St. Mark's Lutheran Church by The Narrows gathers on North 17th Street in Tacoma's Narrows neighborhood, just up the hill from the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. Members describe the congregation with a phrase that doubles as a welcome mat: A Place for Grace. The church belongs to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and works in partnership with the Southwest Washington Synod, but its identity is shaped most directly by its own neighborhood roots, its musically rich Sunday mornings, and a clear commitment to welcome every person through its doors.
Three Sunday Mornings and a Wednesday Night by Candlelight
Sunday at St. Mark's begins early and runs through three distinct services, each with its own character.
The Blended Liturgical Service at 8:20am during the program year (9:00am in the summer) is liturgically traditional. Pastors are robed, the liturgy is sung, and the music sweeps across continents. Hymnody here includes Scandinavian folk tunes, medieval chant, Asian and Latin American songs of praise, and African American spirituals, a global Lutheran mosaic the church has tended carefully.
The Contemporary Praise Service follows at 9:50am (10:30am in summer). A worship band with piano, drums, bass guitar, and often a lead or acoustic guitar leads songs drawn from contemporary Christian music, blended with the historic elements that are part of every service at St. Mark's. The service is less liturgically formal than the other two.
The Traditional Service at 11:10am (paused during the summer months) leans into the centuries-old patterns many Lutherans have treasured. Hymnody, liturgy, organ music, and the simpler worship shapes of generations past all have a home here.
Each Sunday service runs between fifty minutes and one hour. On Wednesday evenings at 7:30pm during the program year, the congregation gathers by candlelight around a large cross for an Evening Prayer service. The half-hour service draws on music from the Taizé and Iona worshipping communities and on evening prayer settings from Holden Village in Washington State, offering a quieter counterpoint to Sunday morning.
Both the 8:20am and 9:50am services are also live-streamed through Facebook Live and made available afterward on YouTube, so members traveling, ill, or far from Tacoma can still join the morning's worship. The Bridge, St. Mark's weekly email newsletter, goes out every Friday with announcements, story-sharing, and links to upcoming events.
What to Expect on a First Visit
Visitors are welcomed without pressure. People wear everything from Sunday best to jeans and a favorite hoodie. Ushers greet worshipers at the door, hand out bulletins, and answer questions. There is no expectation of giving; the offering is reserved for those who call St. Mark's their spiritual home.
Families with young children will find a designated prayer ground inside the sanctuary with age-appropriate materials, and a sound-isolated cry room for parents who need a quieter space. Nursery care is offered every Sunday morning from 8:15am to 11:00am for infants through age four.
Accessibility has been a thoughtful priority. The sanctuary is wheelchair accessible from both the upper and lower entrances, with an elevator to the main floor from the lower level and a ramp onto the chancel for those participating in worship leadership. A hearing loop system and amplifying headsets are available; ushers will provide one on request.
A House of Many Musical Voices
Music is one of the loudest expressions of St. Mark's diversity, and the program reflects that. Director of Music Ministry Cooper Sherry oversees an unusually wide ensemble of groups that rehearse throughout the week and rotate through the services.
The Celebration Ensemble rehearses Thursday nights and serves as the vocal host for the Blended Liturgical Service. The group's repertoire crosses continents, often incorporating percussion and complex rhythmic patterns. The Canticle Choir is for experienced choral singers who prefer a lighter commitment: they gather on select Sunday mornings for a quick rehearsal and sing once or twice a month at the 11:10am Traditional Service.
For handbell ringers, the Bells of St. Mark's rehearse Tuesday evenings under director Karen Moats and play about once a month across all Sunday services. The St. Mark's Chamber Music ensemble gathers monthly to provide classical music for the Traditional Service. The Praise Band rehearses Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings to lead the 9:50am Contemporary Service, and a smaller group of musicians leads the Wednesday Evening Prayer service.
Children and youth are not left out of the music. Kids Choir (kindergarten through 5th grade) rehearses Wednesday afternoons, and Youth Choir (6th through 12th grade) rehearses Thursday evenings. Local Zimbabwean music scholar and performer Jeff Brahe teaches two African-music groups: Kids' African Instruments on Wednesday evenings for the younger set, and the Youth Marimba Ensemble on Thursday evenings for older students.
Forming Faith from the Cradle Through Senior High
Faith formation at St. Mark's is intentionally cross-generational. Children, Youth and Family Ministries are led by Deacon Ingelaurie Lisher, with Celesta Smith serving as Children's Faith Formation Coordinator.
