MARCH/APRIL 2014 • VOL 1, No. 2

MARCH/APRIL 2014 • VOL 1, No. 2
A BI-MONTHLY NEWS MAGAZINE OF SAINT MARK BAPTIST CHURCH

MARCH/APRIL 2014
INSIDE
4
HD Upgrade
Major Improvement
5
Sanctuary Renovations
Begin Soon
Growth Connections
is a bi-monthly news magazine of the Saint Mark
Baptist Church, Little Rock, AR.
6
Get in the Grow ...
Soul Satisfying
This publication is produced through the Media &
Marketing Division of our church. Our eNews team
consists of volunteer writers and photographers who
capture information for the various articles.
10
Operation Impact
Huge Success
eNews Team: Saundra Bracy, Natasha Brown,
Brandi Doan, Terrie Ellington, Jerry Hall, Tammy
Harrell, Jennice Haynes, Zeornee’ Herts, Teddi
Johnson, Keya Pointer, Roline Thomas, Bill Wilkins.
Advertising rates and sizes are available upon
request.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
For more information or to volunteer, contact
Zeornee’ Herts, zlherts@smark.org, or
at 663-3955 ext. 230.
• From the Pastor’s Desk 3
• Growth Opportunities 12
• Life Connections 14
• Welcome New Members 16
• Let’s Celebrate 19
5722

FROM THE PASTOR'S DESK
Saint Mark Family and Friends,
We have had a tremendous 1 st quarter as a church body! God has blessed us with dynamic growth
spiritually and numerically. So far this year, we’ve seen over 200 people added to our church family.
Each person God sends to Saint Mark is an essential gift to the church. We all have a story of God’s
rich grace in our lives. We grow in faith by interacting with one another in worship, service, learning, and
by listening to one another recount God’s faithfulness to us. God has done great things for us!
We are moving forward with our 5 Focus Areas for 2014 by God’s grace. The HD upgrade is nearly
complete and has already drastically improved the quality of our live worship experience, our Saturday
night broadcast, and our services as they are streaming on the Internet. We are also moving forward
with informing the community about the dynamic ministry we offer as a church through expanded
marketing efforts. Our existing leaders are continuing to be equipped through our workshops and
seminars. We have accomplished some awesome things already this year.
We rejoice in what has been done but we are not finished yet. On the 1 st Sunday in April we gave
substantially toward building our Children and Youth Center. It was exciting to see so many of us
respond to God’s vision for the church and sacrifice to make the dream a reality. I know that God will
bring forth a fruitful harvest for those who have sown. Seed Sunday was a great push toward beginning
the project but now we need to follow up with consistent giving. If you haven’t already committed to
giving a monthly amount to the Dream Big campaign, now is the time to do so. We are not far away
from being able to begin construction. Your monthly gift, however small to you, will make a big impact in
the lives of young people for many years to come. I trust that you will join me in helping bring the vision
to manifestation.
You. Grow. Here.
With all Christian sincerity,
Phillip L. Pointer, Sr.
GROWTH CONNECTIONS • 3

VISION 2014
HD Upgrade
Major Improvement
by Bill Wilkins
When it comes to quality broadcasting, Saint
Mark Baptist Church is considered among the
best. For Saint Mark to remain on the cutting
edge of technology it became necessary to
upgrade our equipment to High Definition
technology.
We began our television ministry in 1994
and brought the operations in-house in 1999.
Much of our old equipment was purchased
from 1999-2008. “It was past time for our
upgrade. This new state-of-the-art equipment
has already greatly enhanced the quality of
our video production,” says Zeornee’ Herts,
Media Director.
before
On March 30 th a major portion of the
HD install was complete and we began
broadcasting with greater resolution.
Members have already commented about
how they are enjoying the improvements.
The screens in the sanctuary are larger and
the video resolution is higher.
Our Livestream viewers have already noticed
some of the changes. “We are now able to
chat with our online viewers and give them
much better quality images of our scriptures
and song lyrics with special components
specifically for Livestream,” said Tiffany
Brown, Media Specialist. “We are thoroughly
excited about the upgrade and the difference
we have seen so far.”
after
The final pieces will be added during the
sanctuary stage renovation project and the
upgrade will be complete.
4 • GROWTH CONNECTIONS

