Monday, March 1, 2021

PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN

 


St. Mark Presbyterian Women is an organization for women within our church. We enjoy fellowship, Bible study and supporting local, national and international missions. Our challenge is to accept the gifts God has given us and to use those gifts to assist in the life and work of the Church. The Board of Presbyterian Women meets the first Wednesday of each month and is made up of women who serve as officers, Circle leaders, and project chairs. Presbyterian Women has 6 Circles with a total membership of approximately 80 active Women. September to May most Circles meet on the third Wednesday or Thursday of the month; 3 in the morning, 1 in the afternoon and 2 in the evening One circle meets monthly on dates determined by its members. Ruth Circle meets year round. Most Circles are using Horizon’s Bible Study. Presbyterian women continue to participate in the monthly book club. Members meet on the fourth Wednesday of the month at 9:30 am for discussion of a book selected by the group, with no meetings in July or November. Due to the COVID situation the PW Board, Circles and Book Club are continuing to meet via Zoom. 

The mission work of PW is funded through individual gifts, the annual Christmas Boutique and Angel Street Café, an Easter candy sale, the Schnucks e-Scrip program, and circle pledges and offerings. In 2020 over $12,000 in profits from 2019 fundraisers were made to: Mound Ridge Camp and Conference Center, Presbyterian Children’s Home and Services, Lydia House, Isaiah 58 Ministries, Newborns in Need, Third Presbyterian Church, Arch City Defenders, Children’s Ministries, Circle of Concern, Fellowship Committee of St. Mark, St. Mark Major Repairs, and Youth Ministries of St. Mark. Sadly, due to COVID-19, we were unable to hold our yearly fundraisers in 2020, but through generous donations from our congregation we will be able to distribute about $3000 in 2021. On the national and international levels, PW contributed to the work of the Presbyterian Church USA through our annual pledge and offerings. PW held layette drives in both the spring and fall collected an estimated $3,000 in donated items for Newborns in Need.

 In January PW invited St. Mark women to our Annual Tea. The subject was the first national vote in which women could participate in 1920. Unfortunately, that was the only “live” program PW could hold in 2020. However, PW remained committed to provide all of our other 2020 programs in a virtual format. Our very creative Mary Beth Powell and Pastor MP organized and presented the first ever virtual brunch on September 12: “Flamingle with PW”. It was pre-recorded and made available on YouTube so that women who missed the “premiere” could view it at a later time. Our November fall outing once again relied upon the creative genius of Mary Beth and the talents of the women of the board to present a virtual tour of historic West Count cabins. Both the brunch and cabin tour got very high ratings from our congregation. The annual St. Mark Women’s Retreat at Toddhall in Columbia, Illinois had to be cancelled due to COVID in 2020, but we will hold a virtual retreat in 2021 on February 26 and 27. 

A very special thanks to Pastor MP who has been invaluable in keeping our women connected and spiritually healthy by assisting technically with Zoom, providing a devotional each week, assisting with programming and in many other ways. We are so very blessed to have her. 

Respectfully submitted, 

Sharon Tharp, Moderator

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