WITH CHRIST AT THE CENTER AUGUST 2024
CONNECTIONS
OUR STUDENTS RECENTLY TRAVELED TO HARRISONBURG, VA TO PARTICIPATE IN PASSPORTmissions! THEY PUT THEIR FAITH IN ACTION THROUGH MEANINGFUL MISSION PROJECTS, AND HAD SOME FUN TOO!
From the Senior Pastor
For well over a year now, our Governance Team has been looking at our current lay leadership and decision-making structure, learning from the experiences and insights of other congregations and churchaffiliated leaders, and—most importantly—listening to the hopes and frustrations of Providence people who deeply love our church and want it to flourish as a compelling sign of God’s love, grace, and peace in Charlotte.
The team listened to our deacons, our Coordinating Council, and the congregation at two churchwide events in January—and then again at two more churchwide events in March. The team also invited Providence people to participate in paper and online surveys. The team collected 67 pages of feedback from these churchwide sessions and surveys and made that feedback available for the congregation to review for themselves.
When the team listened to the congregation, what it heard was that Providence wants a lay leadership and governance structure that is representative of the entire congregation and gives members a voice in calling leaders; clear about how and why decisions are made—and who
makes these decisions; responsive to the needs of the church by being efficient, effective, and easy to understand; and accountable to the congregation by communicating regularly and openly. The team also heard that Providence wants a leadership structure that is rightsized for our current membership and allows more people more opportunities for more hands-on engagement.
Wants are poetry; structure is prose. Translating one into the other is not easy, and I have been grateful for the commitment, energy, and love that Hunter Cook, Donna Eason, Lia Hinson, Natalie Lodato, Harrison Marshall, Stacy Mercer, Rita Stanley, and Amy Stokes have poured into this project. With God’s help, their work has produced good fruit.
In June and July, the team presented its proposal for a revised lay leadership and governance structure to our ministry staff, deacons, Faith Formation teachers, and the Coordinating Council. They invited questions and feedback from each of these groups. The team then presented the proposal to the congregation at last month’s Quarterly Church Conference. The team will do so again at 4pm on August 4, in the Eddins Room, for
those who missed the Q3 Quarterly Church Conference.
The next step in this long, deliberate process will be for the congregation to register an opinion on the proposal in principle at a called church meeting following worship on August 11. The question we will vote on will be: Do you affirm the Governance Team’s work thus far and authorize it to prepare revised bylaws regarding lay leadership and governance for the deacons to consider and the Providence congregation to approve?
Think of this vote as a chance to check the GPS: Are we headed in the right direction? Do we feel good about where we’re going? Do we think this route will get us to where we need to be? If the answer is ‘yes,’ then the team will continue moving forward, with the goal of voting on revised bylaws at the October 16 Quarterly Church Conference. If the answer is ‘no,’ then the team will take a step back and recalibrate.
Done well, congregational governance can be tedious. Listening to the Holy Spirit takes patience. Moving forward together requires trust. And in the midst of it all, may the peace of Christ be with you!
Ministry @ Providence
ADULT DISCIPLESHIP
Blake Kendrick, bkendrick@providencebc.org
Adult Summer Reading
This summer, adults of all ages are encouraged to read The Bill of Obligations: The Ten Habits of Good Citizens by Richard Haass, which can be found on Amazon. Discussion sessions will be held by Blake and Lee during fall Adult Midweek Rotations.
ACTIVITY CENTER
Michelle Hitselberger, mhitselberger@providencebc.org
Activity Center Volunteers Wanted
The Activity Center is seeking volunteers to welcome, support, and provide a positive experience for church members and the community. If you’re interested, please contact Michelle Hitselberger.
CHILDREN
Elizabeth Maye Hudson, emaye@providencebc.org
Rising 6th Grade Breakfast
Rising 6th Grade students and their parents are invited to a celebration breakfast at 9:15am on August 18! RSVP by August 11. Further details will be shared with parents.