current
future
Change Is Coming Soon
by Jason Ray
You’ve heard about the upcoming cosmetic
changes to our Sanctuary. You have even seen
some renderings of what it will look like. We
gave you a taste of the updated environment on
New Year’s Eve. Well on Monday, April 21 st the
actual renovations will begin in the sanctuary.
We have an aggressive construction schedule
with a completion date of June 6, 2014, the
Friday before Church Anniversary. A lot of
things have to happen during this time frame
so we ask for your prayers, understanding, and
patience during this time.
You may ask, what changes are we making?
There are several big changes including: An
orchestra pit for the musicians (in their current
position, but lowered two feet to the ground).
This will help each audience section have better
stage sight lines; The choir stand will then be
raised up by two feet giving a clean view of
Pastor Pointer for the sermons; We will also
change out all of the lighting in the Sanctuary
to LED lights. Not only will this greatly decrease
our energy usage, but also the cost of changing
the bulbs at least twice a year. We are also
adding some decorative elements and installing
acoustic sound panels around the sanctuary to
assist with controlling sound in the room.
These updates will definitely enhance our
worship experience and give us a 21 st Century
flare while still holding true to our foundation of
Monday, April 21 st the
actual renovations will
begin in the sanctuary.
Jesus Christ. The world is changing around us and
even we as people change periodically. While we
maintain the message of Jesus Christ, the church
must remain relevant in its methods of reaching the
lost in our post-modern world.
As Pastor Pointer stated in Bible Study in January,
Jesus was proficient in the ministry of relativity and
communicated His message in common language.
Scripture relied on significant technological
advances. Writing, for instance was a brand new
technology when Moses got the tablets in his hand.
The printing press was new as it relates to the
original Canon of Scripture and the processes used.
We’re excited about the finished product, but we’ve
got to endure several weeks of not so aesthetically
pleasing views until then. There may be a week
or two when the choir will not sing but there will
still be music elements to our service. There may
be a brief time (again) without the screens in the
sanctuary, but we will still communicate with the
congregation. There may be some Sundays where
things just don’t look right, but realize this is just a
means to an end. We know it is all worth it as you
will enjoy the end product! There will be Glory after
this!
5
GROWTH CONNECTIONS • 5

Get in the Grow
... Soul Satisfying
by Roline Thomas
Fifth Sundays have been designated as Get in
the Grow Sunday. Our first installment, launched
on March 30 th , was a sensational soul satisfying
superb service! From the deacon’s opening prayer
to Pastor Pointer’s closing blessing, congregants
were engaged in a lively celebration honoring God
our King.
Sheri Jones-Moffett ministered in song a selection
from her upcoming cd “Power and Authority (Live
in Memphis).” Exhibiting her lush vocals, she
took us home with a classic rendition of “Amazing
Grace.”
The crescendo to all three services was the
powerful and life transforming preaching from
the Word of God by Dr. Charles E. Goodman,
Jr., Senior Pastor of Tabernacle Baptist Church
in Augusta, GA. As the people who heard Jesus
preach, our hearts burned within us as he
opened the scriptures to us. Saint Mark’s Senior
Pastor, Philip L. Pointer, Sr. commented, “Pastor
Goodman was relevant, practical, and gave a
biblical exposition. This is the kind of preaching
our church needs. We heard it today!”
6 • GROWTH CONNECTIONS

