Youth Conference

 

Dear Friends,

I am convinced that the first step for us, as we seek to build up our ministry to children and young adults (which is a priority for us at St. Marks) - is that we must first be clear about what we believe "Children's and Youth Ministry" is.  

• What is the point? 
• What are we hoping to accomplish? 
• What is the role of the family and of the church?  

Why do such a high percentage of young adults who grow up in Christian homes and are involved in their local church, leave the church when they graduate high school, not returning until their mid to late 30's (if at all)?

On May 12th, we will welcome 2 speakers/teachers to help us begin to think through these questions and more (The Reverend Brian Foos, Headmaster of St. Andrew's Academy, Lake Almanor, Ca) and The Reverend John Boonzaaijer (Rector of the Chapel of the Cross, Dallas, and Headmaster of The St. Timothy School).

Please join us for this important seminar.  

You need not have children at home to attend - the body of Christ is an inter-generational family and all of you are invited to play a role in the instruction, care and formation of the children and young adults of our parish. If you are interested in "the next generation" of Christian disciples - please consider joining us.

Our day will begin at 9 am with Holy Communion and end at 3 pm with Evening Prayer.

Lunch will be provided and onsite childcare is available - if you let us know ahead of time.

RSVP by May 5th to Fr. Patterson (jsspatterson@gmail.com or 215-884-7660).

Holy Week Services

Holy Week Schedule of Services:

Palm Sunday (April 1) - Festal Procession of Palms and Holy Communion @ 10 am.

PalmMonday, Tuesday & Wednesday in Holy Week - Holy Communion, 7:30 am.

Maundy Thursday - Holy Communion & the Stripping of the Altar, 7:00 pm.

Good Friday - Three Meditations on the Passion of Jesus from St. Mark's Gospel, Noon.

Holy Saturday - The Great Vigil of Easter, 10:00 pm.

Easter Sunday - 10 am

Stations of the Cross - Fridays in March

For centuries Christians have gone on pilgrimage to Jerusalem, to visit the holy places where Jesus lived and died and rose again, to trace the last steps of Jesus as he was led to the cross and tomb, where He fulfilled and accomplished the will of God for our salvation.  This ìway of the crossî Christian pilgrims brought home from the Holy Land, and in the version we use there are fourteen ìstationsî (stopping places) along the way of the cross, at each of which we remember with gratitude what Jesus did and suffered for our salvation, and we pray for repentance, faith, and love toward God. 

Click here to read the Stations as they are said at St. Marks.

Ash Wednesday (Feb 22)

Holy Communion and the Imposition of Ashes - 7:30 am and 7:00 pm (Wednesday, February 22).  

A soup dinner will follow the evening service - all are invited.  

Thoughts about Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent, a forty day period especially set aside for careful personal reflection, confession and repentance.  It is a season in which we remember the passion of Christ (His sufferings) and meditate upon the oft ignored reality of our own mortality.  It is a time of self denial and of self examination, a time to seek to understand (and enter into) the sufferings of our Lord in a deeper manner.  Lent is a time to slow down and consider with focused attention those things which we tend to conveniently ignore.  It is a season in which we look to this life as a means of further preparing for the life to come.  With Ash Wednesday we begin our Lenten observance. 

What is the meaning of putting ashes on one’s forehead?

We use ashes because in the Bible ashes are often indicators of mourning and repentance (1 Sam 4:12; 2 Sam 1:20, 13:19, 15:32), making the imposition of ashes a deeply symbolic gesture.  Listen to the words spoken when the ashes are imposed, they remind us both of the consequences of Adam’s fall (i.e. our mortality: Gen 3:19) and of the words spoken at a funeral (“Ashes to ashes; dust to dust”).  A cross is made on our foreheads because in the Bible to be marked on the forehead is symbolic of ownership (Ez 9:4-6; Rev 7:3, 9:4, 14:1).  Having been redeemed by God, we belong to God – He has marked us as His own.  

Lent 2012

LENT 2012

Ash Wednesday (Feb 22) - Holy Communion & the Imposition of Ashes 9:15 am & 7:00 pm

Mid-Week Holy Communion - every Wednesday in Lent, 8:30 am

Stations of the Cross - every Friday in Lent (Feb 24- March 30), 6:00 pm

The Feast of St. Matthias the Apostle (Feb 24) - Holy Communion, 6:00 pm

The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (March 25) - Holy Communion, 6:00 pm

HOLY WEEK:

Maundy Thursday - Holy Communion & the Stripping of the Altar, 7:00 pm

Good Friday - Three Meditations on the Passion of Jesus from St. Mark's Gospel, Noon.

Holy Saturday - The Great Vigil of Easter, 10:00 pm