July 2022 Vineyard

The
Vineyard Press
ST. MARK’S LUTHERAN CHURCH
Sharing Christ’s Abundant Love
“I am the vine, you are the branches. “ (John 15:5)
JULY 2022
Each year, St. Mark’s welcomes
our church and community kids
to join in a week-long adventure
of fun and learning.
Our outreach is expanding,
and this year more than half
of the VBS kids are from the
community!
“Tree of Healing”
The theme for this year’s VBS, “Tree of Healing,”
comes from the rich prophetic description of the new
Eden in the Book of Revelation. In this vision, the “tree
of life” stands by “the river of the water of life,” and
St. John assures us that “the leaves of the tree are for
the healing of the nations” (22:2). The tree is a symbol
of God’s promise and a reminder of God’s will for all
the nations to experience healing.
These past few years have reminded us how far we
are from health and wellness. Yet at the same time,
we have borne witness to God’s promise for health
unfolding in multiple ways. Congregations around
the world—including St. Mark’s!—have adapted
to meet the growing and changing needs of their
communities.
VBS schedule
• Thurs, July 7, 7 p.m.
VOLUNTEER TRAINING
• Sun, July 10, 11:15 a.m.
SET UP - all ages can help!
• Mon, July 11, 9 a.m.
OPENING DAY
• Fri, July 15, 11:30 a.m.
CLOSING PROGRAM
“Tree of Healing” VBS is a chance for our children to
consider what health means and how God invites us
to share in the building of a just world where ALL can
enjoy the gifts of God’s creation.
The students will “visit” countries such as Eswatini,
Egypt, Bangladesh, Palestine—even Minnesota, USA!
The themes for the week cover:
• Roots of Creation
• Healthy Minds and Bodies
• Different Bodies, Different Gifts
• Being Filled
• Bearing Fruit
VBS is always a great time for kids to sing, play, and
learn. We’re looking forward to opening day, when we
can see all those smiling faces in our sanctuary!
VBS highlights
• water relay races
• Glue Batik t-shirt decorating
• photo scavenger hunt
• learning sign language and braille
• planting seeds to take home
• assembling first-aid kits for homeless
• friendship-building games
• t-shirts for everyone!

July highlights
2021 send-off for HS Mission Trip students
The theme for the week is “First Love.” Each day the
students will have morning and evening devotions tied
to this theme before heading out for a day of service.
Each night, they’ll end with worship and reading letters
from their Devotional Partners. Thank you, Anna
Themanson, for coordinating the Devotional Partners
and to each of you who volunteered to write our
students. It is very meaningful to them to know they
are being supported and prayed for by the members of
St. Mark’s.
Mission Trip 2022
Minneapolis, MN
Sunday-Friday, July 24-29
This month, 24 HS students and 5 adults will be
spending a week of their summer in service, joining
other students in Minneapolis as part of a YouthWorks’
mission week.
The YouthWorks program offers our students multiple
opportunities to serve in the community, including
working with kids, visiting the elderly, feeding the
hungry, and helping with house repairs. This year also
includes a “cultural immersion” day when the students
will be visiting George Floyd square with other teens.
Here’s what the schedule for the week looks like:
• Sunday, July 24 – Commissioning after 10 a.m.
worship. Depart for MPLS. Arrive at the host site.
• Monday, July 25 – Service Day
• Tuesday, July 26 – Cultural Immersion experience
at George Floyd Square
• Wednesday, July 27 – Service Day
• Thursday, July 28 – Service Day
• Friday, July 29 – send-off, Mall of America, and
depart for home. Arrive late evening in Aurora.