New Bible Study Time a Success
by Keya Pointer
Ever gone home after work, cooked dinner, and
just couldn’t muster the strength to make it to
Bible study? Ever skipped Bible study because
getting home past the kids’ bedtime was just not
an option? Apparently you are not alone. In a
survey, Saint Mark members overwhelmingly
supported a change to move Wednesday Night
Bible Study time up half an hour from 7:00p to
6:30p.
The new 6:30p study time kicked off on
Wednesday, March 6 at 4:30p with Family Hour.
Big food trucks from David’s Burgers, Black
Hound Barbecue and Luncheria Mexicana lined
the driveway on the back parking lot offering
street-eats that varied from hotdogs and burgers
to barbecue and Mexican. Families ordered up
a la carte items and meal deals ranging in price
from $2-$7. Vendors happily accepted payment
by cash and card.
Now while food trucks are currently on trend,
unpredictable March weather made eating
outdoors a risky proposition. But not to worry, the
Multipurpose Room in the Family Life Center was
transformed into the Family Hour Café to service
dining families. Also to address the growing need
for flexibility, Bible study was broadcast live in
the café for those arriving too close to start time
to both eat and make it into the sanctuary.
As time drew closer to 6:30p, Children departed
for “The Outlet” a newly formatted youth bible
study and adults packed into the Sanctuary.
Praise and worship began at 6:30p. Service
flowed as usual, but everyone seemed a little
more alert. Pastor Pointer continued his lesson
on the Power of a Prayer: Keys to a Fruitful
Prayer Life promising a “hard stop” at 7:30p.
And even after several “if I had time, I would tell
you’s” service concluded at 7:30p on the dot. You
couldn’t help but notice that everyone was far less
hurried than usual, feeling the relief of knowing
that they would make it home before 8p.
The new 6:30p start time is according to one Saint
Mark member, “convenient for families who can
come directly [to church] from work and school,
eat and get a Word.” The new family hour is
apparently not only convenient, but it’s a great
transition to study. “You have time to eat and wind
down after a long day at work instead of rushing
home and then rushing back out to church,” said
another member. It can only be concluded that
the new 6:30p Bible study time is a success.
GROWTH CONNECTIONS • 7

Youth Ministry Starting Fresh
by Brandi Doan
With our new Youth Pastor, Justin Bilson, making
himself right at home here at Saint Mark Baptist
Church, a few improvements have been made to
the overall flow of service and a host of other Saint
Mark Youth ministries. This season of growth is
such an exciting time and we can’t wait to see
where God takes our youth as we all dare to
“DREAM BIG”!
One of the first rounds of change was made to
the flow of the Wednesday Night Bible Study.
This change debuted in conjunction with the new
start time for Bible Study in the sanctuary. The
students will break into their prospective ministry
classrooms for approximately 30-40 minutes…
and then they have “The Outlet!’ This is simply
an unwind time for games (including Xbox video
games, board games and, of course, basketball)
and fellowship with other youth. This seems to
be a welcomed change among the kids and the
adult volunteers. Brandi Turner, Teen Ministry
Leader, loves the new change and “believes that
this adjustment to service truly allows the youth
to get a great lesson and have an opportunity to
converse with their peers. It works!”
the updated Middle and Teen Worship Area! Why
all white? Well, this helped to magnify the “Glow-
In-the-Dark” spirit that Pastor Bilson implored the
youth to have: to stand out in a world of darkness.
Pastor Bilson also emphasized that the “desire is
to create a worship experience that our youth are
excited to attend…and cannot wait to come back.”
The youth worship area is now adorned with new
lighting and a black focal wall complete with neon
artwork and words of inspiration.
While these changes are small (with others to
be revealed soon), the Saint Mark Youth are still
imagining the possibilities of “DREAMING BIG!”
With a new vision and new brand on the horizon,
our youth are on the cusp of something great!
Saint Mark Youth are truly ready and excited about
“connecting in the community, growing in faith and
serving in love.”
Another wave of improvements came by way of
Vision Week 2014! This was held March 20-23,
and included a fun outing to Altitude Trampoline
Park, a workshop for the ministry volunteers and,
the grand finale, an “All-White” Sunday service in

Holy Week Services
This year at Saint Mark we are putting special
emphasis on Holy Week, the week Christians
commemorate the sacrifice and resurrection of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
The week begins with Palm Sunday. Many may
not know the significance of the palm leaf for
this day. As Jesus arrived in Jerusalem and
approached His final days before the crucifixion,
early believers laid their coats down on the path
which He rode. Those who could not afford a coat
took palm leaves from the trees and laid them
down as their offering to Him so that everyone had
something to give.
We will then focus on the Spring Blood Drive,
Wednesday, April 16th from 1-6:30 p.m. on the
Gym Floor of the Family Life Center. Following
the blood drive we will experience “The Story of
Jesus”, a dramatic presentation by our Music and
Worship Division. This event uses spoken word
and beautiful musical selections to remind us all of
the great sacrifice Jesus endured to conquer sin
and redeem us back to our Father.
The experience will continue with “Cries from the
Cross” on Friday, April 18th at 7 p.m. We will hear
from Pastors Kevin Kelly, Freddie Smith, Dwight
Townsend, Derick Easter, DeSean Jarrett, Frank
Harris, and Eric Alexander.
Easter Sunday will begin with Sunrise Service at
6 a.m. featuring the Wiley College Choir. This
one hour service is a wonderful opportunity to
celebrate the resurrection of Christ from the grave.
We will continue our celebration throughout the
day at our three regular morning worship service
times.
We encourage you to join us and invite your
friends and family to worship with us as well. This
is a great opportunity to present Jesus to those
who may not know the depth of God’s love for
mankind.
GROWTH CONNECTIONS • 9

