2016 March Communicator

The Communicator ~ March 2016

THE COMMUNICATORA Publication of Sardis Presbyterian Church March 2016 Building God’s Kingdom Through Worship Service Fellowship Evangelism Discipleship

Sardis Presbyterian Church 6100 Sardis Road Charlotte, NC 28270 704.366.1854 www.sardis.org

Sunday, March 27 9:00 & 11:00 a.m. services

(No Sunday School)

Bagels & Berries | 9:45 –10:45 a.m.

LENTEN BREAKFAST

A Lenten discipline, join us on Wednesday morning at 6:45 a.m. in the Sardis House for breakfast, fellowship, song, and devotion. The cost is $7 each week. Register and pay online at www.sardis.org or call 704.926.1590.

DEVOTIONAL LEADERS March 2 Jeff Wilkinson March 9 Kristen Taylor March 16 Pressly Gilbert March 23 Vernon Sumwalt

HOLY WEEK @ SARDIS

Join us as we journey through the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ this Holy Week.

Palm Sunday | March 20 Worship Services: 9:00 & 11:00 a.m. Pancake Breakfast: 8:00 - 11:00 a.m. Gently Paced Service: 3:00 p.m. in the Chapel

Maundy Thursday | March 24 Holy Communion: 7:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary

Good Friday | March 25 Community Worship Service: 12:00 p.m. at Sardis Baptist The Rev. Dr. Jane B. Fobel will be preaching

2 The Communicator ~ March 2016

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

Change in Office Hours

Beginning Monday, March 7, the church

office will be closed from noon to 1:00

p.m. The office will also be closed on

March 28 to celebrate Easter.

Officer Nominations—Serving the Church

in the offices of Elder & Deacon

As Presbyterians, we have the opportunity to nominate our peers for leadership roles in our congregations. Please

use the form below to make a nomination. Turn the form into the church office. For more details, or to make an

online submission, please visit the Latest News tab at www.sardis.org. Names will be accepted until March 15.

For Elder: __________________________________________ For Deacon: ______________________________________

Comments regarding the nominee which may be helpful to the committee:

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Submitted by: ________________________________________________________________________________________

Adult’s Night Out/Kid’s Night In a Success!

On Friday, February 12, the Fellowship Committee sponsored an “Adults Night

Out/Kid’s Night In”. Parents dropped their children off at the Sardis house for a

dinner of pizza, salad and cookies. Youth served as helpers, playing games,

basketball and corn hole, as well as coloring and watching movies with the

children. Adults either met as a group at Leroy Fox restaurant or struck out on

their own for a relaxing evening. Another such event will be planned for later in

the year. Be on the lookout for it!

LOGOS Celebrates at Chuck E Cheese!

On February 17, the LOGOS children enjoyed an evening out at

Chuck E Cheese to celebrate their collective birthdays. Adults and

kids alike played games and had a great time! LOGOS has five

more weeks before it’s closing banquet on April 6.

The Communicator ~ March 2016 3

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

Giving at Sardis George Galleher, Stewardship Chair

Margaret Elizabeth Sangster wrote a wonderful poem which I am going to share a portion of it with you.

First, I should have written each of you that pledged a thank you note. We are well on our way, but we need

everyone to pledge. If you haven’t pledged, it is not too late. Frankly as Chair of Stewardship it is never too late to

pledge or raise your pledge for that matter. All of us have our reasons for supporting Sardis. Wendy and I feel that

it is an obligation, and a privilege that we are able to support something that has meant so much to us. ʺIt is more

blessed to give than to receive.ʺ Giving is one dimension of our Stewardship, it is part of our worship, it is an

investment in building God’s Kingdom. We don’t give under pressure, but cheerfully, with gratitude for Godʹs

grace to us. Not always easy, worrisome at times but we do it. Wendy and I give because it is an expression of love

as we here at Sardis work on and support missions. God Bless and thank you all.

