MINISTRY GUIDE
The information provided below is meant to explain the work of each ministry. If you’d like to join any of these ministries, please reach out to the appointed contact person by email. (Contact information may be found at the end of this guide.) Becoming more involved helps you grow as a Christian, and is how we grow as a parish.
WORSHIP & MUSIC
The worship of God is at the center of our life at Saint Mark’s. The ongoing proclamation of the Gospel in worship is where we find the call to go out and care for our neighbors as ourselves, and where we are invited repeatedly into a transforming relationship with God. Everyone is welcome to our liturgies and lay persons are actively and vitally involved in worship through the programs listed below. If you are interested in helping or participating in any way, please let us know. We want to include you!
The Parish Choir – An ensemble of professional and volunteer adult singers. Sings at 11 a.m. High Mass and many special services. Contact: Robert McCormick
The Choir of Boys & Girls – Children who sing at 9 a.m. Family Mass as well as Evensong and other special liturgies, rehearsing several times weekly. No experience required. Contact: Robert McCormick
Acolytes – Serve at the altar at Sunday services and at weekday masses. Contact: Daniel Russell
Guild of Young Acolytes – Serve at the altar at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Sunday Masses. Contact: Father Kyle Babin
Ushers – Greet people at liturgies and assist with various functions during the Mass. Contact: Bill Kreindler
Lectors – Read lessons from the Bible at liturgies. Contact: Matthew Griendling
Altar Guild – Help set-up and clean-up sacred vessels, vestments, candles, flowers, etc. for all liturgies on Sundays and weekdays. Also, wash and iron altar linens. Contact: Daniel Russell
Officiants – Lead Morning and Evening Prayer in the church every Monday through Friday. Contact: Daniel Russell
Bell Ringers – Ring the change of eight bells in the tower many Sundays and feasts. Contact: Bruce and Eileen Butler
Society of Mary – Devotional society that gathers to pray the Rosary each Saturday morning. Contact: Dan Devlin
Contemplative Prayer – Meet for thirty minutes to pray in the Lady Chapel on Friday mornings at 8:15 a.m. Contact: Mother Nora Johnson
OUTREACH
Reaching out to those in need is a fundamental duty of Christian communities. We do so through several ongoing programs at the church as well as through mission initiatives that take place in other parts of the city and the globe.
The Food Cupboard – Operating for almost 40 years, supplies grocery bags of staples to more than 130 households each month, most of them elderly. Volunteers receive deliveries, bag groceries, and distribute them to clients. Contact: Eleanor Andersen
The Saturday Soup Bowl – Serves hot soup to 150-200 hungry people every Saturday morning from 7 to 9 a.m. Volunteers make soup at home from shared recipes and deliver it to the church, set-up, serve, and clean-up. Contact: Kenny Pearlstein
The Saint James School – A tuition-free middle school for children from traditionally underserved families, located at the Church of St. James the Less in the Allegheny West neighborhood of North Philadelphia. The school was founded as a mission of Saint Mark’s. Volunteers are always needed as tutors and to help with special projects. Contact: Dave Kasievich
Mission Trips – Organized in the summer months to places far from Philadelphia. These trips take us out of our comfort zone and help us to focus on Christ’s instruction to his disciples to “Go out into the world” and bring the good news of his love in every place. They remind us that there is much mission work to do right here in Philadelphia. Contact: Father Sean Mullen
RISE – Uses the craft of bread-making to create meaningful community by gathering those aged 21 to 35, and provides spiritual food through engaging presentations and empowering discussions for those who are seeking meaning, connection, and opportunities for service. The bread made feeds those who are suffering from hunger and food insecurity. Contact: Gabriela Machado
CHRISTIAN FORMATION
One of the values of Saint Mark’s is comprehensive Christian formation. We recognize that people do not so much learn to be Christians, but rather are formed by God and in the church when we enter into relationships of learning, prayer, and conversation. We provide opportunities for formation for people at various stages of their journeys of faith and growth.
Children & Youth Formation – Formation for children of all ages, toddlers and up, which combines singing and music training with Bible stories, practice of prayer, and liturgical training. Children’s Formation is held on Sundays at 10 a.m. Contact: Father Kyle Babin
10 a.m. Adult Forum – Provides a time each week for engagement of a wide variety of topics relating to faith, religion, spirituality, and the arts, and is an opportunity for growth and reflection. Contact: Mother Nora Johnson
Thursday Bible Study – Gathers for most of the year in the Family Care Room at 6 p.m. Informal discussions of selected books from the Bible and intended to allow for a deeper engagement with Scripture. Contact: Jay Blossom
Confirmation & Reception – These are the ways in which people formally become members of the Episcopal Church and often mark the time in one’s life that a mature affirmation of baptismal vows is made. Preparation for Confirmation or Reception is normally conducted with weekly meetings throughout the winter and spring. Contact: Mother Nora Johnson for adults and Father Kyle Babin for youth ages 12 and up
Lenten Program – During Lent the church invites us to find ways to grow more fully committed to our lives in Christ. Each Lent we organize a series of talks or some other kind of engagement (recent Lenten programs have included bread baking and pottery) that are meant to help us reflect on our progress toward what Saint Paul called “the fullness of the measure of the stature of Christ.” Contact: Father Sean Mullen
BUILDINGS & PROPERTY
The care of our beautiful and historic buildings and gardens is overseen by this committee which reviews major issues, and guides the implementation of Master Plan recommendations. Volunteer gardeners are always needed to help tend our wonderful green spaces.
