St. Mark's has begun the next step in our church life. Early in 2007 a team of visionaries, "The Long Range Planning Team", began the arduous task of trying to see into the future. As you might imagine, it was very difficult since only our maker has the ability to really know what the future holds. With a great many hours, a lot of prayer, and hard work by the team members, the LRPT submitted the final report to the Administrative Board .
Click here to read the entire report. This report is very powerful, and outlines everything that was studied. Also included in the opening pages is a brief history of St. Mark's UMC that you don't want to miss. By reading the full report, you will have the opportunity to understand the processes and the conclusions we have drawn from your responses, visits to other churches, and meeting with consultants.
St. Mark’s Vision
“Building faith, disciples, and community through the love and power of Jesus Christ.”
Our Expanded Vision – The Kind of Church We Want to Be:
- To be a church that nurtures and develops the faith of its members and neighbors, with the goal of bringing people into a closer relationship with Jesus Christ.
- To be an inclusive congregation, welcoming all persons and expressing Christ’s love and caring for all its members and for all others with whom we come in contact.
- To be a church that offers worship experiences that change people’s lives.
- To be a church that has a strong prayer life and asks for God to come into the lives of His church and our community.
- To be a church that loves music and offers excellent opportunities for members of all ages to regularly participate in various kinds of musical events.
- To be a church that teaches its members about Scripture and takes education seriously.
- To be a church that emphasizes helping families to bring their children to God and to raise them in the church.
- To be a church that brings faith into our daily lives in relevant ways, that serves the surrounding community through outreach, and that makes Baytown a better place to live.
- To be a church that takes the love of God out to others through missions, bringing faith, hope, and salvation to the un-churched, both at home and abroad.
- To be a church that demonstrates good stewardship of the resources and talents that God provides for our use.
- To be a church that has a strong sense of community, with an intimate feeling in the congregation, where people know your name and enjoy fellowship together.
