Our mission is to welcome children and parents as part of the body of Christ at St. Mark in order to grow, to serve and to live in love and discipleship with joy.  We have a variety of educational, service and fellowship opportunities for our youth.  Please join us! 

Faith Milestones

Life is full of meaningful moments.  We want to celebrate some of those moments within the worship life of St. Mark.  Faith milestones we celebrate currently are baptism, blessing of the backpacks [a prayer for a child's new school year], Bible presentation, first communion, entering confirmation, and graduation from high school.

St. Mark Preschool

An excellent week day preschool program is offered at St. Mark for preschool children in Mount Prospect and surrounding communities.  It encourages growth of the whole child: physically, intellectually, emotionally, socially and creatively in a Christian environment.

WOW!

WOW! is our primary Christian education program at St. Mark for children. Twice a month on Wednesdays, children 3 years old through 5th grade hear the stories of the Bible through games, songs and classroom time.  WOW! begins at 3:45 when chidren receive a snack and it ends at 6:00 pm after dinner. 

WOW! is designed to be interactive and fun.  

Third grade children are given a Bible during a worship service.  They can also receive instruction for their first communion. 

FaithWalk

FaithWalk is St. Mark's confirmation program for students in sixth through eighth grade.  The class meets on Wednesday evenings to learn about the Bible, the church and what it means to be a person of faith.  This is done through weekly classes, service prjects, worship participation, social events and retreats.

Eighth grade students are confirmed in mid-May and it is a joyful day for the students and the community.

Lighthouse

6th, 7th & 8th Grade Youth Group

SHINE!

High School students meet most Sunday evenings for a meal, group discussions, and games.  They also serve in worship services, assist at WOW!, do service projects in the community, attend games and concerts. In June 2009 they went on a mission trip to Chippewa Falls, WS. In July, they traveled to New Orleans to attend the triennial ELCA Youth Gathering with over 35,000 other youth and adults.

Baptism

The sacrament of Baptism into Jesus Christ is the foundation of our understanding of God’s gift of grace for all. As a community we celebrate each baptism, rejoicing in the newest member of God’s family.

Cradle Roll

Children, birth to age three, are part of the cradle roll program. Materials are mailed monthly to their home to prepare parents for developmental milestones and simple ways parents can pass on the faith.

Basketball
Youth in 5th grade and older are encouraged to be a part of St. Mark’s Basketball league. Teams practice and play games from December to March. Games are played in the St. Mark Center. Good sportsmanship is encouraged in a Christian setting.

Families

Parents are very influential in their child’s faith life. We encourage them to participate with their child through prayer and devotions, meaningful conversations, and service projects. Practical ideas are given in a monthly Youth and Family newsletter and the “Taking Faith Home” insert in the Sunday worship bulletin. Families are encouraged to worship together and to attend the seasonal, “Celebration! Sunday” events. 

King's Players

The King's Players is our Community Youth Theater. Our mission is to provide the youth of our area with opportunities to build self-esteem and to learn cooperation and teamwork through participation in a theatre production. The production for Summer 2009 is 42nd Street.

Children in Worship

Children are encouraged to join their parents at worship services. By participating, children learn the songs, liturgies and traditions of our faith. After the children’s sermon, children who are 4 years old to 4th grade are dismissed to go to 4-to-4 for some age-appropriate activities that complement the children’s sermon. They return to worship before the offering. During worship, children are welcome at the communion table to receive a blessing. Children may receive Holy Communion after instruction, usually about 3rd grade. We want children to feel comfortable in worship. There are bags of quiet toys and writing materials in the back of the Sanctuary. Children’s bulletins are available from the ushers. Children and youth are encouraged participate in worship through a children’s bell choir, youth bell choir, youth praise bands, acolytes, special music, readers, greetersand tech support.   Families are encouraged to usher together on the fifth Sundays of certain months. A staffed nursery is available for children birth thru preschool.