Saturday, December 17

• Open House at the home of Beth LaRocca-Pitts, beginning at 2 pm

Sunday, December 18

• Fourth Sunday of Advent, Chancel Choir presents A Spotless Rose: Songs of Advent & Christmas during both morning worship services

Tuesday, December 19

• “Yes . . . It’s Here!” A Christmas Cabaret; 7:30pm; Jane Burke, Amy Holloway, and Larry Manning present holiday songs from the American Songbook by Berlin, Torme, Wilson, Loesser, Holloway, and others

Wednesday, December 21

• Longest Night worship service, 7 pm, in the Chapel

Saturday, December 24

• Prepare food for Trinity Table, 1 pm, Wade Hall; see below
• Christmas Eve services (all in the Sanctuary):
  • Las Posadas service, 5 pm, followed by a Pinata Party in Wade Hall
  • Candlelight Communion services, 7 pm and 11 pm
• As always, parking is available in our small lot off of 5th Street and our gravel lot off of Juniper Street. Tonight FREE parking (with a Saint Mark Parking Permit) is also available in the pay lot at the corner of Juniper and 5th Streets AND in the pay lot at the corner of Peachtree and 6th Streets.

Sunday, December 25

• Only one Morning Worship service, Lessons & Carols, 11:15 am
• Serve meal at Trinity House, 11 am; see below

Sunday, January 8

• Epiphany Sunday, Rev. Beth LaRocca-Pitts preaching during both Morning Worship services

Mission Opportunities

Angel Tree for John Hope School

Saint Mark's Angel tree will be up on Sunday, November 27. We have adopted 60 children from Hope-Hill Elementary school this year. The majority of the students are from very low income or homeless families, and many will not receive Christmas presents because of financial reasons, but you can give these children things that they want and need through our Angel Tree.

Cards will be on the tree with information about 60 different children, including gender, grade, clothing size, and items they have requested. Please consider adopting one of these children, either on your own or as a group. Simply choose a child from the tree, fill in the bottom portion of the card and leave it in the basket by the tree. All gifts need to be wrapped and labeled with your child's number and placed in the clear plastic bag provided. Please bring the gifts to church by Sunday, December 11. You will be doing something wonderful for these children!

Christmas Mission Offering

Serving the poor and the most vulnerable of our city and our society is at the very heart of what we strive to be about at Saint Mark, and it is the time of year once again when we ask you to keep this tradition alive by giving a special Christmas Missions offering. Tough economic times continue to present challenges to all of us, but especially to those who struggle to maintain the basic needs of food, warm clothing, shelter, safety and hope for a better day. Through your generous support, we continue to provide these things to countless individuals who come to the doors of Saint Mark for direct assistance as well as through organizations that are supported by Saint Mark. As a result of this special offering during the Christmas season, the programs that Saint Mark supports, such as the Midtown Assistance Center, Trinity Community Ministries, Honduras and the Appalachian Service Project, the Partnership against Domestic Violence and the Georgia Tech Wesley Foundation, will help ensure the message of hope of Christ’s birth. Let me remind you also that we are here for our church family when they find themselves in need.  So you see, the love of God enfolds us all in his embrace, and your gift this season will enable us to provide food for the hungry, shelter for those who need a place to lay their heads, warmth in the cold, and whatever else might be needed at the red doors of our beautiful church. More information ...

• Click here to make your Christmas Mission Offering online today.

Sharing a Meal with Trinity Table

It is that time of year when we are called to share a meal with our homeless brothers and sisters at Trinity Table. Trinity Table is the oldest, large-scale, Sunday-only soup kitchen in metro Atlanta. As we have done for many years, we will need volunteers to help prepare sandwiches on Saturday, December 24, 1 pm, in Wade Hall at Saint Mark; and then to help serve them at Trinity Table on Sunday, December 25, 11 am. Trinity Table is located at 265 Washington Street SW, Atlanta 30303. This is a very important day and we need your help. Please contact Rev. Phillip Thomason, 404-873-2636 x12 to volunteer.

Christmas Poinsettias On Sunday, December 18, poinsettias will adorn our Sanctuary. You can place a poinsettia in honor or in memory of a loved one - each is only $10. Order as many as you like. When the 11:15 worship service on Sunday, December 25, is complete, you are welcome to take your poinsettia. Click here to order your poinsettias online. The deadline to order is Wednesay, December 14. Advent - Christmas - Epiphany Banners Also adorning the Sanctuary each week of Advent through Epiphany are banners depicting various scenes of the Christmas story- one is added each week. Click here to learn about each one.

Advent-Epiphany Devotional

Advent-Epiphany Devotional Online and in Print A series of daily devotionals along with artwork and photography has been written and compiled by Saint Mark members to guide readers through the seasons of Advent and Epiphany. The devotional booklet will be available on Sunday, November 20, at the Advent Festival, one week before the first day of Advent, November 27. Receive Daily by Email. "Go green" and have the daily devotionals can also be emailed to you each day - just as they were during the Lenten season earlier this year. Click here to subscribe to the email devotional. (If you received the Lenten devotional emails, you do not need to subscribe to this Advent-Epiphany series.) Download a PDF. View and/or download a PDF version that you can print yourself. Pick up a printed copy. The booklets will be available in the church office as well as in the narthex.