Update from Pastor Mark

Dear St. Mark friends,

Last week, we made the tough, but necessary decision to cancel all worship services and events in order to provide an additional level of protection against the rapid spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus disease.  On Monday, Bishop Jeffrey Clements urged all congregations in our synod to likewise cancel all worship services and events for the foreseeable future.  We’re urging everyone to adhere to the new guidelines and restrictions as they are communicated daily by community, state, and national leaders.  Please take these seriously and limit your contact with those outside your home. 

The church office will be sparsely staffed weekday mornings in order to limit contact with others during this critical time.  Next Tuesday’s staff and Council meetings will use Zoom, a remote conferencing service that allows members to participate in meetings off-site.  We encourage other groups to consider using this service to stay in touch and hold meetings.

This Sunday, we will begin weekly streaming of abbreviated, pre-recorded worship services on our St. Mark YouTube page, available for viewing throughout the day on Sundays, beginning at 8:00 A.M.  Pastor Chad’s sermon from last Sunday, March 15, is also now available on YouTube.  These short, weekly pre-recordings will include prelude music, the reading of our three scripture lessons, a full-length sermon, and the prayers of the church.  I estimate these will last approximately twenty-five minutes.  Look for a special email on Sunday morning providing a link to this service on YouTube.  We’re hopeful this will give our congregation a much-needed sense of community during these difficult times of separation.

Your weekly offerings to St. Mark are no less vital during this time.  Please make every effort to stay current with your weekly pledge by giving online, using our St. Mark App (Pushpay), or mailing in your weekly offering.  I thank you for your continued financial support!  Please visit our church Facebook page for regular updates and news.  Also, consider using our Instant Church Directory App to stay in contact with those members who would appreciate hearing from you during this lonely time of isolation.

I ask for your patience and prayers as we face this pandemic together.  While we can’t predict what’s immediately ahead of us, we can live our days with assurance and faith in the Lord of the Church to be with us.   As always, please feel free to contact Pastor Chad or me...we’re here to offer our support.

Walking this journey of faith with you,

Pastor Mark

Church website: www.stmarklc.com

Church phone: 815-398-3557

Immediate Cancellation of All St. Mark Worship, Activities, and Events due to Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic

Dear St. Mark friends,

The spread of the coronavirus COVID-19 is of grave concern to all of us. We are witnessing its swift movement globally, nationally, and locally. Organizations and leaders in our community are implementing extreme measures to contain this disease through the suspension or cancellation of numerous gatherings and events.

In the last two days, I have received numerous email notifications from various ELCA Bishops and Pastors around the country announcing the temporary cancellations of all worship, activities, and events in their respective congregations. I believe their actions rightly convey the urgency needed in responding to this alarming pandemic.

In order to be proactive in protecting our St. Mark members and many guests, I am announcing the immediate cancellation of all Sunday worship services and Sunday School classes, Wednesday morning Bible studies and evening Lenten worship, confirmation classes, music rehearsals, and all other weekday and evening activities and events at least through the end of March. All cancellations are effective as of today. We will proceed on a week-by-week basis after that, giving you regular updates on when we plan to resume our regular worship schedule and activities.

The church office will remain open during this time, but we ask that you come to the office only if necessary, to reduce your risk. Please feel free to contact me or office manager Jill Davenport with any concerns or questions that arise.

While the reality of this dire situation is still sinking in for us, I ask for your steady prayers and support as we take the necessary steps together to confront this unprecedented pandemic in the most responsible and effective way for the good of all.

Walking this journey of faith with you,

Pastor Mark

A Story with a Happy Ending

Have you ever wondered what happened to those special personal items you’ve donated or sold to some happy new owner?  Well, John Hargrove has such a story to share with us...a church story with a happy ending. John writes:

In early 2016, Pastor Mark began working with both the Church Council and the Worship & Music Committee on a dramatic change he envisioned for the St. Mark sanctuary.  The proposal was to remove all of the oak church pews and replace them with rows of upholstered chairs.  The rationale for the change was to both provide worshipers with more comfortable seating and give St. Mark more flexibility in arranging seating in the sanctuary for different services and events.

By the summer of 2016, new chairs had been ordered, and I was asked to find a new home for our pews.  Believe it or not, there are multiple websites selling used church pews, and we were one of hundreds of churches around the country peddling their pews.  After we moved the pews out of St. Mark to an empty building for storage, I received a call from a person representing his Mennonite congregation in southern Wisconsin.  I met these wonderful gentlemen (yes, they all wore great hats) so they could inspect the pews.  They were impressed by the quality of the pews and all the different sizes.

The congregation bought the pews and moved them to storage as they built a new worship building to accommodate the sizes of our pews. I received a phone call this past weekend from the gentleman I worked with. He wanted me to know the pews were moving to the now completed building, and that their first service in the new space would occur by the end of this month.

After serving St. Mark so well for several decades, our pews will again serve a new group of worshipers.  Thanks be to God!

