This year’s Vacation Bible School theme is CREATION CELEBRATION! We will celebrate all the wonderful parts of this world God gave us. Every day includes a fun creation-based field trip, including the beach, the botanical gardens, the planetarium, the aquarium and the zoo. Transportation will be by chartered school bus and we’ll have a low student to teacher and helper ratio to ensure safety for all students. Our field trips will be supported by Bible stories, crafts, songs and worship of the God who made everything there is!

There will be a cost for admissions and transportation to our daily activities, but with group rates and volunteer leaders, we’re able to offer a surprisingly low price of $75 for members and $85 for nonmembers, with a $5 discount for each child from the same family. You can either register online or download a registration form to print out. Registration is now open. You will want to register early since we must limit our enrollment to just 50 students, helpers and volunteer leaders. A completed St. Mark VBS Registration & Health Form, as well as full payment will ensure your spot in our unique program.

Monday August 10—Friday August 14

9:00 a.m.—3:00 p.m. (before and after care available)

HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH
“Mystery” Mission Trip

Track our HS youth as they travel to various locations and participate in the "missio Dei" (God's mission in the world). This is a very exciting time for our youth as they put into action "God's Work, Our Hands". They do not know where they are going or what they will be doing each day. We will be providing updates on the St. Mark website so be sure to check on our whereabouts each day. Our HS youth who are participating include: Eric Bacher; Becky Barberis; Christine Barberis; Dylan Husserl; Julie Kitchen; Austin Reed; Jacob Wolf and Katie Wolf. We will be leaving for our 6-day “Mystery” Mission Trip on Saturday, June 27 at 10:30 am.

Mission Trip Preparation

HS youth attending the 2009 Mission Trip will meet on Wednesday evenings, June 10, 17 and 24. We will gather in the Social Hall for dinner, Bible study and Mission Trip Planning.

 

MIDDLE SCHOOL YOUTH
Ice-Skating

Be sure to sign up for the ice-skating outing on Sunday, June 14. We will meet at the church at 1:30 p.m. and head over to TBSA Oldsmar for an afternoon of coolness!! We will return to the church at 5:00 p.m. The more who sign up – the bigger the discount.

Lock-In

Save the date: Friday July 10, 8:30 p.m. – Saturday July 11, 8:30 a.m. for our summer lock-in. We will meet at the church at 8:30 p.m. and then head over to Dunedin Bowl for Cosmic Bowling. Cost is $14 - which includes shoes. You will want to bring extra money for food. We will return to the church around 1:00 a.m. Bring a snack to share at the church. Don’t forget your sleeping bag, pillow, pj’s, robe, flashlight, toiletries and Bible. Last Word will be in the Sanctuary.

ELEMENTARY YOUTH
Sleepover

Save the date: Friday, June 19, 9:00 p.m. – Saturday, June 20, 9:00 a.m. for our School’s Out sleepover. Make sure you bring your favorite G rated movie; sleeping bag, pillow, pj’s, robe, flashlight, slippers, toothbrush, toothpaste, a snack to share, your favorite board game and Bible. Who knows – we may be baking cookies again!!

Luther Springs

We have 4 elementary youth registered for Discoverer’s Week (July 19-24) and Mini Camp (July 19-July 21) at Luther Springs. Our campers are Tim Dallaire, Rachel Newman, Renae Newman and Natalie Stewart. We will leave from church at 1:30 p.m. Don’t forget to pack everything on your camp list – especially your Bible!

Our annual Scholarship Auction raises funds to provide modest scholarships as gifts of love to St. Mark’s high school graduates who will be continuing their educational studies. To make the auction a success, we need donations of good quality items and services that would appeal to a broad range of St. Mark’s members.

In the past, we’ve auctioned off unique baked goods, personal and professional services, gift baskets, use of vacation property, new jewelry, gift certificates and tickets, as well as many other treasures from our members. If you’d like to donate, talk to Maryanne Kehlenbach or email her at youthmayanne@tampabay.rr.com.

Join us on Sunday, June 21 for a great morning brunch and a fun auction hosted by our 2009 high school graduates: Eric Bacher, Becky Barberis and Jacob Wolf. Some items already donated include Premier Jewelry, home-made lasagna, New York style Cheesecake, Brookstone barbecue tool kit and Eastman Outdoors 28 quart deep fryer!!

