Sunday, April 10--Adult Faith Opportunities:

9:45am Adult Forum -- in Parish Commons Classroom 1--

On the weekend that the Church around the world commemorates Lutheran Pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, join Professional Actor and St. Mark's Member Matt Shimkus for a discussion of a new play.  "The Beams Are Creaking," currently in production at Taproot Theatre in Seattle, is set in 1933 Nazi Germany.  Shimkus plays Bonhoeffer in the production, which addresses questions of morality, political allegiance, and religious conviction.  (for information about tickets to the play, go to www.taproottheatre.org or call 206-781-9707).

11:00am --

40 Day Journey with Martin Luther -- Parish Commons Classroom 1

40 Day Journey with Maya Angelou -- Parish Commons Classroom 2

There will be no regular 11:00am Adult Classes during the season of Lent. 

Also--

Gig Harbor Bible Study Group will meet 10:00am, Thursday, April 7 at Helen Huseth's home.  All are welcome.

Sunday, April 17 --

9:45am Adult Forum -- Reader's Theater:  "Pilate and His Wife"   Enter into the Pssion of Christ through participation in this dramatic reading and the follow-up discussion.  Join host Jim Pence, as we begin our journey into Holy Week and the Great Three Days.

Youth  and Family News   --

SR ALYVE (9-12^th grade)

• Sunday School (April 10) will help with the Pancake Breakfast this week.  Please meet in the kitchen at 9:45am.
• Youth Group --  April 13, 6:00-7:15pm in the Youth Rm. with Matt and Courtney Taylor.  Wednesday, April 27 to Peace Community Center to serve dinner.  Meet at St. Mark's at 4:30pm.

 JR ALYVE (6-8^th grade)

• 6^th grade Sunday School (April 10)- 9:45am--The Life and Ministry of Jesus.
• Confirmation (April 10)-9:45am-- The Miracles of Jesus (cont.)  Both groups will meet in the Youth Room. 

You are invited to a Pancake Breakfast--Sunday, April 10, 8:30-11:30am in the Parish Commons.  The breakfast is sponsored by the Youth going to the Rocky Boy Reservation, July 22-29. Suggested donation:  $5.00 per person.  We need to raise $5,500.00 to help fund this trip. Thanks for your support.

Equipping Youth Ministry Leaders Training led by Ingelaurie Lisher, A.I.M.-- The Landscape of Youth Ministry will take place at St. Mark's on Saturday, April 16 from 9:00am to 12:00noon.  Anyone working with you in our congregation is encouraged to attend.  Please RSVP to Ingelaurie Lisher TODAY.  Sponsored by the 2012 ELCA Youth Gathering.

Children's Faith Formation

   

Women of St. Mark's

The Spring High Tea was a huge success!

Many thanks to all who attended and helped with the Spring Tea.  We are please to send to Lutheran Community Services $483.00 collected from our offering.   

Also -- you are invited to theSWWA Synod Women's Fashion Show and Tea!  The Golden Oldies, a group of ladies who put on vintage fashion shows to help support Good Will Industries, will be entertaining us with 100 years of fashion (24 different outfits) at a fund raising tea for the SWWA Synodical Women's Organization of the Women of the ELCA on Saturday, April 16 from 1:00-3:00pm at St. Mark Lutheran Church, 2109 College St. SE, Lacey WA 98503.  Please come with your church group, friends and neighbors.  Cost is $10.00.  Door prizes!  Fashion Show! and Food!  Call Adriana Chandler (253-833-4550) or Dorothy Reed (360-438-1352) for reservations/questions.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS...

June 24, July 29 and August 26 -- "Last Friday Craft Nights" --

Come and help us prepare for our Holiday Bazaar, learn new crafts, or bring your own projects.  6:30-9:30pm

September 17 -- Women's Retreat and Luncheon -- home of Carol Paulson.  9:30am.

November 5 -- Holiday Bazaar

December 3 -- Advent Brunch

Cook's Club - Episode 3

Sunday, April 10 at 3:30pm -- "A Russian Easter"

We will begin with Blini, a pre-lenten treat.  We follow with Borschch, a hardy beef and beet soup accompanied by Pirozhki and Pierogie, meat and cabbage filled pastries.  Our main course will be a fillet sauteed for Beef Stroganov with straw potatoes.  Carol Paulson has offered to make Russian Black Bread!  We will be dying eggs and will have traditional Russian bread and cheese, all to be blessed on Easter Eve.  Cost to be determined after we shop.   Please contact John Wascher (jwascher@mac.com or 503-6765) if you plan to attend.  

