Praying for Peace for All People The season of Advent is one of longing and hoping for those deepest yearnings in our lives. We pray for recovery from an illness, we hope for peace in our world, we despair about children living homeless on our streets. The season of Advent also looks forward to the Season of Christmas – a time of great joy and celebration, promises fulfilled, the birth of a Savior, and new life extended to the world and our lives. Recently over lunch, I shared my hopes and concerns with a new colleague who serves in a local synagogue in San Francisco. She did the same. We discovered that we have much in common – we are both parents, juggling the many responsi-bilities between home and congregation, tending to a marriage, trying to “fit” ex-ercise into our busy schedules, passionate about our ministries and we love to read good fiction. We both wanted to know more about each other’s communities and what was on the heart and minds of our people. She expressed the very real fear amongst her people – especially in light of the recent violence and murder in a Je-rusalem synagogue. Many of her people are afraid and I promised that we as a congregation would hold the mem-bers of her community in our prayers. I know her community prays for peace and an end of violence in our world. Her members have the same hopes and yearnings for their lives as we do. We promised to meet again and continue our dialogue of mutual sharing and con-solation. During this season of Advent and Christmas, we pray for peace for all people – for our neighbors who live in fear and for the entire world. We pray to the one who came to bring peace and draw all people together under the reign of shalom. God’s peace and joy be with you in this season of hope, light and love. Warmly, Pr. Elizabeth

Once again this year, we are asking for contributions to St. Mark’s Christmas decorations in honor of, or in memory of, a loved one. Look for a bulletin insert in the coming weeks which will have more details. The insert may be completed and mailed to the church office or dropped it in the offering plate on Sunday morning. Your donations

are put toward the cost of Christmas trees and poinsettias.

Thank you for your holiday generosity!

Christmas Services All are welcome!

C H R I S T M A S E V E

Wednesday, December 24

5:00 PM Christmas Pageant

7:00 PM Carols, Communion, and Candlelight

10:00 PM Pastorella in F, BWV 590

J. S. Bach

Vom Himmel kam der Engel Schar (From Heaven Came the Angel Throng)

Johann Schelle

St. Mark's Choir and Orchestra

10:30 PM Festive Choral Communion with

Carols and Candlelight

C H R I S T M A S D A Y Thursday, December 25

10:00 AM Festive Holy Communion

Advent Luncheon with Our Neighbors at the First Unitarian Universalist Society Sunday, December 7 at 12:30 pm We have received a very special invitation to join our neighbors to the north at their annual Advent luncheon and faire. Tickets are $10 and will be available in Heritage Hall following wor-ship for the next few Sundays. Our choir will be singing a special advent offering during the lunch program along with the choir from FUU. Following the lunch, a faire is being held which includes gifts from Palestine for purchase. Please join us on this very festive Sunday after-noon.

Parents with Kidlettes Toy Swap Sunday, December 7 Parents and families are invited to participate in the St. Marks Annual holiday toy swap. This is a great time of year to retire toys that your children no longer play with to make room for new ones.

The Toy Swap will take place in Heritage Hall between 10-11 AM while children are at Sunday School. Please bring well maintained, gently used toys. We will also ask the Nursery to se-lect a few toys to replenish their supply. We do need to ask parents to collect any toys left at the end of the swap.

Joint Advent Vespers Service with St. Mary's Cathedral Wednesday, December 10, 7:00 pm Don't miss this beautiful service of scripture, meditation, and music - a deeply meaningful way to prepare for coming of our Lord. Our guest preacher will be Fr. John Talesfore of the Cathedral and our very own St. Mark's choir will be joined by the choir of St. Mary's in music by Johannes Brahms, Arvo Pärt, Hugo Distler, and others.

ADVENT CELEBRATE THE SEASON OF

Special Christmas Music Christmas Eve, 10:00 pm Pastorella in F, BWV 590 — J. S. Bach

