​A Mid-Week Message from Katie Metcalf

Dear Friends,
It is "that time of year" again – we have all read countless Annual Appeal letters from various churches over the years. Doesn't it all seem to be the same request: time and time again? Here is my "but"... 

...but it is obvious that we need to support our church to the best of our abilities and your Vestry and Priest are so very grateful for your generosity.

We have so many wonderful, committed leaders among us. Our collective "fingers" are in many pots that support not only our own church members but organizations beyond the church. Our gifts not only support the running and maintenance of our building (just like our own homes), but also the groups that have come to St. Mark's for space and sanctuary. Through the years we have supported and continue to support community groups such as: AA, Al Anon, Bridge Clubs, rental space for counselors to meet with their clients, theatre groups, newcomer groups, girl scouts, and many others.

As I have been organizing and planning our Ministry Fair for our annual picnic, I had a large, bright, light bulb go off!!

I had not really taken a good look at the wide variety of lay led ministries we have at St. Mark's. They involve participation by many, many people in our congregation. I have not been a member of St. Mark's for many years. I guess my husband Bob and I would still be considered "newbies". For the first few years I was not really involved other than participating in the Eucharist. And then I put my foot in the pond. I went down to coffee hour and began to meet members, who have become good friends.

As I came to know more of you, I joined the Outreach Committee and discovered the activities these volunteers take on each year, representing St. Mark's in the wider community. Outreach provides a compassionate ministry of service and donation. Outreach helps once a month at One Family, a Deanery Ministry. We join in on the second Sunday of the month, provide bottles of laundry detergent and then help with entertaining the children, serving a hot meal, providing clothes and other family essentials for people in need in the Attleboro area. We collect food every week for the Foxboro Food Pantry and the little Food Pantry out front. This year we are sending the fall care packages to our college students. We organize drives for collections of goods for needy families, backpacks and supplies for school children in the fall, and hats/scarves/mittens at Christmas. This year Outreach focused on the needs of the Migrant Families. We continue to offer matching funds when we collect donations for outreach around the world through the Diocese: war torn areas, hunger, catastrophe relief, etc.

Then I decided to volunteer as an usher, driven by my desire to meet even more of you. What a delightful way to be involved with our church I am now on our Vestry – a large learning curve indeed! It's a committee that presents challenges on the micro-level of the running of the church. But, as the saying goes, someone has to do it. I finally comprehended the important role we must take on to help lead our church.

We are blessed to have a beautiful building that supports all these efforts. Your gifts go way beyond paying the bills. Our collective generosity makes it possible to have many lay led ministries bring St. Mark's out into the community while also providing many opportunities for spiritual growth and development. I hope that when you consider your annual financial commitment to St. Mark's, that you will be generous.
​
Katie Metcalf