March 15 ‐ Friendship Connection

Join this fellowship group for retirees on Tuesday, March 15 for guest speaker, Carol Anne Lawler, M.Div. from

Faith Community Educational Presentations. Her topic with us is: “Best Practices for Healthy Aging: Mind, Body

and Spirit”. In this hands‐on seminar, we will explore how to deal with our stressors, and how to develop

practices that address eating well and nourishing our spirit.

Reservations are necessary for lunch ($8/person) and need to be made by noon, Friday, March 11. To register, go

online to www.sardis.org or call the reservation line at 704.926.1590. Questions? Contact Alice Johnson at

[email protected] or 704.366.1854.

Welcome, Dennis!

Please welcome Dennis G.

Easter to Sardis. Dennis will

be working most evenings

and some Sundays. He is a

welcome

addition

to the

Facilities

team!

Introducing Young Adult Ministry at Sardis

Calling all 20‐30 somethings, married or single, with no children! There is a place

for you at Sardis! We invite you to join Kaitlyn Davros, Katie Harrington, and

other young adults of Sardis. We will have our first meeting on Sunday, March

13 at 12:30 p.m. at Pizza Peel near Cotswold. We will have a great time of

Fellowship over a pizza lunch. Grab a friend and help us

celebrate this new program at Sardis! We know you will have

such a great time, that you’ll want to put our next meeting on

your calendar‐ join us at Pizza Peel again on April 10 at 12:30

p.m. Questions? Contact Kaitlyn Davros at 704.366.1854 or

[email protected].

Itʹs the thing you leave undone

That gives you a bit of a heartache

At setting of the sun.

The tender work forgotten

The letter you did not write,

The flowers you did not send, dear,

Are your haunting ghosts at night.


EASTER BAGELS & BERRIES

Come Celebrate Easter Sunday! This is a new Easter morning event to

bring all ages of the Sardis congregation together to celebrate Easter

Sunday on March 27. Join us between worship services (9:45 a.m. –

10:45 a.m.) on the lawn in front of the Fellowship Hall (if the weather

is bad, we will be in the Education Hall).

This new event gives all members an additional opportunity to

invite your neighbors, friends and family to Sardis for a few breakfast

bites. We’ll have a craft activity for children to help decorate the Easter cross. The continental breakfast will

include bagels, muffins, berries, yogurt, juice and coffee. There is no reservation or payment required. Donations

are welcome. Come celebrate Easter and the Risen Christ on March 27!

Be Part of our Holy Week

and Easter Celebration

On Palm Sunday, March 20, all

children are invited to be part of the

annual carrying of the palm branches

into worship. At 9 a.m., everyone will be

given palms. At 11 a.m., children will

meet in the narthex at 10:50 a.m. to

receive their palm branches and

instructions.

Easter Sunday is March 27. Each year

members of Sardis remove the Chrismon

Tree from the sanctuary following

Advent and remove the branches in

preparation for our tradition of a cross

for flowers to celebrate Christ’s

Resurrection. Remember to

bring fresh flowers to add to

our wooden cross on Easter

Sunday, be part of the

tradition.

Special Easter and Spring Music

This spring we have exciting new opportunities taking place in our

Music Ministry here at Sardis. If anyone is interested in joining for

one of these events, please contact Jared Daugherty.

Palm Sunday we will welcome back the Jericho Brass as we

triumphantly commemorate Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem.

Easter we will welcome a trumpet ensemble and hear a new

arrangement on Awake the Trumpets Lofty Sound from Samson,

Handel’s Oratorio.

May 1, the Adult Choir will sing Elijah by Mendelssohn with

Myers Park Presbyterian Church at 7 p.m. If you would like to join

the choir in singing this beautiful work please contact Jared.

The youth will lead in worship on Youth Sunday, March 6 at both

services. Come and hear the Youth Praise Band, Youth Choir, Youth

Bells, and our own Stigall Organ Scholarship recipient Camden

Nelson.

The children’s choir will be exclaiming the gospel through music on

April 24 during the 11:00 worship service. Mark your calendars for a

wonderful interpretation on stories from the Bible on how God used

ordinary people, like you and me, to do extra‐ordinary things.


