For as long as I can remember, I have gone to church. I attended mass on Sundays with my parents or grandmother. CCD always took up my Wednesday evenings. CYO was weekly with activities throughout the year. There was not an option to not go. My parents never planned weekend excursions that interfered with church. My brother, sisters, and I all made our First Communion and Confirmation as scheduled. Extracurricular activities did not interfere with church.

I attended a Catholic university so my religious involvement continued through my young adult years. I was privileged growing up to worship at different churches with friends – Methodist, Assembly of God, and Pentecostal to name a few. I remember the different experiences of spirit filled worship and keep those close to my heart today. I learned early on that God was not only in the Catholic Church, but wherever I was on Sunday morning. As I grew up, I always believed I was the church as well. God was with me as I closed my eyes in prayer and worship.

In the very early 80’s, Dennis and I married and moved to Bay City. He was raised in the Episcopal Church. When I became pregnant in 1983, we decided it was time to find a church home to establish roots and raise our family. We didn’t look very far. The only church we visited was St. Mark’s. Milton McWilliams was the rector. We were hooked!

Now many of you know me, and I am a stickler for my children and grandchildren behaving in church. To this day I could give the girls my “mean eyes” and they would straighten up. Cooper has only had to tell me, “Mimi, your eyes are scaring me” a few times. Some may remember my biggest misbehaver was Dennis. It was his joke to squeeze us all to one end of the pew, a little at a time. On occasion, I got up and moved. I don’t know if I would have made it in their early years without Bill and Frances Savage. They could see the anxiety on my face and would come and get Erin and Natalie, telling me, “They are only bothering you, honey. We love to hear the sound of children in church.”

Around the time of their preschool years, I joined Debra Shield’s team and launched my Sunday School teacher career. Along with that came Vacation Bible Schools with elaborate set decorations and musical scores second to none. It was never a decision that took much thought or debate. If I was expected at Sunday School, my girls would be there, too. And they were. As a senior in high school, Natalie and Leigh Vance taught the younger children on Sunday mornings. This year, Erin has signed on to help out in some capacity. The tradition continues. I pray that Natalie and Zach will find a church home now that they have bought and moved into their home. The Lord says, “Ask and you shall receive.” I am counting on it.

Several weeks ago Brad and I were headed home after a meeting at the diocese in Houston. We were tossing out ideas about Rally Sunday, wondering if our efforts would increase Sunday School attendance for the coming year. Many of us have or are involved with the public school system. On any given day at Cherry Elementary, students can learn about sex, drugs, gangs, bullying, and meanness to name a few. Reading, math, science, and social studies are taught daily. Social skills are presented as well. We give it our all to help children learn to be productive citizens.

What they don’t get is Christian Education. As parents, it is our responsibility and duty to bring our children up in the church. If a child goes to church once a month, he will be exposed to Christ for about 18 hours a year. If said child goes to church and Sunday School twice a month, she will be involved with religion right at 50 hours a year. Young adults on the Missionpalooza trip had an average of 3 hours of religious exposure in addition to 4-6 hours of service each day. Unless our children are attending church worship, Sunday School, and EYC, they are not likely to get a solid Christian education and background that will enable them to become Godly adults. As more and more kids rely on social media and the internet to occupy their time, they are missing out on the religious upbringing that so many of us here today received.

August 23 is Rally Sunday. Not only will we be gearing up for Sunday School, there will be a ministries fair for all of us to choose how we are going to be involved with St. Mark’s. Please, mark your calendars and find a costume. Join in the pirate festivities. Come dressed as your favorite pirate, male and female. Prizes will be given to the best dressed man and woman. Kiddos will have fun playing and winning prizes. Nancy Kubecka is planning on “fish and chips” with the sides. A fun time will be had by all.

In closing, if we do not educate and engage all of our children and grandchildren in our Christian life at St. Mark’s, someone else will take them under his wing and it may not be a good situation. We have a wonderfully diversified congregation with many young children who will fit right in and give us all hope for the future. Give them what I had and what my children had – A wonderful church to call home with a solid religious background. Make Christian education and community a priority in your child’s life.

As stated in Proverbs22:6 - Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.

God bless you.