FAITH IN ACTION
Operation Impact
a Huge Success
For the fourth year, the Outreach Division has
led an awesome community partnership with
Arkansas Baptist College true to its name.
Operation Impact is a time for Saint Mark to
impact the community surrounding the college
with donations of coats, clothes, books, shoes,
and toys. Attendees are able to select from the
donated items free of charge and give them a
second life in their homes. There was also free
food and live music adding excitement to the day.
The Evangelism Team also partners with the
college football team to share the good news of
the gospel to passersby and the football team
members help clean up the neighborhood as a
part of their experience.
“This year was such a huge success that we
had to shut the event down early,” said Outreach
Pastor Glenn Hersey. “So many people came
through and made their selections that we were
finished an hour earlier than scheduled.”
Thanks goes out to all of those who participated
on any level. To God be the Glory!
10 • GROWTH CONNECTIONS

GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES
Inspired to Inspire
by Roline Thomas
In an effort to become better equipped to serve
Saint Mark and the surrounding community,
the Soul Care Ministry’s Lay Counselors are
required to complete five training sessions
each year. One such training was held in March
facilitated by Pastor Linda Willis, a professional
counselor, of New Life in Christ Fellowship
Church in Olive Branch, MS, who presented two
sessions to the counselors.
In the first session, “Confidence in Counseling,”
Pastor Willis discussed how the counselor’s
passion directly affects confidence levels and
presented strategies for building confidence.
Counselors learned the three most important
words to say to themselves—YES I CAN! During
the second session, “Motivating the Counselee
to Change,” counselors were challenged through
role playing exercises to inspire others to find
their own desires and help them to get there.
Lay Counselor Doris Collins said, “The workshop
was a blessing. [Pastor Willis] gave many good
principles to be used not only in Soul Care but
in everyday life with people within our sphere of
influence. I really liked when she reminded us we
are there to help and not to fix.”
Soul Care continues to provide free Bible-based
counsel to individuals, families, youth, marriages,
survivors of sex abuse, and more. For more
information, contact the Discipleship Office at 663-
3955, ext. 212 or at soulcare@smark.info.
New Marketing to Hit the Airwaves
The next phase of our Marketing
Campaign has arrived and we are so
excited about the product. You will soon
see and hear Saint Mark’s new “I Grow”
advertising campaign on TV and radio.
Several members of our church family
are featured in the campaign, which
was produced by The Design Group.
The commercials are great conversation
starters about our ministry and provide an
opportunity to invite your family and friends
to grow with you.
12 • GROWTH CONNECTIONS

Pictured: (back L-R) William Lee, Juanita Lee, Katena Withers, Dorothy Jones, Walter Jones, Kim Cravens, Keya Pointer, Judi
Sweetenburg, Kenneth Nix (front L-R)James Sweetenburg, Pamela Barker, Erica McFadden, Lynetta Johnson, Doris Pierce
Mastering Life with Christ
by Keya Pointer
The first graduation ceremony and reception for
Masterlife was held on Sunday, March 16th in
the Education Center. Students and facilitators
gathered to celebrate twelve who recently
completed the Masterlife program. Masterlife
is a small group study that teaches participants
how to make Christ Master and how to master life
through developing a personal, lifelong obedient
relationship with Him.
Under the guidance of Walter and Dorothy Jones
and Kim Cravens a class of fifteen began their
personal journey in the fall of 2012. 80% of the
class members fulfilled the entire eighteen-month
commitment and participated in the graduation
exercises.
Minister Michael Crenshaw attributes the positive
retention trend to a structural change to the
Masterlife program which assigns one set of
facilitators to a class for the duration of the fourbook
sequence. The Masterlife program is in its
fifteenth year at Saint Mark.
Masterlife is for every believer. All are encouraged
to participate. Masterlife classes meet on Monday
evenings and Sunday mornings during the
Sunday school hour. Enrollment is currently open.
GROWTH CONNECTIONS • 13

