Our History

St. Mark's United Methodist Church held its first worship service on Mother's Day, May 8, 1955, with 35 persons in attendance. This service was held at the Sunbeam Home, a private children's boarding home on Bennett Avenue. This was soon outgrown and services were moved to a converted garage on the same grounds. During the summer months of that year, drive-in worship services were conducted at 15 Bennett Avenue. This property had been purchased as the site of a new Methodist Church.

As attendance grew, services were moved to a converted school house 5 miles southeast of Council Bluffs and remained at this site until 1958. The first Sunday worship service in the new sanctuary at 15 Bennett Avenue was held on May14, 1958. The present parsonage and educational building were purchased in April 1965.

In 1972 the Indian Hills Nursing Center ministry and the Child Care Center were started. Perkins Hall was remodeled in 1982.

The Church's mortgage was paid off and papers burned in a ceremony of dedication Sunday, November 7, 1982. The following year the Christian Education Building was extensively remodeled and consecrated.

The Saturday night Worship Service and the Live Nativity were begun in 1993. In 1995 six new stained glass windows in our Sanctuary were dedicated. The hanging lights in the sanctuary were added in 1997.

St. Mark's is a small, friendly church. It is a good place to worship, to learn, and to share in a family atmosphere.