March 2021
THE COMMUNICATOR THE COMMUNICATOR
A monthly publication of Sardis Presbyterian Church · Charlotte, North Carolina
March 7: Youth Sunday Exodus 20:1‐17; John 2:13‐22; 1 Corinthians 1:18‐25 Path to the Cross: Our Individual Journeys
March 14 Psalm 107 Path to the Cross: Pi alls along the Way
March 21 John 12:20‐33 Path to the Cross: Let the Old Paths Go
March 28: Palm Sunday Mark 11:1‐11; 15:1‐39 Path to the Cross: Last Steps
April 4: Easter Mark 16:1‐8 Path to the Cross: The Finish Is the Beginning!
Exploring Faith. Changing Lives. ● Praise ● Learn ● Love ● Serve ● Share ● Witness The Communicator ~ March 2021
Church Life
Ministry is about life in Christ which affects everything we do.
Welcome, New Sardis Members!
March Friendship Connection
What will the church look like after the
pandemic? Will it change? If so, how? What should we be planning now? Jan Edmiston, General Presbyter of Charlotte, will speak to the Friendship Connection on March 16 at 11:00 a.m. via Zoom on “Preparing to be a Post‐Pandemic Church.” Those who attended the women’s retreat last year know Jan is a fantastic leader and speaker. All are welcome! Scottie Lindsay (with husband Rev. Scott, non‐member)
Good Neighbors!
Thank you to Providence Day School for all of the times they loan us their lift when we need to change a light bulb in the sanctuary or drape a cloth over the cross.
It is a blessing to have neighbors who lift you up! Julie and Jason Furst with Easton and Abbey
The Secret of the Messiah: Walking with Jesus through The Gospel of Mark
March 3/March 4—May 19/May 20 Wednesday evenings at 7 p.m. or Thursday mornings at 10 a.m. If you have not been a part of one of our midweek Bible studies, this will be a great time to jump in. We will be taking a close look at the oldest and shortest of the four gospels, not much more than a chapter or two at a time, so there will not be much of a homework load (and come to the class even if you didn’t have time to read!). We will try to answer the questions: Who is Jesus and who will he be to me? If in‐person options open up to us, these online opportunities will remain.
Zoom link and information can be found in your weekly emails.
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Church Life
Ministry is about life in Christ which affects everything we do. APNC Update
The Associate Pastor Nominating Committee (APNC) has been faithfully meeting on your behalf each week. We are pleased to let you know important progress has been made in the search for the Associate Pastor or Worship Director for Contemporary Worship and Community Building at Sardis. The role has been defined as someone who will inspire and lead Contemporary Worship, Small Groups, and Mission. As defined within the Ministry Information Form (MIF), which is posted on the denominational website, the candidate may be ordained (Associate Pastor) or non‐ordained (Worship Director).
Ideally, this individual will share the vision for Sardis Presbyterian Church set forth in our mission statement while focusing on the emerging needs of our faith community with a worship style that is creative, visionary, flexible, and diverse. Responsibilities will be leading worship, attracting talent for the praise band, and bringing charisma, authenticity, and an inspiring personal relationship with Jesus Christ that shines through in all they do.
Great care has been taken to develop the MIF, which is a tool to guide the APNC in the search process. The hope is to hire this individual by late summer. The APNC is so very excited about the next steps and what is in store for Sardis! Should you have questions or wish to submit a name for a candidate, please use the APNC email address: sardisapnc@gmail.com In Christ, The Associate Pastor Nominating Committee Aric Beals, Sallie Crossley, Gloria Hall, Andy Lankford, Catherine Moore, Blythe Pressly, Clay Sellers, Elaine Thompson, and Kim Weber
COVID Fatigue
Les Ingles
If you’re like me, you are experiencing serious COVID fatigue these days. While there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel with vaccinations and declining rates of infection and hospitalization, we still have a long way to go. 2021 brought the promise of a new year, putting 2020 behind us, but we aren’t there yet. We pray for those who have been impacted directly by the virus and even more so for the families of those who have tragically passed.
We long for the day when we can return to some sense of our “old normal”, when we can see our friends and family in person and even dare to hug them. Primary among that longing is a desire to return to God’s house to worship and fellowship with our beloved brothers and sisters in Christ.
Even though we still can’t gather together in the Gathering Place, Fellowship Hall, or the Sanctuary, the great work of Sardis continues. Giving to Sardis is still as important as ever, as we continue to maintain our great facilities, reward our fantastic staff, continue to be generous with mission, support our children, confirmands, and youth, and plan for a triumphant return!
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Church Life
Ministry is about life in Christ which affects everything we do.
Life in a Pandemic:
Easter Flower Sale
How Have You Responded?
This Sardis tradition is a little different this year as we are offering Tulip and Hyacinth flowers. Purchase flowers in honor or in memory of someone special. All flowers will be displayed in the Sanctuary on Easter Sunday.
