Good stuff:
kids are having fun! (love getting dressed up)
good hands-on material and experiencevolunteers have done a great great job with their characters & shops/games (looking forward to more!)Thanks for the ice water & fruit tray at the end of the eveningSeveral families stuck around after the closing celebration to chat-even though it might have been after bedtime for some children!

This Sunday we will continue the open congregational meeting of 6/13 to discuss the House Next Door

URGENT HELP NEEDED to procure use of a 15-passenger van to take 10 people, luggage and food to the Adirondacks. We will be leaving Thursday morning, August 5 and returning Saturday afternoon, August 7. Contact Lori Holt at 624-4221 if you are able to help.

Spring is upon us, and that means it is time for our Choir to welcome you to its annual spring Chicken BBQ.  We've been serving our community for over 50yrs, and some have even said it's the best BBQ around!  Your meal includes half a chicken as well as 3 sides, beverage and dessert for only $8.00 (less for children).  Take-Out is available.  Take-out and dine-in begin at 4:00pm sharp, and service will continue until we run out!  Helpful hint:  if you want to be assured of dinner - make sure to come by early - in the past year we have sold out by 6pm!

For directions to St. Mark - check the map link on the homepage or call 585.624.1766

Do you know the difference between a well and a stream?  A stream has "living water", while well-water stays in place and become stagnate.  St. Mark recently made a decision in our Voters' Assembly to be a Stream of Blessing in 2010.  Supporting mission work has been a priority of St. Mark for many years.  Through our Eastern District we support the training of professional church workers, missionaries and social welfare organizations that respond to human need in natural disasters.  Locally, we support Community Lutheran Ministry (Deaconess Maggie Harris), Alpha Lutheran Church of the Deaf, Lutheran Campus Ministry at RIT, and Benincasa Hospice in Mendon.  In supporting mission work in 2010, our members voted to apply any income beyond our budget into mission work.  This means we are not storing up reserves like stagnate water in a well, but allowing the blessings of God to flow to us and through us to others:  "Blessed to be a Blessing".  This past year, our mission support increased by nearly 20% over 2008.  Let's see how God plans to use us this year in the task of Kingdom Building!

Today, the practice of Catechesis (instruction in the Christian faith), is still a significant part of the Lutheran Church - it was Luther's hope that we as Christians would believe, teach, and confess the same faith as delivered in the Word of God.  At St. Mark, the rite of Confirmation is an opportunity for our 8th graders to make public confession of the faith they have learned by catechesis.  Our confirmation ministry is called "Head to the Heart".  Rather than simply being an academic exercise in head knowledge, we seek to integrate faith into the lives of 6th-8th graders through a variety of educational approaches an opportunitites to build relationships where we attempt to instill the value of "moving faith" from the head to the heart.  We use PowerPoint for the outlines of lessons, we engage in gameshow-style quizzes to see what our students already know before we begin a lesson ("open the kids before opening the book").  We have skits, testimonies of faith given by members, time in small group discussion and study of the bible.  What's more, the model we use sees learning as part of the whole person; namely, we learn and grow in our faith not only in the classroom, but as we play and engage in engage in service projects together.  The model is one of LEARN, PLAY SERVE.

When you consider the example of Jesus in teaching his disciples, you might see the same method.  He instructed them frequently by word and example, often using everday objects to help reinforce his teaching - that's Learning! In their travels, Jesus and his disciples took time to play; in fact, the very first miracle recorded in John 5 took place in Cana at a wedding.  Jesus was at a party with his friends - that's Play!  Some churches use the word "Fellowship" to describe this personal interaction with others.  He also met the needs of people he encountered and came "to serve, not to be served and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45) - that's serving!  As a incoming college student, the Dean of Students addressed my class, telling us that the life lessons we learned on the sports field, in service projects and social settings were just as important to our growth as what we learned in the classroom.  It seems Jesus knew that lesson and practiced it with his followers.

Whether you are a kid or an adult, Learning, Play and Serving together will help you grow as a believer in Jesus Christ.  Faith is truly a gift of God (Romans 10 says "faith comes by hearing...the Word of God"), but our ongoing participation in a community of faith (church) is often based upon the relationships we form when we engage in fellowship (play) and serve alongside others in menaingful projects.  Those who remain active in their church found and continue to find opportunity for each to apply faith to life.  I hope you will follow the example of Jesus and consider how you can grow in your faith as you Learn, Play and Serve.

