St. Mark's Lutheran Church Youth and Family Ministry
Welcome back to a new year at St. Mark's! It was great seeing some of you at the Ministry Fair. We hope to see many of you this Sunday as we kick off Fall programming.
Email Youth Director Alice Real at youth@stmarks-elca.org with questions or to be added to the mailing list.
* * * In order to participate in activities, all youth/parents must register to provide up-to-date information for youth leaders,
as well as complete the 2025-2026 medical release/consent form. English or Spanish * * *
This Week at St. Mark's:
Sunday, October 5, 2025
First Day of Confirmation Class and High School Youth Group
Confirmation: Grades 7 and 8
Teachers: Peggy Harris and Peter Weekly
Sundays, 11:00 am-12:00 pm, Room 217
This Week: Acolyte and Worship Assistant Training- meet in sanctuary
High School: Grades 9-12
Adult Leaders: Alice Real and Jim Kyger
Sundays, 11:00 am-12:00 pm, Room 215 Youth Room
High School will continue to explore the Bible this year, from Genesis through Acts and the birth of the church, seeking examples of God's love and call in the scriptures and in our daily lives.
This Week: Acolyte and Worship Assistant Training- meet in sanctuary
Calendar at-a-glance …
October:
10/4 (Saturday) Blessing of the Animals- 4:00 PM in Courtyard
10/5 Acolyte and Worship Assistant Training (11:00 AM-12:00 PM)
10/19 Oktoberfest Dinner Youth Fundraiser
November:
11/2 Burke/Fairfax Crop Hunger Walk
1/21-23 Synod Middle School/High School Retreat, Skycroft Retreat Center, Middletown MD
December:
12/21 Christmas Pageant Dress Rehearsal (11:00 AM-12:PM)
12/24 Christmas Eve Bilingual Family Service and Christmas Pageant, 5:00 PM
February:
2/15 Shrove Sunday Pancake Brunch Youth Fundraiser (11:00 AM-12:00 PM)
Full youth ministry calendar
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For more information, contact Alice Real, Director of Youth and Family Ministries, at youth@stmarks-elca.org.
See you Sunday!
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See photos of our 2018-2020 gatherings and 2021 Youth Sunday below:
St. Mark’s Mission Trip to Red Bird Work Camp
July 2024
In July 2024, St. Mark’s sent a team to participate in Red Bird Mission Work Camp. Jim Kyger, Harriet Latta, Maureen Murphy, Alice Real, and Mary Crumrine (Alice’s sister) spent July 21 through July 26 in Beverly, Kentucky, working on home improvement projects in the surrounding community. Guided by Red Bird Crew Leaders, Brett and Kevin, they repaired and replaced a bedroom floor and water heater in an elderly couple's trailer home, and they mudded drywall and installed underpinning around an addition to the couple’s nephew's home across the street. The addition will be a new bedroom for several of the nephew's children.
See photo gallery on the HOME page!
Watch worship on St. Mark's Youtube channel!
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Youth Group Parent Handbook
Parents! Click HERE to download and view your Youth Group 2021-2022 Information Meeting Handout.
Youth Ministry Calendar 2025-2026
Looking Ahead
Save the date for these upcoming events. More details to come! A full youth ministry calendar is attached. Additional activities will be planned based on youth input.
Sunday, October 5
Acolyte/Worship Assistant Training
Youth are welcome to serve as acolytes and worship assistants during the 9:45 AM and 12:15 PM services. If you are interested, contact Pastor Albert Triolo (atriolo@stmarks-elca.org). We will have a training for new and returning servers during Sunday School on October 5 from 11:00 AM-12:00 PM. We will start in the sanctuary and end in the Youth Room.
Sunday, October 12- Saturday, November 1
White House Ornament Sale
St. Mark's Youth will be selling White House Ornaments again this year as a fundraiser. The 2025 ornaments celebrate the 150th anniversary of state dinners at the Executive Mansion and cost $25 each. Pre-order online or in the narthex on 10/12, 10/19, and 10/26. All orders must be placed by November 1. Payment (cash or check made out to St. Mark's Lutheran Church) is due at time of pick up, either after the 11/23 congregational meeting or by arrangement with the church office. Proceeds benefit the St. Mark's youth activities. We will need parents and youth to help with pre-orders in the narthex on Sundays 10/12, 10/19, and 10/26, as well as at the Oktoberfest Dinner on 10/19. Sign up to help sell ornaments
Sunday, October 19
Oktoberfest Dinner, 5:00 PM- 7:00 PM
Come support the Youth Ministry and enjoy delicious German food! We will need youth and families to assist with set-up/clean-up, food preparation, and serving guests at the event. Set-up/food preparation will take place Saturday, October 18 (time TBA), continuing on the 19th from 1:30-5:00 PM with clean up from 7:00-7:30 PM. This event raises funds for youth mission and ministry activities. Sign up to volunteer here!
Sunday, November 2, 2:00 PM
Burke/Fairfax Crop Hunger Walk
St. Mark's Youth have an opportunity to participate in this year's Burke/Fairfax Crop Hunger Walk. Funds raised will support ECHO, Western Fairfax Christian Ministries, and Church World Service in their fight against hunger and food insecurity, locally and globally. More details coming soon!
8:00 PM Friday, November 21 through 12:00 PM Sunday, November 23
Middle/High School Youth Retreat, Skycroft Conference Center, Middletown, Maryland
Sometimes we feel like we're wandering in the wilderness without answers or direction. But our faith stories remind us that even as we wander, God keeps calling to us—to remind us we are loved, to point our way ahead and to remind us that we don't walk this journey alone. Come, listen with us for God's calling.
This event is sponsored by the Youth and Family Ministry of the Delaware-Maryland and Metro DC Synods. Youth in grades 6-12 will gather for a weekend of music, games, small group faith discussions, service projects and worship with youth from across our two Lutheran synods.
We will plan to travel as a group that Friday afternoon and return Sunday afternoon. St. Mark's will pay for the registration of any youth who would like to participate! Sign up here by November 2nd.
Full youth ministry calendar
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For more information, contact Alice Real, Director of Youth and Family Ministries, at youth@stmarks-elca.org.
The St. Marks Youth had a great time raking leaves at church member homes on a recent November Sunday afternoon!
