Shared Values
In the fall of 2023 our community worked together to create our Community Agreements. This document reflects the hard work, care, and tending of our eclectic, intergenerational, and multicultural community!
St. Francis Episcopal Parish & Community Center Community Agreements
We, St. Francis Episcopal Parish & Community Center cultivates communities of change.
- We honor creation through creating positive environmental change.
- We invite all to gather around tables.
- We serve our neighbors by strengthening relationships.
- We nurture generations of change-makers.
You are welcome here no matter who you are or where you are from.
Do Justice, Love Mercy, and Walk Humbly with God.
Micah 6:8
Do Justice…
- We operate from a place of transparency.
- We communicate with one another honestly.
- We commit to acts of justice through feeding our neighbors.
- We commit to acts of justice through creation care.
Love Mercy…
- We commit to being a welcoming space for all.
- We accept everyone for who they are.
- We commit to building intergenerational community that provides a strong foundation for our children.
- We commit to building a community of disciples.
- We believe that everyone is a leader.
- We believe that being clear is kind.
- We commit to being integral to our community.
Walk Humbly With God…
- We commit to our faith in God
- We treat everyone with respect.
- We hold ourselves accountable for our actions.
- We commit to being a bilingual community.
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.
