Our Covenant Journey
“We are sent by God, empowered by the Holy Spirit, to make of ourselves and others disciples of Christ, who love and heal, pray and forgive, teach, baptize and proclaim the Good News.” (St. Mark’s Mission Statement)
As we anticipate the day that we welcome a new Pastor, we the people of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church have mapped out our “Covenant Journey,” a shared agreement to guide our future. We are energized by the love that Christ has shown us and by His call to work for justice and joyfully embrace all people. The Covenant Journey reflects the hopes and values of the congregation as expressed through surveys and focus groups.
OUR WORSHIP: We the people of St. Mark’s are grateful to God for his love, mercy and grace to us and we treasure the opportunity to worship together and share Christ’s love. We pledge to explore expanded opportunities for joyful music and prayerful worship and adopt those that best fit our family of faith, with the goal of glorifying God and ministering to our congregation, guests and prospective members. Even as we explore new possibilities, we will honor our Lutheran legacy of “Preaching the Gospel and Administering the Sacraments.”
OUR LIFE TOGETHER: Because Christ loves the Church and counts each person as precious, we the people of St. Mark’s commit to faithfully care for each other, celebrating each person’s value, diversity and dignity, treasuring our unique gifts and backgrounds and recognizing that we are one church with many parts. We will gather in groups — large and small — to develop life-enriching relationships and work together in Christ-centered pursuits.
OUR SPIRITUAL GROWTH: With gratitude, we the people of St. Mark’s celebrate the commitment and work of those who came before us, guiding us in our faith formation. We pledge to establish and promote opportunities for learners and seekers of all ages to grow in their knowledge of and faith in Jesus Christ. We will explore a variety of ways to foster spiritual growth, including in-person and virtual contexts and opportunities for prayer. We will pay special attention to understanding and addressing the needs and desires of children and young adults.
OUR OUTREACH MINISTRY: We the people of St. Mark’s will build on our rich tradition and commitment to service throughout the community and world. We will support and collaborate with Lutheran, Christian and other agencies of mercy. We will respond to emerging needs with Christian compassion. We will promote justice and peace in the name and love of Christ.
OUR MISSION: We the people of St. Mark’s will renew our commitment to sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ, both to fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19 & 20) to go and make disciples and also to welcome those who are new in the faith or are returning to active involvement. We will empower members to effectively share their faith. We will provide classes for prospective members to explain our basic beliefs. We will encourage everyone to invest themselves in the life of the church.
OUR LEADERSHIP: We the people of St. Mark’s commit to developing and supporting Spirit-filled leadership of all ages. We will organize ourselves to fulfill the objectives of our Covenant Journey. We will identify and develop our spiritual gifts and share them generously at St. Mark’s and beyond. We dedicate ourselves to developing the next generation of servant leaders.
OUR PROPERTY: We the people of St. Mark’s recognize that our property is a public reflection of the love we have for God and the respect we have for our surrounding community. We commit to environmentally friendly stewardship of our facility and grounds, maintaining an attractive, clean and functional space for use by ourselves and our neighbors.
Scriptures that guided the Transition Team in writing our Covenant Journey: John 17:20-24; Acts 10:34-35; Romans 12:9-18; 1 Corinthians 12; Galatians 6:10; Ephesians 2:8-10, 19-22