Following a year of working diligently on three goals and a new mission statement, the Saint Mark Council has agreed on the following statement that characterizes the inclusive, welcoming nature of our church:
Welcoming all in Christ
Journeying together in Faith
Reaching out in Service
This statement sums up our imperatives: to welcome everyone, including refugees and the homeless in our community (Kairos…); to walk together in faith; to continue reaching out and serving not only members of our congregation but also the Salem community at large — and beyond. We are indeed a church that is inclusive and caring.
This new statement will succinctly identify Saint Mark and its mission; it says much in just a dozen carefully crafted words. In fact, it is a statement easy to memorize, easy to share with others. We hope you like this new mission statement as we continue our journey together, welcoming all, reaching out in service.
We are indeed a church that cares, that leads and prospers because of people like all of you. Let’s continue this mission together.
Jim Walker, Council President
Apparently Saint Mark is pretty good at predicting the outcome of the Super Bowl. The Seahawks won in both the donation collection and the Big Game. But the real winners are the Marion-Polk Food Share (76 pounds of canned food) and Backpack Buddies ($184.78). The breakdown was: Broncos (23 pounds of canned food and $60) and Seahawks (53 pounds of food and $124.78). Thanks for all the great support. Saint Mark has been involved in the Souper Bowl of Giving in the past so it was great to resurrect this tradition.
Saint Mark’s 