Theology

As a Lutheran parish, St Mark shares a history with other Lutheran churches that stretches back nearly 500 years.  Lutherans look back to Martin Luther, a German monk who helped lead the Reformation of the church in the sixteenth century.  Luther emphasized the priesthood of all believers and their direct relationship to God, the sole authority of revelation and the gift of God’s grace in Christ Jesus.

As Lutherans we believe that Jesus Christ is the fullness of God’s revelation to us and provides salvation for all of humankind through his death, burial, and resurrection.  Those who believe in him have a personal relationship with God and receive the adoption of sonship through Christ as the eternal Son of God.  The Scripture helps in providing the believer with specific insight into a relationship to God as it bears witness to Christ, the living Word of God.  As Lutherans and disciples of Christ, we are called to spread the good news of this vital relationship with God to the world through preaching the message of salvation and performing works of Christ-like service.  Those who believe in Christ are saved through divine grace unto a life of service in the church and the community at large.

Values

God has shown you what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Micah 6:8

At St Mark we believe that God is asking us to serve the kingdom of God in the church and the world at large.

We value worship that gives glory to God and seeks the will of the Father.

We value music that ascends to the heavens and speaks of divine transcendence and beauty.

We value the sacraments in drawing us closer to the life of God.

We value hospitality in creating fellowship with strangers and including all people within the life of the church.

We value the opportunity to serve our neighbors, because they are precious to God and made within the divine image.

We value the opportunity to go and preach the Gospel of Christ to others around the world in

word and deed.

Mission

Uniting in Worship; Growing in Wisdom; Serving in Love

Vision: To embrace all in response to God

Great Commission: Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

What sets St Mark apart from other fellowships is its emphasis upon the participation of its members in serving the body of Christ and expanding the message to the world.  This emphasis is a development of Luther’s teaching on the priesthood of the believers, which saw each and every child of God serving their community through various gifts and talents.  St Mark wants all its members to fulfill their potential in ministering to others and finds no sacred confines to limit the possibility of service, encouraging all to proclaim the gospel of Christ’s love to the world outside the church through different ways and means.  St Mark thinks the good news of Jesus Christ relates to all of humankind and follows his “Great Commission” to “make disciples of all nations” by proceeding into the world as a “church without walls” and bringing others into the kingdom of God.  We invite you to join us as participants of this ministry!