2016 may communicator
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The Communicator ~ May 2016
A Publication of Sardis Presbyterian Church May 2016
Sardis Presbyterian Church · 6100 Sardis Road · Charlotte, NC 28270 · 704‐366‐1854 · www.sardis.org
SARDIS YOUTH...PAGE 10SARDIS YOUTH...PAGE 10
Join Sardis on April 17 for an incredible day filled with serving others and fellowship.
VBS REGISTRATION NOW OPEN...PAGE 11
Bible Studies...Page 4Bible Studies...Page 4
SUMMER @ SARDIS
Building God’s Kingdom Through Worship ● Service ● Fellowship ● Evangelism ● Discipleship
2 The Communicator ~ May 2016
Ministry is about life in Christ which affects everything we do. Church Life 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 [email protected].
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
On April 12, Mayor Jennifer Roberts presented Sardis volunteers
with the Governorʹs Volunteer Service Award in recognition of our
partnership with Rama Road Elementary School. We have been in
partnership with Rama through our Planting Seeds of Hope program
for over eight years. Sardis volunteers are committed to being lunch
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.
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.
Sardis member, Jane Dennis, also received a Governorʹs Award for
her 33 years of
service on the Girl
Scout Hornetsʹ
Nest Council, in
addition to
recently starting
the ʺGirls Go
Beyondʺ program
at Rama Road
Elementary.
New Member Classes
Interested in joining Sardis? The May
New Member classes begin on May 1
and run each Sunday in May with the
class joining on Sunday, May 22. Classes
meet at 10:00 a.m. in the dining room.
Questions? Contact Rev. Alice Johnson at
[email protected] or 704.366.1854.
Children’s Worship Bags
Hey kids! When you get to church
Sunday, we wanted to let you know that
the Children’s Worship bags are no
longer separated by age. All bags will
carry the same contents and activity
sheets will be included for all ages. So,
grab any bag, and have fun!
The Communicator ~ May 2016 3
Ministry is about life in Christ which affects everything we do. Church Life 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 [email protected].
“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
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.
4 The Communicator ~ May 2016
This Summer, Let’s Try Something NEW!
The Worship pattern will continue through the summer months:
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,
Ministry is about life in Christ which affects everything we do. Church Life
9 a.m. Contemporary, Fellowship Hall · 11 a.m. Traditional, Sanctuary
The Communicator ~ May 2016 5
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.
Ministry is about life in Christ which affects everything we do. Church Life
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 [email protected].
6 The Communicator ~ May 2016
Ministry is about life in Christ which affects everything we do. Church Life
March Financial Highlights
Our Church Family
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 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.
Session Highlights can be found at www.sardis.org under the News & Events tab.
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 [email protected] 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 [email protected].
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.
The Communicator ~ May 2016 7
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
Ministry is about life in Christ which affects everything we do. Church Life
8 The Communicator ~ May 2016
Clothing Drive
Thank you Sardis members for cleaning out your closets
and generously donating your clothing to the spring
Clothing Drive. We delivered 49 large bags of clothes to
our neighbors at Crisis Assistance Ministry.
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
[email protected] 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 [email protected].
Spaghetti Sauce Sundays
You donated over
58.6 pounds of
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.
Lay Ministry The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve.
The Communicator ~ May 2016 9
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.
10 The Communicator ~ May 2016
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
Breakfast Success
Thank you to everyone who helped make the Middle
School Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser a success on Palm
Sunday! People were streaming through the breakfast
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!
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.
High School End of Year Party
The High School End of Year Party will be Sunday,
May 1 from 6:00‐7:30 p.m. in the Sardis House.
Parents are welcome to attend, as we watch a slide
show of what we have done this year, play games, and
dream for the future. Dinner will be served.
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!
The Communicator ~ May 2016 11
“Let the little children come unto me.”
11
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 ([email protected]) or Heather Eddy ([email protected])
with questions or to volunteer.
Sardis Weekday School News
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:
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 [email protected], as soon as possible to guarantee placement in your desired week(s) and
to get due dates for payments.
June 14‐16: Soccer Shots July 19‐21: Musikgarten
June 21‐23: Art Camp July 26‐28: Atomz Lab
June 28‐30: Play Spanish August 2‐4: Amazing Athletes
July 5‐7: Storytelling/Dramatics
A special thank you to the Consignment Sale
Ministry and for all the volunteers for yet
another very successful sale! We had a great
turnout, and we appreciate your support.
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!
Four Year Old Graduation
is on Thursday, June 9.