St. Mark’s Lutheran Church is a Serving Church

This congregation has always nurtured and served its membership.  Opportunities for worship, education and fellowship support have always been provided.  Through the years a variety of formats have been employed including a Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, catechetical instruction, and weekday Bible classes.  Musical groups such as youth and adult choirs, hand bell groups, and bands have enhanced worship experiences.  An acolyte organization to encourage and train youth for assisting with the worship service has come into being.  Women’s groups, youth groups and a men’s group with different names at different times have provided members with fellowship, support, and the opportunity to serve others — both near and far.

Special social, educational, and benevolent events have also been instigated by the church council with its various ministries at St. Mark’s.  These the annual church picnic, the ice cream social, the Holy Week Agape Dinner, the world Hunger Appeal spaghetti dinner, and the Thanksliving dinner.

The church council is the official governing body of the congregation; it is composed of 12 elected members and the pastor.  Council has responsibility for the general control of the congregation’s membership, property, finances, worship services, and programs.  In 1998 the members of this body are Charles Robinson, president; Ed Huber, Clermont Brown, Clara Crawford, Andrea Gasho, Jim Geier, Alicia Kempf, Pam Miller, Scott Pelfrey, Bill Walker, Elaine Wallen, and Pastor Robert Forsberg.

For more than 100 years there were no women on the council.  In 1962 Mary Kline was the first woman to become a deacon; Martha Shade was elected the following year.

St. Mark’s Lutheran church also serves the community-at-large in a servanthood which looks beyond the parish to witness, teach, preach, be compassionate, provide financial aid, and “lend a hand” in meeting real needs.

All of this activity forms the fabric of church life.  To capture a flavor of St. Mark’s in action some activities are recalled.