Making A Difference - September 2018

MAKING A

DIFFERENCE A quarterly publication of Sardis Presbyterian Church · sardis.org

September 2018

Equipping Sardis for God’s Mission: A New Question……. The Rev. Dr. Joe B. Martin This mission supplement highlights things Sardis Presbyterian does to make a difference for others. If what I witness in you while you have your Sardis hat on is any indication, the combined things you all do for others during the rest of your time must be monumentally difference‐making. Not so long ago, participation in community service activities and world missions really needed coordination from congregations to be effective, but there is a new reality in the way giving happens and that requires a mindset shift regarding mission.

The most important job of the congregation is not producing Christian good works through church programs, but producing disciples of Jesus Christ who spend their lives doing good works wherever the Spirit sends them—not just producing mission work, but producing missionaries. Some mission work requires a congregational team, so Sardis will continue to have its mission projects that make a difference in the lives of others, but we need to realize that our Worship, Christian Education, and Fellowship activities are all a part of equipping members of every age to make a difference in the lives of others in every aspect of their own lives.

A core question is changing for mission‐focused churches like Sardis. It used to be “How much of what we give and do as a congregation will go toward mission?” The new question is: “How can we design our congregation so that everything we give and do will go toward producing missionaries?”

Building Blocks: Helping To Construct God’s Community Through VBS This year’s Vacation Bible School (VBS) was a special example of how Sardis Presbyterian Church continues to give back to our local community. The “Under Construction” theme focused around the idea that all God’s people can make a difference in our community by using various “tools” God has given us. Each day was dedicated to teaching youth how to be a constructive vessel that helps others within our community by caring, sharing, learning, worshipping, and celebrating God’s amazing love.

Ministry Members Mission Interpretation Ed Shoaf……………...Chair Anne Hollowell…...Vice Chair Ron Abluton

Susan Aulebach

Pat Campbell

Caroline Cunliffe

Pressly Gilbert

Jon Hansen

Steve Hoots

Vic Lisciani

Brenda McKay

Kathy Nenninger

Wells Tiedeman

Patsy Todd

Community Service Sheri Bartel……………..Chair

Sardis Presbyterian partnered with Promising Pages, a non‐profit agency that collects new and gently used children’s books for children who live in book deserts. Last year Promising Pages provided 9,500 children with books they could call their own. Many books were donated by the participants of VBS to this very worthy cause. Sardis also invited Families Forward, an agency that helps the local homeless community by giving children and families toiletries and essential household goods as well as personal support to help them reach life‐long stability. VBS participants collected household essential items.

Stacey Champion…….Vice Chair

Continued on page 3.

David Templeman

Steve Benton

Mike Bowen

Christy Crowder

Otis Crowder

Christine Kinney

Anita Kirby

Jennifer Meehan

Amy Read

Cynthia Perry

Marilyn Taylor

Bobby Smith

Jane Tilley

I AM 24/7 How Grier Heights, Sardis, and 1996 Came Together This past spring, members of Sardis Men’s Mustard Seed Groups gathered together at the Community Culinary School for breakfast to learn about a local nonprofit, I AM 24/7.

The ministry Executive Director, Ben Page, shared with the group about the work they are doing in a neighborhood a few miles from Sardis, Grier Heights, where their mission is “Empower youth, through Jesus, to fulfill their calling and give back to their communities”. Ben and his wife, Nicki, co‐founded this ministry in 2017 after working and living in the neighborhood for eight years with the Charlotte Eagles soccer ministry. While I AM 24/7 reaches youth in this impoverished neighborhood through sports, their program uses academic support, mentorships, and spiritual growth to empower youth to become future community leaders. They measure their success in character development and academics like grade promotion and graduation rates.

At the breakfast, Ben told us that it would be helpful if we could build a shed to store equipment in the back of their newest location in Grier Heights.

On Friday, March 20, construction began. It was not an easy chore, as the location of the shed was up a steep hill, but by the end of the first evening the foundation was dug and floor was in place. Work began first thing Saturday and by lunch walls were up. Hotdogs and chips, cooked on site, fueled the afternoon and by early evening the shed was complete. Sixteen men, plus a few of their sons, built the shed.