Vom Himmel kam der Engel Schar — Johann Schelle

(From Heaven Came the Angel Throng) Martin Luther's beloved Christmas hymn "From Heaven Above" (Vom Himmel Hoch) first appeared in 1535, with fif-teen verses. Luther's slightly later Christmas hymn "From Heaven Came the Angel Throng” (Vom Himmel kam der Engel Schar), with only 6 verses, has the same meter as "From Heaven Above" and was intended to be sung to the same melody, which Luther had composed himself. Johann Schelle (1648-1701) set this shorter version verbatim as a Christmas cantata during his time (1677-1701) as Cantor at the Thomaskirche in Leipzig. It is possible that Bach became familiar with this work when he accepted the Leipzig Cantor position in 1723. It is concise and exceptional-ly festive, with trumpets, trombones, oboes, organ and strings joining the five-part choir. A pastorale is a piece of music that deals with "pastoral" themes, primarily shepherds and shepherdesses, and as such, is often associated with Christmas. Some pastorale are essentially miniature operas and can be quite theatri-cal; others are entirely instrumental, imitating music shepherds might play to calm their sheep, or entertain each other. Bach's Pastorella, BWV 590 for organ is an example of the instrumental type. Cast in four movements, the first could easily be a lullaby, followed by a dance, a song, and finally an even livelier dance. On Christmas Eve, come at 10:00 pm to hear Bach's shepherd music followed immediately by Schelle's brilliant Vom Himmel kam der Engel Schar, a lovely musical depiction of the Christmas story.

Advent & Christmas Community Concerts at St. Mark’s St. Mark’s will host these festive concerts in December. Ticket prices and availability vary. Please contact the organi-zations listed or visit their websites for more information.

Friday, December 5 at 8pm California Bach Society ● www.calbach.org The California Bach Society travels to Germany for Christmas to explore the wealth of rarely heard musical treasures from the early Baroque through the twentieth

century. Johann Ahle's cantata Fürchtet euch nicht fea-tures a dramatic dialogue between a choir of angels and a choir of shepherds. Andreas Hammerschmidt is repre-sented with his stirring setting of Machet die Tore weit and

the charming motet Sei willkommen, Jesulein. Felix Men-

delssohn's Frolocket ihr Völker auf Erden is among several lyrical gems of the nineteenth century. We connect the past to the present with a beautiful neoclassical setting

of Maria durch ein Dornwald ging by Günter Raphael and

Hugo Distler's lovely Est ist ein Ros entsprungen. The chorus will be joined by a lively Baroque consort of bassoons and sackbuts.

Saturday, December 6 at 7pm

Sunday, December 7 at 5pm San Francisco Lyric Chorus ● www.sflc.org

Featuring works by Marc-Antoine Charpentier (Messe de Minuit pour Noël), Thomas Tallis, Morten Lauridsen (O Nata Lux), Maurice Duruflé, Ola Gjeilo (Ubi Caritas), Norman Dello Joio (The Holy Infant’s Lullaby), Conrad Susa

(Three Mystical Carols: The Shepherds Sing, This Endrys Night, Let Us Gather Hand In Hand).

Saturday, December 13 at 8pm San Francisco Choral Artists ● www.sfca.org An international program arranged as an around-the-world trip with visits to England, Latvia, Norway, Russia, Kenya, India, Korea, and New Zealand, featuring tradi-tional pieces and new works by Composer-in-Residence Daniel Afonso.

Sunday, December 14 at 3pm Musae ● www.musae.org A variety of holiday favorites, from the court of Henry VIII to modern jazz standards, and Latvian carols to Armenian liturgical music.

Sunday, December 14 at 6pm International Orange Chorale ● www.iocsf.org Celebrating the International Orange Chorale of San Francisco’s tenth anniversary year, this concert features the world premiere of a new piece by young composer Nico Muhly, as well as works written for IOCSF by Robin Estrada, Jeremy Faust, Zane Fiala, Elizabeth Kimble, Noah Luna, Shaffer McGee, Caroline Shaw, and Nicholas Weininger, and a seasonal reprise of IOCSF’s West Coast premiere of Thomas Ades’ Fayrfax Carol.

Saturday, December 20 at 7:30pm Ragazzi Continuo ● www.ragazzicontinuo.org A selection of favorite carols that will be sure to rouse

your holiday spirit, including the deeply moving Prayer of the Children by Kurt Bestor; Super Flumina Babylonis, a Ragazzi Boys Chorus favorite by Italian Renaissance master Giovanni Palestrina; Homeless, the classic collabo-ration between Paul Simon and Ladysmith Black Mamba-

zo; a new arrangement of It Came Upon a Midnight Clear by a member of the Ragazzi Boys, and Tarik O'Regan's

abstract but beautiful interpretation of Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.

Sunday, December 21 at 4pm San Francisco Early Music Society ● www.sfems.org One of his grandest and most celebratory works, Frances-co Cavalli’s elaborate concertato Mass setting is taken from his retrospective collection, Musiche sacre (1656). The music, rich in the colorful and potent combination of brass and strings for which Venice was renowned, will be performed in full liturgical context with appropriate chant and antiphons. The Magnificat Barqoue Ensemble will join with members of brass ensemble The Whole Noyse.

