Hello, St. Mark

Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation. Psalm 111:1

To all God’s beloved at St. Mark: grace to you and peace from God and Jesus Christ.

I am grateful and humbled by the Interim Pastor Search Committee’s and the Session’s invitation to serve as your Interim Pastor. What a privilege it is to walk alongside you as we discover the new thing that God is doing in the life of St. Mark. I look forward to becoming a part of this wonderful community in September, and becoming an integral part of your ministry in the months ahead.

Over the past several weeks, I have learned that St. Mark is a vibrant church with a committed, caring congregation. I am enthusiastic about joining you and to-gether building on the many gifts of this congregation: the able pastoral and pro-gram leadership, the excellence in worship and music, the strength in education and mission, the warm arms of care for each other and the commitment to the community. I have prayed that I would be called to a congregation that is alive and passionate about being Christ’s disciples, that has a strong sense of community and purpose, and whose peo-ple seek to lead lives that matter. I believe that St. Mark is just such a congregation.

God is doing marvelous things in the world. As Christ’s disciples, we are invited and called to be part of God’s work. I am excited to personally engage your stories, ideas, and concerns so that together we can shape a hopeful future in which all are empowered to participate in God’s mission.

The coming months will be very important in the life of St. Mark Presbyterian Church. We have important work to do. I ask your support, your prayers, your gifts and your presence on Sunday mornings as together we face the future with its hope and great promise.

As we go forth together, I pray that God will lead us, that God’s Word will call to us, and that God’s Spirit will bind us to each other – along with all who have gone before and all who will yet join with us. I look forward to getting to know each and everyone of you. For now, let us give thanks to the Lord with our whole hearts in the congregation. Praise the Lord!

In Christ,

Rev. James K. Poinsett