What St. Francis Means to Me

 What St. Francis Means to Me  

What St. Francis Episcopal Church means to me has changed and grown as I have pursued my life journey and spiritual journey.  When we first came to St. Francis, it felt like home and provided support for our family during our children’s teen years.  My participation in the parish community led me to be involved at various times with lay reading, the choir, Bible study, the Safety Team, and meeting with the Vestry, taking notes as registrar.  Through all of these and more, St. Francis has deepened my faith and enabled actions that I hope were useful to the church and to God.  However, the most important aspect of St. Francis to me in recent years has to do with reaching outside the walls of our church.  St. Francis has long had representatives in the Christian Ecumenical Network of Tidewater working to promote Christian unity and contribute to understanding among people from churches of various denominations.  About five years ago I felt led to step in when a new CENet facilitator was needed, and St. Francis’ support and active participation by our parishioners grew exponentially.  Building bridges among groups of Christians is a passion of mine, and I believe the work God does to bring us together is a crucial aspect of God’s Kingdom coming on earth as it is in heaven.  God works through people, and I am grateful for each person at St. Francis and look forward to continuing to grow God’s Kingdom together in our church and beyond.