Music For A Lifetime: Carly & Mike's Abiding Story

Carly and Mike grew up going to church and when they had their first child, they took time to assess what is important to their family and what kind of church they wanted to attend. During their search for a church home, Carly’s good friend suggested Abiding Presence. In August 2023 they came to a worship service with their 8 month old. “Pastor Kelsey welcomed us first and it was great to find a church where kids were welcomed to be kids,” Carly shared. “Ms. Michaela sought us out right away and we had such a great sense of the whole community wanting us to be there,” she recalled.

Every week, Carly and Hank attend Mainly Music, a fun-filled music program for kids and their parent or caregiver. “It’s good for Hank to be around other kids and socialize,” Mike said. “He has a blast and he always has a smile on his face,” Carly shared. “Hank has grown up so much since coming here that he was crawling, he learned to walk here, and now he runs around,” Carly said. In addition to Hank making friends, Carly has connected with other Moms in the community and has setup playdates with their children.

Carly, Mike, and Hank have been attending the babies Sunday School class each week. “We’ve built relationships with the other families and it’s so nice to spend intentional time together,” Mike shared. Hank’s love of music likely comes from his Dad as Mike has enjoyed the opportunity to play clarinet with the orchestra during the 9:00 a.m. worship service. “Having played in middle school, high school, and college, I had put my clarinet away for a decade,” Mike recalled. “When I shared with Pastor Meredith that I was interested in playing, she connected me with Dave and he got me plugged into the orchestra here,” Mike said. “I love sharing my music whenever I can with Dave, high school musicians, and professional musicians,” he said. “There’s a place for all levels of ability and I’ve never felt intimidated because they’ve made it so much fun,” he said.

Carly shared, “Lutheran theology is about being tolerant and inclusive and here everyone says it and means it as well as lives out those values.” That was a big factor in why they chose to have Hank baptized here. While raising a toddler is time-consuming, Carly and Mike are both looking forward to participating in volunteer activities like the Food Pantry when their schedule will allow. “We contribute financially where we can but we want to do more in the future,” Carly said. “It’s important to us that you can get involved to the extent that you want here and there are many ways to do that,” Carly shared. Mike said, “No matter who you are, no matter what your religious background or your walk of life, there’s a place for you at Abiding Presence.” He added, “All are welcome and we really mean it so if you have rambunctious kids like we do, if you’re older, or anywhere in between, there’s a place for you here.”