ENGAGE IN FAITH
FOR ADULTS
Engage the Mind
ADULT FORUM
Join us every Sunday at 9:15 AM in the Parish Hall for an enriching opportunity designed to ENGAGE THE MIND as but one part of the whole person. Each week and semester, we explore various themes and topics of Christian theology, scripture, and spirituality; opportunities to question, to share insights, and build deeper spiritual foundations. Together we we grow in our connection in God and to one another.
We look forward to seeing you there!
ORDINARY TIME SERIES (1/12-3/2)
“Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth”
Inspired by Richard Foster's classic work of the same name, we explored various ways to go deeper in our faith. Many have asked for access to the lectures. Please click on any of the buttons below to view the slides.
LENT/EASTER SERIES (3/9-5/4):
Lent and Easter Wisdom from St. Benedict
For over 1,500 years, Christians have looked to St. Benedict, the patriarch of Western monasticism, for spiritual wisdom. And rightly so as his rule has shown how one may experience a simple, holy, and practical life, despite the increasingly busy pace of our daily existence.
We'll be reflecting on Scripture readings for Lent and Easter and pairing them with a daily selection from the cherished writings of St. Benedict. We'll be encouraged to set aside time each day to reflect upon a specific Scripture passage while providing a suggested activity for Christian living during the Lenten season. In the Lent/Easter seasons when we focus on Christ's great sacrifice for our salvation, we can renew our alertness to the many ways in which our own lives can model his and be other-centered. And like St. Benedict we can come to know God's spirit through the habit of prayer and meditation.
BIBLE STUDIES
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Monday: 7:30-8:00, 315 & Zoom, Bo Proctor - This begins with the Daily Office of Morning Prayer, 7:00-7:30 in 304/05 & Zoom) CLICK HERE to go to the Zoom Button on this website.
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Tuesday: Growing in Faith Women's Bible Study (2:30-3:30pm, 315, Debby Carlson) - We will be studying Ruth and Esther this year, using a Bible study guide and preparing for weekly discussion based on the readings and questions set out in the guide. Our main goals are to deepen our spirituality, improve our Bible literacy, and build a supportive fellowship with each other. And, yes, we do have fun, which includes lunch out occasionally! We are a welcoming group and invite you to join us.
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Wednesday: LIFT Bible Study (11:00-12:30pm, Zoom, Laura McGinley) - LIFT (Learning in Faith Together) invites all who enjoy sharing different viewpoints, want to pray together, and seek faithful engagement with others in their relationship with Jesus Christ. Contact Laura McGinley for the Zoom link.
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Thursday: 1&3 Outdoor Bible Study (1st & 3rd Thursday, 5:30-7:00, Firepit) - byo dinner, 5:30-6:00, followed by study/discussion. If you love the outdoors as we do, bring your Bible, a chair, your headlamp, a sandwich/drink and join us in encountering scripture around a campfire under the stars. Hosted by the St. John’s Fly Fishers. Contact Fr. Brad with any questions.
SEASONAL OFFERINGS
LATTES IN LENT (3/6-4/11)
Begins March 6, and each weekday thereafter on Zoom (ID 817 2388 4337), 12:00-12:45.
Lattes in Lent Schedule
“Bread and Wine: Readings for Lent & Easter”
Part 1: Invitation
3/6 Ch. 1 — Repentance (Kathleen Norris)
7 Ch. 2 — Repent (William Willimon)
10 Ch. 4 — Living Lent (Barbara Cawthorne Crafton)
11 Ch. 6 — Surrender Is Everything (Jean-Pierre de Caussade)
12 Ch. 8 — The Royal Road (Thomas à Kempis)
13 Ch. 9 — To Know the Cross (Thomas Merton)
14 Ch. 10 — Discipleship and the Cross (Dietrich Bonhoeffer)
17 Ch. 11 — Followers, Not Admirers (Søren Kierkegaard)
Part II: Temptation
18 Ch. 13 — Keeping Watch (Philip Berrigan)
19 Ch. 15 — The Divine Scandal (Emil Brunner)
20 Ch. 16 — Ruth to Tell (Barbara Brown Taylor)
21 Ch. 19 — Merchandising Truth (Meister Eckhart)
24 Ch. 22 — Turning (Henry Drummond)
25 Ch. 23 — The Crucified (Kahlil Gibran)
Part III: Passion
26 Ch. 25 — Prisoner of Hope (Jürgen Moltmann)
27 Ch. 26 — A Father’s Grief (Martin Luther)
28 Ch. 28 — For the Sacrificed (Dag Hammarskjöld)
31 Ch. 29 — God the Rebel (G.K. Chesterton)
4/1 Ch. 30 — Thy Will Be Done (Edith Stein)
2 Ch. 31 — Still Bleeding (Wendell Berry)
3 Ch. 32 — On This Gallows (Dorothee Soelle)
4 Ch. 34 — I Thirst For You (Mother Teresa)
Part IV: Crucifixion
7 Ch. 35 — Our Mediator (Saint Augustine)
8 Ch. 36 — The Crucifix (Thomas Howard)
9 Ch. 38 — Waiting for God (Simone Weil)
10 Ch. 44 — It is Done (Watchman Nee)
11 Ch. 46 — A Cosmic Cross (Paul Tillich)
Though Easter (like Christmas) is often trivialized by the culture at large, it is still the high point of the Christian calendar. As such, there can be no Easter without Lent. A penitential time for self-denial, soul-searching, and spiritual preparation, Lent is often observed by daily reading and regular time for prayer and reflection. This collection of Christianity's (past and present) most profound contemplatives, thinkers, and scholars is sure to satisfy the hunger for a meaningful experience of the season.
