2018 Stewardship Quotes

We asked what Sharing the Love means at Sardis, and you responded . . .

Lissa and Dave Archer Lissa and I were taught by our parents as small children to share. Sharing was a theme we learned all through childhood at our church, through high school and college, and when we began our married life.

It is a concept that we have endeavored to pass on to our children and grandchildren. Our commitment to sharing has been very important to us since joining Sardis. We have seen the great things that Sardis can do if we all share together. The gifts that Lissa and I pass on to Sardis may do something small; but our gifts, combined with that of all Sardis members, does something much larger every day. Why do we give and share? Because it is the right thing to do. God shared His Son with us that we can live with Him forever. Sharing, on our part, is the least we can do.

Rob Brownlee Sharing love as a Christian to me means living with compassion. Sharing love in this materialistic world can be difficult, but showing people you care regardless of race, sex or religion. You can share your love by doing. By not sitting idle when you see a crisis, someone in need or someone who just needs a friend.

Jesus came to this world and showed us first hand how to love and live a Christlike life.

Sardis shares the love of Jesus Christ through our mission efforts be it local or international. It’s easy to just write a check, but the act of doing is key. We take action at Rama Road, RITI, Crisis Assistance and Haiti. We don't sit around idle and help those in need, we put our boots on and get to work.

The Carpenter Family What does it mean to “Share the Love?” For the Carpenter family, sharing the love means lots of HUGS. H = Hear and help U =Understand G = Go and give S = Smile!

At Sardis, we share God’s love through worship, Bible study, mission trips, partnering with Rama Road Elementary, hosting Room in the Inn, and volunteering at the soup kitchen. We provide a place for Camp Holiday, for Allegro, and for other community programs. We call, visit, and send cards to members who are ill or grieving. We also run basketball, pickleball, and other recreational programs while providing a variety of camps and volunteer opportunities for all ages. In addition, we support vibrant youth and music programs. As a church family, we encourage each other, celebrate together, and give lots of HUGS! Carolyn and Tim Eichenbrenner Jesus talked as much or more about money and possessions as He did any other topic. It’s important!

ALL of us are blessed with material possessions. As Christians, we are expected to give back to God a portion of that which He has given us. To us, that represents sharing the love. Through our tithing, we allow Sardis to reach out to those in need locally, nationally and internationally. A Rama Road School student goes home each weekend with a backpack of provisions or leaves for the summer with several books to read and keep. Through disaster relief, those who are experiencing the tribulations of natural events get a hand back up when it’s most needed. The dear children of Bayonnais, Haiti have clothes to wear to school and supplies to use while there. All of this is made possible by Sardis’s expression of loveour collective giving. Lives are changed, people are personally touched, and God is glorified. Sir Winston Churchill once said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”

Anne Hollowell Sharing The Love means following Jesus’ commandments to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind and to love our neighbors. At Sardis, we Share The Love by reaching out, caring, and serving our neighbors whether they sit with us on the pew in church, or they live across town, or they live across oceans.

From our partnership with Rama Road Elementary to visits with shut-ins, from Haiti mission trips to supporting community agencies like Loaves and Fishes, from Vacation Bible School to blood drives, Sardis shines brightest when we Share the Love.

Laurie and Steve Hoots Sardis Presbyterian Church has been “sharing the love” with our family for over 32 years. As a young, married couple searching for a church home, we wandered into Sardis and found a warm and welcoming place to worship. We immediately felt God’s love through the meaningful relationships we formed with the pastoral staff and other members of the congregation (who are our closest friends to this day).

Throughout the births, baptisms, and raising of our three grown sons, Sardis has continued to nurture and share the love with our family. Our children have a firm, spiritual foundation that was born and nurtured through their involvement in Sunday school, VBS, Confirmation and the Youth program at Sardis. Perhaps the best example of how deeply rooted that love is was revealed when our oldest son was married last year. In preparing the wedding guest list, we reminded him that, aside from family, it should include the people who have meant the most to him throughout his life. At the top of his list were his confirmation teachers from Sardis where his faith took root and began to grow.