So how does 1996 fit in? In that year, Ann Reed donated funds to what is now the Sardis Gift Trust to create the William H. & Ann M.J. Reed Local Charities Fund. With the approval of the Gift Trust Commission and the Session, money from that fund paid for the material to build the shed. After that expense, the fund still has over $50,000 available to support benevolence needs within Mecklenburg County.

I AM 24/7 is making a difference in our community and gave us the chance to do mission work close to home. It was a great day of fellowship and hard work. The charity, the mustard seed groups, and the Sardis Gift Trust all came together to build one more part of God’s kingdom where it is desperately needed.

Ten Cents A Meal Where Does It Go? “Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep.’” John 21:17 Ten Cents a Meal (TCaM) is a Charlotte Presbytery program that stays at home. Yes, your generous gifts to Ten Cents a Meal go to fight hunger right here in Charlotte Presbytery.

In 2017, over $160,000 from 67 participating churches went to 48 agencies that seek to provide hunger relief in our Presbytery.

Sardis collects the Ten Cents a Meal offering the first Sunday of each month. In 2017, your donations totaled $13,776. Through June in 2018, we have reached the level of $8,418!

These funds are distributed quarterly to a variety of non‐profit ministries and agencies across the seven counties of our Presbytery.

The fifty pre‐approved agencies for 2018 include pantries, shelters, and children and youth programs. Each agency is required to send in a grant application annually. The application process asks how the funds will be used, how long the program has existed, the purpose and/ or mission of the organization, and the amount they are requesting. Grants funding is awarded to provide food and nutrition items only.

Grants are intended to provide partial support, not more than one third of the food cost line item in an applicant agency budget. A letter from a PCUSA congregation that is within their community of service is required with each application.

One example of a program receiving TCaM money is the BELL (Building Educated Leaders for Life) summer program that serves breakfast and lunch (a requirement) to sixty rising first through third graders from Westerly Hills Academy. This weekday program provides literacy and math instruction from certified teachers for the first half of the day, reinforced by tutors and speech therapists. Afternoon activities are dance, Legos and science, coding, ‘yola” (language‐based yoga practice), Reading with Rover, music, cooking, recreation, character education, art, and swim lessons with field activities on Fridays. We know that no one can learn on an empty stomach, and the support of TCaM is vital to the success of the program.

Look for the baskets as you leave worship on those first Sundays. Together we can feed His sheep.

Building Blocks...Continued From Page 1 Throughout VBS the fourth and fifth grade attendees worked with Habitat for Humanity to construct a play house that will be given to one local Habitat family. With the help of long time Sardis member and Habitat for Humanity volunteer, Glenn Crossley, the VBS students measured, hammered, and painted a spectacular play house any child would be proud to call their own.

God’s work was undeniably felt in all corners and classrooms during the week of VBS. Children learned through song, dance, art, and recreation. 75 adult volunteers and 46 youth volunteers donated their time to instill the importance of giving back to our community. Of the 146 children that participated in VBS, half were non‐members. Clearly VBS is reaching out into our community to make a difference.

A Mustard Seed Story About the Men’s Shelter

This is a story about the mustard seed parable. You know, where a tiny little seed that under favorable conditions grows into the largest garden plant which becomes a tree so that the birds have a place to come and perch in its branches. Jesus tells us this is what the kingdom of heaven is like.

We needed 300 eggs to make egg salad sandwiches for a Men’s Shelter lunch on May 31. Members Kathy and Bruce Simpson, whose family owns Simpson Eggs, graciously donated more eggs than we asked. Some people made egg salad, some scooped it out on rows of bread, others spread it, and some put a bread slice on top.

Loaves & Fishes We know that many people in our area live on a tight budget and unexpected expenses can sometimes force them to choose between food purchases and other needs. Loaves & Fishes is an organization in Mecklenburg County that provides a week’s groceries to families experiencing a short‐term crisis. Each year about 75,000 people are helped by Loaves & Fishes, half of them children.

Sardis supports Loaves & Fishes by a financial contribution ($10,000 in 2018) and by hosting food collection drives three times each year. This food is delivered to area pantries to be distributed to those who need it.

Priority Needs:

How can you make a difference?

Plan ahead to purchase food for our drives. Volunteers may take a shift in the warehouse sorting and packing items to distribute to pantries. Students looking for community service hours are welcome to volunteer in the warehouse, too.