A German Christmas: Music for the Nativity from the Baroque to the Present

Holiday Light and Love

Postcards From Abroad: I’ll Not Be Home for Christmas

Pastime with Good Company

Freshly Squeezed

Tidings of Comfort

Cavalli’s Mass for Christmas

St. Mark’s and Martin Luther Tower Senior Center Christmas Dinner Friday, December 19 at 5:00 pm in Heritage Hall Join us on December 19th for holiday cheer! Join MLT residents, the MLT board, staff, pastors, friends and family for a wonderful evening of holi-day cheer. We will hear Pr. Bekah play holiday music on the harp, and enjoy a wonderful meal in the spirit of the season. Signup at the MLT Office, 415.885.1084.

Epiphany of Our Lord Festival Service January 7 at 7:00 pm We celebrate the message of Christ to be shared with all nations and the world in this festive ser-vice. Come and sing Christmas carols one more time and enjoy the beautiful Christmas decora-tions before they come down for the season. Music by the St. Mark’s choir will be offered throughout this joyful liturgy.

What Is Journeys In Faith? January 11 & 18 Come find out! We will be having information ses-sions about Journeys in Faith on January 11th and 18th in the Fireside Room in the Urban Life Cen-ter. Come by starting at 10:10AM. We will be starting a new group for Journeys in Faith in Janu-ary. All are welcome!

Lent Begins with Ash Wednesday on February 18, 2015 On that day there will be an imposition of ashes at service at 12:00 noon and 7:00 pm.

Interfaith Homeless Shelter at St. Mark’s January 11-February 1, 2015 Beginning Sunday, January 11, St Mark’s will host the SF Interfaith Council Homeless Shelter for three weeks. Overnight housing, breakfasts and dinners will be provided for approximately 60 men each evening and morning in the Urban Life Center Auditorium. Please contact John Elford at jbruceelford@gmail.com if you can help. Be a part of St. Mark’s Social Ministry. We look forward to serving with you!

Synod Event in January Friday, January 23, 7:00 pm-10:00 pm and Saturday, January 24, 9:30 am-3:00 pm Mark your calendars! You, your family, your friends, your congregation, and your ministry are invited to a Synod-wide event at St. John's Lutheran in Sacramento. Workshops will include:

God Gives Generously... We Go Joyfully

God Gives Sabbath... We Go Refreshed

God Gives Voice... We Go Tell...

God Gives Everything...We Go with Generosity

God Gives Healing... We Go Worship This event is hosted by the following Discipling Teams of the Sierra Pacific Synod:

Congregational Life

Justice & Advocacy

Leadership

Racial & Ethnic Mission Strategies

Stewardship

Worship for Baptismal Living

Witness For more information, visit the Synod website at www.spselca.org. We look forward to seeing you there!

Ecumenical Pilgrimage Journey for Pastor Elizabeth February 1 – 15, 2015 Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton has selected me to join her and 8 other church leaders on her first visit to our ecu-menical partners while she serves as an ambassador for this church. Needless to say, I am thrilled and honored to be part of this group. Our travels will cover London, Geneva, and Rome. We have confirmed meetings with the Archbishop of Canterbury and Church of England staff, Lutheran World Federation staff in Geneva, and a private audience with Pope Francis. In addi-tion, we will tour the Vatican, Westminster Abbey, and other sites. I know this trip will provide learning on our ecumenical partnerships. I look forward to strengthening these relation-ships and returning back to St. Mark’s with new insights into the ecumenical movement and the significant work accom-plished by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in the global ecumenical world. I will share more details about this trip at the Annual Meeting on January 25. Warmly, Pr. Elizabeth

Lands of Luther Tour October 30-November 9, 2015 Join Pastor Elizabeth and Pastor Hans on this special trip to Germany as we celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Refor-mation. For a brochure and more information contact Pastor Elizabeth at 415.928.7770 ext. 2300 (office) or 415.846.4340 (cell). You can email her at ekdale@stmarks-sf.org. Space is limited so plan to book early.

