February 20, 2020

NEW IN THIS ISSUE

CONNECT 3 GROUPS
CHILDCARE LAUNCH
CHILDCARE JOBS
CHRISTMAS CHILD UPDATE
VIRTUAL SANCTUARY TOUR
SUNDAY SCHOOL

MORE NEWS

KUNTZ MEAL TRAIN
YOUTH MINISTRY
IMPORTANT DATES
MEN’S MINISTRY
PRAYERS
WOMEN’S MINISTRY

Check Out What One of Our Groups is Doing!

CONTACT PASTOR JAY
TO JOIN A SMALL GROUP

Forty Days – Forty Items!

Each day of Lent (Starting Ash Wednesday 2/26) remove one item from your closet that you no longer wear or need and put it into a trash bag. At the end of forty days, donate these items to Open Door Mission! Are you up for the challenge? Share this with all your friends! Think of the impact we can have helping the hungry and homeless with this challenge. 💜

Bring donations to St Mark Gathering Space by April 19 and we will deliver to the Open Door Mission.

Let God’s praises be heard!

We are very excited to announce the Grand Opening of the all new St. Mark Lutheran Preschool AND CHILDCARE! In addition to our outstanding preschool classes, all current students and new students can take advantage of a wide-ranging selection of childcare options. Once the preschool year is over, our learning-based childcare programming continues right on through the summer, all year long! Stop by our brand new website dedicated to our new Preschool and Childcare Center to check it all out.

WE REALLY NEED TEACHERS!!

Our childcare center enrollments and responses have been incredible…we can see the Lord’s hand at work! We really need to find additional Preschool and Childcare professionals to help this ministry!

Are you or do you know someone that is experienced and passionate about children, teaching and caring for the Lord’s little ones?

Please see our new JOBS PAGE on our website and be sure and tell those you know who may be interested.

Candidates should contact our Center Director, Julie Kyriss, at jkyriss@stmarkomaha.org or by calling 402-913-2255.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Operation Christmas Child Update

In the month of February please look for accessories. Accessories include items such as hair bows and ties, necklaces and bracelets, sunglasses and watches. Also, please continue to look for hats, gloves and scarves.

Thank you for your donations of t-shirts, pill bottles and shoe boxes we have received so far. We are not needing quite as many shoe boxes this year as we are purchasing boxes from the organization, but please continue to bring in t-shirts and pill bottles. We take the old t-shirts at any time and it doesn’t matter if they are stained or a little thin, they are cut up and used to make jump ropes.

If you have any items to contribute to Operation Christmas Child, please deliver them to the new collection bin near the gathering area.

Thank You,

Rhonda Zebolsky and Helen Oldenkamp

Kuntz Family Meal Train

Mrs. Kuntz continues to battle Clear Cell Kidney Carcinoma. It has continued to regress and spread at different times throughout her journey. As many of you know in 2018 she broke her femur and she had to have a plate placed to stabilize the break. Recently the plate broke and she had to have another surgery to remove the broken plate, replace it and provide greater stability to that area of the bone.

She is home now but has a lot of rehabilitation and therapy ahead of her. We would like to bless the family with a meal 4 times per week. Feel free to bless them with breakfast, lunch or dinner.

We continue to lift Cindy, Chuck and their family up in our prayers.

We hope she can return to working with the Concordia Academy students next fall. We know they are anxious to see her!

Meal Train Sign-Up

Theme: Jesus Transforms Hearts and Lives

Our story of the day was Jesus healing the man by the pool. Our craft was a paper ‘transformer’ (almost like a fidget toy). When the center is pushed, the different sides rotate and look kind of a kaleidoscope.

The kids spent a lot of time coloring their craft, and then participated in a kind of relay where students arranged “tangram” shapes to look like a man on his back; at the other end of the relay the same shapes were ‘transformed’ into the shape of a walking man.

Since there is a cereal theme to this series, the kids were encouraged to bring boxes/bags of cereal for their offering (the cereal would go to Project Hope).

Remember if you see a kid from Sunday School walking around with their craft ask them about it. It gives them an opportunity to share God’s Love.

If you would like to volunteer in this fun ministry please contact Kelly in the Church Office at kthompson@stmarkomaha.org or call 402-913-2258.

Mark Your Calendar:

Upcoming Youth Events

Sunday, February 23RD

2:30 PM – Middle School Youth Group – Youth Room

4:30 PM – High School Youth Group – Youth Room 

Parents are always welcome at any of our events!!

SAVE THE DATES:

March 1st – Commitment for GOCO

April 5th – Help with Palm Sunday Service

4/12 – Easter Breakfast – No Youth Group

June 14th thru June 18th – GOCO

New Women’s Bible Study

Join Us for a new Women’s Bible Study starting at 6:30 pm on Thursday, February 13th. We will meet in the Fellowship Hall every other Thursday.

Enough For Now: Unpacking God’s Sufficiency

The concept of ‘having enough’ is one that is not often experienced. If I only had more money … more success … more time … then I would be fulfilled. Yet, even when more is attained, it rarely satisfies.
It is not ‘enough’.

An eight-lesson Women’s Bible Study, Enough For Now, explores the idea of ‘enough’ through the study of Scripture – specifically the parable of the rich fool, personal stories and practical experiences. Over the course of the eight lessons, women will discover how to escape the insatiable quest for more by finding their ‘enough’ in God.

About the Author
Sharla Fritz is a Lutheran author, musician and speaker. This is her fifth book with Concordia Publishing House (Divine Makeover, Divine Design, Bless These Lips & Waiting).