Sunday mornings during the program year (mid-September through early June) include a 9:40am block of classes. Children age three through fourth grade meet in the Children's Faith Center for age-appropriate Bible storytelling, music, crafts, and hands-on activities. Students in fifth and sixth grades gather in the Youth Wing to explore what it means to be a Lutheran Christian; seventh and eighth graders work through an Affirmation of Faith (confirmation) curriculum. Confirmation students affirm their baptism on Reformation Sunday (the last Sunday in October) of their ninth-grade year, after a four-week Wednesday evening course. High schoolers in ninth through twelfth grade continue meeting weekly with adult leaders for discussion, poetry, and Bible study.
Cross-generational events knit the congregation together. St. Mark's hosts an annual Shrove Tuesday celebration, Advent wreath-making, Illuminated Walks, and an Epiphany celebration. Vacation Bible School is typically held the first full week in August for children ages four through incoming fifth graders. The congregation also participates in a Lutheran summer camp where children and youth connect with peers from across Washington State.
Adult Faith Formation runs alongside the children's programs. A Bible Study Luncheon gathers on Wednesdays at noon in the Parish Commons Classroom to discuss the upcoming Sunday's scripture with that week's preacher; participants may attend in person or by Zoom, and may simply bring their lunch. Faith Journey is a series of small-group conversations hosted by the pastors, designed for seekers and newcomers but open to members as well; it typically runs in both a fall and a winter-spring series. Midweek Renewal forums meet on Wednesdays at 6:00pm during the program year, and Sunday Forums offer morning conversations that connect Christian faith to current events.
All Are Welcome: A Reconciling in Christ Congregation
St. Mark's identity as a Reconciling in Christ congregation sits at the heart of who it is. The church publicly affirms the gifts of every person, regardless of age, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, spirituality, special interests, or ability. The center of congregational life is Jesus Christ, whose love leads the community to work against racism and all forms of bias, whether systemic, institutional, or personal.
That commitment is woven through worship, formation, and governance. The Gender Sexuality Alliance welcomes LGBTQIA+ members fully into congregational life, participates in the Tacoma Pride Festival, and supports ministries serving homeless youth, including Oasis Youth Center.
Five Commitments for Peace and Justice
The church's Peace and Justice ministries are organized around five scriptural pillars:
- Care for the Vulnerable: today, this includes migrants, immigrants, and refugees, rooted in Deuteronomy 10:19 and Matthew 25:40.
- Care for the Hungry: rooted in Exodus 16:17-18 and Mark 6:37-38.
- Care for Those on the Margins: including those without homes, the LGBTQIA+ community, people of color, and immigrants, rooted in Isaiah 56:8 and Mark 1:40-41.
- Care for the Oppressed: rooted in Exodus 3:7, 10 and Mark 10:42-45.
- Care for Creation: rooted in Genesis 2:15 and Matthew 6:26-30.
Alliances that Turn Concern into Action
These commitments take shape through seven Alliances, voluntary groups of members who organize the congregation's outreach.
- The Anti-Racism Alliance organizes educational events throughout the year, including Black History Month and Juneteenth observances.
- The Creation Care Alliance hosts educational opportunities, hikes, and outdoor activities, and supports the Shalom Project and Greening Congregation teams.
- The Gender Sexuality Alliance participates in Tacoma Pride and supports Essentials for Homeless Youth and Oasis Youth Center.
- The Inter-Faith Alliance partners with Associated Ministries, Temple Beth El, Bethany Presbyterian Church, and the Islamic Center of Tacoma, including a monthly Women's Interfaith Tea.
- The Housing Alliance organizes Tiny House builds in support of the Low-Income Housing Institute and an annual trip to Mexico with Lutheran Border Concerns Ministry.
- The Hunger Alliance partners with Peace Community Center, Nativity House, the DeLong Backpack Program, a Holiday Giving Tree, Chase the Chill, and a Hunger Walk and Run.
- The Global Refugee Alliance sponsors refugees in partnership with Global Refuge, makes quilts and care kits for Lutheran World Relief, and runs Sumud St. Mark's, a local expression of ELCA Sumud's advocacy for justice in Palestine and Israel.
The congregation also partners more broadly with Tacoma Tree Foundation, Habitat for Humanity of Tacoma-Pierce County, Bread (the ELCA's hunger ministry), Friends of WPC Nepal, FANWA, Pacific Lutheran University, Luther Seminary, Larcheta Homa Hope, Kairos of Washington, eliseo, Holden Village, the Tacoma Peace Prize, Catholic Community Services, and others.
