2018 November Communicator

THE COMMUNICATOR THE COMMUNICATOR

November 2018

A Publication of Sardis Presbyterian Church April 2018 Building God’s Kingdom Through Worship ● Service ● Fellowship ● Evangelism ● Disciple‐

A monthly publication of Sardis Presbyterian Church · Charlotte, North Carolina

Sardis for God’s Mission

The Communicator ~ November 2018 Building God’s Kingdom Through Worship ● Service ● Fellowship ● Evangelism ● Discipleship

Church Life

23rd Annual MidCarolina

Handbell Festival

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

Music Ministry

Through November 4

Kathleen Wissinger, Clinician

Saturday, November 10 Fellowship Hall 4:00 p.m.

Free Concert

Place your orders online at sardis.org or pick‐up an order form in the Narthex or Gathering Place.

Pick‐up your poinsettia orders on December 8 at 10:00 a.m. ‐ 1:00 p.m. in the Education Hall.

Order Your Christmas Trees at Sardis!

Did you know that when you order your tree at Sardis, you are helping defray the cost of our Chrismon tree in the Sanctuary? We have the opportunity to purchase trees from our Chrismon tree provider, Foster Farms, at a great price! Pick‐up your order form in the Narthex, Gathering Place, or church office and place your Christmas tree order by Sunday, November 25. Pick‐ up your trees on Wednesday, November 28, 10:30 a.m. ‐ noon. Make checks payable to Foster Farms (no cash please).

6’ tree is $40 · 7’ tree is $45

8’ tree is $50 · 9’ tree is $60

Questions? Contact Lorinna Lowrance (704.366.6226) or Linda Tucker (704.364.9840).

Friendship Connection, a fellowship group for retirees, will meet November 20 in the Sardis House. The 11:00 a.m. program, “Pastors Face the Questions”, will be a panel discussion with the three Sardis pastors. The pastors will respond to questions about Christian life and faith. Attendees are asked to submit their questions prior to the meeting. Send questions by Monday, November 19 to Jane Fobel, jane.fobel@sardis.org or 704.366.1854.

Lunch ($10 per person) will follow at 12 noon. Reservations are required for lunch. To make a reservation, you may register on‐line at www.sardis.org or call the reservation line 704.926.1590 by noon on Friday, November 16.

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Church Life

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

Me and the Women’s Retreat

Gloria Hall

I attended my first Sardis Women’s Retreat a few years ago. I came with an open heart and a desire to connect with the women of the church. I came with an excitement to have a weekend to be just me; to be Gloria again instead of “Mama.” With two young children at home, it was not easy to just pack up and leave, even though I have a husband who is always willing to give me some much needed “me” time. As I’m learning in a book we’re reading in my MSG, it is so important for women to connect with other women; women who have walked the path you’re walking, women who are walking the same path you’re on, and women who are just beginning down the path. So, I encourage ALL women of Sardis to join me this February at the Women’s Retreat. Whether you’re younger, older, or an “in‐betweener,” you have something to share, something to gain, and something within you that needs to be ignited alongside your sisters of Sardis.

Stewardship, Tithing and Generosity

Sallie Crossley

Why am I writing yet another article about the importance of tithing to Sardis? Church tithing sustains our legacy for the children, adults and community in which Sardis serves. The plans for our increase in receipts was outlined in Joe B’s letter showing how we will Equip Sardis for God’s Mission. Generosity sounds good, but what does generosity feel like to the recipient? The focus of this article is to show what generosity feels like and how it makes a difference as spoken by many within the Sardis community:

· A homeless mother with an elementary age child: “Where will we sleep tonight; all beds are full at the shelter? I certainly hope Sardis has Room In The Inn. . . “ · A student from Rama Road Elementary: “I hope Sardis has tutoring today, I really need help with my homework.” · A student in Bayonnais, Haiti: “So grateful that Sardis and Friends of OFCB have sent another bus full of food, medications and supplies. I won’t have to walk for 2 hours to school and today I will get one hot meal. Everyday life is improving with the help of generous churches.” · A regular at the Urban Ministry Soup Kitchen: “I hope Sardis is here today, they serve those delicious egg salad sandwiches.”

This is a very short list of how your generosity of time, talent and money bless us and others beyond Sardis. This list goes on and on! It is because we as the body of Christ feel so blessed that we want to share our generosity with others. While “Tithing” and “Stewardship” are words used in the Bible and church with familiarity to many, our children and newcomers may not share this knowledge. However, one thing that is very clear: we all recognize generosity when we see it and so do our children. I admire and respect generous people and strive to be more like them. We never describe those who are self‐serving as generous, but rather those that put others first are generous.

