Everyone Has a Next Step.
What's Yours?
We hope our community can be a place where you connect to others and find a home. Here at St. Mark's, we believe in the core values of inclusivity and redemption, grace and love and, above all - the transforming power of Christ. We never arrive, but we are all committed to walking the journey together. Our dedicated team would love to connect with you and hear more of your story, and help find the best place for you to flourish.
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Who can join St. Mark's Episcopal Church? -- Anyone!​
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How Do I Join? -- Call the office and speak to our staff.
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Why Join? -- Because...
We're so excited you're interested in learning more about who we are and joining the family!
Welcome to St. Mark's Episcopal Church
It has been said that "What many people are looking for in a church is community, communion, and commitment."
St. Mark's is a community of diverse people devoted to God and to one another sharing our joys and sorrows. No one can truly be a Christian in solitude. At times in our lives when darkness overpowers us and we can not find the words to pray, the community is there to pray for us. We are many strands of threads bound together as a single cord finding our strength in unity with Christ.
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St. Mark's is about communion. We are created by God to be in a relationship, first with God and then with others. Together we share a common life of faith and service, building God's Kingdom on earth and strengthening God's spiritual presence within us.
St. Mark's is committed to making God's love more visible in our town and throughout the world through our parish. We express our faith not only in our worship but in our lives, by giving of ourselves to God's service.
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In order to become who God is calling us to be, we practice an ancient rhythm of prayer, study, fellowship, and worship.
We invite you to share with us in:
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worshipping the living and loving God in a traditional and holy setting.
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discovering God's call within a welcoming community
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learning the Christian practices that empower people for service
HOW TO BECOME A MEMBER
We believe that Christian faith is about relationships. It is about our relationship with God and our relationships with each other. In both cases, we believe that Jesus reveals what is essential about all of our relationships. Jesus lived in awareness of God’s presence and placed his trust in God. In him, we hear God’s invitation to live a relationship of intimacy and faithfulness. Jesus welcomed anyone who would respond to this invitation.
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Becoming a member of a church is a way that we identify with other people who have committed themselves living as a follower of Jesus. It is a way of saying, “This is who I am and this is what matters to me.” It is a commitment to a lifetime of learning and growing in our relationships with God and with one another. Being a part of the church is a way that we witness to our faith in God and open ourselves to relationships that only Christian communities can offer.
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Baptism
Baptism is one of the two great sacraments of the Christian faith. The second great sacrament is Holy Communion.
"Holy Baptism is the sacrament by which God adopts us as his children and makes us members of Christ's Body, the Church, and inheritors of the kingdom of God." (Book of Common Prayer). Our baptism is our initiation into the Body of Christ, it is a sacrament celebrated when the other members are present, usually on Sunday mornings.
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At St. Mark's baptisms are held on the traditional days for baptism in the liturgical calendar (Feast of the Baptism of our Lord, Easter Eve, The Day of Pentecost, All Saints' Sunday) as well as other Sundays.
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Anyone can request and receive the sacrament of Holy Baptism. Part of our tradition is that we baptize infants and so many new parents come to our parish seeking to find a place to raise their children in Christian faith and love. We ask families to show a history of attendance in the parish and to participate in an instructional class. The class is offered for parents and God-parents of infants and for youth seeking baptism. Adults seeking Baptism are requested to participate in our Adult Inquirers and Confirmation Classes.
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Those whose baptisms have been registered in the Episcopal Church are considered baptized members. Upon reaching 16 years of age, baptized members are considered adult members. It is expected that all adult members of the Episcopal Church will be confirmed or received at some point.
Confirmation
Confirmation is a pastoral rite in The Episcopal Church, which means it is not a rite that notes some fuller initiation into the Church, the Body of Christ. A person is a full member of the Church through Baptism. Confirmation, as defined in The Book of Common Prayer is "a mature public affirmation of faith and commitment to the responsibilities of Baptism." At Confirmation, an individual receives the laying on of hands by the bishop, thereby affirming their own faith and visibly connecting to the broader Body of Christ.
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It is our practice that all adult members of this Church, after appropriate instruction, made a mature public affirmation of their faith and commitment to the responsibilities of their Baptism and will be confirmed or received by a Bishop of this Church or by a bishop of a Church in communion with this Church. Those who have previously made a mature public commitment in another church may be received, not confirmed.
Baptized persons who have received the laying-on of hands at Confirmation by a Bishop in apostolic succession should be considered baptized and confirmed and may, therefore, be received by a Bishop in this church.
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A person seeking to join the Episcopal Church from another Christian church, if that person has been baptized with water and in the name of the Trinity, may become a baptized member of the Episcopal Church by having their baptism duly recorded in this church.
Reception
Transfer of Letter
The Episcopal Church recognizes all persons baptized with water and in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as members of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. A letter is submitted to your previous parish and your membership is transferred upon the return of that information. If you are unsure of when and where your letter of membership is located please contact our office for assistance.
OPPORTUNITIES
Join in one or more of our group ministries and get to know people beyond seeing them on Sundays and share your talents.
Many of our members are involved in one or more of the following is a list of community ministries. If you are interested in volunteering for one or more of the ministries below please contact any member of the Outreach Ministry.