2016 May communicator

A Publication of Sardis Presbyterian Church May 2016 Building God’s Kingdom Through Worship ● Service ● Fellowship ● Evangelism ● Discipleship

Join Sardis on April 17 for an incredible day filled with serving others and fellowship.

VBS REGISTRATION NOW OPEN...PAGE 11

SUMMER

@ SARDIS Bible Studies...Page 4

SARDIS YOUTH...PAGE 10

The Communicator ~ May 2016 Sardis Presbyterian Church · 6100 Sardis Road · Charlotte, NC 28270 · 704‐366‐1854 · www.sardis.org

Church Life

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

Update from the Sardis Visioning Task Force

The Sardis Visioning Task Force has received a completed discovery report from TAG consulting group. This report analyzes the information gathered throughout the discovery process thus far, largely via the congregational survey, focus groups, staff workshops and demographic study. The Task Force appreciates your honest feedback and participation thus far. A summary of TAGʹs discovery report can be viewed online at www.sardis.org. You may also request to view the full 98‐page report by contacting Robin Medlock at robin.medlock@sardis.org.

On the weekend of April 9, the Session and senior staff spent two days with the consultants from TAG to review the results from the discovery phase and use the information to begin forming our collective vision for the future.

The second step was to discuss our core values ‐ what defines us as a community in Christ. The next retreat will take place on May 21‐22 and will continue the synthesis of these concepts, culminating with the focus and strategic priorities for Sardis. Please continue to pray for our leadership team during this process.

Sardis Volunteers Win Governorʹs Award

New Member Classes

On April 12, Mayor Jennifer Roberts presented Sardis volunteers

Interested in joining Sardis? The May

with the Governorʹs Volunteer Service Award in recognition of our

New Member classes begin on May 1

partnership with Rama Road Elementary School. We have been in

and run each Sunday in May with the

partnership with Rama through our Planting Seeds of Hope program

class joining on Sunday, May 22. Classes

for over eight years. Sardis volunteers are committed to being lunch

meet at 10:00 a.m. in the dining room.

and reading buddies, tutors, mentors, servers, and supporters to many of the children. Our volunteers also support and encourage the wonderful teachers of Rama through luncheons and thoughtful gifts.

Questions? Contact Rev. Alice Johnson at alice.johnson@sardis.org or 704.366.1854.

Planting Seeds of Hope also helps provide Christmas gifts, family nights, and home libraries for the children. Many Sardis volunteers are former teachers who willingly give their experience and time to help Rama in any way they can.

Children’s Worship Bags

Hey kids! When you get to church

Sardis member, Jane Dennis, also received a Governorʹs Award for

Sunday, we wanted to let you know that

her 33 years of

the Children’s Worship bags are no

service on the Girl

longer separated by age. All bags will

Scout Hornetsʹ

carry the same contents and activity

Nest Council, in

sheets will be included for all ages. So,

addition to

grab any bag, and have fun!

recently starting the ʺGirls Go Beyondʺ program at Rama Road Elementary.

2 The Communicator ~ May 2016

Church Life

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

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, contact Jeff Weston at jsweston323@gmail.com.

Joint MSG Breakfast at the Community Culinary School of Charlotte

On Friday, April 15, members of four menʹs Mustard Seed Groups met to share breakfast at the Community Culinary School of Charlotte. All four of these groups meet separately early in the morning during the week, some Tuesdays and some Fridays, so this gave them one time when they could meet together. A wonderful breakfast was prepared by the Community Culinary School which is also one of the missions supported by Sardis. Chef Ron Ahlert shared with the group the mission of the school, which is to help those with barriers to employment become trained in a skill that can lead to employment. He also thanked the group for supporting the school and reminded them that many of the student’s graduations are held at our own Sardis Mission House. It was a wonderful time of fellowship and reiterated the importance of how Mustard Seed Groups are an important part of what makes Sardis special. Following the big meal the members of the groups all went home and took a nap.

