1. religion and spirituality
2. christianity

St. Mark Lutheran Church & Pre-School
1135 Oliver Street, North Tonawanda, New York 14120
Phone: (716) 693-3715
Web Site: www.StMarkNT.org
A congregation of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, E astern District
The Mission of St. Mark Lutheran Church:
Reach All People with the Good News of God's Love and Salvation through Christ
Last Sunday of the Church Year
Saturday, November 22nd 5:00pm
Sunday, November 23rd 10:30am
Pastor:
Rev. Keith Knupp Email: [email protected]
Church phone: 693-3715/Cell: 585-507-5249 (Friday-OFF)
Dir. of Family Life Min:
Liz Burkett | Email: [email protected] Cell: 861-9911
Office Hrs: 9am-3:30pm Tuesday-Friday (Off Monday)
Office Manager:
Preschool:
Yvonne Upton | Church Email: [email protected]
693-3715 Office Hrs: 8am-12:00pm Monday-Friday
Jessica Neuman 946-8864
Calendar Coordinator:
Elly Crouch 693-3956
Trustee:
Altar Guild:
Robert Gath
Sue Clark & Deb Dexheimer
Elders:
Saturday: Greg Taylor
Sunday: Jim Retzlaff
Saturday: Kathy Burkett
Sunday: Matt Miller
Sound Technician:
Organist:
Sharon Montie
The Sermon: “Who Is Standing Before You?”
Saturday worship w/communion: LSB Divine Service 1, pg. 151
Sunday worship w/o communion: LSB Divine Service 1, pg. 151
Hymns: 837 v. 1-4; 653 (communion 637); 837 v. 5, 6
Daily Bible Readings
Sun: Dan. 3:1-30, Rev. 20:1-15
Mon: Dan. 4:1-37, Rev. 21:1-8
Tues: Dan. 5:1-30, Dan. 7:1-8:27, Rev. 21:9-27
Wed: Dan. 6:1-28, Dan. 9:1-27, Rev. 22:1-21
Thurs: Is. 1:1-28, 1 Peter 1:1-12
Fri: Is. 2:1-22, Is. 3:1-4:6, 1 Peter 1:13-25
Sat: Is. 5:1-25, Amos 1:1-9, 1 Peter 2:1-12
Sun: Is. 6:1-7:9, 1Peter 2:13-25
We Respond to God’s Love through
Worship and Giving ++
Saturday attendance: 49
Sunday attendance: 124
Total attendance: 173
Adult Bible Study: 21
Sunday School: 45
Total offering: $3,123.75
PRAYER LIST
Dwight Salm, Sue Williams, Sandra Salm, Nick
Woloszyn, Jason Ringer, Karen Clark, Jerry Weyers,
Gale Szynkowski, William Manth, Lorry Zimmerman,
Jane Oakes, Owen Neri, Shirley Durow, Sharon
Glowish, Lois Aiken, Frederick Dold, Ruth Ann
Krueger, Chris Finley, Ursula Schifferle, Jon Eckle,
Darlene Heim, Dick York, Bill Busch, Bob
Strassburg, Laura Phillips, Charles Battaglia, Robert
Knupp, Lydia Tata, Jeanne Hromowyk, Carlton
Roberts.
ATTENDANCE CARDS
ALL members and guests are respectfully asked to
complete one of the “WELCOME TO ST. MARK”
attendance cards, at each worship service and to
place it in the offering plate.
WEATHER CLOSINGS
Weather Closings- If the weather looks questionable
for a Sunday morning, meeting night or any other St.
Mark event please check channel 7. Any closing will
be under St. Mark Lutheran Church-N.T.
FOOD PANTRY HELP
With Holidays and winter ahead of us, please
consider donating to the N.T. Food Bank in any way
you can. Donations can be left in the box at the side
door of church, or I would be happy to pick
donations up. Thank You. Tom Williams –
688-2981
LUTHERAN SERVICE SOCIETY OF NY
New bulletins from the Lutheran Service Society of
NY are in the information rack behind the Welcome
Desk.
LCMS JOB POSTING
The Eastern District, LCMS is currently accepting
applications for the position of "Ministry Services
Administrative Assistant" to work out of the Eastern
District office located at 5111 Main St., Williamsville,
NY, 14221. Applications will be accepted through the
end of the workday, December 8, 2014.