Gardeners – are needed year-round, but especially from April till November to help with planting, weeding, watering, and lawn-mowing, among other things. Contact: Addie Peyronnin
Clean-up Days – are held twice a year to care for the wood, brass, and stone of the church. Contact: Daniel Russell
COMMUNITY
Ministries gathered under this heading are generally aimed at including people in the larger life of the parish and strengthening the sense of community that we value so highly. We remind ourselves that the first thing our mission statement tells us is that Saint Mark’s is a community!
Hospitality Ministry – Coffee and other refreshments are available in the Parish Hall on Sunday mornings following the 9 and 11 a.m. Masses.. Volunteers are needed to help with set-up and clean-up; to provide baked goods and other treats, and to help serve. Coffee Hour varies in complexity in accordance with the liturgy being celebrated, and more volunteers may be needed for days of particular solemnity. Contact: Joshua Cojerean
Office Volunteers – take a morning or afternoon shift of about 4 hours once a week to help answer phones, greet visitors, make copies, file, and manage mailings. Contact: Daniel Russell
20s & 30s – gather for Simple Suppers, sometimes including a topic of interest for discussion, or just to build good relationships among friends. A Simple Supper is held once every month at the parish or at a parishioner’s house. Retreats are often taken throughout the year. Contact: Father Kyle Babin
Neighbor Care – Gather with parishioners in your neighborhood for fellowship, community, and kindness. An approximate map of neighborhood clusters is available on the website. Contact: Father Stephen Moore
Pastoral Care – The clergy are available for pastoral counseling with those in need, and to make pastoral calls on those who are sick or shut in. Please contact a member of the clergy to arrange a visit or a meeting.
STEWARDSHIP
The practice of Christian stewardship is crucial to the health of any parish community and involves the willing offering back to God and to his church. The Stewardship Committee organizes the annual campaign for pledges of financial support for the work and ministry of Saint Mark’s. Contact: Mary Campbell
Your contribution to our work to build up the Kingdom of God matters! Making a pledge – which is a promise of financial support throughout the year – helps us to plan the work we do to worship God and serve God’s people. Pledge cards are normally available at the Ushers’ Table at the back of the church, or from the Parish Office. Please contact one of the Clergy or a member of the Vestry if you have questions about making a pledge.
Commitment Sunday is normally in early or mid-November. and is when we ask everyone to make pledges of financial support for the coming year. This assists the Vestry in preparing the budget.
Pledges of financial support for the parish’s work and ministry may be made at any time of the year if you are new to the parish or if you have never pledged before. Please contact the Parish Office for a pledge card, or pick one up at the back of the church on the Ushers’ Table.
THE VESTRY
The Vestry is the lay governing board of the parish, vested with fiduciary responsibility, traditionally referred to as the care of the “temporal affairs” of the parish. The Rector, charged with the care of the spiritual matters of the parish, shares this responsibility with the Vestry, relying on them for counsel, advice, input and assistance in planning the programmatic life of the parish. The Vestry comprises twelve members who serve for 3-year terms, -with a limit of two terms,- before being required to rotate off for at least a year (as required by the Parish by-Laws). Elections are conducted by mail early in June. Meetings are held on the third Tuesday of the month and are chaired by the Rector.
COMMUNICATIONS
Volunteers work with clergy and staff to produce the major channels of communication, essential to the life of our parish: – the parish newsletter called The Lion’s Mark, weekly announcements, and the content on the website – as well as other mailings, pamphlets, and other printed information.
Weekly Announcements – A document that includes upcoming events and announcements in the life of the parish and is distributed each Sunday. The Parish Prayer List includes intentions for those who are sick and in need and is printed in the leaflet. Announcements and leaflets are normally printed by Thursday, so if you have information or names to add to the Prayer List, please contact the Parish Office by Wednesday for the coming Sunday. Contact: Daniel Russell
The Lion’s Mark – is published bi-monthly. Submissions for consideration should be forwarded to the Parish Office. Contact: Daniel Russell
The Website – is maintained at the Parish Office and contains information about upcoming events as well as information about the parish. Contact: Daniel Russell
Social Media Profiles – Follow the parish on various social media platforms for announcements and thoughtful content.
Facebook: @saintmarkschurch
Instagram: saintmarkschurch
FINANCES
The Finance Committee oversees the Vestry’s financial leadership in greater specificity. Notes on the Committee’s report are always a part of the minutes of the Vestry meetings which are available on the Ushers’ Table at the west end of the church.
The Finance Committee – A committee of lay people who help monitor the finances of the parish for transparency and accountability. Questions or concerns could be raised with either of them or through the Parish Office. Contact: Barbara Mische
The Trustees of Endowments – An entity that is a separately incorporated non-profit organization whose purpose is to see to the management of the endowed funds of the parish for its benefit, and to receive any new gifts or bequests to be added to the Endowments. The Trustees generally meet quarterly to review portfolio performance. Once a year they determine the distribution of funds from the Endowments to the parish for various uses.