Rising Kindergarten Pop-Up
Rising Kindergarteners and their parents are invited to visit their new Kindergarten Faith Formation classroom, as well as the Sanctuary for a “welcome to Worship” to prepare for this fall! We’ll meet at 9:30am on August 25 in the CDC’s Green Hall.
Blessing of Students and Teachers
Join us for Worship on August 25 as we offer blessings and lift up our teachers and students ahead of the upcoming school year!
“Not About You”
CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER
Ursula Taylor, utaulor@providencebc.org
CDC Celebration Sunday
Join us for Worship on August 11 for our CDC Celebration Sunday!
CDC Family Orientation
We are so excited to start another amazing year! All CDC families, both current and new, are invited to a Family Orientation on August 29 at 6:15pm in the Sanctuary.
CDC
Closings (Teacher Workdays)
The CDC will be closed August 29 and 30 for teacher workdays and training.
MUSIC
Timothy Hill, thill@providencebc.org
“Come Sing” Summer Choir
Join us on Sundays at 10am in the Lowell Dotson Music Suite! For more information, contact Tim or Ed.
Sound Board Volunteers Wanted
The Worship Support team is looking for Sound Board Operation volunteers to assist during in-person and online Worship. If you’re interested, please contact Tim Hill.
Martha Iley Scholarship Recipients
The recipients for our Martha Iley Music Scholarships have been selected! Corwin Stanley, a rising sophomore trumpet player at Gardner-Webb University, feels God’s calling and hopes to pursue music ministry after he graduates. Elizabeth “Lizzy” Urich, a rising senior pianist at Winthrop University, loves worshiping the Lord through music and wants to pursue a church music position after graduation. Congratulations to these musicians! We are so excited to see what God has in store for them.
In September, Providence will have a churchwide emphasis called “Not About You.” Drawing from Galatians 5:6, “The only thing that matters is faith expressing itself through love,” we will learn together what skills are needed to be salt and light as followers of Jesus in an increasingly toxic environment.
STUDENTS
Dane Jackson, djackson@providencebc.org
Rising 6th Grade Orientation
Rising 6th grade students and parents are invited to enjoy ice cream, hear about the Student Ministry, meet current youth, play games, and see the student space. Come, ask questions, and have fun at this small, welcoming gathering in the Youth Room at 6pm on August 28!
SENIOR ADULTS
Wilna Eury, wilna.eury@att.net
Fall PrimeTimer’s Luncheons
Hope everyone is enjoying the last days of summer! Mark your calendar now for our Thursday, September 19 PrimeTimer’s Luncheon in the Crouch Fellowship Hall. More details will be in the September Connections issue.
December ADVENTure Trip
We still have several rooms available for our South Carolina LowCountry ADVENTure trip scheduled for December 5-7, 2024. For questions, contact Wilna Eury at (704) 553-2615.
CHURCHWIDE
Governance Team Proposal
For those who missed the Q3 Quarterly Conference, the Governance Team will hold a second presentation of the proposed revisions to the Lay Leadership and Governance Structure at 4pm on August 4 in the Eddins Room.
Called Church Conference
Following Worship on August 11, there will be a Called Church Conference in the Sanctuary. During this meeting, the congregation will answer the question: Do you affirm the Governance Team’s work thus far and authorize it to prepare revised bylaws regarding lay leadership and governance for the deacons to consider and the Providence congregation to approve?
CHURCHWIDE (CONTINUED)
Providence Knight at the Ballpark
Join us on Thursday, August 15 for a night at the Charlotte Knights baseball game! Tickets are $35 per person and includes an all-you-caneat buffet dinner. Spaces are still available, so register on Realm today to claim your spot! Game time is 7pm.
Prayer Vigil
You are invited to come sit and pray quietly from 8am-12pm in the Chapel on Saturday, August 31. Suggested Prayer guides are available.
Acts 2:42 Groups “2:42 Groups” extends an invitation to members and families to gather around the table 4 times from
September 2024 through July 2025 with a group of Providence families. Each group will be made up of 4 family units and the host will rotate at each gathering. Sign up your family on Realm by September 15 for this initiative that focuses on building community, connection, and fellowship with one another.
