St. Mark Lutheran Church sits near the corner of Grand Avenue and 12th Street in West Des Moines, Iowa, where two neighboring buildings, the Worship Center at 1115 Grand Avenue and the Discipleship Center at 1105 Grand Avenue, make up one campus for an ELCA congregation that draws members from across the metro, including Waukee, Urbandale, Norwalk, Johnston, and Des Moines. The congregation's tagline is Real Faith for Real Life, and a short mission sums up how it tries to live that out: Grow in Faith, Share Jesus Christ, and Serve Others.
Two Sunday Services, Two Styles
Sunday mornings at St. Mark are built around two very different services under one roof.
At 8:30 a.m., St. Mark Worship fills the sanctuary with traditional Lutheran liturgy. The service is led by organ and choir, the pastors wear robes, and Holy Communion is shared every week. Members arrive in everything from Sunday best to comfortable clothes, and the service is livestreamed so people at home can follow along.
At 10:10 a.m., 1010Worship takes over with the 1010Worship Band leading high-energy, spirit-filled music. The congregation is invited to come as they are, with no expectation of dressing differently than they normally would. The 1010Worship stream and sermon archive live at 1010worship.org.
Communion at St. Mark is open to anyone who wishes to receive it. Most services use intinction, a piece of bread dipped into wine or grape juice. At the traditional service, worshipers are sometimes invited to receive bread and wine while kneeling or standing along the altar rail.
Wednesday Nights at St. Mark
From September through May, the church comes alive again on Wednesday evenings, which the congregation has named Wednesdays at St. Mark. The night begins at 5:30 p.m. with St. Mark's Table, a free community meal served in Fellowship Hall. At 6:15 p.m., children, students, youth, and adults split off into their own programming, and a typical Wednesday runs to 7:30 p.m. The meal is open to everyone in the community, and any food that is not eaten is packed and placed in the Neighborhood Fridge.
Kids, Students, and Youth
Children from age 3 through 5th grade are part of St. Mark Kids. On Wednesday evenings from 6:15 to 7:30 p.m., kids start in a large group for games, a Bible story, and a message, then break into small groups with leaders for age-appropriate activities, crafts, and games. The program meets in the Worship Center, with an entrance off 12th Street by the playground. Sunday morning programming also exists during the 8:30 service, when Pre-K and Kindergarteners join worship for the first part and then head to 8:30Kids for the rest of the service. Children and parents receive matching printed tags for safety, and every volunteer who works with kids has been background-checked through Protect My Ministry. A free community meal at 5:30 helps families transition into the evening.
St. Mark Students, for 6th through 8th graders, meets Wednesdays from 6:15 to 7:30 p.m. in the Discipleship Center. The time blends games, large group teaching, small group conversation, and fellowship, and it serves as the home for Confirmation programming. Students who are in Confirmation are expected to fill out eight Worship Notes per semester, available in the Worship Center and Discipleship Center or through Church Center. Sarah, the Student and Youth Coordinator, walks alongside families through the program.
In 9th grade, students are invited to an Affirmation of Baptism, where they take on for themselves the promises their parents and sponsors made at their baptism. High schoolers, 9th through 12th grade, are part of Youth ministry, which meets Wednesday evenings at 7:30 p.m. and includes social gatherings, educational nights, service opportunities, and retreats. The youth program also takes a summer trip each year, runs a Broadway-style youth musical each spring, and partners with an intern for a leadership experience.
Adults, Seniors, and Music
Adults at St. Mark find connection through small groups and seasonal studies. During Lent, the congregation often forms new groups around a shared congregational reading, and ongoing groups are listed on the Church Center app.
Two senior-focused groups anchor the ministry for older adults. WIGS, the Women's Interest Group, is a study group for women age 55 and up that meets Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. in the Discipleship Center, September through May. PrimeTimers brings senior adults together on the first Thursday of each month at noon, April through December, for a meal, learning, fellowship, and service projects.
Music is a thread that runs through the whole congregation. Choirs and musicians lead the traditional service, while the 1010Worship Band leads contemporary worship. Each year, the youth put on a Broadway-style musical production with auditions in the fall and practices from January through March. The St. Mark Fine Arts Series brings concerts and performances to the campus and is free to attend, with freewill donations supporting the series.
St. Mark Neighborhood Fridge
The St. Mark Neighborhood Fridge is a 24/7 food-sharing ministry housed at the Discipleship Center on 1105 Grand Avenue. The fridge is handicap accessible, and anyone in the community can stop by and take what they need, no questions asked. Donors include local businesses, restaurants, grocery stores, cafeterias, and individuals who drop off surplus, unexpired food. Volunteers pick up donations, sort and label what needs labeling, and stock the fridge throughout the week.
Milk, eggs, dairy, and meat are in especially high demand. A separate Food Rescue Team handles pickups, a Fridge Cleaners team keeps the space sanitary, and a Food Repack team breaks down large donations into smaller portions. Monetary donations can be made through the church's giving platform, and an Amazon Wishlist covers supplies. The fridge is supported by a dedicated phone line and email so donors and volunteers can connect quickly.
Prayer and Care
St. Mark takes prayer and pastoral care seriously. Care Ministers are trained volunteers who offer confidential listening for people navigating job changes, new babies, illness, separation, the death of a loved one, and other life adjustments. They also bring communion to people who are homebound and make hospital visits. Prayer requests can be submitted online through a Next Steps card, and a dedicated prayer team lifts those requests up regularly.
What St. Mark Believes
St. Mark belongs to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The congregation teaches that Jesus and the Bible reveal God's living word, that the Ten Commandments, the Lord's Prayer, and the Nicene and Apostles' Creeds are central, and that Baptism and Holy Communion are essential means of grace, tangible ways God shows love through physical elements. The church also honors the Reformation legacy of Martin Luther, the 15th-century teacher who helped Christians return continually to scripture and to being made new in God's world.
Life Events: Baptism, Confirmation, Marriage, Funerals
St. Mark walks with families through every major milestone. Baptism is celebrated at any age, from infants to adults, and is normally performed by one of the ordained pastors. Confirmation happens at the end of the middle school years and is described as a young person saying yes to God's yes and affirming their own baptism. Weddings are held in the sanctuary, and the church asks couples to review wedding guidelines before scheduling. Funerals can be arranged through the church office and may include special music and a reception in the church's facilities.
Getting Connected
Visitors are not asked to stand or be introduced. Every seat has a Next Steps card that can be filled out and handed to an usher for follow-up from Pastor Bob Bekkerus. The church's communication hub is Church Center, an online portal where people can register for events, sign up for groups, see the calendar, and set up giving. The parking lot is accessible from both Grand Avenue and 12th Street and serves both the Worship Center and the Discipleship Center. The E-Connect newsletter goes out weekly with highlights and upcoming events.
Serving the Wider Community
Beyond its own campus, St. Mark supports West Des Moines Human Services, an organization that has been assisting low-income, elderly, and disabled residents in the western suburbs since 1979 and currently serves more than 1,600 households with emergency rent and utility help, transportation, handyman services, youth recreation assistance, and clothing and food assistance. The Discipleship Center also hosts a number of 12-step Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon meetings each week. A capital campaign called Free To Grow is currently working to reduce or eliminate the church's debt so that resources can be redirected into expanded pastoral leadership, the kids ministry, and new ministry opportunities.