Upon moving to Baltimore two and a half years ago, finding an Episcopal church to call home was a priority, and I was astonished at all the choices the city has in that regard.  I had an attraction to Old St. Paul’s based on its web presence (photos not to be understated), and my family’s first visit that fateful Sunday sealed the deal.

I am accustomed to being heavily involved in my church community, but this chapter in my life – i.e. new motherhood – causes me to take a meaningful hiatus as I learn from life’s greatest mindfulness teacher (one’s child) and absorb worship in a new way.  St. Paul’s offers a beautiful service in a magnificent space with sacred music that draws us closer to the divine … while accommodating our youngest congregants.  And participating in “God’s food,” as we call it in our little family, unifies us all.

In addition to Sunday worship, I am pleased to be able to attend the occasional Wednesday service (sansdaughter) to be fed in additional ways and am excited at the burgeoning promise of the new Old Rectory for small groups and formation.

And for all this, I am dutifully aware that it takes all of us to uphold a church financially.  I want to be a contributor to the crowd-sourced income of this sacred place at which I call myself a member.  It doesn’t matter how small; what matters is that we contemplate how to give back of our time, talent, and treasure for this place (e.g. the electric bills) and its work (e.g. the staff), never forgetting that it serves to empower us to go out and do the work God has given us to do in Baltimore and beyond!

Please let the vestry of Old St. Paul’s know how much you want to contribute to the 2020 budget so that they can plan ahead based on real numbers. Feel free to email your pledge to the church office at office@osp1692.org. Simply send a message stating something like, “For the 2020 budget of St. Paul’s, Baltimore, I pledge to contribute ______?”