St. Mark Lutheran is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The church presently has 153 confirmed members with an average Sunday worship attendance of 60. Worship services and Children’s church are held on Sunday morning, April through September at 11:00 am and October through March at 9:00 am. A fellowship time is held each Sunday beginning at 10:00 am. St. Mark is served by Pastor Adam Wutka.
BEGINNING:
In the early 1950’s, a group of people envisioned a new Lutheran church in the Great Bend area and began meeting informally in the Armory Building on North Main Street in Great Bend.  On June 10, 1951, the group held its first Sunday school and church service with 32 worshipers present.  An organizational meeting was held on April 27, 1952 at which the name St. Mark Evangelical Lutheran Church was adopted. Rev. Fred W. Henkel was installed as the resident pastor. The new congregation was officially received into the Midwest Synod of the United Lutheran Church in America. On February 6, 1953, the church broke ground for its building at the corner of 21st and Jackson Streets in Great Bend, KS. The cornerstone was laid on October 4, 1953.  On January 24, 1954, the structure was dedicated and continues to serve the congregation today.
NEW AFFILIATION:
In the mid-1980’s, a group of congregations from the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod formed a new movement known as the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches (AELC).  Over the next few years, the AELC worked with the American Lutheran Church and the Lutheran Church in America to develop a common mission. In January, 1988, the churches from these three groups formally joined to create a new Lutheran church body known as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).  That same month, the members of St. Mark voted to officially join the ELCA. That affiliation continues today. St. Mark is a member of Area 2, Central States Synod of the ELCA.
PASTORS:
St. Mark was led by several pastors, but in 1990, was in a crisis period. As with many small, rural churches, attendance was down. In addition, fewer students were choosing to go into the ministry. This meant that small churches like St. Mark would have a difficult time hiring a full-time pastor. As an answer to its prayers, the ELCA accepted St. Mark’s application to become a teaching congregation. In this capacity, a seminary student would serve the congregation during a one-year internship before returning to their final year at the seminary. In September, 1991, St. Mark welcomed Rod Hank as its first intern. The church acted as a teaching congregation under the guidance of Trinity Lutheran for five years.
PARTNERSHIP:
At the end of its contract as a teaching congregation, St. Mark was once again faced with the struggle of hiring a full-time pastor. St. Paul Lutheran, a small congregation in northern Barton County, was facing a similar struggle. The two churches began working together and in 1999, joined to form a two-point parish.  This union has allowed the churches to hire a full-time pastor who serves both congregations. 
St. Mark has enjoyed a wonderful partnership with its sister congregation, St. Paul, Galatia, KS.  In this partnership, each church retains its own identity with separate congregations, councils and boards, and enjoys ability to hire a full-time, resident pastor. In addition to sharing a pastor, the two congregations hold many joint functions throughout the year:  Special holiday and festival services are alternated between the two churches; each year the congregations meet for an informal joint, outdoor church service and potluck; and, members regularly attend fund raising and fellowship functions at both churches.
ACTIVITIES:
St. Mark offers many ways to be involved in the church and the community.
Regular activities at the church:
                Sunday morning worship service combined with Children’s Church
                Saturday morning Bible studies
                Women of the ELCA (WELCA) with monthly meetings
                Church choir
                One-a-month “Game” nights

Annual church activities:
                Butter-ball and Taco Soup luncheon hosted by WELCA
                Potato Bar to fund the VBS program, hosted by church members
                Summer Vacation Bible School for the children
                Church Fair to promote church activities, hosted by the Stewardship Committee
                Participation in the Great Bend Holiday Parade with a float built by church members
                Children’s Christmas program

Continuing Community Service Projects:
                Food-of-the-month donations to the local food bank
                Participation in Operation Christmas Child
                “Caring Tree” with donations of warm clothing and blankets for the needy

SPECIAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
Fellowship and church activities had been routinely held in the sub-story of the church. Lack of an elevator and steep stairs made it difficult for the elderly and infirmed to access the basement. The congregation studied the feasibility of adding a fellowship wing to the church.  In 2001, WELCA began selling gift certificates for the local grocery stores to raise funds for a building fund and in January, 2002, the congregation voted to begin construction on a new wing to the church. Ground breaking services for the new addition were held in August, 2002 and the foundation poured in October. In May, 2003, the new hall was first used for a funeral dinner and a wedding reception.  WELCA has continued to sell the gift certificates and has been able to contribute over $12,000 to the building fund.