Readings for the Lenten Season

If you are looking for a personal discipline to use during the

Lenten Season, you might use the Lectionary readings for the

Sundays of Lent, and Holy Week

o Fourth Sunday in Lent (3/6): Joshua 5:9‐12; Psalm 32; 2

Cor. 5:16‐21; Luke 15:1‐3, 11b‐32

o Fifth Sunday in Lent (3/13): Isaiah 43:16‐21; Psalm 126;

Philippians 3:4b‐14; John 12:1‐8

o Palm Sunday (3/20): Luke 19:28‐40; Psalm 118:1‐2, 19‐29

o Monday of Holy Week (3/21): Isa. 42:1‐9; Psalm 36:5‐11;

Hebrews 9:11‐15; John 12:1‐11

o Tuesday of Holy Week (3/22): Isa. 49:1‐7; Psalm 71:1‐14; 1

Cor. 1:18‐31; John 12:20‐36

o Wednesday of Holy Week (3/23): Isa. 50:4‐9a; Ps. 70;

Hebrews 12:1‐3; John 13:21‐32

o Maundy Thursday (3/24): Exodus 12:1‐4, 11‐14; Psalm

116:1‐2, 12‐19; 1 Cor. 11:23‐26; John 13:1‐17, 31b‐35

o Good Friday (3/25): Isa. 52:13‐53:12; Psalm 22; Hebrews

10:16‐25; John 18:1‐19:42

o Great Vigil of Easter (3/26) – selections to be read

throughout the day:

Genesis 1:1‐2:4a; Psalm 136:1‐9, 23‐26

Genesis 7:1‐5, 11‐18; 8:6‐18; 9:8‐13; Psalm 46

Genesis 22:1‐18; Psalm 16; Exodus 14:10‐31, 15:20‐31

Exodus 15:1b‐13, 17‐18; Isaiah 55:1‐11

Isaiah 12:2‐6; Proverbs 8:1‐8, 19‐21; Proverbs 9:4b‐6,

Psalm 19

Ezekiel 36:24‐28; Psalms 42 &43

Ezekiel 37:1‐14; Psalm 143

Zephaniah 3:14‐20; Psalm 98

Romans 6:3‐11; Psalm 114

Luke 24:1‐12

Easter Lily Orders

Due March 21

To order, please complete the form

below, place it in the offering plate

or return it to the church office.

Attach a check for $10.75 per lily, payable to

Sardis Presbyterian Church. Note “Easter Lily”

in the memo line of your check. Payments much

be

received by Monday, March 21.

You may take the lilies home after worship on

Easter Sunday.

Order Deadline: March 21

This form can also be downloaded at www.sardis.org

Your Name (as you’d like it to appear in the bulle‐

tin):

___________________________________________

Phone:

___________________________________________

Email:

___________________________________________

Number of lilies you are ordering: ______

I have made arrangements for my lilies to be

picked up immediately following the 9 a.m.

worship.

I have made arrangements for my lilies to be

picked up immediately following the 11 a.m.

worship.

I will not be picking up my lilies.

Please indicate below how you would like

names to appear in the bulletin:

In honor of:

___________________________________________

___________________________________________

___________________________________________

____________

In memory of:

___________________________________________

___________________________________________

___________________________________________

_______________


January Financial Highlights

Our Church Family

Ministry is about life in Christ which affects everything we do. Church Life Sardis Gift Trust: Schul Transportation Endowment

Marianne and Norm Schul have made a generous gift to Sardis to establish a new endowment fund within the

Sardis Gift Trust. This new fund will support transportation needs for Sardis programs in general, including

transportation needs for senior citizens to attend Sardis activities. We are thankful to the Schul’s for their

generosity and see it as an example and inspiration for all of us to contribute to the future of Sardis by donating to

the Sardis Gift Trust endowed funds. A current list of the funds is found in the Gift Trust brochure located in the

Friendship Pads, Narthex, or Gathering Place. If you would like to contribute to any of these funds please contact

Ed Shoaf, current Chair of the Gift Trust Commission, or email [email protected].

