Donna & Kevin Stewardship
Posted on October 28, 2024 by admin No comments
Donna: Good morning! My name is Donna Glen, and my husband, Kevin Smith and I have been members
here since ~2007. At the time, we lived in Norwalk.
Kevin: I grew up in a fundamentalist, evangelical community in NC and there wasn’t much in that world view that spoke to me or nurtured faith in me. On Christmas Eve, 2007 Donna and I walked down from my condo. It was a snowy Christmas Eve, and we decided to come to the 11PM service at St Paul’s because… it was Christmas. I will never forget that night. We walked into a packed candle lit sanctuary filled with the most diverse congregation I had ever seen in a church. The music, that the choir and soloists performed before the “regular service” began was amazing. Then the service began. Procession, incense, ritual, as a lifelong theater person, I loved the theatricality of it. And it was also what was said, not just how it was presented. One example that still stays with me is St Paul’s version of the Nicene creed that acknowledges the feminine in the Trinity. I had never heard that in any church before. And when Father Lang spoke about the church’s “radical welcome” I realized it was something I had never heard a church say to me before. We walked home in the snow that night buzzing, what did we just experience?
Donna: So, we came back for a Sunday service and were welcomed with open arms at the door by Jeffery
Koller, and quickly we became very attached to the people, music and services at St. Paul’s. Over time, we
became very involved in many of the activities here: working at what was once the bookstore at the CHH,
helping out at the Cabaret, the annual Galas, tag sales, holiday markets and other fun fund-raising events. The services and other happenings have been so uplifting not only because of the communal sharing of the scripture, the music, and all the worship services have to offer with all of you, but because at the same time, these are such friend—making and soul-supporting experiences! Although we moved to Easton 10 years ago, this has and will always be our faith home, and we come back to be welcomed, to welcome others, to re-set, rejuvenate and reconnect. Even as we all experienced the shock and separation of COVID, those connections sustained us through a very challenging reality. I recall Kevin & I sat out in the churchyard on beach chairs, listening to the livestream on an iPad, but being on the grounds and hearing the bells in person, was such a treat; to actually BE HERE again! Getting back together though, reinforced how special St. Paul’s is. Fast forward to the present, for me, I am so grateful for all the love and support I’ve received over a very physically challenging year – a bad fall and broken foot, followed by a very serious heart scare. The wonderful surprise of Fr. Daniel showing up mere hours before the Easter Vigil service to come visit me in the hospital was so uplifting to my very scared self. I’m thankfully so much better now, with no small part of that due to the support of by my St. Paul’s friends!
Kevin: I also want to thank all of you for your prayers during that time. We were in uncharted territory with no idea where Donna’s health was headed. Your support helped keep us grounded in the present.
Donna: In closing, we have always put St. Paul’s at the center of our annual giving, as it has been at the heart of our spiritual life for nearly 20 years. Whether it is through your time, talent or treasure, please consider making even what may seem to be a small gesture: volunteering to help with a project (as I did to help Marsha while she was away this summer by fielding her emails), or to help pack food for those in need in our community at Filling in the Blanks, or to donate financially. There are myriad ways to support St. Paul’s, so please consider doing so, as there is no contribution too small.
Kevin: If you are currently not pledging, but make a regular contribution during the offering, please take this season as an opportunity to formalize that commitment by telling the church about it with a pledge. If you aren’t contributing, this is a great time to start with something small based on your ability.
Thank you!