Julie’s offer….

On November 7th, she will have Quiches available to those folks who wanted them IF YOU PRE-ORDER AND LET HER KNOW THIS WEEK – Cost: $12 ea.

They will be uncooked and frozen, so you will need to thaw them in the refrigerator and then bake. Please choose what you would like from the following: Quiche Lorraine, Ham & Cheese, and Broccoli Mushroom.

Please let her know if you were unable to participate in the Take Out and be sure to ORDER your Quiche this week. She will only take orders until 10/31 – and only by email or phone. She will not be at church on the 31st, so please let her know as soon as you can.

Again, thanks for all your support of the other FABULOUS food!

Promoting Outreach Through The Women’s Guild

The Women’s Guild of St. Mark’s hosted two members of the Advocates for Homeless Teens, Dr. Lori Davis and Judy Smith, at their meeting of September 28, 2010.

The Advocate group has been appointed by the Mayor of Irving, with the task of recommending action which would lead to the provision of a safe and stable environment in which homeless teens can live while attending high school in Irving.

Homeless children are entitled to protection under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act, the primary piece of federal legislation dealing with the education of youth experiencing homelessness in U.S. public schools. The term “homeless” applies to children sharing housing due to economic hardship or loss of housing; children living in motels or camp grounds due to lack of alternative accommodations; or to children awaiting foster care placement.

While the city of Irving does not have emergency or transitional facilities to accommodate homeless teens yet, alarming statistics attest to the following facts:

  • Less than one in four homeless teens graduates from high school.
  • Over twenty percent of girls become pregnant.
  • One third of homeless children are forced into sexual exploitation within 48 hours.
  • More children are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless in Texas than in any other state.
  • Texas had 337,000 homeless children as of 2009. In 2008 a count found there were 1,273 homeless children on any given night in Dallas County and the numbers are growing.
  • Texas received the lowest ranking in the nation in a state report card on child homelessness.
  • Texas has no long-term planning to address homeless children
  • Homeless children are invisible.

IRVING FIGURES

In May 2010 at IISD there were 135 active homeless students in 9th-12th grade and 30 active homeless students in Winfree Academy Charter School. Last year, there were over 1000 homeless children in IISD schools.

Given the enormous task of dealing with the entire homeless population, the Advocates decided to focus on a smaller group – these homeless teens who were trying to stay in school.

POVERTY vs. POVERTY PLUS HOMELESSNESS

Studies have shown that homeless youth have a higher risk of academic failure than those students who live in dire poverty, but have stable housing. It was therefore obvious that housing was a critical problem.

PROBLEMS IN SCHOOL

Children living in homeless situations usually perform two to three years below grade level.

HOMELESS TEENS MORE LIKELY…

To experience physical abuse and low self-esteem, health problems and malnutrition, sleeping problems and low levels of language skills and learning disabilities attention deficit disorder, and developmental delays.

To exhibit anxiety, withdrawal, depression, restlessness, hyperactivity, aggressive behavior, inappropriate acting out and immature motor behavior.

Attendees were apprised of the services being provided to homeless teens under the Pass Program (Program for Assisting Students in School), and of plans for establishing group housing for boys, initially, in Irving. The consensus was reached that this was an issue worthy of support under St. Mark’s Outreach Program.

All Scripture Is Inspired By God

“As the Gospel opens up today, we see Jesus instructing the disciples in the art of persistence seamlessly joined to the subject of prayer. Kind of odd that the disciples would need a lesson in persistence and prayer at this stage of things. Now we may assume that only contemporary, and non-religious people would have problems with these things, but Jesus knew better…” — Listen here, or download the MP3!

UPDATE: Would you please bake some pies?

UPDATE: Please let Julie E. know if you would like to help with some cooking at the church on the following dates:

Monday, 10/18 – 10 to 2
Tuesday, 10/19 – 10 to 2
Thursday, 10/21 – 10 to 2
Friday, 10/22 – 10 to 2

You are welcome to come and cook your own dishes or help Julie with some soups, casseroles, cookies, etc.

