March 5, 2020

NEW IN THIS ISSUE

CONNECT 3 GROUPS
MEN’S CHOIR
CHILDCARE JOBS
SENIOR LUNCH
CONFIRMATION CELEBRATION
SUNDAY SCHOOL
IMPORTANT DATES

MORE NEWS

YOUTH MINISTRY
WOMEN’S MINISTRY
MEN’S MINISTRY
THRIVENT DOLLARS
PRAYERS
BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES

MEN + MUSIC + BBQ

No, it doesn’t get any better than this…

Are you a man?  Do your vocal-chords work?  Then put them to use for what they were made for and sign up to sing the praises of your God on Easter morning!  Join Pastor Jay and 12 other brothers already signed up for our Easter Service special men’s choir.  We will be singing two (2) great pieces on Easter morning for both services.

Kick-Off Rehearsal and BBQ

Saturday, March 21st beginning at 4pm

Email Pastor Jay to sing up!

PART 3 AVAILABLE TODAY!

This series has created so much great conversation and discussion about the foundational truths of our faith and salvation in Jesus Christ.

ATTENTION ALL SMALL GROUPS!  Have your group facilitator CONTACT PASTOR JAY to get the download link for this next video and discussion guide.

NEED TO JOIN A SMALL GROUP?

CONTACT PASTOR JAY

REMINDER!

Another Opportunity to Serve the Open Door Mission:

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.

WE STILL 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.

Join Us March 11

Following the 12:00 PM (Noon) Lenten Worship Service, we will meet at Romeo’s Mexican Food & Pizza – 2395 N. 90th Street (2 blocks North of the church) for lunch.

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Operation Christmas Child Update

For the month of March the suggestion is Quality Crafts.

Last year we were able to make small bags with pony beads and string for necklace kits and small packages of Legos. If you have some extra Legos or beads please contribute and we will begin making them for this year.

• Puzzles
• Coloring Books
• Stickers and Sticker Books

This is also a good time to start thinking of things to include for older boys and girls.

For Boys: Hammers, screw drivers, nails, screws and fishing gear.
For Girls: a piece of material to make a skirt or blouse, needles, thread, buttons, elastic and scissors, measuring spoons and cups, mixing spoons, potholders, towels and dishcloths.

We want to have the usual jump ropes that are created from T-shirts, so please bring in any older t-shirts you are ready to donate – any condition.

Items brought in can be placed in the large marked bin off of the gathering space.

Thank You,

Rhonda Zebolsky and Helen Oldenkamp

Theme: Peter Walking on Water

Here are pictures from this week’s Sunday school.  We had 8 kids and we were learning about Peter walking on the water in Matthew 14.

We’re in week 4 of a six week theme series connecting some favorite cereals with Biblical teaching points.  The flavors of apples and cinnamon in Apple Jacks come together to make something great, but Jesus in us is a life-saving pairing.  As we grow in our relationship with Him our faith is strengthened and He makes us far more than we could ever be on our own.

Today the students made snacks using the flavors of cinnamon and apples and it also shows the events of today’s story as Peter got out of the boat and began walking to Jesus on the water.  When Peter kept focused on Jesus incredible things were possible and Peter got to spend a few moments walking on water with the Lord.    The kids really enjoyed making and eating these snacks while using the ingredients to show what was happening in the Bible story.

Since Jesus makes us more than we could ever be on our own, we also played a game that used teamwork.  Students had to come together as a team to move a hoop hanging from strings to ring a series of cones in order get the words to complete our unit’s theme Bible verse – Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him.  Psalm 34:8      

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.

YOUTH MINISTRY NEWS!

Mark Your Calendar:

March 8th – 2:30 pm MS Youth Group / 4:30 pm HS Youth Group

March 15th – 2:30 pm MS Youth Group / 4:30 pm HS Youth Group

March 22nd – Spring Break – No Youth Group

March 29th – TBD MS Youth Group / 4:30 pm HS Youth Group

April 5th – Help with Palm Sunday Service

April 11th – Spring Festival – 9 am to 12 pm (Noon)

April 12th – Serve Easter Breakfast – No Youth Group

June 14th thru June 18th – GOCO

Act, Love, Walk…Simply

What does the Lord require of you? But to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8)

5th Annual Seek & Serve Day
LWML Nebraska North and South

Saturday, April 25, 2020 – 9am – 4 pm
Emmanuel Luther Church, 806 N Beaver Ave, York NE 68467

Bible Study Leader: Remkea Ockander, Family Youth Ministry Director at Good Shepherd Lutheran
Church in Fremont NE

Activities include: Making Cards for military personnel, missionaries, and new pastors/vicars coming to our district. Polar Fleece tied (adult size) blankets for Orphan Grain Train and district LWML scholarship recipients For 2020-2021 school year.

