JANUARY 2026
"See, I am doing a new thing!"
Isaiah 43:19
"For I know the plans I have for
you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11
Happy New Year to all the Families and Friends of St. Mark's!
It is hard to believe that another year has come and gone! It is hard to believe that St. Mark's has been without a Spiritual Leader for over a year and at times it may feel like we are stuck in a wilderness.
This past year we have also spent some time hearing from the Old Testment Prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah who remind us that even in the wilderness we are never alone. God is always with us.
While God's timing is not always our timing. His timing is always perfect. we can be assured that He will lead us through the wilderness. Isaiah reminds us that God told Israel (and us) not to dwell on past miracles (like the Exodus from Egypt) but to look forward, as He's doing something unprecedented, a "new thing" (Isaiah 43:19).
Jeremiah reassured Israel (and us) that God hasn't abandoned them (us). That he has plans for St. Mark's. Plans that may be much greater than we could ever hope for or imagine. So, what do we do as we wander in the wilderness? Here are a few ideas:
Love & Worship
Worship God alone -
Pray
Listen for God's voice
Come to church to worship with others
Spend alone time with God through devotions
Love God with all your being and develop a personal relationship with God.
Make Disciples:
Share the Gospel with others
Invite a friend, a neighbor, a new acquaintance to church
Serve:
Use your gifts to serve others
Those with food insecurities
Those with housing insecurities
The marginalized
The people of the church's missions
Produce good works that bring glory to God.
As we wander together in the wilderness,
let us never lose sight of the promises of God:
To always be with us
To give us hope through the journey
To provide a plan for the future.
I look forward to walking with all of you in the wilderness
to see what plans God has for St. Mark's.
Blessings,
Pastor Jennie
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At the current time St. Mark's does not have a full-time pastor. Pastor Kevin's last service with St. Mark's was September 15, 2024. The transition team, consisting of members of both St. Mark's and St. John's, have completed the long profile for a new pastor. The profile has been submitted to the Penn Southeast Conference of the United Church of Christ and has been made available online for perspective candidates for pastor. In the meantime, worship services are being conducted by the church's former pastor (1986--2006) Karl W. Jones and Pastor Jennie Strauch.
