St. Peter’s in the Woods wants to join you wherever you are on your faith journey, and offers a wide range of opportunities for you to connect with other adults outside of our Sunday morning services.
Come and see - there’s something for everybody at St. Peter’s in the Woods!
Weekly Activities for All
Education for Ministry (EFM)
Tuesdays from 9:30 - 11:30 a.m., at the church
What is EfM?
All Christians are called to live out their faith in daily life. EfM is short for Education for Ministry, a seminary level education preparing our laity to minister as they are charged and empowered in the rite of Baptism. In each EfM seminar, you’ll experience community by praying, studying, worshiping, reflecting, and discovering our unique way of walking in the world through faith. Through these five practices, we build community right from the start.
EfMers gather together. We read and reflect on one of five years: Hebrew Scripture, Christian Scripture, Church History, Christian Ethics and Spirituality, or the recently developed, Wide Angle. The latter is a new curriculum designed to deliver an experience of all four previous years in one year. By having members in multiple years, we explore the common themes throughout the faith journey, and we experience the multiple voices of the spirit through each other's experiences.
Do you wish to deepen and strengthen your faith?
Do you question different interpretations of biblical passages and want to explore them more deeply?
Do you seek fellowship that goes beyond coffee hour?
Are you seeking God and desire others to accompany you on your search?
Does Sunday morning whet your appetite for more?
If you see yourself in any of these questions, then EfM is exactly designed for you.
Our current EfM seminar meets on Tuesdays from 9:30-11:30 am in our church. We will begin a new EfM year in January with registration beginning immediately. Interested parishioners should contact our EfM mentor, Chuck Link at cdlink83@gmail.com or 703-431-9640. If you are not able to attend the morning meeting, please indicate your interest anyway by contacting Chuck Link. If there is sufficient interest, we will plan an evening zoom seminar to accommodate.
Thursday Morning Theology
Thursdays, 8:00 - 9:00 a.m., Zoom
Join SPW's very own "Breakfast Club" with a cup of caffeine and something to nibble, as we discuss topics ranging from the Lord's Prayer, spiritual practices, the English Mystics, and more. Contact Reverend Susan for more information.
Sacred Ground
11-part series, facilitated seasonally at the church
Sacred Ground is a film- and readings-based dialogue series on race, grounded in faith. Small groups are invited to walk through chapters of America’s history of race and racism, while weaving in threads of family story, economic class, and political and regional identity. The 11-part series, experienced over 22 weeks, is built around a powerful online curriculum of documentary films and readings that focus on Indigenous, Black, Latino, and Asian/Pacific American histories as they intersect with European American histories.
At St. Peter’s in the Woods to date, we have had three SG dialogue circles, the first two were comprised of all white participants, and the most recent as an inter-racial circle Anyone who is open to honest sharing and holy curiosity about history, faith, and racial justice and reconciliation, is most welcome to join us in our next circle to be conducted on Tuesday or Wednesday evenings on Zoom from 9:00 – 7:00 pm, beginning in January.
Contact Chuck Link, or Becky Fox to get connected with the next series beginning in January, 2025.
Welcome Table
Welcome Table Fellowship Groups are small gatherings of folks who meet monthly for dinner and conversation in each other's homes. It's a wonderful opportunity to get to know one another and share your faith journeys. Let Reverand Susan know if you'd like to get connected.
Women’s Fellowship Opportunities
Weekly Ladies Lunch
Wednesdays @ 12:00
Join the SPW JEWELS (Joyful, Elegant, Women Eating Lunch) each Wednesday at noon at Chloez in Fairfax Station. No RSVP required.
Monthly Women’s Gathering
Meets Saturday Mornings
This casual group is a place for spiritual friendships, prayer, and community, as well as to learn or explore a new topic or go on a field trip. Low key is our vibe so women at every stage in their life (busy with a 9-5, kids, and a household to run; to those retired with a bit more time on their hands; and every woman in between) can be comfortable dropping in when it works for their schedule without feeling as if you’ve fallen behind.. No RSVP is required to attend. Feel free to reach out to Chris Camillo for additional information.
Annual Women’s Retreat
Contact Rev. Susan to learn more about our annual women’s weekend at Shrine Mont retreat center.
Men’s Fellowship Groups
Every Wednesday
at 12:00 p.m., at Chloez Cafe in Fairfax Station
The ‘ROMEOS’ (Retired Older Men Eating Out) meet for lunch and conversation. Come join us! Contact Gary Welschenbach for details.