A Place of Grace on College Street
St. Mark Lutheran Church sits at 2109 College Street SE in Lacey, Washington, where its members gather under the banner "A Place of Grace." Part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the SW Washington Synod, St. Mark centers its life on worship, formation, and steady service to the surrounding community.
Sunday Worship at Ten
Worship takes place at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings, with services also livestreamed on YouTube and recorded for later viewing. The gathering follows the liturgical rhythms of the ELCA, shaped by the seasons of the church year and the lectionary. St. Mark puts it this way: "God's love and grace are for everyone. Wherever you are on life's journey, you are welcome at St. Mark."
Clean Kids: Laundry and Showers
One of the church's best-known offerings is Clean Kids, a laundry and shower program available by appointment. Volunteers from St. Mark and the wider Lacey area help neighbors who lack easy access to a washer or a hot shower, making the ministry a steady point of contact between the church and the broader Thurston County community.
Shepherd's Table and the Wider Community
On chosen evenings, the fellowship hall becomes Shepherd's Table, a community dinner where everyone is welcome to share a hot meal. The dinner is named in the spirit of Luke 14:12-14, and the church building is easy to reach - Intercity Transit Route 52 stops directly in front. St. Mark also tends a community garden, partners with a nearby Mountain View school, and offers a Grace Guestroom for traveling visitors and families in need of a place to stay. The congregation keeps ties with mission partners across the region, including the Thurston County Food Bank, Olympia Union Gospel Mission, Habitat for Humanity, Lutheran Community Services, and Lutheran World Relief.
Music, Art, and the Liturgical Year
Worship at St. Mark is enriched by a music program that draws in singers and instrumentalists, plus a Music for All ensemble that opens participation widely. Over two decades, the congregation has built an extensive collection of liturgical art: banners and wall hangings commissioned for Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, Pentecost, All Saints, and Creation are renewed year by year, providing a visual path through the church year and a deeply local craft tradition. Sermon recordings are preserved as audio.
Growing in Faith at Every Age
Formation at St. Mark runs from the preschool years through adulthood. Sunday School meets during the school year, Confirmation Classes prepare middle-school youth for affirmation of baptism, and Adult Education gathers between services or midweek. The South Sound Youth Group (SSYG) brings Lutheran teens together from across the area for fellowship and service. A prayer chain carries requests quietly through the week, and a fellowship hour connects members after Sunday worship.
A Lutheran Welcome
St. Mark teaches in the Lutheran tradition that baptism is the doorway to a life of grace, that Scripture carries the gospel of God's mercy, and that the gathered community is fed by Word and Sacrament. The church joins its voice with the wider ELCA in caring for creation, welcoming the stranger, and walking with those in need. Anyone is welcome to walk through the doors on College Street, share a meal at Shepherd's Table, or use the Clean Kids laundry and showers.