Generosity is an attribute that comes from the heart and from God’s love for us. When contemplating to give, we weigh the potential effect with our budget to discern the importance of each to our family and our lives. As we enter the church’s budgeting season, I sincerely hope that you and your family will have conversation about tithing, stewardship, and generosity and will make a commitment to the church first. A cheerful giver and doer is a true blessing to sustaining our goal of Equipping Sardis for God’s Mission.

The Communicator ~ November 2018 3

Church Life

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

Join the Sardis Quiddlers

Welcome, New

Sardis Member!

If you like Scrabble, you’ll enjoy Quiddler! Join us in the Dining Room at 11:30 a.m. on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month.

Bring a covered dish to share (salad, vegetable, or dessert) and join us for food

and

fellowship!

Questions?

Contact

Susan

Hudson

Welcome, Sharon Carriker! (pictured with husband, John)

at

sue24shaw@gmail.com.

On Sundays… Please remember to sign the friendship pads located in the pews. Yes, we actually use these every week! It’s very important to us that we know you were here. The friendship pads also offer a space to fill in a new address, phone number or email address if your contact information has changed. If we see that you haven’t signed in for a while it lets us know we need to reach out. Remember to pass them to the person next to you so everyone has a chance to sign. Thank you!!

Save the Date, College Kids!

Please mark your calendars for the College‐Age Christmas Holiday Gathering at the home of Julie and Chris Lueck, Monday, December 17 at 6:30 p.m. All current Sardis college age young adults are invited! Reconnect with all of your Sardis friends at this fun event. More details to come!

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

September Financial Highlights

September

September expected

This year so far

This year so far expected

Pledges, gifts, and other revenue

$153,092.56

$130,844.88

$1,490,753.66

$1,404,025.06

Expenses

$169,555.77

$188,721.67

$1,404,927.14

$1,450,280.03

Net Total

($16,463.21)

($57,876.79)

$85,826.52

($46,254.97)

Annual Budget: $1,983,000

Our Church Family Our Christian Sympathy: to Glen Pehl upon the death of his brother, Neil Pehl; to Lissa Archer upon the death of her uncle Britt Hudson; and to Mia Hall (Sardis youth) upon the death of her father, Jarvis Stroud.

Congratulations: to Morgan and Matt Thompson upon the birth of their daughter, Smith Brighton Thompson and to the grandparents, Glenda and Sam Thompson.

4 The Communicator ~ November 2018

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

Lay Ministry

Our Christmas Store Opens on December 2

Sardis has a place to shop for Christmas gifts and it will be open for business on December 2. Itʹs our Alternative Gift Market, set up in The Gathering Place every Sunday from December 2‐23. Cash, check or credit card gifts will be accepted as donations to six ministries: Bayonnias, Haiti; Marion Medical Missions; Habitat For Humanity; Loaves and Fishes; Rama Road Backpack Program; and The Childrenʹs Hope Alliance. Get those shopping lists ready and plan to give gifts this year that truly make a difference. These are the gifts that keep on giving way after all the wrapping paper and lights have been put away.

Bayonnais College Scholarship Fund Update

Wow! Thank you

In 2017, $22,000 was collected to celebrate Jane Fobel’s 20th

Sardis!

Anniversary at Sardis. Those funds were transferred to Friends of

We delivered 76 bags of clothing to Crisis Assistance Ministry after our fall collection drive!

Thank you for your generosity.

OFCB and have become the Bayonnais Education Foundation Fund.

The Education Foundation Fund is the basis for a student loan program that enables students in Bayonnais to enroll in college.

Students, selected by the OFCB School, are eligible to apply for a loan that will be repaid when the student graduates and is employed. In 2017, four students received funding to attend college in Port Au Prince and in Gonaives.

This fall 2018, five students have received funding: 

Feniel Charles, studying Civil Engineering in Gonaives



Eligens Chancy, studying Civil Engineering in Gonaives



Amicasler Jaccean, studying Agronomy in Port Au Prince



Norguens Noudy Sagis, studying Business Administration in Port Au Prince



Julson Ilmeus‐Fils, studying Agronomy in Limbe

Joe L. Muse, treasurer of Friends of OFCB provided this update and writes, ”The Board of Directors of Friends of OFCB wants to again express its sincere, heartfelt appreciation for your generous and compassionate support of our efforts to do God’s work in support of the people in Bayonnais, Haiti.”