Lutheran Summer Music Do you have a young musician in your family? Check out the Lutheran Summer Music Academy & Festival. The talented young musicians who attend LSM find it to be a place where excel-lence is achieved, lifelong friendships are born,

faith is deepened, and the spark to serve is ignited. For more than 30 years, LSM has trained and nurtured hundreds of the organ-ists, choir directors, and musicians who serve in our churches today. While the world of music can often be highly competitive, LSM fosters a spirit of encouragement in which performers can realize their God-given talents and contribute these gifts throughout their life. This sum-mer's program runs June 21- July 19 on the campus of Luther Col-lege in Decorah, Iowa.

Additional information, a brochure, and appli-cations and scholarship information are all available on the website at www.lutheransummermusic.com.

Youth Activities St. Mark’s Confirmation Class will meet in 2015 as follows:

Jan 11 ........... 3 pm: Visit to First United / St. Cyprian’s

Jan 18, 25 ...... 10 am in Youth Room

Feb 1 ............ No Confirmation Class

Feb 8, 15, 22 ... 10 am in Youth Room

Mar 1 ............ 10 am in Youth Room

Mar 8 ............ Elementary School Re-treat at Mt. Cross (No class)

Mar 15, 22, 29 . 10 am in Youth Room

Apr 5 ............. Easter (No class)

Apr 12 ........... 1 pm: Visit to Central Gardens

Apr 19, 26 ...... 10 am in Youth Room

Adult Forums in the New Year! Sundays at 10:10 AM Urban Life Center Auditorium

December 7: El Salvador Come hear about the recent trip to our sister parish Cordero de Dios in Soyapango, El Salvador. This year we sent a delegation of 16, including 6 youth! Come hear the stories of our sister parish and our time with them.

December 21: What is new at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary? Come and find out about the changes at PLTS since the seminary merged with California Lutheran University! Seminary education is changing and PLTS is on the cutting edge of these changes. Everyone is welcome!

December 28 & January 4 NO FORUM

January 11: Lectors and Listeners What should we listen for as we celebrate the baptism of our Lord? Come and re-tune your ears with Pastor Elizabeth as we prepare for the season of Epiphany.

January 18: Congregational Meeting Preview This will be an opportunity to talk with church council members about what work we will be doing together in our Congregational meeting on January 25. Come learn about what we will be discussing in our annual meeting.

January 25: Ecumenical Pilgrimage Journey Come get a preview of our own Pastor Elizabeth's participation in the first Ecumenical Pilgrimage with ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth

Eaton. Bishop Eaton has selected Pastor Elizabeth to join her and 8 other church leaders on her first visit to our ecumenical partners while she serves as an ambassador for this church. Travels include London, Geneva, and Rome. We have confirmed meetings with the Archbishop of Canterbury and Church of England staff, Lutheran World Federation staff in Geneva, and a private audience with Pope Francis. In addition, we will tour the Vatican, Westminster Abbey, and other sites. Come and hear more from Pastor Elizabeth about these ecumenical partnerships and this very special pilgrimage at this forum.

Spring 2015 Watch for other exciting opportunities in the spring, including opportunities to learn to tell our faith story, and a Bible study series on the Gospel of Mark from Kerygma. The portrait of Jesus we find in Mark is one of a powerful man, confident of his choices and thoroughly trusting in God even as he faces persecution and ultimately death. Those who struggle in their discipleship are comforted to read in Mark's gospel how even Jesus' followers so often fail to understand the depth and breadth of Jesus' power and authority. Mark's words are an encouragement to uncertain disciples of all the ages to see clearly the path Jesus invites us to follow.

Women’s Monthly Study Gatherings All women are welcome to the Gatherings. There are two different groups meeting at different dates, times and using different study materials.

First Tuesdays from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm in the Fireside Room All women are invited to gather on the first Tuesday of the month from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm in the Fireside Room. You are invited to come for dessert and fellow-ship for the first half hour and then discussion until 8:30. Our books for this time are: November 4 – Proof of Heaven by Eben Alexander December 2 – A Fighting Chance by Elizabeth Warren January 6 – The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon by Al-exander McCall Smith

Second Tuesdays from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm in the Fireside Room All women are invited to come for study at 11:00 and at noon to bring their sandwich or salad and share fel-lowship. Drinks and dessert will be provided. This year our focus will be on Transforming Life and Faith by Carol Scheersten LaHurd. Our program topics are: November 11 – Transformation Takes Time December 9 – Christmas Program and Luncheon January 13 – Repent and Forgive If you have any questions, please contact Suzanne Smith at 415.285.7438 or suzathome@comcast.net.

