So feel free to try out the various ways we practice doing God’s work with our hands. We like to say that we get our hands “dirty” working in the vineyard for God. Our faith in Christ tells us that, through the Holy Spirit, God is active in us and all that we do. So when we serve our neighbors as Christ commands us to, we say that we are doing “God’s work. Our Hands.”
God’s work.
God is at work. In a time when some see God as a distant and detached observer or master planner, we witness the God who was, is and will be actively working “for us and our salvation.” The heart of this witness is the cross of Jesus, where God’s work of reconciliation for the life of the world is most truly known.
Our hands.
In a culture that has reduced matters of faith to a private consumer choice that leaves people isolated in self-serving lives, we have a liberating message that is incarnational and vocational. God joins you in Jesus to a community, the body of Christ. In the life of that body God is working both in us and through us and our hands. In us God’s Holy Spirit is accomplishing what nothing else, not even God’s law, could accomplish—a life freed from serving sin and death, a life where our hands are generous and loving. Living in us, God entrusts to us the ministry of reconciliation, to be done through us. “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18).
St. Mark’s will again adopt a few families in need this holiday season and help collect items for under their tree. A list of items that are needed is in the rear of the sanctuary and we ask that items be brought back wrapped, but with the tags on them so we know what is…
Our congregation will again help to staff the Homework Help Club at the Conshy Public Library. The program is offered on Thursdays from 3:45pm – 4:30pm. If you are interested in helping to tutor, please see Jenn Schreiter (jeschreiter@yahoo.com).
Join us after worship on October 14th to help put together “Blessing Bags.” These bags contain items that might be a “blessing” to folks who are struggling to find shelter or food. Bags contain personal care items, food, water, and SOCKS. We are asking folks to bring in sock donations to help put these bags…
We share our sense of generosity with those in need this thanksgiving by helping CNC put together Thanksgiving baskets for families in need this year. Our congregation will be collecting cans of Cranberry Sauce for the baskets and we need 120 in all.
Each week we support the work of CNC by donating items to their food pantry, but that’s not the only thing they do! Each week CNC provides support for those living in poverty that might need help after a disaster, after loosing a job, or after becoming ill. We can bolster the work they do…
We’ll be collecting school supplies and backpacks for The Colonial Neighborhood Council – bring them in to church during this month and we’ll make sure they are delivered to CNC. Backpacks should be solid colors (no logos or advertising)
Since our founding in 1991, Philadelphia Interfaith Hospitality Network (PIHN) has moved 325 families—910 individuals— from homelessness to stability. We have grown our network further with the expansion of our network into Northeast Philadelphia in 2012. The PIHN program provides assessment and referrals, emergency housing, supportive service and transitional housing. Equipped with new skills and…
Augusta Victoria Hospital is a program of the Lutheran World Federated Department of World Services in Jerusalem. Started in partnership with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency as a major medical facility in Jerusalem after the 1948 war to care for Palestinian refugees. To this day it is still one of the only Hospital…
Over the next year, Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery and Delaware County will be engaging in another Habitat build as they help a new family build and buy their own home. Habitat for Humanity works with qualified families to purchase affordable housing as they solicit a community wide partnership to help low-income folks become homeowners….
During Lent our kids are collecting funds to support the Habitat For Humanity build house in Bridgeport this summer. Our goal is to collect $1,000 by Easter. There will be more ways that our congregation will be participating in this build in the coming months, so look for more ways you can help build…