Our Worship Service Schedule for September 2026 Sundays 10:00AM

As our search continues for a new Priest-in-Charge, it is wonderful to see everyone in church each Sunday, especially when we celebrate Morning Prayer. The fact that our numbers remain strong even without a permanent priest-in-charge is a testament to the strength of our St. Mark’s parish family. As the front page of our service bulletin rightly states: “Ministers: The People of St. Mark’s!”

Our Missioner for Small Churches, Rev. Kim Karashin is doing a super job scheduling supply priests to lead Holy Eucharist Rite I and II. St. Mark’s own strong cadre of Licensed Lay Ministers continue to lead Morning Prayer Rite I and II.

Sunday, September 6th Morning Prayer with Lisa Bell-Loncella
Sunday, September 13th Holy Eucharist with The Rev. Canon Wes Smedley
Sunday, September 20th Morning Prayer with Pam Hysong
Sunday, September 27th Holy Eucharist with The Rev. Kimberly Karashin

Children’s Church Sunday Mornings 10:00AM

Children’s ministry is essential to welcoming children to the church. It lets them hear the ancient stories in words that are familiar to them, and makes lessons concrete in games and crafts. It provides a foundation for their faith and relationship with God. It helps them feel truly a part of the family of God.

St. Mark’s Children’s Church meets every Sunday in the Children’s Corner of the Fellowship Hall. It starts at the same time as the Worship Service. The children and their teachers later join the congregation in the main sanctuary for Holy Eucharist.

Fall Clean-up Saturday September 26 9:00 AM to12 Noon

Bishop Ketlen will be here Sunday, October 11th. We want the church to look nice for her visit. Even with the amazing clean-up job in June, the weeds have cropped up and the plants have grown like crazy. The courtyard and garden beds in front of the church are again in need of a little pruning and weeding. We’ll gather at 9 AM to get started on the clean-up. If we need more time, we set aside Saturday, October 10 as the rain date.

Bring your favorite yard tools: gloves, rakes, and small garden tools. We will supply bags and boxes for the weeds and other trimmings. If everyone can do a little, we can get it done. The more workers, the less time it will take to get the job done.

Annual Meeting and Pot-luck Lunch Sunday September 27

Our Annual Meeting will be held on Sunday, September 27 following the 10 AM service with a ZOOM option. At this meeting we review the State of the Parish. The principal order of business is the nomination and election of new members to the Vestry. We have two positions to fill. We will have a pot-luck lunch in conjunction with our Annual Meeting. All members of St. Mark’s are encouraged to attend and bring a dish to share.

St. Mark’s Offers a Helping Hand Locally and Beyond

Saturday’s Kitchen September 19 10:30AM to 12:30PM

St. Mark’s will be serving at Saturday’s Kitchen September 19th from 10:30AM to 12:30PM. We are in need of at least 6 volunteers to help assemble the dinners and serve. Please call Kitty Batrus at 814-288-1848 or email kittyb2666@gmail.com

September is Mission Month at St. Mark’s

For the last several years, our Mission donations have gone toward the purchase of animals for distribution through Heifer International. These animals provide an opportunity for families to supply food for themselves and possibly others. Some of these items, like the chicks and ducks, honeybees, and goats, are the source of nourishment like eggs, honey, and milk. The sheep can be sheered for wool. They provide the prospect of sustainability not just this week’s dinner. All money collected this month for Mission will go toward the purchase of animals through Heifer International. The more donations, the more animals we can send.

Upcoming Events in October 2026

Saturday October 3 Blessing of the Animals and Bake Sale

Sunday October 11 Bishop’s Annual Visitation

The Reverend Nancy Threadgill will be retiring from her position as Priest-in-Charge of St. Mark’s, Johnstown, effective following the 10:00AM Holy Eucharist Service on March 1, 2026. Nancy has served St. Mark’s since November 2014 and, in recent months, has served as a regular supply priest for St. Francis in the Fields, Somerset. She has also been active at the diocesan level, wrapping up terms on the Standing Committee and Diocesan Council at the end of 2025. In addition, she has served as Chaplain for numerous Johnstown events. Nancy intends to remain resident in Johnstown following her retirement.

Holy Eucharist Rite II for the Second Sunday in Lent

Mother Nancy’s last Eucharistic Service will be held this Sunday, March 1st at 10:00 am. Please show your love and support as she retires from St. Mark’s by attending this service. Join us in-person or via Zoom. Coffee hour follows the service. All are welcome.

The Worship Service Bulletin is available under Worship on our website https://saintmarksjohnstown.com/

Masks are optional.

If you are not feeling well, please participate via Zoom. To participate via Zoom, please contact The Reverend Nancy Threadgill (revnancy-stmarks@breezelinebiz.net) or (814) 535-6797 in advance of the service to obtain the meeting ID and password. Sign-in will begin fifteen minutes prior to the beginning of the service. Please be patient as it may take a few moments to get everyone signed in.

If you would like to support the ministries of St. Marks, you can do so online by going to the Donate section of our website’s (https://saintmarksjohnstown.com/) Main Menu or you can make an annual pledge by going to the Stewardship section.

Children’s Church Meets Sunday Mornings at 10:00AM

Children’s ministry is essential to welcoming children to the church. It lets them hear the ancient stories in words that are familiar to them, and makes lessons concrete in games and crafts. It provides a foundation for their faith and relationship with God. It helps them feel truly a part of the family of God.

St. Mark’s Children’s Church meets every Sunday in the Children’s Corner of the Fellowship Hall. It starts at the same time as the Worship Service. The children and their teachers later join the congregation in the main sanctuary for Holy Eucharist.

Our Children’s Church needs more volunteers for the program to continue and grow. You can be as active as you like with planning or presenting, or you can just sip coffee and watch to help keep the children safe. All talents and personalities are welcome, and you have no idea the impact you can have. Please reach out to me with any questions or to get started. Thank you, Lyssa Nickle-Madden