2017 April Communicator

The Communicator ~ April 2017

Church Life

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

Friendship Connection—April 18

Join this fellowship group for retirees on a trip to visit the James K. Polk House on Tuesday, April 18.

The reconstruction of the homestead is located in Pineville, NC. We will leave from Sardis’ main parking lot at 9:00 a.m. Our walking tour will begin at 10:00 a.m. After the tour, we will have lunch. The cost of lunch is what you decide to spend. There is no cost for the tour, but the trip is limited to the first 30 registrants.

Reservations need to be made by noon on Wednesday, April 12. Make your reservation online at www.sardis.org or call 704.926.1590. Questions? Contact Rev. Alice Johnson at alice.johnson@sardis.org or 704.366.1854.

Register for the Women of Sardis Spring Dinner—April 25

Join us on Tuesday, April 25 at 5:45 p.m. to enjoy dinner and special guest speaker, Rev. Judi Hunt. You will find her story of discovering God, “A Ripple in the Pond,” a unique and special one. Rev. Judi Hunt is serving as the Adult Discipleship Pastor at Matthews United Methodist Church and lead pastor at Wesley UMC on Rea Road. At Matthews, she has worked in the areas of Evangelism, Spiritual Gifts, and Adult Discipleship and is especially called to preach and teach. Judi lives in Wesley Chapel with her husband, Chad, of 16 years and their little dog Molly Mae. Collectively, Judi and Chad have four children, 11 grandchildren, and one great‐granddaughter.

The Women’s Dinner is a special opportunity to fellowship with women of all generations. The cost of dinner is $10. Make your reservations online at www.sardis.org or by calling 704.926.1590.

Baseball in the Shade ‐ Save the Date July 28

This year our trip to a Knight’s baseball game to support Bayonnais, Haiti will be July 28. That is a Friday night, and the game will be followed by fireworks. In contrast to past years, the seats will be along the right field line, IN THE SHADE! Please put the date on your calendar. Details about the night will be published closer to the event. We hope to see you there!

Historical Corner

The Sardis Historical Committee invites the congregation to come and visit the Historical Room in the Sanctuary building. Sardis has a very rich history, and we want all of our members and their families to be a part of it. Over the years many people have worked to organize and preserve the various documents, photos, and collectables that are on display. The Historical Room is a great resource for many people including Sunday School teachers and history buffs! Thank you to former members of the Historical Committee who helped preserve our Sardis History: Peggy Baird, Jeanne Runge, the Blackley Family, Cindy and Max McLeod, and Jim Pressly. If you have interest in being a part of the Historical Committee or have any historical items to share, please contact Vicki Jaus at 704.589.7488 or vpjaus@gmail.com or Susan Hudson at 704.421.4122 or sue24shaw@gmail.com.

2 The Communicator ~ April 2017

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

Church Life

A Sardis Tradition: Fresh Floral Arrangements at Worship

On Sundays, we all enjoy the fresh floral arrangements that grace the front of the Sanctuary. We appreciate the generous members who donate arrangements to the glory of God and in memory or in honor of a loved one or to commemorate a special occasion. For the remainder of the year, we have 18 Sundays available with no floral commitments. On those Sundays, we will display vases of silk flowers or urns of silk ferns at the front of the church. To keep up this Sardis tradition of fresh floral arrangements at worship, won’t you consider purchasing arrangements in memory or in honor of a loved one? Consider splitting the cost with another church family who wishes to do the same.

The cost of the arrangements is $150. Contact Sheila Duyck at 704.364.4637 or sduyck@att.net for date availability. Note: Are you aware that these floral arrangements serve another purpose? The arrangements are broken down into smaller ones and distributed to our homebound members each week.

Adult Softball

Sardis adults: are you looking for a great opportunity for some exercise and fellowship? The adult softball team is looking for members like you! The season runs June through August with games on Monday and Friday nights.

We play against area churches on local fields. Historically this has been a men’s team, but with enough interest from women, the team could be co‐ed. If you are interested in playing with us, please contact Jeff Weston at jsweston323@gmail.com.

Do You Know About the Bereavement Meal Ministry?

The Bereavement Meal Ministry is a ministry of Sardis members that help provide meals to families at the time of death of a church member. If a family member requests a meal, it is delivered to their home by members of the Bereavement Meal Ministry the day of the funeral. We are in need of cooks!

If you would like to be a part of this wonderful ministry, we welcome your involvement! Contact Susan Hudson 704.421.4122 or sue24shaw@gmail.com.

Sardis Women’s Retreat Recap!

