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www.saintmarksftl.com Winter 2020 • Baptisms – providing a sense am looking for 3 to 4 people who will of our future: (1980 – 55K+ to 2019 – study (for the next 6 months) what has barely over 17K+) In my 15 months at worked in the Episcopal Church and St. Mark’s there has been one baptism what has not. For example the Diocese (performed by non-members on the of London was in deep decline up until beach….in the rain!) 1990 and since then has revived. Why? • Marriages – (1980 – close to How has their growth come about? 39K per year, in 2019 – barely over This is NOT going to be an ongoing 6K+). group but one that – by late spring/early summer 2021 – will issue a report to the Year to year there have not been ex- Vestry and the Search Committee that treme changes, however they are hopefully will be informative for this extremely significant when taken in organization. Most importantly we must context over the past 40 years. These stay alert/shake off our sleep and see the statistics from the Growth & Decline circumstances – the waters in which we in the Anglican Communion (Rev. Dr. ADVENT SUNDAY 2020 swim. David Goodhew), and they show the (Excerpt - Fr. Johan‘s Advent Sermon – which The Reverend he begins by discussing the reasoning behind Episcopal Church as a brand is dying a a pared down Christmas celebration in 2020) slow but sure death. Johan Johnson, Ph.D. Interim Rector Whether at St. Luke’s in Ohio, St. Mary’s However, here at St. Mark’s there are [email protected] three pressing factors that necessitate we By the Sea in New Jersey, All Saints in move away from a typical Advent obser- Pasadena, or St. Mark’s on East Oakland vance. 1) THIS YEAR (2020 – 2021) is Park Blvd – the issue remains the same! an unprecedented….health crisis which We must ask the question – what are may or may not fade away within the we doing OR better still NOT DOING CHRISTMAS next 6-12 months; 2) St. Mark’s as an that is allowing our particular brand of organization has been in transition. The Christianity to become obsolete? EVE SERVICE Head of School is new and … by all ac- There are three words that summarize Join us on Thursday, December 24 for counts is doing extremely well – which the Advent Sunday gospel: WATCH – our Christmas Eve Drive-In worship at is encouraging. But on the church side WAIT – WORK. 5:00 p.m. on our school’s athletic field. we have moved away from one person You and I….must STAY AWAKE – we We will celebrate the Holy Eucharist embodying both the role of School must KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS – if (communion wafers only), in compli- Head and Rector – and now we have an you want to use the latest most popular ance with our social distancing pro- Interim priest who is BY DEFINITION term in our lexicon we must be WOKE. tocols. For a complete schedule of all – here today and gone tomorrow. The JESUS long before any modern move- worships, please see the last page of this question that looms is “how long will ment – was calling on us to be woke to newsletter. We look forward to having TODAY last”? 3) An issue that confronts any human injustice! you worship with us. All Are Welcome! every Episcopal Church: The Episcopal Church is in significant decline and the On this Advent Sunday in 2020 I am statistics compiled over the last four calling for the St. Mark’s constituents to not just be aware – I am calling on DISCERNMENT IN THE decades (1980 to present) bear that out. SEARCH FOR OUR • OVERALL MEMBER DECLINE: us to get woke. William F. Buckley, the In 1980 – 2.5 million baptized members; American public conservative intel- NEXT RECTOR In 2019 - 1.6 million members. lectual founder of the National Review, For several months, a group of your said: Industry is the enemy of melan- fellow parishioners has been meeting • AVERAGE SUNDAY ATTEN- choly. over Zoom to discuss our future. We DANCE: Since 2000 the average Sunday are the committee tasked with discern- attendance has dropped by 40%. (2019 So, I am asking for your help as we put ing the needs of our community here at – 515K) to (2000 – 850K) together a St. Mark’s Task Force on Growth and Rectention. I continues on next page continued from previous page and while the specifics of our discus- lector not just to read but to convey St. Mark’s while searching for our next sions are confidential, we invite your these themes with the accuracy and permanent rector. thoughts about spiritual development drama the texts warrant. Jim Sent- and your hopes for growth as a com- man and myself conducted a training It is common to assume that our search munity here at Saint