St Mark’s Church News

Dear All,
Please note the following 4 announcements and reminders:1. Weekly Spiritual MessageSpiritual message of the week by Father Anthony:
It was a great blessing to be a witness of this special conversation between Fr Mark and Fr Yacoub recently that I would love to share with you all.  (No editing was done – this is word for word).Fr Mark:”Abouna Yacoub, you started your priesthood at St Mark’s with an empty church. Now we have a church that has exploded.”Fr Yacoub:”Ya Abouna this started when holy-Augo came then our jem-jono then our joy-marco then our wisdom-miko then our sukkar-davido then our royal-eli then our crown- tony”How sweet it is living with these fathers in a slice of Heaven in Arncliffe. Their love and humility makes me smile and smile and smile I hope we can all have this love and humility shine in our own homes – always seeing the best in those around us.Have a blessed week dear family. Christ Is Risen !!!
2. Coptic Orthodox Community Outreach Service (COCOS) Dear Men of St Mark’s,
Are there a few items in your wardrobe that you just never wear?Do you have a pair of sports shoes that are no longer your favourite?Do you have that bulky blanket or doona that takes up space and rarely, if ever, gets used?Do you already have limited wardrobe space? (For various reasons…)
If you answered yes to any of these questions, please read on…
Leading up to Winter, people experiencing homelessness need your help. The clothing, shoes or blankets you donate do not have to be new, just in good condition. Just put these items in a bag and place it in the COCOS clothing charity bin located at Saint Mark’s Church (just down the steps of the English Church car park and to the right). If we all could spare a few items, it would make an enormous difference.
Much needed items of clothing for men include:
  • Jeans (sizes 30 to 40)
  • Shirts (especially t-shirts)
  • Casual jackets
  • Tracksuits
  • Sports and casual shoes (sizes 8 – 13)
  • Singlets
  • Shorts
  • Underwear (new)
  • Socks (new)
  • Sun hats
  • Cargo pants
  • Hoodies
  • Jumpers
  • Belts

We also need regular donations of:

  • Sleeping bags
  • Blankets
  • Doonas
  • Pillows
  • Pillowcases
  • Backpacks
  • Towels
  • Bibles
  • Rolls of garbage bags

“He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none” (Luke 3:11)
God bless,Norman Mikhail (on behalf of the clothing team)Coptic Orthodox Community Outreach Service

3. St Mark’s Coptic Mastermind competitionSt Mark’s church will be holding a Coptic Mastermind competition for year 5 & 6 girls and boys this year which will be held on 13th August 2023. This is an excellent opportunity for your child to study the Bible in depth and grow their love for The Word of God. In preparation for the competition, the kids will be grouped into teams of 4 and will be coached over the course of 7 weeks. Hurry! Register here: https://forms.gle/BgkBrmqX7ExSQCEb6 Registration closes on 5th of June.