2018 December Communicator

The Communicator ~ December 2018

Church Life

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

Friendship Connection

Peru Missionaries

Tuesday, December 18 · 11:00 a.m. in the Sardis House

Speaking at Sardis

“Piano for Four Hands” a seasonal music celebration featuring

Sara

Sharon and Ken DeBoer.

Edmondson,

Lunch reservations ($10 per person) need to be made by noon on Friday, December 14. To make a reservation register online at sardis.org or call the reservation line at 704.926.1590.

Armstrong our

and

Rusty

missionaries

serving in Peru, will be at Sardis on Sunday, December 2.

The Youth Ministry invites you to come hear from Sara and Rusty at 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. in the Youth Room.

They will be sharing about the work they have been doing in Peru and giving you a chance to ask questions!

Calling All College‐Aged Sardis Members! Please join us for an evening of fun, fellowship, and food! All current college‐aged students are invited to a Christmas Gathering at the home of Julie and Chris Lueck. NEW DATE! Thursday, December 20. Invite your friends to join you at 6009 Sheppard Ct. Charlotte, NC 28211 at 6:30 p.m.

Invitation to Women’s Retreat

Canon Moore

The first time I attended a Sardis Womenʹs Retreat I was a little nervous!

I didnʹt know what to expect, and I had only just begun to really study the Bible. I had no idea what a treat I was in for! Not only did I learn a few things about scripture and the Bible, I also had a lot of fun. I truly found it to be an awesome way to get to know the wonderful women of Sardis. I loved meeting women of different generations and learning about their lives. Not only was the retreat a time for me to renew and reflect, it has now become a time for me to reconnect with the friendships Iʹve made from past retreats. I have yet to miss one since I began several years ago, and I always look forward to it! It is a gift of renewal for me, and an opportunity to dig deeper into my faith. This year Iʹm especially excited about the extra small group time weʹre planning! Itʹs going to be very special.

I try every year to invite someone who hasnʹt attended. Please consider this my personal invitation to ignite your faith with our sisters at Sardis!

I canʹt wait to meet you!

Registration is now open! Register and pay at www.sardis.org.

2 The Communicator ~ December 2018

Church Life

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

Adult Cooking Class

Join Chef Ron Ahlert of the Community Culinary School of Charlotte for a Holiday Proteins & Convertible Appetizers cooking class on Tuesday, December 11, from 9:30 a.m. to noon in the Dining Room.

The class fee is $25 per person and is limited to 12 adults.

Register online at www.sardis.org or by calling the reservation line at 704.926.1590, by December 5.

Church Office Closings

The church office will close at noon on Monday, December 24 and will be closed Tuesday, December 25 and Wednesday, December 26.

It’s Not Too Late to Pledge

Moby Moore

“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” ― Winston Churchill

Over the last few months, you’ve learned about how you can help “Equip Sardis for God’s Mission.” Stewardship shared our purpose of developing and equipping disciples of Jesus Christ who will impact the world in every aspect of their lives to the glory of God by:

Praising God our Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer · Learning about God’s will for our lives through Holy Scripture Loving one another unconditionally · Serving our neighbors near and far Sharing from the material and spiritual gifts with which we have been blessed to provide hope for a world in need of it…

Your pledge is so important as it will allow Sardis to have much more of an impact on communities both locally and abroad. With most of our current pledged income going to operational expenses and debt service, a growth in 2019 is critical if we want to accomplish some of those easily attainable “WHAT IF” items highlighted in the November Stewardship email. Whether it’s your first time pledging or a simple 5‐10% increase of your current pledge, it all helps us achieve our collective goal.

As you prayerfully consider your 2019 pledge, please take the time to reflect on how your faith has grown through Sardis and the opportunities you’ve been given to impact the lives of those around you through the love of Jesus Christ. Again, it’s not too late!

If you have not submitted your pledge yet, please do so as soon as possible so Sardis can not only continue to offer (and grow) the extremely valuable programs and ministries we’ve all come to love. It is through the contributions of each member at Sardis that we can truly make a difference in the lives of all!

God bless you all during this wonderful Christmas season!

