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Our Mission:
"Sharing Christ's love by feeding people in body, mind, and spirit."
Sunday Service Live-stream

Click the above video preview or the YouTube logo this Sunday to connect to our YouTube live-stream

Click the thumbnail image to download an electronic (PDF) copy of our bulletin.

All videos of the service are available on our
YouTube Channel or
via our FaceBook page.
Online Collection
and Coffee Hour


Are you a member of St. Mark's and/or enjoying this video? Consider using our online offering plate to make a gift to God through St. Mark's.

Do you want to continue to conversation? Join us for our Virtual Coffee Hour on Zoom at 11:30 am following the service. NOTE: Guests, please email the Rector to be admitted (to prevent Zoombombing).
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Rector's Reflections

Week beginning Sunday, August 16
The Rev. Tom Sramek, Jr., Rector

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. -- Matthew 16:15-18

It is not surprising that Jesus, the Carpenter of Nazareth, often uses building metaphors in his discussions with his disciples. Building and fishing were two of the primary trades in that area and his disciples were hardly men of sophistication and deep thinking. So one might even detect a note of surprise in Jesus' voice when he hears Simon Peter's confession: "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." Perhaps even Peter was surprised! Of course, neither Peter nor any of the rest of the disciples knew what it meant, truly meant, that Jesus was the Messiah, the anointed one. Sure, they knew what Hebrew scripture said about the messiah, but Jesus was showing them a completely different version than they were expecting. He was not going to be the conquering hero that would overthrow the Roman occupation and restore Israel. Instead, he would be crucified on a Roman cross because of the temple authorities and would be betrayed by one disciple and abandoned by the rest. In fact, in the passage following the one appointed for Sunday, Jesus describes much of this and gets into a huge argument with Peter about it. Jesus wouldn't live to rescue Israel--Jesus would die and rise again to rescue humanity itself.

In the passage from the St. Paul's letter to the church in Rome, Paul describes the response he believes God wants from Jesus' followers to Jesus' sacrifice: "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:1-2). Just as Jesus doesn't limit himself to the expectations of his disciples, his family, or even his country, we too are called to seek and do God's will in our own lives, God's "good, pleasing, and perfect will."

There will be many things we are asked to decide in the days, weeks, months, even years to come. There is a national election in little more than two months. How shall we vote? There is the ongoing Covid-19 situation. How do we deal with that? There are the financial challenges many are facing and that St. Mark's will face in 2021. What shall we do? In all of those decisions, we are to seek God's will and "be transformed by the renewing" of our minds. That means knowing that God is present, God will provide, and that God will direct us if we step back and discern that gracious will. May we do so daily!

--Tom+

BFF Brief: Over Two Years, $2.2 Million...and almost complete!


The last month's progress has slowed to a crawl as we still await countertops, fire-resistant interior glass windows, and a door opening mechanism. When we began this project with a visioning process in July 2017, planning and design in late 2017 and early 2018 and groundbreaking on July 1, 2018 we could never have guessed that a $1.4 million one-year project would expand to a more than two year, $2.2 million project! As many people have remarked, this has been a journey of faith, challenges, and blessings. We've sold and moved out of Hafer House, we've raised nearly all of the money, taking on some debt in the process. While we are still in the final weeks of project completion, we're getting close!

As we move towards the end, we want to again thank those who pledged and gave to make this project a reality. When we began, we had no idea that a global pandemic would keep us from fully enjoying our building or that we would even be waiting this long! Yet, the building is up and almost finished, our offices are moved and established, and we are slowly living into our new space. We envision that it will take us a full year to settle into our new Parish & Community Center. We will be transforming it from the functional building that it currently is to the vibrant home of our congregation that we know it will be. We will also need to address the extensive water damage in the basement, remove everything down there, and refurbish it, likely as simply storage areas. We are hoping that once we can gather fully together as a congregation, we can have a proper building blessing--perhaps with our new bishop!

For now, we continue to wait. We will NOT be gathering for a celebration on Sunday, August 30 because the building is not yet finished and because gathering 100+ people is not yet safe. The building is not going away, so we have plenty of time to celebrate it and enjoy it.

Thanks again for your patience and prayers.

-- The Building For the Future (BFF) Committee

UPCOMING EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Live-streaming with a “studio audience”
begins Sept. 6th with a single 9 am service.

Reservations and masks will be required.

We will begin resuming in-person worship with the continuation of the single live-streamed service of Morning Prayer and Music beginning September 6, but at 9 am rather than 10 am (also available to watch anytime after the live-stream ends, so people can still watch at 10 am). There will be spaces available in the church for up to 25 people to watch from the pews. There will be no congregational singing and limited responses. The link for reservation is here and below.

