Community Outreach

Care Packages to the Servicemen and Women Serving in the Middle East - Gayle Parsons EMAIL

Items are collected the last Sunday of each month to ship to a recipient serving in the United States military in the Middle East. The recipient is asked to share with all, paying special attention to those who receive nothing from home. Email Gayle for more general information.
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Care Team (and Visitation) Ministry - Pastor Varinia EMAIL or 571-336-6864

Do you have a tender heart for people? Do you enjoy providing comfort, meeting the needs of others and being an encourager? Do you enjoy one-on-one chats with other people? Would you like to bring communion, and occasionally flowers, to St. Mark’s members who are unable to attend our church? If your answered “yes” to any of these questions, then perhapsa Care Team Ministry is for you. How will this ministry work? When a need arises within the St. Mark’s church family, the care team will work together to meet the need as quickly as possible and for as long as it takes. By giving just a little of your time to visit someone in the hospital, make a phone call or coordinate a home visit, you can help St. Mark’s be a caring community.

If you are interested in joining this ministry, contact Pastor Varinia via EMAIL or call her at 571-336-6864.
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English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) - EMAIL or church office 703-451-4331

ESOL will start Tuesday, September 12, at 7:00 PM and there are still ways you can help make the new school year a success! Books have gone up in price, unfortunately—to $45.

Please use the entrance through Door 5 for all classes.

First, prayerfully consider adding your name as a substitute assistant on Tuesday or Thursday night when one of the three regular volunteers can't be there. You will help the lesson presenter with classroom tasks such as passing our materials, taking attendance, checking workbook assignments, and similar duties.
If you feel the call to help beyond that you may want to volunteer to present a lesson yourself. The teacher's manual gives step-by-step guidance for presentation and you may do all or as little as you wish. There's no need to speak a language other than English.
We are still looking for a flat screen Smart TV that can be mounted in the classroom. The workbook has videos and activities that make the classes more interactive and fun. For the students to be able to view these together (instead of on their phones separately) would be a great help.
A time of planning and room prep is planned for Monday, August 21 at 9:00 AM. Feel free to come and find out the exciting things being planned and contribute your ideas!

Volunteers are needed to teach, assist, and support the ESOL Fall program. Please call the church office at 703-451-4331 for more information.
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Food for Others - Nan Ackerman or Debbie Brown - EMAIL

FFO consists of four teams serving food supplies every Tuesday evening from 6:00 PM to 6:30 PM from the #12 entrance of the Fellowship Hall of the church (near the kitchen). Each team consists of at least five members plus a dedicated team driver. We average serving about 30 families every week. We supplement food for the program from a dedicated account at St. Mark’s, and extra food from a local Giant. The bulk of the food comes from the FFO warehouse, where a team driver picks up the supplies in the late afternoon and delivers to Fellowship Hall. FFO is staffed by a dedicated and hard-working group of volunteers. They are to be commended for their dedication to this valuable work.

The FFO warehouse has provided a this brochure that lists their hours as well as where in the county free food is available to families in need—we have provided this brochure to our ESOL classes as well.

If you would like more information on this ministry, please contact Nan Ackerman or Debbie Brown at SocialOutreach@stmarks-elca.org.

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Prayer Group - Jeannine Van Nostrand EMAIL

St. Mark’s Prayer Group meets every Wednesday morning at 10:00 AM. Anyone who wishes to join us in praying, especially for those who request it, is welcome—as with other St. Mark’s groups, we are currently meeting online via Zoom. If you have a prayer request, please indicate whether you wish it to remain private among the prayer group or to publish it in the bulletin in the prayer request that you send to Jeannine at Prayers@stmarks-elca.org.

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Quilts and More - Faith Bauersfeld EM AI L

Quilts and More meets every Tuesday at 9:30 AM - 2:00 PM in the Friendship House. Come for a few hours or bring a lunch and stay longer, as your schedule permits. We make quilts, lap robes, walker pockets, heart pillows, etc., and give them to people who need an extra hug to brighten their day. We also make Pocket Partner hearts and Cool Scarves that are included in the church's monthly military packages. Come and help us share the love of God through the work of our hands. No previous experience or knowledge of sewing necessary. Sewing and non-sewing jobs available. For more information, contact Faith.
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Stephen Ministry - church office 703-451-4331 EMAIL

…and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit…Acts 6:5

Stephen was one of the first lay people commissioned by the Apostles to provide caring ministry. The modern Stephen Ministry program was developed in 1975 by a pastor and has been an integral part of St. Mark’s since 2004. Stephen Ministers are trained lay people who provide one-on-one Christ-centered care, encouragement and spiritual support to individuals facing life challenges—grief, divorce, illness, job loss, etc.

To find out more about Stephen Ministry, click HERE.

We are each blessed with spiritual gifts. Do you have the gift of listening or of compassion? To inquire about becoming a Stephen Minister at St. Mark’s, click HERE TO EMAIL THE CHURCH OFFICE.

To send a confidential message to inquire about receiving care from a Stephen Minister, click HERE TO EMAIL THE CHURCH OFFICE.
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Partnering with Local Elementary Schools for Education

There are three elementary schools within the St. Mark's parish-Lynbrook (across the street from the church), Crestwood, and Garfield Elementary Schools. St. Mark's endeavers to assist the staffs and student bodies of these schools with school supplies and other assistance as identified needs arise. St. Mark's especially has a close relationship with the students and faculty at Lynbrook. As an official FCPS Partner, we help to enrich their Family and School Partnerships, whose mission is "to connect, strengthen, and support Fairfax County's families, schools, and community by providing programs, resources, and services that promote student success in school and in life."
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Care for Neighbor

Community Outreach