“We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.” – Proverbs 16:9
On August 9, your Council gathered for a day of reflection, planning, and prayer. We began by remembering how God has been present in the life of St. Mark’s through the years and how our Council reflects the journey and composition of the congregation today. Remarkably, your Council includes a span of 40+ years in age, and new members and multi-generational families too. This diversity of perspectives is an incredible gift and a strategic advantage as we plan for the Council year ahead.
After centering devotions and Holy Communion, we looked back at the 1999 Long Range Planning Report—finding with some laughter that many of the same themes still guide us nearly 25 years later.
A look back at St. Mark’s in 1999:
- The carillon was played by tape and amplifier.
- The church deployed the three most recommended methods of attracting new members: 1) an attractive outdoor sign 2) an ad in the Yellow Pages 3) 24hr telephone messages.
- There were only 12 households represented in Owens Crossroads.
- Because of Huntsville’s growth, there was an optional municipal plan to convert Longwood Drive to one-way eastbound traffic as an extension of Governors Drive.
- “Hymn selection needs improvement” ….reminds us that there will always be individual favorites and a multitude of opinions.
- The air conditioning had occasional problems then too.
Wow…some things change, and some things remain the same. Above all else, throughout the years and generations of families within St. Mark’s, we know God is always guiding us on our path.
As we prepare to kickoff our 75th anniversary celebration, Council devoted the 2025 retreat to operational excellence. We believe through God’s guidance we are living our values of Worship, Service, Learning, and Intergenerational Culture. We believe we have a highly talented and high-performing staff. We are energized by the guests, visitors and new members joining us for worship and service to others.
Therefore, we believe we have a tremendous opportunity to execute our existing ministries and programs at a high level through prayer, reflection, and collaboration. We defined the best practices that help our strongest programs shine, and each board committed to at least one practical, measurable initiative to improve. We invite you to read our retreat executive summary HERE, and if you’d like to know more about Council operations, you can contact me (Leah Gradl) or Jim Law at any time.
And, if you enjoyed the brief glimpse into St. Mark’s history, you’ll love all of the plans the 75th anniversary committee has in store for the fall.
Last modified: August 25, 2025