This past February, over 50 Sardis women escaped the daily grind to retreat at Camp Dogwood! We focused our time with God and strengthened our bond as believers through prayer, worship, meaningful interaction, and structured fun. We learned from Lisa Giller that Philippians tells us humility is the surprising path to joy. Join us next year February 9‐11, 2018 as Allison Rosser Barnhill returns to lead us in our continued study of the Bible!

The Communicator ~ April 2017 3

Church Life

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

Welcome, New Sardis Members!

David, Angie and Chal Emery

Beth & Bill Campbell

Joanne Miller

Carol and Clyde

Jason Spangler &

Preslar

Allison Williams

Session Highlights can be found at www.sardis.org under the News & Events tab.

Financial Highlights

February

February expected

This year so far

This year so far expected

Pledges, gifts, and other revenue

$252,532.26

$134,914.75

$467,649.05

$344,579.50

Expenses

$162,328.80

$156,056.83

$320,045.78

$322,613.66

Net Total

$90,203.46

($21,142.08)

$147,603.27

$21,965.84

Annual Budget: $2,076,000

Our Church Family Our Christian Sympathy: to Ken DeBoer upon the death of his brother, Arthur DeBoer; to the family of Ruth Hood; to Pam Stirling upon the death of her sister, Laura Stirling; to Stacey Wood, Jr. upon the death of his father, Stacey Wood, Sr.; to the family of Brad Culpepper; to Lynn Cain upon the death of her mother, Frances Reddish; to Bernie Parker upon the death of her son, Matthew Parker; to Sallye Brown upon the death of her sister, Susan Pierce; and to Anne Shoaf upon the death of her mother, Sue Oliver.

4 The Communicator ~ April 2017

Church Life

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

Puppets for Preschoolers

“We are so honored to have this

Planting Seeds of Hope gave puppets

special gift to help us always

and storyboard character sets from

remember Mrs. Pat and Mrs. Pam

familiar children’s stories to the Pre‐K

and all the love and dedication they

teachers at Rama Road Elementary

have shown to us and our

School in honor of Pat Lazarus and Pam

students. We shall miss them and

McLean for their nine years of dedicated service to the Rama

will always have a special place in

Road/Sardis Partnership. The Pre‐K teachers will use these to

our hearts for them.”

help students develop language and literacy skills.

‐Pre‐K Teachers

Treble Trot 5K Fun Run and Kid’s Dash

The run will kick off at 9:00 a.m. at the Francis Property on Saturday, May 6. This event will raise money to support the Music Ministry’s Youth Music at Sardis. Registration for the Fun Run and Kid’s Dash will begin April 3. The cost will be $25 for the Fun Run and $7 for the Kid’s Dash and will include a t‐shirt. The event will conclude with a time of fellowship, games, and a cook‐out.

Please support our Youth Music here at Sardis! Registration forms can be found in the Narthex, Gathering Place, front office, online, and by emailing Kaitlyn at kaitlyn.davros@sardis.org.

Stewardship Corner

Kim Weber

“Every faculty you have, your power of thinking or of moving your limbs from moment to moment, is given to you by God. If you devoted every moment of your whole life exclusively to His service, you could not give Him anything that was not in a sense His own already.” C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity.

As I prepared to write an article for my annual Stewardship submission to the Communicator, I was struck by this quote. I had researched stewardship for inspiration and found a blog written by Hugh Whelchel of Institute for Faith, Work & Economics. In his blog, he stresses “God owns everything; we are simply managers or administrators acting on his behalf.” This interpretation has impact for me.

We know that our reward is in the next life. While our budget at Sardis Presbyterian is vitally important, and writing that weekly check keeps our faith family in the “black” so that we may make good on our promises, we need to take it a step further. Stewardship is a daily event. “We need to be faithful stewards of ALL God has given us within the opportunities presented through his providence to glorify Him, serve the common good and further his Kingdom.” I don’t know about you, but this is a quite a challenge and it is time for me to work harder!

The Communicator ~ April 2017 5

Please join us for a

Retirement Celebration honoring

The Rev. Alice A. Johnson

Sunday, May 7

There will be ONE worship service at 10:00 a.m. in the Sanctuary, followed by a luncheon in the Fellowship Hall to celebrate Rev. Alice Johnson’s 33 years of ministry at Sardis.

Remembering Alice’s Time at Sardis...

