15- March Communicator

The Communicator ~ March 2015

Church Life

Ministry is about life in Christ which affects everything we do.

Officer Nominations—Serving the Church in the offices of Elder & Deacon

As Presbyterians, we have the opportunity to nominate our peers for leadership roles in our congregations. Please use the form below to make a nomination. Turn the form into the church office. For more details, or to make an online submission, please visit the Latest News tab at www.sardis.org. Names will be accepted until April 12.

For Elder: __________________________________________ For Deacon: ______________________________________

Comments regarding the nominee which may be helpful to the committee: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Submitted by: ________________________________________________________________________________________

Lenten Study “Transformed by the Holiest Week”

On Wednesday evenings, February 25 – March 25, the church staff will lead a Bible Study on the theme, “Transformed by the Holiest Week.” Each week a key event from Holy Week will be considered with reflection on what that particular event teaches us about how we have been transformed by the Holiest Week.

The class will meet from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. and will gather in Room 211/212.

The schedule is as follows:

March 4 ‐ Leader: Katie Harrington

March 18 – Leader: Renda Brinson

Mark 14:1‐11 (Woman anoints Jesus, Judas’ betrayal Mark 15:1‐15, 25‐39 (Trial before Pilate and

foretold); Anointing or Betraying? crucifixion); Cursing or Professing?

March 11 – Leader: Alice Johnson

March 25 – Leader: Tom Kort

John 14 (Jesus at the Table with his disciples); Living as Orphans or Spirit Filled?

Luke 24:1‐35 (Resurrection and Road to Emmaus); Embracing Good News!

March Friendship Connection

On March 17 our guest, Sheila Peltzer, will inspire you. Ms. Peltzer is a grandmother who hiked Mt. Kilimanjaro in her 70s. Her climb was in an effort to raise awareness of shared parenting and the special needs of children in our culture today. Reservations are necessary for lunch ($8/person) and need to be made by Friday, March 13. To make your reservation, register online at www.sardis.org or call 704.926.1590.

2 The Communicator ~ March 2015

Church Life

Ministry is about life in Christ which affects everything we do.

Historical Corner

Easter Lily Orders Due March 30

In 1804 Sardis called its first regular minister, Dr. Isaac Grier.

Dr. Isaac Grier coveted a good education for the children, both boys and girls in the church and in the community at large.

The result of this was the creation of a local academy.

Although it was sponsored by the Sardis congregation, it was decided that the academy should be open to other children of the community. The school was called Union Academy and although we cannot now pinpoint the site, early records indicate that it was located approximately one mile west of

continued

Attach a check for $10.75 per lily, payable to Sardis Presbyterian Church. Note “Easter Lily” in the memo line of your check. Payments much be received by March 30.

You may take the lilies home after worship on Easter Sunday.

Order Deadline: March 30

Academy

Sardis meeting house.

Union

To order, please complete the form below, place it in the offering plate or return it to the church office.

to

operate until the 1830s when it burned to the ground. After some deliberation it was reestablished on the Sardis grounds and renamed Sardis Academy, which continued for 75 years.

This form can also be downloaded at www.sardis.org

Your Name (as you would like it to appear in the bulletin):

______________________________________________

Phone: ___________________________________

Email: ___________________________________

Sardis Annual Egg Hunt!

Number of lilies you are ordering: ______

I have made arrangements for my lilies to be picked up immediately following the 9 a.m. worship.

I have made arrangements for my lilies to be picked up immediately following the 11 a.m. worship.

I will not be picking up my lilies.

It’s time to get the Easter Baskets ready to go!! The Sardis Annual Egg Hunt will be March 29 (Palm Sunday) starting at 12:20 pm. The event is free of charge and open to all children ages 11 and under. Members, please invite neighbors and friends with children to this exciting event! Look for balloons at the two assembly points, based on age. The hunt for ages 4 and under will be on the Preschool playgrounds, and the assembly point will be at the portico of the childrenʹs

Please indicate below how you would like names to appear in the bulletin:

building. The hunt for ages 5 and up will be at the Francis

In honor of:

property, and the assembly point will be at the parking lot

______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

road entrance to that property.

In memory of: ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

The Communicator ~ March 2015 3

Church Life

Ministry is about life in Christ which affects everything we do.

M&Ms Mission Meal

Service of Installation for

M&Ms (Mature & Marvelous) is a fellowship group

Rev. Katherine B. Harrington

open to all adults ages 55 and older. All M&Ms are

March 15, 11:00 Service

invited to join us on Friday, March 20 at 6:00 p.m. in

the Sardis House.

On March 15, Katie will be installed as associate pastor

here at Sardis. Please join us as we take part in this

Our Mission Meal will be pinto beans, slaw, potatoes, corn bread, and banana pudding. Please bring a bag of canned goods to be donated to our Mission. We are excited to have live music by The Hinson Girls!