Sunday School at St. Mark’s This article is a corrected reprint of an article that appeared in the Fall 2014 Voice: With the new school year beginning, we’d like to high-light our Sunday School teacher volunteers: Charlene Loen is responsible for teaching pre-school children, ages 3 to 5. She has a lot of fun interacting with the children, and enjoys teaching as well as help-ing the children with crafts. Charlene was baptized at St. Mark’s five years ago. She is a recent convert to Christianity, after spending most of her life as a devout Buddhist, so she has a fresh per-spective to bring to class. She can also play the ukulele, and helps out in Chil-dren’s Chapel when she has time. Charlene is the mother of two sons, and has a grand-daughter and grandson. Adrienne Brown is our Kinder -2nd grade teacher. She was born and raised a Lutheran and has been a member at St. Mark’s for 12 years. In addition to teaching Sun-day School every Sunday, she serves on the Martin Lu-ther Tower board. Adrienne is a lawyer, and currently is a stay at home mom. She has 2 young sons, Gordon and Glenn, both attend Sunday School. “I love sharing the story of God’s love with some of our younger mem-bers.” Gail Culp teaches 3rd-5th grade every Sunday, and she has done for many years. Gail is the backbone of the Sunday School program, most of the traditions we hon-or have been initiated by her. Gail is retired and volun-teers with the Stanford childhood reading program at our public schools in San Francisco. Gail and her hus-band Cal are both from the Midwest. She has her Mas-ters of Fine Arts, and now has time to spend in her art studio. Gail is a strong advocate of hands on teaching. This is the second year she will be using exciting curric-ulum, “Holy Moly”, from Augsburg Fortress. Jenny Hart is the Sunday School coordinator at St. Mark’s. She is a public school teacher in Daly City. St. Mark’s is truly blessed with capable, caring and fun Sunday School teachers. Stop by Sunday School anytime to visit, all are welcome.

On Our Way to Bethlehem Linda Krauskopf

After two thousand years, “the little town of Bethlehem” is still little, and its four square miles are surrounded by “the Wall.” Mary and Joseph would have quite a wait at the checkpoints to even enter Bethlehem. Now, more than ever, our fellow Lutherans in the Holy Land are in great need of our prayers and tangible support. HOPE enters people’s lives through the many creative programs for youth and seniors based at Christmas Lu-theran Church in Bethlehem under the leadership of the Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb. However, with the severe economic conditions there, scholarship money is needed to support these educational efforts for struggling families, espe-cially Christians, in Bethlehem. That’s where we come in! During this Advent season Lutheran churches in the San Francisco Bay Area are again raising scholarship funds for these important programs through Bright Stars of Bethle-hem, the 501©3 charitable organization supporting this Lutheran work in the Holy Land. We have a generous, anonymous challenge gift of $20,000 towards our current goal of $40,000 for scholarships.

With your gift - of any amount - you can become one of the Wise Men and Women from the Far West! To contrib-ute to the scholarship fund:

1. Make a tax-deductible donation by writing a check payable to "Bright Stars of Bethlehem," Memo Line "BSB Account #2539" and mail to Grace Lutheran Church, 3149 Waverley St., Palo Alto, CA 94303; or

2. Participate in a raffle – actually five raffles in one: An antique star quilt from the 1920s; a queen-size purple and turquoise star quilt; an Apple i-Pad Air2 (wifi or cellular) with a Smart Case and Apple wire-less keyboard; a dinner for ten at the Mazza Castle in Pacifica; and a mixed case of Sonoma Valley’s famous Peacock Family Wines. (Note: Raffle tickets are not tax deductible, but they contribute to the challenge grant.)

3. The raffle drawing will take place at an Epiphany Celebration on Sunday, January 4th, 2-4:00 PM at the Mazza Castle in Pacifica. Raffle tickets are available from Linda Krauskopf: jklmk@comcast.net or (415) 285-4424.

Advent blessings and thanks to you!

Holy Star Gifts for Christmas You can make Christmas or any event - baptism, wedding, birthday - extra special with a gift direct from the Holy Land, hand-crafted by

Christians in Bethlehem, Palestine. St. Mark's friend Claire Anastas offers a rich variety of beautiful olive wood, embroidery and jewelry through her Holy Star Gifts website: www.anastas-bethlehem.com. For more information

contact Linda Krauskopf: (415) 285-4424 or jklmk@comcast.net.

