SAINT MARK'S
Episcopal Church
Albuquerque, NM

"Widening the Welcome" is a phase you may hear around St. Mark's. Community doesn't just happen. Healthy communities depend on the intentional investment of time, energy and effort by each individual within the community. 

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One of the ways that we do this is through our Summers of Conversation. Each summer, we hold a training session about how to actively listen and participate well in a conversation. Then we ask members to reach out to someone they don't know, or don't know well, for a 20-30 minute talk. On most Sundays from June to August, we have "Conversation Cafes" instead of formation classes to give people an opportunity to find and meet others, and sit down for that  short visit. 

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Summer of Conversation has built a vibrant and connected community, and we are always encouraging other ways that people might connect.  For 2025-26, staff began a regular newsletter feature called "Stepping Stones to Community" in which we encourage simple things to do, think about, and encourage in our congregation. We want to show that the act of being in community can be easy and take just a little time each week, as well as provide technical instructions for tools or talk about some things which some of us find difficult or simply don't realize that we might be unintentionally unwelcoming. The intent is to make easy-to-complete tasks, that take just 5-10 minutes each week.  If we all make this small effort, St. Mark's reaps big rewards. Below are some of these Stepping Stones to Community which you can click on to read in its entirety.

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Stepping Stones to Community and Connection:

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Week #1 - Download the Online Church Directory

Week #2 - Learn how to navigate the Online Church Directory

Week #3 - Uploading or updating your photo in the Church Online Directory

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