Hi. I’m pretty sure everyone here knows me…but just in case, I’m Alice, I’m a senior here at Greencastle High School and I’ll be graduating in a couple weeks. I was asked to speak briefly today about my experiences growing up in the Episcopal Church and specifically St. Andrew’s.
So. I’ve been going to St. Andrew’s ever since I can remember. I’ve done every Christmas pageant, I’ve acolyted, I’ve been a Eucharistic minister, and I’ve been very involved in the Non-Food Pantry in recent years. In short, for me, St. Andrew’s is not only a place where I go sit during service once a week. It’s a community, a place of worship, and a place where I can get involved in our larger Putnam County community.
I’ve always thought that one of the most important aspects of a church is its role as a community, and St. Andrew’s is a perfect example of that. Everyone in this church is here to support one another, you can tell just from listening to our announcements after the Peace. There are always invitations to parties, concerts, recitals…I know it always meant so much to me when I saw people from Church at my piano and harp recitals. It was never surprising to me, I just knew that that’s what you do for someone in your church family. We’ve had some changes in membership since my own family started going here, but I think our congregation always does an amazing job welcoming new members and visitors, and saying goodbye to those who must leave. I feel like I have a place here, and that by coming here I can help make a place for everyone. The members of this church are a part of my family, and that will continue to be true even as I leave for college.
In addition to its community values, St. Andrew’s has affected me to this extent because of its emphasis on service—helping our neighbors. And we do this directly every month through the Non-Food Pantry. I started working at this program a few years ago, and it took up a lot of time, sorting supplies and packing up the bags every month, but those few hours when we got to give them away made it all worth it. The Non-Food Pantry has influenced me so much that I am going to participate in service in college, and I am inspired to continue with service throughout my life. Helping with this wonderful program has also helped me figure out what it means for me to practice my faith, and that is through love and service to my community.
Finally, St. Andrew’s number one function is as a place of worship. This church has provided a structure for me, from Sunday school to Kids’ Walkout to regular service, to learn more about Christianity and to grow in my faith. I honestly believe that this church is a sacred place, where I feel free to worship God, and can feel his presence. More specifically, I feel good about being a part of St. Andrew’s and the Episcopal Church in general because of its accepting views toward people who some Christians might condemn. This tolerance and acceptance is extremely important to me, and I would have trouble belonging to a church if it did not express these views as I feel our church does. I think that, even within St. Andrew’s, everyone has their own individual views of God and their own slightly differentiated beliefs. But it seems to me that we all try to follow Jesus’s commandment that we read in the Gospel today, we try to love one another as he loved us. It is this attitude that makes me proud to be a part of a place like St. Andrew’s, and unashamed to call myself a Christian and an Episcopalian.
I hope to carry this attitude, and all of the lessons that I’ve learned while I was here with me as I grow up and explore my own faith. And I know that, even though I’m leaving, the St. Andrew’s community will continue to have its own special place in my heart.
Thanks.
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