Fillable PDF application forms can be downloaded at
www.lcmsed.org. Copies of the job description for the
position of "Ministry Services Administrative
Assistant" can be downloaded at www.lcmsed.org.
All completed applications can be completed and
submitted electronically to [email protected]
POINSETTIA PLANT ORDERS
The Altar Guild is offering members of our
congregation the opportunity to purchase poinsettia
plants to be placed in our chancel for Christmas. Order
forms are due by Monday, December 8th.
WOMEN’S MINISTRY LUNCHEON
The Women’s Ministry of St. Mark, which includes ALL
women who are members of our congregation, have
cordially invited women from all local sister
congregations to A Festive Christmas Luncheon to be
held on Saturday, December 6th at 12:30 pm in our school
gym.
We have planned a great program which will include our
speaker, Linda Gage, who will speak about “Memories of
St. Mark During Growing Up Years.” Linda is the Gift
Planning Counselor of LWML.
We will also have a Carol Sing, led by our young
musicians.
There will be no tickets, but when sending your payment,
we will mark you paid on our Master Reservation List.
Please make your check payable to ‘Women of St.
Mark’. You may also pay cash, but be sure to include
your name! Please mark your envelopes “WOSM
Christmas Luncheon,” and they may be placed in the
offering plate, or mailed to St. Mark
We need to know how many to prepare for, but we will
take payments at the door for our members if necessary.
Members, please sign up, so we know you are coming!
Members of the committee are:
Reservation Chair: Marilyn Brown at 695-2150, and
Phyllis Phillips, 744-2650 or [email protected], and
the members of the St. Mark Women’s Ministry.
Hope to see you at this festive Christmas Luncheon!!
BENEVOLENT FUND
The past two years, St. Mark Benevolent Fund has
funded over $5,000 in gifts and donations to our
members in need, Concordia Lutheran Theological
Seminary in St. Catherines, Lutheran World Relief,
Lutheran Service Society, and other international,
national and local outreach ministries.
The Fund is administered by St. Mark Board of Elders
and is supported by memorial donations and the
Thanksgiving envelope and plate offerings.
We ask that you prayerfully consider this worthwhile
ministry when you set aside your Thanksgiving offering.
Our members and other recipients say a heartfelt, “Thank
you”. St. Mark Board of Elders
COUCHES & CHAIRS
Clean Used couches are needed to replace the old
couches for the youth programs. If you have one you'd
like to donate, please contact Brian Dena at 870-6163.
VOTERS MEETING
A Voters’ meeting will be held on Tuesday, December
2nd at 7:00 p.m. The main purpose is Election of Officers,
budget Revisions and Board Proposals.
28
FIRST READING (NLT)
Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24
11
“For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself
will search and find my sheep. 12 I will be like a
shepherd looking for his scattered flock. I will find my
sheep and rescue them from all the places where they
were scattered on that dark and cloudy day. 13 I will
bring them back home to their own land of Israel from
among the peoples and nations. I will feed them on the
mountains of Israel and by the rivers and in all the
places where people live. 14 Yes, I will give them good
pastureland on the high hills of Israel. There they will
lie down in pleasant places and feed in the lush pastures
of the hills. 15 I myself will tend my sheep and give
them a place to lie down in peace, says the Sovereign
LORD. 16 I will search for my lost ones who strayed
away, and I will bring them safely home again. I will
bandage the injured and strengthen the weak. But I will
destroy those who are fat and powerful. I will feed
them, yes—feed them justice!
20
“Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I
will surely judge between the fat sheep and the scrawny
sheep. 21 For you fat sheep pushed and butted and
crowded my sick and hungry flock until you scattered
them to distant lands. 22 So I will rescue my flock, and
they will no longer be abused. I will judge between one
animal of the flock and another. 23 And I will set over
them one shepherd, my servant David. He will feed
them and be a shepherd to them. 24 And I, the LORD,
will be their God, and my servant David will be a
prince among my people. I, the LORD, have spoken!
R: This is the Word of the Lord
C: Thanks be to God
EPISTLE
(NLT)
1 Corinthians 15:20-28
20
But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead.
He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.
21
So you see, just as death came into the world
through a man, now the resurrection from the dead
has begun through another man. 22 Just as everyone
dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who
belongs to Christ will be given new life. 23 But there
is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as
the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ
will be raised when he comes back.