Live Simulcast of Christmas Lutheran and the National Cathedral International Prayer Service Saturday, December 20, 7:00 AM PST

Bethlehem-Washington, D.C. Join in the 8th annual worship simulcast between Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem, Palestine and the National Cathedral in Washington, DC. To access the live webcast, visit www.nationalcathedral.org on December 20 at 7 AM PST for a beautiful service of prayer and song!

The Holy Land of Palestine: Did you know... …the first Lutheran Church in Palestine was opened in

1854 by German missionaries? Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem (current pastor: Rev. Mitri Raheb) was competed in 1891 and opened in 1893. Today its ministry includes a K-12 school, Dar al-Kalima College and community programs for seniors and youth.

…there are seven Lutheran congregations in the Holy

Land and Jordan? They belong to the ELCJHL - Evangelical Church of Jordan/Holy Land, a companion synod of the ELCA.

"Tile from Nyange, Rwanda relaxing on Amtrak after arriving in San Diego by plane. Final destination--the School of Engineering at Santa Clara University. The Tile was accompanied by Cindi Cassady from PICO to San Diego and by Margaret McLean, SMLC, to Santa Clara, where the engineering students will make a "tile machine" for the village."

Children in Nyange, Rwanda watching a Skype phone call to the US.

God’s Work Out Hands Sunday

Oktoberfest

St. Mark’s Fall Stewardship Campaign This fall the Stewardship Committee conducted our annual pledge drive organized around a campaign theme of “Forward in Faith…Strengthening Relationships”. Our focus on strengthening relationships is a direct follow-up to last year’s focus on “Celebrating Community”. As members of St. Mark’s we celebrate our relationship with God, relationships that exist within our congregation and relationships that are present in our surrounding com-munity and beyond. As a community of faith we also en-deavor to create new Christian oriented relationships in order to connect with our neighbors, serve the community and celebrate our faith. This year’s stewardship cam-paign highlighted several im-portant relationships. First, the campaign focused on the existing relationship with our clergy. Certainly this is one of the most significant and im-portant relationships for mem-bers of St. Mark’s. Next, we expanded our scope and stepped outside of our tradi-tional Lutheran focus and in-vited the senior pastor from the neighboring First Unitari-an Universalist Church to speak to us. Reverend John Buehrens, from the First Unitarian Universalist Church, responded in kind by inviting our congregation to join their congregation for an upcoming luncheon, thereby

demonstrating a desire to strengthen relationships be-tween our two communities of faith. Third, our campaign focus turned to an existing and on-going relationship that we have with residents of Martin Luther Tower. We invit-ed a retired Episcopal priest and MLT resident to speak to the congregation, who did so with both grace and dignity. Lastly, we focused our attention on the relationship with

our Sunday School kids, an im-portant relationship that needs to be supported and cher-ished. The Stewardship Committee would like to express our grati-tude to the members and friends of St. Mark’s who have made a financial pledge of support to this community of faith. Your support ensures that we will continue to

strengthen relationships within our immediate community and beyond. Roger Ostrem Stewardship Committee, Chairperson

Your Gifts at Work Annual Giving 2014

General Fund

Pledges as of 11/30/14 2013 2014

Number of pledges 114 120

Number of pledging units 229 189

Amount Pledged $ 363,422 $ 408,376

Amount Received $ 336,701 $ 386,107

Income vs Expenses

Jan-Oct ‘14 Actual Budget

Income $ 505,705 $ 496,177

Expense $ 456,166 $ 511,766

NET $ 49,539 ($ 15,599)

“Calling All Angels” Endowment Fund Celebration The St. Mark’s Endowment Fund Committee honored the angels and saints of our community at a celebratory reception on Sunday, November 2. Committee members Greg Jahnke, Stacy Cullison, and Margaret McLean rec-ognized and thanked those named and unnamed who had given gifts to the Endowment Fund, and shared information about how individuals can give to benefit St. Mark’s mission and ministries in perpetuity. The first grants from the Endowment Fund were presented: $1500 to the El Salvador Committee of the Social Minis-try Committee to support the El Salvador Pastors’ En-dowment Fund, and $500 to Lutheran Volunteer Corps to fund volunteer training workshops. The Endowment Fund Committee will announce its next grant application cycle in spring 2015. For more info about the Endowment Fund, call the church office or e-mail endowment@stmarks-sf.org.

Emcees Greg Jahnke and Stacy Cullison

Vanessa Unti, a current participant and volunteer placed with Project Open Hand, accepts the $500 grant on behalf of

Lutheran Volunteer Corps.

Marisa Louie & Debbie Varian distributed angel wing pins.