If we consistently get enough people at the single service, we will move back to our regular 8 and 10 am services. After several weeks of ongoing evaluation, we will add Eucharist to the service under our pandemic guidelines. Should county cases spike or other issues arise, we will be prepared to step back to an earlier phase of worship, up to and including live-streamed only worship.
Register for 9 am Morning Prayer & Music Service

Rest in Peace: Fr. Tom Murphy
Former "Interim-Interim" at
St. Mark's died yesterday, August 19


It is with great sadness that I report the news from Trinity, Ashland that our beloved Fr. Tom Murphy (the "other" Fr. Tom) passed away early yesterday morning. He was beginning treatment for recently-diagnosed spinal cancer but his death was nonetheless stunning to many of us.

Fr. Tom was one of the first people I met my first day here, September 1, 2016 as he led me through my first Eucharist at Rogue Valley Manor's chapel. It was his way of passing the baton to me, the new Rector. He was beloved by many at St. Mark's and will be sorely missed.

Fr. Tom's funeral will be held at Trinity Episcopal Church Ashland on Friday, August 28, at 9:30 a.m. with COVID-19 restrictions in place. Attendance is limited to 30 people in the church and 30 people in the parish hall, distanced and masked.
-- Rev. Tom / Fr. Tom

Media Minsitry Forming
From experts to learners,
volunteers are needed!


As we move into the 2020-21 Program Year, we're forming a new ministry:
The St. Mark's Media Ministry.

Ideally composed of 4 to 6 people, team members will be primarily focused on the church's Sunday morning live-streamed service as well as other audio and video offerings. The group will be tasked with evaluating current equipment and processes, recommending new equipment, and overseeing our web site and social media offerings. This ministry welcomes those experienced in video, audio, social media, and web sites as well as those willing to learn. Please contact the Rector if you are interested. We are hoping to have our first meeting in mid-September.
 

Book Study has a NEW book!
Studying "Grateful"
by Diana Butler Bass beginning
THIS Wednesday, August 26
Zoom Meeting ID# 684-182-4478


Having completed our previous book, we're moving on to our next: "Grateful: The Subversive Practice of Giving Thanks." You are invited to purchase the book on Amazon for $11.59 or via our St. Mark's Bookshop for $15.63 (remember, we get 10%). You are also welcome to visit the Grateful study page on her web site, which includes a discussion guide.

Please join us at 6 pm beginning THIS Wednesday, August 26 by clicking here. Thanks!
 
Coming soon....
our Stewardship theme
for 2021:

Extending the Blessing!
More information to come!

THIS Sunday, August 23
at 10 am: Live-streamed
Morning Prayer and Music

THIS Sunday, August 23 at 10 am will be our next Morning Prayer and Music live-stream, but we have moved from streaming with an iMac and a web cam to using a video recorder and dedicated streaming equipment. As of September 6 we will move the live-stream to 9 am with a “studio audience” (see above). As we move to an in-person but continued live-streamed services we will continue to refine this process. Thanks for your flexibility!

Questions? Contact Reverend Tom.
St. Mark's Food Pantry
continues to be open and operating every Wednesday from 9 to 11 a.m. Delivery and setup for volunteers is at 8 a.m. To volunteer, or with questions, contact Kit Nilles.
Keep spreading the word!

Bishop Election All-Parish Video Meeting THIS Thursday, Aug. 27:
All church members are invited to attend with our Parish Delegation.

The Walk-abouts are over. The interviews are done. Now, one more week for discussion and discernment and David and Debra McFadden, Bob Wille, and Reverend Tom will be voting for our next bishop on Saturday, August 29! Please join Reverend Tom and others from our congregation for a Bishop Election Forum this coming Thursday, August 27 at 7 p.m. via Zoom. Click here to join the Zoom call on that date at that time.

The Walk-abouts took place last week in various places throughout the diocese and were live-streamed for all to see. The recordings of the live-streams may be viewed by clicking on the appropriate date below. Note that as this is sent, only the first two recordings are available. The rest will be available in the coming days. As a follow-up to the Q&A Presentations, there will be 45-minute, individual interviews with each Candidate available for viewing approximately 10 days before the Electing Convention. The Q&A Presentations will also be available for viewing at your convenience.

Any of the above or the 45 minute in-depth interviews may be accessed on the Walkabouts web page by clicking here.

For more information on the process or on the candidates for the 11th Bishop of Oregon, please click here to go to the Bishop Search page on the diocesan web site. Especially during these difficult times, please keep the delegates, candidates, and the Diocese of Oregon in your prayers.
As noted above, our Project Completion Celebration for the
St. Mark's Parish & Community Center
has been postponed indefinitely, pending the completion of the building. Bishop Michael Hanley will hold a short ribbon-cutting on the afternoon of Sunday, September 13 to which all are invited.

