Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God's love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us. SCRIPTURES
ANNOUNCEMENTS
+You may have heard that we are kicking off a series of Youth activities at St. Marks. The activities will begin with Youth Summerfest (Fun Day) followed by our Youth Bible Challenge (Vacation Bible School), to be held June 8,9, and 10th. from 4:00-6:00 p.m.
We need volunteers to help teach, lead activities and coordinate our curriculum. We are requesting your help with attendance, inviting friends and participation where you can help out. The various committees to sign up for are listed below:
*Foods-snacks each day
*Crafts- Lead and help design crafts for three different Bible Stories
*Activities- Three activities to go with three different Bible stories
*Seven mentors to lead youth as helpers
I will coordinate the Youth Bible Challenge along with Reverend Sara-Scott Wingo, and Deacon Carolyn Foster. Each day students will study select books of Exodus and on the final day all students will present their knowledge in the format of a news broadcast! In between scripture there will be some outdoor activity, dinner and most important our final presentation.
Please contact me by phone or e-mail to let me know if you can participate.
Jalete Nelms
+St. Mark's Bible Study is held every TUESDAY at 12 noon at the church
+
UTO ingathering is today. United Thank Offering provides grants for many worthwhile projects .UTO chair, Mamie Hymes asks that you give until it makes you happy.+ Marc Smith has been elected to the General Convention for a fourth time. The General Convention is held for ten days with workdays lasting from early morning until late evening. Prepreparation is also necessary before attending. Let us pray for Marc has he begins this awesome task with the General Convention.
+60th Annual Women's Weekend May 15 - 17, 2009 at Camp McDowell
+Books are needed for Sawyerville Camps! New, or gently used appropriate for ages 4-14. If you are buying new books remember to buy titles and/ or African American authors. Any of the Coretta Scott King Award books are good.
Some popular titles are “Bud, Not Buddy” and “The Watson's Go to Birmingham.” Suggestions for other titles can be found here NOTE: The Tuesday Bible Study class has chosen the Sawyerville book drive as it's outreach mission this year. Bertha Smith will be ordering the books from Amazon.com. If you wish to be a part of this outreach contact Bertha or place a check in the offering plate designating that it be used for books.If you are going through your own bookcases, be sure the books are “just like new.” If you have books to donate or want to have a book drive, contact Memily Colvin. memily.colvin@gmail.com
.jpg)
+Hunger is an issue that is very important to me and I have decided to get involved, along with the young men in the Young Lions Program and their mentors! We are walking in the CROP Hunger Walk and we need your help. Our donations will support life-saving programs around the world. Join us as we work together to solve this world-wide challenge. Locally, a portion of the money raised will go to Greater Birmingham Ministries Food Pantry. You can be the difference, and you can start by making a donation. Visit my personal page, where you can make a secure online credit card donation.Thank you!Deacon Carolyn Foster Click here to visit my personal pageYOUNG LIONS
IMAX Theatre was the setting for the Tenth Annual Digital City Films exhibition. Students of the UAB Ethnographic Filmmaking class were instructed to explore their local community focusing on a social justice issue. After a semester of research on the chosen issue, students presented their findings through a short five to six minute documentary film. Seven films were presented this past Thursday.
Filmmakers Jeralyn Powell and Autumn Stockwell were the creators of Road to Recovery: Living With Mental Illness. Their dialogue with Birmingham residents coping with mental illness brought to light the challenges they face as well as the way people with mental illness are viewed by society.
When interviewed Titus Battle spoke of his time in foster care, the abuse he suffered, homelessness at the age of fourteen and his bouts with mental illness. Presently, Titus is one of the mentors in the Young Lions program. The Young Lions program at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church was founded by Deacon Carolyn Foster. It’s focus is to provide positive male role models for young boys from single parent families teaching them how to cope in today’s world.
Though not their birth father, Titus is also a strong, positive influence in the lives of Emmanuel and Emily who he considers his children from God. You can access these films at http://contentdm.mhsl.uab.edu/cdm4/browse.php?CISOROOT=%2FFILMVISITORS
Mrs. Eddie Harrell visited St. Mark's today. Mrs. Harrell is the mother of church musician Sundra Smith.
A woman who was never a mother herself led the way toward the observance of mothers on Mother’s Day. In memory of her own mother in 1907 Anna Jarvis held an observance service .
She began a crusade to obtain a national day in recognition of mothers. She and her followers petitioned ministers, businessmen and politicians, with much success. Jarvis’ home state of West Virginia was the first to recognize the holiday in 1910. President Wilson declared the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day in 1914.
Carnations were chosen to represent sweetness, purity and endurance of a mother’s love.White carnations represent a mother who has passed on while red carnations represent a living mother.
So enraged by the commercializaton of the day Jarvis was later arrested in 1923 for disorderly conduct at a Mother’s Day event and mother’s convention. Her outrage concerned the selling of white carnations at the event.
Jarvis never married and never had children. She died in 1948.
Today Mother’s Day is still a commercial holiday. Florists, greeting card shops and restaurants count it as one of their biggest sale days.
END ***
