Ministries

Orthodox Detroit Outreach (ODO)St. Mark’s Parish participates in ODO by volunteering at Sts. Peter and Paul in Detroit one Sunday afternoon a month. Parishioners come together to help prepare, serve, and distribute meals to those who are less fortunate. This ministry allows our parish to serve our neighbors in a practical way and to put our faith into action.
It is also a wonderful opportunity for parishioners and families to serve alongside one another and build community through service.

Outreach MinistryThe Outreach Ministry focuses on caring for members of our parish who may not be able to regularly attend church because they are homebound, in nursing homes, or otherwise unable to participate in parish life.
Volunteers visit, spend time with them, and offer prayers and companionship.
GreetersOur greeters welcome parishioners and visitors as they enter the narthex.
They are often the first people someone encounters when they come to St. Mark’s, helping create a warm and welcoming environment from the moment they arrive.
Greeters are available to answer questions, help visitors become familiar with the church and services, and assist anyone who may need direction.
Church SchoolWe offer Church School for catechumens and parishioners from age 3 through middle school. Our goal is to help children grow in their understanding and love of the Orthodox faith while building a strong foundation that they can carry with them throughout their lives.
This school year, children from Kindergarten through Middle School will be learning about the Gospel of St. Mark, allowing them to explore the life and teachings of Christ through the Gospel.
St. Mark’s is also blessed to have an Atrium, a special learning space designed for children ages 3–5. The Atrium uses a Montessori-style approach to help young children encounter and learn about the Orthodox faith in a hands-on and age-appropriate environment. Children are given opportunities to explore Scripture, prayer, liturgical items, and the life of the Church at their own pace. The Atrium provides a peaceful and meaningful space where young children can begin developing a personal relationship with God and a love for the Church.
St. Olga MinistryThe St. Olga Ministry provides support, care, and fellowship for women in our parish during some of the most significant and challenging seasons of life. The ministry specifically supports new mothers, as well as women who have experienced miscarriage or are going through infertility. Through practical support, prayer, encouragement, and community, the ministry seeks to remind women that they are not alone.
It provides a compassionate space where women can feel supported by others in the parish who understand and care for what they are experiencing.
Prosphora BakingA group of parishioners regularly comes together to bake prosphora, the bread that is offered during the Divine Liturgy.
Prosphora is used during both weekday services and the Sunday Divine Liturgy and is an important part of our worship.
The bakers work together to prepare the prosphora with care and prayer, providing an important service to our parish.the prosphora with care and prayer, providing an important service to our parish.
Vacation Church SchoolEach summer, St. Mark’s offers a four-day Vacation Church School program for children ages 3 through 5th grade.
The program provides children with a fun and engaging way to continue learning about their Orthodox faith during the summer months.
Each year, the children participate in lessons, activities, crafts, and other experiences centered around a specific theme. This year, our curriculum focused on Super Saints, teaching the children about saints such as St. Catherine and St. John the Baptist and their importance in the Orthodox Church.
Through the program, the children learned about the lives of the saints, the virtues they demonstrated, and how we can look to their examples in our own lives.
St. Mark Homeschool Co-op and Reading GroupOur co-op gathers several Wednesdays each month in the afternoon (3:30-5:00) before Vespers.
Enrollment opens every year in August, and our meetings run from September to May. We serve families with students ages 5-13. Parents attend alongside their students and are active participants in the learning community, supporting it through various volunteer roles.
The primary goal of the co-op is to cultivate a space for homeschool families to learn together that is aligned with the living traditions and liturgical cycle of the Church. We aim to supplement our students’ home educations by nurturing their minds and hearts with classical enrichment subjects taught through an Orthodox lens, so that they may know the good, learn to love the beautiful, and to live the truth. The enrichment subjects include, but are not limited to: poetry, artist study, composer study, handicrafts, recitation, tales, nature study, Saint study, icon study, hymn study, and map study.
Additionally, in the past we have run a Summer Reading Group open to anyone in our parish community interested in reading and discussing ideas about education from an Orthodox perspective. Our first reading selection for Summer 2026 was Patterns for Life: An Orthodox Reflection on Charlotte Mason by Lisa Rose and Lisa Wolfe.
Seminarian SupportAt St Mark’s, we are committed to supporting the growth of Orthodoxy in America and the training of future deacons and priests.
We have supported multiple seminarians and their families over the last 5 years. We currently are sending prayers and monetary support to Mason Baker, at student at St Tikhon’s Theological Seminary and a member of this parish.

Altar ServersWe are proud of the growing ranks of altar servers. Beginning at age of seven our parish’s young men have the opportunity to serve behind the altar under the instruction of Fr. John. Once a year, Fr. John hosts an Altar Server Retreat where interested children can learn the basics of the liturgy and grow in their responsibility to the church.
ChoirSt. Mark has a vibrant choir ministry lead by director Andrew Wassell. In addition to singing at every service, choir members attend one rehearsal a week.
Several choir members are also part of the Diocesan Choir and perform liturgical music several times a year for the Metro Detroit area.

Seminarian SupportAt St Mark’s, we are committed to supporting the growth of Orthodoxy in America and the training of future deacons and priests.
We have supported multiple seminarians and their families over the last 5 years. We currently are sending prayers and monetary support to Mason Baker, at student at St Tikhon’s Theological Seminary and a member of this parish.