Ken CONFER & Bill WOHLT

On Sunday, April 25, the Lord called to Himself, St. Mark member, Ken Confer.

On Tuesday, April 27, the Lord called another St. Mark member Home; Bill Wohlt.

There will be a memorial service celebrating Ken Confer’s life in Christ at St. Mark on Friday, April 30, at 1:00 p.m.

On Friday evening, from 5:00-7:00pm, there will be visitation with the family of Bill Wohlt at Memorial Oaks Funeral Home. A funeral service celebrating Bill’s life in Christ will take place at St. Mark on Saturday, May 1, at 1:00pm.

Please keep Ken and Bill’s families in your prayers during this difficult time.

Combined Worship, Church Picnic, & Celebration for Rita Schaller!

This is a reminder about the great events going on at St. Mark this weekend, April 25.

9:00-9:45am Sunday School & Bible Classes

Sunday School & Bible Classes will still meet in their usual rooms. However, they will meet from 9:00-9:45am rather than the usual 9:45-10:45am.

10:00-11:00am Combined Worship Service

We will have one, combined worship service beginning at 10:00am.

We will also have a treat as there will be singing and band playing by school students during worship!

Please remember to adjust your alarms and routine accordingly.

11:00am BBQ Picnic at St. Mark

This event is for the whole family! Enjoy fellowship, games, music and much more. Don’t forget your lawn chair and sunscreen!

The BBQ lunch will have a free will offering. If you have volunteered to bring a tarp for this event, please drop it off at the church either Friday during the day or on Saturday at 4pm in the north parking lot.

Volunteers are needed for various activities, please contact Wendy McManners if you are interested in helping to make this a fun filled day for everyone. wmcmanners@stmarkhouston.org, 713-468-2623 x 327.

CELEBRATION OF RITA SCHALLER’S RETIREMENT

On Sunday, both during the worship service and picnic, we will be celebrating God’s gift of Rita Schaller. Rita has been a teacher in God’s Church for over 40 years! She has taught countless children (and adults!) about Jesus and His love for them over the years. It is an honor to praise God for her and her service! Come and celebrate with us!

The dress for the day (including Bible class and worship) is comfortable and casual!

See y’all there!

In Christ,
Pastor Scott

Staffing Changes

Several weeks ago, we informed you that Mrs. Jentry Workman and Mrs. Rita Schaller would not be returning to St. Mark Lutheran School for the 2010-11 school year. During these past few weeks, we have been actively seeking Mrs. Workman’s replacement. I am pleased to announce that we have offered the Grade 7-8 Language Arts teaching position to Mrs. Katie Murray (this is a different Mrs. Murray than the one we had for Grade 5-6 English), and she has accepted our offer of contract. Mrs. Murray is an individual with two years of middle school Language Arts experience. She has also served as a youth director and a special education teacher. Mrs. Murray graduated from Texas Lutheran University with a degree in Theology and a minor in English Studies. She is married and is the mother of 4 children. She is a very flexible and enthusiastic individual who believes that each student has a wealth of God-given potential that deserves to be recognized and challenged inside and beyond the classroom. We look forward to her joining the St. Mark staff.

In regard to Mrs. Schaller’s position, we will not fill that position until we have the enrollment to justify a second Kindergarten class.

A second Grade 1 class will be provided for the 2010-11 school year. The second Grade 1 teaching position has been posted. As a result of that posting, Ms. Elizabeth Imrie has been offered and accepted the position of the second Grade 1 teacher. This is an excellent move for St. Mark since Ms. Imrie has over 10 years of teaching Grade 1, and this is her preferred grade level to teach. We look forward to her joining with Ms. Hahn to provide us with two excellent Grade 1 teachers.

With Ms. Imrie moving to teaching Grade 1, we will now have a Grade 5 teaching vacancy. At this time, we are interviewing for this position. We ask for your prayers as we continue to seek those individuals that God will provide to fill this position.

Mrs. Cohrs has also indicated that she will be resigning from the Assistant Principal/Early Childhood Director position at the end of the 2009-10 school year. It is her desire to return to full-time classroom teaching where she feels she can better use her God-given gifts and talents. At this time, we intend to offer a teaching contract to Mrs. Cohrs for the 2010-11 school year. The grade level that she would teach is yet to be determined as teaching positions are posted. The vacancy created by Mrs. Cohrs will be filled; however, the job description for this position will be modified. We are waiting the approval of this job description by the Board of Directors and anticipate posting the new position as open within the next two weeks.

As you have noticed, there are several staffing changes for the next school year. The Lord continues to bring excellent individuals to us for consideration. We ask for your prayers as we seek God’s Will in all these staffing matters that He will guide us in all these decisions.

