Thursday Treasure Thought with the Mitchells
Our Treasures at Second Presbyterian
Marion: Nine years ago I returned to the family home on Wadmalaw Island. The first year back was occupied with preparations for moving in after sixteen years of rental and for leaving our home of eighteen years in Chesterfield, Missouri. When we were all here, we visited churches to get our bearings and to know the lay of the landscape. Because I grew up in Second from infant baptism through confirmation and beyond, it was on our list. We were immediately drawn in by the warm welcome of the Mixed Adult Sunday class. Not only the inclusive welcome by all but also the strong Biblical conversations led by Dingle Howe with contributions from Robbie Staubes, Evelyn King and Dolores King were treasures to know. The Education Building we were in brought back middle school memories of how it was created by a fund campaign (whose treasurer was my father) made by members who gave treasure to build something not just for themselves but for all who follow.
Since joining Second in 2012, I have been head usher, session member, clerk of session, and Tea Room beverage server. These opportunities plus “Beautify the Yard Days” to pitch in alongside others and to socialize at oyster roasts and church dinners are also treasure builders. All these make me realize that when we build together we all grow together and provide for others to join and grow. Will you build your treasure this stewardship season?
Sarah: Heritage at Second Presbyterian has meant a lot to me as well. My great-great grandfather was a Scots mason who came to Charleston to work on Fort Sumter in the 1840s, and he and his wife were members here. When I worship in our beautiful sanctuary as they did, I feel closer to them. As I have participated in our wonderful community services, true treasures, I have imagined sharing with them the glorious spirituals soaring to the ceiling.
For my years here, now almost a decade, I treasure especially the music ministry, with its gems, Julia Harlow and Lee Lingle. Being able to ring the bells and sing with the choir to the glory of God is a true blessing. I also treasure the mission mindfulness of our congregation. We are a Matthew 25 church, reaching out in the name of Christ to feed, clothe, heal, teach, and minister spiritually to God's people at the Shaw Center, in our own Fellowship Hall with Hands of Christ, at the Star Gospel Mission, in rural homes on Wadmalaw Island, at Thornwell, in flooded neighborhoods of upstate South Carolina, at hospitals in Haiti and the Congo, at Water Mission sites around the world, and in the refugee camps of South Sudan. Many of these ways we do mission have been supported by the Tea Room or special offerings through the year, but our pledges toward the budget give the foundation to the whole church program, strengthening us to serve.