Mission Statement

St. Mark’s Lutheran Church is a growing Christian community rooted in tradition and open to new expressions. Responding to God’s compassionate love, we reach out in service to the community and the world. With openness of heart and spirit, we welcome all.

Who We Are and what We Believe

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is a community of faith that shares a passion for making positive changes in the world. Our faith is built around a strong belief in God as made known to us in Jesus Christ. Through worship, education, fellowship, and service, we experience God’s grace in our lives, grow in our relationship with God and one another, and put our faith into practice. In today’s complex world, we strive to make a difference in practical, realistic ways.

With nearly 10,500 congregations across the U.S., Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, and nearly five million members, the ELCA welcomes you to experience St. Mark’s as the local expression of the wider church. St. Mark’s has 390 members and you are invited to become one of them! We are a diverse and gifted community that gathers together in the abiding love of God and shares in the gracious gift of Holy Communion. Nourished by the living bread of Jesus Christ, we are strengthened and encouraged to be engaged in God’s ministry in our City and throughout the world.

 

Statement of Welcome

St. Mark's is a Reconciling in Christ Congregation. We are one of over 800 worshipping communities, 29 synods, and nine organizations across the ELCA and ELCIC (Canada) which have declared that people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are equally welcome to join fully in the worship and life of this Christ-centered community.

As agents of healing and wholeness within our society, we affirm with the apostle Paul that in Christ “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female” (Galatians 3:28). Christ has made us one. We acknowledge that this reconciliation extends to people of all gender identities and sexual orientations—lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons who often are scorned by society and alienated from the Church. We wish to make known our care and concern, and affirm the following:

  • People of all gender identities and sexual orientations share the worth that comes from being unique individuals created by God;

  • People of all gender identities and sexual orientations are welcome within the membership of this congregation upon making a common, public affirmation of faith; and

  • As members of this congregation, people of all gender identities and sexual orientations are welcomed and encouraged to participate fully in the life and ministries of this congregation.

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St. Mark’s is a Sanctuary Congregation

We are committed to a ministry of continuing education about the plight of immigrants in this country, to serve as people who will accompany those in the process of seeking asylum, and to advocate for those whose lives are endangered by this process.

You can learn more about the ELCA’s stance as a Sanctuary denomination here and advocacy for migrant children here. The Sanctuary Team has also compiled a 200+ page Information Kit, filled with content ranging from FAQs to volunteer opportunities.

 

Land Acknowledgement Statement

St. Mark’s Square sits on the unceded ancestral homeland of the Ramaytush Ohlone peoples, who are the original inhabitants of what is called the San Francisco Peninsula and who were the first to gather, love, grow, celebrate, cry, and sing in this place. We acknowledge and mourn the exploitation of the Ramaytush Ohlone peoples and the destruction of their ancestors, homeland, and culture.

We honor the Ramaytush Ohlone for their enduring commitment to this land, Mother Earth, and to all of Creation. We honor their ancestors and all other members of their communities. We value Indigenous wisdom in working toward the healing of creation.

With God’s help, we strive to grow toward right relationships with Indigenous people and the Earth. With openness of heart and spirit, we hold ourselves accountable to respect and steward the land, its grasses and trees and creatures great and small.

Let it be so in all our relations.

Learn more about ELCA Indigenous Ministries and Tribal Relations.