Author Archive: Fr. Greg

February 2011 Parish Update

Posted on by

St. Mark’s has been very busy since the New Year began, take a look at the highlights.

Annual Meeting: At the end of January we celebrated our successes and even our challenges at our parish Annual Meeting on the 23rd.  We spoke about ways we can thrive as a parish. First and foremost, we must, as a congregation, invite people to experience God at St. Mark’s. It seems so strange that we spend so much time in our ministries here and support this wonderful parish but we don’t invite as we should. Second, this is the year we begin to refine our vision and mission here at St. Mark’s. The Vestry Retreat on March 5th will feature Carrie Boren from the diocesan office. She is an expert in developing strategies for a parish to find its voice and mission in the world. And finally, Carrie will return two more times in 2011 to St. Mark’s to show us how to easily and quickly “tell our story” to those we encounter in our community. Friends, I can’t tell you how important it is for us to invite people into the presence of our Lord Christ as He is found at St. Mark’s.

At the Annual Meeting, we said thank you to Kathy Whitgrove and Vicki Redden as former Vestry members and to Jenifer Jones and Kathy Whitgrove as Delegate to Diocesan convention. We voted and welcomed to the Vestry, Jeff Gardner and Paulette Austin. We also reelected Kathy Whitgrove to Delegate and added Jeff Gardner to complete that team.  Thank you to those who served and to those who offered themselves to the parish election process.

Confirmation at St. Mark’s with Bishop Stanton: On February 6th , our own Bishop Stanton came to St. Mark’s to lead us in the offering the sacrament of Confirmation to seven of our membership. After the service, we retired to our Parish Hall to participate in our Annual Chili Cook Off.  If you were not there, you missed some great chili. Thank you to all who set up, cooked, and tore down the party, it was a wonderful time.


Jim Rider Oak Tree

Jim Rider Tree: We have two new trees in our yard through the generosity of members and members who have moved away. The first gift came from former members of this parish in memory of our own beloved Jim Rider. Another gift for a second tree came from a current group of members who wanted to pitch in to beautify our corner on 6th and O’Connor. The two trees, both Hybrid Red Oak, look great.

 

Future Offerings and Notices: Please make some space in your calendars for up coming events:

  • Beginning Sunday February 20 through April 3, 2011 the Bodybuilding group will kick off an Easter basket drive for Captain Hope’s Kids.  We need baskets, eggs, candy and other goodies to go into Easter baskets for kids of all ages.
  • On Wednesdays, beginning on March 2, St. Mark’s will be offering a Wednesday Bible Study at 11:15am and Wednesday Noon Holy Eucharist.
  • Our Annual Haiti Fundraiser kicks off on March 6th, after service.  The funds will go directly to offer scholarships to the Bishop Tharp Institute in Haiti.
  • Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper in the Parish Hall on March 8th from 6 to 7:30pm.
  • Ash Wednesday Services on March 9 at 7am and 6:30pm.
  • Wednesday Evenings in Lent, we will gather for Stations of the Cross and Holy Eucharist.
  • Quiet Day sponsored by the Daughters of the King on March 19, 2011.

November 2010 Parish Update

Posted on by

I want to offer a huge thanks to those of us who could make the Stewardship Pot Luck yesterday afternoon.  It was glorious to have a gathering of St. Markians coming together for food and fun.  The different foods were too numerous to list but trust me, they were outstanding as always.  Thanks to all who set up, served, cleaned up, cooked, and all who came.

Our Thanksgiving Service will be celebrated on Wednesday, November 24, 2010 at 6pm this year.  I am moving our annual Thanksgiving Service from Thursday to Wednesday evening so that more of us can return thanks for our many blessings.  It is my hope that with this move, we may have THE Thanksgiving in church before we eat the thanksgiving meal at home.  For those who have friends in town, I am asking that you bring them with you to our parish worship service – we would love to see them.

Bylaws may be found on the half round table in the Parish Hall.

The Annual Meeting is set for Sunday, January  23, 2011.  This is the meeting where we gather as a parish to celebrate our common life together, the things we have accomplished, and determine who will serve us as delegates to diocesan convention or/and sit on our Vestry.  Please mark your calendars.

Nominations for Vestry and Delegate. I have asked all individuals of our parish to begin praying about serving St. Mark’s as a delegate to our diocesan convention and/or serving on our Vestry.  This year the process is a bit different in that those who believed themselves called by God to serve in either capacity will be using a form for nomination.  This form is Addendum I in our Bylaws and can be found on the half round table in the Parish Hall.  This form will be used by our parish to determine who will lead our delegation and our parish.  The forms for nomination are to be in the hands of the Nominating Committee (Vicki Redden, Kathy Whitgrove, Tootsie Morton) by Sunday, January 2, 2011 so the Committee may assure the qualifications for service are met.  The Nominating Committee will then photocopy the approved forms for distribution to the parish.

The Revised Common Lectionary for Sundays is almost in use.  A Sunday lectionary is a list of scripture readings by date.   On the first Sunday of Advent, the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas will move to a new lectionary that allows us to hear more of the Old Testament than we do currently.  If you would like more information on this important move, there is an introductory page on the half round table in the Parish Hall.  If you have any questions after reading the introduction, give me a call.  For our lectors, the shift will be transparent in that nothing will change in the way you serve as a reader.