• Weekend of July 30/31 – HS students share their
experiences with the congregation during worship
The students participating this year are:
Dre Allen
Catie Bailey
Loius Blickem
Darragh Creaney
Clodagh Creaney
Shaelin Dunn
Gabe Gonzales
Ava Gonzales
Delaney Hopkins
Izzy Jones
Kyle King
Makayla Kolowski
Katie Mabrey
Ben Miller
Josie Reiseck
Keagan Reiseck
Brady Reiseck
Amanda Simpson
David Simpson
Kai Veeder
Annelise Veeder
Aaron Walker
Gavin Williams
Cooper Winslow
Five dedicated (and brave!) adult leaders will be joining
the students for the trip. Thank you to:
Anna Themanson
Lavern Allen
Liz Allen
Emily Nadler
Patrick Fish
On Sunday, July 24, directly following 10 a.m. worship,
we will have a special blessing and send-off in the
parking lot for these students. We invite you to join us
in person, or from home, as we pray:
Guiding and loving God, empower these people
to be your hands, feet and voice. Send them this
week to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless,
and warm those who are cold. By their actions
and words, make them witnesses of your great
love. Protect them, teach them, and support
them as they become the people you want them
to be. Bring them safely home and then let their
experiences further enrich us. Give this team
strength, wisdom, and love to work for you as
they serve. Amen.
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July highlights
HEALING
ROOTS
”Healing Roots”
During the month of July, over 50 young people will be
participating in Vacation Bible School, learning about
God’s love through stories, crafts, games, music, and
skits. They will also be learning what health means and
how God invites us to share our gifts to serve God’s
creation.
Our staff thought it would be beneficial to have the
congregation learn alongside our young people. So
during the month of July, our worship services will draw
on the VBS themes of health, blessings, and how to be
good stewards of God’s creation.
The July sermon series is titled “Healing Roots,” and
each weekend will highlight one of the five daily VBS
themes:
• July 2/3 : “God loves to create”
• July 9/10 : “Health entails mind, body and spirit”
• July 16/17 : “We are all made in God’s image”
• July 23/24 : “God always provides”
• July 30/31 : “Grounded in God’s love, we are
called to share love”
Learning along with our children is a great way of living
out our commitment to being an intergenerational
church that values all ages. We are in this together!
Welcoming new members!
Sunday, July 10
We will be formally recognizing sixteen new
members to St. Mark’s and receiving them
into our congregation during the 10:00 a.m.
worship service on July 10th. We welcome:
• Keith and Mary Negley
Sponsors: Dave and Kathy Bloom
• Joel, Julie, Grace, Andrew, and Aaron
Friend
Sponsors: Tyler and Amy Mabrey
• Brian Spitzer and Chad Sohl
Sponsor: Emily Nadler
• Sophia Manera
Sponsor: Jeanne Flynn
• Ariana Sanchez
Sponsors: Anna Themanson
• David and Christine Villa, and their two
children
Sponsors: Patrick and Kate Fish
• Beverly Shaw
We will also be welcoming Pastor Marnie
Rourke as she serves with us in 2022.
Directly following the worship service, there’ll
be time for fellowship, with treats provided by
the Council. Mark your calendar for July 10th
and join us in welcoming these new members
into our church community.
The fun continues! Sunday, July 17
Our next Family Fun Sunday is July 17! We’ll be inviting all the
families who attended VBS the prior week to join us. There’ll be tables
set up for Rock Painting with fun, positive messages to write on
them. Kids can take the rocks home, or leave them at a park or along
a path for someone else to find. Rover Rescue will also be there with
adoptable pets for kids to pet and snuggle. Plus there’ll be Harner’s
doughnuts for treats!
3

community news
Homelessness
Hesed House/PADS
Salvation Army
Outreach opportunities
at St. Mark’s
Hello friends! You may have noticed that the narthex
bulletin board space formerly occupied by vast
nothingness is now occupied by some eye-catching
information about our awesome Outreach ministry
opportunities at St. Mark’s.
Maybe you would like to help out with stocking
a local food pantry. Or if you’re quite handy with
tools and have a big servant heart, you could look
into joining a group that helps repair homes for
people who desperately need it. There are so many
opportunities to serve others in need, all while
building relationships—current or new—with your
church family and our community.
Take a look at the list of St. Mark’s current Outreach
ministries. What interests you? There are many
options to choose from and grateful people who can
help you get connected!
Want to learn more or get involved? Sign up at the
Welcome Center or online for more information. Or
call the church office at 630-897-6891. This is how we
put Sharing Christ’s Abundant Love into action!
