Youth and Family Ministry

Saint Mark's Episcopal Church on Capitol Hill is a warm and welcoming community for children, teens and their families. We strive to integrate young people into every aspect of our communal life. Please contact Sian B. Jones, Director of Youth Ministries, at 202/543-0053 if you have questions that are not answered below.

Worship

Our integrated approach to youth and family ministry begins with our shared worship experience. Sunday services are at 9:00 and 11:15. Most families attend the 9:00 service, but families are welcome at 11:15 as well. The 9:00 service has many ways for children to feel especially involved, including children's reflections, music from our Sunday School program, and at the offertory, bringing canned goods forward for those in need. The Children’s Choir and the Boys and Girls Choir perform at several services a months. Children fourth grade and up are encouraged to participate in the worship service as acolytes, and even young children sometimes serve as beadles. To learn more, please visit the Worship section of the website.

Christian Education/Sunday School

The Christian Education program at Saint Mark's is a hallmark of our communal life. Sunday School for ages 2 1/2 through high school meets every Sunday, 9:45 - 10:45, Labor Day week-end through Memorial Day weekend, and our nursery, for newborns through 2 1/2, is staffed by experienced, loving caregivers and is open during both the 9 a.m. and 11:15 services. Children 3 1/2 through third grade are invited to attend our Montessori-based "Catechesis of the Good Shepherd" program. Children who are approximately 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 attend a “pre-Catechesis” class, which familiarizes them with some of the materials they will work with and early lessons they will receive in the Catechesis class, as well as providing time for play and songs. Classes for young people in 4th through 12th grades are taught according to an experiential model called Functional Education that begins with life experience and then goes to connections with our faith tradition. Functional education is at the very core of what makes Saint Mark's such a wonderful community. Our Sunday School teachers are very committed to our children's spiritual nurture. Finally, sixth through eighth graders are invited to participate in youth confirmation class. During the summer months, we offer Summer Sunday School, a relaxed, fun class for ages 3-10. To learn more, please visit the Christian Education section of the website.

The Christian Ed program also offers classes specifically aimed at parents of children, including Baptism classes and “parenting classes,” which provide a forum to discuss the joys and challenges of raising children in today’s world.

Youth Group

Saint Mark's currently has a middle school youth group (the Young Lions), which meets periodically for fun, friendship, and service. In years past, there has been an active High School Youth Group as well. The following is a list of some of the activities these groups have participated in over time: Weekend Retreats at Rehobeth Beach, Diocesan Events and Retreats, Hiking Trips, Lock-Ins at St. Mark’s and the Washington National Cathedral, Ice Skating on the Mall, organized activities at Shrinemont, and numerous service projects (See Outreach, below, for examples.)

Outreach

There are also many outreach activities for children and families, from sandwich-making and “grate patrol” for the homeless to clean-up efforts (including planting wild rice) on the Anacostia River. Our middle-schoolers are invited to participate in an environmental stewardship trip each summer. Our high-schoolers take a yearly service trip, alternating between a domestic and international destination. Saint Mark' has long had a commitment to work in Honduras. To learn more, please visit the Outreach section of the website.

The Arts

Saint Mark's has a great commitment to the Arts. Offerings for children and teens include singing in the Children’s, Boys and Girls, and as older teens, Adult Choirs, participation in plays produced by the Saint Mark's Players, music lessons through St. Mark’s Music Studio, and dance lessons at the Saint Mark's Dance Studio. The Arts Council also seeks to enrich and support other parish youth programs. To learn more, please visit The Arts section of the website.

Parish Life

Youth and their families are a big part of the overall life of Saint Mark's. Our Parish Life coordinators are very mindful of children when planning parish-wide events. Children participate in everything from the Mardi Gras dance to Advent wreath-making. Each year, there are several events and parties specifically for youth and their families, including Halloween and Christmas parties, the annual Easter Egg Hunt and Christmas Pageant, picnics, and dinners (including organized pot luck dinners for parents of younger children, with babysitting and children’s activities provided in the church). Children are also invited to participate in. To learn more, please visit the Parish Life section of the website.