So, when Brian asked me to speak, the funny thing is, I do quite well when I talk about why we give money to the church. I mean, that’s easy – we need to keep the lights on, food in the kitchen, and ensure the staff gets paid. There are plenty of clear reasons for giving money to the church. However, it’s a lot more challenging when he asked, “Why are you part of this faith community?” I sat there and thought about it. I realized that I had never really asked myself that question before. I had just been going to St. Matthews, so I thought it would be a good idea to take a step back and engage in some self-reflection.

The first time I ever set foot in St. Matthew’s was as a fraternity member at Millsaps College, Lambda Chi. St. Matthew’s graciously allowed us to use the church for our initiation. That was my initial introduction to St. Matthew’s. Over the years, I worshipped at various churches, mainly following my dad, who was a minister. I either worshipped where he did or at a church where he used to be. However, St. Matthew’s is the first church where I truly felt embedded and called it home. I can’t say that I was solely led here independently because my father started worshipping here. He called me and said, “I want you to come worship with us at St. Matthew’s. We love Andy, and I know you’ll love the church.” And we did. I must admit there was a bit of selfishness in it, too, as we came to worship at this church because my dad was ill. He eventually passed away from cancer, and we wanted to be part of his faith family.

But that’s when something special happened. St. Matthew’s didn’t just let us come here to spend the last few years of worship with my father. They gave me the opportunity to do what he had taught us. He said that, no matter what you’re going through or what trials you face, the best way to find healing for yourself is to dedicate yourself to others. Despite not being a morning person and preferring the night, I would get up early on Sunday mornings to teach Sunday school. The fulfillment I get from preparing to teach the young people in that class, even if it’s just one person, is something that fills me up.

So, why have I stayed, and why am I part of this faith community? It’s because this faith community has made it clear that they will allow me to insert myself into any ministry, any place where I can contribute my efforts and find fulfillment in living out what my father taught me was the essence of a true Christian community. It’s not a selfish community; it’s a sacrificial community where we support and pour into each other, striving to grow together. And that’s the additional factor with St. Matthew’s – the commitment to outreach and sharing the love of Christ with the world.

St. Matthews captured my heart because, after being part of all these groups, one of the best moments was when I told a story, and my father came up to me afterward, saying, “You didn’t even tell the best part.” That’s because he was a part of the story. He loved St. Matthew’s, and we love St. Matthew’s not just because it’s a cool place to be but because we’re individuals with hearts that want to give to other hearts, we’re the broken who want to contribute to the healing of the broken, we’re the lonely who want to provide comfort to each other. That’s what St. Matthew’s means to me, and that’s why we’re here.