The cost is $8/person and is due by March 16. Your payment is your reservation.

Checks can be made out to Anne Sweeney can be turned in to her or the church office.

special service! This service is an act of the presbytery and a celebration establishing the relationship between Katie and Sardis.

Members of the presbytery will be present and part of the worship leadership. Rev. Betty Meadows, transitional general presbyter of the Presbytery of Charlotte will be preaching. During the service, there will be prayers, vows made, and questions of commitment asked both of Katie and the congregation.

Hope College Chapel Choir

We are so excited to have Katie become an official part of Sardis. We are lucky to have her expertise with

March 14 & 15

young families and her presence at our church. We

hope to have you be a part of her installation.

The Chapel Choir of Hope College will perform in concert at Sardis on Saturday, March 14, at 7 p.m. We are incredibly excited about hosting this 40‐member auditioned college chorus that has toured extensively

Tuesday, April 28

throughout many countries.

The 11:00 worship service on

Sunday morning, March 15,

5:45 Punch | 6:00 Dinner | 6:45 Speaker

will be enhanced with the

“Peace For Your Life”

participation of the Hope

Neil Carmichael is an engaging and inspirational

College ensemble as our

speaker that you won’t want to miss.

guest choir.

Mark your calendars now!

Our Church Family Our Christian Sympathy: to staff member Jared Daugherty upon the death of his grandfather, William (Bill) Daugherty, to Becky Meleney upon the death of her father, Michael DeLeo, to Jerry Reed upon the death of his mother, Lois Reed, to Donna Bolls upon the death of her father, Wes Rowley, to the family of William (Bill) Hutchison, to Rhonda York upon the death of her father, Harry Smith, and to the family of Frank Cureton.

Congratulations: to Kristin & Mark Brinson upon the birth of their son, Nathaniel Pierce Brinson.

4 The Communicator ~ March 2015

Church Life

Ministry is about life in Christ which affects everything we do.

Gift Trust‐ How Does It Work?

From Lisa Nichols Hickman

The Sardis Gift Trust holds endowment funds for the

Thank you for including me in leadership for the

benefit of our church. The Session approves the use of

womenʹs retreat this year. What a blessing. I left

earnings from the funds for projects and activities beyond

with such gratitude for all of you. Truly, you

the normal annual budget. These endowment funds have

together ‐ steward well this retreat and the hopes

been established by former and present Sardis members

and needs and fears and prayers of women young

to leave an ongoing legacy of giving to our church.

and old. Kudos to you for the time and prayer and

Anyone may add to an established fund (or create a new

wisdom you invest in this ministry. The hard work

one) through ongoing gifts during their lifetime or by

SHINES through. With Christ, Lisa

bequests made in their estate documents. For questions about how you may join in this permanent support of Sardis, please feel free to contact Ed Shoaf, current chair of the Gift Trust Commission, or Jennifer Childers, Director of Administration.

Stewardship: In Season

George Galleher

When our oldest daughter Elizabeth was getting ready to start kindergarten, she had to have a readiness test with one of the questions being to name the seasons of the year. She replied “winter, spring, fall and fishing season.”

Every summer Wendy, Elizabeth, Lauren and I would go to a camp in southern Ontario. One of the things we did a lot of was fishing, and thus it became a part of what the seasons were for her. One of my favorite things when in Canada in July is to see and hear the white‐throated sparrow. You see, we feed the white‐throated sparrow every fall and winter in Charlotte (and I am looking at one on our feeder as I write this) but they leave us

by April 25 every year and fly north. And then how lucky to hear our old friend every year when we are fishing on Lake Huron. Then, before I know it, they are back in Charlotte by early fall. How the birds find their way back here is a mystery to me. But I’ve come to expect it each year generation by generation as a promise of nature; a promise from God.

With the same regularity of the white throats returning to Charlotte, we at Sardis have a Stewardship season each fall. As with the returning white throat, God has showered us all with many blessings and promises, and I believe he expects us to make our investments of time, talents, and money to support Sardis from generation to generation, from season to season.

I am not all that confident that science knows much about the home range of the white throat, how big it is throughout the seasons, what food and cover it must contain, and whether ownership is an individual, family, or flock affair. The range of ministries that we support is outstanding: from our youth to our families, from Room in the Inn to Rama Road Elementary School, building Habitat houses to supporting missionaries around the world, and the list goes on. Thank you all for supporting Sardis throughout the seasons. If you haven’t pledged, the season is still open. We hope you will consider making a financial commitment to God’s work at Sardis in response to God’s faithfulness to you. God bless you all.

The Communicator ~ March 2015 5

Lay Ministry

The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve.

BOOKS! BOOKS! BOOKS! A BOOK OF MY OWN for Rama children

Rama Road students have been working hard throughout the year to improve their reading skills. As students show growth in their skills and reach new reading levels, Sardis hopes to pro‐ vide books on their new reading levels for students to read over the summer.

