WITH CHRIST AT THE CENTER
DECEMBER 2023
CONNECTIONS PROVIDENCE MEMBERS PACKAGED OVER 15,000 MEALS TO FIGHT HUNGER AROUND THE GLOBE THROUGH RISE AGAINST HUNGER!
From the Senior Pastor The Restore & Renew campaign launch is behind us. If you haven’t yet joined this effort, I hope you’ll soon do so. Let’s also continue to pray that God will restore and renew our hearts throughout Advent. When Jesus arrives, may he find a suitable home among Providence people who are ready to welcome him. That said, there’s another “re” word for us to consider as we move toward the end of one year and the beginning of another: Realign.
Nevertheless, we ended 2022 with a deficit because revenue didn’t meet expectations. Right now, we have a significant hole to climb out of to avoid a similar outcome for 2023. Reserve funds have allowed us to absorb these deficits thus far. This is not a sustainable path for us. The responsible next step, then, is to realign our Financial Plan to bring both sides of the ledger—expected revenue and expected ministry costs—into better balance.
Our annual Financial Plans for Missions and Ministry have, for several years now, been overly optimistic in projecting revenue from giving, CDC tuition, and other sources of income. Thankfully, the Providence staff has done heroic work managing our shared resources and keeping ministry costs significantly under budget. I am impressed by their careful stewardship. You should be, too.
Taking this responsibility seriously, our Finance Committee has put together a plan for 2024 that more closely aligns next year’s expected revenue with what Providence received this year. Expected ministry costs in every area are adjusted downward to match. For a while now, we’ve been asking our staff to do more with less. We all need to understand that this necessary realignment will accelerate and amplify that expectation.
This proposed Financial Plan for 2024 will be available for review by December 3. We will vote on it December 17. On Tuesday, December 12, at 7 p.m. there will be a “walk-through” presentation of the plan via Zoom so that our finance advisor, Nathan Edwards from Missional Business Services, can join us. The link for this event will be included in the December 11 churchwide email. With each of us doing our part and giving to our capacity, I believe that God has provided us with more than enough to do what God asks of us. We’re not there yet, though. We’re not all giving, and we’re not all giving to our capacity. Just because we’re not, doesn’t mean that we can’t. After all, as the angel Gabriel tells Mary in Luke 1:37, “nothing is impossible for God.” May the peace of Christ be with you!
Ministry @ Providence ADULT DISCIPLESHIP Blake Kendrick, bkendrick@providencebc.org Adult Bible Study Adults of all ages are invited to join us on December 14 in the Missions Center at 11 a.m. for coffee cake and the final session in the series on Jonah and Micah. Visit providencebc.org/adultbible-study/ for more information and for what’s to come in 2024. Midweek Rotation: Book Club On Wednesday January 10, 2024, we will be discussing Creating a Life with God by Daniel Wolpert at 6 p.m. in the upstairs parlor. The book can be found on Upper Room or on Amazon. ACTIVITY CENTER Joshua Jones, jjones@providencebc.org Holiday Hours and Closures The week of December 26-29, the Activity Center will be open from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. We will be closed December 30 in observance of New Year’s Eve. CHILDREN Elizabeth Maye Hudson, emaye@providencebc.org Family Advent Dinner Families of all shapes, sizes, and ages are welcome to join us for our annual Family Advent Dinner on December 1 from 5 – 7 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. We look forward to breaking bread and creating this season’s Advent wreaths together. Baby’s 1st Christmas All babies born in 2023 are invited to their first Christmas party on December 3 from 9:30 – 10:30 a.m.! Breakfast will be provided. RSVP to Elizabeth Maye Hudson.
