ADULT FORMATION
Mission statement
The SJW Adult Formation Team works provide programming that fosters holistic adult faith formation by integrating relationships, life experiences, and Christian discipleship to cultivate meaningful connections, enriched spiritual engagement, and practical life understanding.
Adult Formation at SJW
- is for any adult at any point in their faith journey, within the congregation and from the larger community.
- happens in CONNECT groups, book studies, Bible study, 2nd Sunday speakers, workshops, retreats and more!
- takes place at SJW, virtually, and in CONNECT groups that may meet in homes or wherever it makes sense.
- is offered on Sunday mornings, Wednesday evenings, and more – check our calendar here!
- connects us deeply with each other, supports spiritual practices of Christian discipleship, and helps us become better disciples in community.
Adult spiritual formation shapes Christian adults through immersive community experiences that include prayer, study, and service, recognizing that both formal and informal interactions contribute to our growth. This involves creating opportunities for individuals to share their lives and faith, deepen their understanding of Scripture within the Anglican tradition, gain practical insights on everyday topics, and engage in ministry while reflecting on its personal significance.
How can I get involved?
Sign up or just show up! Please see the calendar and weekly news for updates. Reach out to Kate Maxwell or Emily Brunner with any questions.
CONNECT GROUPS
Discovering Our Gifts
Each of us has been given many gifts in life. Some we have used in our work or profession. Some we may have explored but not used. There are also gifts we haven’t yet recognized. In this group we will explore our giftedness in several ways and we will discover together how we might use these gifts in our current life situations.
6 Tuesdays in October and November, 12-1:30 – bring a bag lunch.
Janet Dieterich & Kate Maxwell will help lead.
Bible Book Club
Are you searching for a deeper connection with timeless and captivating stories from the Bible? Join our Bible Book Club CONNECT group where we’ll journey through some of the well-known narratives that have shaped our faith for centuries. Whether you’re familiar with these stories or exploring them for the first time, this CONNECT group offers a welcoming space for discussion, discovery, and spiritual growth. Come be part of a community that brings these ancient tales to life, uncovering their relevance and inspiration for our lives today. This is not a traditional Bible study. Dates TBD with the group.
DInner Groups
Would you like to get to know a few St John’s members better? Do you enjoy cooking and dining with others? This group may be for you! Each month a few members of the community will get together at a host’s home for a potluck, share a meal and good conversation. You need not be a host yourself to be part of the group.
Hugh McTavish is helping to lead and dates TBD with the group.
Sacred Reckonings
This small connect group is designed to delve deeper into the questions that are raised in the Awakening the Dreamer workshop.
- Week 1: Where are We?
- Week 2: How did we get Here?
- Week 3: What is Possible for the Future?
- Week 4 – 5: Where do we go from here?
All who join this group will watch the 2 hour video, Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream, prior to the start of the 1st meeting. (You can watch it on your own or join us on Oct 5th 9-Noon in the parlor). We will also be using another resource designed by the national Episcopal Church called Episcopal Church Becoming Beloved Community.
Katheryn Schneider will help lead and dates TBD with the group.
Book Groups
Waging Peace
This book club will take place in October, dates TBD. Hosted by Rona Pasch at her house in White Bear Lake.
Diana Oestreich, a combat medic in the Army National Guard, enlisted like both her parents before her. But when she was commanded to run over an Iraqi child to keep her convoy rolling and keep her battle buddies safe, she was confronted with a choice she never thought she’d have to make. Torn between God’s call to love her enemy and her country’s command to be willing to kill, Diana chose to wage peace in a place of war. For the remainder of her tour of duty, Diana sought to be a peacemaker–leading to an unlikely and beautiful friendship with an Iraqi family. A beautiful and gut-wrenching memoir, Waging Peace exposes the false divide between loving our country and living out our faith’s call to love our enemies–whether we perceive our enemy as the neighbor with an opposing political viewpoint, the clerk wearing a head-covering, or the refugee from a war-torn country. By showing that us-versus-them is a false choice, this book will inspire each of us to choose love over fear.
https://www.dianaoestreich.com/
God’s Politics
Six Sunday Evenings Online, 7pm, 9.22 – 10.27, with Fr Art.
Radical Hospitality
Wednesday 10.2 – 11.13, at 2pm in the Parlor with Kate Maxwell
Most Episcopal congregations describe themselves as welcoming and hospitable. But hospitality goes beyond saying hi and offering food and drink in coffee hour. Join Kate in reflecting on the deeper meanings of hospitality in our lives, as described in St Benedict’s 6th century Rule and adapted to the 21st century. The group will meet weekdays in the mornings.
