Mark Stankevitz

EDITOR’S NOTE: A church community is created when people gather together for the love of God. At the same time, Saint Philip’s is comprised of many people who represent different ages, life experiences, and world views.

The “In conversation…” series is one attempt to create possibilities for connection between the different people in our community. As varied as we all are, there are also similarities and mutual interests waiting to be discovered. And there is one thing we all share: a desire to know God and be in relationship with him.

This week’s conversation is with Saint Philip’s parishioner and volunteer, Mark Stankevitz.

How long have you worshiped at Saint Philip’s?
Since February 2023, so about a year and a half.

How’d you find your way here?
By way of a friend of a friend of a friend. My wife, Leslie, had connections through all those friends with the wife of Mtr Kelli (who used to work at Saint Philip’s). We had dinner with that friend who mentioned this parish in passing.

We moved to Tucson from Boston in 2018. Then Covid struck. It wasn’t until we got pregnant post-Covid that we were really motivated to find a church. Saint Philip’s was our first choice because of that dinner we had years earlier.

We attended worship via live-stream a few times and then came in person.

What was your first experience worshiping in person?
I’ll never forget it. We walked on campus with our daughter, Thea, with one minute to spare before worship began. Mtr Taylor was on her way to church, and when she saw us she broke stride, came over, and offered to help with Thea. She showed us the nursery and told us about the Parents’ Formation group.

I thanked her and said we appreciated all her help but wanted to let her get back to her job. She said, “This is my job.” That spoke volumes to us.

Were you raised in a faith tradition?
I was raised in the Roman Catholic church and Leslie was raised in the Presbyterian church. We’ve met in the middle here.

What about Saint Philip’s appeals to you?
The CYFM ministry is exactly what we were looking for. The community is important but we’re also grateful for the opportunity to raise Thea in this tradition and expose her to experiences Leslie and I had as kids. That’s harder to find these days.

And the liturgy is close enough to what I grew up with that it feels like home.

What makes you feel like you belong to this community?
I can’t say enough about how welcoming everyone is. And being invited to volunteer has made a big difference.

One of the things that makes a community strong is a mutual web of obligations. When I was asked to volunteer—and I accepted—I felt that people were invested in me and counting on me. That definitely makes me feel like I belong.

How are you involved in the parish?
Right now I volunteer in three ways.

There is a group of parents who decided to take turns volunteering in the nursery on Sunday mornings. We did online and in-person training to make sure we have the skills and knowledge necessary.

It’s been a really rewarding experience, and also gives other parents an opportunity to worship without also trying to wrangle their toddlers.

I’m also a member of the Finance Committee.

And this year, Leslie and I are facilitating the Parent’s Formation group.

What do you do professionally?
I’m a CPA and work for Tucson Electric Power (TEP).

What do you like about the work?
I’ve always been pretty detail oriented, and every new transaction is like a puzzle to solve. The other thing I love is that it invites me to learn about different industries. For example, having toured power plants, I now know what it means when a turbine goes down.

What do you do to relax/replenish yourself?
There’s been a lot less relaxing since Thea came along! Generally, I love to hike and be in nature. Right now, relaxing is pretty much sitting on our patio and watching the sunset. 

What’s something you’re passionate about?
My family. At this stage of life, having a child opened up levels of love that I never knew were possible. I was very nervous about starting a family but I am so glad we did.

What’s something you find challenging?
I’m an introvert so it takes me a while to warm up.

Practically speaking, I’m not very coordinated with my hands so household repair projects are definitely a challenge. Leslie has all the power tools; I’m more likely to put an unintentional hole in the wall.

What’s one of your core values?
Consistency and dependability. If I say I’m going to do something then I do it.

What do you think is behind that value?
We have to work together to create the society we want. If we all play our parts—and do them well—then we’ll get there.

Do you have a favorite prayer?
We talked about this in Parents’ Formation. Every night since Thea was born I say a prayer to wish her a safe, peaceful, and restful sleep.

When Thea was a newborn, I was full of anxiety. The prayer started because I thought if she’s safe, that’s enough for right now.

The parents talk a lot about the different prayers we say and how they’ve changed. And yet, every family wants the same thing for their children.

What’s one of your guiding principles?
Since having Thea, my perspective has changed so now I would say being part of a community.

When I get down in the weeds and stress begins to overwhelm me, I remind myself of how much I love my family and that we are connected to others in this community. That helps keep the minor stressors of the day in perspective.

Our family and friends are scattered around the country but we’ve been very intentional in maintaining those relationships. Thea’s already flown 14 times in her two years.

What’s something you’re grateful for?
Beyond my family, I’m grateful for the ability to own my life. There are a lot of people who struggle physically, mentally, or financially and their day-to-day is very challenging. I’m grateful that I’m able to make choices without those heavy burdens.

What’s one of your super powers?
My boss told me recently that I have a knack for taking a complex problem and presenting it in a way that helps people to understand it. That’s useful because it makes finding a solution to the problem more possible.

What would Leslie say is one of your superpowers?
My sense of humor. We’ve known each other for 18 years and been married for 11 of them—and we continue to laugh together. I’m excited about the many years to come!

If you couldn’t fail, what’s something you’d like to do/or try?
I’m a weather nerd so I would love to chase tornadoes. I lived in the Midwest for a long time but never saw one.

What might people be surprised to learn about you?
I won a beat box contest in college. The event was like something out of the movie Pitch Perfect.

I entered as a joke and pretended to be a truck backing up—beep, beep, beep. The a cappella singers took the competition very seriously and were really upset when I was voted the winner. They said I ruined the contest’s integrity!

What’s a fun fact about you?
My father-in-law, Thea, and I all share the same birthday: May 17.

Missed an interview? All previous interviews can be found on Saint Philip’s website under the “About Us” tab. Click here to visit that page.