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Christmas Eve Nativity Join us at 10:30 a.m. on December 24 for a re-telling of the Christmas story by our children. Come and sing along with us as the children share the true meaning of Christmas. Children who want to participate in the service should come to the Narthex between 9:30 – 9:45 a.m. to choose their character. CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER Ursula Taylor, utaylor@providencebc.org Winter Wonderland On December 14, the CDC will host a Winter Wonderland event where children and their families can make holiday ornaments together. Join us on the lawn of the Child Development Center at 11 a.m. CDC Closings From December 27 – January 2, the Child Development Center closed in observance of the Christmas and New Year holidays. MUSIC Timothy Hill, thill@providencebc.org Hanging of the Green Through the centuries, Christians have observed a time of waiting and expectation before celebrating the birth of the Savior at Christmas. Join us as we celebrate the beauty of the season with our annual Hanging of the Green service on December 3 at 10:30 a.m.! Behold the Lamb of God Behold the Lamb of God is an entertaining, charming, and uplifting telling of the true tale of Christ’s birth, which is as relevant today as it was then. This musical asks listeners to think about Christmas in a way that few do, as more than just the birth of Christ, but also the fulfillment of years of promises. Join us in the Sanctuary on December 10 at 7 p.m. for live, contemporary music from Noel Freidline, Matt Blackwell, Anna Kendrick, Stowe Query, Tim Hill, and many more! Bring a friend!
STUDENTS Dane Jackson, djackson@providencebc.org Middle & High School Christmas Parties Wear an ugly Christmas sweater, your favorite “onesie,” or classic red and green and come join the fun! Guys bring a savory snack to share and girls bring a sweet or salty snack to share. Everyone bring a wrapped gift (under $10) for our gift exchange! Middle School Party is Sunday, December 3 from 6 – 8 p.m. at the Aghjayan Home; High School Party is Sunday, December 13 from 6 – 8 p.m. at the Perrone Home. Register on Realm. SENIOR ADULTS Wilna Eury, wilna.eury@att.net PrimeTimer’s Luncheon Mark your calendar for our December 14 PrimeTimers Luncheon at 12 p.m.! We welcome back Jeff Perks at the piano. Jeff will entertain us with a variety of songs to put us in the Christmas spirit. Invite a friend to join us for good food, fellowship and listening to Jeff at the piano. Our lunches are open to all! CHURCHWIDE Mission Collection Our church wide missions collection for December is a holiday gift drive for the Families Forward Angel Tree. To sign up and learn more, please visit providencebc.org/connect/missions/ ways-to-engage/ Women on Mission Women on Mission will meet December 12. We are excited to welcome a representative from Congregations for Kids to share the important work they are doing. Join us at 10:30 a.m. for hands-on projects and prayer groups. We will hear from our guest speaker and have lunch at 11:30 a.m. Prayer Vigil You are invited to come sit and pray quietly from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. in the Chapel on December 23. Suggested Prayer guides are available.
Christmas Eve Services Join us on December 24 for any of our three Christmas Eve services. The Family Service will be held in the sanctuary at 10:30 a.m., with two Candlelight Services at 5 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. (the 11:30 p.m. service will be held in the Chapel). We are so excited to see you there! Providence Closings The Providence Campus, Activity Center, and CDC will be closed on December 25 and 26 for the Christmas Holiday.
Staff Transition
Our schedule offers Music, Missions, and Faith Formation for all ages. See the opportunities to join us during the month of December below: ADULT ROTATIONS, 6 – 7 P.M. December 6 - Pub Theology at Pizza Peel: Incarnation MUSIC Sanctuary Choir, 7:30 – 9 p.m. STUDENT FUSION, 5:45 – 6:30 P.M. Our midweek gathering will meet at 5:45 p.m. in the Youth Room.
We welcome Dwayne Howard, our new Hospitality Manager!
CHILDREN’S ROTATIONS, 6:30 – 7:15 P.M. December 6 - Children’s Christmas Party
New Members
MIDWEEK MENU December 6
WINSTON KENDRICK October 8
Sweet & Sour Chicken
Fellowship Meals will cost: $25 per Family, $8 per Individual, $5 per Child 10 and under, Free for Children 5 and under.
ROBERT CROSS October 22
December Calendar
December 6 is the final Midweek of 2023! We’ll see you in 2024!
