Council Happenings
September 2025 report

The council met on Sunday, September 21st, for its monthly meeting. The following are highlights from the meeting. 


Council Highlights

  • Pursuant to St. Mark’s constitution, anticipated openings on Council will be presented to the congregation on or about October 1.  Congregation members are encouraged to consider sharing their time and talent by serving on Council.  Please look for additional information in future Friday email messages.
  • Council will be entering its final quarter planning period beginning October 1, with emphasis on the 2026 budget development. 

Action Items

  •  Pastor Krista presented a recommendation for a lease and maintenance agreement for a new copy machine for the church office, allowing St. Mark’s to gain efficiency and capacity.  Council approved the recommendation. 


Committee Highlights

       Property Team

  • The City of Aurora has made a site visit to St. Mark’s to try to identify any building issues that could help the church with water usage and costs. The city has also conducted a fire inspection recently and issued a report. St. Mark’s is following up on identified items.
  • Remediation efforts to address an ongoing water issue in the kitchen area on the lower level are being explored.
  • Pending approval of the proposed agreement with District 129, improvements for the central courtyard space are being explored. The agreement provides St. Mark’s with a one-time payment of $25,000 that can be applied to courtyard improvements for the benefit of ESSE clients and other purposes.

      Stewardship Committee

  •   Randy Steinheimer provided a verbal update of the work of the Stewardship Committee and the stewardship season now underway.  Members are encouraged to keep up-to-date with information provided in weekly Temple Talks, Friday email writings and other messages.
  • Members are encouraged to consider an increase in their 2026 pledge in response to the Mission Challenge gift matching member increases in pledges up to a congregational total of $35,000. 

     Constitution Review

  • Randy Steinheimer reported that the constitution template with updated information has been received from the Metro Chicago Synod.  Randy stated that the Constitution Committee will meet one more time in late September and will then submit a draft document to the Council for its review and approval.  It is anticipated that a revised constitution document will be presented to the congregation for approval at the 2026 Annual Meeting. 

Upcoming dates:


  • The special congregational meeting to approve the proposed playground use agreement with District 129 will take place following worship services on September 27-28.
  • A Budget Forum and 2026 budget preview is being planned for October.  Further details will be shared in Friday email messages.
  •  Council’s next meeting is Sunday, October 12. 


The Council is committed to open communication and ongoing transparency with the congregation. Please feel free to reach out to a Council member here with your questions.