St John the Baptist

Sunday Morning Adult Forums
We are currently offering Sunday Adult Forums following the 10:15 service.
Please join us and stay tuned for information about future offerings.
For more information, contact the church office.
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Tuesday Morning Book Study Group

Tuesdays10:15-11:30 am Tuesday, Ladehoff Room
Discussions are rich and stimulating as different perspectives are shared and new views explored. During the summer we’ve been reading How the Irish Saved Civilization by Thomas Cahill, a scholarly but very engaging history of the origins of the Irish soul and Celtic spirituality. We are currently

reading The Gifts of the Jews, also by Cahill.
We read aloud and discuss. No homework! Drop in any Tuesday – you’ll feel welcome.
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Companions On the Journey
2nd Wednesdays, 7:00 pm
Companions on the Journey is a support group for people in our parish who are seeking to grow spiritually in a personal spiritual practice such as prayer, journaling, and meditation.
We meet once a month for worship and discussion and keep in touch by email.
This group is intended to provide inspiration, support, and new insights in an informal and enjoyable setting. All are invited to join with us!
For more information, contact Doug Speers, 503-246-0722
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Contemplative Prayer Group
2:00 pm, 2nd & 4th Mondays, Ladehoff Room
Sharing Contemplative Prayer with others can open us to discernment of our spiritual gifts, spiritual bonding with others and feeling the presence of our personal God.
Our gathering around a simple altar begins with prose, proceeds into a brief check-in, then focuses on a theme. After discussion
we sit in silence for 20 minutes and depart in silence.
All are welcome.
For more information, contact Lynn Hingson.
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Explore our Library
Located downstairs and in the Ladehoff Room
You will find rich resources for a wide variety of interests.
Visit the library shelves in the Bishop Ladehoff Room for a range of popular books, updated weekly.
The Library downstairs is open on request (during the school year it is used by OES tutors).
Pick up the key in the church office.
You will find a large collection of timeless books for non-readers to teens – Seuss to C. S. Lewis and Ursula LeGuin.
Please feel free to check these out. Just sign the green card and leave it in the white basket on the desk. A basket of books for children is available in the narthex.
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Women’s Luncheons
Third Wednesdays, 11:30 a.m.
All women of the parish, especially newcomers, are invited for gentle conversation and opportunities to make new friends.
The partially-potluck Women’s Luncheon always includes an ingathering of funds for the United Thank Offering (UTO). For more information call the church office, 503.245.3777.
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Men’s Breakfasts
Saturday Mornings as announced, 8:00-9:30 a.m.
Men’s Breakfasts are held periodically throughout the year to provide an opportunity for men of the parish to get together for fellowship and to hopefully meet men who are new to the parish.
We feature a speaker at each meeting and enjoy a “gourmet” breakfast together.
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Locusts and Wild Honey
Sign-ups begin in October
Mark’s Gospel records that John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, and he ate locusts and wild honey. We’ve greatly improved the menus for our Locusts and Wild Honey dinner groups.
New groups of 8-10 adults, a blending of “old-timers” and newcomers, couples and singles, are formed each fall to widen our circles of friendship. Group members take turns hosting planned potluck dinners in their homes or other selected locations. Contact the church office for more information.
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Hospitality, Coffee Hour, Golf Cart
Small courtesies can sometimes make a big difference.
The “Coffee Hours” immediately following the church service provide a chance for congregants to greet visitors and share news, over cookies and coffee. A brief ride in the golf cart from the parking lot to the door on a drizzly day is an extra treat.
Those who want to host these small hospitalities are always welcome to sign up for a date on the kiosk in the narthex.
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Contemplative Knitting aka "The Knitwits"
(The Prayer Shawl Ministry)
First Tuesdays, 1:00 p.m.
The experience of a small group of friends, sitting together and knitting with God, is both an activity and a prayer. We call ourselves the “Knit Wits” and we meet at 1:00 p.m. the first Tuesday of every month to knit prayer shawls which are then given to those in need of this special kind of comfort.
Some recipients of our shawls are ill, some bereaved, some celebrating births – or birthdays.
Some are parishioners, many are not.
Some shawls are created with a special person in mind, and others are stored in wait for just the right person to come along.
Every shawl is a union of our skill and God’s grace.
When a shawl is ready to be give, it is blessed.
Often we gather at the altar on Sunday morning for this prayer, giving the whole congregation an opportunity to participate in the gift.
For more information, contact the church office.
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