John Hargrove

Worship & Music Committee       

ELCA World Hunger's Forty Days of Giving

Dear friends,

The season of Lent is soon upon us, beginning with Ash Wednesday services at Noon and at 6:45 P.M. on February 26.  This year, we are joining our brothers and sisters in the ELCA by participating in a Church-wide program called, ELCA World Hunger’s 40 Days of Giving.  Here’s a brief description: 

“Lent is a time of reflection and repentance, of sacrifice and self-examination. But Lent is also a season of hope — hope in the work God is doing in the world, even in the most challenging times. Safety and stability for refugees and migrants. The renewal of the earth. Sufficient livelihood for all. These are just a few of the things of which we dream, fueled by the Holy Spirit.

“This Lent, ELCA World Hunger is extending a special invitation to congregations: Lift up the life-changing work of ELCA World Hunger through new levels of giving – spiritually, intellectually and financially – through ELCA World Hunger’s 40 Days of Giving. Congregations will join together to raise $2 million to benefit the ministries of ELCA World Hunger. You’re invited to join together with fellow supporters to study, pray and give. Accompany us as we journey with our neighbors in hope for a just world where all are fed.”

During the Lenten season, we are asking each St. Mark household to consider giving $2.00 per day over 40 days (totaling $80) toward this effort.  You will be able to give via Pushpay on your St. Mark App, as well as by check to St. Mark, designated, “ELCA 40 Days of Giving.”  Please look for more detailed information as we approach Lent on March 1. That Sunday, former St. Mark member and now ELCA Director of Communications & Marketing, Laury Rinker, will be at all three worship services to help introduce this program.

During the Lenten Wednesday evening worship services, Pastor Chad and I will share various meditations from this program, including:

            March 4 – Safety and Stability, Pr. Mark

            March 11 – Livelihoods, Pr. Chad

            March 18 – Justice for All, Pr. Mark

            March 25 – Leadership, Pr. Chad

            April 1 – Renewal of Earth, Pr. Mark

We’re excited for this opportunity to share in the larger ministry efforts of the ELCA this Lent!

Walking this journey of faith with you,

Pastor Mark Hagen

2019 In Review

        In following with the previous post, this week Pastor Chad shares with us his annual report for 2019. 

I entered this new decade full of gratitude for the past and excitement for the future. This past year has been the busiest yet for me, and I have grown leaps and bounds because of it.

Pastor Mark’s sabbatical meant more responsibility on my end. While most of you were aware of this on Sunday mornings, with the increased duty in preaching and worship leadership. During the rest of the week, I continued to do my work while also holding down the fort for three months. In that time, we wrapped up major projects outside, including the parking lot and the updated entrance, and the council made the decision to replace a major HVAC unit for the sanctuary. Jill Davenport and I worked with PushPay in developing our new St. Mark app. The Kitchen Committee began to dream up the remodel project that is currently under construction, and we updated some technology needs in the basement. Because I am an associate pastor, these aren’t typically the kind of projects I am involved in, much less in charge of. I learned a lot, and I am so grateful to everyone who supported me in every way during the summer months.

Speaking of the Kitchen Committee, I would like to thank our chair, David Collier, and the rest of the team for all their hard work and ideas in realizing this much needed improvement to our community. Keith Iverson, Les Horowitz, Colene Vivian, Tim Vivian, Pat Schmoldt, Jill Davenport, and Melinda Alekna were all vital in this work, and their expertise and knowledge of St. Mark’s ministries have ensured that this new space will fit all our needs for years to come.

I was also grateful to have Carson Davenport be our intern this past summer. He was a terrific leader in VBS, a wonderful presence on the summer trip, and a great help in many areas of our ministry together. He led a host of events for our students during his time with us. I was amazed at the lemonade stand fundraiser he led, which involved many of our high schoolers and generated over twice our goal for childhood cancer research. Thanks to Melinda Alekna and Julie Eshleman for their close involvement in Carson’s learning.

Confirmation continues to be a source of joy in my ministry. At the end of the 2018-2019 school year, we learned about the Small Catechism. The year ended on a downer, as our Spring Retreat on April 27th was cancelled due to a snow emergency. We kicked off this school year well, though. Almost all of our 17 students were able to attend the fall retreat at the Lutheran Outdoor Ministry Center in Oregon, IL. I spent the past two years adjusting the curriculum schedule, which means this school year we are able to study the Bible from start to finish. Seven high school freshmen affirmed their faith on Reformation Sunday. I am so grateful for all these students, their parents, and our small group leaders: Sheryl Crowell, Amy Gehrke, Christy Malenchik, Justin Egler, and Grant Egler.

Allow me to mention other ministries which continued through this past year. The Men’s Bible study studied Isaiah, Ezra-Nehemiah, and Matthew in 2019. Theology Pub met at Carlyle Brewing monthly. St. Mark 20:30 met for cookouts, a book study, and other events. This group also branched out a bit to include some family service events in January and May. After the Ambassador Committee dissolved, we created the New Members Ministry Team to more directly connect with our potential members. Lastly, I took over direction of the Good News Bearers, which gave four performances this past year.

