2015 April Communicator

The Communicator ~ April 2015

2 The Communicator ~ April 2015

Ministry is about life in Christ which affects everything we do. Church Life New Stained Glass Windows in the Parlor

Thanks to an anonymous donor, Sardis now has three more beautiful stained glass windows in the Parlor. Two of the windows depict Paul’s life, showing him in conversation, preaching, and imprisonment. The larger of the three windows is from Revelation. This window depicts John’s letter to the church in Sardis. Make sure you stop in the Parlor to admire the windows as the sun illuminates them.

Holy Week

Maundy Thursday, April 2 · 7 p.m., Sanctuary, Communion/Tenebrae Service · Meditation by Katie Harrington We remember Christ’s suffering on the cross with a tenebrae worship service at 7 p.m. The word tenebrae means “shadows” or “darkness,” and the service is a contemplative gathering to remember Christ’s suffering, with an emphasis on the darkness and sadness of His crucifixion and death. This service will include communion.

Good Friday, April 3 · 12:15 p.m. ‐ 12:45 p.m., Sardis Sanctuary Joint service with St. Stephen United Methodist and Sardis Baptist Churches.

Easter Sunday, April 5 · 9 a.m. Worship in the Fellowship Hall & 11 a.m. Worship in the Sanctuary Join us as we celebrate the resurrection with a sermon by Dr. Kort! In Sardis tradition, please bring fresh cut flowers to be added to the wooden cross in front of the Fellowship Hall.

Taizé Worship Service Sunday, April 12 at 6 p.m. in the Sardis Chapel

Taizé services follow the worship style of the Taizé Community in France that was founded as an ecumenical monastery (comprised of Protestant and Catholic believers from 30 countries around the world) in 1940.

Worshippers gather in silence, followed by a time of singing uncomplicated repetitive songs, songs that are “uncluttered by too many words, allowing the mystery of God to become tangible through the beauty of simplicity.” Scripture is read, and worshippers are guided in a time of silent prayer and meditation on the Word, followed by singing and corporate prayer. Questions? Contact Alice Johnson at 704.366.1854.

The Communicator ~ April 2015 3

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

We cannot be sure when the congregation first employed a sexton, but the first mention of one was on November 18, 1894, when the Session ordered that a “special collection be taken up on Thanksgiving Day to pay a sexton, and that the regular Thanksgiving collection be used in payment of assessment.” It is probable that such work had been done gratuitously for many years by individuals who figured that they did not have much money to give but that they could at least use their talents to sweep out the building, dust the pews, and on cold winter mornings arrive early to build the fires. But eventually even this altruism ran its course and a decision was made that the sexton should be paid for his labors. But how much?

In 1902, a committee elected a sexton to serve one year at a salary of $15.00. That was for a year, not a month!

Stewardship: Children of God Jeff Wilkinson

Some time ago, my family was visiting a local business in the Charlotte area where the charismatic owners had a sign posted on the wall stating “Unattended Children Will Be Sold.” While both my wife and I knew the owners and knew that this sign was an attempt at humor, one our sons found it both confusing and somewhat disturbing. Upon seeing the sign, my son commented to my wife and me “But we are all children of God, so how can anyone really be unattended?” After reassuring his understanding that we all are children of God, we reflected on what it meant to be a child of God. In one way of thinking, we explained that every person is a child of God. God is the creator of life, and in that way we are all children of God. We also explained that when the Bible talks about God’s children, it means people who have a relationship with God because of their believing and trusting in Him.

As children of God, we have an obligation to serve the Lord. 1 Corinthians 15:58 states “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”

Sardis is blessed through the generosity of the many gifts of time, talent, and resources of our members. Through all that you do and provide as children of God, Sardis is able to minister and provide outreach to individuals and organizations in our local community and around the world. A sampling of how your time and financial support has been recently put to use can be seen in another successful season of Room In The Inn, the inspirational messages shared by Dr. Richard Boyce as a kick‐off to the Lenten season, the recruitment of additional staff to Sardis such as Rev. Katie Harrington, and the kickoff of upcoming programs such Give One Day, A Book of My Own, and the clothing drive for Crisis Assistance Ministry.