Bring your lunch, a cup of coffee, or whatever you like, as we take a mid-day break from the daily routine and gather with others in sharing and reflection. NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED - just show up.
Click HERE to purchase your copy.
Engage the Spirit
CONTEMPLATIVE OPPORTUNITIES
CENTERING PRAYER
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Monday (3:30-5:00pm, Parish Hall, Contact Fr. Brad for orientation)
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In the spirit of a centering prayer retreat, every 2nd Monday is an Intensive when there is no book discussion - just silence and 3 20-minute sits with meditative walks
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Tuesday (2:00-3:30pm, Parish Hall, Carol Clark)
Centering Prayer is a receptive method of silent prayer that prepares us to receive the gift of contemplative prayer, prayer in which we experience God's presence within us, closer than breathing, closer than thinking, closer than consciousness itself. This method of prayer is both a relationship with God and a discipline to foster that relationship. It is not meant to replace other kinds of prayer. Rather, it adds depth of meaning to all prayer and facilitates the movement from more active modes of prayer - verbal, mental or affective prayer - into a receptive prayer of resting in God. Centering Prayer emphasizes prayer as a personal relationship with God and as a movement beyond conversation with Christ to communion with Christ. St. John’s hosts Centering Prayer workshops, follow-up sessions, and retreats. Contact Fr. Brad Smith
LECTIO DIVINA
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Thursday (9:00-10:00am, Zoom, Fr. Brad Smith)
"Divine reading," is an ancient practice of praying the Scriptures. During Lectio Divina, the practitioner listens to the text of the Bible with the "ear of the heart," as if he or she is in conversation with God, and God is suggesting the topics for discussion. The method of Lectio Divina includes moments of reading (lectio), reflecting on (meditatio), responding to (oratio) and resting in (contemplatio) the Word of God with the aim of nourishing and deepening one's relationship with the Divine. This is a ZOOM program. Contact Fr. Brad for an introduction and for the zoom link.
MORNING PRAYER
(followed by Bible Study) Monday. 7-7:30am, Bo Proctor, 315 & Zoom.
EVENING PRAYER & ROSARY
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Thursday, 5:45-6:30pm, 309
Evening Prayer from The Book of Common Prayer as well as the Anglican Rosary. Visitors and new members are always welcome. No previous experience with the Rosary is necessary. Rosary beads, booklets of prayers and instructions are available for anyone who wishes to attend. The purpose of holding beads during prayer is to help an individual to focus, to become calm and to feel comfort. A collection of prayers, written intentionally for using the Anglican rosary pattern, keeps the group reading together as we pray. The Anglican Rosary (also called Episcopal, Protestant) is a blend of the traditional Roman Catholic Rosary and the Orthodox Jesus Prayer Rope. It was developed during the 1980’s as a focus for contemplative prayer and meditation. Contact: Jane Williams
DAUGHTERS OF THE KING
Meets as needed. Contact: Nancy Nye
Engage the Body
St. JOHN'S FLY FISHERS
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"1&3 Outdoor Bible Study" (1st & 3rd Thursdays, fire pit - 5:30-6:00pm byo bag dinner; 6:00-7:00pm study) All are welcome. Begins 9/19.
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Also hosts trips, retreats, classes, clinics, and fellowship opportunities.
It's about so much more than catching fish! Enjoying connection with the Divine majesty of nature, the St. John’s Fly Fishers serve Christ and further the Kingdom through a welcoming community of adult women and men (16 years or older) who share a passion for going to deep waters. We host Bible studies and faith development opportunities, clinics, instructional classes like fly tying, and of course head to the water for camping/cabin trips and retreats. CLICK HERE to learn more. Contact: Craig Murden or Fr. Brad Smith
TAI CHI
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Tuesday, 6:00-7:00pm, Tilson Hall
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$15.00/person/class (cash) due at the door
St. John's welcomes Sifu David Block (of "The Phoenix and Dragon Tai Chi & Kung Fu School"). Tai Chi is a martial art and also a form of “moving meditation” that calms the mind, relaxes the body and strengthens the spirit. Much of Tai Chi is practiced slowly and gently, and is ideal for people of all ages and health conditions. All are welcome.
Contact Fr. Brad Smith
GOLF FELLOWSHIP
Attention all women and men! Want to have fun with fellow members of St. John’s who share your passion for golf? This is the opportunity for you! CLICK HERE to sign up for this exciting fellowship which includes a men's fall trip and women's events.
Contact: Clayton Watkins or Blair Criminger
Engage the World
SACRED GROUND: A 10 Week Course (ON A SPRING SABBATICAL FOR 2025)
Sacred Ground is a part of Becoming Beloved Community, The Episcopal Church’s long-term commitment to racial healing, reconciliation, and justice in our personal lives, our ministries, and our society. This series is open to all, and especially designed to help white people talk with other white people. Participants are invited to peel away the layers that have contributed to the challenges and divides of the present day – all while grounded in our call to faith, hope and love. For more information contact Lauren Phillips.
The WAY FORWARD
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3rd Wednesday/month, 305
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This ministry provides the parish with opportunities to fulfill the mission of the church, by engaging in conversations on a variety of social topics that lead to action, growth, and ultimately bringing us more closely together as a parish and as members of the broader Charlotte community. CLICK HERE for more information. For questions, contact, Jackie John.