PLEASE SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS!

Thank you for your participation in our inaugural Discover Misson Sunday!

What did you like most today?

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What could be improved for next year?

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I would like more information about:

______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ If you requested more information … my name and contact information is:

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Please tear off this page and place it in the Mission Committee mail slot in

the church office –or—share your feedback and information requests via

email to Joyce Blackwell, Discover Mission Sunday Coordinator.

St. Mark Mission Committee

Joyce Blackwell, Chris Polak, Co-Chairs Sharon Cardwell, Clarice Hutchens, Glenn Knopf,

Pam Ladley, Rev. MP Panco, William Tucker

Circle of Concern

Isaiah 58 Ministries

Lafayette Industries

Marion Medical Mission

Mound Ridge

Peace Meal

Presbyterian Children’s Home and Services

UKirk

Circle of Concern 112 St. Louis Avenue, Valley Park, MO 63088 Cyndi Miller, Executive Director (Jack Martin, St. Mark Liaison) circleofconcern.org Isaiah 58 Ministries 2149 South Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63014 Rev. Brenda Booth, Executive Director (Joyce Blackwell and Jean Steward, St. Mark Liaisons) i58ministries.org Lafayette Industries 179 Gaywood Drive, St. Louis, MO 63021 Rob Libera, Executive Director (Pam Ladley and Chris Polak, St. Mark Liaisons) Lafayetteindustries.com Marian Medical Mission 1412 Shawnee Drive, Marion, IL 62959 Kimberly Richey, Director of Development (Clarice Hutchens and Chris Polak, St. Mark Liaisons) mmmwater.org Mound Ridge 31 Agape Lane, Cook Station, MO 65449 Christy Foster, Executive Director ( , St. Mark Liaison) moundridge.org Peace Meal c/o St. John’s Episcopal Church, 3672-B Arsenal Street, St. Louis, MO 63166 Phyllis Jacobson, Coordinator (Bruce Cranston, St. Mark Liaison) towergrovechurch.org/peace-meal/ Presbyterian Children’s Home and Services 1220 North Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63132 Debra Paulus, Development Director (Sharon Cardwell, St. Mark Liaison) pchas.org UKirk c/o Presbytery of Giddings-Lovejoy, 1001 Craig Road, Suite 170, Creve Coeur, MO 63146 Rev. Max Hill, Executive Director (Bill Tucker, St. Mark Liaison) ukirkstl.org

UKirk St. Louis began in January 2015 as a ministry of the Presbytery of Giddings - Lovejoy. UKirk or “university church” is a worshipping community that sings, reflects, prays, and celebrates communion together. UKirk serves together, plays together, and rejoices in Christ together. And you are welcome to worship, play, and serve with us! UKirk St. Louis – what we do:

• Sunday Dinner & Worship with Communion: We gather in community from 6PM to 8PM on Sunday evenings for dinner and worship with communion

• On Campus Small Groups: UKirk gathers mid-week for Bible study and discussion

• Service & Fellowship Events: UKirk gathers during the semester for fellowship and service events, as we learn more about St. Louis and the ways that we can love our neighbors in this space

Several St. Mark college age members are active with UKirk and St. Mark members also provide meals.

Circle of Concern Officially formed in 1967, Circle of Concern feeds the hungry and assists low-income families living in west St. Louis County. There are two qualifications to receive Circle services: First, clients can have a household income (including wages, social security, government assistance and other resources) up to 150 percent of the federal poverty level. Second, clients must live in west St. Louis County, in the geographic footprint of the three school districts serving this area – Parkway, Rockwood and Valley Park. Circle provides food to 2,000 people/month (1/3 are children) and 1,200 households annually. In addition to the food pantry, other programs include financial assistance and scholarships, “Back to School” supply drive, Thanksgiving Baskets and Holiday Family Adoptions.

St. Mark was a founding member and has a long and engaged history of supporting this hunger ministry through food and personal care donations, volunteering, and financial contributions. St. Mark also chairs the annual Circle of Concern Golf Tournament.

Isaiah 58 Ministries has been serving the St. Louis community since 1969 and is a strong and sustaining presence for people who need a little extra help to get through the month. Between 700 and 900 families are served every month through our various food ministries. Our once-monthly bags of shelf-stable food are offered to those who live within our service area, and our fresh food distributions held every Monday and Friday morning consistently serve between 60 and 80 individuals and are open to everyone in the St. Louis metropolitan area.