January January Expected This year so far This year so far expected

Pledges, gi s, and other revenue

$232,524.85 $242,319.57 $232,524.85 $242,319.57

Expenses $161,298.82 $169,200.78 $161,298.82 $169,200.78

Net Total $71,226.03 $73,118.79 $71,226.03 $73,118.79

Annual Budget: $2,241,000

The Year of the Bible

If you have been following the Bible reading guide, The

Year of the Bible, by James Davison, and want to meet

with others to discuss your reading, there are three

opportunities for group discussion:

· The 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month, room

211/212, from 10‐11 a.m.

· The 2nd Tuesdays, Plantation Estates (Ivy Room),

from 7‐8 p.m.

· The 3rd Tuesdays, room 211/212, from 7‐8 p.m.

Contact Dr. Jane Fobel for details, [email protected]

Girlsʹ Softball Sign‐Ups

Registration for spring softball is now open for girls

in 8th‐12th grade. Practice will start in March and

games will start in April.

The cost is $50 (or $35 if you have last yearʹs

uniform). Register and pay at www.sardis.org or

pick up registration forms in the Gathering Place or

Narthex. Deadline is March 15. For more info,

contact Tim Little at: [email protected] or

704.365.0353.

Our Christian Sympathy: to Tom Morgan upon the death of his father, Virgil ʺSamʺ Morgan, to John Carriker Jr.

and John Carriker III upon the death of their brother‐in‐law and uncle, Ed Clark, to Sallye Brown upon the death of

her brother‐in‐law, Benjamin McCoy Pearce, and to David Templeman upon the death of his mother, Rita Barbara

Templeman.

Congratulations: to Sarah and John Long upon the birth of their twins, Nate & Lily Long.


The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve. Lay Ministry BOOKS! BOOKS! BOOKS!

A BOOK OF MY OWN for Rama Children

Help Sardis send books home with each Rama Road Elementary student this summer. Your gift of $5 will buy a

book for one child and a gift of $100 will purchase books for an entire class. With 675 students at Rama, your gift is

important and will help these young readers keep their skills sharp and enjoy reading over the summer.

Last year, the students were very excited as they picked out their very own books to keep and take home. Let’s

provide the same excitement this year – your support in any amount will be appreciated!

The Book of My Own collection will run through March 27. Donations can be made online at www.sardis.org/give/

donations. Please designate “other” under Donation Type and type Rama Road Books as the description.

Scan the QR code with

your smart phone to go

directly to the

donation page

Give the Gift of Hope

The first Sardis Food Drive for Loaves and Fishes of 2016 will occur March 6‐20. Participants in our Sardis Youth

Ministry will hand out flyers, which include priority needs, after both morning Sunday worship services March 6

and 13; also empty labeled bags 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 March 6‐20. Giving to

those facing hardships is one of the many ways the congregation can reach out to our neighbors in need.

Please do your part by giving “the gift of hope” to those who are struggling to provide food for their families.

Warm Snuggles on a Cold Night

This is one of the faces of homelessness at Sardis

RITI. We have had faces from 6 months to over 60 years

so far this year, all welcomed with a hot meal, a warm

bed, and the hospitality that Sardis is known for. One

Sardis member met one of our neighbors at another location, and he said,

ʺOh, youʹre from Sardis Pres… They have the best Room in the Inn.ʺ The

weather is colder now, and we would love to have you join us just one night

to share the warmth of our RITI ministry. We still have some spaces to fill,

and there is Room in the Inn for you. Contact Marilyn Taylor at

[email protected].


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

Middle School Snow Tubing

On Saturday, February 6, 24 middle school students and adult leaders traveled

to Hawksnest in Seven Devils, NC (right outside of Boone) for a day of snow

tubing. We stopped in Boone for pizza from a local shop before hurling down

the lanes on our tubes. Everyone had a great time laughing and racing. While

it is a long day of driving to and from Hawksnest, the youth did not mind as

they were able to have a good time in the church buses talking and laughing

with each other. This is the second year of what looks to be a wonderful

annual tradition of middle school snow tubing!