The love that Sardis shares extends far beyond our family, the members of our congregation and the campus on Sardis Road. Sardis shares love and resources just around the corner through a partnership with Rama Road elementary school and across the globe where our love reaches a school in Bayonnais, Haiti. Whether it’s helping to nail shingles on a Habitat for Humanity home, hosting Room in the Inn or simply making sandwiches for the Soup Kitchen, Sardis shares the love in an abundance of meaningful ways.

Susan Hudson Share the love means giving back in any way that I can. One of the ways Sardis shares the love – Vacation Bible School – is still on my mind. I worked as a kitchen volunteer with some other ladies. It is always a special week for everyone involved. It is truly an intergenerational event. We have grandmothers working in the kitchen, the art classes, and storytelling. Then we have some of their kids working as shepherds and their grandkids as participants. It’s amazing to see the families being involved and sharing their experiences – year after year. We even had an old VCR tape of vacation Bible School at Sardis in 1987 running in the snack room this year!

During my years at Sardis, I have worked as a Sunday School teacher, Logos leader, nursery helper, Church Mouse, etc. I love the rich history of our church and seeing it continue into the future. I think it is important to share that history with our children. When they are baptized, we make the promise to share our love of God with them. My daughters still love to hear what’s going on at Sardis. They love the traditions of the Chrismon Tree and the Easter Cross and many more. My family is truly blessed to have found Sardis and I am grateful for the love and support over the years.

Canon Moore

"Sharing love as a Christian to me means supporting one another through the difficult times in life, as well as celebrating the joys with gratitude. My Sardis MSG shares love by studying the Bible together, offering ears to listen, shoulders to cry on, arms to hug, and hands to pray and prepare meals. We share our perspectives on what we think God is saying to us, and we encourage one another without judgment. We share love by serving and praying for each other, our Sardis Church family and those in our community and world. I am grateful to share my life and love with these women. They are one of God's great blessings!"

Bev Naumann I call it Share, Show and Tell.

John 13: 34-35 " A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this, all men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another."

What does sharing love mean as a Christian? What are some examples of how we share love at Sardis?

Showing love and sharing the love as a Christian can be different things. When I read the verse alone, it reminds me of the difference. A new command to love one another is a tall order! But, it comes into focus with the next sentence... As I have loved you, you must love one another. As He has loved me (us) is the key. As I experience and grow in His love, His life, His word, I (we) can't help but share it. A kind word, a good deed, a prayer, etc. then take on the "family" name Christian! God didn't ask us to love or act in our own strength or notions. As I (we) continue to receive and understand... As I love you... then love one another in that way! A Christian shows and/or tells us about this eternal love and life.

I am thankful for the Lord's "show and tell" at Sardis. The quiet showing of the "As I have loved you" in the sanctuary windows, the telling and retelling of the story during worship (especially communion and baptism), the sense of community as we care for and show love to those who are in need, suffering or grieving. The ongoing passion for mission, both at home and abroad, seem to be a special "show and tell" given to Sardis. Soft pillows for tired hearts through MSG's, Circles, Room at the Inn and Rama Road Elementary partnership. Deeds, prayers (known and unknown), and words remind me (us) that as we are loved "as He loved us," then we must continue to love one another, that by this, all men will know we are His disciples.

Thank you, Lord, Thank you Sardis.

Sara and Dean Sellers The Prayer Shawl Ministry makes and delivers the prayer shawl to someone who is suffering, lonely, or afraid. The give is an expression of God’s love for us when given and each time thereafter when the recipient wraps it around their shoulders. It is your Christian brothers and sisters reaching out and touching you every time you put the shawl on.

Lynn Sloan

I have to admit that when I first saw this quote, I thought of my husband, William, whom I dearly love and adore. Then, I thought about my relationship with God, and how my faith has been nourished at Sardis. If we grow old along with Christ in our hearts and in our lives, we know the BEST is yet to come.

Twenty-one years ago, we joined Sardis Church. Most of our closest friendships are with people from Sardis we’ve met along the way. We have “grown older together” as a church family and in our personal relationships with Christ.

“Sardis has shown the love” to my family by the love and support we have felt over the years. The feeling of serving others, and belonging to a church with special friends and fellow believers is so very heartwarming and special. We are truly grateful for Sardis, and look forward to the years ahead!