We will hold these students in prayer as they work to develop skills and expertise that will benefit their community of Bayonnais and benefit Haiti as well.

Thank you Sardis for your generosity and for the ways you are making real the love of Christ.

The Communicator ~ November 2018 5

Youth ministry

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

Parent Seminars

The Youth Ministry is proud to offer parent seminars this semester to address issues parents of teenagers face while raising their children. On Sunday, October 14, 40 youth and parents attended a seminar led by Breta Collins, a counselor at Dilworth Counseling, and Lindsey Walker, a guidance counselor at Providence High School. The seminar focused on achieving balance in the lives of youth and examined grades, sports, and how much free time is appropriate.

Our next seminar is Sunday, November 11 and Jonathon Hetterly from Southeast Psych will lead and discuss technology and in particular social media. All parents are welcome!

For questions, please contact Adrian Martin at 704.366.1854.

Summer Conferences and

The every‐three‐year Presbyterian Church (USA) Youth

It’s not too early to think about the wonderful offerings from the Youth Ministry in the summer! Space is limited for each of the Register

on

M.A., LPC

Presbyterian Youth Triennium

Mission Trips

events.

Jonathan Hetterly,

our

website

at

www.sardis.org/ministries/youth for the High School Montreat Youth Conference (July 21‐ 27), Middle School Montreat Youth Conference (July 17‐21), High School Mission Trip to

Triennium will be held in July 16‐20, 2019. All high school age youth are welcome to attend this leadership development conference at Purdue University in Illinois. If you’d like more information, visit presbyterianyouthtriennium.org. If you are interested in attending, please let Adrian Martin know as soon as possible. We aim to send students with the Presbytery of Charlotte and need to coordinate our efforts with them.

Financial assistance is available for those who wish to attend.

Daytona (June 16‐23), and the Middle School Charlotte Mission Adventure (June 26‐28).

Space is limited, but you will not want to miss these events!

Middle School Relationship Retreat

All middle school students are invited for a brief, 24‐hour Relationship Retreat on Friday, November 16 through Saturday, November 17 in the Sardis House. During this retreat, we will examine relationships we create between each other, focusing our time on “significant other” relationships while learning how to live out God’s will. This enlightening retreat was a rousing success last year when every one of the youth who attended asked for it to happen again, along with all of their parents.

Please e‐mail Adrian Martin at adrian.martin@sardis.org for more information. To register ($25), please go to our website at www.sardis.org/ministries/youth. You will not want to miss this retreat!

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“Let the little children come unto me.”

November Elementary Fellowship Sunday, November 18 · 4:30 ‐ 6:00 p.m. · Room 205

Mission in Action

This month we will focus on gratitude and mission during our Elementary Fellowship Event. Join us to hear a guest speaker from Sardis’ Community Service Ministry discuss the tradition of mission at Sardis. We will then put our hearts and hands into action as we work on several projects to include preparing disaster relief cleaning buckets, 10 cents a meal collection banks and cards for special Sardis friends. Of course we will have snacks and games too! Look forward to seeing you there!

Contact:

We meet from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. on Wednesdays in the Choir Room for singing, drumming, and exploring other musical instruments and languages!

Open to any child K – 5th grade!

We’ll be singing in worship in November AND December!

Lin

Leslie

at

linwleslie@yahoo.com with any questions.

It’s never too late to join Children’s Choir at Sardis!

Questions? Contact Kaitlyn Davros at kaitlyn.davros@sardis.org.

Sardis Weekday School Updates

Sardis Weekday School enjoyed their October Community Helpers theme with some help from the local police and fire stations.

Want to learn more about the Sardis Weekday School?

Contact Elizabeth Angerson at elizabeth.angerson@sardis.org or 704.366.9681.

The Communicator ~ November 2018 7

THE COMMUNICATOR

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Sardis Presbyterian Church 6100 Sardis Road

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Charlotte, NC 28270

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www.sardis.org

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Sardis Presbyterian Church Confirmation Class of 2019

Ben Barach

Caleb Barach

Sarah Carpenter

Jacob Koch

Daniel Meeks

William Millen

Morgan Nelson

Sutton Nichols

Kylan Odean

Lucy Osherow

Leah Powell

Blythe Pressly

Chloe Pressly

Caroline Smith

Ray Smith

8 The Communicator ~ November 2018 JD Steven Richard Waller Matthew Wilkinson