Mustard Seed Groups are open to new members, and information on all MSGs can be found on Sardis.org and around the church.

“Be the change you want to see in the world!”

‐Mahatma Gandhi

Why have we become church members, specifically here at Sardis? The reasons are many: to praise God through worship, to receive assistance in teaching Christianity to our children, to study the Bible through classes or small groups, to fellowship with other like‐minded people, and to show Jesus’ love through missions. I’m sure you could share your own lists.

There’s a cost for all of these activities: buildings and their upkeep, staff salaries and benefits, mission giving, supplies, teaching materials and more.

In order for Sardis to be a vibrant and positive force for Jesus, the members (you and I) must answer the call to be stewards of all we have. Of course, this includes our time ‐ to participate in church programs and activities, our gifts – to enrich this place, and our money – to pay for all we expect our church to be.

These responsibilities belong to every member of Sardis. Please recommit yourself each day to act more like Jesus.

Be the change you want to see in the world!

George Gallaher

The Communicator ~ May 2016 3

Church Life

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

This Summer, Let’s Try Something NEW!

The Worship pattern will continue through the summer months:

9 a.m. Contemporary, Fellowship Hall · 11 a.m. Traditional, Sanctuary Sunday School will be offered for children, youth and adults.

There will be one adult class offered at 10 a.m. in room 211‐212. This 45 minute class will be refreshing! The leadership will include the Sardis pastors, Sheri Joseph, Director of Transformative Operations at CMC, Linda McKechnie, and Rev. Dr. Leighton Ford, President of Leighton Ford Ministries. Topics will vary.

Here is the 10 a.m. lineup:

Please add this 10 a.m. adult class to your summer Sundays. Inspiration, stimulation and fun are guaranteed.

Blessings,

4 The Communicator ~ May 2016

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

Church Life

Let’s Talk About Religion and Politics!

While it has been said that you shouldn’t discuss religion and politics in polite company, there is much in the Bible and the legacy of the church that suggests otherwise. As a Christian people, flavored with the Reformed Tradition of the Presbyterian Church, we have affirmed the sovereignty of God and we have declared that there is no arena within human life that is outside the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

In this political season, if you are seeking a time for thoughtful reflection on the intersection of religion and politics, plan to be part of four evening discussions this June titled, “Let’s Talk about Religion and Politics!” More details will follow, but mark your calendars for gatherings on Wednesdays evenings: June 8, 15, 22, 29.

The proposed schedule will be:

June 8: How Does the Bible Talk About Religion and Politics?

June 15:

How Does the Church Talk About Religion and Politics?

June 22:

How Do We Talk to Each Other About Religion and Politics?

June 29:

How Does Talk about Religion Transform Politics?

Children’s Music and Arts Camp

Mark your calendars and register! This summer the Music Ministry will be offering a Music and Arts Camp here at Sardis for rising 2nd graders – 6th graders. This program will be a half–day camp from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., August 1 – 5. The children will explore singing, arts, crafts, and Bible stories during the week. They will present a musical during the 11:00 worship service on August 7 to share with the church family all they have learned and created.

Registration will open on May 16 and the cost is $40 per child. Volunteers and helpers are needed. Please contact Kaitlyn or Jared if you would like to be involved or if you have any questions.

Come Sing in the Summer Choir!

This summer, we will be continuing our worship schedule offering two different styles of worship. At 9 a.m., come and worship in the Fellowship Hall with our praise band, led by Jacob. At 11 a.m., come and worship in the Sanctuary, and sing with the organ and piano played by Kaitlyn. (July 3 will be an exception: combined worship at 10 a.m.).

Beginning June 17, the singing in our 11 a.m. worship service will be led by a “summer choir.” Those who would like to sing on a given Sunday are invited to come and rehearse at 10 a.m. The music will be easy and fun to sing… No commitment necessary, just come when you would like.