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On Wednesday, July 22nd, 49 people gathered at the Mendon Community Center to enjoy a discussion led by Sandy Huffman, member of Mendon Church.  We heard from members of St. Catherine who saw author Paul Young at a speaking engagement.  They helped us understand the life experiences that led to the writing of Mack's story.  Our group talked about the experience of reading the book and shared thoughts, questions and concerns.  We hope this gathering, called "Books & Coffee", will be the first of a series of such community discussions.  Hope to see you at the next one!

On the first Friday of summer vacation, a group of teens and pre-teens hung out at Wayne & Sarah Pluta's home in Honeoye Falls as the first summer "hang time".  We went swimming, enjoyed pizza, played with garden snakes and rode a min-bike and a quad!  Pictures can be found in the photo section of this website - check them out and you'll see why you should come to the next one!  We'll be swimming again and, come August, we'll be fishing!  Call 624-1766 for details or e-mail us to get on the mailing list:  pastorsmith@stmarkmendon.org  Next Hang Time will be Friday, July 31st at the Plutas - Hope to see you there, and bring a friend!

"Worship is a place where God's children - both young and old - come to receive His gifts and return thanks with prayer, praise and song, but not every child connects with God on the same level," says Pastor Smith.  This Summer, children ages 9 & under will have a special 15-20min break-away event each Sunday during church to engage in a project or activity related to the bible lessons and/or theme of the day.  Kids will come to worship with their families and sing the opening songs, receive God's forgiveness, pray, hear the bible readings and even get their own sermon; you know, the children's message that everyone looks forward to each week!  After the children's message, they will join adult volunteers who will help them work on a weekly project.  Don't fret, though, because the kids will return from their project in time to join their families and receive a blessing at the Lord's Table.  It is our hope to deepen the kids' experience of God on Sunday and help them engage their faith with hands-on opportunities.  Call the church secretary at 624.1766 if you would like to know more or to sign up to work with the kids for 15-20mins one Sunday this summer!

"BFF!"  If you have children or grandchildren that send text messages, you may be familiar with this abbreviation for "Best Friends Forever!"  It's a quick way to refer to someone who is very special to you.  Well, our very own Effie Steingasser got the ball rolling to have a casual gathering for very special friends to meet & eat at St. Mark.  In February, the first Fellowship Luncheon was held with a wonderful spread and a magic show from Absolutely Magic Entertainment, featuring our very own Pastor Brian Smith.  It was open to all ages and everyone decided that it should be a new tradition.  The Fellowship Luncheon takes place at St. Mark and is open to anyone in the community who would enjoy a break in their day to enjoy some good food, fun, and making a new "BFF!"

This month, we invite you to come meet some very special guests in worship on Sunday mornings.  We are inviting missionaries to come share the news of what's happening in the mission field - staring right here in Rochester.  Here is a sneak-peak of who is coming:

• May 17th - Lutheran Campus Ministry at RIT:  2009 Graduate Alex Koroleski will tell us how campus ministry made a difference in his academic experience at RIT and continues to have an impact in his new vocation in the City of Rochester.
• May 24th - Dr. Jim Sanders will give a presentation during adult education (beginning at 10:30am) on his work as a medical missionary with CURE International.
• May 31st - Allen & Sheri Larson have served as Bible Translators in Sierra Leone-West Africa and Guatemala (where their children were born) among the Garifuna people. They will bring information and join us in worship to share the work of Lutheran Bible Translators and Wycliffe Bible Translators.

Our Lord Jesus charges the church with the task of "making disciples" (Matthew 28) - it is our privilege to share in this task in Mendon, Rochester and beyond as we engage in mission and support the proclamation of the Gospel through local and world missions.  for more information on these missions, contact us at info@stmarkmendon.org 

Despite the current economic climate and financial woes of 2008-2009, St. Mark members have come together to show overwhelming support for our local missions.  In the first quarter of 2009, our members have worked to raise more than $2,000 for local missions!!!  Those missions include Community Lutheran Ministry (Deaconess Maggie Harris) and The Rochester Mission Initiative (Pastor Ramdat Sarran), Benincasa Hospice, and F.I.S.H. (Friends In Service Here - a local food cupboard)  All proceeds from our recent Chicken BBQ have been designated for local missions, as will a portion of the upcoming Firemen's Carnival Pizza Booth.  Please pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to move our hearts to giving generously in support of ministry and mission at St. Mark.  As a celebration of missions, guests have been invited to share the good news from the field, including Lutheran Campus Ministry at RIT, CURE Intenrational (featuring our very own - Dr. Jim Sanders), and Lutheran Bible Translators.  Check out the Calendar Section of our website for more details!  Come celebrate and support the Lord's work - beginning right here at home!