Video Screening of the MLK Monument Unveiling and De-Greening of the Church on Sunday, January 11

Sunday, January 11, following the 10:00 am service

Following the 10:00 am service on Sunday, January 11, St. Mark's will screen a 10-minute video documenting the recent unveiling of the bronze Martin Luther King monument statue displayed on the Hackensack River Pathway as it crosses Fairleigh Dickinson University's Metropolitan Campus in Teaneck. St. Mark's was one of the many local institutions that contributed funding to support construction of the monument.

With the end of the Christmas season, we will also be carrying out our "un-greening" of the Church. If you can lend a hand with this effort, please do, and we'll make short work of it. Thank you!

Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Brunch is Sunday, January 18 - Mark Riley Interviews Robert Van Lierop, A Passionate Political Visionary and Activist

Sunday, January 18, following the 10:00 am service

Our annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Brunch is next Sunday, January 18, starting after the 10:00 am worship service. This year St. Mark's own Mark Riley will interview lawyer, diplomat, political activist, filmmaker, writer and photojournalist Robert Van Lierop.

Robert Van Lierop, a native of Harlem New York, is a man who learned of the evils of colonialism from his father, a Suriname native, whose father was Dutch and fought in the Boer War. As a seaman his father traveled the world and saw firsthand the damage the Europeans had caused to areas including China, Africa, and the Caribbean Islands after taking control of them. He would come home and regale his family with stories about these atrocities. Van Lierop vividly remembers how, on his deathbed, his father continued to denounce British Colonialism.

Coming from such a rich, highly opinionated, and diverse family background, Robert Van Lierop’s visions and motivations to get involved were stoked at an early age. He became an activist as a college student with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), worked to liberate various countries in Africa in the 1970’s, and later worked as a lawyer from 1980 to 1994 representing the international environmental concerns in the United Nations for Vanuatu, a small South Pacific Island nation, along with many other activities.

The interview is being conducted by Mark Riley, a masterful interviewer who is an award-winning broadcaster. Mark has 40 years of on-air experience hosting radio programs in New York City, with many credited to WLIB, Air America Radio and WWRL. He is also a familiar face as a political analyst on New York One News and other national TV outlets. Mark is currently a US Contributor for BBC Radio Five programs and can be heard hosting The Mark Riley Show on Wednesdays at 6pm EST on The Progressive Radio Network.

The dialogue between these two should be quite exciting and thought provoking, and the interview will be followed by a question and answer period for attendees. Tickets for this event are $30.00 for adults and $10.00 for seniors over 60 and children 12 and under. Tickets are available online through Eventbrite or through the The St. Mark’s Episcopal Church MLK Scholarship Fund Committee. If you have questions about St. Mark's Episcopal Church MLK Scholarship Fund Brunch, please speak with Committee Chauir Charelle Hanley. All are welcome, so please join us on January 18!

Tuesday Morning Prayer Services at 8:30 am

Tuesdays, 8:30 am

Tuesday morning prayer provides commuters and others with a simple, intimate service (about 30 minutes long) that is an opportunity to learn about and pray the Daily Office with others. For questions please contact Brenda Allen (bjstarx at gmail dot com). All are welcome, so please join us!

Ingathering for the 2015 Stewardship Season Continues - Please Support St. Mark's!

We are now collecting pledge cards for the 2015 pledge drive. St. Markers are being challenged to give in response to their love for God. We believe this is a decision between you and God. The budget that funds the upkeep and ministries of St. Mark’s is computed based on what we receive in pledges, but the act of pledging is a spiritual practice. So we invite you into this spiritual practice by pledging your time, talent and treasure to God through a financial and time commitment to St. Mark’s. In other words, each pledge card is like a vote for St. Mark’s. For while pledging is a spiritual practice, our giving does enable St. Mark’s to operate as a church and to serve the community and the world. So please, give as you are able. Turn in your pledge cards and vote for St. Mark’s! Pledge cards are available in the foyer or from any Vestry member. For more information, contact Stewardship co-chair Jackie MacLeod or the Priest-in-Charge, The Rev. Bob Shearer.

Altar Flower Donations Needed

November 2 through December 21

The seasons are changing and the bounty from Grace's garden will soon be ending so we are in need of altar flower donations. Please consider making such a donation in thanksgiving for or in memory of a loved one. We will need flowers beginning November 2 through December 21. The cost of flowers is $50 and payment must be received in the parish office the Friday before the Sunday you designate. Please make checks payable to St. Mark's and be sure to note "Altar Flowers" in the memo section. A sign-up sheet can be found on the table at the entrance to Carroll Hall. Please indicate the date for which you would like to donate flowers, your name and contact information, including email address, and who you would like the flowers donated in memory of. You will be contacted to confirm your donation. If you have any questions, please contact Liz Hibbard at eehibbard at gmail dot com or 201-357-4384. Thank you!

St. Mark's Book Group, "Reading Between The Lines," Continues on Saturday Mornings

Saturdays, 8:30 - 9:30 am

The Book Group began meeting again on Saturday, September 20th, in Carroll Hall (Room 6), at 8:30 am, and will continue to meet during the program year. We are currently reading Simone de Beauvoir's "The Coming of Age." The book and our conversation explores age, especially old age. The Amazon Website blurb says of the book: "What do the words elderly, old, and aged really mean? How are they used by society, and how in turn do they define the generation that we are taught to respect and love but instead castigate and avoid? Most importantly, how is our treatment of this generation a reflection of our society's values and priorities?" Come to the meeting and join the conversation. There is no requirement to be old to participate in the group. The Book Group's only rule for membership is to show up at the meeting. Reading the book is optional. See Tom Crotty if you want information on getting the book or more on the Book Group. All are welcome, so please join us!

Looking for a Great Ministry? Consider Hosting Sunday Coffee Hour!

Each Sunday Following the 10:00 am Service

Coffee hour is an important part of worship and fellowship, a weekly opportunity to relax and share in building a "beloved community" at St. Mark's. To make this happen, we need coffee hour volunteers. Coffee hour can be as simple as bagels and coffee (preferably), or something more elaborate, according to your preference. Given the economic times, we strongly suggest that simplicity be your guide. What is most important about coffee hour is the time it provides for fellowship and togetherness as we share in the many gifts of the Spirit, so please consider being a coffee hour host. There is a sign-up sheet on the table near the entrance to Carroll Hall. Thanks!