—Tyler Mabrey, on behalf of the Outreach Team
CLICK to let us know
what outreach ministries
you are interested in
Housing
The Neighbor Project
Rebuilding Together Aurora
Feeding Ministries
Aurora Interfaith Food Pantry
Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry
Feed My Starving Children/Feed The Need
Education/Youth
McCleery Elementary
Dominican Literacy Center
VBS
Anti-Racism
Immigration
World Relief
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services
Mental Health
Suicide Prevention Services
NAMI for Kane, DuPage, and Kendall counties
LGBTQIA+ community
Global needs
Lydia’s Piecemakers
KIVA
ELCA Good Gifts
Growing Hope Globally
Senior Services
ESSE (Ecumenical Support Services for the Elderly)
4

community news
Tutor volunteers needed
The Dominican Literacy Center in Aurora will be training new tutor
volunteers for its literacy program in August. Female volunteers (with
high school diploma and COVID-19 vaccine) are trained to help women
students learn to read, write, and speak English. Tutoring sessions are
90 minutes, once a week, from Sept. to May, at 260 Vermont St., Aurora
(behind St. Therese Church). Tutors do not need to speak Spanish or
have teaching experience, but all volunteers must attend 9 hours of training in addition to viewing several
training videos online. The next training dates are August 16, 18, and 23, from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. To
volunteer, email Alison Brzezinski at Alison@dominicanliteracycenter.org. For more information, visit www.
dominicanliteracycenter.org or call 630-898-4636. (Please note that the Center is not handicap accessible.)
Update on
ESSE /
St. Mark’s
partnership
As we consider partnering with ESSE (Ecumenical
Support Services for the Elderly), we need to
understand the support we are offering, both from
a facility standpoint and the more personal support
we can offer. We have an ideal set up for ESSE’s
Adult Day Service program, with handicap-accessible
ingress/egress on the first floor, handicap-accessible
bathrooms with room for both a wheelchair and
helper, and space for 25 clients.
ESSE will use two classrooms and the St. Mark’s Room,
along with the small office area in our Education
Wing. They will operate from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
weekdays, with holidays off. They will cover office
support/supplies, phone/internet, all furnishings/
equipment, and liability coverage. Meals are catered,
but they do appreciate snacks and goodies. They
may use the kitchen and other areas of the church
as needed on an occasional basis. There will also be
opportunities for employment for their support staff,
including part-time nursing positions.
As important as our facility is to helping ESSE succeed,
our congregation’s caring will be how their program,
and those they help, flourish and know our love and
God’s love. We can be the enrichment that puts the
smile on their face and helps them start the day,
knowing they are cared for and loved.
5
Our youth can be a big part of our support in activities
such as reading/being read to, arts & crafts, board
games, active games, and any grandma/grandpa
activities. This inter-generational support will also
help our youth grow their understanding of the
rewards of caring for and helping others.
Of course, as adults we can also engage in those fun
activities while showcasing musical talents, helping
with walking/exercise, cooking, reminiscing, and
gardening. (ESSE loves our enclosed courtyard, and
they are working on grants to do upgrades, such as
raised gardens and walkways.) Offering to lead a daily
devotion can provide a positive focus for the day.
Perhaps the most significant support we can offer is a
spiritual presence and message to help people know
God loves them.
St. Mark’s has been a blessing to the Aurora
community in many ways over the years, and now,
in joining with ESSE Adult Day Services, we can have
an even greater impact for the elderly, disabled, and
those who love and support them.
—Mike Bauman
CONGREGATIONAL VOTE ON ESSE
SUNDAY, JULY 31
A special congregational meeting will be held
Sunday, July 31st immediately following the
10:00 a.m. worship service to vote on entering
into agreement with ESSE to utilize our
building for adult day services.
ESSE
Ecumenical Suppport Services for the Elderly
esseadultdaycare.org

community news
Food Pantry pop-ups at St. Mark’s
St. Mark’s is getting noticed within the community, and
organizations are now seeking us out. This is a testament to our
Outreach Team, staff, and Council for continuing to strive to be a
Community Leader.
When the Aurora Interfaith Food Pantry reached out and asked if
they could use our parking lot to provide Pop-Up events to help
serve our community, of course we said “Yes”! What a great way
to use our new parking lot to help spread Christ’s abundant love.
All of the pop-ups will be outside in our parking lot. The Food
Pantry provides the personnel to run the pop-ups, but are
always grateful for some help. Contact the church office (office@
stmarksaurora.net or 630-897-6891) if you are interested.