Please contact Jared if you have any questions at jared.daugherty@sardis.org.

The Communicator ~ May 2016 5

Church Life

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

Calling All High School and College Graduates

You have worked hard to reach this important milestone in your lives, and in the June article of The Communicator, your church family would like to recognize your achievement

All December 2015 and May 2016 graduates should submit their information (including name, school and degree) to nikki.bolton@sardis.org by May 18. Please accept our congratulations on this significant achievement!

Presbytery of Charlotte Meeting Volunteers

Sardis is hosting the Presbytery of Charlotte meeting on Tuesday, May 17, and we need your help! Come and show our presbytery the hospitality and generosity we have here at Sardis. There are opportunities to serve during registration, parking, greeting, and serving lunch. You can come for part of the day or the whole day.

If you are interested in volunteering, contact Max and Cindy McLeod at cindermakesthree@aol.com.

Church Office Closure

The Church Office will be closed Monday, May 23 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for an all‐staff meeting off campus. The Administration Building will be inaccessible during this time.

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

March Financial Highlights

March

March Expected

This year so far

This year so far expected

Pledges, gifts, and other revenue

$144,220.16

$157,633.99

$507,263.59

$544,287.55

Expenses

$200,962.74

$197,700.78

$530,125.62

$535,127.45

Net Total

($56,742.58)

($40,066.79)

($22,862.03)

$9,160.10

Annual Budget: $2,241,000

Our Church Family Our Christian Sympathy: to Chuck Polk upon the death of his mother, Patsy Polk; to the family of Moyer Ketchie; to Mary Ellen Thomas upon the death of her brother, Bill Robison; to the family of Phil Adams; to Steve Seaborn upon the death of his mother, Evelyn Seaborn; to the family of Steve Woodrow; to the family of Ruth Davis Hazeltine; to Charlotte Lewis upon the death of her sister, Betty Newton; to Stephen Yount and Kirsta Norwood‐ Yount upon the death of their infant son, Easton James Yount; to Les Ingles upon the death of his brother, Pat Ingles; and to Sallie Robinson upon the death of her father, Jim Robinson.

Congratulations: to Eleanor & Duncan Witte upon the birth of their granddaughter, Aurora MacLeod Kalin.

6 The Communicator ~ May 2016

Church Life

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

A Change in Our Landscape

Sardis is rich in history, a history that is important to us all. We appreciate and embrace our history. In Sardis’ 226 years, its members have seen changes and growth, kept up with traditions, and started new ones. If you drive by Sardis today, you may see a “new” view of the church. However, this view is not new, but a historical one.

On April 13, the website and weekly email announced that the Property Commission received and approved a request to take down the magnolia tree on the lawn in front of the Sanctuary. A donation was made to cover the cost, and the request was approved after research indicated the tree was not given in memory or honor of a member or loved one. It was also discovered that the tree was not a part of our landscape when the current sanctuary was built in 1960 (as evidenced by this 1961 photograph).

We have appreciated hearing about memories of the magnolia tree, as some members stopped by to clip branches as keepsakes. Those memories remind us of the community Sardis members have created, the family we have here.

It is our hope, that with our historical view back, we can continue to grow and welcome our community into our family.

February 1961

April 2016

The Communicator ~ May 2016 7

Lay Ministry

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

South Carolina Mission Trip Opportunity

Sardis has teamed up with Home Works of America to help those impacted last October with the floods in South Carolina. We are looking to see who would be interested at this time to take a team to Columbia October 21‐23.

This is a great mission opportunity for families with middle school aged children and older.

We need all skill levels of volunteers to help repair homes. Many of these homes were impacted by the flooding

last year. Our next step would be to have a meeting in the next few weeks to answer questions and discuss more details of travel. If you have interest in learning more about this opportunity, please contact Rob Brownlee at robert.brownlee@gmail.com or 704.957.6882.

OFCB Student Sponsorship Drive a Success!

