Who We Are

Our church family is happy to welcome you to St. Mark’s. Our congregation has 800+ members as well as many other regular attendees. We also have many winter residents who arrive between October and January and depart for cooler climates in April or May. Our congregation is truly a mix of ages, ethnicities, educational backgrounds, political beliefs, sexual orientations, physical abilities, economic levels and more!

No one should feel there isn’t a place for them at St. Mark’s. While we don’t all agree on every subject, we choose to nurture all we have in common as we strive to live in our mission of “changing the world through Christ, by caring for all people.” We invite you to join us as we learn and grow together to actively demonstrate God’s love in the world! We certainly aren’t perfect, but we are sincere in our efforts to follow Christ’s teachings.

Since 1957, St. Mark’s has been a place where people have come together to worship and praise God, learn and grow in Christian faith, and be strengthened to serve Christ in the world. Our United Methodist tradition encourages us to both grow in our faith and connection to God, and share our faith with others through service.

Preaching makes the Biblical story come alive and connects us to God and one another. We preach the same sermon at all the Sunday services. We celebrate the seasons of the church year including Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, Pentecost and ordinary time.

About United Methodists

In our United Methodist tradition we celebrate two sacraments – Holy Communion and Baptism. Sacraments bring the divine and ordinary together – through water or bread and cup – and draw us into the heart of God.

Methodism was born in the 1700s in England when John Wesley, an Anglican (Church of England) priest, noticed the church was absorbed in itself rather than helping people grow in faith and in caring for others. He taught that a life of faith is like two arms of a cross – the vertical arm is like our personal relationship with God, connecting each of us to the grace of God. The horizontal arm is like our movement out into the world, caring for others as a result of receiving God’s grace, God’s love. Both arms are necessary for a strong life of Christian faith. Jesus’ love is shown to us through the cross – he was part of God and also became part of human life, showing us God’s way through his teaching, healing, and sacrificial love.

Why Be Part of St. Mark’s

At St. Mark’s, we believe we have something you are looking for, and want to include you. We are filled with joy, deeply rooted in the life and teachings of Jesus, open to questions and learning about our Christian faith, involved in making the world better. We are growing in many ways and want to include others in worship, ministries of all types, education, and service. Because of that, you will find us out in the community participating in community events, serving in a variety of places, and generally reaching out to include others.

The Christian Education ministries of St. Mark’s help us understand and grow in our faith and help equip us to serve God in the world. Some people come to St. Mark’s with little or no background in the Bible or Christian faith, so we offer classes and programs that acquaint people and give them the basics. Others have studied before and are looking for long-term or in-depth classes, so we offer those, too.

Everyone can grow in ways of prayer, engage in conversation about questions of faith, and develop relationships with other Christians. Some classes and programs are specifically designed to orient people to needs in the community and world, and equip them to serve. People are always encouraged to bring their questions.

A Variety of Programs

Classes and programs for children and youth acquaint them with principles of Christian faith in an engaging and appealing way. Questions and dialog are encouraged. We’re sure you’ll find a variety of ways to connect, learn and grow. St. Mark’s offers traditional worship services (a revamped modern worship program is in the works), membership care ministries that provide 24-hour prayer needs, health/wholeness classes and a Counselor-in-Residence program. There are many opportunities to grow your faith in small group settings, traditional Bible studies, or other timely classes to expand your faith journey.

Our missions work at St. Mark’s reaches out locally, nationally, and internationally through a wide range of community programs and is the perfect way to serve God, help your neighbor, and get to know your church family through volunteerism and missions work.

We invite you to learn more by reading about the basics of our faith on the United Methodist Church website. To explore becoming a member of St. Mark’s, join us in an Exploring Membership Class.