God bless richly!!
Mr. Mock

School Climate Survey

Would you please do St. Mark Lutheran School a favor???

I have a favor to ask of all the parents of St. Mark Lutheran School. Would you please complete a School Climate Survey that will be emailed to you on April 3? It will not take long to complete the survey.

We value your input, compliments, and constructive criticism. I believe St. Mark is already an excellent school, but we would like it to grow in its excellence. You can be instrumental in helping us continue to grow in excellence by completing the survey and providing your valuable input. The information gleaned from the survey will be studied and used to help us shape the ministry of the school to better serve the students and parents of St. Mark. We did listen to your input last year. Your input last year resulted in several changes, and some additional changes that were suggested are in the process of being accomplished. Some of those areas addressed were Spanish instruction in Grades 1-8 and Study Hall availability and supervision. Progress was also made in focusing more on differentiated instruction especially in the lower grades. This was also addressed in the middle school grades as we now offer advanced courses in Science, Math, and English. Areas that are still being addressed that were of major concern were enrichment and remedial programs.

“Thank you” in advance for completing this survey as we work together to help St. Mark Lutheran School become an even better school.

God bless richly!!
Mr. Mock

Important Information from Principal Mock

Dear Parents,

I feel that is important at this time to communicate with you in regard to issues relating

• to staffing for the 2010-11school year,
• to invite and encourage you to complete our Annual School Climate Survey, and
• to invite you to volunteer to assist with the reaccreditation of St. Mark Lutheran School.

I realize that is a rather long letter, but I feel that it is very important that you are informed. I would appreciate your willingness to read about each of these important items.

In addition, if you are willing to serve on any of these committees, please contact Mr. Mock.

Thank you in advance for your help in all of these matters. As we work together, the students of St. Mark will certainly be blessed.

God bless richly!!!
Mr. Mock

Lutheran School Accreditation

I am asking for help from the parents of St. Mark in regard to National Lutheran School Accreditation. St. Mark Lutheran School is accredited through National Lutheran School Accreditation. Our accreditation covers a period of 7 years. We are currently in year 6 and will need to be reaccredited by the spring of 2011. This process involves a considerable amount of work for the teachers and parents. There are 11 Standards on which we evaluate ourselves and also be evaluated by an outside group of individuals selected by the National Lutheran School Accreditation committee. As the teachers complete each of these standards, we invite parents to provide their input in regard to specific standards. It would be ideal if we had at least two parents that would help evaluate each of the specific standards. This would involve from 2-3 meetings. The first meeting would involve meeting with the teachers and becoming familiar with what that group of teachers provided in regard to a specific standard. A second meeting would involve providing parent input. A third meeting might be held to finalize the report on the standard. These meetings would be held between April 15 and the end of the school year. The eleven standards are as follows:

1. Mission and Vision
2. Relationships
3. Leadership
4. Personnel
5. Curriculum
6. Instruction
7. Student Services
8. Health and Safety
9. Facilities
10. Finance
11. Evaluation

God bless richly!!
Mr. Mock

Upcoming Worship Emphases

Following the wonderful celebration of the Resurrection of Our Lord, we will have theme, “CELEBRATE!" with the following subthemes each week:

• April 11: “CELEBRATE: FPU”
• April 18: “CELEBRATE: Life”
• APRIL 25: “CELEBRATE ST. MARK” with one, combined worship service at 10:00 a.m. and a congregation-wide picnic. We will also be announcing the Fall Church Theme: “WE ARE FAMILIY!”
• MAY 2: “CELEBRATE: Confirmands”
• MAY 9: “CELEBRATE: Mothers”
• MAY 16: “CELEBRATE: Graduates”
• MAY 23: “CELEBRATE: Volunteers”
• MAY 30: “CELEBRATE: Memorial Day”

Come and CELEBRATE with us!

Offices Closed

The St. Mark offices (both church and school) will be closed on Friday, April 2, and Monday, April 5, in observance of Good Friday and Easter Monday, respectively.

If you have a pastoral emergency, please contact Pastor Duerr or Pastor Heitshusen on their cell phones.

No Worship, April 7

On Wednesday, April 7, there will be no worship service.

Wednesday evening services will resume the following week, April 14 at 7:00 p.m.

RACE-a-THON

[Saturday, April 10th 8am-3pm]
RACE^aTHON is our next National Youth Gathering Fundraiser! Our expectation is that this be one of our BIGGEST Fundraisers!

We have the track at Houston Christian reserved on April 10th! The plan is for each participant &/or parents to fill up their pledge sheets. They will be asking friends, family, neighbors, teachers, schoolmates, & members of Saint Mark to pledge a donation for the amount of laps they will walk or run on April 10^th from 8:00am–3:00pm. You can do this by pledging a Dollar Amount per lap or mile [4 laps = 1 mile]. If a participant were to run/walk 5 miles & get 20 people to pledge at least $1 per lap, they would make a cool $400! If everyone going to NYG did the same, we would make $12,400!