I really got to know Alice when I became Sardis’ Parish Aide. Before then, I did not realize how much she does for Sardis and how deeply she cares for us. She is famous for her 5:00 a.m. (or earlier!) prayer visits at the hospital before surgery. One member told me she was so anxious before her husband’s surgery but after Alice’s prayer, she was calm and knew that everything was going to be fine (which it was!). I have also learned how organized Alice is. She likes to work ahead and has her calendar close at hand (right next to the Diet Dr. Pepper). She has worked hard to provide our seniors with interesting Friendship Connection programs. I will miss our Monday morning meetings where we shared information, some tears, and lots of laughter.

Sue Chowning Parish Aide

I think that there are two strong currents in Alice’s ministry to us. One is obvious and is exemplified by her devotion to training Stephen Ministers to support us – always there and ready to deliver personalized care. What would our lives have been like without that deep understanding involvement with so many of us? Alice made certain that we did not need to find out.

The other current is more subtle; you could easily have missed it. Do you remember Dr. McKechnie saying from the pulpit “Alice is probably the only real Christian among us”? There could have been any number of things that prompted Dave to say that, but the one that jumped to my mind was Alice’s faithful practice of Centering Prayer and her encouragement of that discipline among us. What a huge blessing it is to a congregation to have a pastor who sets aside periods each day to consent to the presence and activity of the Holy Spirit in their life. The self‐ emptying that results is a profound tributary to the rivers of living water that course around us at Sardis. While unseen, it is a spiritual reality affecting us all.

Thank you, Alice, for being the Mary to all our Marthas rushing about obsessed with the details of our lives.

(Luke 10:38‐42)

Dr. Pressly Gilbert Chair of Personnel Ministry 6 The Communicator ~ April 2017

The congregation knows the Reverend Alice A. Johnson as a kind and compassionate minister with a soothing and pastoral nature. She is all

that, but so much more. We would like to tell you a bit about our friend, Alice, who never loses that pastoral air, but who is prone to the silly giggles and whose “holy aura” (her words, not ours!) leaves a break in traffic for turning left out of the church on the way to lunch, turns traffic lights to green as she approaches, and opens up a close parking space at the mall, even on the busiest shopping days of the year. Alice has assured us that her “holy aura” will not end with her retirement!

Alice has shared many things with us over 30 years ‐ prayers, meals,

Paris, 1999

trips, and even her home on several occasions when each of us needed a comfortable and safe place to stay for a night or two – or even three months! While it’s not easy for people accustomed to living alone to share their space, our friendship survived and strengthened. We have enjoyed adventures at the Asheboro Zoo, the beach, Disney World, London, Paris, and one inadvertent trip to Waxhaw (ask her about that).

Alice, we wish you the very best on your new adventures in retirement and hope that your “holy aura” continues to ease your path and protect you everywhere you go.

We love you, our friend and sister.

Adrian Boyd and Sallie Robinson

I am profoundly grateful to have had Alice as my traveling companion for the past 20 years. She has been a wonderful pastor to Sardis and to me; she has been a trustworthy colleague (thank you for always having my back!), an enthusiastic co‐conspirator, and a faithful friend. It has been a treasured journey!

I cannot give a number to the times I witnessed Alice going the second, the third… the tenth mile to extend pastoral care to people. There was no crisis she would not rise to meet and no angst to which she could not bring calm.

Yet, for all of her gentle spirit, she also knew when to hold firm and showed “The Extremes”, 2007

no hesitancy in holding people accountable when honest confrontation was

what a person needed to move forward. On very rare occasions, she would announce at the end of the day she couldn’t be nice to anyone else that day, and she was going home to her dog and a glass of wine. I appreciated Alice’s honesty on those difficult days because it lent an authenticity to how much of herself she was giving – she is human and wisely knows her need for replenishment of her spirit.

I’ve seen Alice kill snakes, corral difficult people, and stand up for victims. I’ve been inspired by the faithful attention she gives to her intentional spiritual growth and contemplation of God’s gracious presence. Alice has brought so many wonderful gifts of herself to Sardis, and it has been, and is, a deep privilege to be her colleague and friend in this ministry we have shared.

The Rev. Jane B. Fobel

Associate Pastor The Communicator ~ April 2017 7

Youth ministry

“…set an example for the believers… 1 Timothy 4:12.”

Youth Sunday

Youth Sunday was March 5, and we had over 43 youth participate in leading the 9:00 and 11:00 worship services.

We had six wonderful speakers, three at each service (Rachel Methner, Abram Magaldi, and Mark Harris at the 9:00, and Charlie Bohlen, Katie Cross, and Chase Hunter at the 11:00), who delivered powerful messages about temptation, forgiveness, and becoming new in Christ. The youth also led the music at both services. Thank you to everyone who led and assisted in the preparation of the services, and to everyone who has shared with these amazing young people how they have had their lives touched by the words and actions of our youth.

