Vision Statement
St. Mark's strives to be a welcoming
church.
The mission statement of St. Mark's offers a glimpse of who we are and how we try to fulfill the Christian mission:
Our Vision is to be the Good News of Jesus Christ. Our hearts are full with the love of God and with the faith we hold in each other. We feed the hungry of our neighborhood, shelter the shelter-less, protect and advocate for the vulnerable and marginalized. We visit and support the sick, comfort the grieving and discouraged. We teach and nurture our membership in order that we may mature spiritually and intellectually. We fulfill our role of prophetic voice by seeking truth through earnest inquiry and debate. This congregation thrives because of our personal experiences of the Good News, and because we are faithful to the sacraments of our life together in Christ’s Body. In our worship, liturgy, and music, we give voice to the Holy Spirit flowing through us. “Though we are many, we are one Body.”
Our vision is built on these elements:
- We take seriously the Gospel message, conveyed to us in the rich Episcopal tradition.
- We embody the Gospel in our kindness to one another.
- We open ourselves to the Holy Spirit through the arts, knowing that drama, music, movement, visual imagery, poetry, needlework, gardening, reveal truths beyond explicit words.
- The Holy Spirit fills us with a spirit of abundance, generosity, and thanksgiving, and connects us to one another through service.
- We aspire to spiritual and intellectual maturity through Prayer, Worship, Study and Debate.
- We are enriched by the variety of perspectives we have and often express opposite points of view. We recognize that this as one of our strengths.
- We enjoy transformative preaching based on scripture.
- We spread the faith through the formation of children, youth, and adults, and by embracing new members into our community.
- We celebrate our proximity to the University of California and the Graduate Theological Union, which enables us to bring the Gospel to students and to engage with communities of learning.
- We support and develop strong lay leadership.
- We support our families and provide the best possible programs for their spiritual, emotional, and intellectual development.
- We use structured systems for creating trust and for caring for one another.
- We celebrate God’s inclusive love.