Thanks for your support!

Sunday Morning Bible Classes

Now that our first “Financial Peace University” classes have (very successfully!) completed, St. Mark has some other Sunday morning courses they will be offering.

The current lineup is as follows:

APRIL 11, 9:45-10:45 a.m.

• FPU Graduation & Celebration in the cafeteria
• “The Book of Hebrews” [the 11^th & 18^th only as it moves to Galatians from the 25^th on] taught by Charles McDaniels in Room 131 (the school library)
• “Remarkable Women of the Bible,” taught by Cheryl Dinwoodie in Room 145
• “I Have Good News for You” This is an informational class about Christianity, Lutheranism, and St. Mark taught by two elders, Willis Schrampfer and Steve Wible in Room 155.

APRIL 18, 9:45-10:45 a.m.

[The following are scheduled to begin on April 18, but will end on different dates. PLEASE NOTE: ON APRIL 25 ONLY, THE BIBLE CLASS TIME WILL BE FROM 9:00-9:45 a.m. For May 2 on, the time will be at the usual 9:45-10:45 a.m. This is due to one combined worship service on April 25 at 10:00 a.m. with a congregation-wide picnic to follow.]

• “The Book of Hebrews [18^th only]/Galatians [25^th on]” [last class for Hebrews] taught by Charles McDaniels in Room 131 (the school library)
• “Remarkable Women of the Bible,” taught by Cheryl Dinwoodie in Room 145
• “I Have Good News for You” This is an informational class about Christianity, Lutheranism, and St. Mark taught by two elders, Willis Schrampfer and Steve Wible in Room 155.
• “GOD’S TRUSTEES: Managing All of Life and Life’s Resources for God’s Purposes!” Teachers TBA
• “Letters from a Skeptic” This class will be taught by the congregational chairman, Duane Heckmann in the cafeteria, section ‘B’. It follows a true conversation between a son and his skeptic, agnostic father, who later becomes a Christian.
• “THE LOVE DARE: Making Your Marriage Fireproof” This is a great course based on the hit movie, “Fireproof.” It is for anyone who is in a marriage or a committed relationship. It will be taught by Pastors Heitshusen and Duerr in Room 224.
• Possible new course to be taught by Ginny Zuppann and Pastor Runge. Topic and location will be announced if this comes to fruition.
• A class (with topic and location yet to be determined) to be taught by elder, Bill Reese, looks to begin around this time as well.

Please make use of these wonderful opportunities to study, learn, and fellowship!

For God's glory, Christ Jesus' praise, and your edification. St. Mark Lutheran Church & School, Houston, TX

FPU Graduation Celebration !

You’ve cut up the cards, now it’s time to cut the cake!

On Sunday, April 11, at 9:45 a.m. in the cafeteria, we will celebrate all those who graduated (attended at least 12 of the 13 Small Group sessions of the course) from “Financial Peace University.”

There will be cake, so save some room from breakfast!

CONGRATS, GRADS!

SM² Easter Breakfast!

This Easter Sunday the SM² Youth Group will be hosting an Easter Breakfast for all hungry church-goers.

On the Menu: Eggs, Sausage, Pancakes with Syrup, Hashbrowns, Biscuits, & Grapes!

The West Houston Chapter of Thrivent Financial will be supplementing some of the funds & also provided us with 1,000 cups & napkins! THANKS, THIVENT!

Please join us for Breakfast! We’d love to have you!

Youth: Please arrive by 7:00 a.m. for set-up.

Easter Egg Hunt!

Each year St. Mark hosts an Easter Egg hunt with special activities for all young children. This is a great event to invite your neighbors or your grandchildren to! It’s fun, non-threatening, and gets the family out of the house.

The event will take place RAIN OR SHINE (events will be moved indoors if the weather does not cooperate.)

Date:  Saturday April 3, 2010
Time:  9:30 am
Place: St. Mark Lutheran

See you there!

Easter Crosses

Perhaps you've seen them around on lawns; simple, white crosses.

This year, as last year, many people took advantage of these crosses, making them simple witnesses to neighbors and passers-by of their faith and the One in whom they have faith.

The crosses are designed to be blank for Palm Sunday (that's this Sunday!) and through Holy Week and, on Easter, to be turned around. On the other side of the crosses, the message "HE IS RISEN!" is printed.

What a great, easy, witness to the saving resurrection of the Lord Jesus!

These crosses are available for under $7/each at the St. Mark store (next to the patio with the door to the south of the Welcome Center receptionist desk).