Women’s Empowerment
Mobile: Distributing
diapers, wipes, formula,
baby food, feminine
hygiene items, laundry
detergent, toilet paper,
and other items, such new
blankets or makeup.
Thurs, July 14: 2 – 3 pm
Thurs, Aug 11: 2 – 3 pm
Thurs, Sept 8: 2 – 3 pm
Thurs, Oct 13: 2 – 3 pm
Kids Pop-Up Pantry:
Distributing items such as
family-friendly food, laundry
detergent, and toilet paper.
New household items such
as brooms. And, if available,
toys or books.
Sat, Sept 10: 10 am - 12 pm
Sat, Oct 1: 10 am - 12 pm
Sat, Nov 5: 10 am - 12 pm
We need a few extra hands to
help with dinner at PADS
Saturday, July 9, 6 to 9 p.m.
Thanks to all the cooks and volunteers who
helped with PADS dinner service in May! Our
next PADS dinner is Saturday, July 9th. We
will again be serving a picnic-style dinner with
Sloppy Joes, fresh fruit, and baked beans, along
with macaroni and potato salads. And we
always have sweet treats for dessert!
If you can help by making Sloppy Joes
ahead of time, click here for the recipe.
Please let Linda McArdle know and plan to
drop off your food at Hesed House between 5
and 6 p.m. on Saturday, July 9th (or coordinate
a hand-off with Linda).
If you can help at Hesed House, we serve
about 200 guests for dinner and prepare 100
sack lunches for the next day. Sign up at the
Welcome Center or contact Linda McArdle.
If you have questions, call Linda McArdle at
630-907-9580 or email her at lmcardle58@
outlook.com.
Aurora Interfaith Food Pantry shelf stockers
After the completion of their much-needed roof replacement, the Food Pantry
resumed indoor distributions on Tuesday, July 5th. If you’re part of the St. Mark’s
shelf-stocking team, our dates for July return to the normal schedule: Monday,
July 11 and Monday, July 25 (the 2nd and 4th Mondays of the month), from 3
to 4 p.m. If you’d like to join the crew, please sign up at the Welcome Center.
6

community news
The Neighbor Project: Khia’s story - watch to learn more
about the amazing power of Networked Savings!
The Neighbor Project
quarterly update
Our friends at The Neighbor Project recently sent an
update on their Networked Savings Program, in which
the Thang Sum family is participating and St. Mark’s is
supporting.
will be adding a couple new staff members, which
is exciting! I remember being one of the four parttime
workers when we were Emmanuel House, so
merging with Joseph Corporation and growing to over
sixteen staff members in just a few short years (as
well as expanding our services) has been a beautiful
experience. This spring, our staff has been especially
busy with continued rent and mortgage assistance
programs offered through the state. As a partner
organization, we’ve been helping facilitate these
applications and ensuring that Illinois residents who
were hardest hit by the pandemic and employment
changes have access to support. We have an
incredible team of staff managing this in addition to
their typical job responsibilities.
“As always, thank you for your continued support and
championing of this organization and program!”
—Sarah Bredow, Networked Savings Program Manager
= = = = = =
“Overall, the Networked Savings Program is currently
full with a short waitlist. We have one family with their
pre-approval who is actively searching for a home
and hoping to close this summer/early fall. Later
in the fall, we expect to see two additional families
begin the process of pre-approval and subsequent
home-searching. As you can imagine, this has been
a tougher process for families given the intensity of
the housing market, but the realtors I work with are
predicting a cool-down this fall/summer, which I’m
hoping will benefit our families.
“Thang Sum and family were slated to be receiving
their pre-approval now, but their process changed
after the loss of a family member. The father-in-law
of Thang Sum was intended as the co-applicant, but
with his unexpected passing, the family’s situation
obviously changed tremendously. I’ve been in
communication with them about what options they
have. We’re currently in the process of evaluating
their situation and doing a pre-qualification to see
where they could potentially land with a pre-approval.
Depending on the outcome, it’s possible they could
be searching for a home later this summer, so we’re
keeping fingers crossed!
“As an organization, we’ve continued to grow—and
World Relief donation
On June 24th, Pr. Patrick and Pr. Marnie had the
privilege of giving a $2,000 check to World Relief
DuPage/Aurora, on behalf of our Outreach Team,
Pr. Marnie words speak for all of us: “Love your
neighbor as yourself, including the neighbors you
haven’t met and the neighbors you need to meet.