Singer/guitarist Francesca Lee sang “Calling All Angels” and

provided other musical accompaniment.

Allana Helland accepts the $1500 grant on behalf of the El

Salvador Committee.

Annual Congregational Meeting

January 25, 2015 at 12:15 pm Please plan to attend our annual

congregational meeting on Sunday, January 25, following the 11:00 am service.

Important actions at this meeting include:

Approval of the 2015 budget Election of new Council members

Reports by the Pastor and President Update on elevator installation

Sacred Events at St. Mark’s

Join us in commemorating the recent sacred events in our parish:

Memorial Service Midge Franusich September 28

New Members Received in November Tim Bohan

Hanna Fleck Lynda Kline

Elaine Lanier-Bohan Tai Mamoe

Council Highlights July 2014 Approved recommendation of Endowment Committee to disburse $2000 from the Endowment

Fund in the form of grants in support of St. Mark’s mission and ministries.

Approved legal review of policies relating to gift acceptance, the appropriation of bequests and other deferred gifts, and distribution and allocation from the Endowment Fund.

Discussed revisions to Pastor Davis’ job description.

Conceived of outreach video project inspired by the Campaign for the ELCA video (http://youtu.be/rNkBhGgYZn0), to be filmed and edited by St. Mark’s members.

Reflected on membership and worship attendance reports, and discussed church membership and its meaning.

Received positive report from Council member and summer day camp coordinator Kimberly Hamilton-Lam about the July Summer Day Camp.

September 2014 Appointed Clovis Curl to Council to serve the remainder of Ana Hurley’s term; Hurley has moved

out of the area to begin her freshman year of college.

Received report from the Executive Committee regarding an amendment to a previous motion relating to the designation of cash salary paid to Pastor Davis as a housing/furnishings allowance.

Received presentation from Robert Rathmell of the Endowment Fund Committee relating to applications received for grants, and approved grants of $1,500 to the El Salvador Committee of the Social Ministry Committee, and $500 to Lutheran Volunteer Corps.

Authorized the Elevator Committee to distribute a Request for Proposals to potential architects.

Received reports from Pastor Ekdale regarding building relationships with local clergy colleagues, and from Pastor Davis regarding her August trip to Rwanda.

Received report from Jun Ranches regarding office staff transitions and hiring for a new full-time position.

Approved St. Mark’s Content Publication and Use Policy relating to the publication of photographs and other restricted personal, private content relating to individuals.

October 2014 Had extensive discussion and follow-up meeting with community organizer Joaquin Sanchez of

the Industrial Areas Foundation about our progress with relational meetings. Sanchez asked us to commit ourselves to having at least two additional relational meetings before the end of the year, to meet individually with him, and to consider continuing this theme at the February 2015 retreat.

Received report from Matt Helland, who thanked all for their involvement with the September 21st Hymn Festival and Benefit Reception. The event raised $21,000 for the El Salvador Pastors’ Endowment Fund!

Announced that St. Mark’s will be honored at the San Francisco Night Ministry 50th anniversary event on November 16; Jeremy McClain and Marisa Louie will attend to accept the award.

Received an invitation from the Reverend John Buehrens at First Unitarian Universalist Church to attend their Sunday, December 7 Advent luncheon and craft fair.

Previewed the Time and Talent Survey that will be administered during this year’s stewardship campaign.

Winged Creatures of St. Mark’s During the Christmas season when we celebrate the birth of Jesus in a lowly manger, we’re also reminded of the four evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) who, in the Christian tra-dition, wrote the gospels of the New Testament proclaiming the good news of Jesus. The four evangelists are frequently represented by creatures with wings like angels. Mark the Evangelist, author of the second gospel, often is symbol-ized by a winged lion—a figure of courage. Our church draws its name from Mark the Evangelist, as shown on the church’s cornerstones (photo 1). (The other three authors are: Matthew, represented by a winged man or angel; Luke, rep-resented by a winged ox; and John, represented by an eagle, a figure of the sky.) Where are the lions symbolic of St. Mark’s visible in our church? Look on the lectern (photo 2), look on top of the organ (photo 3), look on the cross by the kneeling station, sometimes carried for services (photo 4), and look through a lectionary (photo 5). On one of my travels I noticed beautiful carved lions in a very old church in Hamburg, Germany displayed at the ends of the pews (photo 6). Keep your eyes open for lions, and you may be surprised where you find them. This is the 26th in a series of Tales from the Archives by Marge Jencks

Cornerstones of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church: the 1894 original in German, St. Markus Kirche, with the 2006 stone commemorating the building’s renovation.

