IDEA Corps Intern: Emma Smith

The church I am interning at is located in a very interesting area within a divergent socioeconomic community. The church sits on a street where one side is full of rich waterfront Annapolis properties and the other side is the largest public housing site in Annapolis. The differences in economic status creates an issue where it seems like two separate communities and a goal of ours is to create events that can bring the community as a whole together. During the first week of this internship the question of what creates a strong community arose as we worked to plan events that would strengthen bringing together the community as a whole. 

A goal Pastor Chris Broadwell has is to become more than just the church that sits on the corner. We wanted to create a place where people of all walks of life feel comfortable gathering. We explored what community means to different people whether it's coming together to accomplish a goal or to help others. We explored what is the role of socializing or fellowship plays in creating a sense of community.  I see God in the people who are committed to helping this community by creating an ongoing management of a food pantry that creates a positive and uplifting environment. 

My first year of college I met a lot of new people who all came from different backgrounds. As we went through the year, I learned my best friend was a first-generation college student who was paying her own way through college. Through this relationship I was able to see how fortunate I was to grow up with the support system I have and to have parents who want me to have the best opportunities possible. I gained a new appreciation for how hard my friend had to work and learned how fortunate I was to have the opportunity to leave college debt free. I learned that I need to take advantage and work hard at all the opportunities I am given. 

One thing I accomplished was the logistics for planning open mic night. I got to use my creative skills to come up with flyers and advertisements for the event along with organizing sign ups. 

One of the projects we are working on is named Spashport. Every Friday outside the church we plan to set up a slip and slide and a bunch of water games out front for any kid in the neighborhood to come play. The goal of this project is for the kids in the community who can't afford to attend camp to have some place to hang out and meet new friends. I hope that it will give kids a chance to make new friends and have a fun activity they can look forward to every week.

This past week our focus was preparing for our community event open mic night. The biggest challenges we faced was figuring out ways to advertise this event. I think when people see the event is being held at a church it can deter some people away who would otherwise love the event. 

One of our main goals was to try and host community events that weren’t faith based to try and get members of the community to see the church as a gathering space for anyone rather than just the weird church on the corner. We want people to think of the church as part of the community where fun events for anyone are held. 

This has been a challenge to try and change the way people see the space I spent previous weeks making flyers and sign-up sheets and driving around town to put them on community boards. It was rewarding to hear Neha who came and did stand-up comedy from the group had heard about the event through one of the flyers on a community board.  Another fun bonus is learning some practical skills. While preparing for the event Pastor Chris taught me how to use a drill and tools to hang up curtains and other pieces need for the event. I also learned how to paint a room and all the logistics that go on in planning an event which will be useful skills as I move forward.

In this past week I have sensed god in the people who showed up to open mic night and shared there stories with us through words and music. I saw god in one man who shared a song he wrote about putting down the bottle and how its led to some bad decisions down the road. I saw god in another man who shared a song he had learned for a funeral for someone near and dear to his heart. 

He told us his emotional story about how the song related to him and why he chose to perform it as he teared up while sinning. I also saw god in a recent graduate student who spoke about lessons she learned through grad school. She shared how a friend had told her she needed to be more vulnerable to connect with people. The irony in how we hold people to such high standards but once we reach those standards we are no longer seen as relatable and human. After hearing those words they’ve definitely stuck with me as I've thought about how we perceive people and how god perceives us. 

I hope to sense go more in the small things I think we turn to god for big victories and big battles but learning to sense him in the small moments too is important presence completely. I’m more than grateful that this was the community project that I had ended up going with.

Besides the actual project itself, I think it has allowed me to reconnect with the members of Journey who have watched me grow from a little girl into the person I am today. Those who I haven’t seen in years, but we’ve been able to have fun and laugh while doing something great.

This upcoming week, the internship will be coming to a close, but the work is not yet done. This week I hope God continues to shine his light during these last two rehearsals and during the recording of the video we will be doing to showcase what they’ve learned. While this internship is ending, I hope that the work and the passion continues.

A goal of this placement was to create a space where people viewed the church as a part of the community. The church is located in a very diverse socioeconomic neighborhood and we wanted to plan events where everyone felt welcome to come. Events that weren’t faith based and could help draw in people to make the community feel more whole.  I learned a lot about what goes into planning an event . From  brainstorming ideas, creating and distributing flyers, setting up and putting on a fun event.

During your internship experience who are the people that you really want to say “thank you” to because they have been catalytic in helping you better live out inclusion, diversity, equity, anti-racism? What have you learned from them? The two people who helped me the most were Paster Chris and Rose. Navigating through he first few weeks I think all of us were unsure exactly what to expect and I’m thankful that they were very understanding as we learned together what was going to work and what was not going to work. They both helped my understand the dynamic of the community and how they were hoping to grow into a place that includes everyone.

I’m proud of the open mic night we accomplished. I honestly had no idea what the turnout was going to be like, and it ended up being a fun group of people. I learned a lot about the life stories of those who shared their talents through songs or standup. I hope that they continue doing open mic night and get more of the community to come whether that be church members or neighbors of the church. The goal of this event was to make the church feel more a part of the community by hosting events that weren’t faith based where everyone felt comfortable to join.

While working at this placement I got to see how beneficial there food pantry is for the community.  I pray that this church continues to receive such amazing donations to be able to grow and help as many community members as possible. I hope that they are able to continue to put on events that encourage every member of the community to come out and join and feel welcome.