You’re helping us meet those neighbors, so they
are no longer strangers, but beloved friends.”
Rev. Draper expressed his gratitude: “You just
don’t know what this means to have churches
that care about the people we serve. Thank you
for what you do—and what you will do. We’ll just
keep walking this journey together as friends.”
7

congregational life
Our Father’s Day donations
were lovingly provided by:
Father’s Day offering total
Thank you to those who participated in our
Father’s Day offering. ELCA Good Gifts offered us
the opportunity to provide housing for LGBTQIA+
at-risk youth. Hardships for these vulnerable
youth may put them at risk of homelessness
and suicide, and ELCA’s shelter gives them a safe
place to stay until they can get connected to the
resources they need.
With housing costs at $50 per night, our St. Mark’s
total donation of $1,220, will provide over 24
nights of shelter. Our donations also support
St. Mark’s mission as a RIC congregation, in
combination with our participation in the Aurora
Pride Parade. Thank you for giving vulnerable
youth the opportunity for healing as they work to
stabilize their lives.
• Rae Bachman, in memory of her father, Earl Duffee
• LeRoy and Sandy Bauer
• Mike and Jean Bauman
• Lynnette Brent
• Charlie and Sandy Brummet, in memory of Oscar
Fahrlander and Charles L. Brummet
• Katherine DeSotell, in honor of the homeless and
forgotten
• Martha Egeland, in honor of Erik Egeland
• Marjorie Gugerty, in honor of Keith Gugerty, Kevin
Gugerty and Antonio Hernandez
• Tracy, Mark and Ajelee Hipp, in memory of Chester
Fabian and in honor of Mark Hipp
• Sharon L. Hudson, in memory of her dad, William
Jacob
• Richard and Irma Larson, in memory of their
fathers, Jeffrey and Robert
• Susan Manning
• Dick and Priscilla Offhaus, in memory of their
fathers
• Kari & Greg, Brady, Josie & Keagan Reiseck, in honor
of Rick Reiseck
• Maybelle Rygh
• Pete & Kim Zak, in memory of Francis Walter (Kim’s
father) and Alfred Zak (Pete’s father)
And then there
were none . . .
Potholes, that is. When you
drive into the St. Mark’s parking
lot now, you no longer have
to dodge the holes. In June,
our lot underwent an amazing
transformation from a pot-hole
disaster to a beautiful, smooth
surface! We hope you enjoy
every pothole-free square foot
of it. Many thanks to Al Lettow
for all his diligent efforts to
make this happen!
8

congregational life
Communications
update
Last Fall, we started
preliminary conversations
about adding personnel
to expand our
communications. Since then, there have been lots of
transition and change, but the conversations around
communications never stopped.
Currently, the communications program that Marcia
Broucek has developed focuses primarily on St. Mark’s
members, ensuring they are well informed: Friday emails,
monthly newsletters, announcement screens, and Welcome
Center information. We always want to be telling our
story, sharing our impact, and informing people within the
congregation about ways they can get involved.
As St. Mark’s continues to grow and become more involved
in community ministries, we know that our communications
to the community also need to grow. We want to get the
word out about all that St. Mark’s is doing, and let our
neighbors know we are there for them. This outwardfocused
role is something Marcia is excited about taking on
and can help build for us.
Our vision of splitting communications into two positions—
internal and external—has been presented to and approved
by Council. During the month of June, we’ve been exploring
the candidate pool for a part-time person to take over
internal communications, which will free up Marcia to
expand our external communications. Over 100 people
have applied (!), and we’ve held interviews and second
interviews with numerous candidates.
This hiring is made possible by reallocating funds budgeted
for Marcia’s and Kari Reiseck’s positions. Marcia will be
reducing her hours, which she’s wanted to do for some
time. And Kari will be handing off her role as Social Media
Coordinator so she can focus on her passion to serve
our children, youth, and families. (Kari had stepped up
temporarily to fill the position during COVID, when we
needed to have more presence on social media.)