Join us for our Fall Kickoff on Wednesday, September 4 at 5pm! After that, Midweek activities will resume this fall on Wednesday, September 11. We are so excited to see you again on Wednesday nights!
Our Midweek schedule offers Music, Missions, and Faith Formation for all ages. See the opportunities to join us during the month of September below:
ADULT ROTATIONS | 6–7PM
September 11 – Book Club: Bill of Obligations Part 1
September 18 – Do Justice: Learning to Listen
September 25 – Vespers: Communion & Candlelight
MUSIC | CHOIR REHEARSALS
5:30-6:30pm – Young Musicians
5:45-6:30pm – Cherub Choir and Trinity Singers
6:30-7:30pm – Student Choir
7:30-9pm – Sanctuary Choir
STUDENT FUSION | 5:45–6:30PM
Our Midweek gathering will meet at 5:45pm in the Youth Room.
August Calendar
WEEKLY CALENDAR
Mondays
6-7pm Adult Open Gym (ages 18+)
7-9pm 40+ Basketball Pick Up Games ($5/person)
Mondays - Fridays
2:30pm Youth Open Gym (ages 12-17)
Tuesdays & Thursdays
10am-1pm Adult Indoor Pickleball & 6-8pm Sports Quest
Fridays
9am-2:30pm Adult Indoor Pickleball Tournaments
Saturdays
8am-12pm Cotswold Farmers Market
10am-3pm Open Gym
Sundays 9:15am Faith Formation 10:30am Worship
CHILDREN’S ROTATIONS | 6:30–7:15PM
Preschool-1st Grade – Missions Rotation 2nd-5th Grade – Worship Rotation
MIDWEEK MEALS
Fellowship Meals will also be returning on September 11! The menu items for September will be available in the September issue of Connections, so be sure to check back!
The cost of a Midweek dinner is: $25 per Family, $8 per Individual, $5 per Child 10 and under, Free for Children 5 and under. Payments can be made via cash, check, or online through Realm!
CHURCH OFFICE HOURS Monday through Thursday, 9am–4pm; Friday, 9am–1pm
SUNDAY, AUGUST 4
4pm Governance Team Presentation: Lay Leadership and Governance Structure Proposal, Eddins Room
SUNDAY, AUGUST 11
10:30am CDC Celebration Sunday, Sanctuary
11:30am Called Church Conference, Sanctuary
THURSDAY, AUGUST 15
7pm Providence Knight at the Ballpark, Truist Field
SUNDAY, AUGUST 18
9:15m Rising 6th Grade Breakfast
SUNDAY, AUGUST 25
9:30am Rising Kindergarten Pop-Up, CDC Green Hall 10:30am Blessing of Students and Teachers, Sanctuary
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28
6pm Rising 6th Grade Orientation, Youth Room
THURSDAY, AUGUST 29
CDC Closed (Teacher Workday) 6:15pm CDC Family Orientation, Sanctuary
FRIDAY, AUGUST 30
CDC Closed (Teacher Workday)
SATURDAY, AUGUST 31
8am-12pm Prayer Vigil, Gordon Chapel
The Record We Wrote
New Members
In Christian Sympathy
• George Crouch, June 26, 2024 Lester Bradshaw, July 14, 2024 We remember with appreciation and sympathy these Providence members who have passed away.
Dedication of Life
SEPTEMBER 4
Fall Kickoff
Yuck Night
SEPTEMBER 8
Celebration Sunday
Student Ministry Orientation
SEPTEMBER 11
Midweek Activities Resume
SEPTEMBER 12
Adult Bible Study Resumes
SEPTEMBER 19
PrimeTimer’s Luncheon
SEPTEMBER 22
Blessing of New Drivers
ONLINE GIVING
Do you give online to Providence?
On Sundays, pick up an online giving card as you enter the Narthex and place it in the offering plate during worship!
Periodicals
Postage PAID Charlotte, NC USPS 979-940