Winged lion of Mark on the lectern.

Winged lion of Mark near top of the Taylor and Boody organ.

Cross with symbols of the evange-lists. Facing the cross, left arm—lion of Mark, right arm—man or angel of Matthew, top arm—eagle of John, and bottom arm—ox of Luke.

A page in a lectionary depicting the winged lion of Mark.

Lions at ends of pews in a church in Hamburg, Germany.

Thank You and Farewell Rebecca Swee As the year draws to a close, so does my time with St. Mark’s Lutheran Church. My last day of internship is December 31. Although I will try to say “thank you, and fare-well” to each of you personally, it is also right and proper to say it in writing.

I say “thank you” because so many of you have touched my heart and taught me in so many ways. I think it was for the WELCA Bible Study that I drew a picture of a spiral and explained it as a visual metaphor for how my context, the lens through which I view the world, changes each day. As I add what I have learned that day to the knowledge al-ready stored, my point on the spiral, my context at that moment, becomes al-tered and new. Therefore, while not all of you were asked to mentor me in my time here, every interaction acted to increase my knowledge and understanding, and to help me grow in my pastoral formation. I sincerely thank you all for the time and interest you have shared with me in my time here. You are a loving and generous congregation, and I feel privileged to have worked with you in Christ’s church these last six months. I also say “farewell”; may God continue to bless you in your mission here, and may you fare well as we all move forward in our journeys. As far as my journey is con-

cerned, I have been approved for ordination

by the PLTS facul- ty and expect that I will also be approved by the synod candidacy committee in January. I will be in the February “draft” for assign-ment, meaning that I will find out near the end of February to which synod I have been assigned for my first call. It’s sort of like knowing that Christmas is coming up but you don’t know what your present will be until Christmas morning. I’m excited to find out! I know that whatever it is, it will be God’s gift to me so it has to be good.

I will miss you all very much. But until we meet again, may God bless you and keep you, may God’s face shine on you and be gracious to you, and may you hold God’s peace in your soul.

St. Mark’s Worship Schedule Sundays 9:00 am ................... HOLY COMMUNION w/Children’s Time 10:00 am .................. Sunday School 10:00 am .................. Adult Forum 11:00 am .................. CHORAL EUCHARIST 12:15 pm .................. Refreshments and Fellowship Hour

Wednesdays 6:00 pm ................... Midweek Supper 6:45 pm ................... MIDWEEK HOLY COMMUNION

1111 O’FARRELL STREET, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109 (415) 928-7770 PHONE | (415) 928-8534 FAX

www.stmarks-sf.org

Church Office Hours Monday through Friday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Church Office Closures Wednesday, Dec 24 @ noon thru Friday, Dec 26 Wednesday, Dec 31 @ noon thru Friday, Jan 2 Monday, Jan 19 (Martin Luther King Day) Monday, Feb 16 (Presidents’ Day)

St. Mark’s is a “Reconciling in Christ” Congregation St. Mark’s is one of over 315 congregations, 22 synods and 12 organizations across the ELCA and the ELCIC (Canada) which have declared that people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are equally welcome to join fully in the worship and life of this Christ-centered community. For more information, please contact a pastor.

St. Mark’s is a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America The Rev. Elizabeth Eaton, Presiding Bishop The Rev. Mark W. Holmerud, Bishop, Sierra Pacific Synod The Rev. Susan Strouse, Dean, San Francisco Conference Sister Parish: Cordero de Dios Lutheran Church, Soyapango, El Salvador

Staff The Rev. Elizabeth E. Ekdale Lead Pastor ekdale@stmarks-sf.org

The Rev. Bekah Davis Associate Pastor davis@stmarks-sf.org

Dr. Timothy Zerlang Director of Music zerlang@stmarks-sf.org

Patricia Morales Interim Office Manager morales@stmarks-sf.org

Ann Dayton Parish Administrator dayton@stmarks-sf.org

Cheryl Garcia Bookkeeper garcia@stmarks-sf.org

The Rev. Chuck Lewis Visitation Pastor

Carl Storey Security

Shirley Liu Elvira Markov Johanna Najera Nursery Attendants

Jenny Hart Sunday School Coordinator

Jeremy McClain Church Council President & Interim Events Administrator

Marisa Louie Church Council Secretary & Interim Office Administrator