The Communicator ~ December 2021
Church Life
Ministry is about life in Christ which affects everything we do.
Crop Walk Thank You! The Missions Ministry wishes to thank all who supported the recent Crop Hunger Walk! It was hoped to revive interest in Sardis’ participation in this annual community event, and what an exciting new beginning! Forty walkers gathered on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, enjoying enthusiastic, intergenerational fellowship while walking to
December 5
end hunger. Many others sponsored walkers or made
Intergenerational Advent Service
gracious donations to help Sardis surpass our $3000 goal. As of this writing, you raised $6,120. A percentage will stay
The Youth Ministry Program of Sardis invites you
in our community, going directly to Loaves and Fishes/
to a Intergenerational Advent Service at 6:00 p.m.
Friendship Trays, Second Harvest Food Bank and Crisis
on Sunday, December 5 in the Sanctuary. The
Assistance Ministry. We can’t wait for next year! Psalm
service will be followed by a time of fellowship
133:1 “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to
with hot cocoa and candy canes. Please bring a new
dwell in unity” and end hunger one step at a time!
pair of socks or gloves as admission to this service. These will be donated to Roof Above for our neighbors in Charlotte.
Friendship Connection Join us on Tuesday, December 21 at 11:00 a.m. in the Sardis House as we celebrate the Christmas season together. We will enjoy music from Sardis’ very own Throne Together. A special holiday luncheon will follow. The cost is $10. Please make your reservation no later than noon on December 17. You can make your reservation using MySardis, or by calling Sue Chowning at 704.366.1854 ext. 208.
2
The Communicator ~ December 2021
Ministry is about life in Christ which affects everything we do.
Church Life
Help Us Bring Joy to our Homebound Members Do you ever wonder what happens to the beautiful flowers that grace the front of our Sanctuary each Sunday? Are they simply discarded or do they live on? Thanks to a team of dedicated volunteers the flowers live on. Immediately after the church service, the arrangements are broken down into four bouquet vases and delivered by another team of volunteers to our homebound members. We are seeking volunteers to spend fifteen minutes or so after the church once a month to break down the arrangements. This is an opportunity to bring joy and smiles to the faces of Sardis members who are homebound or have ill health and unable to attend church. If you are interested, email Sheila Duyck at sheiladuyck@gmail.com.
The Communicator ~ December 2021
3
Church Life Thanks be to God
Ministry is about life in Christ which affects everything we do.
Chuck Bohlen
Bayonnais Update
‘Tis the season for… thanks. I hope you had the opportunity
2021 has been another very difficult year in
to gather with family and friends and be thankful on
Bayonnais.
Thanksgiving. It’s fortuitous that Stewardship Sunday is
multidimensional crisis including an upsurge in
followed quickly by Thanksgiving so that we can give
violence,
thanks for the blessings of God and our opportunity to re‐
government, skyrocketing cost of food, and a lack
turn some of those gifts to build God’s Kingdom. As we
of fuel which is crippling major services. Without
look ahead to Christmas and the coming of the New Year,
fuel, buses are unable to make the daily trip to
we should continue our spirit of gratitude for the
Gonaives to bring teachers and students to school.
blessings we receive each and every day. One definition of thanksgiving is, “the act of giving thanks, especially to God.” We don’t have to limit our thanksgiving to the fourth Thursday in November; we can remember to give thanks to God every day.
Haiti kidnapping
is for
experiencing ransom,
a
unstable
While the needs in Bayonnais remain high, the current issues hamper access to needed supplies and restricts travel for visitors. Not being able to visit makes it difficult to reach out and acquire new
supporters.
Sardisʹ
continued
financial
Joe B. preached about thanksgiving recently, calling us to be
support of the ICB School and the Bethesda Clinic,
cause for others to be thankful. One of the greatest acts of
through Mission giving, the Alternative Gift
giving thanks to God is for us to be the reason that others
Market, and student sponsorship through EWO
give thanks and glorify God. We give thanks to God for the
(ewohaiti.org), help to make education and health
great works of Sardis, and you are the reason for that. So,
care available for our brothers and sisters in
thank you for returning some of your gifts to build God’s
Bayonnais. Your gift blesses and provides hope for
Kingdom through Sardis. As you look ahead to the
so many! Please pray for peace, safety, and unity
holidays, continue to give thanks and be the reason for
for all of Haiti. Please direct any questions to
others to give thanks! To God be the glory!