The Communicator ~ December 2018 3

Church Life

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

Year‐End Giving

As you complete your 2018 commitments and gifts and make your pledge for 2019, please keep in mind:

All 2018 contributions must be postmarked by the U.S. Post Office no later than December 31, 2018. Any donations received with a postmark of January will be credited to 2019. Contribution statements will be mailed in December showing your 2018 giving activity from January 1‐November 30. Your tax statement with your complete contribution record should be mailed by mid‐January 2019.

We appreciate all gifts given to Sardis during this time of year. If you wish to donate stock, please contact David Cauble of Cauble Schrift at 704.272.1969, or call the church office, and we will be glad to send a form with all the information you need. This form is also available on the “Give” tab at www.sardis.org.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: To ensure the deductibility of your church contributions, please do not file your 2018 income tax return until you have received a written acknowledgment of your contributions from the church. You may lose a deduction for some contributions if you file your tax return before receiving a written acknowledgment of your contributions from the church.

Charitable Giving Through Your IRA

Individuals 70½ or older may donate up to $100,000 annually to qualified charities through their traditional Individual Retirement Accounts. Donations are made directly from the IRA plan administrator. These distributions can count toward the IRA owner’s “required minimum distribution” (RMD) but arenʹt included in your adjusted gross income.

If you think you might benefit from this form of giving, please contact your financial advisor, accountant, or tax preparer for more information.

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

October Financial Highlights Thank you for contributing to Christ’s work through Sardis Presbyterian Church

October

October expected

This year so far

This year so far expected

Pledges, gifts, and

$120,070.00

$140,602.57

$1,610,823.66

$1,544,627.63

Expenses Net Total

$144,885.80 ($24,815.80)

$151,306.67 ($10,704.10)

$1,549,812.94 $61,010.72

$1,601,586.70 ($56,959.07)

Annual Budget: $1,983,000

Our Church Family Our Christian Sympathy: to Joe B. Martin & Jim Martin, Jr. on the death of their uncle, Dr. Bubba Martin; to the family of Geoffrey Martineau; to Kathy Cross upon the death of her father, Tony Wells; to Cile Woodliff upon the death of her mother, Mary Barbour; to Scarlett Owens upon the death of her mother, Lou Ann Hicks; to Myra Mattingly upon the death of her brother, Blair Trask; to Michael Oelz, Sr. upon the death of his brother, and Michael Oelz upon the death of his uncle, Erling Oelz; and to the family of John Nichols.

4 The Communicator ~ December 2018

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

Lay Ministry

We served 143 people at the soup kitchen in

Thank you to our October

October. There were six Sardis volunteers and two Sardis

blood donors! We had 25

leaders. Hopefully our service made a difference in the lives of

donors! Lives will be

those served, those serving, and the Urban Ministry Center.

saved because of you.

Giving Back: Equipping Sardis Members to Engage in Mission

Sardis member Caroline Cunliffe serves on the Mission Interpretation Ministry and is an elementary school teacher at Crown Point Elementary. After Hurricane Florence, she organized a drive at Crown Point to collect school supplies to be sent Wilmington. The drive was so successful a mini‐van could not carry the load. Mission Interpretation provided the funds to rent a cargo van and Sardis member Dick Puryear volunteered to drive and deliver the supplies to the Superintendent of the New Hanover County Schools in Wilmington, NC. Sardis members, school staff, and parents helped load the van. Thank you to all who were involved in this act of God’s love.

We Had a Need and You Answered Thank You Sardis! We needed vase donations so we could continue to deliver flowers to our homebound members, and you stepped up! Our vase storage areas are now completely full. Please hold on to your vases and look forward to future needs.

The Communicator ~ December 2018 5

Youth ministry

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

Middle School Fall Retreat

Fifteen youth and five adults traveled to Camp Grier in October for a weekend retreat about prayer. During the retreat, participants engaged in many activities and different ways to pray. They examined over 20 Bible verses on prayer and even made their own prayer beads to help guide them in their own prayer life. They participated in prayer stations on Saturday evening to help deepen their faith. For fun on Saturday afternoon, the retreat participants engaged in a climbing wall, where one youth was able to showcase her talent for climbing and one adult leader literally had his safety person off the ground when he slipped.

While everyone had a good time, the participants also learned quite a bit about how to engage God in prayer.

High School Ski Retreat

Summer Conferences

and Mission Trips

The High School Ski Retreat is January 25‐26, 2019.