I was honored to preside over two baptisms, two weddings, and two funerals. It was a joy to teach special classes for Sunday School and our new members. In the community, I was able to open a city council meeting with prayer, dedicate a home for Habitat for Humanity, and lead Rockford Area Lutheran Ministries as its cabinet president.

These are all simply highlights of my year with you. All the in-between moments, the conversations and joys and sorrows we shared are what truly remind me how blessed I am to be your pastor. Life has its ups and downs, but we have one another and our faith in a loving God to be with us every step of the way.

Peace,

  Pastor Chad McKenna

Looking Back

Dear St. Mark friends,

2019 is a year I will never forget.  On January 13 of last year, my second granddaughter, Madlyn Olivia Hagen, was born to David and Maureen Hagen.  It is a great privilege to visit them often, since they literally live just across the street from me.  I also embarked on a twelve-week sabbatical, including July retreat time at Holden Village in the Cascade Mountains of Washington state, where I began the writing of my forthcoming book, Tears & Triumph: A Journey Toward Resurrection. 

That sabbatical time was cut short in early September when I received news in Colorado of Naomi’s sudden downturn.  I rushed home the next day and spent three days at her bedside, along with my two sons, until she passed away in the early morning hours of Sunday, September 8.  Her September 20^th memorial service at St. Mark was overwhelming...such outpouring of love and support to my family and me! 

My October 6 sermon was the most difficult, yet passionate, sermon I have ever preached.  Fresh from the events of the past several weeks, I struggled with my emotions that Sunday to describe my fractured sabbatical journey and the painful lessons of losing a spouse to the horrors of Alzheimer’s Disease.  Returning to work in late September proved to be cathartic, allowing me to gracefully re-emerge into the life of the congregation and its mission.

I was pleased to participate with the Council and Pastor Chad in making plans for the renovation of our main kitchen and the updating of our sanctuary video projector and video camera that records our weekly Sunday sermons for availability on our church web page.  Both of these large projects were begun in early January of 2020.  In addition, 2019 included the implementation of our new Instant Church Directory phone app, as well as our new St. Mark phone app, sponsored by Pushpay.  My special thanks to Pastor Chad McKenna and Jill Davenport for their major roles of implementing these two key technologies for our church.

We welcomed four new staff members in 2019: Julie Eshleman, Karen Osolin, Wendy Iversen, Chris Semmelroth, as well as Anya Hanson in the nursery on Sunday mornings.  I am grateful to all of our excellent staff members for their incredible service to St. Mark.  I am also indebted to our Congregation Council and to our many fine committees for the exemplary work they do on behalf of the church.  Finally, I thank each of our members for their prayerful support of St. Mark’s mission.  Together, we truly delight in “Growing in Faith...Sharing God’s Grace!”

Walking this journey of faith with you,

Pastor Mark Hagen

Breaking News as We Begin 2020!

This month brings exciting changes at St. Mark.  Specifically, we are beginning extensive renovations to our main kitchen and to our sanctuary video technologies.  But first, some background on the inspiration and funding of these two major renovations.

One year ago, Larry Carlson presented St. Mark with a monetary gift from the Charitable Remainder Trusts of his late parents, Dave and Jane Carlson.  Thanks to their remarkable generosity, the Council has approved plans for the complete renovation of our kitchen and the replacement of our aging sanctuary video camera and projector.  Both projects began this week, the most visible being the gutting of our kitchen.

The current sanctuary video camera is a lower-resolution version that has allowed us to record Sunday sermons for use on our church web site for several years.  These recorded weekly sermons are an important tool in assisting potential guests to evaluate our worship experience while visiting our church web page.  They also offer our members the opportunity to watch sermons if absent from worship.  Such video recordings are perhaps the best tool we can offer “church shoppers” as they consider visiting St. Mark for the first time.  Thus, we are replacing our aging 720p video camera with an incredible 4K video camera, purchased with memorial gifts given in memory of Naomi Hagen. 

In addition, we are replacing our aging video projector with a new laser projector, which will offer much greater resolution and over 2 ½ time brighter light output.  Laser technology offers much greater reliability and lifespan, as well.  Several other pieces of equipment were purchased in order to operate these devices and provide upgraded recordings and projections for Sunday worship.  These items were all purchased with funds from the Carlson bequest and should be installed by the end of January.

The kitchen remodel will be done a few weeks later. Our committee has been working on this project since last May, and we cannot wait to see everything come together. Anyone who has used the aging equipment and space will be happy to know that virtually everything will be new. We will have commercial-grade appliances, including a warming cabinet to improve hot catered meals. A professional triple-basin sink will make it easier and sanitary to wash our new pots and pans. Under-counter dishwashers will enable us to quickly clean silverware and cups after luncheons. Best of all, the cabinets, countertops, and flooring will match the look of Common Grounds Café for a warm and welcoming space.

All of these improvements will enable us to better serve one another and our community, and we are so grateful for the generosity and dedication of everyone who has worked on these projects. The new year is off to a great start!

Walking this journey of faith with you,
Pastors Mark and Chad