St Mark's Constitution and Policy Documents

St Mark's Constitution and Policy Documents

St Mark's Church is a registered charity known as The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St Mark, Bedford. Also known as

St Mark's Church Community Centre. The Trustees are responsible for the management of the charity, they are listed here.

St Mark's has adopted the policies as recommended for the Church of England by the St Albans Diocese entitled Promoting a safer Church

The purpose of the charity is recorded as

(a) the celebration of public worship and sacraments;

(b) the teaching of the Christian faith;

(d) pastoral work (including visiting the sick and the bereaved);

(e) the provision of facilities with a Christian ethos for the local community (including, but not restricted to, the elderly, the young, and other groups with disabilities and or special needs)

(f) the provision of a sacred space for personal prayer and contemplation

(g) promoting the whole mission of the Church through provision of activities for senior citizens, parent and toddlers and special needs groups.

(h) supporting other charities in the UK and overseas

(i) the taking of religious assemblies in schools

St Mark's states that it provides for the community in the following statement

The church community centre operates as a resource for community life opening each day from 8:00 am until 11:00 pm. The centre has multiple facilities for groups to meet simultaneously therefore a day-care centre of people with learning disabilities may operate at the same time as a pre-school, the credit union and a group engaged in adult learning. The premises are entirely accessible throughout for all people and are made available without restriction on a low cost, multi-occupancy basis.

St Mark's Church Community Centre Mission Statement

St. Mark’s Church Community Centre will be a foundation and resource for the positive development and growth of the individual and community life.

We will achieve this by -

Working alongside other agencies, statutory bodies and charities to offer a partnership approach to community needs
Providing an efficient and well managed suite of premises conforming to the highest standards of health and safety
Valuing the importance of satisfactory training, supervision and support for all staff and volunteers involved in the work of the Centre
Recognising our responsibility to all groups within the community and ensuring a welcoming and safe environment where all individuals are valued irrespective of age, gender, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, appearance or marital status
Listening and obtaining feedback from those who use our services through regular use of assessment and monitoring tools. Evaluating our provision and maintaining an awareness of the constant need for our evolution and growth to meet the demands of a changing society

St Mark’s is an Inclusive Church

St Mark's affiliated to the charity Inclusive Church (Registered Charity No 1102676) on 4 February 2024.
We believe in inclusive church — church which celebrates and affirms every person and does not discriminate.
We will continue to challenge the church where it discriminates against people on grounds of disability, economic power, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, learning disability, mental health, neurodiversity or sexuality.
We believe in a Church which welcomes and serves all people in the name of Jesus Christ. We believe in a Church which is scripturally faithful and seeks to proclaim the Gospel afresh for each generation. We believe in a Church which, in the power of the Holy Spirit, allows all people to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Jesus Christ