Creation Care Partner Ministries
The Shalom Project
St. Mark’s partners with Peace Lutheran Church in the Hilltop neighborhood to work together on local projects for climate resiliency. For more information, see the Shalom Project website.
St. Mark’s also financially supports these creation care ministries:
- Earth Ministry
- St. Mark’s Greening Fund
Gender Sexuality and Anti-Racism Partner Ministries
Essentials for Homeless Youth
We are partnering with Associated Ministries in their Youth Host Home Program, created to help kids who have experienced abuse or displacement. This effort has roots in the St. Mark’s Gender Sexuality Alliance, as a large percentage of youth without housing identify as LGBTQIA+. There are many ways to contribute to this ministry effort. Learn more via the button below!
St. Mark’s also financially supports these anti-bias ministries:
Interfaith Partner Ministries
Women’s Interfaith Affiliation
St. Mark’s participates in a local interfaith women’s gathering on a regular basis. This is a wonderful opportunity for members of our St. Mark’s community to connect and learn with people of other faith traditions and backgrounds here in Tacoma.
St. Mark’s also financially supports these interfaith ministries:
Housing Partner Ministries
Habitat for Humanity
St. Mark’s builds as a group in our local community and we travel abroad through the Habitat Global Village Program. Learn more about our local Habitat for Humanity organization here.
Tiny House Builds
St. Mark’s builds tiny homes as a way to meet local housing needs. We partner with our local Low Income Housing Institute in this ministry.
Mexico Mission
Each year in the summer, an intergenerational group from St. Mark’s travels to Mexico to support the work of local Mexican congregations seeking to share the love of Christ with their neighbors. This involves building houses for families, sharing food with the hungry, facilitating daily activities for children, helping in the renovation of facilities, and serving in many other ways. We partner with Lutheran Border Concerns in this ministry effort.
St. Mark’s also financially supports these housing ministries:
Global/Refugee Partner Ministries
Friends of WPC Nepal
St. Mark’s partners with Friends of Women’s Protection Center (WPC) Nepal, which seeks to prevent human trafficking as well as protect and empower at-risk women and children through awareness programs, education scholarships, job training and Safe Homes located in Hetauda, Nepal.
Fair Trade Team
Fair-trade coffee, tea, and chocolate are available for purchase at St. Mark’s on the first Sunday of each month. St. Mark’s also hosts a Fair-Trade Bazaar in the spring and winter, where items from around the world may be purchased. Money raised through these events go to benefit St. Mark’s ministries and partnerships.
Lutheran World Relief
St. Mark’s members support Lutheran World Relief through the creation of quilts as well as school supply and heath kits (and more) to support those in need. The quilting group meets weekly, on Mondays from 9am-noon (using the Tacoma Public Schools calendar for holidays and summer hiatus). Learn more and get connected using the button below!
Refugee Resettlement
St. Mark’s supports various refugee resettlement efforts, partnering with Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services.
St. Mark’s also financially supports these global and refugee ministries:
Hunger Partner Ministries
Peace Community Center
St. Mark’s members prepare and serve meals at Peace Community Center in an effort to support people in need in our community.
Nativity House
St. Mark’s members serve a Saturday midday meal to around 200 people at this drop-in day shelter in Tacoma.
Nourish Pierce County
St. Mark’s partners with Nourish Pierce County, the largest network of food banks in Pierce County with 6 fixed and 14 mobile locations.
DeLong Elementary Backpack Program
St. Mark’s members are invited to donate specified foods to go home with students in need at DeLong Elementary each weekend. St. Mark’s members also pack food each Thursday at 9:30am to be distributed to these students.
Bread for the World
Bread for the World is a collective of Christian voices urging our nation’s leaders to take action to end hunger at home and abroad. As a congregation, we participate in an annual Offering of Letters and seek to educate ourselves on issues of hunger.
Holiday Giving Tree
St. Mark’s members provide gifts and food during the season of Advent to support families in need in our area.
Chase the Chill
During the fall and winter months, St. Mark’s members make and deliver hats, scarves, gloves, and other cold weather items to various shelters throughout Tacoma. St. Mark’s also accepts donations of yarn for this project.
Hunger Walk & Run
Join the St. Mark’s team to raise funds and support the work of the Emergency Food Network. This annual event is held in May at Fort Steilacoom Park.
St. Mark’s also financially supports these hunger ministries:
Other Local Partnerships
Empowering Life
This faith-based non-profit organization works to support incarcerated individuals at the Washington Correction Center for Women in Purdy, WA and Mission Creek Correction Center for Women in Belfair, WA.
L’Arche
There are opportunities for members of St. Mark’s to volunteer at the L’Arche Tacoma Hope Community, which seeks “to make known the gifts of people with intellectual disabilities, revealed through mutually transforming relationships.” Learn more and get involved by clicking the button below!
Advocacy Team
In addition to the many “direct services” ministries of the congregation, the Advocacy Team supports efforts that create policies fostering justice and peace. Areas of focus for this ministry team include: hunger, housing insecurity, immigration and refugee services, and creation care.
St. Mark’s also financially supports these local ministries: