Where Stewardship Is a Way of Life
The Catholic Community of St. John the Baptist sits on 156th Avenue SE in Covington, in the southern part of King County, and frames itself with a single, recurring line: "Where Stewardship is a Way of Life." That phrase, repeated across the parish's pages and on a banner above its communications, names the community's organizing conviction. Stewardship here is described not as fundraising but as a value and ultimately a way of life rooted in faith: members share time, talent, and treasure, but more deeply, they share an openness to encounter Jesus in those who are served and in those who serve. "In serving and being served," the parish writes, "Jesus is encountered in both parts of the action."
The parish exists inside a much larger local structure. In the summer of 2024, Archbishop Paul D. Etienne's "Partners in the Gospel" initiative brought St. John the Baptist together with Holy Spirit Parish in Kent as a single parish family called Family 30. The two share clergy and staff, plan together, and run joint ministries, while still keeping their own buildings and Sunday schedules. From the outside, that looks like one parish with two front doors.
From Horizon Elementary to Family 30
St. John the Baptist was established in 1991. Fr. Jack Walmsley was its founding pastor, and the first Masses were held at Horizon Elementary School until the parish, then about 250 families strong, raised the capital for the church building, which was dedicated in January 1996. A new education building and offices followed in 2001. In 2000 the parish started a Life Teen Mass and program, bringing the number of weekend celebrations to four. Fr. Jim Coyne arrived in 2002 and reignited the stewardship vision, encouraging parishioner initiatives, highlighting hospitality, and walking more than 700 members through Living Your Strengths programs.
By the late 2010s the parish had retired its debt (in 2017), launched Safe Car Parking (in November 2018), and begun collaborating with St. Stephen the Martyr and Holy Spirit to serve Terrific Tuesday Meals to the community (in 2019). More than 80 ministries now serve parishioners and neighbors, including St. Vincent de Paul, the Knights of Columbus, English and Hispanic Charismatic prayer groups, a Filipino-American Society, and the Guadalupanos, a Hispanic study group dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe. Since 2024 all of this has been carried forward under the Family 30 banner with Holy Spirit in Kent.
Masses in English and Spanish
Weekend Masses anchor the week. Saturday Vigil Mass is celebrated at 5:30 pm. Sunday Masses are at 9:00 am, 11:30 am, and 5:30 pm. The 9:00 am and 5:30 pm Sunday Masses are livestreamed on Facebook, and the recordings stay available afterward. Confessions are heard on Saturday from 4:00 to 5:00 pm, immediately before the Vigil Mass.
Daily Masses follow a varied rhythm across the week. Tuesday and Wednesday, Mass is at 9:00 am. Thursday evening, Mass is at 6:30 pm. On the first Friday of every even-numbered month, there is an additional 9:00 am Mass. Monday and Friday mornings at 9:00 am are celebrated as a Word and Communion service, led by Lay Leaders of Prayer when a priest is not available. A Spanish Mass is celebrated at 7:00 pm on the first and fourth Friday of each month and is livestreamed on Facebook. The parish also gathers each week for the Guadalupanos' Spanish-language rosary and for Friday-evening Hispanic Charismatic prayer in the Sanctuary at 7:00 pm.
The Choirs and a New Mass Setting
Music is a quiet constant at St. John the Baptist. Each weekend Mass has its own ensemble: the Saturday Vigil is led by Danny Grava; the 9:00 am Sunday Mass by Truthful Reign; the 11:30 am Sunday Mass by Myke Smith; the Saturday Vigil in an alternate week by Bill Cogswell; and the 5:30 pm Sunday Mass by Truthful Reign. Musicians and singers work with the Music Ministry Coordinator to choose music for the liturgical seasons, lead at Mass, and rehearse weekly. Choir members are welcome at any time.
Luis Diaz de Leon, the Music Ministry Coordinator (often called "Papa Luis"), schedules musicians and helps them choose music across all Masses; he can frequently be found singing, playing guitar, or behind the soundboard. The parish has also introduced a new Mass setting: the Mass of St. Mary Magdalene, composed by Sarah Hart. It is the first time the parish has featured a setting by a woman composer, and printed handouts are available so congregants can follow along. Sound and Video ministers run the audio system and livestream cameras, with training provided for those interested in joining.
Becoming Catholic and Coming Home
For adults exploring the Catholic faith or returning after time away, the parish runs Alpha, an eleven-week course built around a shared meal, a short video, and honest small-group conversation. Alpha is free, open to anyone, and requires no prior commitment for the first three "Come and See" weeks. Sessions meet Monday evenings from 6:30 to 8:00 pm, primarily at Holy Spirit Parish Hall in Kent with the fourth Monday of each month at St. John the Baptist's McMullen Building. Each winter a new cohort forms.
For Catholics who have been away and want to come back, Kathy Wickward in the parish office reaches out personally. "We miss you," the parish writes, "and would like to welcome you home." RCIA (the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) is directed as part of adult faith formation, and Joan Williamson oversees all Sacramental Preparation for Baptism, First Reconciliation, First Eucharist, Confirmation, and Marriage. Visitors and newcomers are invited to register as parishioners either through a PDF form available in the parish office or through online forms tailored to single-person, two-person, and three-or-more-person households.
Faith Formation from Pre-K Through High School
Faith Formation at St. John the Baptist is structured for the whole family. Christina Daniel leads the PK through 4th-grade program, with classes meeting Sundays from 10:15 to 11:15 am in the McMullen Center classrooms. Joan Williamson, the Pastoral Assistant for Faith Formation, oversees Sacramental Preparation for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist, which is structured as a two-year process: a foundation year followed by a focused sacramental year. Catechists, curriculum coordinators, and family outreach roles are recruited annually to support the program.
Middle School Youth Group (Grades 5-8) meets Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8:30 pm, September through May, in the McMullen Building. Veronica Nava Jimenez, the Youth Minister for Family 30, leads the group, supported by parents and parish volunteers. Students are signed in by an adult at the door and signed out at pickup. The evenings blend grade-level teaching, small-group time, snacks, and a large-group session with games, skits, prayer, social time, and sometimes live music.
High School Youth Ministry (Grades 9-12) gathers monthly, alternating between St. John the Baptist in Covington and Holy Spirit in Kent. Youth Nights fall on the second Monday of each month at St. John the Baptist and the fourth Monday at Holy Spirit, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. All high school students are welcome, including non-Catholics and friends from other schools; registration is not required, just a sign-in at the welcome desk. The program includes retreats and opportunities to attend Catholic youth events with high schoolers from across the Archdiocese of Seattle.
Confirmation: A Two-Year Journey
Confirmation preparation is a two-year journey that runs from September through June. Students may enter Year One at any age between 8th and 11th grade. Year One focuses on building a strong relationship with a sponsor, who must attend all Year One sessions; Year Two focuses on the immediate preparation for the sacrament and includes an off-site retreat at Black Diamond Camp. Confirmation candidates must be confirmed, practicing Catholics, and sponsors cannot be the candidate's parents. Phase 1 Confirmation preparation takes place at Holy Spirit Parish in Kent, while Phase 2 sessions meet Tuesdays at St. John the Baptist.
Small Faith Communities and the C2C Ministry
Joan Williamson directs all adult formation, small faith communities, and the RCIA process, and supervises Sacramental Preparation across the parish. The Christ's Second Commandment (C2C) Ministry is one of those small faith communities. Acting on Matthew 22:39, it promotes the awareness that all those we meet in life are our neighbors, with special emphasis on aiding the homeless. C2C supports Vine Maple Place in Maple Valley and gathers biweekly on Monday mornings for two hours via video conferencing, with a rhythm of opening prayer, gospel reflection, faith-sharing, and discussion. Current reading includes "What the Mystics Know: Seven Pathways to Your Deeper Self" by Richard Rohr.
Liturgical Ministries at Mass
Mass at St. John the Baptist is supported by a wide range of liturgical ministries. Altar Servers and Cross Bearers assist the presider during Mass and are open to those in fourth grade and up, with adults also welcome. Eucharistic Ministers serve the consecrated bread and wine. Lectors proclaim the Word of God. Greeters welcome people to church, manage the collection, and distribute bulletins. Sacristans care for the Sanctuary and Mass items, set up the vessels, and prepare the altar cloths. The Flower Ministry provides and arranges flowers for Mass and tends the green plants in the Sanctuary weekly. The Prayer Garden Maintenance Team looks after the outside Prayer Garden.
The Liturgical Planning and Environment Committee works on the physical aspects of worship, education, and the parish grounds, coordinating with the pastor and the music ministry. Lay Leaders of Prayer also bring Communion to senior residence centers, Alzheimer's facilities, and nursing homes when a priest is not available. The Hispanic Charismatic Prayer Ministry gathers in the Sanctuary on Friday evenings for spirit-filled prayer in Spanish.
Pastoral Care for the Sick, Grieving, and Homebound
The Pastoral Care ministry brings the presence of the parish to those who cannot be present themselves: the ill, homebound, dying, or anyone in need of emotional and spiritual support during a time of personal strife. The Ministry to Sick and Homebound visits and brings Eucharist to parishioners who cannot attend Mass. The Grief Support Ministry offers confidential, compassionate support for those grieving the loss of a loved one, holding ongoing nine- or thirteen-week programs throughout the liturgical year. The Prayer Song Ministry lifts up those in need through music, with members visiting the ill, lonely, and broken-hearted.
The Filipino-American Association
The Filipino-American Association gathers parishioners to celebrate Catholic faith, family, and Filipino religious traditions within the wider parish community. Their celebrations include Simbang Gabi (a nine-day novena of Masses leading up to Christmas), Flores de Mayo (a month-long May devotion to the Virgin Mary), and an annual Luau. The Guadalupanos, by contrast, plan and host the annual Our Lady of Guadalupe celebration, including the Mass, Mañanitas, breakfast, dinner, and entertainment, and lead a weekly Rosary in Spanish.
Outreach Beyond the Parish Walls
St. John the Baptist runs an unusually broad outreach portfolio, much of it coordinated through the Life, Justice and Peace Commission, which allocates parish financial resources to outreach ministries and connects social outreach with the broader community.
St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP) is one of the largest conferences in King County. Founded by Clint and Judy Peterson in 1991, the same year the parish was established, SVdP provides emergency assistance for essential needs such as rent, utilities, food, and clothing. The ministry functions under the auspices of the larger St. Vincent de Paul Society in Seattle. Neighbors in need in the Covington/Kent/Maple Valley area reach SVdP through the Seattle line at 206-767-6449; their calls are routed into the St. John the Baptist database and returned by volunteers.
The Garden of the Good Shepherd grows vegetables on the parish grounds and donates the harvest to local food banks. The Creation Care Team promotes just and equitable sustainability of natural resources, participates in Earth Ministry's Greening Congregations program, and maintains a pollinator garden and 36 "Adopt an Island" sections of the parish campus. Each year from September 1 to October 4 the parish observes the Season of Creation alongside Christians around the world.
Safe Car Parking, launched in November 2018, serves homeless individuals and families whose only shelter is a vehicle. Catholic Community Services is the partner agency, screening and background-checking participants. Parish volunteers provide on-site oversight in pairs between 9 pm and 8 am on a predetermined schedule.
Pregnancy Aid helps women who are pregnant or have young families until their youngest child reaches age six. PREPARES, a joint initiative with Catholic Community Services, walks alongside pregnant and parenting women, men, and families, providing mentors and wrap-around services from pregnancy through a child's fifth birthday. The parish also joins seasonal efforts such as Relay for Life, school-supply drives, holiday meal programs for local families around Thanksgiving, and the Giving Tree Store at Christmas.
The Guatemala Companion Parish Committee develops the parish's relationship with Union de las Aldeas Corpus Christi in San Sebastian, Guatemala, sponsoring events and activities that introduce parishioners to the lives and hopes of their companions, including visits to Guatemala.
The St. John the Baptist Yard Sale
Each June, St. John the Baptist hosts what may be South King County's largest pop-up thrift store. Donations are collected in the four weeks leading up to the sale (after weekend Masses) and then sorted, priced, and arranged by dozens of volunteers across two weeks of preparation. Furniture, books, electronics, sports equipment, holiday decorations, linens, kitchen items, baby gear, toys, clothing, shoes, and purses are all accepted (in usable condition). Mattresses, large furniture, batteries, Christmas trees over four feet, oil or fuel, medications, printers, and large appliances are not.
Volunteers can sign up as Receivers, Pre-sorters, Room Organizers, Sale Day Helpers, or Clean-up Crew. The sale runs over a long weekend in late June, with cleanup the following day. Proceeds support parish ministries, and the event feeds volunteers and closes with a wrap-up party later in the summer.
Community Life and Hospitality
Inside the parish, community life is woven into a dense calendar. Coffee and Donuts is offered in the McMullen Center after the 9:00 am and 11:30 am Sunday Masses four times a year. The Craft and Hobby Group meets six to eight times a year on Saturdays from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. The Creative Kindness Sewing Group meets monthly for community-sewing projects. Yarning for Community knits and crochets hats, scarves, and gloves for the homeless, baby items for Pregnancy Aid and Valley Medical Center, and prayer shawls for those experiencing illness or loss. Supper Club organizes small-group meals in parishioners' homes.
The Socially Active Singles group hosts social events on the third Friday of every month for single parishioners of all ages, including the never-married, divorced, and widowed. Strong Bones Yoga meets Thursday mornings for a gentle practice that honors each body and explores an awareness of movement, breath, and relaxation. The Bite of St. John is a summer celebration of community, culture, food, entertainment, and fun, organized by a parish committee.
Weddings and Funerals
For couples preparing for marriage, the parish offers formation rooted in the conviction that "God is Love" and that marriage is a vocation. Couples begin by contacting the parish office at 253-630-0701 during business hours.
Funerals at St. John the Baptist follow the three traditional rites of the Vigil, the Funeral Mass, and the Committal. Funerals are typically scheduled Wednesday through Friday at 11:00 am, four to fourteen days after death. The Catholic cemetery serving South King County is Gethsemane in Federal Way (253 838-2240). For veterans being interred at Tahoma National Cemetery, a Catholic committal can take place separately because the military service is held at a kiosk and not at the graveside. A Funeral Reception Committee hosts luncheon receptions in the Multi-purpose Rooms after morning services on weekdays. A Funeral Music page lists hymns often chosen for Catholic funerals, including "On Eagle's Wings," "Be Not Afraid," "Amazing Grace," "Ave Maria," "How Great Thou Art," "Eye Has Not Seen," "Here I Am, Lord," "Prayer of St. Francis," and others. Musicians (a pianist and vocalist) typically charge a fee for their services.
Renting the Hall and Parish Facilities
Parishioners and nonprofit groups can rent the parish's Multi-purpose Room (MPR) and classrooms for private celebrations, meetings, and gatherings. The MPR can be opened into one large space seating up to 150 guests or divided into three smaller sections, each with an 85-inch LCD screen and microphone-ready audio system. A commercial-grade kitchen is available for food preparation and serving. Smaller classrooms (eight at 247 square feet and two convertible spaces) are available for more intimate gatherings. Rental runs $400 plus a refundable $200 deposit, with private event insurance typically around $120 through GatherGuard. Beer, wine, and sparkling wine are permitted with a banquet permit from the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board; hard alcohol is not allowed.
The Parish Staff
Father Chad Hill joined St. John the Baptist in the summer of 2026 as Pastor of Family 30, serving both St. John the Baptist and Holy Spirit Parish in Kent. Father Crispin Okoth, originally from Kenya and a priest in the Archdiocese of Seattle for several decades, joined in the summer of 2024 as Parochial Vicar of Family 30; he speaks English and Swahili.
Laurie Moloney is the Pastoral Assistant for Liturgy and Pastoral Care. She coordinates and trains sacristans, Eucharistic ministers, lectors, and other liturgical ministers, helps plan funerals and prayer services, and ensures the sacred space is prepared for worship. Outside the office, Laurie is an amateur astronomer and avid bird watcher.
Joan Williamson is the Pastoral Assistant for Faith Formation, RCIA, and Sacramental Preparation, with more than forty years of experience in Catholic Faith Formation across the Seattle Archdiocese, the East Coast, the South, the Midwest (with NET Ministries), the Archdiocese of St. Paul, and back to Seattle. Christina Daniel is the Pastoral Assistant for Pre-School and Elementary Faith Formation, with many years of experience in education and more than eight years as a catechist at St. John the Baptist. Veronica Nava Jimenez is the Pastoral Assistant for Youth Ministry (Grades 5-12), serving both St. John the Baptist and Holy Spirit. Kathy Wickward is the Pastoral Assistant for Administration, Stewardship, and Social Outreach; she stewards all parish resources (human, financial, facility, and technical), oversees welcome, engagement, community life, and outreach ministries, and is the first contact for those returning to the Catholic faith.
Luis Diaz de Leon is the Music Ministry Coordinator, scheduling musicians and helping choose music across all Masses; he is also the Sound Ministry coordinator. He speaks English and Spanish.
A Parish That Reflects the Diversity Around It
St. John the Baptist describes itself as "the Catholic Community of St. John the Baptist" and traces its identity to a single line: "Where Stewardship is a Way of Life." The diversity of the parish is named in its mission statement: "the diversity of our gifts is used to answer Christ's call to proclaim and live the Gospel." Three commitments frame that life together: Gather in God's Name, Grow in God's Time, Go in God's Spirit. From the Filipino-American Simbang Gabi to the Guadalupanos' celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe to the Hispanic Charismatic Prayer on Friday evenings to the English and Spanish Masses that fill the church each week, the parish's life is lived in more than one language and several cultures at once. Stewardship, in the words of the parish, brings "life" to each of those lives.