Thanks to all of you who helped make the student sponsorship drive for Bayonnais a success. Sardis now sponsors about 80 students at the OFCB School in Haiti. We are looking at the possibility of organizing a group from Sardis to travel to Bayonnais from October 19‐26. We will be holding a meeting within the next month to give more information about this trip.

If you have interest in learning more about this opportunity, please contact Brenda McKay at 704.544.7659 or brendamckay58@yahoo.com.

Clothing Drive

Spaghetti Sauce Sundays

Thank you Sardis members for cleaning out your closets

and generously donating your clothing to the spring

You donated over

Clothing Drive. We delivered 49 large bags of clothes to

58.6 pounds of

our neighbors at Crisis Assistance Ministry.

spaghetti sauce last month to our neighbors at Loaves and Fishes. We welcome your donation of spaghetti sauce (& pasta) this Sunday, and every Sunday, to benefit our hungry neighbors.

8 The Communicator ~ May 2016

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

Lay Ministry

Loaves & Fishes—Give the Gift of Hope

Loaves & Fishes provides a weekʹs worth of nutritious groceries to individuals and families in a short‐term crisis. It also helps provide peace of mind for desperate parents to find a way out of no way. Because of you, approximately 80,000 people received a weekʹs worth of nutritionally balanced meals in 2015; thatʹs enough hungry people to fill the Carolina Panthers’ Bank of America Stadium! Your generosity makes sure each and every person who comes to Loaves & Fishes is fed with dignity and respect.

During our March Food Drive, Sardis members contributed 800 pounds of food to Loaves & Fishes; let’s continue to remember those in need of our assistance.

The second 2016 Sardis Food Drive for Loaves and Fishes will start on Sunday, May 8 when bags labeled with priority needs will be available for pick‐up in the Gathering Place. Filled bags of non‐perishable food can then be returned to the collection bins near the Library in the Education Building from May 8 ‐ 22. Priority needs include canned meats, canned pasta, cereal, canned fruit, and 100% fruit juice (no glass).

A BOOK OF MY OWN!

Thank you, Sardis! Because of the generosity of individuals and groups, we are able to provide three books for each of the 675 students at Rama Road to take home this summer.

This will not only help them maintain their reading levels during the summer, but will also encourage their reading for pleasure.

Thank you again, Sardis, for your continued support of Rama Road Elementary School!

Give One Day

Over 160 Sardis members from three years to 83 years old came to the Fellowship Hall Sunday April 17 to Give One Day of service. This year Sardis hosted a meal packaging event with Stop Hunger Now. A sea of yellow “Sardis Serves” shirts and hair nets provided great photos…Some said we resembled the Minions from Despicable Me.

After a quick lunch from the Fellowship Ministry, Sardis members rolled up

their sleeves and funneled, weighed, sealed and boxed 20,088 meals in less than two hours. Thank you to everyone who gave their time and talents, especially Alfredo Mendoza, who wins the award for the hardest worker in the building.

Alfredo not only set up the room, he helped unload the truck, participated in the event and then helped load the truck and clean up. Alfredo is a wonderful example of the giving spirit at Sardis, and we are so lucky to have him on staff.

The Communicator ~ May 2016 9

Youth ministry

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

Middle School Beach Retreat

On April 8‐10, 26 youth and five adult leaders traveled to North Myrtle Beach for a weekend of fun, fellowship, worship, games, and devotions.

Our theme for the weekend was, “What’s Your Logo?”, and we looked at how we can see a logo for a particular company and instantly know what the company is known for. What do people see when they look at us? What is the message we put out to the world? During large group activities and small group discussions, we addressed this the whole weekend, trying to figure out what our logos are. We also had plenty of time for games and fellowship, and we enjoyed an afternoon on the cold beach. Everyone who attended had a wonderful time exploring what our logos are and strengthening our relationships with others.