C H U RC H OF F IC E H OU RS Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Friday, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
WEEKLY CALENDAR
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 2:30 – 4:30 p.m. Youth Open Gym (ages 12-17)
10:30 a.m.
1 p.m.
Wednesdays 5 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 6
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14
Midweek Christmas Parties
12 p.m.
Thursdays 11 a.m. 12 p.m. Sundays 9:15 a.m. 10:30 a.m.
Midweek at Providence (Only on December 6) Adult Bible Study, Missions Center Senior Pickball (ages 55+) Faith Formation classes (all ages) Worship
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1 5 p.m.
Family Advent Dinner, Fellowship Hall
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3 9:30 p.m.
Baby’s First Christmas, Room 1311 (Activity Center)
Hanging of the Green, Sanctuary
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7 Primetimer’s Flat Rock Playhouse Trip SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10 7 p.m.
Behold the Lamb of God, Sanctuary
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 12 10:30 a.m. Women on Mission, Missions Center WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13 6 p.m. High School Christmas Party THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14 11 a.m.
Adult Bible Study Mission Center
CDC Winter Wonderland, CDC Lawn PrimeTimer’s Luncheon, Fellowship Hall
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17 10:30 a.m.
Lessons and Carols, Sanctuary
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 23 8 a.m.
Prayer Vigil, Chapel
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 24 Christmas Eve Services 10:30 a.m.
Family Service
5 p.m.
Candlelight Services
11:30 p.m.
Candlelight Services
DECEMBER 25-26 Providence Campus, CDC, and Activity Center Closed
492 1 RAN D OLPH R OA D, C H A R LOT T E , N C 28211 | 704 . 366 . 2784 | PROVIDENCEBC .O RG
The Record We Wrote
Save The Date
FI NAN CIAL SN AP SH OT: JA N 1 – OCT 3 1 , 2 0 2 3 OPERATIN G IN COME Financial Contributions
YTD Actual $
PBCDC Tuition Other
1,558,912
$
1,714,638
YTD Variance $
(155,726)
1,501,933
1,698,577
(196,645)
166,829
197,087
(30,258)
$
3,610,302
$ (382,629)
$
530,295
Total Operating Income $ 3,227,674 MI NI STRY COSTS Missions and Ministries
YTD Plan $
392,330
$
137,966
Operations, Maintenance, and Grounds
763,006
766,171
3,165
PBCDC Staff
1,274,652
1,354,870
80,218
Ministerial and Operational Staff
1,096,406
1,176,874
80,468
Total Ministry Costs $ 3,526,394 Net $ (298,720)
$ 3,828,210 $ (217,908)
301,816
In Christian Sympathy We remember with gratitude these members of Providence who have recently died. • Joan G. Adams, October 16 • Christine Beaman, October 16 • Debra Buck, October 24 • Jane Fogus Stoker, October 26
$ $
JAN UARY 1 Providence Campus Closed JAN UARY 11 Adult Bible Study Resumes JAN UARY 18 PrimeTimer’s Luncheon JAN UARY 24 Midweek Vespers JAN UARY 26-28 Student Ministry Winter Ski Retreat JAN UARY 27 Prayer Vigil
(80,813)
COLLEGE HOLIDAY MESSAGE
ON L IN E GIVIN G
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While you’re home during the Do you give online to Providence? Christmas holidays, we hope that On Sundays, pick up an online giving card as you enter the you’ll take some time to reconnect Narthex and place it in the with your church family at offering plate during worship! Providence. The lounge area outside Caitie’s former office (at the entrance of the Activity Center) will be open for you to use as a gathering and fellowship space on the Sunday morning following Thanksgiving, and then each Sunday from December 17 through January 14. Blake Kendrick, Adult Discipleship Minister, bkendrick@providencebc.org
Periodicals Postage PAID Charlotte, NC USPS 979-940 492 1 RAN D O L PH R OA D CH ARLOT T E , N C 2 8 2 1 1