The greatest gift a parent can give their children is to introduce them to a living relationship with God in Jesus Christ. At St. John the Evangelist, we envision faith formation as a partnership between the parish and the parents whose children we strive to serve. Put another way, we are here to help kids and their families come to know Jesus as a friend, and through that friendship develop a desire to love and serve God, each other, and the Church.

Middle School Faith Formation is open for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade youth in our parish. Sessions are held on the first and third Wednesdays of the month from 6—7:30p.m. The program follows a Youth Ministry model that incorporates social time and games, as well as talks, prayer activities and occasional small group discussions. Our goal is to help them grow in their faith and relationship with Jesus, while being supported by a community of their peers. Contact Monique Gill at mgill@stjohnsp.org for more information.

St. John the Evangelist School is a Roman Catholic Preschool through Grade 8 parish school under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Baltimore. In a community of faith and with the Gospel values of Jesus Christ, our faculty and staff work together to develop each child to the best of his and her ability, spiritually, academically, artistically, socially, and physically in a nurturing environment that promotes living faith, academic excellence, leadership, and service within the Church community and society.

Altar servers assist at the celebration liturgy on Sundays, weekdays, major feasts, funerals, and weddings. Boys and girls from fifth grade through high school are eligible for this ministry. New server training takes place each summer. Click here to view the St. John Altar Server Manual. Contact: Helen Kirby at hkirby@stjohnsp.org for more information.

BLAZE is a Walking with Purpose ministry for teen/tween girls. It was created to counteract the way our society drives girls to question their identity, worth and beauty. Through BLAZE, we emphasize how a girl's identity is rooted in Christ as God's chosen, beloved daughter. An antidote to bullying, anxiety and body image issues, BLAZE replaces lies with truth and strengthens girls from the inside out through the use of Scripture-based programs.

SIGN UP YOUR DAUGHTER FOR BLAZE:

• 20 lessons
• Each week, participants are led through an ice breaker activity and short lesson based on a lie found in the world and a truth found in Scripture.
• The girls leave with a small take-home gift corresponding with the lesson every month.

As the girls are introduced to the Bible in relevant and fresh ways, they will hear Jesus telling them how loved and beautiful they are! Be sure to check out IGNITE for boys. To register, please email bistjohnsp@gmail.com for more information. You can also learn more by visiting bistjohnsp.weebly.com.

BSA Troop 450

Troop 450 was founded in 1962, located in Severna Park, Maryland with weekly meetings at our chartering organization St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church. The troop celebrated 60 years in 2022.

We are a scout-led outdoor-oriented troop enjoying monthly camping excursions such as hiking, swimming, fishing, canoeing, caving, zip lining, as well as conducting service-related projects such as picking vegetables and fruit for First Fruit Farms to feed the hungry, wreath removal at the Navy Academy, and supporting the Chesapeake Bay Foundation with oyster projects.

The troop is responsible for the annual assembly and removal of the St. John’s Nativity scene.

Additional information about our troop activities and points of contact may be found at our Troop Website or email Jake Miller at jake@denjak.com.

Cub Scout Pack 450

Based out of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church and School. Our Cub Pack primarily consists of kindergarten—fifth grade boys from St. John’s School, but we heartily welcome anyone in the greater Severna Park community who wants their son to grow up learning the Scouting Ideals.

For more information, contact Carl Neimeyer at carljn@gmail.com.

Most Sundays during the school year we offer for ages 4—7 Children's Liturgy of the Word at the 9:00a.m. and 11a.m. Masses except when a Family Mass is scheduled. After the Opening Prayer, children aged 4-8 will be offered the opportunity to be dismissed to "break open the Word of God" in the Gathering Space Meeting Room in a format that is age-appropriate. The children return to church for the Liturgy of the Eucharist with their families. We ask that families of children under the age of 4 take advantage of our childcare option and not send toddlers to Children's Liturgy of the Word.

We are looking for adult volunteers to lead and help with the program each week. If you are interested and have completed the VIRTUS training, please contact Ruth Gorski at rgorski@stjohnsp.org.

IGNITE, is a Beta test program for tween/teen boys that compliments the girl's BLAZE program.

In IGNITE, boys will forge a Christ-centered brotherhood that will strengthen them on their faith journey. The adventure of growing into a young man is like climbing a mountain. There is beauty, challenge, and wonder. There are moments where new pathways need to be forged and terrain where a guide is needed. This adventure is made better when surrounded by a brotherhood that seeks to reach the same summit.

IGNITE will provide a basecamp for engaging the world in hopes of transforming and claiming it for Christ. IGNITE consists of activity-based lessons that affirm the gifts of manhood through biblical truths, Church teaching, and prayer.

SIGN UP YOUR SON FOR IGNITE:
• BRAND NEW* 20 lesson Pilot Program that is similar to BLAZE but written for boys
• Each week, participants are led through an ice breaker activity and short lesson based on a lie found in the world and a truth found in Scripture.
• The boys leave with a small take-home gift corresponding with the lesson every month.

IGNITE content combined with the community built around this group creates the context for discipleship to form and grow. To register, please email bistjohnsp@gmail.com for more information. You can also learn more by visiting bistjohnsp.weebly.com.

Children and young people who have special needs or challenges are invited to participate in faith formation. Our program is designed according to the needs of the participating youngsters. Please call the Office of Faith Formation for additional information at 410-647-4892.

Childcare is available during the Sunday 9 and 11a.m. Masses. Children ages 1 to 4 are invited to come and play while their family is at Mass. Childcare is located in the Good Shepherd Room, located on the right side of the Gathering Space as you enter the church. Please do not bring snacks. Leave your cell phone number at drop off and keep your phones on silent or vibrate while you are at Mass in case of emergency.

If you or any family member would like to volunteer to serve at the childcare during one or both Masses, please contact Ruth Gorski at rgorski@stjohnsp.orgfor details. All volunteers must be VIRTUS certified.

Save the date! VBS will be held the summer of 2023, June 26—June 30. Registration is coming soon. Please contact the Office of Faith Formation at 410-647-4892 with any questions.