Our next general meeting is Tuesday, June 1 when we meet at the Olive Garden for our annual June luncheon. We will meet at 11:00 a.m. at the church if you would like to carpool or 11:30 at the Olive Garden. Men are welcome! Call Arlene Ditmars by Thursday, May 28 if you would like to attend.

There are no Christian Service meetings in June or July and no general meeting until we resume again the first Tuesday in September.

By popular request, we'll have a special hymnsing Sunday on July 12. Our liturgy and sermon will be shortened that day to give members an opportunity to choose their favorite hymns. Start planning now for your choice (all seasons are acceptable — even Christmas). If your favorite is not included in our hymnal, please email your selection to pastoralan@tampabay.rr.com and we’ll do our best to locate the music and include it on a handout (subject to copyright restrictions).

The new Lutheran Study Bible, published by Augsburg Fortress, the publishing arm of the ELCA, is an excellent resource for reading and understanding the Bible. Articles by top Lutheran biblical scholars and theologians give background in our church’s understanding of Scripture. Maps, timelines and other helps draw the reader into a better sense of the Bible’s history and geography. Introductions provide insight into the purpose and background of each biblical book. Marginal notes aid devotional, historical, and theological reading from a Lutheran perspective.

Lutheran Study Bibles are available through St. Mark for $26.75 (including shipping), a 30% discount. The first deadline to order is May 31, but we will continue to purchase Bibles after that date whenever we have 10 or more orders placed through the church. You may sign up in the Narthex or the church office. Payment is due when your Bible is delivered.

Thanks to the generosity of a member, a limited number of these Bibles are available at no charge for those who cannot afford the purchase price. We ask only that you promise to make good use of your Bible. Talk to Pastor Alan if you would like a free Bible.

Classes with Pastor Alan are planned throughout the summer at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings to explore the various helps and resources in Lutheran Study Bible. Classes are not dependent on each other — come and go as you are able. Topics and recommended readings to prepare you for class are available in the Narthex and church office.

St. Mark Women’s Bible Study meets the second Thursday of the month and will be meeting June 11 and July 9 at 10:00 a.m. in the Conference Room. All women and friends of St. Mark are welcome. The Women’s Bible study follows the study guide from Lutheran Women Today. Call Kay Boyter at 781-3983 if you are interested in joining this group.

Thanks to the dedicated work of the Congregational Care Team, Library Committee, and a Synod Health Grant, the St. Mark Church Library has been stocked with new health-related books and CD’s and the entire library has been catalogued for easier use by our members. You can browse the books on our church website (complete with summaries and cover photos) or you may stop by the church library at any time to look through our excellent resources in spiritual care, physical health, aging, parenting, mental and emotional well-being and care of relationships. Biblical, historical and theological books and references are also available. Please follow the check out procedure as posted in the library and be sure to return borrowed books in a timely manner so that they may be used by others. Here are a few reviews on recent acquisitions around the topic of aging:

Healthy Aging: A Lifelong Guide to Your Well-Being by Andrew Weil, M.D.

The author’s purpose is to recommend "aging gracefully," which he considers accepting the process instead of fighting it. focus is on proper nutrition, moderate exercise, and meditation and rest, included among his "12-point program for healthy aging.”He also discusses the spirituality of aging and its emotional aspects.

The Age of Miracles:the New Midlife by Marianne Williamson

The purpose of this book by best-selling author and lecturer Marianne Williamson is to psychologically and spiritually reframe the transition to mid-life so that it leads to a wonderful sense of joy and awakening.Midlife is seen as a time of rebirth, rather than a crisis.

The Healthy Aging Brain by Louis Cozolino, PhD

A neuroscientifically based account of how our brains age and change over time. Brain development has traditionally focused on early childhood. Recently we've learned that the brain continues to develop through adulthood. This book explains the social brain over time, emphasizing neural plasticity and growth, and offering readers skills and strategies for maintaining and enhancing a healthy brain throughout their lives.

Our nation’s economy has affected all of our lives as God’s people, and that includes our life together as a church family.

The St. Mark Treasurer’s Report shows that, through the end of April, offerings were more than $10,000 behind budget, even though our budget for offerings has been frozen at 2008 levels. At the same time, electric rates have increased 30% and initial quotes for new insurance have been $20,000-$30,000 above current annual premiums. (Like many others, the church has been dropped by State Farm.)