Brenda McKay (brendamckay58@yahoo.com).
Session Highlights can be found at www.sardis.org/publications
Financial Highlights We know you have missed the financial highlights in the Communicator recently. Full information has been delayed during recent staff transitions. Watch for catch‐up financial highlights to arrive by email before the end of the year and regular updates to resume in the January Communicator. Thank you for your patience and understanding!
Our Church Family Our Sympathy: to the family of Pat Kendall; to the family of Walter Eddy; to Bruce Simpson on the death of his father, Leroy Simpson; to Bev Naumann on the death of her brother, Ron Robbins; to Laurie Hoots on the death of her father, Bill Rogers; to the family of David Aaronson, former Parish Associate; to the family of Myrle “Robbie” Harkey; to Jane Gilbert on the death of her sister, Margaret Wanless Scearce; to Brent Moore and his family on the death of his father, Lee Roy Moore; and to Trish Hollern upon the death of her sister, Peggy Cooper. 4
The Communicator ~ December 2021
The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve.
Missions Ministry
Alternative Gift Market The 2021 Alternative Gift Market (AGM) at Sardis opened on Sunday, November 28. Seven ministries are featured in this year’s AGM! Due to COVID‐19 caution, you are invited to visit the AGM online at any time through December 20 at www.sardis.org where you will have a unique opportunity to do all your Christmas shopping in one place. AGM booklets and order forms will be available in the Sanctuary and Gathering Place each Sunday through December 20. Through this year’s AGM, you are invited to make a donation to any of seven ministries listed below. For each do‐ nation, you may choose to receive an attractive card, which you may send to family or friends announcing your gift. Please note that if you would like acknowledgement cards, your orders must be placed by December 15. Your acknowledgement cards will be placed in the mail to you by December 16. The ministries included in this year’s AGM are: Bayonnais School Fund Bayonnais Medical Fund Care Ring Families Forward Charlotte
Loaves and Fishes Rama Road Backpack Ministry Allegro Foundation
Room in the Inn – Volunteer Opportunities There are numerous behind the scenes volunteer opportunities associated with Room In The Inn. Sardis will be hosting neighbors who are experiencing homelessness during the time period of January through March 2022 and we invite you to join us in this ministry. Most of these opportunities are family oriented, can be intergenerational, and able to satisfy community service requirements for students. Make lunches for our neighbors: This could be a family or multi‐family volunteer opportunity. You would make 15 bag lunches for our neighbors for one visit. Lunches are needed on Sundays in January and March, 2022. Make beds for our neighbors: This could be a volunteer opportunity for families, grandparents/grandchildren, youth, Sunday School classes, scouts, students or anyone! You would come into the Sardis House and make up the beds for our neighbors using the linens provided. Volunteers are needed to make beds for February and March, 2022. This could be done anytime from Thursday until Sunday afternoon before our neighbors arrive. Provide items for our neighbors: We need items that to provide to our neighbors in case they need personal items. Items needed are: stocking hats, gloves, socks, women’s underwear (Size L or greater), men’s boxer briefs (Size L or greater). You can drop these items off in the bin marked RITI in the Gathering Place outside the Fellowship Hall where items are being collected for RITI as part of our Reverse Advent Calendar. Get more information on how to participate and sign up at: bit.ly/sardisRITI If you are willing to serve this ministry in any other capacity or have questions, please send an email to mission@sardis.org.
The Communicator ~ December 2021
5
Church Life
6
Ministry is about life in Christ which affects everything we do.
The Communicator ~ December 2021
“Let the little children come unto me.”
Fall/Winter Sunday School Sundays at 10:00 a.m. Preschool/Kindergarten · Room 206 1st ‐ 3rd Grade · In Room 205 or on Zoom 4th ‐ 5th Grade · In Room 207 or on Zoom The Zoom links are in Sarah Dianne’s emails and sent out via Remind text each week! Join our Remind by texting @38ee4f to 81010.
Sardis Weekday School Thankfulness As Thanksgiving has just passed, we would like to share how THANKFUL we are for our fabulous Sardis Weekday School staff. They are the roots of our school and help our students grow and flourish each day. Their creative spirits create magnificent lessons that encompass all the skills for an early childhood student to succeed.
The Communicator ~ December 2021
7
The Communicator Published monthly by Sardis Presbyterian Church 6100 Sardis Road Charlotte, NC 28270 www.sardis.org
8
The Communicator ~ December 2021