Peggy's Pantry - Partnering with the
Community Food Bank of New Jersey,
Southern Branch
Our food bank was named after Peggy Ferguson, who started the food bank at St Mark's. Many families, both in the parish and in the community are served through the generosity of our parish family.
Every third Sunday, we place a basket for donated goods in front of the altar. During the holidays we coordinate with the Food Bank to collect frozen turkeys and non-perishable holiday items.
Our goal is to assist people in our area with food items. We would not be able to accomplish this goal, without the generosity of our parishioners as well as the coordination of the Pantry with the Community Food Bank of NJ by SMAS parishioner Robin Husta.
Most Needed Items:
Canned Tuna, Salmon, Chicken
Shelf Stable Milk
Pasta, Instant Potatoes, Rice, Cereal
Mac & Cheese
Soups, Chili, Stews, Spaghetti & Meatballs
Almond Butter, Sunbutter, Jelly (Plastic Jars)
Canned Green Beans, Carrots, Mixed Fruits,
Canned Pineapple
Diapers
Feminine Hygiene Products
Please contact the church office,
if you have any questions.
Daughters of the King (DOK)
Good Shepherd Chapter #3437
We are an order for women who are communicants of the Episcopal Church, churches in communion with it, or churches in the Historic Episcopate. Today our membership includes women in the Evangelical Episcopal Roman Catholic and Lutheran ELCA Churches.
The order was founded in 1885 by Margaret J. Franklin at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in New York City. We dedicate ourselves to the Role of Prayer and the Rule of Service. We pledge ourselves to a life-long program of prayer, service and evangelism dedicated to the spread of Christ's kingdom and the strengthening of the spiritual life of the parish.
Although our Chapter had been meeting monthly, we have suspended our regular meetings during the pandemic
To learn more about DOK, visit the national website doknational.org
Altar Guild
St Hilda’s Altar Guild is the organization of the church which is responsible for the care of the altar. Among our main duties are the ordering of supplies needed, cleaning the altar linens, polishing brass and silver, filling oil candles, and setting up for all services. The membership is broken into teams which rotate their duties. Each team performs its work at a time mutually agreed upon by the team members.
There is no age or gender limitation for membership. If you feel called to help, you are welcome to join us.
For more information, speak to our Sacristan Valerie Kozlowski.
Lay Eucharistic Minister (LEM)
A LEM is a Lay person, licensed by the bishop of the diocese, usually after a period of study and training, to administer the chalice at the Eucharist. Chalice bearers can function as sub deacons or servers, and usually vest. They may also be lay readers of the lessons, psalms and epistle in the Liturgy of the Word.
A LEM is licensed to administer the consecrated bread and wine at any celebration of the Eucharist in the absence of a sufficient number of priests and deacons and to assist the celebrant.
This is a wonderful adult ministry and can be a very spiritual experience. Pre-requisite: age 16 or older, must be baptized and confirmed. Speak to Fr. Terry if you are interested in learning more.
Lector
A Lector is a lay person trained in reading scripture who is also licensed by the bishop of the diocese. S/he may read the lessons, lead the Prayers of the People, and serve as worship leader if necessary.
If you would like to know more about becoming a Lector, LEM, or LEV, contact Fr. Terry at frterry15@gmail.com
Lay Eucharistic Visitor (LEV)
A LEV is a Lay person licensed by the bishop of the diocese to administer the consecrated elements of the Eucharist. LEVs are licensed to go from any principal celebrations of the Eucharist to share the sacrament with members of the congregation who were unable to be present at the celebration due to illness or infirmity.
This ministry is understood to be an extraordinary ministry, and is NOT to take the place of priest and deacons concerning the administration of the Eucharist. This ministry can be a wonderful and spiritual way of serving the Lord as well as helping those in need. Pre-requisite: age 16 or older, must be baptized and confirmed, in good standing in the parish and have means of transportation and be committed to helping others.
Training will be scheduled as needed. No person will be asked to present him or herself at the altar or go out to those in need without prior training. Speak to Fr. Terry if you feel called to this ministry.
Acolytes
Acolytes are a group of adolescents to young adults that take part in ceremonial duties on the altar. There are many things to do like carrying a cross, lighting candles, holding the gospel book, holding torches, and assisting a deacon or priest to set up and clean up at the altar. Come join us, we are always looking for new people to join; you must be eight or older. For more information contact the church office.
Adult Christian Education
Christian Education is important for people of all ages. SMAS offers various opportunities for study of the Holy Scriptures, including daily morning prayer online as well as seasonal book studies. Additionally, SMAS Under the Stars, our movie series returned this past summer! We enjoyed fellowship time while viewing and discussing movies and supported Thistle Farms, a ministry that assists women in need due to various situations, including human trafficking, addiction, etc.
Sunday School
Sunday School ceased for at least two years as we experience the Covid-19 Pandemic. In 2022, after many Covid restrictions were relaxed, we began to discuss the importance of bringing back a Christian education program for our youngest followers of Jesus. A Sunday School committee was established that included parents, educations from within our parish, a Warden, and clergy. After reviewing several programs/curriculum they chose a program called Weaving God's Promises, an online resource with multiple materials. The children attend classes during our 9 am service and rejoin the adults at announcement time.
We have few students and our classes are small, we believe that the program is important for our children and we have lessons planned for most Sundays. We also pray that in building the program we may be able to, in time, attract more families and share the Good News with more children! If you are interested in being a part of this please contact the church office.
Choir
The adult choir here at Saint Mark and All Saints Church is made up of volunteer singers from all walks of life and musical backgrounds. Experience or ability to read music is not necessary. The most important thing that we do is enhance worship through music and have a great time in the process. We genuinely enjoy each other's company. It doesn't matter if you think you're a good singer or not, if you love to sing join us, we would love to have you.
Memorial and Thanksgiving offerings
Altar Flowers, Altar Candles and Weekly Bulletins
Donating flowers, candles or bulletins are three ways to honor a loved one or commemorate a special event while helping the church. There are yearly sign-ups for each or you may contact Winnie Gaupp or call the church office at 609-652-6222
Special Services
Weddings are a happy time in the life of a parish. The couple must meet with clergy three times before the wedding to plan the service and for marriage counseling. We ask the couples to try to plan at least 6 months ahead so to make sure the date is available at the church. Contact the church secretary for more details smasoffice@aol.com
Ushers
Working in teams of two, ushers greet parishioners and guests at the entrance of the sanctuary, distribute service bulletins and provide assistance. For more information contact the office.