The Communicator - March 2019

The Communicator ~ March 2019

Church Life

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

March 6 Worship with us at 7:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary.

The service will include the Sacrament of Holy Communion and the imposition of ashes.

Between the Testaments: The 400 Years Between Malachi and Matthew

ARISE

Six‐week Lenten Bible Study · March 13/14 thru April 17/18

It is a mistake to lump the historical context of all Scripture

into “Bible Times.” Cultural and socio‐political realities in the

New Testament were as different from the Old Testament as

Saturday, April 27 · 7:00 p.m.

Understand Scripture more fully and more clearly by

Sanctuary at Sardis

learning what happened and who did it in the 400 years

between the testaments.

Featuring: Vierne’s Solemn Mass and

Ola Gjello’s Lake Isle;

Plantation Estates: Wednesday mornings at 11:00 a.m. ‐ 12:00

Free Concert, Donations accepted

p.m. in the Bradbury Room

Come and experience an expression of visual arts in

Sardis Road is from whatever was here 400 years ago.

photography

projected

as

the

choir,

Sardis: Wednesday evenings at 6:30 ‐ 8:00 p.m. in Room 210 Sardis: Thursday mornings at 10:00 ‐ 11:30 a.m. in Room 210

accompanied by guitar, strings, and piano, sings

If you can’t make your regular session one week, feel free to

poetry by W.B. Yeats ‐ The Lake Isle of Innisfree.

attend one of the other sessions!

2 The Communicator ~ March 2019

Church Life

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

Coffee and Conversation for Parents

A new Sunday School hour opportunity for parents! Grab a cup of

coffee or tea and gather in the Children’s Library for conversation and sharing of the joys and challenges of following Christ and raising kids.

March Friendship Connection

The Friendship Connection, a fellowship group for retirees, will meet on Tuesday, March 19 in the Sardis House at 11:00 a.m. The speaker will be Aaron McAlexander. McAlexander retired from teaching physics and astronomy several years ago so that he could spend more time in the land where he grew up, the mountains of Southwestern Virginia. He has published several books which contain stories from Mayberry, Virginia. His program will feature those stories.

Lunch, $10 a person, will follow and reservations are needed for lunch. Make your lunch reservation by Friday, March 15 at 12 noon by registering online, www.sardis.org, or calling the reservation line, 704.926.1590.

Fruit of the Spirit and Stewardship

Margot Smith

ʺBut the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self‐control.ʺ Galatians 5: 22‐23

This past year has brought me so many things to be grateful for. I was able to be on a team that worked hard to update the elementary education hall and give many rooms a colorful, Christian design. As our team worked I tried to imagine how these rooms would be used and on our last day of work, Deborah Barkley (4/5 grade Sunday school teacher) came into the room designed with the Fruit of the Spirit. She loved this room and asked if her class could use it for their Sunday school class. She also asked me if I would like to be on their Sunday school team. I had been praying for God to show me where I could be a part of His love at our church and this was certainly God leading us together.

I am learning so many things from this class of 4th and 5th graders. They are teaching me how to try to live by the fruit of the Spirit. Each Sunday my heart is so filled by the love of Christ they bring to our class. Each one of them has taught me what a disciple of Christ is. They are learning so much from their teachers. They pray for each other, study scripture, and share in the friendships they have made at Sardis. They are also thankful for the updated rooms, especially the rocking chairs. Those have been a big hit with all the classes! I am so happy that I can be with this class and their teachers, Deborah Barkley, Kathy Simpson, and my husband Bobby. I hope you will take time to visit these classrooms and thank the wonderful people who are teaching our children.

We also have many exciting things to look forward to as our year progresses! Sardis is working to hire a new Director of Children’s Ministry this summer. I want to thank each church member for your stewardship support of our growing ministries at Sardis. As our Sardis children continue on their faith journey we are showing them how to live by the Fruit of the Spirit. (And we are learning from them, too!)

