SaintMark@Home

As you may know, First Monday was a network of small groups that met monthly in homes all over Atlanta for fellowship, support, and spiritual growth. Many folks have grown quite close with their groups and describe the monthly gathering as one of the most important parts of their Saint Mark experience. We want everyone to feel that sense of belonging and connection.

Because our membership has grown and moved in the last several years, our current groups are not able to accommodate our membership. So we have recently renovated and expanded! Along with that growth, we have changed our name to SaintMark@Home to be more inclusive, as many of our groups meet at times other than the first Monday of the month. And you can look for a new logo with our new name and tag line “Sharing the Journey” coming soon. That is what we hope these groups provide – a place where you can belong and share your journey with other caring, seeking folks.

We currently have groups meeting in Avondale Estates, Brookhaven, Buckhead, Central Atlanta, Gwinnett, Midtown, Morningside, and Northlake (see the bottom of this page for details and contacts). In the fall, we are excited to introduce new groups meeting in Arts Center, Candler Park, College Park, Emory/Highlands, Lenox Park, Norcross, Northwest Atlanta, South Cobb, and Tucker/Stone Mountain. We are still seeking facilitators for groups in Decatur, East Atlanta, the GA 400 Corridor, and Marietta. If you live in one of these areas and are interested in being trained as a facilitator for a new group, please contact Rev. Mandy Flemming, 404-873.2636 x13, mflemming@stmarkumc.org.

SaintMark@Home is a wonderful way to meet church friends in your neighborhood, share your lives and prayers, and grow in your love and service. I hope you will be a part of a group, whether existing or brand new.

Our Mission and Objectives

“We seek to create small communities of care, in which individuals can experience spiritual growth, interpersonal care and fellowship on an ongoing basis.”

As Saint Mark continues to grow in size, we hope that our small Home Groups will enable us to also grow in our capacity to meet the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of our members. Our desire is to create small communities of care, in which members can experience spiritual growth, interpersonal care and fellowship on an ongoing basis.

SaintMark@Home Groups seek to:

• Provide an opportunity for persons to meet and share fellowship with other church members and visitors in their communities.
• Create a welcoming atmosphere in which persons feel safe and free to share what is going on in their lives -- their joys, struggles, fears and needs.
• Promote opportunities for spiritual growth through reading and interpreting scripture, theological conversation and prayer.
• Assist members in getting more involved in the life and ministry of Saint Mark through discussions of the various opportunities for mission and ministry.
• Provide avenues for persons to minister to and care for each other.

A Sample Meeting

Into Community
A time to gather and catch up with one another briefly, ending with a “Gathering Ritual” designed to help individuals move out of the business of the day and focus on the community that has gathered.

Into Scripture
A time to read and discuss a given scriptural text as it relates to our daily lives.

Into Our Lives
A time to openly and honestly share our joys , concerns, struggles, fears, etc. and to lift individual, community and world needs in prayer.

Into the World
A time to announce opportunities for mission and ministry at Saint Mark, in the community and in the world.

Into Hospitality
A time to share snacks and refreshments and to continue informal conversations before dispersing.

Click here to find a group near you.