Solomon’s Porch

What Was Solomon’s Porch?

In the ancient temple at Jerusalem, Solomon’s Porch was a meeting place for all the people of the city. When Jesus taught his disciples, they often sat or stood in Solomon’s Porch. After Jesus ascended into heaven, it became a forum for the Apostles’ teaching and fellowship. It was a place of community, prayer, and discussion; the beating heart of the early Church.

What is Solomon’s Porch?

Solomon’s Porch is the group for young adults at St. Mark’s. We are a forum for young adult disciples to build community, learn about and wrestle with faith, and pray together. We want to be the beating heart of our parish and the broader Church in Salt Lake City; a living witness to Jesus’ love for all people.

More About Young Adults at St. Mark’s

Early adulthood can be a challenging time of life. We’re establishing our careers, discovering who we are, and, often, finding a new family far from home. At Solomon’s Porch, young adults work to walk alongside one another through life’s ups and downs. Whether you’re a college student or are working full time, we have offerings for young adults to fit a variety of needs. The photos below are links to more information about Young Adults events! Please feel free to contact communications@stmarksutah.org with any questions.

Our Rythms (When We Meet)

Solomon’s Porch meets regularly for prayer, formation, fellowship; we hope you’ll join us sometime soon. To keep up with upcoming events for young adults at St. Mark’s, please sign up for our monthly email newsletter or join us on Discord! We also have a young adults specific Instagram page with regular updates.

Weekly Gatherings

• Evening Prayer on Discord - Thursdays at 7 p.m.

Monthly Gatherings

• Labyrinth Prayer Walk - Second Sundays at 12:30 p.m.

• ‘Oops! All Clerics’ Dungeons and Dragons Campaign - Second Fridays at 7 p.m.

• Potluck and Bible Study - Second and Fourth Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m.

• Fellowship/Fun Events - Dates vary: please check the Calendar below.

Yearly Gatherings

• Winter Retreat (January)

• Camping Trip (July)

• Friendsgiving (The Sunday before Thanksgiving Day)

Newcomers

“Let all those who happen to come be received as Christ, because He is going to say, ‘A guest I was, and ye received me.’” -The Rule of St. Benedict

If you’re new to St. Mark’s, welcome! We have a variety of offerings for people new to the church, which you can explore using the button below. Feel free to join in any of our young adult offerings, or come join us at coffee hour following 10:30 Eucharist on Sundays! St. Mark’s young adults usually have a table or two near the back of the Parish Hall to ourselves, and we’re always excited to meet new people. If you have questions about Solomon’s Porch or want to get connected, please get in touch!

Prayer

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” -1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Prayer is an essential feature of the Christian life. It is the means by which we draw near to God and are formed into the likeness of Christ. Solomon’s Porch has frequent opportunities to pray together and learn new ways of encountering God in prayer. We are also careful to begin and end most gatherings with time for prayer and reflection.

Labyrinth Prayer Walk - Second Sundays at 12:30 p.m.

Each month, we gather for a time of collective prayer on the Labyrinth in the Cathedral courtyard. We begin each session by learning about a new prayer practice, then spend fifteen to twenty minutes praying (often with prayer beads) on the Labyrinth. If you don’t have prayer beads, or are new to prayer in general, don’t worry! Extra prayer beads are always available and instruction in prayer is provided.

Discord Evening Prayer - Thursdays at 7 p.m.

Every Thursday, we gather on our Discord server to pray Evening Prayer from the Book of Common Prayer together. The timeless rythms of the Daily Office are a beautiful and uniquely Anglican way to engage with Scripture and the Liturgy of the Church. Can’t get enough of the Office? Join the larger group that prays Morning Prayer every day.

Formation

“For this is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” -Jeremiah 31:33

Spiritual formation is the art and practice of learning to live more deeply from the love of God that has been poured into our hearts in Baptism by the Holy Spirit. Unlike traditional ‘Sunday school’ or ‘adult ed’ classes, which seek merely to instill knowledge about the Christian faith in their participants, spiritual formation forms us into the likeness of Christ.

Potluck and Bible Study - Second and Fourth Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m.

We gather twice monthly for table fellowship and to discuss Scripture, books, or other topics. Dinner and discussion are followed by Evening Prayer in the chapel downstairs. All are welcome to join, and contributions to each evening’s potluck dinner are always appreciated. We take frequent breaks from more serious discussion for game nights! If you don’t want to or can’t bring food, no worries. We’d be excited to have you anyways!

Upcoming Discussions:

• Becoming Proficient: Remnant, Religion, Rule, and Reality - September 9 and 23, October 7 and 28

• Game Night - November 11

• The Children of Men and the Incarnation - December 2, 9, and 16

Adult formation and newcomers Classes - Sundays at 9:15 a.m.

Young adults are most welcome to take part in weekly formation offerings at St. Mark’s! Newcomers classes are great for people new to the parish, and provide an opportunity to learn more about St. Mark’s and the Episcopal Church at large. Adult Formation classes engage with a variety of topics throughout the year, and are perfect for people interested in diving deeper into their faiths. Learn more here.

Fellowship

“Will you continue in the Apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of Bread, and in the Prayers? I will, with God’s help.” -The Book of Common Prayer

Fellowship is Christian-ese for ‘community.’ Young adults at St. Mark’s are a friendly, welcoming (and pretty funky) bunch; we’re certain you’ll fit right in. We have a number of monthly and yearly fellowship gatherings to help build our community up.

Monthly Fellowship Gatherings

Solomon’s Porch folks gather at least once a month for an activity, outing, or gathering. Past events have included pumpkin carving, hiking, spelunking, picnics, movie nights, getting lunch together, going to museums, getting coffee, and more! Please check the calendar for more information and sign up for the monthly newsletter to stay in the loop!

Upcoming Gatherings:

• September 27 at 12 p.m.: After-church Fellowship Lunch

• October 30 at 6:15 p.m.: Pumpkin Carving

• November 22 at 4 p.m.: Friendsgiving

• December 13 at 12:30 p.m.: Christmas Carol Sing

Oops! All Clerics - Second Fridays at 7 p.m.

Dungeons and Dragons goes ecclesiastical at this monthly roleplaying session. All comers are invited to bring their favorite cleric-class character and join the the fun! If you have no experience with DnD, no worries! We’re happy to help you get set, and you should feel free to drop in at any time. For more information, please contact Alexandria.