We are excited to be in the final stages of the hiring process
and are close to having someone who can start working in
July. Our goal is to onboard, coach, and train this person
during the summer, so that he/she is ready to go when Fall
programming arrives. Stay tuned for an announcement
shortly!
9
Church
safety
We have begun to put security measures
in place to help ensure a safe space for us
to gather for worship. The front doors will
be locked fifteen minutes after the start
of both Saturday and Sunday worship
services. If people arrive after the doors
are locked, an usher/greeter will be within
eyesight of the doors to welcome them in.
The Response Advisory Team met on
June 27th to further address safety,
and will meet for the following two
Wednesdays. The team’s progress and
recommendations will go to Council at
its July 17th meeting. The church Council
welcomes your questions and comments.
Music Ministry
Retreat
August 27th
SAVE THE DATE! The Fall music season at
St. Mark’s will kick off on August 27th with
a Music Ministry retreat for the Lion’s Voice
Choir and the Glory Ringers Handbell Choir.
It will be a great day to gather for fellowship,
fun, food, planning, and inspiration.
Stay tuned for more information.
Heads up!
Fall registration
opens August 1st
for Fall semester FDL,
Confirmation, HS
Youth Group, and Sunday School opens on
August 1st. Programs start on Wednesday,
September 14th.

Council happenings
Summer doesn’t slow down for
St. Mark’s Council! We appreciate
members who continue to come to
our “Chat with Council” sessions to
share their questions and concerns.
In July, we will split the time as we
did in June to connect with those
who attend Saturday worship. Please
look for another “Chat with Council”
opportunity on July 16/17.
At the June Council meeting, we
welcomed Cathy Davit, Director of
ESSE (Ecumenical Support Service for
the Elderly), with whom St. Mark’s
is considering a partnership. Cathy
provided an overview of ESSE policies
and activities. As you learn more
about ESSE, you might consider
members of your own family or
friends who might benefit from their
services. We will continue dialogue as
a congregation with a special meeting
on July 31st, when we will vote on
going forward with this partnership.
Other Council reports and actions
include:
• Finance: High-level, our budget
for the year is tracking well. We
plan to have a budget update on
July 31st preceding our special
meeting to discuss and vote on
ESSE’s use of our building.
• Property: We celebrated the
completion of the parking lot as
well as the washing of windows!
We are taking quotes from
landscaping companies for the
grading and landscaping of the
courtyard. We also discussed
a quote from Alarm Detection
Services for security measures
for our building. We will be
doing some updates to keep our
building safe and secure.
church matters
• Outreach: Interfaith Aurora Food
Pantry’s first St. Mark’s “Pop-up
Pantry” will take place in our
parking lot on July 14th, with more
dates to follow (see page 6).
•
• Congregational Support
Ministries: We appreciate all
the interest in CSM that was
generated during June. Thank
you to Sue Hilderbrand and the
banner team for making our
narthex display. We will have a
Time & Talent survey and Ministry
Fair to come on October 9.
• Youth and Family: We held our
first Family Fun Sunday on June
26th. Look for future Family Fun
Sundays on July 17th and August
28th. Also watch for information
about Rally Day, September 11th.
• Response Advisory Team: The
team will continue to meet the
next few weeks to talk about
safety issues at St. Mark’s and how
we can be prepared for medical
and other emergencies. We may
have training to come in such
areas as CPR, first aid, and so on.
• Walking Together: Thank you to
all who responded to our Walking
Together survey. Our Walking
Together team will discuss the
results to make recommendations
for Council. Look for more to
come on small group activities,
intergenerational activities, and
congregational celebrations.
• Shelby CMS: We will be rolling
out training on the Shelby system
in July. Council members will
be trained at the July Council
meeting.
• Pastor Marnie: We will have
a celebration on July 10th to
welcome P.r Marnie and 16 NEW
MEMBERS! So much to celebrate!