High School to Plantation Estates

On Valentine’s Day, the High School Youth Ministry traveled to Plantation Estates to play games and enjoy ice

cream with the residents. We played Minute to Win It games with both youth and P.E. residents competing to keep

balloons in the air for a minute, go through a stack of cups, and catch as

many balls as possible in paper bags. We also played the Un‐Newlywed

game, with two couples from Plantation Estates and our own Youth Advisors,

Kyle and Sheri Bartel. After the games, ice cream was shared as we talked and

fellowshipped with people from another generation.

The residents are looking forward to our return trip in March when the High

School Ministry hosts a bingo night!

Youth Sunday

On Sunday, March 6 the youth will

lead the congregation in worship at

the 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. worship

services. Our theme this year is “The

Body of Christ” and we will explore

this in music, liturgy, prayers, Bible

readings, and through three Senior

speakers: Maddie DeCramer, Maddie

Muldoon, and Clay Sellers. These

three youth will be speaking at both of

the services.

Come and support the youth leading

worship on Sunday, March 6!

Pancake Breakfast

On Sunday, March 20, the Middle

School Ministry will have a pancake

fundraiser. Breakfast will be served

from 8:00 ‐11:00 a.m. and everyone is

encouraged to drop in when they

can. We will be serving in the Small

Dining Room in the Fellowship Hall

building. There is no charge for

breakfast, but donations are gladly

accepted to help pay for upcoming

middle school retreats, conferences,

and mission trips.

Plan on having breakfast with us on

Sunday, March 20!

Upcoming Dates

Sunday, March 6—

Youth Sunday

Sunday, March 20—Middle

School Pancake Breakfast

Fundraiser

April 8‐10—Middle School

Beach Retreat

In addition to these special

dates, we will continue to

offer our regular Sunday

Night Fellowship and mid‐

week programs that offer us a

time to study the Bible and

how it impacts us today.


“Let the little children come unto me.”

7

Sardis Weekday School Updates

Registration for our SWS Summer Camps are now open for current students! 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 due by March 24. Each session is $85 per student, and balances must be paid in full by May 2.

Registration opens for the public on April 11. For more information, please contact Louise Lippi at 704.366.9681

or [email protected].

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

Don’t forget to sign up

for Soccer Shots,

which will begin on

Thursday, March 17.

You may sign up at

charlotte.ssreg.org.

Please join us for our Book Fair, which will

be held March 16‐18. Parents, you will be

invited to your child’s classroom to

participate in an Easter craft on one of these

days. This is also a great time to purchase

Easter gifts! More information to follow!

We are looking forward to a

performance by the Taradiddle

Players on Wednesday, March 9.

Join us 9:30 a.m. in the Fellowship

Hall. All are welcome!

Come

Hang Out

With Us at

Cave Quest

VBS!

July 11‐15

Mark your calendar for our annual week of

fun, fellowship and learning! Join us as we

learn to follow the Light of the World!

Children’s Ministry News

On March 13, we will be combining some of our

Elementary Sunday School classes for the spring quarter.

Room changes will be posted in the Family News. We will

be using special units of study during this season of hope

and resurrection.

For 5th and 6th Graders – Plan to attend God, Me, Faith and

Sexuality on Friday and Saturday, April 22–23. This class is

for students and parents as we explore what God has to tell

us about honoring our bodies, ourselves and others. Contact

Renda Brinson for more information.

Coming Soon—A new monthly newsletter for

parents of children from birth to youth. It will be

emailed to all families on our current family news list. It

will include helpful articles about current issues and

special Sardis news for parents.


The Communicator

Published monthly by

Sardis Presbyterian Church

6100 Sardis Road

Charlotte, NC 28270

www.sardis.org

Non‐Profit Org.

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

Charlotte, NC

Permit #1059

2016 March Communicator

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Transcript of 2016 March Communicator