The Communicator | May 2021

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The Communicator ~ May 2021 Exploring Faith. Changing Lives.

Praise Learn Love Serve Share Witness

Church Life

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

A Note from Joe B.: In-Person Worship Updates Dear Sardis Members and Friends, At a Called Meeting on Monday, April 19, 2021, Session approved moving to an adjusted Step 2.5 in our worship plan due to the number of people who are ready to worship together inside and the number of people who would like for an outside worship option to remain for a li le longer. So, beginning Sunday, May 2, here are your Sunday worship options at Sardis Presbyterian Church: 9:00 a.m. Contemporary Service on the South Lawn. At present, the a endance limit is 130. We are continuing taking reservations, but if you come without one, ushers will find a seat for you if we have not reached our maximum. So far, that has only happened at the 11:00 a.m. outdoor Easter service. It might happen again on

Confirmation Sunday, May 16, though. We are still working on how to do that. When you make a reservation, you will be able to opt for a spot in the Fellowship Hall should bad weather move us in there. The a endance limit for worship in Fellowship Hall is presently 100. Should we get “rained in,” limited preparation time might make for limited use of technology, particularly the screen. Printed bulletins will be provided, though. Session also approved no longer taking temperatures for outdoor activities and that once outdoor worshipers have reached their circle, masks may be removed.

11:00 a.m. Traditional Worship in the Sanctuary. At present, the a endance limit is 75. We will be taking reservations, but if you come without one, ushers will find a seat for you if we have not reached our maximum.

We never reached the maximum in the Fall, but I suspect it will be more likely now—particularly on Confirmation

Sunday, May 16. Session also approved up to 14 masked singers physically distanced in the chancel.

11:00 a.m. Live-Streamed Traditional Worship on YouTube and Facebook. Watch the 11:00 a.m. service as it happens and enjoy worship leaders not being able to have their mistakes edited out! A recording of that service will be available sometime that afternoon and viewable any time thereafter.

When the time is right, we will move to Worship Step 3. That will have Contemporary Worship in Fellowship Hall at 9:00 a.m. and Traditional Worship in the Sanctuary at 11:00 a.m. with whatever a endance limits and safety protocols are then in place—hopefully relaxing as time passes. Both services will be live-streamed.

The Peace of Jesus Christ be with y’all, Joe B.

Friendship Connection—May 18 All are invited to join the Friendship Connection via Zoom on May 18 at 11:00 a.m. as we welcome Courtney LaCaria, the Housing and Homelessness Research Coordinator for Mecklenburg County Community Services. Her research and data informs and drives decision making for programs that address housing instability and homelessness. The homelessness issue has been in the news frequently in recent months so please come and find out how Sardis can be part of the solution. Look for

the Zoom information in your weekly emails.

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The Communicator ~ May 2021

Church Life

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

Congrats, TJ!

Graduate Information Needed

Congratulations to TJ Shirley, who was officially

Do you know of a high school, college, or higher

enrolled as an Inquirer by the Presbytery of Charlo e, the

education graduate for 2021? Please email the

first

graduate’s

step

on

the

path

toward

ordination

as

a

name,

school,

and

degree

to

adrian.martin@sardis.org by May 19 so they may be

Minister of Word and Sacrament.

added to our celebration page in June. Thank you!

Easter has Come. Spring Has Sprung! What’s Next?

Dave Templeman

Joe B’s sermon on Easter dealt with the path to the cross and the path beyond the cross. He mentioned that Mark’s original Gospel had an abrupt ending: “So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.” So, Mark’s wri en account had ended, but Mark knew there was more to the story.

With Easter, we see the empty cross. Jesus has redeemed all of us. When we look backward along our path, we see that Jesus has always been with us. As we look ahead, Jesus is leading the way. He will be with us on our path as we write our part of the story. Joe B said that the journey with Jesus becomes the destination. Between you and me, if I can be with our Lord, I don’t really care how long the journey takes. We walk the path with Jesus when we feed the hungry, care for the sick, give shelter to the homeless, and comfort those who are anxious and suffering. We walk the path when we share witness about how our lives have been changed.

We each search for our particular path. What should we do with our time, talent, and treasure? Pray, meditate, listen for that small voice. You will see where your path leads.

Proverbs 3:5-7 NLV Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.

The Communicator ~ May 2021

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Church Life

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

Congrats to These Sardis Scouts!

CONGRATULATIONS to the following Scouts who received their Eagle Scout award this past year (through January 2021): Troop 33

Troop 133

Troop 233

Tyler Benton

JT Long

Hannah Todd

Vincent Gerik

Seth Moore

Josie Anderson

Aedan McAteer Another program our Scouts participate in is the God and Country program. This program consists of 4 levels of religious study and growth. The levels of study are: God and Me (Grades 1 – 3); God and Family (Grades 4 – 5); God and Church (Grades 6 – 8); and God and Life (Grades 9 – 12). Under the guidance of Renda Brinson, the following scouts started these studies in 2019 and completed them in 2020: God and Me Eliana Joyce Madeline Joyce Greta Vanderford Ardrey Hayden

God and Family Patrick Spangler Caden Todd

God and Church Megan Todd Isabelle Joyce Nolan Green

God and Life Sarah Beals Mary Denny Jessica Smith Hannah Todd

Session Highlights can be found at www.sardis.org/publications.

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

March

March expected

This year so far

This year so far expected

Pledges, giŌs, and other revenue

$124,747.89

$124,883.33

$567,176.18

$499,049.99

Expenses

$158,580.41

$173,275.47

$396,781.42

$448,810.39

Net Total

($33,832.52)

($48,392.14)

$170,394.76

$50,239.60

Annual Budget: $1,892,050

Our Church Family Our Sympathy: to the family of Judy Crowther; to the family of Jim Enochs; to the family of Jim Boyce; to Jim Ellison on the death of his father, Paul Ellison; and to staff member, Dennis Easter, on the death of his mother, Le ie Jean Easter.

