Join us at 1:20 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 25 for the next chapter of “Aging Grace-Fully,” as we hear from naturalist Margaret Renkl, author of “Late Migrations” in a Zoom-based presentation.
Influenced by her upbringing in Alabama, life in Tennessee and experience as a caregiver to her parents and mother-in-law, Renkl shares a backyard naturalist’s perspective on the cycle of life — in nature, inside our own families and our own bodies. Discover how nature has taught her a speed at which to live, hope and avert despair.
The “Aging Grace-Fully” series brings leading authors to us (via Zoom) to share their insights on how to age with grace and live — fully — with the physical, mental and social changes that come with growing older.
Discussion, facilitated by Dr. Cliff Smith, will follow. Light refreshments will be provided. There is no charge to attend the sessions at St. Mark’s. All are welcome.
Upcoming sessions include Rebecca Chopp (March 27), Missy Buchanan (April 22), Frank Bruni (May 22), Mia Birdsong (July 15), and Anne Lamott (Sept. 11).
If you are on social media, you have probably seen the inflammatory and libelous remarks by former General Michael Flynn and Elon Musk regarding Lutheran Social Service agencies across the United States.
For the record, the organizations targeted in these posts are legally recognized organizations that receive federal grants to carry out programs such as housing assistance, food pantries, disaster assistance, mental health programs and youth services. These grants have been legally obtained, and as such, have strict guidelines as to how they may be spent.
Presiding Bishop of the ELCA Elizabeth Eaton has responded to the falsehoods shared in these posts with a video message
In addition to Bishop Eaton’s remarks, I also want to respond to these attacks against these agencies.
Lutheran Services in America (LSA) was founded in 1997 as a joint venture between the ELCA and Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod as a way to serve their neighbors. While they are headquartered in Washington, D.C., the LSA network reaches 1 in 50 people in America each year. To put that in Delaware terms, approximately 21,000 Delawareans benefit from services that LSA provides. To learn more about LSA, visit www.lutheranservices.org.
Global Refuge (formally known as Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services, or LIRS) was founded in 1939 to provide assistance and services for refugees from Germany and Eastern Europe. Since then, Global Refuge has assisted with refugees from Cuba, Uganda, Vietnam, Sudan and Afghanistan, among other countries. To learn more about Global Refuge, visit www.globalrefuge.org.
In Delaware, we have Lutheran Community Services, which was founded in 1959 to address the independent living needs of seniors in our area. In the 1980’s, under the guidance of St. Mark’s member Ruth Flexman, LCS became heavily involved in emergency food and housing assistance. Today, food distributions have expanded, and housing activities include rental and utility assistance, security deposits, and housing stability case management. St. Mark’s members continue to support the ministries of LCS by serving at food pantries and participating in the Walk/Run every September. To learn more about LCS, visit www.lcsde.org.
I wish to stress that I am not arguing for or against any specific elected official. Elected officials have the authority to use taxpayer money how they deem best, in accordance with the law. But these decisions must be based in truth, not libelous accusations. Bishop Eaton mentions in her video that we follow the Eighth Commandment, which commands us to “not bear false witness against our neighbor.” When public officials claim that the Church’s ministries are illegitimate, the Church must speak the truth against these falsehoods.
So – how can you respond?
First, pray! Pray for our elected leaders, that they may make wise and just decisions on behalf of the people they serve. Pray for those whose well-being is affected by the cuts to necessary support programs. Pray for these agencies, and the many like them, that they may continue to spread God’s love to the world through their work.
Pastor Kelley Ketcham
Second, if you are able, please donate to these agencies to support their ministries. Links to donate may be found at any of the above websites.
Finally, if you are so inclined, I invite you to reach out to your elected officials. Here in Delaware, we are served in Congress by U.S. Senators Chris Coons and Lisa Blunt Rochester, and U.S. Representative Sarah McBride. Call, write, or email their offices to let them know about the good work Lutherans are doing in this country and throughout the world.
I am proud of the good work our Church does in the world, and I hope you are as well.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me directly.
We welcome you to join us Christmas Eve, as we celebrate the birth of our Lord, Jesus the Christ! Our plans are as follows:
3 p.m. All aboard! Pastor Robbie will be running the Lionel trains in the Seminary Room until the start of the 4 p.m. service. 4 p.m. Contemporary/Family service. 8 p.m. Traditional candlelight service.
Join us for our 24th annual St. Mark’s Christmas Bazaar, which will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7.
This popular community event offers unique handmade gifts and crafts, gift baskets, floral arrangements, soups and baked goods, a selection of “white elephant” items and a fun Christmas Lionel train display! Check it out and find something that suits you and yours!
