St. Mark's Episcopal Church
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A Christian community that worships God in the Anglican tradition, engages the historic teaching of the church, and participates in Christ's mission.
What We Believe
As part of the World Wide Anglican Communion, we join Episcopalians and Anglicans all over the world in worshiping the Triune God as a fellowship within the one, holy catholic and apostolic Church.
As Anglicans, we follow the Book of Common Prayer which leads and shapes our worship. We hold to the teachings found therein, particularly the Catechism found in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer.
We are a member of the American Anglican Council whose goal is to build up and affirm Christian orthodoxy within the Anglican Communion. We affirm their statement of faith.
Christian Community: It is impossible to flourish as a Christian apart from community. Community is where our souls are nurtured and our hearts are trained to look up to God. We tend to one another’s needs, form meaningful relationships, and discover together how God is with us and leading us. We discover our gifts and are empowered to be ministers in Christ’s church and in the world.
Anglican Worship: Worship is at the heart of our life at St. Mark’s. We are committed to the Anglican liturgy shaped by the Book of Common Prayer. In the powerful combination of Word and Sacrament, Jesus Christ speaks His truth to us and pours out His life for us. God transforms those whose lives are centered around worship.
Historic Teaching: The Holy Scriptures and the Creeds ground our belief and practice. The Scriptures are God’s revelation that was passed on through the apostles and embraced by the Church down through the ages. They provide us with timeless wisdom that can reorient our lives - our minds, our hearts, and our actions - as we engage in our world.
Christ’s Mission: God is at work in all the world - in our families, our neighborhoods, our nation, and across the seas. We join God’s work by serving people in practical ways and sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Worship times
Ministries
Matthew 25 Outreach
An umbrella offers protection from adversity. Matthew 25 Ministries offers that umbrella of protection for those in need within our local communities. Our motives for social action are obedience to Scripture as well as gratitude for all God has done for us. Gratitude and obedience, linked with compassion, enable us to live out the "two commandments" of our Lord—to love God with all our heart, and to love our neighbor as ourselves.
In a spirit of servanthood and thanksgiving, consider the activities our parish offers close to home. Every St. Marker can serve the Lord through Matthew 25: you can help at home or away from home, at regular times or at sporadic times, in the day or the evening, long-term or short-term.
Please consider thoughtfully where you can contribute your time and talents to some of the ministries listed. Contacts and their phone numbers are listed with each ministry.
Lazarus House
Lazarus House is a community home open 365 days a year, located in St. Charles. It provides homeless and at-risk individuals connected to the Mid Kane County area with food, shelter, and support services. St. Markers provide volunteer assistance to the staff and residents of Lazarus House on the fourth Saturday of each month in the form of donated food and overnight support, and also serve a hot meal that evening. A sign-up sheet for our outreach is located in the narthex on the second and third Sundays of the month. Volunteers can elect to provide food, serve dinner, or spend the night assisting Lazarus House staff. For more information on Lazarus House you may view their website. Contact: Mike Zimmer
Hesed House
This shelter in Aurora provides a place to stay for the homeless and emergency living quarters for adults and children. St. Mark's joins another church once a month to serve supper and breakfast and to help with activities in the evening. We serve at Hesed House from October through May on the second Monday to Tuesday of each month. You can sign up in the narthex to provide a casserole or other food item. Contacts: Steve and Lela Lowe
Crisis Pregnancy Center
The center provides compassionate care to women facing crisis pregnancies. Donations of formula, diapers, maternity clothes, layette items, and baby clothes can be placed in the appropriate bin in the narthex entrance. Contact: Nancy Mead
Salvation Army Food Pantry
The food pantry is located at the Salvation Army Center in St. Charles. Food is most urgently needed from late spring to early fall. Especially needed are high protein items such as peanut butter, tuna, beans, and canned meats. Also needed are paper and cleaning products. Items can be placed in the marked bin at the narthex entrance. Contacts: Michelle Lamirand or Kelly Nowak
Knitting Ministry
The purpose of this ministry is to provide prayer/healing shawls for those in need. The knitting can be done independently, and simple instructions are provided. A group meets the first Monday of each month to pray, encourage, and knit together. Contact: Nancy Mead
Trinity Soup Kitchen
Trinity Episcopal Church in Aurora runs a weekly soup kitchen on Thursdays after their noon Eucharist. St. Mark's is responsible for preparing and serving on the third Thursday of every odd-numbered month (January, March, May, July, September, November). Contact: Mary Peterson
For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat.
I was a stranger, and you invited me in.
I needed clothes, and you clothed me.
I was sick, and you looked after me.
I was in prison, and you came to visit me.
Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers, you did for me.
—Matthew 25:35-36,40
Sacred Ground Race Dialogue Circles
Sacred Ground is dialogue series on race, grounded in faith. Small groups are invited to walk through chapters of America’s history of race, racism, and whiteness while weaving in threads of family story, economic class, and political and regional identity. The 10-part series is built around a powerful online curriculum of documentary films and readings that focus on Indigenous, Black, Latino, and Asian/Pacific American histories as they intersect with European American histories.
Sacred Ground is a resource coming out of Becoming Beloved Community, The Episcopal Church’s long-term commitment to racial healing, reconciliation, and justice in our personal lives, our ministries, and our society. This series is especially designed to help white people talk with other white people, while being open to all racial/ethnic groups. Participants are invited to peel away the layers that have contributed to the challenges and divides of the present day – all while grounded in our call to faith, hope and love.
P.O. Box 126
320 Franklin Street
Geneva, IL 60134
United States
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