

Barrett's Bits
Barrett Alewine, Senior Pastor
Even though I walk through the
valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4
I’ve lost count of the number of times that scripture exhorts us, “Be not afraid.” As a child I was afraid of the
dark. We lived in a two-story house and our den was upstairs. The kitchen was downstairs and in the back. It took
all the courage I could muster to leave the safety of the family and venture to that dark kitchen alone. Every
sound was the arrival of the creature that would snatch me away to an unthinkable end. My mother would say,
“There’s nothing there in the dark that wasn’t there in the daylight. Maybe if you behaved yourself in the day
time you wouldn’t be so afraid of the dark.”
The fear of the dark has passed with adulthood, but other fears remain. Fear is the opposite of love. Fear causes us
to act in unloving ways that often harms others and ourselves. We fear financial difficulty. We fear illness and death.
We fear embarrassment and shame. We fear that others may see us as weak and take advantage of us. We fear people
who don’t look, sound, or think the way we do. We fear the strange, different or unknown. I believe that fear has
invaded our political discourse and made compromise and agreement nearly impossible. Fear leads us to desire control.
Fear invades the church and breeds discontent, dissension, and disunity.
Can we, filled with fear as we all sometimes are, hear the words of Jesus? “Do not be afraid, little flock, for
your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.” If we know that God has already made us a child of the
kingdom we have nothing to fear. There is no power on earth, no calamity, no threat that can separate us from the
love of God. What do we have to fear? To live without fear is the power of God to allow us to follow Jesus as
disciples. Do not be afraid, little flock, for greater is the power of Jesus Christ in you than all the power of
evil that may be arrayed against you.
In His Service,
Barrett
Food Bank Sunday
The first Sunday of every month
is always designated as Food Bank Sunday. Remember when you are shopping this week to pick up some extra food
items and bring them on Sunday, August 1, to place in the shopping cart outside the church office.
Acolyte and Crucifer Sign-Up Time
If you are interested in serving
as an Acolyte (3rd graders and up) or a Crucifer (5th graders and up), you are invited to complete the volunteer
slip that will be in the church bulletin on Sunday. You may also volunteer via email to stmark565@embarqmail.com). Just include your name,
parents’ names, telephone number, which service you would like to serve in—8:45 or 11:00—and whether you want to
be an Acolyte or Crucifer.re
New Acolytes and Crucifers will be trained before they serve.
Greeting Ministry/First Impressions Training
Guests at St. Mark notice a lot
in the first ten minutes. From what happens in the parking lot to getting settled in their seats, the first
impression matters. Greeters play a key role in creating a positive first impression by offering a warm smile,
a friendly welcome and other assistance to everyone who comes to worship at St. Mark.
If you’re interested in being a greeter – or if you’re already part of our greeter corps at Sunday Morning Blend
– join us for a short training session to learn the What/Why/how/Where of greeting at St. Mark. We’re looking
for people to be greeters at both Main Campus services and Blend at the Rivers St. Campus.
Training will take place: Sunday August 15, 10:00am – 10:45am, Activities Building, Main Campus.
We will talk about the purpose and goals of the Greeting Ministry; Responsibilities, guidelines and tips for
greeters; Locations and time commitments. We’ll start and end on time so please arrive a few minutes early to
take advantage of the coffee and soft drinks. For more information please contact Richard Ball
(jr23b@yahoo.com) or call Ann at the Church Office.
Moving Scriptures
Our dance ministry, Moving Scriptures
is re-forming. Girls and women ages 12 and up are welcome to join us. If you are interested in joining this dance
ministry ensemble, please contact Sheri P. Brewington (twinbletoesspb@yahoo.com)
or call the church office.
Men's Community Prayer Breakfast
All men of the community are invited to the the July prayer breakfast on July 30, 6:30 a.m., in the
multipurpose room at Rivers St. The Reverend Terry Martin, pastor of Main St. UMC in Greenwood, will be the guest speaker.