No matter what the circumstances, grief is a painful process. If you are in the midst of this, we invite you to join our GriefShare support group for people dealing with the death of a family member or friend. We meet at 7 p.m. Mondays through December 9 in the Seminary Room.
GriefShare is a safe, welcoming place where people understand the difficult emotions of grief. We provide relief and comfort as those grieving learn what to expect during the grief process and how to navigate their personal grief processes.
Topics include how to manage grief-related emotions such as loneliness, anxiety, sadness, anger and regret, how to cope with the changes to life and relationships and how to recognize what’s normal in grief.
If you have questions or would like more information, please contact Cecelia Cronk or check out the GriefShare website.
GriefShare is an international ministry, part of Church Initiative, a nondenominational, nonprofit ministry serving more than 20,000 churches worldwide.
Did you know the American Red Cross supplies about 40% of our nation’s blood needs? St. Mark’s wants to help with that effort by hosting a blood drive from 2 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 9.
A sign-up sheet to donate and/or volunteer is on the bulletin board in the gathering space. Read more about eligibility to donate on the Red Cross website.
We hope you’ll join us and bring your friends and neighbors!
If you have any questions, please speak to Sandy Pierson.
On Saturday, Sept. 28, we will participate in the fire company’s parade. We’ll meet at 10 a.m. at the former Hillcrest-Bellefonte United Methodist Church, 400 Hillcrest Avenue. The parade steps off at noon and ends at the Bellevue Community Center, across the street from St. Mark’s. We will walk to the end of the parade route, but plan to have a truck riding in the parade for anyone who wants to participate but cannot walk that distance. After the parade, the fire company invites the community to join the celebration at the firehouse at 1006 Brandywine Blvd. in Bellefonte . For more information, please speak to Greg or Lynne Landrey, Gail Rodger or Vicki McDowell.
On Sunday, Oct. 6, we will host a Service of Honor and Blessing, marking the Brandywine Hundred Fire Company’s 100 years of service to our community. This will be part of our worship service, starting at 10:30 a.m. A reception will follow the service.
Did you know St. Mark’s has strong ties with Brandywine Hundred Fire Company No. 1, stretching back more than 80 years?
Our first service was held on the second floor of the company’s fire house on Jan. 11, 1942. We moved to our current site almost a decade later, and our first service was held in our new building on Christmas Eve 1951. When a disastrous fire broke out in our building in May of 1969, our firefighting neighbors rushed to our aid. You can read more about that fire and our history on our website.
This year, Brandywine Hundred Fire Company No. 1 marks its 100th anniversaryand we have plans to join their celebration and honor these first responders.
On Saturday, Sept. 28, Join us as we participate in the fire company’s parade! We’ll meet at 10 a.m. at the former Hillcrest-Bellefonte United Methodist Church, 400 Hillcrest Avenue. The parade steps off at noon and ends at the Bellevue Community Center, across the street from St. Mark’s. We will walk to the end of the parade route, but plan to have a truck riding in the parade for anyone who wants to participate but cannot walk that distance. After the parade, the fire company invites the community to join the celebration at the firehouse at 1006 Brandywine Blvd. in Bellefonte . For more information, please speak to Greg or Lynne Landrey, Gail Rodger or Vicki McDowell.
On Sunday, Oct. 6, we will host a Service of Honor and Blessing, marking the Brandywine Hundred Fire Company’s 100 years of service to our community. This will be part of our worship service, starting at 10:30 a.m. A reception will follow the service.
Join us as we launch our new summer schedule and get into something good together! Our summer schedule starts Sunday, June 2, with adult education at 9 a.m., fellowship at 10 and a single worship service at 10:30 a.m.
Pastor Kelley will lead our first adult education class of the summer (9 a.m. on June 2), as we discuss the recent visit of Shane Claiborne, a Christian activist from Philadelphia who works for peace and non-violence in local, national and international initiatives. He demonstrated the work of the RAW Tools project during his visit on May 25, using the hammer and anvil in the photograph above to show how lethal weapons can be transformed into useful tools.
God does transformative work in us, too, as we connect for study, prayer, worship and service.
We also have plans to get together at community events this summer, using those opportunities to get to know each other better and get to know our neighbors better, too.
We hope you’ll join us as this new summer journey begins!
Our Sunday service schedule moves into summer mode on Sunday, June 2, when we will shift to one worship service that starts at 10:30 a.m. Adult Christian education classes will be held before the service, starting at 9 a.m. in the Seminary Room. Watch upcoming announcements for details on the class schedule.
