It’s All About Community!
- By Julie Morgan & Susan Schulze
Kim Meagher is an inspiration to many at Central Presbyterian Church as she reaches out with creativity to invite members and visitors to use their gifts and passions to serve. Her attitude of joy and excitement is contagious!
Like creativity, service is key for Kim. She recalls a Sunday in 2008 when she had just started attending Central, and two members, Phyllis DeSmit and Kris Bailey, introduced themselves and invited her to help with a seminar hosted by Central for the nonprofit, Women Who Stand. This program led her to attend the yearly Justice Project conference and then help bring the online version to Central.
She also said “yes” to help lead the fall clothing drive at Central. After a prayer time on the morning of the drive, Kim asked the volunteers–both adults and kids–to look for and share “God sightings” as they helped families find clothing. She reflects on the love she observed from Central kids and teens helping other children select what they needed.
Kim and her husband Tony, who have five children and two granddaughters, started attending Central in 2008 for the worship and youth opportunities for their kids. Coming from an unchurched background, Kim joined the First English Lutheran Church in Baltimore when she and Tony married. Her background as a teacher led her to become their director of family ministries. Her passion was for providing “on ramps” for others who come from unchurched backgrounds, and she set up activities that promoted fellowship.
At Central, Kim has engaged people of all ages in creative projects as she helps others find their “ fit” in serving. She began the tradition of the “stained glass” nativity scene, which adorns Central’s York Road windows throughout December. This beautiful art piece is prepared at the Deck the Halls event on the 1st Sunday of Advent, when many hands help paste strips of colorful tissue paper to serve as background for the silhouette manger scene.
Summer Bible Camp (SBC) is one of Kim’s favorite projects. SBC is held each year during the last week in June for children to learn more about God. The two weeks prior to SBC, Kim involves all ages in the preparation for the camp. Children and families can serve together to ready everything as they paint, assemble, and use their imaginations. Kim provides the instructions for preparing craft projects and backdrops for each lesson in the various parts of the church building. This year’s theme is “Twists and Turns – Following Jesus Changes the Game” and is based on Psalm 25:4.
“Creating Space to Serve” is a class held at Women on Wednesdays (WOW) for members and visitors. For more than 6 years, Kim and her co-leaders have offered classes at Central. It is an opportunity for women to come together to learn fun new crafts, connect with women in their group, and share their creations with others. One recent project included making colorful collage-covered notebooks for women at the recently opened Women’s Helping Up Mission in Baltimore City. (See the results of their efforts in the photo.) In recent months, this WOW group also served Central’s high school ministry, Storm, by making balloon bouquets as table decorations and chocolate-covered pretzels as favors for their Fabulous February event. Last year, the women prepared beautiful paper flower arrangements to cheer Central members who were isolated by COVID. Other WOW members served by delivering these flower arrangements.
When asked why she does what she does, Kim says that she wants to show others how to serve in a way that brings joy and is life-giving.
Have you noticed how much junk is in the mail today? Rarely anything inspiring. But occasionally, once in a while, there is a handwritten note. Words of love and encouragement are there in black and white, in your hand to be read and reread as much as you’d like, then set on display or saved for later to warm your heart again.
We hope you enjoyed the first issue of