Our Mission and Vision for St Mark

St Mark Lutheran Church has been in Storm Lake since 1956. We are one of nearly 10,000 churches in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). While many churches claim to be "independent" or "non-denominational," we are grateful for the many brothers and sisters who make up the ELCA and what we believe to be true. We work together in partnership with other ELCA congregations to change lives here in Iowa, across the United States, and throughout the world. While the word “Lutheran” may or may not mean much to you, at St Mark, we know that it connects us to millions of brothers and sisters in Christ across the world who desire to be the voice and hands of Jesus in the world. 


Keep reading this page and others to learn more about what St Mark is all about. We hope you will join us for worship, one of our classes, or a community event. Our door is open. You may discover that St Mark is where you want to make your church home!


The VALUES that shape what we are about:

† Being a WORSHIPPING COMMUNITY where people may gather together to give thanks and praise to.


God and to be inspired by the love of Jesus found in the scriptures.


† Being a LEARNING COMMUNITY that is constantly being reshaped by God's Word found in Jesus Christ.


† Being a WELCOMING community that is constantly being re-formed by God's Spirit working in our lives..


† Being a GENEROUS community focused on serving and reaching out to others..


† Being the a voice of Jesus' justice in this world.

For those who are looking for a church home, we are grateful you are considering St Mark. We know it takes time to select a church, and one of the questions that often go unasked is, "What are the expectations of those who choose to be a part of St Mark? Everyone at St Mark is working on these:

  • Worship – to gather with friends and family, to be inspired by the scriptures, to give thanks and praise to God, and to be present for our brothers and sisters in Christ.
  • Grow – read and study scriptures daily and grow in our understanding of who God is and who God is calling us to be.
  • Serve – to use the abilities God has given us to serve in this congregation and the community. 
  • Give – to give generously out of gratitude for what God has done for us. 
  • Pray – to practice daily prayer for ourselves, our friends and family, and the world.. 


Here are a few things that you will find at the center of our life together as a community and in the preaching here at St Mark: 

  • We believe that it is by grace that God loves us and welcomes us into God’s family just the way we are. 
  • We are people who know that we make mistakes and require God’s grace and forgiveness.
  • We believe that through the work of the Holy Spirit, God invites us to be and become the persons and community God has created us to be. 
  • We believe that God has called this community to be a welcoming place where all people can gather together and grow in our understanding of who God is and who we are called to be. 
  • We believe that each of us are gifted by God to make a difference, and together we can bring a little bit more of God's love and hope into this world. 
  • We celebrate the diversity God has created. This includes all ages, ethnic origins, and sexual identities.