A couple of words from the new summer intern

Hello, devoted members & friends of St. Cyprian's! Hello, casual followers of the Sips blog! Hello, wide world of internet strangers!

My name is Kelsey, and I'm the new summer intern here at St. Cyprian's. The Beatitudes Society awarded me a fellowship to work with you all for the next couple of months; our plan is to build a comprehensive church directory (so you're better connected with each other) and a similar neighborhood directory (so you're better connected with the fantastic community around you!). Hopefully I'll have the chance to host a few events - conversations with young parents, for instance, and the unveiling of the Green Turk & Lyon plans - during my time here as well.

A little about me: I just finished my first year of graduate school at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary across the bay in Berkeley; next May I'll graduate with a master's degree in Systematic & Philosophical Theology. I really enjoy studying systematics - the different doctrines of theology that make up Christianity - and my ultimate goal is to teach an undergraduate comparative religions course. I'm originally from Colorado, I love to be outside, and I'm a die-hard college football fan. Lately I've been trying my hand at vegan baking and planning my wedding! I get to marry my best friend back in Colorado next June. He's pretty great, and hopefully he'll come to church with me a few times this summer so you can meet him, too.

Will & I have accomplished a lot this week (especially considering we only met last Wednesday!). We tackled a walking tour of the whoooooole neighborhood, checked out the Divisadero farmer's market (where I'll have a table with information some day this summer), got the online directories up and running, and sat through a whole day's worth of Beatitudes Society orientation. (Whew!) And even though I've been working at the church for only a week, I am already overwhelmed with how warmly you've welcomed me! I'm so excited to see how this summer unfolds, and I'm anxious to learn more about each of you and the role St. Cyprian's plays in this neighborhood.

PS: Today I got a great taste of local color! A neighborhood twenty-something wandered through the church doors and promptly sat down to play the piano (uninvited, but we didn't mind!). He entertained us for almost an hour. It was the kind of weird-and-great experience that makes San Francisco the best city on the best coast. :)