The Lion's Roar
July, 2022
A Message from Father Rick...
On June 10th Martha Heiner and I announced “Moved by the Spirit,” our capital campaign. I got a chance to talk about my dear friend, Chip Hughes, who as his health got worse and worse had conversations with Claudia about St Mark’s financial stability.
Such faithfulness, thoughtfulness, and tenacity would be utterly unbelievable to me, if I didn’t know Chip. He was every bit as faithful, thoughtful, and tenacious as that. I miss him. And, I’m so incredibly grateful for him.
We also announced the Hughes Family matching gift challenge of $100,000–where if we all raised $100,000, the Hughes Family would match it.
Ten days later we crossed that first $100,000 threshold—which is just utterly and stunningly amazing to me. In a week and a half, and in this economy, you all showed your own faithfulness, thoughtfulness, and tenacity.
Thank you.
Almost a day does not go by when we do not receive another pledge or donation to the campaign. We’ve had several “gatherings on the patio” with parishioners. And, we’ve had multiple gifts and pledges from the “alumni” of St Mark’s—people who are members of the church family, but who have moved away in recent years.
If you would like to talk to me, and/or the wardens, about the campaign, please just let me know. I’ve also heard from multiple people that “We don’t need a meeting, we just need a pledge card!”—and that’s fine too. You can actually make a pledge using the button below.
What we’ve accomplished so far is amazing. Truly. And, together, each one of us, can still do amazing things, and set St Mark’s on a sure footing for years to come.
Thank you, thank you, thank you,
Fr Rick
Sunday, July 3
Outdoor Service at Moorland Farms
No Services here at St. Mark's this Sunday
Last year’s combined outdoor Holy Eucharist service on July 4 weekend with the Conover parishes was so lovely! If you are in town this Sunday, please join us for worship at 9am at Moorland Farms, 50 Route 202, Far Hills, NJ.
Bishop Chip Stokes will be Celebrant and Preacher. There will be a large tent providing shade. Choir members are welcome to participate in the combined choir. The service will be followed by brunch. Feel free to invite friends and neighbors, too.
The link for the live stream will be on our website and you can also access it here.
Chip Rubendall's Ordination on July 17th
On July 17, at 9:15AM, Bishop Stokes will be with us to ordain Chip a deacon. I’ve already had a few people ask me, “But, I thought he was going to be a priest?!”
In historic Christianity—the tradition goes back centuries and centuries—to first ordain a person a deacon, before they are ordained a priest. This is called the “Transitional Diaconate.” Currently in the Episcopal Church, a person must have been a deacon for at least six months before they become a priest.
There are people who are called only to be a deacon. A deacon is a full order of the church in it’s own right. Deacons primarily serve the poor, the sick, and the marginalized. They interpret to the church the needs of the world.
Do you see why we ordain priests as deacon’s first? Because we want that kind of foundation in our clergy.
So, on July 17th, Chip will be ordained a deacon, and then six months later he will be ordained a priest—which should be right before Christmas!
Curbing Hunger
There is a link to the online Curbing Hunger drive right here: https://amplify.ampyourgood.com/user/campaigns/4015 where you can purchase food and it will be delivered to the Food Bank for you.
Please do what you can, and spread the word—and even consider coming to weed, tend, and pick at the garden—so that our neighbors won’t go hungry this summer.
Weekly Offerings in July
Monday 10am Morning Prayer via Zoom
Wednesday 9am Holy Eucharist Rite II in Post Chapel
Sunday 8am Holy Eucharist Rite I
9:15am Holy Eucharist Rite II
HOME - hosting families from July 24 - July 30th (see article below)
We need volunteers for this project - please sign up, many opportunties
July 6th & 20th Keansburg Soup Kitchen
Visit our website stmarksbr.org for links and schedules to all upcoming services, bulletins, music offerings, signups, and more.
Warden's Corner
As we head into the summer months where the days are longer and vacations get planned, we are now hard at work kicking off our capital campaign. Hopefully, you have heard a lot about it and we are looking to follow the lead the Hughes family has taken to solidify the financial condition of our church we love to call our second home. The Vestry has worked hard with the finance and building committees to analyze financial projections and short and medium term capital needs of the church and if we can raise the money we believe we can from this campaign, we expect to put our church on solid ground where we will have the ability to manage future capital needs through our annual operating budget and focus on out ability to really make an impact in our community - that would be a place we have never been before!
I hope you all enjoy your summers and can consider what St Mark’s means to you and your family and can give to help us make it everything it can be.
Best, Sean
Finance Report
2022 Year-to-Date (YTD, through May) Financial Results
- Operating Income is $206K, $20K (or 11%) favorable to budget, driven by full and partial year pledge income received year-to-date, offset partially by unfavorable Buildings Use Donations.
- Operating Expenses is $160K, -$9K (or -5%) unfavorable to budget, driven by Buildings Maintenance expenses (burst pipe / flood damage) and timing of expenses.