The Communicator ~ March 2019 3

Church Life

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

Women’s Retreat Wrap Up!

The Women’s Retreat was a huge success! Fun, food, and fellowship along with meaningful discussions about our faith journeys and spiritual gifts made for an enjoyable and inspirational weekend. The small group format gave us several opportunities to connect with most of the ladies attending the retreat.

It’s never too early to think about next years’ retreat and your God‐given abilities to make a difference in your life and in the life of others. A big thank you to all the hardworking ladies who made this event so special.

New Membership Exploration Class

Congrats, Sara!

Interested in becoming a member at Sardis or just want to know

Congratulations to Sara Martin who was

more about us? Join us for our ʺMembership Explorationʺ class!

officially enrolled as an Inquirer by the

Come chat with Rev. Dr. Joe B. Martin on Sunday, March 3 at

Presbytery of Charlotte,

10:00 a.m. in the dining room. Find out how Sardis is

the first step on the path

committed to equipping its members for Godʹs Mission.

toward ordination as a

Minister of Word and

Questions? Contact Laurie Hoots at imahoots2u@gmail.com or 704.641.1542.

Sacrament.

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

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

Pledges, gifts, and other revenue

January

January expected

This year so far

This year so far expected

$312,409.30

$286,350.00

$312,409.30

$286,350.00

Expenses

$153,294.59

$159,208.61

$153,294.59

$159,208.61

Net Total

$159,114.71

$127,141.39

$159,114.71

$127,141.39

Annual Budget: $1,983,000

Our Church Family Our Christian Sympathy: to the family of Virginia Fobel; to Tim Eichenbrenner upon the death of his father, Fred Eichenbrenner; to the family of Bun (Calvin) Baird; to Richard Tilley upon the death of his sister, Margaret Biby; to David Hart upon the death of his nephew, Andrew Dickey; to the family of James Haney; to John Royster upon the death of his sister, Alma Daniel; to Beth Parrish upon the death of her sister, Lynn Ziegler; to the family of Dr. Ray Kiely (former Interim Pastor for Sardis); to the family of Dianne Hull (former Business Administrator for Sardis); and to Bill Harwood upon the death of his sister, Ann Fusco.

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MISSIONS Ministry

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

CROSSING THE BAYONNAIS RIVER

Sardis Presbyterian: Sending books home with every child at Rama Road Elementary.

Talk to anyone who has visited our friends in Bayonnais and you will hear stories about the cross‐country bus trip that fords the river twice. The road

March 10 - April 1

will still be rough that last 11 miles, but soon the river crossing will be on dry land. The Organization for the

Donations of $5 provide books for one child.

Donations of $100 provide books for an entire class.

Did you know you could text to give?

Text: Sardis Book + Amount to 73256 (i.e. Sardis Book 20)

Christian Force in Bayonnais (OFCB) has begun construction on box culverts at both sites that will accommodate the floods when the river rises eight

You can also give online at www.sardis.org or pick‐up a donation card in the Gathering Place or Church Office.

feet deep over its usual two feet. OFCB has raised $225,000 from Haitians around the world, The San Francisco chapter

Crisis Assistance Clothing Drive

of Engineers Without Borders (EWB) and Friends of OFCB

March 10 ‐ 24

members to fund this ambitious project.

Drop‐off donations in the bins by the Library.

Sardis hosted a meeting in October that brought together the EWB team that designed the culverts, the OFCB



leadership group, and Charlotte area construction

engineers that will act as on‐site advisors for the project.

Clothing should be removed from hangers, folded, and bagged securely.

They coordinated in a spectacular way to iron out the fine



details of the construction. Excavation started in December and the first concrete foundation was poured in January.

Bags should fit into bins located in the hallway of the Education Building.

Photos of the project will be posted on the Haiti bulletin

board in the Education Building as the project progresses.

Why is this so exciting?  Lives have been lost at these crossings during flood

Save The Date!