LIFE CONNECTIONS
Marriage Ministry: They Got Moves!
by Roline Thomas
In March, for their first activity of the year, the
Marriage Ministry convened at Let’s Dance Studio
for dance lessons. Owner and veteran dancer, Tim
Buffenbarger instructed 16 couples in the genres of
salsa and swing.
“Dancing is a wonderful and unique way to spend a
Friday night,” said Saint Mark Discipleship Pastor,
Earnest Thomas. “Married couples came together
to learn how to dance. There was an abundance
of smiles and this was a great way for couples to
connect.”
Saint Mark Music Director Rodney Cummings
showed us that he not only has great moves on
the keyboard, but he can also keep in step on
the dance floor. His wife Danyell expressed her
sentiments. “I loved my experience with Dance
Studio. It was an opportunity to let loose in a
controlled environment which allowed us to be
ourselves while being taught Latin moves. You
can’t beat it on a Friday night!”
Closing the night, Marriage Ministry Directors
Rodney and Mary Porter, gave words of
encouragement to those in attendance. Rodney
ended the evening by saying, “I hope everyone
goes home and continues to practice the dance
moves.”
Women Chat by the Fireplace
by Deborah Woods
The Women’s Ministry hosted its first Fireside
Chat in February. Panelists were Keya Pointer,
Chris Bennett, Bonnie Richards, Dionne Shirlee,
Katherine Donald, and Terry Blake. Star Wicker
served as our Moderator for the evening.
The Fireside Chat was highlighted by an actual
fireplace as the center piece for the evening’s
discussion. Questions were posed to the panel
and audience for feedback. The questions
included the subjects of Social Media and its
impact on us. What’s appropriate for Facebook?
The subject of Reality TV was raised as well
as the famous TV show Scandal. Can we
watch these shows and keep our lives separate
from the lives of the characters or reality show
stars? Is it OK to be Christian and sexy? The
conversation was interesting and honest. Many
ladies left asking when we would host a repeat
Fireside Chat.
14
14 • GROWTH CONNECTIONS

Helping Men Get
and Stay Healthy
In a new partnership with the 12th Street Health
and Wellness Center, we welcomed more than 70
men to the first ever Men’s Health Fair in March.
March Man-ness provided free seminars and free
health screenings available for attendees. The
health fair gave men focused information targeted
to men.
“In the past we have only included screenings for
men in with our adult health fair,” said Pastor Glenn
Hersey, Outreach Pastor. “We felt the need this
year to concentrate our efforts toward men and the
issues we face.”
The 12th Street Health and Wellness Center
provides a schedule of free services throughout
the week for various segments of the population.
Contact Dr. Lanita White, Director of the Center, for
more information at 501-686-5433.
15
GROWTH CONNECTIONS • 15

