Committing to the Story

A few weeks ago, I wrote to you about the story of our congregation, with a summary of everything we have been up to this past year. We are a deeply faithful community rooted in worship, with a wide variety of ministries focused on faith formation and outreach. If you haven’t had a chance to read that letter, I hope you take a look and see just how much St. Mark has been up to. All of these ministries are made possible because of the generosity of our members.

On Sunday, October 22nd, we officially kicked off our annual season of stewardship. Every October, all members of St. Mark are encouraged to make a plan for giving in the upcoming year. We do this so that our council and leadership can prepare a budget that represents the commitment of our congregation to our ministries. In order to continue the story of our mission, we hope to meet a goal of $710,000 in committed giving for the coming year. 

To be to the point, we did not meet our goal last year. Even though this year’s goal is slightly lower, we will not meet it either, unless members like you pledge to increase your giving by a small percentage. If giving were to increase by even 7%, we could get there. Not everyone is able to make such an increase. If you are, though, I hope you will prayerfully consider how you could help us meet our goal and allow us to continue all we are able to do in our congregation and with the community.

Take a look at the table on the back of a pledge card, or on the online Plan for Giving form, and see how much you might be able to give to these ministries of ours in 2024. After some reflection and prayer, please complete your pledge and return it. You can use the enclosed envelope or bring it with you the next time you come to worship. You can also complete your plan for giving online by going to www.stmarklc.com/give or by scanning the QR code below.

No matter how much you pledge, thank you for your commitment to St. Mark and our unique story of how we grow in faith and share God’s grace. All gifts, large and small, are what allow us to share the story of Jesus Christ. You are part of this story, and it is an absolute joy to be with you in this wonderful ministry we share.

Peace,

Pastor Chad McKenna

Telling the Story

 Dear St. Mark Member,

It is time for us to reevaluate how we talk about our budget. If you have ever been to an annual meeting, you know how the conversation typically goes. We look at lines with labels like “Outreach” or “Christian Education” which are fairly self-explanatory and always overshadowed by lines like “Property." Someone always stands up and asks what “Stewardship & Finance” means. While these categories are necessary for our leadership, they don’t exactly paint a picture of how much we actually value the primary ministries of St. Mark.

Take Outreach for example. Our congregation operates school uniform co-ops at four elementary schools on the west side of the city. We are able to provide regular meals to places like Rock House Kids and Carpenter’s Place. We give directly to local agencies and charities through both the budget and our endowment. The Sew & Sews meet twice a month to make blankets, quilts, and medical port pillows for people in need. We host four support groups, two bridge clubs, a Mosaic Hub, and other outside organizations. Recently, we began providing pre-packaged foods and other essential items in the St. Market cabinet by the kitchen entrance. I would even include our weekly coffee and donut hospitality as a form of outreach.

While much of what we do relies on volunteers, everything also relies on our pastors, staff, and property. The parking lot is plowed in winter to provide space for outside groups and volunteers who rely on a heated and well-lit building. All those behind-the-scenes expenses exist to support the ministries of our congregation. In fact, for every dollar we spent this year, 26 cents went to ministries that care for our community and welcome our neighbors.

Another 24 cents per dollar went to our ministries of Faith Formation. Mainstays like Sunday School and Vacation Bible School are strengthened by regular family fellowship events. Adult Forum on Sundays, as well as the Wednesday morning bible studies, provide learning opportunities for adults. And, we are excited to be partnering with Grace Lutheran in Loves Park for our new shared youth ministry. Growing in faith is a life-long process, and we are blessed to be able to provide opportunities for faithful people of every age.

We are also blessed to have such vibrant and varied worship. New members often cite our music ministry and choirs as a main factor in their decision to join our congregation. Life-long members can be seen lingering in their seats after worship to enjoy the full breadth of the postlude. Our praise band diligently leads worship every week, both inside and on the lawn. With two services every Sunday, evening prayer in Lent, and worship on major holidays, it’s no surprise that the largest ministry at St. Mark is Worship. It accounts for 33% of our budget because it’s what we do. Worship is where our community gathers to grow in faith together, as the love of Jesus unites us into the Body of Christ.

What I have been describing is not simply an overview of our congregation, but a narrative budget. When you donate to St. Mark, this is what you support. When we talk about our expenses, we are talking about ministry. An increase in giving allows us to do even more. Almost all of our budget can be attributed to those three areas of Outreach, Faith Formation, and Worship. The remaining 17% covers our mortgage, insurance, and other administrative costs.

Our staff and council are beginning to prepare the ministry budget for 2024, and you are a vital part of the process. On Sunday, October 22nd, everyone will have the opportunity to make a commitment for giving in 2024. It can be an act of worship to declare how much we will give toward the ministries of this unique and wonderful community of faith. If you are able, I would invite you to consider increasing your pledge for the coming year. Whatever amount you decide to give, though, I wholeheartedly thank you for supporting all the wonderful ministries that we share.

Peace,
Pastor Chad McKenna 

How do we settle ourselves when life gives us lemons?

When Life gives you lemons, make lemonade.  This is a phrase that many of us have heard in our life.  It is the proverbial phrase used to encourage optimism and a positive can-do attitude in the face of adversity.  But what if you don’t like lemonade?  I ask this question not just to be the devils advocate, but to acknowledge that making lemonade in a time of adversity is not possible for everyone.

As humans, we want to fix things and make them better.  We want to ease the pain of people we love and care about.  Unfortunately, we can’t do that every time.  Struggles in life are real and they are hard. 

I am currently reading a book titled, My Grandmother’s Hands, by Resmaa Menakem.  In Chapter 10, titled “Your Soul Nerve” he talks about how his grandmother was a strong and loving woman, but her body was frequently nervous.  Like she felt something bad was about to happen. This feeling rarely left her.  She would soothe herself by humming and rocking while she was in the kitchen.  This was a sacred ritual, imbued with meaning a purpose.  The soul nerve in the health profession is called the vagus nerve or wandering nerve.  The soul nerve (vagus nerve) reaches into most of our body and it regulates all your body’s basic functions.  Resmaa Menakem goes on to talk about how we can with practice, settle our body, and soothe ourselves during difficult or high-stress situations.  He talks about humming, belly breathing, buzzing, slow rocking, rubbing your belly, singing aloud to yourself, and more.  I want to elaborate on two, belly breathing and rubbing your belly. 

Belly breathing is where you focus on your belly, breath in and out deeply and slowly.
Follow your breath as it flows in and out of each part of your respiratory system.  Do this as you sit in a comfortable position and continue this for about 4 minutes.  Notice what you body is experiencing. 

Rubbing your belly, this may sound crazy and you may think there is no way this will work, but I tried it and I was surprised how my body felt afterword.  You place the palm of your hand on the center of your belly, relax your shoulders and slowly rub your belly for three minutes.  I was surprised how my body felt at ease and less tense.

There is a lot of tension in our world right now and so much going on that we may not understand or have control over.  I encourage you to take time to settle your body by trying one of these practices.  I pray that these practices will help when life throws lemons at you.

Yours in Christ, 

Pastor Katrina Steingraeber