More information at sardis.org

We will be supporting

“Rise Against Hunger” again by packaging 30,000 meals! We need 150 volunteers! Any age, any ability, individuals, and entire families are encouraged to participate.

stage.  The bus that brings teachers to the school must cross

here twice a day has almost been washed away once.  The partnership of Haitians and Americans that made

it possible.  It will ease transport of goods to markets for the

farmers.

APRIL 28

Find more details and sign ‐up to volunteer at www.sardis.org.

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Youth ministry

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

Youth Sunday

Youth Sunday is Sunday, March 3 with six high school seniors speaking; three at the 9:00 a.m. service and three at the 11:00 a.m. service. Thomas Wilkinson, Del Barnhill, and Hardin Moore will speak at the 9:00 service and Emma Kaeppler, Andrew Beals, and Will Stiff will speak at the 11:00 service. Youth will also be leading the prayers and liturgy for both services, as well as providing musical leadership.

Everyone is welcome to join us for these worship services as the youth lead the congregation praising God!

Middle School Beach Retreat

The Middle School Youth have their annual Beach Retreat on March 22‐24. All middle school students (grades 6‐8) are encouraged to join us for the wonderful weekend of fun, sun, sand, and devotions! To register, please visit www.sardis.org/ministries/youth and use the online registration tools. You may also grab a registration sheet from the Youth Room and register that way.

Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser

Mid‐Week Sabbath Program

Thank you to everyone who helped at the Pancake

All youth are encouraged to join us for our mid‐week

Fundraiser! We had 55 volunteers spend their time to

Sabbath program from 6:00‐7:00 p.m. each Wednesday

help raise money for the youth and their summer trips

night. We begin with a pizza dinner (please bring $3)

and conferences.

then have a devotion and fellowship time.

A special thank you to Jenny

During Lent, we will examine a new curriculum that

Kaeppler for helping to organize

helps us notice God more in our lives. Instead of

all of the volunteers and to

subtracting something from our lives this Lent, let us

Stacks Kitchen in Matthews for

add seeing God everyday!

donating 45 pounds of bacon for the breakfast!

Come and join us!

Summer Trips and Conferences

It is time to register for the summer trips and conferences. Please visit our website (www.sardis.org/ministries/ youth) to register for any of our four major trips:

 High School Mission Trip to Daytona (June 16‐23)  Middle School Charlotte Mission Adventure (June 26‐28)  Middle School Montreat Youth Conference at Maryville College (July 17‐21)  High School Montreat Youth Conference (July 21‐27)

Space is limited on each of these opportunities, so please reserve yours today!

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“Let the little children come unto me.”

Join us for ‘Behind the Scenes at Sardis’

Elementary Scavenger Hunt on March 24

Elementary sleuths and hunters will explore the church campus & Sardis history to find hidden treasures at Sardis!

Meet in Room 205 at 4:30 ‐ 6:00 p.m. · Snacks will be provided!

New Nursery/PreK Curriculum!

We have a new Sunday School curriculum for our kids ages birth through 5!

We recognized a need for more engaging Sunday School material that is geared towards our youngest disciples. In January we began using our new play‐ based curriculum. Through the Frolic curriculum, our kids will learn about the same Bible story for two weeks in a row, using storytelling, music, crafts and rituals. Join us for a great Sunday School program for your kids!

Search for Director of Children’s Ministry has begun!

The Session has approved the creation of the position of Director of Children’s Ministry,

with

responsibility

for

ministering to all children and their families birth through fifth grade. The search committee for this exciting new position is facilitated by Lin Leslie with Stephen Yount, Kelly Hames, Bev Naumann, and Paige Carroll serving on the committee resourced by Rev. Katie Harrington.

We have begun receiving and reviewing resumes and hope to begin the interview process shortly. Please pray for the committee and candidates as we seek to find the person who will be a catalyst for growth and change for children’s ministry at Sardis.

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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

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