High school youth and friends are encouraged to attend

It’s not too early to think about the wonderful

this one night retreat to enjoy time on the ski slopes

offerings from the Youth Ministry in the summer!

together. To register, please grab a form from the Youth

Space is limited for each of the events. Register on our

Room and sign up. The

website at www.sardis.org/ministries/youth for the

deadline

is

High School Montreat Youth Conference (July 21‐27),

Wednesday, December 19.

Middle School Montreat Youth Conference (July 17‐

Don’t miss out on this

21), High School Mission Trip to Daytona (June 16‐23),

awesome time to bond with

and the Middle School Charlotte Mission Adventure

your peers while skiing!

(June 26‐28). Space is limited, but you will not want to

to

register

miss these events!

Youth Ministry Opportunities in December:

Join the Youth Ministry for these wonderful opportunities in December:

Sunday, December 2:

High School Sunday Night Fellowship – Sara Armstrong and Rusty Edmundson Presentation

Middle School Sunday Night Fellowship – Christmas Card Making

Wednesday, December 5:

Last Middle School and High School Sabbath for the semester

Sunday, December 9:

High School Sunday Night Fellowship – Progressive Dinner

Middle School Sunday Night Fellowship – Christmas Party

Friday, December 14:

Friday Night Frenzy

Sunday, December 16:

Church‐wide Christmas Caroling

And of course, join us for worship services and Sunday School each Sunday morning (9:00 Contemporary Worship, 10:00 Sunday School and Confirmation Class, and 11:00 Traditional Worship). Christmas Eve services will be at 5:00, 7:00, & 9:00 p.m.

We hope you will be able to join us in December!

6 The Communicator ~ December 2018

“Let the little children come unto me.”

An Inspiring Story of Hope

Special Sunday School Class · December 9, 10:00 a.m. · Sardis House

Survival to Revival: Eugene Coleman’s miraculous account of deliverance from 20 years of homelessness on the streets of Charlotte

Come hear first‐hand, the story of Eugene Coleman; how Eugene’s life took a turn for the worse through a simple twist of fate that landed him homeless on the streets of Charlotte for almost 20 years. Hear how a volunteer doctor seeking to do good inspired Eugene to take his initial step to recovery; how a real life “angel” saved Eugene from his fears; how the Urban Ministry provided the support and encouragement needed to bridge Eugene back into society; and how Stephen Ministry provided the catalyst to forge a life‐long relationship between two, here ‐to‐fore, strangers, meeting each other in the middle from opposite ends of life’s continuum.

Eugene’s story is truly one of survival and revival that demonstrates the power of faith, the essential element of hope, and the potential for God to create the extraordinary from ordinary people looking to “do good and love well.”

Sardis Weekday School Playground is Getting a Facelift! Amanda Willis

We have something truly fun to share... we’re getting a new playground! As part of a series of improvements to the property, including replacing the gates on the playground fence and removing the old shed, the playground in the Toddler/Twos area will be replaced with a fun, safe, and age‐appropriate structure. The existing playset is the most ‘well‐loved’ on the property, to the point of needing replacement.

Over the past two years, we have seen tremendous growth in our program with enrollment increasing by over 50%, filling up more of our classrooms AND our hearts. This growth, as well as strategic budgeting and goal‐setting has made it possible for the school to have the funds to replace the old playground with the new one. Next, our team hopes to be able to secure funds to also install shade above this area. We know many of you would love to see this happen, and we would too!

In this season of gratitude, we appreciate all we are blessed with. We are grateful for the children who bring laughter to these halls, the families sharing warmth every day, the teachers with hearts that shine in their classes, the church who shares and supports our mission, and the growth our school has had ‐ enabling reinvestment through joyful improvements like this. Thank you for your part in our SWS family.

The Communicator ~ December 2018 7

THE COMMUNICATOR

Non‐Profit Org.

Published monthly by

U.S. POSTAGE

Sardis Presbyterian Church

PAID

6100 Sardis Road

Charlotte, NC

Charlotte, NC 28270

Permit #1059

www.sardis.org

ELECTRONIC SERVICE REQUESTED

Sardis’ Annual Christmas Dinner

Wednesday, December 12 6:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall $15 Adults · $7 Kids Register by December 7 Register and pay www.sardis.org or call 704.926.1590 8 The Communicator ~ December 2018

to pay at the door.