I’ve taken a new part-time position as Communications Administrator at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church!
Why on earth?
For one, unlike many of my friends, my experiences with organized religion have been largely benign to good. I’m lucky to associate church with well-meaning do-gooders who enjoy eating big simple meals together (like pancakes and spaghetti).
I thought you were a doula….?
I’ve been a doula for 12 years (and a Lamaze educator for almost as long) and am still passionate about the work and pretty angry about how poorly the US treats our mothers and families in general.
But I worked in marketing for 15 years before that. Now that I’ve lived with the trade-offs of working with one’s passion (in this case, intense physical and emotional labor and sleepless nights) I feel ready to return to a relatively cushy office job. But former doula clients should definitely contact me if they’re having a new baby!
I thought you were starting a new business?
Thoughts are still percolating. It’s a good idea!
Nothing but options
Since I’m lucky enough to have decent healthcare insurance through my partner’s employer, I can easily participate in the gig economy which suits me fine. This position is part-time and once I get in the swing I’m going to see how it makes sense to use the “extra” time in my week.
But mostly! St. Mark’s is a cool place. I really like that there is a Spanish-only service every Sunday (and that I need to brush up on my Spanish in order to do a good job).
Episcopalians tend to be bookish, intelligent, and committed to progressive ideals and social justice. And St. Mark’s was named one of 100 “most awesome” churches in the US last year according to blogger Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons. The criteria included a spiritually enriching community with vibrant worship and a focus on social justice, and is fully LGBTQ-inclusive.
And, it’s ten minutes away and everyone is super nice.
And, given the current climate in the US it feels right to be working for the good guys.
And, I have a lovely (shared) office with two windows 🙂
High and Low Art 