Volunteerism

There are many ways to help out at St. Mark's! We have a energetic cadre of volunteers, but we are always looking for new people. The following list gives a broad sketch of ministry opportunities within our parish. If you would like more information or feel called to serve, please email our parish administrator, Marti Taber, at parish.office@stmlky.org, if you would like to be added to the Rota of weekly service volunteers.

Ministry opportunities at St. Mark's

Vestry - The vestry meets monthly with the clergy to discuss ways of leading the parish and managing St. Mark's temporal resources.

Pastoral Care - Pastoral care teams are responsible for visiting sick and inbound congregants and often bring food for bereaved parishioners after the loss of a loved one.

House and Grounds - The house and grounds committee sees to the upkeep, repair, modernization, and beautification of the buildings and grounds.  The chair of house and grounds reports to the vestry.  The committee meets four times a year.

Stewardship - The stewardship committee meets four times a year to discuss ways of maintaining awareness about good stewardship, and to communicate a sense of stewardship as giving not only money, but also time and talents.  The chair of stewardship reports to the vestry.  The committee is charged with the responsibility of conducting the annual pledge drive.

Endowment - The endowment committee meets four times a year to distribute money to community outreach projects, missionary activities, and theological studies in order to meet the needs that would not otherwise be met through the regular income of the church.  The committee is also responsible for the oversight of endowment.  The endowment committee is elected by the vestry.  The chair of the committee is elected by the committee itself.

Altar Guild - The altar guild is responsible for preparing the altar for celebrations of the Eucharist, checking the altar hangings, preparing the chalice, purificators, corporal, and burse, and cleaning afterwards.  The committee works under the direction of the priest-in-charge of the parish.  The chair of the altar guild is responsible for the training and scheduling of the members of the guild.

Acolytes - The acolytes serve the church by performing duties to assist the clergy during worship services.  The acolytes serve under the direction of the priest-in-charge of the parish.  The acolyte-master trains and schedules the acolytes. In our Sunday worship the acolytes serve as Chalice and Element bearers. Chalice bearers are known as "lay Eucharistic ministers" and are licensed by the bishop of the diocese at the request of the priest-in-charge of the parish.  Element bearers (sometimes called oblation bearers) offer the bread and the wine at communion on behalf of the congregation. 

Lectors - Lectors assist the clergy during worship services by reading the lessons.  The lector serves under the direction of the priest-in-charge of the parish.  The chair of lectors is responsible for the training and scheduling of the members of this ministry team.

​Intercessors - Intercessors lead the prayers of the people during Eucharistic services.  The intercessors serve under the direction of the priest-in-charge of the parish.  The chair of this ministry team trains and schedules the intercessors.

Ushers - Ushers collect the offering and then present it at the altar, distribute bulletins before the service begins, and aid people in locating available seats.  Ushers serve under the direction of the priest-in-charge of the parish.  The chair of this ministry team trains and schedules the ushers.

Greeters - Greeters welcome parishioners and visitors to the service.  Greeters are a vital component of the evangelism program of the parish.  Greeters serve under the direction of the priest-in-charge of the parish.  The greeter chair is responsible for training and scheduling members of this ministry team.  The staff liaison to the greeters is the assistant to the rector for evangelism.

Fellowship thru Food & Coffee Hour Hosts - Fellowship thru Food works with the evangelism program to offer hospitality to newcomers, providing opportunities for newcomers to meet other members of the parish.  The committee also works with the pastoral care program to promote nurturing relationships between members of the parish.

Flower Delivery - The flower delivery committee visits and brightens the lives of homebound and nursing home parishioners by bringing them the altar flowers each week.  The assistant to the rector for pastoral care is responsible for scheduling flower delivery and training those who deliver the flowers.

Social Media Team - Our social media volunteers serve as online ambassadors and webmasters for the church's various internet presences.