Who We Are

A Community Boldly Sharing God's Love and Grace since 1966

All Are Welcome

We Are a Small Church With a Big Heart

St. Mark is a spiritual community that celebrates the gifts of God that empower us to engage in the struggles of life, to care for each other, and to serve Christ where we work and live. We welcome the participation of people of all ages, faiths, ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientations, gender identities, educational backgrounds, and economic conditions – all who want to join in community to honor God and be of service to people. We recognize that each person is a unique creation of God and by the grace of God is called a “child of God.”

Our Story

We believe that God is on a mission to love and bless the whole world, and the purpose of our group of believers (called a congregation) is to be a part of that mission. We invite you too to be part of God’s work in the world! In 1966 St. Mark said “yes” to God’s call and with the help of a Mission Developer of the (LCA) Lutheran Church of America – Rev. Dwight Shelhart – our church was formally constituted and began it’s work in the Dunedin community.

Our passionate group of 80 members started out gathering for worship at the Dunedin Masonic Temple (still present today). Then, in January of 1966, 3 acres of land on Curlew Road was purchased to build a sanctuary and ministry buildings. In 1968 we were able to begin worship and ministry at the current 1120 Curlew Road site. From this physical church home, we have striven to boldly share God’s love and grace out in the world through faith-sharing, community service work, and peace and justice ministry.

We are a church that listens to the needs of the community. Throughout our 55 year ministry our congregation helped to birth both a Continuing Care Community (St. Mark Village in Palm Harbor) and a Christian School that helped to share the presence of Christ through care and education.

We are a church for ALL. As a part of the Reconciling in Christ program (since 2015) we welcome all people without regard to race, family or economic status, gender identity, sexual orientation or differing abilities. We are a small church with a big heart and would love to get to know you and your story and invite you to participate with us in God’s story and Christ’s incredible mission to love and bless the world.

What We Believe

Lutherans, along with Christians who worship in many other traditions, are part of the one, holy, catholic (meaning “universal”) church. We believe in God who is revealed to us in three persons: as our Creator who made the heavens and earth and all things in the earth; as Jesus Christ, God’s child, who came to us as both divine and as a human being to share our experience, suffer with us and for us on the cross, died, and rose from the dead; and as the Holy Spirit who continues to lead, guide, and inspire us in our daily lives.

The Bible is central to our faith. It provides us with the history that ties Christianity to its roots in the early Jewish tradition, gives us the prophecy that foretold the coming of Jesus as our Savior, includes the law that guides us in knowing how to live in a way that is pleasing to God and respectful of each other and God’s creation, and brings us the good news (gospel) that our frail and failing human condition will find its help and strength through Jesus.

We acknowledge that we are all sinners and fall short of God’s expectations for us…but also know that we are forgiven by God. It is not by any act of our own that we earn this forgiveness, but it is a gift to us from God who loves us and comes to us in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Through Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross, the price of our sin was paid. Our faith in Jesus Christ assures that we will share in the promise of eternal life. Jesus said, “Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.” (John 11:25-26)

The concept of being set right with God through faith in Jesus Christ is called “justification by grace through faith.” Our faith can be summed up as: We are saved by the grace of God alone — not by anything we do; Our salvation is through faith alone — we only need to believe that our sins are forgiven for Christ’s sake, who died to redeem us.

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)

We are a member congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Florida-Bahamas Synod.

Watch a video message from our Bishop >

 

Our Guiding Principles

During a congregational event called “Mission Possible” our church listened for God’s voice to hear what God was calling us to focus on as a community of believers. We studied biblical values and crafted guiding principles to help us shape future decisions and behaviors. Here is what we at St. Mark strive to do in our worship, learning, and service:

  • We are grounded in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
  • We are inspired to grow spiritually.
  • We are trustworthy stewards of God’s abundance.
  • We are open to change and growth.
  • We are generous in giving and serving.
  • We are inclusive, loving, and accepting.