Your church staff and Council have confronted this challenge by reducing staff hours and keeping spending to a minimum, while maintaining ministries and programs that are vital to our life together and to God’s mission in the world. We continue to pursue other sources of income, such as leasing additional space to the school and charging program fees when appropriate. We’re working to conserve and increase our energy efficiency.

Still, the solution does not ultimately lie in cutting staff and programs or in renting facilities, but in a renewed commitment by all of our members to financially support this ministry we share. We understand that not everyone can increase their giving at this time. What we do ask is for every member to faithfully give what they can. And we pray for the generosity of those who are able to increase their giving or who can make a special gift of love to St. Mark in these difficult days.

Finally, we know that God, who has called us to do Christ’s work, will graciously and abundantly provide for our needs. We had a wonderful reminder of that when we recently received an unexpected gift of over $19,000 from the estate of Norma Marberg, which will help support the work of the church which was so important to her. We cannot know with certainty what shape our lives or our ministry will take in the future, but we can be sure that we, like Norma, have been marked with the cross of Christ forever and that his love will not fail us.

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Alan

Pentecost Sunday, May 31, celebrates the gift of the Holy Spirit. Red banners will rustle in the wind, different languages will be spoken, and bookmarks recalling the gifts of the Spirit will be exchanged as we share Christ’s peace. Members are invited to wear red — the color of Pentecost. This is the last Sunday before we move to our summer schedule (worship at 8:45 and 11:00)

On Sunday, June 7 we begin our single service Summer Worship time of 10:00 a.m. Our summer schedule is a time when all our St. Mark family join together for worship. Remember to join our Adult Class on Lutheran Study Bible at 9:00 each Sunday.

Our first summer service will be a joyful worship experience as ten of our young members affirm their baptism through the rite of Confirmation. Congratulations to Caroline Andreassen, Bryce Cicero, Kaleigh Dallaire, Sean Elliott, Joey Martin, David Piatt, Kelly Roberts, Taylor Russell, Torey Scott and Kyle Walsh. They will participate in worship leadership that day and share brief statements of their faith with the congregation. Please remember them in your prayers.

Our summer schedule will continue through Labor Day weekend, with regular worship times resuming on September 13.

FOR THOSE WHO SERVE

Mitch Shellenberger

Eric Piatt

Steve Klein (USCG)

Tierney Froelich (border patrol)

Tricia Howe (niece of the Zenks)

Nick Medrano

Michael Hooper (relative of Robey Ammons)

Kathryn Crawford (daughter of Mike Howland)

Chand Baumann (grandson of Gennie Baumann)

Andrew Pateras (in Iraq)

Derrick Wessling (friend of Alana Pollei)

Jorge Barquin (friend of Alana Pollei)

Jason Topping (grandson of Mickey Lovering in Iraq)

David Young (relative of the Wolfs in Iraq)

Keith Waid (friend of Janet Armstrong in Iraq)

Ed McNamee (friend of Polaks in Afghanistan)

Andy Bloch (son-in-law of Polaks—border patrol)

Matt Hyland (friend of Alana Pollei)

Jordan Maltezo (friend of Debbie Woodard in Iraq)

IN THANKSGIVING FOR

Alan and Marie Dahlgren’s 65th Wedding Anniversary

Marriage of Dan and Becky Buck

 

FOR THOSE WHO ARE SICK

Charlotte Carroll

Cheryl Kauffman

Alma Stroupe

Mary Wolcott

Kurt Specht

Jonathan Solano (6 year old friend of Barbara Wolf)

Dennis and Delores Ross (friends of the Danos)

Lou Loem and family ((friends of the Danos)

Melissa Rambo (stepmother of Sasha)

Claire Romig (friend of Robey Ammons)

Kathy Troche

Victoria Brofsky (friend of Maryanne Kehlenbach)

George Benton (relative of Mickey Lovering)

Crystal Shannon (granddaughter of the Halls)

Marie Cuthbert (friend of Cheryl Burton)

Norma Heide (mother of Jim Boyter)

Don and Elsie Schroder (friend of the Travises)

Brad Bastian (brother of Sue Nelson)

Ned Kitchen (Julie’s father)

John Evers (friend of the Polaks)

 

FOR THOSE WHO GRIEVE

(Family & Friends of):

Ginny Bosch (sister of Gennie Baumann)

Minna Bensen

Vicky Leschot (friend of the Reeds)