Community Outreach Ministries

Ministry Directory

Backpack Program
Through donations from parishioners and the community, St. John the Baptist provides weekend food to food insecure students in 4 local schools. Volunteers sort, pack and distribute over 150 blue bags of nutritional, shelf-stable food each week during the school year. Contact Summer Wright to get involved , (812) 490-1000.

Bereavement Ministries

Bereavement Meal Teams -- Provide funeral meals for grieving parish families. Multiple teams that rotate as needed. Volunteers usually only serve once or twice a year. Contact Mary Wahl (marybwahl@gmail.com) or Vicki Labhart (vickilabhart@gmail.com) to get involved.

Companions on the Journey -- Offers a meal 3 times a year with a guest speaker who shares their personal experience and/or expertise in dealing with loss. There is no cost to the attendees for the meal. COJ also sends cards to parish members who have lost a loved one. We offer to meet with them if they'd like to talk and invite them to our dinners. Contact Kathy Borkowski (kathy.borkowski@erafirst.com) for more info.

Foster Care Awareness & Support

Support and encourage Foster Families in our community through the use of the Hands of Hope CarePortal. We also host quarterly meetings with speakers related to Foster Care. Contact Christine Lutz (ctinelutz@gmail.com) to find out more.

Gardening Angels

Parishioners who work together to keep our campus beautiful year-round! Contact Mimi Scheessele (mimisches@gmail.com) to adopt a spot!

Haiti Ministry
Our Lady of Lourdes in Grand Bassin is our adopted sister parish in Haiti. Sponsors for children’s schooling are needed. Semi-annual collections are sent to our sister parish as well as the orphanage in Port Au Prince. Ministry Meetings are held the 1st Monday of each even month from 6:30-7pm (currently off-campus). Contact Liesl Disch (ldisch3@gmail.com) for more info.

Hospitality/Welcome Ministry

Helping to create a welcoming environment within the St. John's Parish Community. We currently host a Welcome Weekend event each quarter. Ministry members are encouraged to reach out and connect personally with new parishioners. Contact Summer Wright in the Parish Office to get involved 812-490-1000.

Knights of Columbus
To be part of the Knights of Columbus gives any Catholic man the opportunity to be of service to St. John the Baptist Parish, to the Diocese of Evansville and even to the greater Community on a National level. Meetings are held the 1st Tuesday of the month in the Joseph Rm (LL of the Church). The annual Trivia Night is a major event of the Knights of Columbus at St. John Parish and Lenten Fish Fry is co-sponsored with the St. John Men’s Club. For more information on how to become a Knight, contact Grant Gerling (grant@gerlinginsurance.com).

Mother Teresa Treasures & Fresh Start Program
Thrift Store founded in 2000 provides low-cost items to the public through donations. Proceeds are used to help the Parish and the Community. The Fresh Start Program provides necessities free of charge for those in need and setting up a new home (vetted through social services). All is made possible through donations and volunteer efforts. Contact the store at (812) 490-4040.

Nursing Home Ministry
Individuals take Communion and extend care and friendship to parishioners/families of parishioners who have extended stays in nursing homes or are homebound. We also deliver flowers and cards to local Nursing Home residents at Christmas and Easter. Contact Mary Grady (mgrady@evdio.org) to find out how you can help.

Parish Health Mininistry

Provides regular opportunities to improve overall parish health and well-being through education and service. Also maintains Medical Supply Lending Closet (located in the LL of the Church). Contact Rachel Beier (rachelbeier@hotmail.com) for more info.

Social Justice Ministry - CAJE
Supports the teachings of the Church in regards to Social Justice through organizations like CAJE, etc. CAJE (Congregations Acting for Justice & Empowerment) encourages the community not only to minister to the immediate needs of individuals, but also to address the root causes as to why people are in need. The ministry works on issues such as creating affordable housing, increasing literacy rates, and improving access to health care. Working together with other area congregations, the ministry creates a stronger voice of advocacy for the poor. Contact Donna Hurm at (812) 459-9654 to get involved.

Soup Kitchen
St. John the Baptist Parish helps sponsor a Soup Kitchen, located at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Evansville (301 Southeast 1st Street). The soup kitchen is open from 12:00-1:30 p.m. every Saturday. St. John the Baptist Parish volunteers work at the soup kitchen the first Saturday of every month. Odd months are sponsored by St. John the Baptist's St. Vincent de Paul ministry. Even months are sponsored by St. John the Baptist Parish Sharing Fund. Contact Jeff Kropfl (krowfly007@yahoo.com) to join the team.

St. Vincent de Paul
St. Vincent de Paul is an organization dedicated to helping those in our area who are in need. The society is funded through personal donations made through the envelope system. Monetary donations can be made at the collection box, located on the back wall of the church by the Usher chairs. Meets the Monday of the month at 6:00PM in the Zachary Rm. (Parish Library).  A small collection building behind the church is available for donations of clothing and nonperishable items. Contact: SVDP, (812) 425-3485.

**Newburgh Area Food Pantry
Parishioners and other area churches/organizations donate food and help stock shelves at the Food Pantry located on St. John the Baptist Campus – M, W, F, 9:00 A.M. - 11:30 A.M. and from 4:30 P.M. - 6:00 P.M. the last Thursday of the month. Contact: Linda Gray/Leslie Grimm, (812) 518-1563 **Not a ministry of St. John the Baptist.**