On Sunday, Broad Streeters Amy Baskes and Connie Bodiker spoke in in-person worship about why they give to Broad Street and how the church gives them hope for the future…
AMY: As you may have seen in the first annual campaign video, mom and I are both lifelong members of Broad Street. We were each baptized here, confirmed here, married by its ministers. I even graduated from high school at Broad Street. Over the years, we’ve celebrated dozens of family milestones in this sanctuary: the funerals of loved ones, new generations of baptisms, and even the recent 90th birthday of my aunt (whose parents and all four grandparents were members). This IS our family’s church.
CONNIE: So, it’s fitting for us to share this on All Saints’ Day, because Amy and I both feel the presence of our loved ones whenever we sit in “our pew.” We remember funny quirks about my father who was always eager for the sermon to end so he could get to the golf course on sunny Sundays. Or how my husband would pass silly notes in the friendship pads with our squirming young nephews, long before we had children’s tables up front. We carry these memories with us every time we enter the sanctuary.
AMY: But the fact that our parents brought us here isn’t our full story. As adults, each of us has consciously and actively chosen Broad Street to be our church home. Our reasons, I’m guessing, are similar to the reasons you may be here: the explicit and active commitment to racial and social justice; an inclusive & welcoming approach to all of God’s children; the diversity in age, geography, and experience of our members; beautiful music; the incredible work of our Food Pantry and Neighborhood Ministries; engaging and thoughtful sermons; our generous community Thanksgiving meal; our collective expression of a loving and forgiving God. This is a unique community where each of us can put God’s word into action.
CONNIE: What gives us hope is that Broad Street is always leading and always evolving. When I was a girl, children were only allowed in the sanctuary for the pageant and for confirmation! Now look at all the ways children are welcomed, encouraged, and included in worship. Or think about how our ‘choice’ Food Pantry leads the community in the ways it respects the dignity of every shopper. Or the smart and inclusive ways Amy, Ann, and Brittany basically invented online worship over the last year. Consider how strong our recent new membership class was –even when our doors were shuttered. Over my lifetime, Broad Street has evolved and we continue to evolve – whether that’s in response to the changing demographics and needs of our neighbors, or new styles of parenting, a global pandemic, or new technologies and social norms.
AMY: Broad Street has always looked to the future. I know – because I learned it in this sanctuary – our church will always continue to embrace the optimism of hope for a better world. My life at Broad Street is the way I live out that hope and our financial support is our commitment to that hope. As we remember with gratitude the gifts of all the saints who’ve gone before us, please join mom and me in financially supporting the future life and good work of this church. We can’t think of a better investment. Thank you.
For more information about our Annual Campaign ’22: A Future With Hope and how to pledge, please visit this page on the Broad Street Central Hub.
This was so meaningful, Amy and Connie. Your many years at Broad Street and your awareness of the ways it continues to evolve in order to meet new challenges are reasons for hope for a vibrant future!
There is an old Indian parable wherein six blind men approach an elephant and try to determine it’s nature through touch. The descriptions of the elephant range widely depending on where each blind man touched the animal. A spear, a wall, a rope , a tree were just some of the answers. Thank you, Amy and Connie, for helping us “see” the entire elephant that is Broad Street Presbyterian Church. You did a marvelous job of summing up the parts that make Broad Street that special place and putting them in the contexts of the church’s past, present and future. How can we not have hope?