— Lynnette Brent, Council Secretary
St. Mark’s
Council
Randy Steinheimer, President
rsteinheimer@sd129.org
Rob Creaney, Treasurer
rob.creaney@sbcglobal.net
Lynnette Brent, Secretary
lynnettebrent@gmail.com
Mike Bauman
jmb15mjb4@gmail.com
Matt Greising
mpgreising@gmail.com
Izzy Jones
isabellemjones06@gmail.com
Tyler Mabrey
yerbam719@gmail.com
Jon Miller
jgmiller6836@gmail.com
Mark Mueller
mueller1110@comcast.net
Anna Themanson
acthemo@gmail.com
Patrick Fish, Pastor
pfish@stmarksaurora.net
Marnie Rourke, Pastor
mrourke@stmarksaurora.net
Joni Ackley, Recording Secretary
jackley@stmarksaurora.net
10

church matters
Endowment Fund gift
We give special thanks to Richard
Goold for a generous gift of $75,000
from his estate to St. Mark’s
Endowment Fund.
Richard was a long-time, faithful
member of St. Mark’s, a generous
supporter of our ministry and a
faithful volunteer in the care of our
buildings. He and close friend, Lloyd
Feltz, made it their project to always
replace the burned-out light bulbs in
our facilities. We might declare them
“the lights of St. Mark’s.”
Richard enjoyed outdoor life as
provided through God’s creation.
He also gave a great gift through his
practice of stewardship.
Let us, in thanksgiving, see his
generosity as a great example to
motivate us to consider gifts to our
Endowment Fund.
—Al Bergh,
Endowment Fund Chairman
St. Mark’s monthly financial recap
for May 2022
Monthly Information
Monthly Budget Goal $ 76,213.92
Monthly Offering information
Envelopes – General Fund $ 64,388.61
LSSI Rent $ —
Miscellaneous (1) $ 10,604.91
Other (loose, Sunday School, interest) $ 502.83
Total General Fund Income $ 75,496.35
Monthly Surplus (Shortfall) $ (717.57)
Summary General Fund Information as of 05/31/2022
Annual Budget $ 914,567.00
Percent of Year Completed 42%
Offerings/Commitments/Other Income $ 319,577.40
received year to date
Actual Expenses year to date $ 401,539.22
Actual Expense Surplus (Shortfall) year to date $ (81,961.82)
Budget Surplus (Shortfall) year to date $ (61,492.18)
Debt Balances as of 05/31/2022
Principal Remaining on Church Building (2) $ 1,183,095.04
General Fund owes Special Fund $ 15,000.00
(1) This included a final payment from the CDC of $9,484.
(2) The CDC portion of the mortgage has been paid off;
the remaining balance is for the church.
How to make a legacy gift
A gift to the Endowment Fund is a gift for the continuation of Christ’s ministry. It
supports the mission of the church today and the long-term stability of the church for
the future. It is a gift that keeps on giving. You can participate through:
Outright Gifts—of cash, securities, real estate, or other personal property.
Wills or Bequests— a specific amount can be given, a percentage of your
estate, or you can make a specific bequest of property such as securities, real estate or
personal property.
Life Insurance Policies—St. Mark’s may be named as the beneficiary.
Charitable Remainder Trusts—Trust agreements or charitable gift annuities.
Gift Of Home or Vacation Home—You can donate your home and live in it until
your death.
If you’d like to make such a gift, you can go to the GIVE tab on our website or contact Al Bergh at 630-585-8422.
11

Pride Parade 2022
Pouring rain gave
way to sunshine on
the day of the third
annual Aurora Pride
Parade, similar to
way the tumultuous
back and forth with
the city gave way to a
“go ahead” just days
before the parade.
The parade went off
without a hitch, and
it was a joyous event filled with hope for the
future of LGBTQIA+ persons in our area.
St. Mark’s had a great turnout, with over 40
members walking in the parade. As we walked
through the crowd of excited people, there were
many people grateful to see churches that were
welcoming and ready to affirm the love of God to
all, not just a specific or select group.
The families with children who walked with us
delighted the crowd, as the kids offered pins and
held up their colored
pompoms!
St. Mark’s members
were also in the crowd
of happy watchers,
cheering as we walked
past and supporting
us. And many of our
members expressed
their support through
emails and texts.
Laughter was abundant, and every single person
in our group knew that the most important thing
we did was to let our neighbors know that they
are loved by our church and by God, and that
they are welcomed. I feel we did that, and I hope
our community feels a little safer knowing that
we are around.
—Mary Mandel, for the RIC Team
St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, 27 S Edgelawn Dr, Aurora, IL 60506 StMarksAurora.net 630-897-6891 office@stmarksaurora.net