Robin Morjikian

Why We Give: The Poindexter Family

When I was about 12, my mother and father separated. Money was tight. She worked three jobs – shuffling from a department store to Hertz car rental to a night shift on a psychiatric ward – to keep food on the table and clothes in our closets.

Every Sunday she took us to Calvary Baptist Church in New Orleans. When the offering plate came around, she dug into her wallet and pulled out a few $20 bills. Then, she passed the plate to my sister and me, so we could put in our own money.

My mother’s commitment to tithing amazed me. We had so little that I often played football in donated cleats. A new pair of blue jeans was a luxury. And yet, each Sunday she would part with what she had spent hours that week earning.

“No matter how little we have, we have enough,” she told me. “It’s our obligation to help others who don’t have this much.”

This is how I learned the value of giving to the church. It’s a value I am deeply committed to, in part, not only because I believe it’s the right thing to do but also because it helps me honor the memory of my mother and the sacrifices she made for her faith and family. Those efforts helped me get to Brown University, where I played football, met my wife, Brie, and got the foundation for my career in commercial construction.

Our family joined Calvary in 2010. Brie and I were looking for a new church home after relocating to San Francisco. We knew we would be starting a family soon and now have two daughters: Eve, 7, and Zoe, 9.

Being part of this congregation has enriched our lives. Its ministry in the community has helped me become more aware of injustices in the world and an advocate for social justice.

Every year we make our pledge to Calvary, we push ourselves to give more. We push to a point that we sometimes become anxious about it. But inside it feels good. It’s what I know my mother would have done.

More to Explore

Talking with Kids About the Order of Worship in the Bulletin.

If I visited Calvary for the first time and had not been to a Presbyterian church before, I would want someone to help me understand what I was doing throughout the order of worship. This blog provides an example of how some churches annotate their bulletins so children, youth, and adults can learn more about why we choose to read, sing, pray, and listen at certain times during the worship service. Harvey Browne Memorial Presbyterian Church (www.hbpres.net) in Louisville, Kentucky offers a model of how to explain the order of worship. Being transparent about how we worship together is in line with our reformed tradition. We can read and interpret the Bible ourselves, as well as worship and say prayers with our own bodies. Many years ago, a priest would do all of this while the congregation sat or stood. It is important for parents to share with their children that all people have the freedom to contribute to a worship service. By singing, listening, praying, and sharing, we get to know each other and witness each other’s talents and inspiring work. Fellowship and education events are only part of the ways that we form our faith together. Participating in worship is what binds us together each Sunday, so that we can support each other at or outside of church during the week.

Support Trans Kids

Calvary Presbyterian Church continues to support transgender youth and adults. March 2023 is Transgender Awareness Month. We show our continuing support through messages such as, “Trans Lives Matter,” “Believe Trans Kids,” “Support Trans Kids,” and “Protect Trans Kids.” This blog will offer some insight into Presbyterian and San Francisco organizations that actively support and advocate for LGBTQI+ people. I hope that you will take time to read through these resources. There is hope. So many inspired people of all ages are working together for freedom, safety, and love. Now that I am raising two teens I have come to more clearly understand the context and reality that LGBTQI+ youth live in every day. It is crucial to support the growth and development of transgender children and youth who sense that their “gender identity does not correspond with, or sit comfortably with, the sex they were registered at birth.” That is the definition of transgender offered by Twinkl, an education website for children ages preschool to 8th grade. See more definitions at the end of this blog. Transgender children, youth, young adults, adults, and senior adults do not want to be "othered" as they are children of God. We want to believe, support, and protect them, so that they can live safely and freely without fear and shame. When adults do not see or support children or youth as they are, the risks of gender dysphoria and youth suicide increase. God created all of us in Their image. May we have the courage to send out Jesus’ message of love and acceptance to ourselves and all people.

2022 Annual Report