Middle School Pancake

High School End of Year Party

Breakfast Success

The High School End of Year Party will be Sunday, May 1 from 6:00‐7:30 p.m. in the Sardis House.

Thank you to everyone who helped make the Middle

Parents are welcome to attend, as we watch a slide

School Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser a success on Palm

show of what we have done this year, play games, and

Sunday! People were streaming through the breakfast

dream for the future. Dinner will be served.

all morning long, sitting and laughing with each other over a cup of Starbucks coffee or a mound of bacon from Stacks Kitchen.

The Middle School Ministry was able to raise money to help our retreats and summer conferences be more affordable for the youth and their families. Thank you to everyone who helped plan and lead this event, as well as all people who came through for a wonderful breakfast!

Upcoming Dates

May 1 High School End of Year Party May 15 Rising 6th Grade Middle School Party May 22 Last Middle School Sunday Night Fellowship of the semester

We are also working on our summer schedules for both high school and middle school youth. Join us for service, fellowship, and study this summer!

Sardis Soup and Cookie Ministry

On Sunday, April 10, the High School Youth Ministry prepared soup and cookies with Anne Sweeney for the Sardis Soup and Cookie Ministry. These wonderful foods were then delivered to Sardis members who needed a quick visit from their church. Six different church members were visited by the youth, with each person expressing gratitude for the wonderful gift of company and a meal.

The High School Ministry is grateful for ways to serve our congregation and how easy it is to connect with someone over a pot of soup and some cookies.

10 The Communicator ~ May 2016

“Let the little children come unto me.”

Cave Quest Vacation Bible School!

Vacation Bible School will run July 11 through July 15 this summer, from 9:00 a.m.‐12:00 p.m., and children will lead the worship service at 9:00 a.m. on July 17. Mark your calendars now for this exciting week!

Cave Quest VBS will explore “Following Jesus: The Light of the World”. It is a curriculum that focuses on the rock‐solid foundation of God’s love, even in the dark times of our lives. We hope you and your children will join us each day for science and art activities, games and recreation, daily videos, storytelling, and music, as we learn how Jesus gives us hope, courage, direction, love and power!

Registration is now open at www.sardis.org, where you can download “print and mail” forms, or register and pay online.

Please contact Rev. Katie Harrington (katie.harrington@sardis.org) or Heather Eddy (heather.eddy@sardis.org) with questions or to volunteer.

Sardis Weekday School News On May 4 and 5, Sardis Weekday School will celebrate mothers at a special Mother’s Day Tea for SWS moms.

The children are busy making special surprises for all the mothers, and it is surely an occasion which will delight both mothers and children!

Registration for our SWS Summer Camps is now open! We are so excited for all of the programs being offered this summer. Dates and themes are as follows:

June 14‐16: June 21‐23: June 28‐30: July 5‐7:

Soccer Shots Art Camp Play Spanish Storytelling/Dramatics

July 19‐21: July 26‐28: August 2‐4:

Musikgarten Atomz Lab Amazing Athletes

The camps run Tuesday‐Thursday, 9:30 a.m.‐ 1:00 p.m. There is a non‐refundable registration fee of $35 per child for the summer. Each session is $85 per student. For more information, please contact Louise Lippi at 704.366.9681 or louise.lippi@sardis.org, as soon as possible to guarantee placement in your desired week(s) and to get due dates for payments.

A special thank you to the Consignment Sale

Ministry and for all the volunteers for yet

Four Year Old Graduation

another very successful sale! We had a great

is on Thursday, June 9.

turnout, and we appreciate your support.

The Communicator ~ May 2016 1111

The Communicator Published monthly by

Non‐Profit Org.

Sardis Presbyterian Church

U.S. POSTAGE PAID

6100 Sardis Road

Charlotte, NC

Charlotte, NC 28270

Permit #1059

www.sardis.org

Thank you to our Give One Day volunteers! You packaged 20,088 meals!

Read more on page 9!

12 The Communicator ~ May 2016