Caring for One Another
Congregational Care ministries are led by a Care Ministry Team that supplements the pastoral staff by supporting members through life transitions - illness, job loss, grief, and the long work of caring for a loved one. Two regular support groups meet on the church's calendar: a Caregiver Support Group that gathers twice a month, and a Grief Support Group that meets once a month.
Sunday morning hospitality is sustained by a rotating team of volunteers who provide refreshments between services. A separate Hospitality Coordinator organizes food and drink for memorial receptions.
Standing on Puyallup Land
St. Mark's begins its public gatherings with a Land Acknowledgement that names the truth of the ground beneath the building. The church acknowledges that it gathers on the traditional homelands of the Puyallup Tribe, expresses gratitude to the Puyallup and Coast Salish peoples as original caretakers, and recognizes their stewardship, forced removal, and continuing work to live on ancestral lands. The congregation commits to partnering with indigenous peoples as stewards of land and water, and to working toward reparations and healing.
Covenants of Presence
Every shared gathering at St. Mark's - from committee meetings to adult formation classes - is guided by a set of Covenants of Presence. Members agree to be fully present, to listen generously and deeply, to author and claim their own stories without forcing others to share, to suspend judgment, to turn to wonder rather than cynicism, to hold stories with care, to respect time, to practice confidentiality, to welcome discomfort, to value human diversity, and to love the questions themselves. These covenants shape how the church learns and grows together.
The Building, the Preschool, and the Staff
The campus on North 17th Street is home to more than Sunday worship. St. Mark's Preschool has long served the wider neighborhood, with Katie Jones serving as Preschool Director and a Preschool Board overseeing its health and policies. The church also shares its facilities with the broader community, extending hospitality beyond the congregation's own walls.
Lead Pastor Briana Merkle and Associate Pastor Hannah Staisrud share the preaching and pastoral care responsibilities, while Deacon Ingelaurie Lisher oversees youth and family ministries. Cooper Sherry directs music ministry, with Karen Moats directing the bell program and leading the Praise Band. Celesta Smith coordinates children's faith formation, Steve Johnson serves as Director of Finance and Operations, Teresa Handy coordinates hospitality, Carrie Olschner handles publications, Cody Schuman leads media and production, and Levin Conway handles information technology.
The Church Council is led by President Keith Petersen, Vice President Matt Shimkus, Secretary Deborah Herforth, and Treasurer Mark Meade. Other council members include Barbara Ostrander (Finance and Operations), Heather Clauson (Adult Faith Formation), Steve Cox (Peace and Justice), Diana Schramm (Congregational Care), Jennifer Wolbrecht (Stewardship), and Brittny Ramirez (Children, Youth, and Family Faith Formation). A Property Team and a group called Holy Weeders care for the building and grounds, while a Technology Team partners with staff on technical needs.
Worship Volunteers and Sacraments
Volunteers in many forms make Sunday morning worship possible. Greeters welcome people as they enter. Ushers hand out bulletins, guide worshipers to seats, and oversee congregational well-being during the service. Assisting Ministers lead prayers and spoken liturgy alongside the pastors. Lectors read the lessons, receiving the texts the week before. Communion Servers help distribute wine, juice, and bread during the Lord's Supper. The Altar Guild prepares Sunday communion, stocks wafers and candles, and cares for communion linens. A Bread Baking Team prepares twelve loaves of communion bread each week using a specific quick-bread recipe.
Giving and Continuing Education
Members can support St. Mark's ministries in several ways: online giving, bank bill pay, offering envelopes, gifts of stocks and securities, bequests and wills, Thrivent Choice Dollars, or by designating St. Mark's as their AmazonSmile or Fred Meyer Community Rewards charity. Every dollar raised through Thrivent Choice is applied to the Mortgage Principal Retirement Fund.
The congregation also supports its members' continuing formation through scholarships for first-year and continuing higher education students, including those pursuing graduate work at a seminary or in Christian vocation. St. Mark's encourages members to consider the Path for Strengthening Active Lay Ministry (PSALM), a two-year synod program for lay leaders, and offers up to half of tuition through its scholarship fund for accepted candidates.
A Place for Grace, Still
The church office at 6730 N 17th Street is open Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 12:30pm; the main phone number is (253) 752-4966 and the office email is office@smlutheran.org. Sunday services are live-streamed through Facebook Live and archived on the YouTube channel. Online giving is available through the church's giving portal. In a city known for its bridges and water, St. Mark's Lutheran Church by The Narrows has built a long table that draws Lutherans who love a quiet organ, contemporary worshipers who want a band, families looking for nursery care, seekers exploring faith for the first time, and longtime members who want to make a difference in Tacoma and beyond.