Our annual Back-to-School fair provides backpacks filled with everything necessary to start the school year off right, from school supplies, to new socks and underwear and a Famous Footwear gift card. This is an all-day event with many activities for the children as well as resource tables and health screenings offered by area agencies.

We feel very blessed at Isaiah 58 Ministries to be in ministry with St. Mark Presbyterian Church. From your food donations, to your support of our many other programs including our Back-to-School fair, our Buy-A-Bird campaign, and our holiday gift store, and especially to your many committed volunteers, you have blessed our ministry beyond measure.

Presbyterian Children’s Homes and Services is a faith-based

Christian organization. We provide Christ-centered care and support

to children and families in need. We strive to serve like Jesus. We

focus on our clients’ strengths rather than their weaknesses. And we

encourage our clients to focus on their futures rather than their pasts.

We help our clients find hope and know the love of God.

We started in 1914 when four

Presbyterian ministers in Farmington

saw a need for an orphanage due to

all the mining accidents in that

region. As years passed, we

created additional programs

throughout the state of Missouri with

the biggest focus on child abuse,

neglect and abandonment.

Now serving about 5000 at-risk children and families across Missouri,

Texas and Louisiana, we work diligently to provide children of all ages

with permanent homes and help parents achieve self-sufficiency. We

are always seeking more effective approaches to help our children

heal and prosper. Recently when we saw that the needs of the

Farmington community and St. Francois county had changed, we

responded with several

new programs and

methods of treatment to

give each child and

family the opportunity to

find their strengths,

overcome obstacles and

build futures.

St Mark members have been supporting the Peace Meal project since its beginning in May 2009. The coordinating Church is St John’s Episcopal Church adjacent Tower Grove Park on Arsenal. Peace Meal began as an idea in the mind of the pastor of St John’s, Teresa Danieley. Her vision was to provide a homemade hot meal once a week for needy residents and homeless in the Tower Grove area. Teresa researched and found grants available to make the church’s kitchen and facility up to code to serve the public a meal. In addition to the grants her church and supporting churches have provided Peace Meal with the funds to support the feeding of 75 to 100 needy people every week of the year.

Through the financial support of the Deacons every 6 to 7 weeks St Mark members’ carpool to St John’s to lovingly prepare and serve a home cooked meal. We welcome any St Mark member who would like to join this very worthwhile mission to email Bruce Cranston and get on the volunteer list.

Founded in 1976, Lafayette now employs over 420 individuals. Choice of employment continues to be of utmost importance for our incredible employees. Community support enables us to employ new adults and expand our free lunches, flu shots, and other “be well, work well” activities. In the last 14years, we have awarded 91 gold watches for 25 years employment. This past year, Lafayette launched a cutting-edge program unique in sheltered employment. The Positive Behavior Center (PBC) provides employees with innovative programming opportunities enhancing their ability to manage self-regulation and sensory differences at work. These individuals often have difficulties managing emotional responses and sensory input from their environment. As an employer, success is contingent upon equipping our environment and staff with the necessary tools to address these needs. In the packaging industry, our wonderful employees produced over 10 million packages, continuing our reputation as a high-quality supplier of valuable business services! Employee #1, Ken McLuen, is celebrating 44 years in 2020. The vision of Bob and Ethel McLuen, with the faith of St. Mark’s, continues to provide employment to deserving folks. Lafayette Industries remains the leading full-time, long-term employer of adults with developmental disabilities in the State of Missouri.

Marion Medical Mission (MMM)

Since 1990, MMM has shared the love of Christ with over 38,000 villages in rural Africa, helping them gain a sustainable source of safe drinking water. Each well costs only $450 and supports approximately 125 people, reducing disease, increasing productivity and allowing children to attend school. Functionality surveys indicate that over 80% of MMM wells are still operating, even those approaching 30 years old. This is a long-term solution to the water crisis! Learn more at www.mmmwater.org

Mound Ridge Retreat and Mission center is a hidden gem nestled in the Missouri Ozark countryside, overlooking the headwaters of the upper Meramec river. Mound Ridge is a place where it is easy to relax in nature, a place where our spirits can be renewed and refreshed, a place where you can slow your pace and connect with the Triune God and with your friends and family.

Mound Ridge provides excellent hospitality with our many facilities and is a great weekend or vacation destination in all seasons. During the summer we hold various camps for ages 6-15. We welcome families, day use, weddings, and groups of all kinds including mission/service groups year-round.

Come. Explore. Experience the beauty!

St. Mark is actively involved in Mound Ridge Retreat Center, with members serving on their board, supporting the Jim Crippen Scholarship Fund, and members who actively helping with building and maintenance projects.