There are are some books available to our group that were given to us. Please let Jolene or Lorrie know if you need a book. Books will be available for approximately $14.95 after we deplete the supply of available books. Please let Jolene Scalzo or Lorrie Wacker know if you would like to join us.

This Week:

We begin a new six-part study called Echo, lead by Pastor and author Jonathon Fisk. Christianity is not the ability to memorize or recite from books of Scripture or doctrine. It is not magic. It is not a social club, counseling group, or self-help support group. It does not promise that you will be healthy, wealthy, wise, or even happy. Christianity is a truth – a truth first heard at the beginning of time that has echoed to this present age. A truth so profound that no man can master it, yet even a child can learn it.“As Iron Sharpens Iron, Men Sharpen Men!” St. Mark Band of Brothers: Raising up men to be warriors and disciples for Christ… for their families… as single men… in their workplaces… and in their community!

All men and high school aged boys are welcome to join the St. Mark Band of Brothers on Saturday Mornings at 9 am in the St. Mark Youth Room. Join us as we work to center our lives around God’s Word to be the man God is calling us to be. To request the Band of Brothers weekly updates and study guides contact Jack Swanda at jswanda@cox.net.

Verse of the Week:
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, [a] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)

Quote of the Week:
“Get a good taste of grace and you’ll develop an appetite for giving.
*Chuck Swindoll

Fun Fact of the Week:
Staying awake for 24 hours has the same effect on you as having a blood alcohol content of 0.10%. Higher than the legal limit of 0.08% in all states.

T-SHIRT / POLO ORDERS UPDATE

NEW ORDERS BEING TAKEN!!
Haven’t ordered yet? Need additional shirts??
Contact us soon!!
Or
ORDER ONLINE!

No fees or charges for ordering online! Go to www.stmarkomaha.org and click on the “Store” top menu item.

Or you can click here
to go straight there.

Discount $5 per t-shirt with 3 or more!
Discount $5 per polo with 2 or more!

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Weekly Prayers

Cancer: Marsha Baker; Gina Ellis; Cindy Kuntz

Health & Wellness: Amber, Peter Christopher; Dr. Kanchan Lodhia; Chris Stargel; Bob Wacker; Eugene Watson

Praise & Thanksgiving: Kaylee May Rehbein, born on Saturday, February 15th to Natalie and Matt Rehbein. Proud grandparents are Vivian and Michael Kesar.

Military: Jordan Hammond (Son of Steve and Mary Kay Swale); Zach Karels; Scott Lewis (Linda Wegner’s Cousin); Quenten Oldenkamp; Amber Phipps; Jarod Suhr

To request public Prayers of the Church e-mail Kelly Thompson at kthompson@stmarkomaha.org. For Prayer Chain requests please contact Katrina Muganyizi at 402-238-6844 or email evelkat@yahoo.com.

The Days Ahead

Thursday, February 20th
3:30 PM  Preschool – Family Craft Night – Preschool Room #1
6:00 PM  Lightning Basketball Practice – Gymnasium

Friday, February 21st
9:30 AM  Concordia Academy – Moms in Prayer – Gathering Space
6:00 PM  Community Space Rental – Dominion Dance – Olde English Dance – Gymnasium

Saturday, February 22nd
8:00 AM  Omaha Japanese School
9:00 AM  Band of Brothers – Youth Room
9:00 AM  Praise Band Practice – Sanctuary
12:00 PM  Community Space Rental – Girl Scouts – World Thinking Day – Gymnasium

Sunday, February 23rd
8:00 AM  Traditional Worship Service – Sanctuary
9:15 AM  Bible Study – Fellowship Hall
9:15 AM  Sunday School – Classroom 110 & Youth Room
10:30 AM  Contemporary Worship Service – Sanctuary
2:30 PM  St. Mark Middle School Youth Group – Youth Room
4:00 PM  Traditional Worship Service – Sanctuary
4:30 PM  St. Mark High School Youth Group – Youth Room

Monday, February 24th
9:00 AM  Preschool – Chapel – Sanctuary
1:30 PM  St. Mark Staff Meeting – Pastor Jay’s Office
6:00 PM  Lightning Basketball Practice – Gymnasium

Tuesday, February 25th
8:30 AM  Concordia Academy – Piano Lessons – Youth Room
9:00 AM  Preschool Chapel – Sanctuary
12:00 PM  Lydia Circle – LWML – Gathering Space
6:00 PM  Lightning Basketball Practice – Gymnasium

OUR CHURCH STAFF AND LEADERSHIP

This Week’s Birthdays

Tuesday, February 18th
Daniel Baumann
Peggy Groothuis
Patti Harper

Wednesday, February 19th
Evan C. Johnson
Kayla Lawton
Jacob Lentz

Thursday, February 20th
Chloe Paustain

Friday, February 21st
Steven Anderson

Saturday, February 22nd
Todd Bockelman
Richard Fiscus
Gary Krichau
Pete Pedersen

Sunday, February 23rd
Annie Christensen
Rodney Dahlquist
Benjamin McGill
Marilyn Heimsoth

This Week’s Anniversaries

No More February Anniversaries
Stay Tuned for March Anniversaries

Next Week’s Birthdays

Wednesday, February 26th
Noah Enders
Karen Lodhia
Nickolas Schultze

Thursday, February 27th
Daun Adams

Friday, February 28th
Bailey Rawson

Next Week’s Anniversaries

No More February Anniversaries
Stay Tuned for March Anniversaries 

Sign up below to receive the Spirit Newsletter notification by email and Pastor Jay’s Daily Devotionals.