Sunday the 24th, Julie will need several folks to help sell the items and help clean up after the sale.

Thanks so much for your support!!!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The Saint Mark’s Women’s group is planning a Fall Food Takeout event to be held Sunday, October 24th. This event will be similar to the Country Kitchen, but will enable customers to take food home rather than dine in the Parish Hall.

In order to make this event as successful as possible, we have two requests:

  • Would you please make some pies — quiches, meat pies, side dishes and/or other goods that we could sell on Sunday the 24th? Please make things that freeze well and that can be put in dishes that do not need to be returned. If we have left overs, we will keep the items for sale the following Sunday.
  • Would you please tell your friends and neighbors to come by from 11 to 1 to buy some great home baked goods? We will have flyers available by this coming Sunday.

 

Julie E. will be at the Church most of the week prior to the sale on the 24th to cook, bake, and freeze in preparation for the event and she encourages others to join her. Please contact Julie directly with any questions you may have.

Fall Esprit Diocesan Magazine Now Available Online

A letter from Bret Williams, Missioner for Communications, Episcopal Diocese of Dallas, regarding the fall issue of Esprit magazine:

I am pleased to announce that the October edition of Esprit is ready and available online. Here is the direct link to the online magazine: http://content.yudu.com/A1pbo0/Esprit/

You may also access this via the homepage of the Diocesan site at http://www.dallasdiocese.org

We are also in the process of delivering hard copies to your church. We are delivering fewer hard copies this quarter based on the digital availability of the publication. Therefore, we are asking that you include this link in your email communications to your congregation, or forward this link to the Esprit directly to your members in a separate email. Thank you for your help in the distribution of our Diocesan magazine, we hope you enjoy this edition.

Also, please feel free to help us promote our Diocesan iPad/iPhone app “EDOD Mobile.” This edition of Esprit is currently available through this app as well.

Think about how God has set up His salvation…

“Think about how God has set up His salvation. He created us to give glory and honor to Him to the end that all might come to Him. But God did not create robots did He? No, He also implanted free will so that whoever returned to the Father might do it on his or her own…” — Listen here, or download the MP3!

Adventure Team Visits Texas Scottish Rite Hospital

Tuesday, October 5th, the Saint Mark’s Adventure Team toured the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Dallas.

Texas Scottish Rite Hospital is an absolutely amazing place that treats Texas children from birth to 18 years of age who have pediatric orthopedic conditions such as scoliosis, clubfoot, hand disorders, hip disorders, limb length differences, as well as certain related neurological disorders and learning disorders (dyslexia.)

Over 190,000 children have been treated totally free of charge since its inception in 1921 with more than 40,000 clinic visits each year.

For further information about Texas Scottish Rite Hospital, see www.tsrhc.org.


The Saint Mark's Adventure Team at the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital.

I Know In Whom I Believe

“Did you catch that portion of the Letter to Timothy? The part that intimated that Paul was in prison? Paul finds himself in trouble and yet he still writes these letters to support a younger church leader….” — Listen here, or download the MP3!

The Second Annual Fall Festival for Captain Hope’s Kids

The Second Annual Fall Festival for Captain Hope’s Kids will be held on Saturday, October 9th from 10:30am to 1:00pm.

Donations of children’s books and individually wrapped candies can be left in the parish hall. Cookies and brownies are needed the day of the event.

If you would like to participate, please sign-up in the Parish Hall and/or contact Wende B. or Patricia S. for more information.

“Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called…”

“We have been spending the last three weeks studying Paul’s first letter to Timothy. Today we come to the summation of all we have said. Before we get to that I want to make sure we all are clear on something.

When you and I share this sermon time together, my expectation is not that you are necessarily going to have a Eureka moment and all of the sudden become a super Christian, involved in 4 ministries, catching up on the pledge and then going beyond it in blessed thanksgiving for all that our Lord God has done in your life…” — Listen here, or download the MP3!