Rev. Kesner Ajax will be visiting us on Sunday November 21.  He will be giving us a report on what is happening in Haiti and how our Women’s Guild is helping that country by providing scholarships to Haitians for enrollment in the Bishop Tharp Institute.  Please mark your calendars and set aside some time after the service on the 21st to hear the good work being done.

Email Updates from our website.  Are you receiving updates from our fantastic website?  If not, I urge you to go to www.stmarksirving.org look to the right of the pictures on the main page and put your email in the ENEWS AND UPDATES space.  By doing so, you will receive the most up to date information about the goings on at your church.

Thank you again for a wonderful pot luck yesterday and may God bless you and St. Mark’s.

Fr. Greg+

Fall Parish Update

Posted on by

Fall Festival
Last Saturday we were hosts to Captain Hope’s Kids for our Fall Festival.  As you may remember last year, we had plans for a large number of kids to be our guests but many were too ill to come.  We did not have that trouble this year.  The Bodybuilding crew worked like trojans, the parish responded to the call for help – even friends of the parish were in force.  I counted no less than 43 plus our own kids thrown in for good measure.  We had games, food, face painting, bags for the TONS of candy and prizes given to the children.  The crew needed to sponsor an event like this is large.  The adults have to be willing to submit to Safe Church, set aside time in their busy schedules, and then be open to having a conversation with children who are in less than idyllic situations.  Thanks to all who came, supported, worked, and prayed – each one of you truly brought the Kingdom of God down to earth.

Vestry/Delegate Elections
In a previous Parish Update, I informed that St. Mark’s has made some significant upgrades to our Bylaws.  Bylaws are those rules and procedures that the parish leadership agree to follow.   I encourage you to review the Bylaws to understand how we conduct the business of our parish.  The Bylaws are on our website and also a printed copy is posted on the vestry bulliten board in our Parish Hall.

One area of modification is our Vestry/Delegate election process.  We have returned to ask those running for elected office to complete a very short form (Addendum I of our Bylaws).  This Application For Vestry/Delegate Nominee Consideration allows the candidate to communicate directly with those who will be casting votes.  We returned to these forms because the parish wanted more information from the candidates about their vision for St. Mark’s than just the few words that were spoken right before the elections at our Annual Meeting.  This form, once completed, will be given to the Nominating Committee by the candidate for processing, printing and distribution to the parish before our Annual Meeting on Sunday January 23, 2011.

This year’s Nominating Committee is composed of outgoing Vestry members Kathy Whitgrove and Vicki Redden along with Tootsie Morton as the unelected representative from our congregation.  As in previous years, this committee continues to exercise broad authority in shaping the Vestry of the following year.

Two weeks ago, I asked the congregation to begin to pray about serving at the Vestry level.  There is plenty of time to continue in your prayerful deliberations but the forms must  be received by the Nominating Committee by January 2, 2011, three weeks before the elections on January 23, 2011.  This gives our office time to gather the information, assure the qualifications are met and then print early enough so all will have a chance to review the information and decide who will lead our parish.

This will be a critical election in my opinion.  We continue in our ministries, we are seeing new faces in our congregation but we do need to do more in asking people to try St. Mark’s.  This is fast becoming the most presenting issue to be addressed by our parish.

Sunday School
Sunday School continues to be a bright spot for us.  The Sunday School teachers are now in the second unit of the catechism, “Believe In The Creed”.  There will be a Sunday School meeting soon to begin discussing the goings on in Christmastide.  I am so grateful for all who participate in this important ministry to our children.

St. Mark’s Fall Take Out
The Women of St. Mark’s is having their Fall Take Out on Sunday October 24.  Proceeds from the sale of quiche, meat pies, side dishes, dessert pies, and other baked goods will go to the Women of St. Mark’s outreach ministries.  Please mark your calendars and come  hungry and ready to support their efforts.

As always, if you have any questions, please contact me or a member of the Vestry.

May God bless you and St. Mark’s,
Fr. Greg

September 2010 Parish Update

Posted on by

I used to think summer was a time of rest, when the church refreshed itself for the balance of the year.  I now think that while the number of ministry activities is reduced,  the ones that take their place require equal effort in the Lord.

Take VBS for example (see the photo albums).  We had 18 formal team members who came together and delivered an outstanding message to the kids.  But just underneath those 18 were another cadre who cooked taco meat, brought extra items, and let’s not forget the ever present Jr. Warden’s posse among others.  VBS was a little different this year in that the food, art, music, teaching, and activities were formed around the Parable of the Sower.  The program was wonderful.  We had our own VBS-aged kids plus some of their friends and by any account, they enjoyed the program.  This was a huge effort by our parish for our kids – thank you!

Now that summer is waning, the ministries that take a siesta are gearing back up.  The Tuesday night Bible Study is returning along with a full semester of Sunday school.  The choir will resume practice just after the Labor Day break, and the First Sunday EYC meeting starts up just after service.