As children of God and through your continued personal and financial commitment to Sardis, we can continue to impact our community and the world in new and exciting ways. Each day, visions and dreams are created in the hearts of many. Through your gifts these visions and dreams can become a reality.

Campus Security

The safety of our members and staff in our ever‐changing world is extremely important. We are reevaluating our security needs for the campus. Our first step in meeting these needs is to implement an access‐control system at the front door of the administration building. During office hours (8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.), members and those familiar to the receptionist will be buzzed in as they approach the front door. As we implement other features, we will keep you informed.


February Financial Highlights

Our Church Family

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

February February expected

This year so far This year so far

expected Pledges, gifts, and other revenue

$140,207.03 $143,652.57 $335,604.08 $338,505.14

Expenses $182,187.54 $191,207.14 $327,643.10 $358,660.66

Net Total ($41,980.51) ($47,554.57) $7,960.98 ($20,155.52)

Annual Budget: $2,266,000

Our Christian Sympathy: to the family of Danny Smith, to the family of Hazel Craig, to Dot Styron upon the death of her husband, John Styron, to Jane Keziah upon the death of her grandson, Richard Dimmette, to Guy Woodliff upon the death of his mother, Thea Woodliff, to staff member John Nipe upon the death of his aunt, Bonnie Alexander, and to Karen Carpenter upon the death of her mother, Dorothy Price.

Now that spring is upon us, we are pleased to report Sardis weathered the winter better than anticipated financially. Your generous gifts are making ministry possible here at Sardis, in our community, and around the world.

“… The one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully… for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9: 6b, 7b

Approved minutes of: · January 25 New Member Session Meeting, · January 26 Session Meeting, · February 15 Congregational Meeting. Received and approved the 2014 Statistical Report. Approved the following baptisms: · Benjamin Jackson, son of Michael and Elizabeth Jackson, at the 11 a.m. service on April 12. · Douglas Bliss, son of Jeffrey and Sarah Bliss, at the 11 a.m. service on May 10. Approved the following membership changes: · Receipt of new member, Lucia Mitchell, joining by Reaffirmation of Faith. · Bill and Lois Simon’s request to be removed from affiliate status. · Greg and Marian Brown’s request to be removed from church roll.

Approved the following: · From Christian Education: the VBS Committee recommendation to use the curriculum “Hometown Nazareth: Where Jesus Was a Kid” for the 2015 VBS. · From Youth Ministry: Recommendation that Marie Scholz be approved as a high school advisor. · From Youth Ministry: Recommendation that Ronald Clark speak on his journey from homelessness to independence at the April 12 fellowship. · From Worship Ministry: Recommendation that, from June 13 through September 5, there will be a weekly Saturday contemporary service at 5:30 p.m. in the Sardis House and a weekly Sunday traditional service at 10 a.m. in the Sanctuary. Received reports from: · Ed Shoaf on the Sardis Gift Trust. · The five Elders who attended the February 21 Presbytery meeting.


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

Did You Know...

...that under the ‘Worship’ tab on Sardis’ website, you can listen to the Scripture Lesson and/or Sermon from the last several Sundays? Check out this great

resource next time you’re unable to make it to church or if you want to share a great message with a friend!

Thanks Alfredo and Ricardo!

Many thanks to Alfredo and Ricardo Mendoza for their tireless work on our grounds during the ice and snow storms earlier this year. The gentlemen are pictured below working hard on a cold day, melting and scraping the ice before it refroze that night.

Sardis Gift Trust: You Can Support Missions

The Sardis Gift Trust holds endowment funds for the benefit of our church. Two of these funds are for permanent support of missions. One of them is designed for benevolence giving within Mecklenburg County. The other, just started in 2014, is for mission funding beyond Mecklenburg County. It is still very small and needs contributions in order to be a resource for Sardis missions in the future. Anyone may add to either fund by lifetime gifts, memorials, or bequests.

For questions about how you may join in this permanent support of Sardis, please feel free to contact Ed Shoaf, current chair of the Gift Trust Commission, or Jennifer Childers, Director of Administration.