- Operating Net Income is $46K, $11K favorable to budget, driven by favorable operating income cited above.
Laughter in the Pews
God's Giving Garden
We have now surpassed the 400 pound mark!
Garlic is on the porch to cure, additional harvesting was done and bean, squash and pumpkin seed are in. Thanks to all our great volunteers!
Garden work sessions are Tues, Thurs and Sat mornings 9-noon, throughout the summer and Fall. Come join us!”
July Birthdays
7/2 Aiden Murray
7/4 Sandy Gogerty
Beth Kujan
7/6 Joan Graff
David Eweka
Sherry Palmer
William Snyder
7/7 Maddy Denechaud
Tim Keenan
Jeff West
7/8 Tom Defeo
Joseph Hughes
Sue Smith
Ruth Smith
7/10 Gretchen DeCoste
Pete Kochek
7/11 Luke Ittycheria
7/13 Michael Millan
Julie Sheppard
Marty Urbas
7/14 Benjamin Larner
7/16 Gerald Creighton
Caitlin Taylor
Leo van der Valk
7/17 Jacob Wojnar
7/19 Chuck Knill
Tim Opremcak
7/20 Mary Urbas
7/22 Bucky Menter
Warren Phillips
7/24 Annabelle Trucco
Stephen Woolford
7/25 Chip Campbell
7/26 Ethan Licata
Leo Van der valk
7/27 Ryan Sheppard
7/28 Maryanne Moreck
Sydney Spindler
7/29 Rick Morley
7/30 Tim Campbell
Christine Thoma
Anniversaries
7/2 David & Jackie Taylor
7/4 William & Susan Wilkes
Brian & Larena Lettow / Rolli
7/27 Michael & Noel McCormick
7/29 Daniel & Betsy Spindler
New Plantings on Lewis & South Finley!
Just a few pics of the new landscaping on Lewis & South Finley. Thank you Beth Kujan for your work in planning and execution of this landscaping project!
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon it is not, but the new plantings on the North side of the Church property are aiming to tame a nearly 45 degree incline along about 40 linear feet. The 20 feet nearest the S. Finley corner have been relatively easy to turn into a rock garden. So far the butterfly bushes are attracting butterflies and the tall Winterberry Holly are settling in. We'll see how the experiment works over time. The plan is to have color and interest year round.
Meanwhile, the lower slopes are being planted primarily with Liriope (lily turf). Its primary purpose is to hold mulch in place to improve the soil. Liriope's secondary purpose is to thrive, flower and produce berries the birds can eat in the winter.
If the terracing looks kludgy, that's because it is kludgy. It needn't stay that way. With the right sized landscaping stones and established plantings, a lot of the metal and tile can be removed. Or at least covered with mulch.
Anyone who has landscaping stone, sedum or red twig to share, please contact the office. Next month - details about the plantings.
Beth Kujan
Roofers prepping the kitchen roof and exhaust vents for the new shingles
Buildings & Grounds News
Thank you to the volunteers that continue to refresh and repair!
Roofing Update
Phase 1 of the roofing project started in June with replacing the section of roof over the kitchen and chapel. All of the large kitchen vents coming through the roof were reflashed and sealed. Several sections of the roof needed to be replaced due to water damage and age. So far we have had 2 nice downpours and no sign of any leaks. We had a delay with finishing the Link section which will be done in July when the custom made skylights come in. We will be eliminating the lower two skylights as these routinely get overrun by water runoff from the steep sanctuary roof and leak.
Parish Hall Work to start in August
We will finally begin work on restoring the Parish Hall floor that was damaged due to a burst water pipe last February. Many thanks to Tim Opremcak who is coordinating the Parish Hall abatement project. Tim identified a contractor who will be able to replace the floor with a new vinyl floor similar to the one in the sanctuary and also get the Parish hall ceiling painted. Tim promises a beauty when the contractor is done, all covered by insurance minus a small deductible. Work on the lower level rooms was also completed in June with the painting of a portion of the hallway with help from the Ridge High students. If you have not seen the lower level section recently stop by and take a look. We have a very welcoming space now ready to host the HOME families in July.
Painters needed
The entire lower level hallway walls were prepped to be ready for the Ridge High painters in early June. The students managed to complete half of the hallway from the Link entrance all the way to Bryans Room. We need a few volunteers to finish up the painting so the entire lower level hallway looks great. All supplies will be provided and will be staged in Bryans room for the first two weeks of July. If you even have a couple of hours, come by and paint a section. If you can help, just come and do it. Information will be posted in Bryans room. If you have questions contact the office or John Lyga.
Outdoor Lighting
Martin, John, and Ann have been working on getting all of our outdoor lighting systems checked out and working. We have a total of 6 timers controlling dozens of lights on buildings, in the garden, and parking lot. Right now most of them are a collection of different mechanical timers which require regular adjustment. After replacing a couple, they all seem to be working now. At some point we would like to convert all to wireless control but that is on our wish list for 2023. If you notice a light out or you are hosting a special event in the evening that is expected to run late, send a note into the office so we have you covered. We are also updating all of our required battery back-up lighting which turns on in case of a power outage which we seem to be having more often. Much of this work goes unnoticed until it is needed.
