A Call to Stewardship at Calvary:
Dear Beloved,
Hope all is well. Fall is moving so fast for me already. The month of October is dedicated to the annual fall Stewardship campaign. This year’s theme is “Choosing Church.” The theme invites us to reflect on why we choose Calvary as our community of faith and why/how we continue to show up in any number of ways.
My Calvary story began in August 2003 when I visited Calvary before starting the Master of Social Work degree program at The Catholic University of America (CUA) in Washington, DC. I am a lifelong Baptist, but I had spent the past two years in an Episcopalian volunteer corps program after college and then decided to attend CUA, so I am also ecumenical. I decided it was time, however, to get back to my Baptist roots. I remember my dad was excited to help me find a church. He had always been an active Baptist church member/leader in our home church in Reading, PA and was a religion writer/editor for the local newspaper, so he knew a lot about a variety of denominations. He told me that there were two main Baptist churches in DC I should visit: First Baptist Church and Calvary Baptist Church.
I happened to start my search at Calvary. I remember being welcomed warmly right from the start. Many people were so delighted to see someone under 60 years of age. Next thing I knew, I was going kayaking at Camp Fraser under the expert and patient guidance of John Thayer, teaching adult and children’s Sunday School, and serving on the Church Council and boards. Calvary was an eager and persuasive recruiter for this next phase in my faith journey. I never did get around to visiting FBC as I knew I had found my new home church. I joined Calvary in December 2004 and find it hard to believe I have been a member for almost 20 years. When I joined, the custom was to host a luncheon for those who had been members for 50 years. I made a mental note that 2054 is my year!
Looking back, I didn’t know how not to get involved in the life of the church as that was what was modeled for me my whole life. I am forever grateful for finding Calvary and joining this amazing community. Each of us has a unique and special Calvary origin story. We invite you to reflect on the questions below to guide your thoughts this month:
How did I find Calvary? Why did I decide to join? What keeps me coming back? Why do I choose church when it seems so much else is uncertain and difficult especially as we prepare for the presidential election? In what ways do I choose to spend my time and talents at Calvary? How do I give to Calvary and what do I receive from this community?
At the conclusion of October, we will be asked to pledge time, talents, finances to Calvary. We need everyone’s participation because, together, we make Calvery the dynamic, diverse, and dedicated community it is. It has been my pleasure to serve as Stewardship Chair these past 3 years. I look forward to what lies ahead as we continue on this journey. Thank you for being part of our story and mine.
Gratefully,
Jodi Smith, Stewardship Chair
To make your pledge online please complete the following form:
https://onrealm.org/calvarydc/AddPledge/generalfund2025
To make an online contribution today use the “Give” link at the top of this page or click on: http://calvarydc.org/give/
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