Please join us in providing books for summer reading for the 654 students at Rama Road. Your gift of $5 will purchase a book for one child and a gift of $100 will purchase books for an entire class. You may donate via the QR code below, or at worship during a special collection.

Last year, Rama students were filled with excitement as they picked out their very own new books to take home at the end of the school year. Help us provide the joy and skill development Use your smartphone to scan the QR code to the left to donate to A Book of My Own. In the ʺDonation Typeʺ drop down box, pick ʺOther.ʺ Then under ʺDonation Type,ʺ enter “Book of My Own.”

Urban Ministries Lunch & Learn

Want to learn more about chronic homelessness in Charlotte? Sign up for a Lunch & Learn session at Urban Ministries, noon – 1 p.m. on Thursday, March 26 or Wednesday, April 29.

RSVP to development@urbanministrycenter.org or 704.926.0622. You can still join a RITI team at Sardis, contact Marilyn Taylor at mtaylor6604@gmail.com.

UMC Soup Kitchen Help Needed

We have a service opportunity for five people or a group to work at the at the

Spaghetti Sauce Sunday ‐ Bring

Urban Ministry Centerʹs Soup Kitchen on one of the following Saturdays from

extra jars of sauce to donate

9 a.m. to 1 p.m.: July 25, August 22, or November 28. No experience

ANY Sunday! Drop off jars

necessary. An experienced leader from Sardis will instruct on what you need to

in the Narthex or in the

do to prepare and serve lunch to our homeless neighbors. To reserve your

Fellowship Hall!

group, please contact Sarah Tatum at 704.807.2536 or st204fairwinds@aol.com.

Our Spring/Summer Clothing Drive for Crisis Assistance Ministry will be from March 22—April 6. Bring your warm weather clothes to the designated bins in the Education Building hallway. This is a great time to clean out your closets and help those in need.

6 The Communicator ~ March 2015

“Let the little children come unto me.”

Vacation Bible School!

Focus on Faith and Sexuality Class

We are beginning our plans for our

Registration for Focus on Faith and Sexuality is now

annual week of summer fun. It will

open. This class is for 5th and 6th grade students

be the week of July 13‐17 with the

and will be held on March 6‐7. This is a Parent/

children leading in worship on

Youth event with separate and joint sessions. We

Sunday, July 19.

will examine human sexuality based on our

If there is an area in which you’d like to volunteer, please let Renda Brinson know, and we’ll sign you up.

understanding of God. This workshop is not limited to members of our congregation, so invite your friends.

This year we hope to not turn away a single child from our church or community due to a shortage of volunteers.

Help us to reach this goal! Volunteer today! Contact Renda at renda.brinson@sardis.org or 704.926.1585.

You may register online using MySardis or contact Renda Brinson at renda.brinson@sardis.org or 704.926.1585.

Sardis Weekday School Announcements

It’s Time for the

**Registration for our SWS Summer Camps is now open for current students only! Ms. Lippi has completely revamped our program, and we

SWS Consignment Sale!

and themes are as follows:

The SWS Consignment Sale will be

are very excited about the changes that have been implemented! Dates

‐‐June 2‐4 Musikgarten

‐‐June 30‐July 2 Art

‐‐June 9‐11 Storytelling ‐‐June 16‐18 Soccer ‐‐June 23‐25 Yoga

‐‐July 7‐9 Spanish

‐‐July 21‐23 Amazing Athletes ‐‐July 28‐30 Atomz Lab

Camps run Tues‐Thurs, 9:30 a.m.—1 p.m. There is a non‐refundable

held on Saturday, March 28.

Consignor registration is now open, and slots are limited, so donʹt miss out.

For information or to register, www.sardisweekdayschool.org.

registration fee of $35 per child for the summer. Each session is $85 per

student, and balances must be paid in full by May 1. Camp tuition is also

non‐refundable. Registration opens for the public on April 13. For more information,

please

contact

Louise

Lippi

at 704‐366‐9681

or Louise.Lippi@sardis.org.

St. John Photography will be here to take spring pictures on Monday, March 23 and Tuesday, March 24.

Don’t forget to sign up for

Please join us for our Book Fair, which

We are looking forward to a

Soccer Shots, which will

will be held March 18‐20. Parents, you

performance by the Grey Seal

begin on Thursday, March

will be invited to your childʹs

puppets on Wednesday, March 11.

19. You may sign up at

classroom to participate in an Easter

All are welcome!

https://charlotte.ssreg.org/

craft on one of these days. This is also a

index.php?

great time to purchase Easter gifts!

More information to follow!

The Communicator ~ March 2015 7 7

The Communicator

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Published monthly by Sardis Presbyterian Church 6100 Sardis Road Charlotte, NC 28270 www.sardis.org

8 The Communicator ~ March 2015