Sunday School Happenings
NEW Sunday School Program for the Fall
We are making plans for an exciting Fall Sunday School program, structured a bit different from past years. Typically in the fall we cover Old-Testament Bible stories with a focus on God’s rules teaching all of us how to get along with each other. This fall we will also include some fun-filled lessons on God’s other rules, how the world works through the science God created. This Sunday School Science program is for pre-K to 5th grade held during our 10 a.m. Sunday services beginning late September. For more information or if you would like to help with the program please reach out to John Lyga or Kristen Hauser.
3-2-1 - Blast-off at the Church Picnic - We are working on arranging for a site for our church picnic on Sept. 11 where we can also launch rockets. Rocket kits will be available the first week of August for anyone interested in participating. We will have both in person and recorded sessions guiding you through the construction of this year's rocket. Stay tuned to Lions Roar Mission Control for further announcements.
Fellowship News
Thanks to all who put together the very nice reception in honor of Roger Conover’s birthday. A nice time was held for all to honor a long time parishioner. Nancy Brangaccio reminded us of Roger’s acting in a commercial for Wentworth in her speech. It was nice to meet some of Roger’s extended family and honor this very special man. Coming up shortly, Chip Rubendell’s reception for his ordination on July 17th.
Coffee fellowship for the summer is in need of some volunteers. (coffee not included) The table can be set up outside the front doors to the church and goodies and lemonade set up with relative ease with no need to wheel a cart back and forth from the kitchen. The table and a plastic tablecloth will be in the front closet for you to set up. Electronic sign up is available on the homepage of the St. Mark’s webpage and accessible here. Plates, napkins and cups will be available as well. Just bring the goodies and lemonade or other cold drink to provide.
Ushers Needed
We could use a couple more ushers for our 10am services (9:15 summer schedule). Even if you can help out one Sunday, it would be very helpful. You would only need to serve once every 5 or 6 weeks, Please email Jim Martucci at Jim.martucci@verizon.net if you are interested. Thank you.
Rummage Sale - September 16th & 17th
The lazy days of summer...great time to look around our homes and gardens and decide what we no longer need or want. We are so grateful for all the wonderful donations we get from you, our parishioners and friends. (We cannot accept items before September 11th)
Please keep in mind the items we cannot accept:
Mattresses or box springs
Electronic equipment over 5 years old.
Computers without hard drive or chips older than Pentium or non-color monitors.
Dot matrix printers.
Cribs or Baby equipment over 5 years old (safety code issues)
Sporting equipment over 5 years old
Large exercise equipment
Large furniture pieces
Christmas tree stands
Suitcases without wheels
Analog TV, VHS Tapes or Cassettes
Gas operated machinery
A Favor Please:
Toys - please bundle parts together
Men’s suits and jackets – please mark the size and pin to lapel.
Mark linen sizes
Books – only current novels, historical & children’s books
Shoes – only in good condition.
Trinity Cathedral Golf Outing
Come be a part of the 18th Annual Bishop George E. Councell Golf Outing. The Event raises funds for the Cathedral's ministries and fosters fellowship among member churches of the Diocese of NJ. A fun day of play, golfers may compete for individual and team awards including the prized Bishop's Cup.
If golfing isn't your things, there is an exciting awards dinner with live and silent auction items up for grabs. For more info, visit www.trinitycathedralnj.org or call 609-392-3805.
Vestry Members:
Rector: The Rev. Richard M.C. Morley
Senior Warden: Sean Gogerty
Junior Warden: Martha Heiner
Buildings: John Lyga
Christian Ed. Kristen Hauser
Comm. / Evangelism: Marliese Knill
Fellowship: Sandy Gogerty
Finance: Matt Seitz
Grounds: Steve Kujan
Membership: Lily Chan
Outreach: Jody Hough
Stewardship: Gerald Creighton
Non-Vestry Positions:
Warden Emeritus: Jeff West
Treasurer: Teri Passarello
Recording Treasurer: Doug Post
Assistant Treasurer: Bruce Walker
Sunday School Director: John Lyga
J2A Coordinator: Chip Rubendall
Music Director: Mike McCormick
Warden Emeritus: Jeff West
Treasurer: Teri Passarello
Recording Treasurer: Doug Post
Assistant Treasurer: Bruce Walker
Sunday School Director: John Lyga
J2A Coordinator: Chip Rubendall
Music Director: Mike McCormick
Parish Admin: Ann Millan
Sexton: Martin Hale
Our Online Directory
Have you downloaded our online directory app to your smart phone or tablet yet? It's really easy and so convenient to have! Follow this link for step-by-step instructions.
Prefer to use your computer? No problem! Click here for instructions on how to get connected with your computer.
Once you are in the directory you will be able to update your own information and even upload a new photo.
Give the office a call if you need any assistance.