Silent Auction

Graduate Sunday

The Youth Ministry held its Silent Auction Fundraiser on

Do you have a soon‐to‐be high school graduate in

Sunday, March 26, to help raise money for the Middle

your house? We will be honoring our graduates on

School The Great Escape conference, the High School

Sunday, June 4 with a brunch and the blanket

Montreat Youth Conference, and the High School

ceremony at the 11:00 worship service. Please be on

Mission Trip to Peru. We had over 300 items up for

the lookout for more information in the mail on how

auction, including three live auction items. Because of

to register for the brunch and how to participate in

the generosity of the congregation and community, we

the worship service.

were able to raise over $23,000 for our summer mission trips and conferences. Thank you to everyone who came out to support us!

Youth Ministry Volunteers

Do you love youth? Do you love God? Those are the two biggest requirements for working in the Youth Ministry with a team of dedicated adults and awesome youth. We are looking for some additional adult volunteers to assist with our weekly Sunday Night Fellowship programs this coming school year (2017‐2018) for both our high school and middle school programs. We also need a couple more volunteers for our middle school Sunday School program on Sunday mornings. Please prayerfully consider serving with this wonderful ministry as you walk side by side with youth down our journey of faith.

For more information about volunteering with the youth, please contact Adrian Martin at 704.366.1854 or adrian.martin@sardis.org. Thank you in advance!

Upcoming Dates

Mar. 31‐Apr. 2 MS Beach Retreat April 2 Dave McKechnie to lead HS Youth April 9 No SNF (Spring Break for CMS) April 16 No SNF (Easter Sunday)

For a complete listing of all of the youth activities, including our weekly devotion schedule, please download our spring semester calendar from either the

weekly e‐letter or our website.

8 The Communicator ~ April 2017

“Let the little children come unto me.”

Young Choir Presentation

Sardis Basketball Camp:

Children attending Sardis Weekday School have been

Boys & Girls Ages 9 –12

working with Kaitlyn, our Associate Director of Music,

on learning musical vocabulary, having exposure with instruments, and learning songs. They have prepared a musical offering that they will present with the Children’s Choir during the 10 a.m. worship service on

We are excited to offer a basketball camp this summer!

The camp will run from July 17 ‐ July 21 starting at 8:30 a.m. ‐ noon. The camp will be led by Keith White, founder of Playbook for Life Ministries, and Crystal Rhodes, former WNBA Utah Starz player. Participants

April 23 in the Sanctuary. If you have a child, age 2 to 5,

will take part in drills, games, and devotions.

not a part of SWS, you are also invited to sing with the

Children’s Choir. There will be one rehearsal on April

Early registration is now open through May 15 at a

20 from 5:15—5:45 p.m. Please contact Kaitlyn Davros

cost of $110. Late registration will be extended based

at kaitlyn.davros@sardis.org, if you would like your

on availability at a cost of $125. You may register at

child to participate.

www.sardis.org or by picking up a registration form from the church office. For more information, contact Ray Boardman at boardmanrk@gmail.com.

Registration for VBS is now open!

Join us July 10 – 14 for Hero Central VBS. All

children who are old enough to enter 4‐year‐old preschool in the fall, through rising 5th grade are eligible to attend VBS. Register online at www.sardis.org!

Sardis Weekday School Preschool Summer Camp at Sardis Weekday School

Available for children ages 2‐5 · 9 a.m.‐1 p.m. · Monday‐Friday

The Sardis Weekday School family is excited to offer you six separate fun‐filled weeks of camp, five days a week. And it’s flexible ‐ choose just a few weeks that fit your schedule or enroll your camper in all six.

Camp Dates (weekly themes to be announced soon):

June 19 – 23 · June 26 – 30 · July 17 – 21 · July 24 – 28 · July 31 – August 4 · August 7 – 11

Registration is NOW OPEN. Cost: $140/week for the first child and $120/week for each additional child. Contact Director Louise Lippi at louise.lippi@sardis.org or 704.366.9681.

Join us! There are still openings for the ‘17‐’18

Thanks! PAC would like to thank all who shopped the book

school year. All classes have a five‐day option!

fair and made it a success! The Sardis Weekday School

For more information,

Consignment Sale Committee thanks all of the volunteers

contact Louise Lippi at

and shoppers! It was another successful sale, and we

704.366.9681.

appreciate the support!

The Communicator ~ April 2017 9

The Communicator

Non‐Profit Org.

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Sardis Presbyterian Church

Charlotte, NC

6100 Sardis Road Charlotte,

NC

28270

www.sardis.org

10 The Communicator ~ April 2017

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