We have a lot going on in the parish right now so there is a ministry opportunity for every person.  As God continues to lead His people deeper into His service, consider speaking with any of the ministry heads about how to participate.

May God bless you and keep you,

Fr. Greg

Presenting Everyone Mature In Christ

Posted on by

“So that we may present everyone mature in Christ. Paul gives the church a tall order when he writes about transformation to the Colossians. Last week you may remember we spoke about how a community of faith is either propelled forward or held back by its level of spiritual maturity. Fortunately Paul does not leave the Church alone in figuring out just how we go about presenting everyone mature in Christ.” — Listen here, or download the MP3!

A Much Appreciated Upgrade!

Posted on by

Many of you know how concerned I am about the budget line for utilities, especially our electricity consumption. A portion of the issue is that parts of our church were built according to the budget available at the time and so are not the most energy efficient by today’s standards.

To help with this, one of our congregation kindly offered to replace and upgrade the office wing windows on the south side of our property. The new windows are double paned and will help reduce our energy use, especially during these hot days of summer.

I am so grateful for the generosity of all our members and also for those who do what they can to help our parish keep expenses in line with our means. Thank you!

What do you think? Leave a comment below!

New Parish Bylaws Approved For St. Mark’s

Posted on by

Would you like to understand the qualifications for being a vestryperson at St. Mark’s?  Do you want to know how St. Mark’s defines a Member In Good Standing?  The Parish Bylaws are where you find answers to those questions and others.   Our Parish Bylaws are a set of binding rules that guide us in how we conduct our parish business as a member of the Diocese of Dallas. 

The former edition of our Parish Bylaws dated from December 2004 and was not in line with what our parish emphasizes in 2010.  So, how does one make changes to our Parish Bylaws?  Our current Sr. Warden and three past Sr. Wardens teamed up to recommend changes that would help our parish become more transparent in the conduct of business.  They spent a significant amount of time reviewing the previous document and crafting suggested changes for the approval of our Vestry.

Bylaws are so integral to the life of any parish that it takes two vestry meetings to approve the changes.  The suggested changes were accepted by our Vestry and the newly revised Parish Bylaws are now posted in the parish hall and here on our website in the “Parish Documents” section under the “About Us” button at the top.

I so appreciate the efforts of the Sr. Wardens of this parish.  If you have any questions, please contact anyone on the Vestry or me.

Fr. Greg

Comprehending the Grace of God

Posted on by

In the sermon this week, I ask the congregation of Saint Mark’s the same questions Paul asked of the Colossians: “What is the fruit of this congregation?” and “Is it in line with what we see in other healthy churches?”

What do you think? Why not join in the conversation and leave a comment below!

“To truly comprehend the grace of God.  We come to two great questions for St. Mark’s in Paul’s letter to the church in Colossae.  Paul has earned the right to plant churches for the spread of the Gospel.  He has internalized the Gospel of Jesus in a way that allows him to step back from a particular Body of Christ and observe the actions of the church. He begins to ask questions about the functioning of the faithful people who have gathered in the name of the Lord. We see this in the beginning of Paul’s letter. He has asked himself, ‘What are the fruits of this Colossian congregation, and are they similar to other healthy churches?'” — Listen here, or download the MP3!

Parish Update

Posted on by

To the families and friends of St. Mark’s.

Summer Sermons: I wrote last month about the deep season of Pentecost and what that means for our discipleship.  To support this season of learning, you will have noticed that I am preaching through the Letters, or Epistles, of the Bible.  These letters are rich with instruction, pastoral advice, and even some admonition to a Church trying to find its own way after Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father.  Further, these letters help Christians today see the Trinity at work in the world.

Hearing sermons from this portion of the Scriptures can be difficult simply because the material may be less familiar than the Gospel readings.  In your devotions during the week, it might be helpful to review the readings from Sunday so as to get a sense of the issues and solutions that the authors are offering.  It is important to realize that it is not only the Gospels that are the inspired Word of the Lord.  I hope you will find these portions of Holy Scripture to be very relevant to us today.

Our Cool Church, went through a spell of not being so cool, as you no doubt remember.  As of now, we still are not completely sure what caused at least three of our air conditioning units to fail and one other unit to reduce its efficiency but we are working on the issue with the proper professionals.  I am so grateful for the ministries of our Jr. Warden, Bill Martichuski, Dave Brudi, and not least of all our own George Watson (who did the hot roof top work for us).  None of these men would want recognition but I want each of you to know how much our parish relies on them.

Please remember your parish as we move through this summer season.  With so many people taking time off, large expenditures must be paid for out of church savings.  If you can, please consider adding to your regular pledge to help us meet our budget and replace our savings account.

May God bless you and keep you.

Fr. Greg+

How to Be a Community of New Creation

Posted on by

"This is the last time we will be in Paul’s letter to the Galatians for a while and he does not disappoint in this final volley to a church in trouble. Paul is reducing the several themes of this letter to a very ‘thick syrup’ of what it means to be a Community in Christ – that New Creation he speaks of so often. How does he do this?" — Listen here, or download the MP3!