Change Font Size:   A A A

May 09, 2013 | EDOT Staff

St. Mark's Begins Construction on Children's Center

St. mark's richmond ground break
St. Mark's members break ground
tree - st. marks
A St. Mark's parishioner welded this tree to honor
the Growing in Grace theme

Known for its gracious hospitality, St. Mark’s, Richmond, is extending its arms to its surrounding community by building the new Education Center, dedicated to transforming lives.

 

The Rev. Bert Baetz, rector of St. Mark’s, has often reminded his parish that the church is a living organism active in its local context.  “I like Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase of the prologue in John’s gospel,” Baetz says, “Peterson paraphrases the incarnation of our God saying, ‘the Word became flesh … and moved into the neighborhood.’  Isn’t this our mission in the church?  Aren’t we to be the people transformed into the body of Christ making a difference in our neighborhood?”

 

St. Mark’s is nestled in a beautiful rural environment but close to the rapidly growing suburban communities of Fort Bend County. The Education Center will serve all ages in this flourishing community, from its preschool students, to the students at the nearby junior and senior high schools, to the residents of the Del Webb Active Adult Community.

 

During the day, St. Mark’s Episcopal Preschool will encourage spiritual, intellectual and social development in young children, nurturing values that mirror our Episcopal identity.  After school, caring parishioners plan to offer mentoring and tutoring programs for students from neighboring secondary schools, helping youth to succeed academically and gain self-confidence. In the evening and on weekends, the new Center will offer a broad spectrum of education with the goals of transforming individual lives and strengthening families.

 

According to a recent Rice University study, Fort Bend County is the most ethnically diverse county in the nation. This fact offers St. Mark’s Education Center a special opportunity and a deep responsibility to reach out and respond to the formation needs of diverse groups.

 

Within its majestic setting, St. Mark’s has taken on the image of a tree for its vision of growth.  During their recent capital campaign, Baetz said, “Yes, I’d love for us to be known as the ‘mustard seed’ church.  God seems to like taking small things and growing them to be a means of his abundant grace.  We have a great story at St. Mark’s.  A small group of people kept the hope alive for our parish, and we are becoming more like the tree of the parable, where many birds come to make nests in its branches.”