St. Mark's Masks!
Masks with window logo
ARE HERE!

NEW! We are offering masks with the St. Mark’s window logo. Our cost for each mask is $12, but you are invited to pay one of the following per mask:
  • $10 (or less) if you can’t afford full price (no judgement if this is the case).
  • $15 to partially cover costs for the above discounted masks or with shipping.
  • $20 (or more) to help fund the Rector’s Covid-19 Fund to be used for safety equipment, sanitizer, and live-streaming equipment..
Masks are three-ply with two cotton layers and an outer waterproof layer. Not for medical use. Masks will be available at the office or by mail. Contact the office at (541) 773-3111 or click here to email.
Covid-19 Coronavirus
Corner


NEW! Covid-19 Threat Level indicator for Jackson County

Governor's plan for reopening.

IHME Covid-19 model for Oregon.

Our Coping with Coronavirus page.
The RVM Bible Study
is resuming soon!

Thursday, September 3 at 9:30 am in the Cascade Room (off the main dining room) Masks and physical distancing will be required. Chapel services will resume as soon as possible.

The RVM Church Shuttle is operating, and people are invited to attend St. Mark's beginning on Sunday, September 6 at 9 a.m. (register by clicking here) but we remind residents that they are "at risk" and it is strongly suggested that they continue worshipping remotely.
TAXES AND DONATIONS TO ST. MARK'S

A reminder that donations to St. Mark's are tax deductible if you itemize. Since fewer people are likely to itemize with the new tax laws, there are three other options that may be more advantageous to give either a operating fund or BFF Capital Fund gift, including:
  • Appreciated Stocks: You may donate stocks that have appreciated in value directly to St. Mark's that will then be sold by us, avoiding capital gains taxes but giving the charitable deduction for the value of the sold stock.
  • Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs): You can "roll over" IRA funds directly to St. Mark's and will not be taxed on the amount transferred. This is especially handy for those who are required to withdraw funds from their IRA every year but may not need the money for regular expenses. The donor must be 70 1/2 to take advantage of this opportunity. More information can be found here.
  • Life Insurance and Pension Proceeds: While this is obviously more a part of an estate plan, St. Mark's may be named as a beneficiary on  your life insurance policy or pension plan. If you have a life insurance policy that your heirs may not need to cover expenses, consider changing the beneficiary to St. Mark's. Please notify us if you do this, as some insurance companies are not required to do so.
Please also note that, as a result of the CARES Act, one is allowed to deduct $300 from one's income even if not itemizing. If one does itemize, one can deduct 100% of one's donation from taxable income. Please contact the church office if you would like to discuss ways to financially support St. Mark's. Roger Hercl, our Accounting Manager, can assist you in processing a donation and we have investment advisors who can assist as well. As always, consult your own tax advisor to see what options may be best for you.
Pledge and Give
ONLINE!

Haven't pledged yet, and don't want to deal with Realm?
Click here to go to our 2020 Online Pledge Card.
St. Mark's also has the ability to receive financial gifts online.
Click here to go to our giving page.
Contact Roger Hercl, Accounting Manager, if you have any questions.


Visit our NEW
Online Bookstore!

St. Mark's now has a new online bookstore alternative to Amazon through Bookshop.com and we get 10% back on all books ordered from the site.
Support St. Mark's
through Amazon

Join Amazon Smile!

St. Mark's has registered with the Amazon Smile program. Join Amazon Smile (go to www.smile.amazon.com) and designate St. Mark's as your supported charity. Or simply click here or on the image above! After that, just go to smile.amazon.com and your purchase benefits St. Mark's!

Check out our Wish List!
You are also invited to check out our "Wish List" for a list of wanted or needed items you may wish to donate to St. Mark's Thanks!
Holding in prayer....
Please continue to keep the following people and groups in your prayers. We will update these requests as often as we are able.

In our Anglican Cycle of Prayer,
Pray for all members of the Anglican Communion around the world.

Pray for the Church of the Province of South East Asia
The Most Revd Melter Tais - Archbishop of South East Asia & Bishop of Sabah

In our Diocesan Cycle of Prayer, we pray for all of our churches:

Seaside: Calvary. David Sweeney, rector; Diane Higgins, deacon

Shady Cove: St. Martin. Laura Sheridan Campbell, vicar; Allan Miles, deacon

In our neighborhood and community, we pray for the following area ministries and organizations:  Trinity Presbyterian & Family Nurturing Center
We especially remember those who have been commended to our prayers: Anne Henry, Joyce Graham, Lou Worland, Tielar Horn & Family; Roan Wildmare, Allen Stewart, Amy Dials, Debra McFadden, Lynn Ogren, James Coghill, Tom Upton Tina Reis-Leveron and others for whom we love and care.. 

We pray for those who have died, especially the victims of Covid-19.
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