24
After that the end will come, when he will turn the
Kingdom over to God the Father, having destroyed
every ruler and authority and power. 25 For Christ
must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath
his feet. 26 And the last enemy to be destroyed is
death. 27 For the Scriptures say, “God has put all
things under his authority.” (Of course, when it says
“all things are under his authority,” that does not
include God himself, who gave Christ his authority.)
Then, when all things are under his authority, the
Son will put himself under God’s authority, so that
God, who gave his Son authority over all things, will
be utterly supreme over everything everywhere.
R: This is the Word of the Lord
C: Thanks be to God
P: HOLY GOSPEL (NLT) Matthew 25:31-46
31
“But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and
all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his
glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered in
his presence, and he will separate the people as a
shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He
will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at
his left.
34
“Then the King will say to those on his right,
‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit
the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of
the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was
thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger,
and you invited me into your home. 36 I was naked,
and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared
for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’
37
“Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when
did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty
and give you something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and
show you hospitality? Or naked and give you
clothing? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in
prison and visit you?’
40
“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when
you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and
sisters, you were doing it to me!’
41
“Then the King will turn to those on the left and
say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the
eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons.
42
For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was
thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. 43 I was a
stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I
was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was
sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’
44
“Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see
you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick
or in prison, and not help you?’
45
“And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when
you refused to help the least of these my brothers and
sisters, you were refusing to help me.’
46
“And they will go away into eternal punishment,
but the righteous will go into eternal life.”
R: This is the Gospel of the Lord
C: Praise To You, O Christ
St. Mark Lutheran Church
Upcoming events
November 22, 2014-December 6, 2014
SUN-Nov. 23
9:15 Adult Bible Class
9:15 Sunday School
10:30 Worship
5:00 ACES Youth
SUN-Nov. 30
9:15 Adult Bible Class
9:15 Sunday School
10:30 Worship
5:00 ACES Youth
MON-Nov. 24
6:00 Drop & Dash event
7:00 Worship Committee
MON-Dec. 1
6:30 FLC Development
TUES-Nov. 25
9:30 Two year old play group
7:00 Cub Scouts
TUES-Dec. 2
9:30 Two year old play group
7:00 Cub Scouts
7:00 Voters meeting
WED-Nov. 26
5:30 Volleyball Camp
7:00 Choir
Pre-K Thanksgiving recess
WED-Dec. 3
THURS-Nov. 27
No Prayer Group
10:00 Thanksgiving Worship
Office Closed/No Pre-K
THURS-Dec. 4
5:30 Volleyball Camp
6:30 EPIC Youth (9-12 grade)
6:30 Juniors Girl Scouts
(closed group)
7:00 Choir
7:00 Confirmation class
No Prayer Group
12:30 WOSM lunch
1:00 WOSM business meeting
7:00 Elders meeting
FRI-Nov. 28
Office Closed/No Pre-K
FRI-Dec. 5
SAT-Nov. 29
5:00 Worship/Advent
SAT-Dec. 6
Drop and Dash
Need a couple hours to run errands...alone?
Services will be offered on November 24th 2014.
*Ages 3 (must be potty trained) to 13 years old
*Pre-Registration forms available in the information
rack behind the Welcome Desk @ church
*A suggested free will offering of $5.00 per child
Registration is at 5:45pm and the program runs from
6-8pm. we will offer child care for ages 3 and up. The
program offers craft, recreational time, snack and more!
For more information contact Dave Gardner at
[email protected] or call 716-622-2705.
9:30 Christmas church
Decorating
12:30 Women’s Christmas
luncheon
5:00 Worship
Here's the SCOOP for the 2014 Sunday School
Musical, titled, “A Rockin' Royal Christmas”
December 12th 6-7:30pm – Full dress rehearsal
for all cast and chorus with treats to follow!
December 14th 9:15am – Full dress rehearsal for
all cast and chorus during Sunday School hour
December 19th 7:00pm – Performance at Bishop
Gibbons (for all cast and chorus)
December 21st 10:30am – Christmas Program at
St. Mark
The Board of Evangelism is asking for your support for the Magdalene Project whose
mission is to share the love of Jesus, lead lost souls to Christ, and introduce them to a local
church where they will be loved, accepted, and discipled by the body of Christ.
In the Narthex you will find our “Care and Share” Christmas tree decorated with ornaments
that include the name, age and “special request” of each child. Gifts can be placed in the
box near the tree. All gifts should be returned by Sunday, December 7th. Thank you
for supporting our outreach program for the past few years.