As we live through the current COVID pandemic, what ought we to provide to future Sardis generations?
The Historical Committee is in the early stages of an effort to collect official materials as well as the experiences of our members that will document how Sardis has responded to these unusual times. We hope that many of you will participate in writing your memories or creating a video about your experiences. More information will be forthcoming, so please stay tuned! In the meantime, if you can help or have ideas to share, please contact Vicki Jaus at 704.589.7488 or vpjaus@gmail.com.
More information and the order form will be in your weekly emails. Orders must be placed by March 19.
Session Highlights can be found at www.sardis.org/publications.
January Financial Highlights Thank you for contributing to Christ’s work through Sardis Presbyterian Church
January
January Expected
This year so far
This year so far expected
Pledges, gi s, and other revenue
$273,662.33
TBD
$273,662.33
TBD
Expenses
$118,279.34
TBD
$118,279.34
TBD
Net Total
$155,382.99
TBD
$155,382.99
TBD
Annual Budget: TBD
Our Church Family Our Sympathy: to the family of Glen Pehl; to the family of Barbie Williams; to the family of Jacqueline Goforth; to the family of Robert Reed and to the family of Gwen Devine. Congratulations: to Morgan & Matt Thompson on the birth of their son, Walter Allen Thompson, grandparents are Glenda & Sam Thompson.
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Missions Ministry
The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve. Loaves & Fishes Food Drive
Thank you Sardis!
Wednesday, March 17 &
Your generous gifts to the
Thursday, March 18
Mission Budget contributed to
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
building
these
much
needed desks for the ICB Drop‐off donations under the Sanctuary
School in Bayonnais. Please
covered drive
contact Brenda McKay to
learn more about how you can
Priority Needs:
support the ICB School or the
Canned Meat (Tuna, chicken, etc) Canned Fruit (Low sugar/in juice) Pasta (Dry or canned) Cereal (Low sugar) Canned Vegetables (Low sodium) Corn Muffin Mix
Bethesda Medical Clinic in Bayonnais.
**Please, no glass**
Clothing Drive Save the Date! April 11‐25 we will be collecting clothing items for the upcoming season for Crisis Assistance Ministry:
Menʹs clothing
Sleeping bags
Shoes and socks
Bedding
New underwear
School uniforms
Towels
Donations
should
be
clean,
in
good condition, folded, and bagged with no hangers. Drop‐off information to be announced.
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Youth ministry
“…set an example for the believers…” 1 Timothy 4:12.
Youth Sunday is March 7 and all youth are encouraged to participate in leading the congregation in worship. Our theme is “Path to the Cross: Our
COVID Update
As conditions surrounding COVID‐19 continue to change, we remain committed to providing an excellent program to and with youth in a safe manner. Please check the youth weekly e‐letter and Remind texts for updates on when we will be back on the church campus. If you have any questions, please contact Adrian Martin.
Individual Journeys” and will focus on three Scripture passages: Exodus 20:1‐17, John 2:13‐22, and 1 Corinthians 1:18‐25. We will also celebrate the sacrament of Communion with two ordained youth assisting the pastor.
To participate in Youth Sunday, please e‐mail Adrian Martin at adrian.martin@sardis.org or text him at 704.778.6432.
Sabbath During Lent—Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m. on Zoom
During Lent, the mid‐week Sabbath program will continue to look at spiritual disciplines and how to incorporate them into our lives. We will look at ways to read the Bible daily, different ways to pray, how to meditate, how to serve others, learn about Sabbath and rest, and how to confess our wrongs to others.
Lent began on Ash Wednesday, and the youth had a brief time of imposing ashes on themselves as a group. We then talked about how to pray and which apps to put on our phones to help us remember to pray on a regular basis. *The Zoom meeting ID and passcode can be found in your weekly youth e‐letter or from the Remind texts.*
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“Let the little children come unto me.”
Check out the Bitmoji Classroom that Kaitlyn Davros created for lots of fun music related activities and our weekly chapel videos! The link can be found in the weekly Music Ministry email and Sarah Dianneʹs weekly emails!
Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt
On Easter weekend, your family is invited to come to campus for an Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt! Our congregation will work on coloring Easter Eggs that will be hidden in windows and on buildings all around campus. Sarah Dianne will provide a key with how many to search for, and your family can explore campus together to find them! Please note that this experience should be limited to your own family unit, and masks are required at all times.
Sardis Weekday School Summer Camp! The Sardis Weekday School is excited to announce SUMMER CAMP 2021. The information for summer camp is on our sardisweekdayschool.org website. Registration will go live for current church/school families beginning March 9 and for the public, March 11. Please contact the Weekday School with any questions.
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The Communicator Published monthly by
Sardis Presbyterian Church 6100 Sardis Road Charlotte, NC 28270 www.sardis.org
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