Pick one up today -- for you and a family member or friend -- and display it proudly, showing others that you "are not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!" (Romans 1:16)

You can read more about the "Easter Cross" at eastercross.org. or see a piece that CBS did on it below.


Easter Cross Witness from Austin Fogerty on Vimeo.
A CBS report on the Easter Cross Witness

JESUS IS RISEN!! -- A "Holy Week" for You

"CHRIST IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN, INDEED, ALLELUIA!!"

I love that phrase! It marks the climax of Scripture and all of human history! It marks the reason we have hope amidst despair; joy amidst sorrow; life amidst death. It reminds us that God and His love are bigger than our difficulties and failures!

It is truly the most wonderful time of the year (popular Christmas song sentiments, notwithstanding)!

But before we get to Easter, we continue through Lent and Holy Week. Many of you know that Lent is one of my favorite times of the year. It focuses us [me!] on the passion and love that Jesus, our lord and savior, has for us and for the whole world. It reminds us of our sins which drive us to Him, who forgives our sins by "The Power of the Cross" (our Sunday theme during Lent this year).

Lent ends on Easter Sunday, but the week prior to Easter, "Holy Week," is a very special time of the church year, too. It begins with the Sunday before Easter, called "Sunday of the Passion" or "Palm Sunday." It marks Jesus' entry into Jerusalem for the last time, when he was heralded and welcomed with a reception by people with "palm branches" and the cloths. the week takes a tragic turn when later, after Jesus had His last supper with His disciples while celebration the Passover meal, He is later betrayed to death by one of His disciples and is innocently killed by crucifixion, thus dying for the sins of the world.

But death could not hold Jesus, "the Way, the Truth, and the Life!" He rose on Easter morning, as He said He would, thus destroying sin, death, and the power of the devil and granting to all believers everlasting life!

It is no wonder, then, why Easter is the highest and most holy day on the entire church calendar! It is also the most joyous!

Yet, the highs will not be so high unless the lowest of the lows is also understood and experienced. That is why worship during Lent in general and Holy Week in particular, is so very important. We can understand the depths that Jesus went to for us, which make the heights to which He rose and ascended all the more brilliant and wonderful!

Please make sure to join us for all Holy Week services. you will be blessed! The schedule is below.

• Sunday of the Passion/Palm Sunday: Sunday, March 28, 8:30/11:00 AM
• Holy (Maundy) Thursday: Thursday, April 1, at 7:00 PM
• Good Friday: Friday, April 2, at 12noon and 7:00 PM
• Easter Sunday: Sunday, April 4, 6:30 AM (Sunrise); 8:30/11:00 AM 

In Christ's great passion for you and with you,
Pastor Scott

Ash Wednesday and Lent

Next Wednesday, February 17, marks Ash Wednesday. As such, we will be privileged to worship the Lord with Word, Holy Communion, and the Imposition of Ashes.

St. Mark will offer the following worship opportunities:

• 8:15 AM for middle school students (Imposition of Ashes, but no Holy Communion); 
• 9:00 AM for elementary school students (neither Imposition of Ashes nor Holy Communion); 
• 12:00 noon for all (both Imposition of Ashes and Holy Communion) and
• 7:00 PM for all (both Imposition of Ashes and Holy Communion)

And don't forget, we will be worshiping on every Wednesday in Lent at 7:00 PM, focusing on "reconciliation" and on Sundays with the theme, "The Power of the Cross."

We would be honored - and you will be blessed - if you would worship with us on this Lenten journey!

With you on the journey,
Pastor Scott

Soccer & Basketball Camps & Clinics to be Offered

A soccer camp will be held at St. Mark during spring break for kids ages 5-12. Registration and more information is at www.sportsquesttraining.com.

Also, a basketball skills clinic will be held on Sundays in March through May at St. Mark for middle school players (developmental) and high school players (posting and guarding skills). Registration and more information is at www.coachherndon.com.

More information will be forthcoming soon.

Rita Schaller Named "Educator of the Year!"

A very big congratulations to St. Mark's very own Rita Schaller who was recently named "Early Childhood Educator of the Year" for the entire Texas District of the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod!

WAY TO GO, RITA!!

Tristen Dasch Still in Need of Prayers

Many of you are very familiar with Tristen Dasch, son of previous St. Mark senior pastor, Bill Dasch and wife, Shelia.

Tristen has been fighting the reemergence of his leukemia for some time. Right now he is in Memphis, TN receiving bone marrow from his mom in the newest effort to fight off this terrible disease.

The Dasch's congregation, St. John's Lutheran in Mansfield, TX, recently posted a YouTube video directed at/for Tristen. You can view it below.

Please continue to keep Tristen and the rest of the Dasch family in your daily prayers!