Saint Mark's Church

CHILDREN & FAMILIES

Child Care for infants and small children is provided every Sunday morning from 8:45 a.m. to 1 p.m., downstairs in the Nursery. An usher can show you the way. Our Soft Space, where children and their parents can spread out and be comfortable, is located at the back of the church, opposite the Font.

Sunday School for children begins a hiatus next week for the summer months and will resume on Sunday, September 9.  We expect to initiate some changes to our approach to Sunday School next year which we hope will improve the experience of our kinds and help to form their sense of Christian identity more effectively.  The time for Sunday School will not change – it will continue to be held each week from 10:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.

20s & 30s

20s/30s Brunch Outing - Join us on Sunday, July 8, after the 11:00 Mass and Coffee Hour for a casual brunch outing. All 20s/30s are welcome - and feel free to bring a friend!

ADULT FAITH FORMATION

The 10 am Adult Forum is held every Sunday morning at 10 am in the Parish Hall.  This is normally a presentation or discussion on some matter of faith and religion. 

The Choral Tradition - Sundays in June  Explore the tradition of choral singing in the church  on the Sundays in June.  On June 17 and 24 Matthew Glandorf will give talks about the long history of choral music, and the place of the choral tradition within the larger context of music history.

The forum will begin a hiatus on July 1 for the summer months.

UPCOMING EVENTS & LITURGIES

Vacation Music School - On August 7, 8, and 9, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Saint Mark's will be offering our first Vacation Music School. Children ages 3 to 10 are invited to spend three days with professional musicians, teachers, and faithful volunteers exploring the wonders of music. We’ll have free voice lessons, Bible stories, games, field trips, craft projects and more. Lunch will also be provided, all at no charge. All children are welcome! Please contact Mother Erika for a registration form or for more information.

GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

A Visiting Priest - From early July through early August, Fr. Stuart Kenworthy, the Rector of Christ Church, Georgetown, in Washington DC, will be staying at the rectory and assisting with Sunday and weekday liturgies while Fr. Mullen is away.  Fr. Kenworthy is on sabbatical and spending a month of his time here in Philadelphia.

The Choir is on its summer hiatus, to return on Sept 9.

A Special Ministry to those in need:

On Saturday, July 21, during the Saturday Soup Bowl and we will be offering patrons of the Soup Bowl a free podiatric examination, foot washing, and a new pair of socks. We're asking parishioners for donations of old towels and new socks for this occasion.  Contact Ken Pearlstein or Trilby Reeve for more info.

St. James School will add another grade next year, which means the rising sixth graders need a classroom.  Information about the campaign to renovate their classroom is on the bulletin board in the Parish Hall, or can be found at www.stjamesphila.org

The Restoration of the Lady Chapel  - The cleaning of the interior masonry of the Chapel is almost complete.   The roof is nearly finished, the lighting has been installed, but now needs to be fine-tuned, finishing touches to the cleaning process can take place now that the lighting has been installed. 

Parish Elections:

The members of the Vestry are elected by the members of the Parish annually.  Members server for three year terms and may serve for no more than two consecutive terms without at least a year off.  The exception to this role is the Rector’s Warden, who is appointed by the Rector and who is exempt from term limits according to the Parish By-Laws.  The Vestry technically has responsibility for all temporal affairs of the Parish.  In effect they also serve as a council of advice to the Rector.  The clergy and the Vestry work together to advance the mission of the Parish and build up the kingdom of God.

In Parish elections we also elect representatives to the Deanery, which is the group of parishes within Center City (more or less), and representatives to the Diocesan Convention, which is the legislative body of the Diocese of Pennsylvania, and meets every November.

In the recent Parish elections, three members of the Vestry who were eligible were re-elected:

• ·      Mary Jane Barrett
• ·      Jay Blossom
• ·      Stewart Dalzell

One new member of the Vestry was elected:

• ·      Roy Clouser

Elected as Deanery Representatives were:

• ·      Nick Bisaccia
• ·      Kent John Pope
• ·      Juli Reddy

Elected to be delegates to Diocesan Convention were:

• ·      Nick Bissacia
• ·      Will Jordan
• ·      Kent John Pope

Thanks to all those who allowed their names to stand for election – this is an important piece of sharing the ministry of governance!

The Saturday Soup Bowl serves soup to hungry people every Saturday morning from 7:15 to 9.  Volunteers make every aspect of this ministry happen every week.  If you are interested in being part of this important ministry, please see Ken Pearlstein.

Our thanks and blessings to Dr. Peter Kountz, who concludes his time as Ministry Intern with us today.  Peter continues in the diocesan process of discernment and preparation for ordination.