Build The Family

"He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.”
Acts 10:2

Did you ever wonder how you got to where you are today? You work hard. You think you know what you’re doing. Did you ever wonder what you were thinking when you look at the path you’ve followed; and found there were a few detours you hadn’t planned? I look back over the last dozen years and see that God has had a plan for me. It was His plan, whether I understood it, or even checked with Him to see what it was.

A divorce eight years ago brought me to Washington Cathedral through my best friend, Craig Davis. That started a new awareness in my life. I attended divorce recovery and singles and decided to get involved. One thing I learned was that I never wanted to go through a divorce again. I wanted to understand God’s plan for me, and I wanted the support of a church family.

What does all this have to do with “Build the Family Foundation?” Well, I learned that Washington Cathedral had a foundation dedicated to building the family, and in fact the mission is to “Create a Safer World for Children by Building Families”. So, Helen (my beautiful and talented wife) and I (that’s another story involving Washington Cathedral) about 3 years ago, raised our hands and volunteered to join the “Build the Family” board to support married couples in building and maintaining their marriages and families. Also, I’ve been a volunteer and board member for the last 10 years at “Eastside Domestic Violence Program” and have seen first-hand the impact of violence on families, particularly children--and wanted to continue that work in the church.

Along the way, with a lot of work by others, the “Up with Marriage” task force set up several seminars for married couples, date nights, and the annual dinner with Pastors’ Tim and Jackie encouraging married couples to keep working it out. “Build the Family” has a number of initiative areas, the most visible being the Divorce Recovery program and Singles program. Other areas include; parenting, pre-marital counseling and shared housing. I know there are many other areas of need in the community just waiting for someone with a heart and passion to step up and lead the charge to make a difference for families.

Helen and I have been blessed by all the friends we’ve made and the chance to grow in our faith.

Anyway, late last year Pastor Tim and Pastor David asked me (which really means both Helen & I) if I would be willing to head up the “Build the Family Foundation.” After more than a little prayer, we decided the Lord thought it was time to commit to another level of service--so, we said “yes”. Now the work begins and we are excited, if not a bit nervous, to be leading a growing and successful program.

All of the ministries at Washington Cathedral are built around our Small Groups. I see the future of Build the Family doing God’s will come from small groups of people working together to accomplish great things. If you have a passion for building families and want to become part of one of those small groups ready to make a difference in this community; or would like more information on “Build the Family Foundation” and how you can be part of Washington Cathedral’s “Great Caring Network”, contact Pastor David Gerzsenye, myself or any of the board members. This is an exciting time in Washington Cathedral’s history and a great time to serve the Lord!

“Build the Family” board members include: Carol Gerzsenye, Mary Ann Pease, Melissa Tyksinski, Craig and Reava Davis, Jerry and Marti Neyland, Steve and Suzette Dalpez, Ed and Helen Schild

By Ed Schild