Mark’s. session for all who wished to proclaim for a new rector would follow the nor- as lectors at St. Mark’s on Wednesday, mal course of an employment search Terry Gaw and Sarah Weitz Search Committee Members December 9. This training was held with advertisements of the position, in the church as well as for those that reviewing of resumes, and interviews, wanted to participate online. We will and that this process should be quick. keep you posted for our future lector We learned early on that the search for training opportunities. Thankfully, our a priest is different. Discernment is a St. Mark’s lectors and ministers will be central part of our committee’s job. training and working to lead us with Discernment requires self-reflection, new energy into a more Christly new prayer, and conversation long before year. we receive any applicants. The goal is to prepare ourselves and our community Norm Carroll for a new pastor by confronting our www.spiritualsummit.net expectations for clergy and our hopes for our community. We have found that before we can turn our focus outward CALLING ALL we need to look inward to identify our PARISHIONERS SPECIAL NOTICE weaknesses and strengths as a par- God has called us together here at St. ish. We are finding that discernment Mark’s from all eternity. Oh, it’s true we 2021 Offering demands observation and perception. It have arrived from innumerable differ- rewards us with spiritual maturation. ent places: geographical, psychological, Envelopes This process is harder than it sounds. and spiritual. We are rich or poor, black have arrived. The passage of time is a key part of or white, from New York or Jersey, pro- We will have them available discernment since it demands growth, gressive or conservative or whatever. beginning, Sunday, December 20. yet we know that some members of However, unknown divine forces have Thank you for generously our parish may feel like the process drawn us in this moment to St. Mark’s, should move forward at a faster pace. and selected all of us to worship in love, supporting St. Mark’s! There have been moments when our as one. discussions have become tense. We are Our wonderful Episcopal Church, learning how to do the hard work of however, desires that we all participate maintaining our personal bonds when in prayerful transforming celebrations we disagree. Recently we spent time based on themes drawn from the gos- discussing conflict resolution and for- pel and proclamations. giveness through the lens of Matthew As examples, Jesus provides our theme 18:15-22. Conversations like these are for the first Sunday of Advent when showing us how to manage conflict and he exclaims in the gospel: “I say to to move forward in spite of our differ- all,`Watch!`” The gospel of the second ences of opinion. Sunday in Advent presents John the The process of discernment has been Baptist proclaiming a baptism of re- uplifting as well. Our conversations pentance which sets the stage for Jesus have shown that we have the potential baptizing us in the Spirit. The baptist Explore. Play. Learn. to develop new ministries. New lead- identifies himself on the third Sunday: ers are emerging. All of this is showing “I am the voice of one crying in the Thursdays and Fridays each of us how to take ownership of desert.” We also identify ourselves, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. creating the church that we want rather and cry from our own deserts, “Make For a tour, reservations or more than waiting for a new rector to address straight the way of the Lord!” On the information, please contact: every issue and offer every solution. fourth Sunday, the community of St. Mrs. Francia Willberg, Over the next few months, we will Mark’s will burst into Christmas song MMO Director continue our discernment process as we and joy. move into the next phase of our search. The lector is central to these celebra- 954-334-0117 We will share our discoveries with you tions and themes. Christ is calling the [email protected] ANNUAL CHURCH AND SCHOOL THANKSGIVING FOOD DRIVE Around the holidays, especially, it is important that we help those who don’t have enough to eat. That is why this year, our school’s student councils (lower and middle) held a Thanksgiv- ing food drive to help people who need support. We collected over 3,000 ST. MARK’S BOOK CLUB pounds of food in total. When we The Book Club meets on the 4th looked at all the cans we had collected, Thursday of each month from 11:30 SAINT MARK’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH AND SCHOOL the cans filled up the entire truck! We a.m.

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