Stewardship of the Body

Faithful stewards recognize that all the good things we enjoy in life are gifts from God.  This Lent, as we enter into a time of spiritual renewal, you are invited to explore a Christian spirituality of the body and renew your commitment to nurture your physical health on Thursday evenings, 5:30-6:30pm until April 14.   Questions?  Call Carol Guenther, 752-4966, ext. 110.

Lenten Prayer Wall

The prayer quilt is hanging in the Parish Commons again this Lenten season.  If you wish to add a prayer to the quilt, please see instructions on the table nearby.  This quilt serves as a reminder during the season of Lent, to pray constantly and for one another and for the needs of the world around us. 

Join with JAPAN... ELCA and LWR

May 1 -- 4:30-6:30pm - Potluck

Join us in prayer for the people in Japan and all those affected by the Pacific Earthquake and Tsunami at a Japanese themed potluck on May 1 from 4:30-6:30pm.  Donations will be accepted and sent to the ELCA's Pacific Earthquake and Tsunami fund, 100% of which will be used for disaster response in Japan. 

We will be assembling Health Care Kits for LWR...as the need is urgent to continue to supply these essential kits to those affected by disasters worldwide.  Starting on March 20 there will be a sign-up sheet for the potluck and our LWR box to collect Health Care Kit supplies.  All are welcome!  Thank you for your continued support of these events to help those in need, share in prayer and make a difference in our world. 

Each Kit contains:  Hand Towel and Washcloth (dark colors), bar soap (4-5 oz), in original wrapping; toothbrush in its original packaging; one sturdy wide-toothed comb; one metal nail clippers, band-aids.

WE have enough supplies for most items to fill 81 Health Kits.  We only need 61 hand towels and 69 toothbrushes. That will bring us a total of 200 kits to ship on May 6th.  Please place items in the big red box.  May 1st is Quilt Sunday.  Financial donations are appreciated to help ship the quilts and kits.

Lutheran World Relief

Layettes -- we need baby caps and flannel (for diapers)

Health Kits-- we need toothbrushes and soap  (See article above about helping assemble Health Kits for Japan -- May 1 potluck).

Quilts--we need people who can sew tops at home

Our next shipping date is May 6 -- contact Vangie Billingsley (or the church office) for other ways you can help our LWR efforts.

Poetry in the Month of May 

May is Poetry Month at St. Mark's--The artists-in-residence fo the month of May are planning a celebration of poetry as part of our congregation's faith journey.  To help them, Paula Friedman, Sally Ann McLean, Tim Sherry, Emilie Rommel-Shimkus, and Robert Hasselblad invite everyone to fill out a poetry interest form after services this week at the table in the Narthex--so that in April they are better able to plan activities in May that will appeal to all ages and interest groups in the congregation. More information is available from Tim Sherry at timsherry@comcast.net or 253-531-3480.

Mexico Dinner and Auction!

On Friday, May 6 at 6:00pm the Mexico Mission Team will host their annual Dinner and Auction to raise money for this year's mission endeavor.  Come hear live Mariachi music, eat great food, discover treasures at the auction, and help us raise money to build houses for families that have come looking for work near the Mexico-U.S. border.  This mission trip is a great way to both give and receive as we work closely with the members of El Redentor Lutheran Church in the neighborhood of El Florido.

Tickets will be available on Sunday, April 10, 17 and May 1. Look for the table in the Narthex.

Parish Nurse Notes on "Peace"

It does not mean to be in a place where there is

no noise, trouble or hard work.

It means to be in the midst of those things and

still be calm in your heart.

Source unknown

Join "Citizens for a Healthy Bay" 

Help plant native marsh species, repair fencing and remove non-native invasive plants from the surrounding uplands.  Saturday, April 9, 1:00-5:00pm, Tahoma Salt Marsh, 1741 Schuster Parkway, Tacoma.  Water and snacks will be provided and a light dinner will be served after the event.  Bring your rubber boots and get down and dirty in the mud!  Please pre-register at jriss@healthybay.org or 253-383-2429.