• What to bring:
  Your favorite pens/colored pencils or stamps for card making. We will also have some available.
• 2 pieces of coordinating polar fleece-2 yards for each piece.
• Blankets will be adult size
• Scissors for cutting polar fleece.
• Gifts from the Heart: Recipient will be Emmanuel-Faith Lutheran School
• Wal-Mart Gift Cards, bottled water/Gatorade/juice boxes, Kleenex, Clorox Wipes, reams of paper

Cost is $15 Registration. Contact Lorrie Wacker lorriewacker@cox.net if you would like to go to this
event.

Women’s Bible Study

Join Us for Women’s Bible Study. We will meet in the Fellowship Hall every other Thursday at 6:30 pm.

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.

Thrivent Members!

Remember you have the opportunity to direct your Thrivent Choice Dollars to one of many 501C3 organizations.  St. Mark is one of those choices!

If you have any questions, please contact Lorrie Wacker at Lorrie.Wacker@Thrivent.com.

Verse of the Week:
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)

Quote of the Week:
“Wherever you go and however God uses you, don’t hide the cracks in your life.”
–Chuck Swindoll

Fun Fact of the Week:
“Flow” is the mental state your brain enters when you’re completely involved in an activity that brings you so much joy, you lose the sense of space and time.

This Week: Our current study is called “Echo”, led 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 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.

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!

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Weekly Prayers

Cancer: Marsha Baker, Michelle Brase, Gina Ellis, Ruthie Hagerbaumer, Cindy Kuntz

Health & Wellness: Anne Oldenkamp, Chris Stargel, Eugene Watson

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

Death: Member: Robert E. Knudson (daughters Kathryn Bertrang and Karen Swayze)

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, March 5th
10:00 am  Robert Knudson Funeral – Sanctuary & Fellowship Hall
7:00 pm  Concordia Academy – Spring Musical – Land of the Giants – Gymnasium

Friday, March 6th
Nothing Scheduled for Today

Saturday, March 7th
8:00 am  Omaha Japanese School – Classrooms & Fellowship Hall
9:00 am  Band of Brothers – Youth Room
9:00 am  Praise Band Practice – Sanctuary

Sunday, March 8th
8:00 am  Traditional Worship Service – Sanctuary
9:15 am  Adult Bible Study – Fellowship Hall
9:15 am  Sunday School – Room 110
10:30 am  Contemporary Worship Service
2:30 pm  Middle School Youth Group – Youth Room
4:00 pm  Traditional Worship Service
4:30 pm  High School Youth Group – Youth Room

Monday, March 9th
9:00 am  Preschool Chapel – 4 Year Olds & Pre-K – Sanctuary
1:30 pm  St. Mark Staff Meeting – Pastor Jay’s Office
6:00 pm  Lightning Basketball Practice – Gymnasium

Tuesday, March 10th
8:30 am  Concordia Academy – Piano Lessons – Southwest Entry
9:00 am  Preschool Chapel – 3 Year Olds – Sanctuary
6:00 pm  Lightning Basketball – Gymnasium

Wednesday, March 11th
8:45 am  Concordia Academy Chapel – Sanctuary
12:00 pm  Lenten Worship Service – Sanctuary
1:00 pm  Senior Luncheon – Romeo’s (90th Street)
2:00 pm  Preschool Parent and Teacher Conferences – Preschool Classrooms
5:45 pm  Choir Practice – School Music Room
6:30 pm  Confirmation – Room To Be Determined – 8th Grade Students ONLY
7:00 pm  Lenten Worship Service – Sanctuary

OUR CHURCH STAFF AND LEADERSHIP

This Week’s Birthdays

Thursday, March 5th
Charlie Godden
Eric James
Janet Morgan

Friday, March 6th
Helen Oldenkamp

Sunday, March 8th
Roger Johnson Jr.
Ardeth Neumann
Laura Steyskal
Karen Swanda

Tuesday, March 11th
Mary Alberts
Carolyn Bunch
Penny Harmoney

This Week’s Anniversaries

Friday, March 6th
Cory & Kimberly Ostermeyer
*16 Years*

Next Week’s Birthdays

Friday, March 13th
Makenzie Galde
Tricia Henley
Robert Nickos
Shelby Tabbert

Saturday, March 14th
Gary Wrede

Sunday, March 15th
Donald Jorgensen

Tuesday, March 17th
Ronald Schlabs

Wednesday, March 18th
Allison Beber
Colby Cannon
Vicky Hess
Kristina Morgan

Next Week’s Anniversaries

Saturday, March 14th
Brian & Cindy Barry
*11 Years

Kenneth & Carolyn Worrell
*61 Years

James & Tammy Bailey
*24 Years

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