16 • GROWTH CONNECTIONS

Welcome New Members
In February and March we welcomed
83 members to the Saint Mark
church family.
Among them was the Henderson
family. “We started visiting Saint
Mark at the beginning of the year
one by one we quickly realized this
was the place for us,” said Yvonne
Henderson. “In this short time, I can
already tell the difference that the
ministry of Pastor Pointer and the
Saint Mark church family have made
in my life. We are all excited to be a
part of what God is doing here.”
Latara N. Alexander
Brittney Freeman
Dedric Jones
LaTisa Roper
Jonathan Aram
Derrick D. Freeman
Nikole Shantell Jordan
Marcus Ross
Janine Armstrong
Byron Gillespie
Veronica Kimble
Jamai Samuel
Zenelius A. Baldwin
Alicia Graham
Antionese Knight
Michelle Sanders
Najemah Beyah
Ashley Gregory
Freddie Lane
Brian Silva
Samuelrika Bivens
Clennon Harris
Shatiah Lowmack
Wanda Simington
Taylor Branscomb
Isiah Harris
Rodrick McCollum, Jr.
Michael Simpson
Courtney Britton
Ishawn Hayes
Eric Lamont McGehee, Jr.
Gloria Sterling
Nicole Broadway
Jazmine Haynes
Kenmar McKenzie
Glen J. Thomas
Alexander Brown
Chris Henderson
Kevin Miller
Ashley Wade
Alysa Buirse
Fred Henderson
Charla Moore
Felicia K. Washington
Shanta Cabral-Bunting
Yvonne Henderson
Sharell Morgan
Ashley Whitley
Minia Christian
Laron Hervey
Christie D. Morris
Heather Withers
Shequera Crockett
Bessie Hicks-Ireland
Taminic Murphy
Alexus Wright
Carl Danley
Alicia Higgins
Isiah Nelson, IV
Lorene Danley
Cedric Hill
Bridget Nelson-Whitley
Garrick Deadmon
Felicia Hill
Airmeika Owens
Camelia Elliott
Christine Jackson
Kirby Owens, Sr.
Sherry Enoch
Tamica Shenil Jackson
Carl Parker
Calvin Evans
Psakawi James
Pamela N. Perry
Charnell Flowers
Anthony Johnson
Brian Phillips
Zabryn Fogle
Keith T. Johnson
Sammye Pickett
Bianca Francis
Tyranny Johnson
Keyona Ramey
GROWTH CONNECTIONS • 17

Nehemiah Network at Saint Mark Baptist Church
is a 2014 Host Site for the Global Leadership Summit.
August 14-15, 2014 | willowcreek.com/summit
Bill Hybels
Founder and Senior
Pastor, Willow Creek
Community Church
Tyler Perry
Filmmaker, Actor
and Philanthropist
Jeffrey Immelt
President and CEO,
General Electric
Susan Cain
Author; Viral TED
Speaker on The
Power of Introverts
Wilfredo
De Jesús
Pastor; TIME’s
100 Most Influential
People 2013
Patrick Lencioni
Best-selling
Business Author;
Founder, The
Table Group
Carly Fiorina
Former CEO of
Hewlett-Packard;
Chairman of
Good 360
Ivan Satyavrata
Senior Pastor,
Assembly of
God Church,
Kolkata, India
Bryan Loritts
Founder and Lead
Pastor, Fellowship
Memphis Church
Joseph Grenny
Social Scientist
for Business
Performance
Allen Catherine
Kagina
Commissioner
General, Uganda
Revenue Authority
Louie Giglio
Pastor, Passion City
Church; Founder
of the Passion
Movement
Erica Ariel Fox
New York Times
Best-selling Author;
President, Mobius
Executive Leadership
Don Flow
Chairman and CEO,
Flow Companies Inc.
The Summit is a world-class experience for Christian leaders
who want to get better and unleash the full potential of their teams.
willowcreek.com/summit | 800-570-9812
Experience this event in our region at:

LET'S CELEBRATE
Cheer Squad Titles
The Saint Mark AllStar Cheer Squad is the champion for two recent competitions. In February they won
the UAMS Black Expo Cheer Competition in Little Rock and in March they won the Jamfest National Level
1 Youth Cheer Championship and the National Recreational Cheer Title in Hot Springs.
AllStar Basketball Champions
Division I Boys and Division II Girls win championships in ICSA league. The boys team went undefeated
for their entire season. The 2nd Grade Boys won the Sparks Tournament Title in December.
Scott
Hamilton
Scott Hamilton has
joined Midcontinent
Independent System
Operator (MISO) as
Principal Advisor,
External Affairs.
Dr. Chenell
Smith-Loudermill
Congratulations to Dr. Chenell
Smith-Loudermill on recently
completing her doctoral degree
in Communication Sciences and
Disorders from the University of
Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
Dr. Loudermill is currently a
Speech Pathologist with the
Little Rock School District.
GROWTH CONNECTIONS • 19

WAYS TO CONNECT
We encourage you to stay in touch with us through our social media channels and our website.
Here is that information.
SMARK.org
@saintmarklr
@saintmarklr
@saintmarklr
@saintmarklr
@stmarklr
5722 West 12th Street Little Rock, Arkansas 72204
501.663.3955
501.663.4924