Congratulations: to Emily and Mike Oelz on the birth of their son, Harrison Thomas Oelz; grandparents are Lynda and Michael Oelz.

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The Communicator ~ May 2021

Missions Ministry

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

American Red Cross Blood Drive Do You Know Anyone Who Could Benefit From This CMS Program?

Sunday, May 2 8:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Sardis Presbyterian Church

Charlo e-Mecklenburg Schools is launching Camp CMS as a meaningful opportunity to provide inperson learning and teaching for students whose

Register for an appointment time at

abilities to learn in a traditional instructional se ing

www.sardis.org under the serve tab.

were hampered during the pandemic. The program,

We hope to see you there!

to be provided over a defined six-week period, will offer students engaging and rewarding sessions, fun physical activities, and social-emotional, well-being support.

For more details, visit: cms.k12.nc.us/campcms

Educational and Volunteer Opportunity Lack of safe water is life-threatening and affects one-third of the world’s population. Every 40 seconds a person dies from a preventable waterborne illness, totaling more than 800,000 each year. The global water crisis is urgent and enormous but solvable.

To increase awareness and encourage action to address it, the Global Water Center is touring the nation showcasing its expansive, educational Mobile Discovery Center. Free-of-charge to the public, the exhibit will be open May 5 to May 9 at the Charlo e Premium Outlets mall.

GWC is also looking for volunteers to assist with set-up and teardown, or serve as greeters, ambassadors, or provide assistance at the Mobile Discovery Center. This is not a Sardis event so if you are interested in volunteering contact, Margie MacFarland at mmacfarland@globalwatercenter.org.

Safe Water Saves Lives. View their 90-second video intro: h ps://vimeo.com/527387131

The Communicator ~ May 2021

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Youth ministry

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

Sunday Night Fellowship Join us as we enjoy Sunday Night Fellowship in May! May 2 – Senior Roast (5:00-6:00 p.m.)

May 9 – No Sunday Night Fellowship (Mother’s Day) May 16 – Guest Joe B. Martin (5:00-6:00 p.m.)

May 23 – End of Year Celebration at Boyce Park (5:00-6:30 p.m.)

May 30 – No Sunday Night Fellowship (Memorial Day Weekend) Join us as we continue to grow as the body of Christ!

High School Montreat Youth Conference We are hoping to a end the High School Montreat Youth Conference in person from July 25-31. In order to a end, parents need to be present at the parent meeting on Sunday, May 2 at 6:00 p.m. in the Education Hall. If we are able to a end the conference, we will follow strict COVID-19 protocols to keep ourselves and others safe.

If you would like to a end the conference but cannot a end the meeting on May 2, please contact Adrian Martin at 704.778.6432.

Do You Love Youth?

The Youth Ministry is looking for some additional volunteers for our weekly programs. If you love working with an awesome group of young people and adults, then contact Adrian Martin. All volunteers will go through the church’s

process

for

(interview,

working training,

with

minors

approval,

and

possibly background check depending on the area of ministry).

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The Communicator ~ May 2021

“Let the li le children come unto me.”

May Children's Schedule: We will continue our Zoom Sunday School as established through May 23! We will not meet on May 30 due to Memorial Day Weekend.

May 5, Elementary Story Exploration will be on Zoom. We will celebrate the end of a great year of Story Exploration on May 12 on campus (and on Zoom for our friends who are unable to join us in person!) at 6 p.m.!

What to Expect for VBS: August 2-6 The children's commi ee is working on a VBS that will look different than ever before! Families will have the opportunity to engage with asynchronous modules throughout the day, and then be welcomed on campus from 5:30-6:30 p.m. each evening for music, Bible, and games! There will be a parent group, preschool group, and two elementary age groups. The children's ministry affirms we will be able to be distanced, safe, and mindful of those who haven't had an opportunity to be vaccinated while still enjoying time together! Contact Sarah Dianne with any questions by emailing

sarahdianne.jones@sardis.org.

Sardis Weekday School Teacher Spotlight!

The Sardis Weekday School is so blessed to have the fabulous Cindy McLeod for having a talented green thumb in the SWS garden. Ms. Cindy, along with her lovely husband, Mr. Max, takes time to tend the garden. They come to weed, turn the soil, and prepare the garden boxes for the students. This project happens several times in the school year; fall, spring, and summer. We are also so grateful to Ruth Harris of Renfrow Hardware, who generously donates the garden items. This garden experience is a positive one for our students as they have the opportunity to assist in planting, watering, and weeding the garden. This is offered to the students throughout the school day and becomes part of our hands-on experience that the Weekday School so proudly offers, with the whole child approach of learning. The garden items are picked specifically so the students can see the progress of the flowers and vegetables within our school/summer session. This also offers great curb appeal to families as they wait on our carline and those passing through. A HUGE shout out to Ms. Cindy, Mr. Max, and Ruth Harris for all their continued efforts in beautifying the school/church property and giving the students a chance to get their hands messy (a favorite for preschoolers).

The Communicator ~ May 2021

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7KH &RPPXQLFDWRU Published monthly by

Sardis Presbyterian Church 6100 Sardis Road Charlo e, NC 28270 www.sardis.org

& Monday - Friday 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Outdoor camp to allow us to sing, dance, act, and have fun all while being safe!

Open to rising 1st - current 5th grade children Email Kaitlyn.davros@sardis.org for more information

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The Communicator ~ May 2021