Family + Fellowship
Are you looking for your village? Taking care of children in our modern world can feel like a lonely job. At St. Francis, we seek to support the caretakers and parents in our community. We support each other in friendship and fellowship. We nurture one another’s faith development both in the sanctuary and in our living rooms. Read on to learn more about the ways we show up for each other.
St. Francis is an intergenerational community, believing that all people are shaped and formed by people older and younger. Children and youth are invited to participate as they wish in the whole life of our community, from volunteering at food distribution events, preparing and serving meals, assisting in worship through reading, singing or playing instruments, planting and tending our gardens and rain gardens, or harvesting honey from our Apiary each year. We believe that children are every bit as capable of knowing and loving God as grownups.
Families gather weekly during the school year on Wednesdays to eat, play, and learn together at Welcome Table Wednesday, our free community dinner. We provide children’s activity sheets at the dinner. You will also find children’s activities and books at the children’s table in the sanctuary. We love having children present during the Worship service! We welcome their participation in all aspects of fellowship and Worship.
St. Francis offers seasonal opportunities for communal fellowship and spiritual growth, such as Youth Group, Confirmation Class for Youth and Young Adults, Christmas pageant and preparation, Bilingual Stations of the Cross, Easter Egg Hunts and more. All lay leaders who work with children have taken the Safe Church, Safe Communities training.
We are at an exciting moment in the life of St. Francis. Our Latino/Spanish ministry is growing. We are coming together and finding new ways to be family and familial in this modern world. We are building a longer table here. We invite you to find your seat at the table at St. Francis.
Carrie Reed
she/her
Community Missioner
About Me:
I am a relatively new Episcopalian. My previous church home and place of employment was with a Unitarian Universalist congregation in Texas. Upon moving to Maryland from Texas, finding the Episcopal Church was an unexpected joy. I majored in English at the University of Texas at Austin. The English major in me loves the three-legged stool of Anglicanism and the feeling of acceptance that comes from bringing my whole self to church every Sunday, including my questions. I do love to analyze a text! I live in Baltimore City with my husband, young son, and cat. We love to go to the library on a Saturday, take a family hike, or explore some new facet of life in Baltimore.
My Role:
I am the Community Missioner at St. Francis. My role here is multifaceted. I direct our communications, including our e-newsletter, website, and social media. I oversee the daily comings and goings of our parish office. I guide our space sharing program. I track membership. I aid our wider Timonium community as a resource for all things St. Francis. I think creatively and strategically about opportunities to grow our community into the future.
My Dream for St. Francis:
I dream about fostering a culture that celebrates mistakes. Mistakes are gifts inviting us to ask questions, seek solutions, and find new ways to relate to and understand one another. Building community and creating a place of welcome is not without its challenges. As Robert Frost said, “the best way out is always through.” When we encounter roadblocks on our path, my hope is that we can approach blocks with a spirit of calm, curiosity, and mutual trust.
A Few of my Favorite Things:
I love the work of Fred Rogers, vegan hazelnut chocolate confections, contemporary and classic fiction, coffee, and a good sitcom.
Fun fact:
I am a multi award winning vegan chili chef!
The Rev. Dr. Amy Slaughter
she/her
Rector
About Me:
Preacher, justice seeker, Episcopal priest, community organizer, theologian, parent of three artistic young adult children. Native North Carolinian. Bookish. I believe God is up to something beautiful in this world, and I’m grateful we get to be a part of it.
My Role:
Rector is an old-fashioned word for pastor and administrative head of a church. As Rector I get to do what I love: support and nurture a faith community in the Episcopal tradition. Rectors are generalists; I get to wear a lot of hats, sometimes all in the same day. Preaching and presiding at Sunday worship, connecting one-on-one and in small groups at Welcome Table Wednesday, checking in with folks in crisis or in immediate need of care, meeting with those mourning a loss or celebrating an upcoming baptism, writing sermons, showing up at county meetings to make our neighborhood a better place and so much more. Mostly, I listen deeply – for what God is doing here and in the world, for what people need, and for how St. Francis can keep becoming a community where everyone belongs and everyone matters.
My Dream for St. Francis:
Listens to the Spirit, practices wide and generous welcome, shows up for each other and our neighbors, and isn’t afraid to ask big questions and have hard conversations.
A Few of my Favorite Things:
Hobby: Spending time by the water recharging and reflecting; journaling
Book/Movie/TV Show: Narrative non-fiction that reads like fiction – faves include Patrick Radden Keefe
Fun fact:
I come from a theatrical family and began working as an actor myself as a kid.
Latest Happenings
Sunday School at St. Francis / Escuela Dominical en St. Francis
As we begin a new year, St. Francis Episcopal Parish & Community Center is happy to resume our Sunday School for children, youth, and adults. After our holiday pause, we...
25-26 North Baltimore Episcopal Youth
Four Episcopal churches in northern Baltimore have joined together for the 3rd year in a row to form a collaborative youth group spanning our area! The North Baltimore...
