CHURCH EVENTS FOR THURSDAY, 7/31:

  •  Bible Study at 9:30am with Pr. Halaas

We find the names of the 12 apostles in Matthew 10:2-4, Mark 3:14-19, and Luke 6:13-16:  "And when day came, He called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom He named apostles: Simon, whom He named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor".

Nathanael, believed to be the disciple Bartholomew, experienced a jarring first encounter with Jesus.  When the Apostle Philip called him to come and meet the Messiah, Nathanael was skeptical, but he followed along anyway.  As Philip introduced him to Jesus, the Lord declared, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false."  Immediately Nathanael wanted to know, "How do you know me?"

St. Mark Inclusivity Statement

"We are a community that values and celebrates diversity in order to fulfill the work of the Holy Trinity.  Examples of now existing diversity in our congregation, which we intend to nurture, grow, and celebrate include, but are not limited to, persons of varying: race, national and ethnic origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, economic circumstance, mental/physical health, political persuasion, and theological perspective.  As a congregation, we pledge to demonstrate not only through words, but our actions that when we say all are welcome, we really mean it.”