Kim and Mark Weber “Sharing the love” means receiving support when it is least expected and when we don’t know we need it. Years ago, as a victim of the struggling economy, I lost my job after almost 18 years with the same company! My wife and young family depended on me to provide for them, especially as our oldest entered college. I felt I let them down. Thank goodness I had my family’s love and support; but to my surprise, I also had the love and support of many Sardis friends. They guided me through the process of reinventing myself professionally. Truly an amazing way to “show the love”, Sardis fosters friendships which blossom and grow making such vital support available. I am truly grateful, and our lives were changed.

Ann Wenzl Sharing the love can mean many things. I think most often we think of it as the sharing of strong, special feelings for someone or something. I also feel that it can be the sharing of ideas, possessions, concerns, gifts even problems- and it can be sharing with those you love, as well as those you don’t even know but have concern for.

I have been a member of Sardis Presbyterian Church for about 36 years and have felt and seen the love of Sardis and its members in so many ways. Sardis is always there for someone during the time of births, deaths, graduations, confirmations, illnesses… in hard times as well as happy times. Sardis hosts and sponsors so many organizations and groups of both members and non-members. The list is endless: Shining Stars Adult Day Respite twice a week; Camp Holiday for Downe Syndrome children during the summer months; Boy Scout troops; Youth Basketball and High School Girls Softball; Pickleball games; Fellowship groups for all ages; Pumpkinpalooza and Eggstravaganza; VBS one week every summer.

Sardis members tutor at Rama Road Elementary School and donate supplies and hosts parties; has an excellent music staff that provides choirs for all ages as well as music camps; Collects for Ten Cents a meal each month for those in need; sponsors Allegro for children with disabilities.

These are only a few of the gifts that Sardis provides. It is only natural for me to think of Sardis and think of Sharing the Love… and thank you Sardis every day for doing that… and so much more.

Peggy White I think sharing the love as a Christian means reflecting the love we experience from God. We do this at Sardis by supporting our church with our "time, talents, and resources." This means rolling up our sleeves for mission projects, teaching Sunday School, Bible School and responding to other educational opportunities, reaching out to those who need to experience God's love in their own lives, and even

being thoughtful in our interaction with other members on committees and everywhere we gather.

Really, it happens whenever we emulate Jesus' love and compassion for everyone he met, especially those in need. We try to live the love!

Amanda and David Willis What does “Share the Love” mean to you as a Christian?

We have a two-year-old and a four-year-old. If you know anything about kids under five, you probably know that the concept of “sharing” is a difficult one to grasp. And even if they understand the concept, it hardly means they can execute the practice on a regular basis. A phrase we quickly adopted in our house is, “Sharing is Caring.” Some days we repeat it daily. Like, multiple times a day. Ok, like all day long.

As parents, we want them to grow up knowing that when you share with someone else, you are showing love. This applies to toys, but it goes far beyond the playroom.

As Christians, we all need to be reminded daily that, “Sharing is Caring.” That is what it means to “Share the Love.” It means thinking beyond ourselves; Giving our time, talents, resources and yes, our toys – to show others that we care about them.

How does Sardis “Share the Love”?

Our family has been active at Sardis since we were both in high school. We served on mission trips and volunteered with youth where we were blessed to witness Sardis share love with communities near and far – with people young and old. However, through all the years, we have never experienced Sardis “Share the Love” quite like we have seen since our children enrolled in Sardis Weekday School. It’s impossible to talk about our experience at the preschool without talking about how much everyone there loves and embraces each and every child. It is a place where people don’t just give their time and talents; they give their whole hearts to program. For us, it is a shining example of what it means to share love. It reaches into the church, but it also reaches into the community and welcomes families with no connection to Sardis, showing them what it means to be a part of the Sardis family. People want their children to learn and grow in their preschool experience, but more than anything they want them to feel loved. Sardis does that.

Sue and Frank Wilson As a Christian, “Sharing the Love” means “Reaching out into the world and sharing the resources that God has provided to us”. Sardis “ shares the love” through its long-term commitment to the Urban Ministry’s “RITI” program as well as our commitment of service to Rama Elementary school.