St. Mark’s is committed to equipping God’s children, of all ages, for ministry by Children and Youth As Christians, one of our primary calls is to pass on our faith to our children. Primarily this happens in the home. That said, the church community also plays a key role in faith development. Two classrooms accommodate the skills of each age group: Pre-School-Kindergarten and 1st & 2nd grades. Godly Play is a program that invites children into a relationship with God through sacred storytelling, liturgical action, reflection and wondering questions. Rotation Model Class: for those in 3rd - 6th Grades Young Adults in the Church (YAC), for 11th-12th graders, is a post-Confirmation program for teens in which they are mentored while they explore adult roles in the church as well as providing Christian fellowship during the difficult teen years. Adult Formation We gather regularly to worship God but what can you recall about why we do what we do? This 5 week series will take a look at different aspects of our liturgy, music, worship space and ministers to help us discover the centuries of deep faith woven into our worship as well as the vibrant ‘now’ that keeps worship from becoming an empty ceremony. A prominent theme of the season of Epiphany is the glory of God being shown forth to all people in a multitude of ways; from wise men to lepers. Sunday’s adult formation time will feature a variety of ways God is made manifest among us.
engaging the stories of our faith and
developing an experienced, personal faith.
Sunday School at 9AM
Nursery: infants - 3yrs, a safe place for sleepers, creepers, and toddlers. Offered from 8:50 to 11:30am.
Godly Play:
This Group follows a unit of study for 5-6 weeks, experiencing the story through a different media each week allowing children to absorb the story using a variety of learning styles.
Rite 13, for 7th and 8th graders, is the first 2 years of a 4-year program. This program is structured around the Bible story of Jesus, at the age of 13, in the Temple. During their time in Rite 13 they study prayer, self, community and spirituality. Each student is honored at the Manhood/Womanhood ceremony near the 13th birthday.
Journey 2 Adulthood (J2A), for 9th & 10th graders, is the second 2 years of the 4 year program. During these 2 years teens focus on self, spirituality, sexuality and community. In the spring of their second year, they engage in a course of study to prepare for Confirmation, and their J2A experience culminates with a holy pilgrimage.
Instructed Eucharist Series
January 17: The Liturgy of the Word
January 24: The Liturgy of the Table
January 31: Music in Worship
February 7: The Altar
February 14: The Ministers
The following programs are open to all. They are held in the large meeting room off the church entry (opposite the Office).
Sunday Morning Formation at 9AM
The Sunday Forum offers discussion on topics of interest in faith formation and daily living. Coffee and conversation with meaning.
January 10 & 17: Experience forms of prayer that engages the body, mind and soul. We will try out Lectio Divina and body prayer.
January 24: Hear how the Church is moving among the people in Sudan, Africa. Guest presenter Jackie Kraus will share her experiences.
January 31: Our work together as a church will be shown forth at the Annual Meeting.
February 7 & 14: Discover the Gifts God has given you in order to perform your own work in the world. You are a unique “gift package”, come see why.
Lenten Studies
Tuesday evenings February 23 through March 23 from 6pm to 8pm
Beginning with a delicious “Souper Supper” provided by different ministry groups in the congregation, we will move on to a brief worship experience and then the children will break off for their own study and the adults will shift into a space where they can comfortably view a thought provoking video and discuss its’ impact.
Women's Mysteries of the Faith
Bible Study on the books of Acts.
Men's Group
This group meets at 10am on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month following the 9:30 am Eucharist.
Bible Study: Old Testament, having reached the Book of Exodus.
Inquirer’s Classes
For adults considering Reception into the Episcopal Church, Confirmation or those who are curious or skeptical - this series will be interesting to all.
Beginning April 13 and ending June 1 participants of these 2 hour classes will explore their personal faith, be challenged by our Baptismal Creed and explore scripture. For those considering it, Confirmation will be June 12 at the Cathedral.