 Canned Fruit  Canned Meat  Canned Pastas  Corn Muffin Mix  Powdered Milk  Cereal  100% Juice (For Safety ‐ No Glass Please)

At the shelter many asked for seconds. That day more than usual showed up for lunch. We had additional sandwiches because of the generosity of the Simpsons.

In fact, their donation of extra eggs gave Sardis another opportunity for widening our circle of concern. A single donation with a double supply of eggs had a triple impact for serving those who are often forgotten!

We also provided lunch for sick or injured homeless residents at Samaritan House, and for the Urban Ministry soup kitchen as well! We made one egg salad sandwich for each person that Saturday. You should have seen the neighbors’ faces light up with a big smile when they heard lunch was an egg salad sandwich instead of the usual ham or baloney!

Such giving enriched our lives too. Making sandwiches was fun, numerous members feeling connected to one another in a setting outside of Sunday worship. And when we’re having fun, ministry will happen. Ministry to those whose lives are not as fortunate as ours.

In the parables, God’s power turns something small into something large and sometimes there are leftovers in the bargain. It suggests God is working alongside us, allowing things to take root and grow. And when we’re having fun in ministry, we shine the light and love on others as well as create a space for God to work in our lives too.

Our Mission Co-workers in The Dominican Republic

Mark Hare and Jenny Bent are the Mission Co‐Workers supported by Sardis Presbyterian Church in The Dominican Republic. They work under Inglésia Evangelica Dominicana (IED), an ecumenical church founded in 1922. It was formed in a united mission effort of Methodist, Presbyterian and United Brethren evangelists from the United States.

Mark and Jenny’s ministry focuses on Haitians living in the Dominican Republic as well as Dominicans of Haitian descent. They live in Barahona, located in the southwest of the Dominican Republic, where there is a large community of immigrant Haitians. They also spend time in the community of Batey 7, one of several

small settlements among sugarcane fields in that area.

the

In 2012 Jenny began a pilot project in Batey 7 applying the techniques of Community Health Evangelism (CHE). The goal of CHE is to help the communities they work in to identify and use existing resources to work toward solving problems they face in a positive and sustainable manner.

Jenny has found that one of her challenges of applying CHE principles is encouraging people living in very difficult situations to believe that God has given them all that they need to be a good neighbor, loving God, themselves and those around them while working to make all of their lives better.

Mark Hare and Jenny Bent

Jenny and Mark want to be witnesses for reconciliation. Jenny says, “My vision is that our Dominican neighbors, friends and colleagues will recognize the inherent dignity of Haitians, and that our Haitian friends and colleagues will recognize the inherent dignity of Dominicans.”

You Can Make a Difference at Rama Planting Seeds of Hope is supported by your mission dollars and your volunteer hours.

Each school year begins by hosting the Rama Road staff for Orientation at the Sardis House.

Sardis members prepare breakfast and lunch for the staff. We provide teachers with Welcome Bags filled with school supplies donated by church members in our Pool for School Tools drive and items from Wish Lists requested by teachers. Sardis volunteers serve ice cream at the Back to School Open House for students and their families.

The Sardis Tutoring program kicks off in September and provides opportunities to work with students afterschool at Rama Road once or twice a week with other Sardis volunteers.

During the school year, Sardis volunteers provide pizza dinners for school‐wide family events. We also provide teacher snacks once a month and serve a meal for teacher appreciation week.

Sardis volunteers work with the Second Harvest Backpack program to provide food for qualifying students over the weekend. Filled backpacks are picked up from Second Harvest and delivered to the school.

The Angel Tree Drive starts before Christmas. Rama staff suggest students/families to receive Christmas gifts. Last year, we served 79 families through 164 angels.

A Book of My Own begins in the spring and raises money to purchase books for summer reading. Students get to choose their own books to keep, and this year we provided 7‐8 books for every student.

Media assistants, lunch buddies, or classroom helpers and tutors are other ways to serve at Rama Road. There are many opportunities to get involved. Check out the Sardis website for more information and to join us. The school year is just starting and gives everyone a perfect time to join the mission.

6100 Sardis Road · Charlotte, NC · 28270 · 704.366.1854 · www.sardis.org