Prayers for the Mission Team Traveling to Haiti

Remember in prayer the Mission Team from Sardis traveling to Haiti. Thirteen members from Sardis will be in Bayonnais, Haiti from April 22‐28. Those participating are: Janice and Ron Abluton, Sam Coleman, Tim Eichenbrenner, Jane Fobel, Jann and Phil Hegg, John Hovis, Jewell Leslie, Brenda and Chuck McKay, Pam McLean, and Kirsta Norwood.

Date: April 11 k

Time: 5:30 p.m. f

Location: Sardis House

Join us for 2nd Saturdays at Sardis! The services will be informal and contemporary. Our next service is April 11 at 5:30 p.m. in the Sardis House.


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

Celebrating 225 Years of Mission through Sardis – Welcome Home Kits

Your Sardis Mission Interpretation Ministry has set aside funds to be used this year for special one‐time mission projects in celebration of our 225th anniversary. This month we provided five Welcome Home Kits as part of the Housing First initiative. Urban Ministry serves as the contact, and these Welcome Home Kits can be used by any agency housing someone from the chronically homeless registry. When these individuals finally move into their home, the transition can be overwhelming. These kits help make a house a home with everyday items such as bath towels, pots, pans, sheets, light bulbs, etc. Thank you, Sardis, for your support of mission for 225 years.

Crisis Assistance Ministry Spring Clothing Drive

Itʹs time to clean out those closets again and donate the clothing you no longer wear to Crisis Assistance Ministry. Sardis will hold a Spring Clothing Drive March 22—April 6.

Just bring your clothes and drop them in the bins in the hallway of the Fellowship building. You will be helping those less fortunate and ridding your home of excess at the same time. Thanks for helping those in need.

Urban Ministry Soup Kitchen

We have a service opportunity for five people or a group (circle, MSG, Sunday school, etc) to work at the Urban Ministry Centerʹs Soup Kitchen on one of the following Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.:

July 25 · August 22 · November 28 w No experience necessary! An experienced leader from Sardis will instruct on what you need to do to prepare and serve lunch to our homeless neighbors.

To reserve your group, please contact Sarah Tatum at 704.807.2536 or [email protected].

April 26 8 a.m.—12:30 p.m.

Please join us on Sunday, April 26 for the American Red Cross blood drive. Our goal for this drive is 40 donors. One donor gives one unit, which saves three lives!

To sign up or if you have any questions regarding the blood drive, please contact Suzanne Fernandez at [email protected].

Bring extra

jars of sauce to donate ANY Sunday!


“Let the little children come unto me.”

7

Sardis Weekday School Announcements Register now for Preschool!

There are still openings for the 2015‐2016 school year. ALL classes have a five‐day option!

SWS will begin school on August 25, and will end on June 9—just like CMS. This adds three weeks to our school year!

We are also introducing a new curriculum!

For more information, contact Louise Lippi at 704.366.9681 or [email protected].

PAC would like to thank all who shopped the book fair and made it a success!

The SWS Consignment committee thanks all volunteers and shoppers! It was another successful sale, and we appreciate the support!

Registration for SWS Summer Camps is currently open for our students, and will open on April 13 for all other children! Our camp program has been completely revamped, and we are very excited about the changes that have been implemented! Dates and themes are as follows:

Camps run Tues‐Thurs 9:30 a.m.—1 p.m. There is a non‐refundable registration fee of $35 per child for the summer. Each session is $85 per student—also non‐refundable—and balances must be paid in full by May 1. A 10% discount will be offered to siblings. To register, contact Louise Lippi at 704.366.9681 or [email protected]. For more information, please visit www.sardisweekdayschool.org.

‐‐June 2‐4 Musikgarten ‐‐June 30‐July 2 Art ‐‐June 9‐11 Storytelling ‐‐July 7‐9 Spanish ‐‐June 16‐18 Soccer ‐‐July 21‐23 Amazing Athletes ‐‐June 23‐25 Yoga ‐‐July 28‐30 Atomz Lab

Save the Date for VBS!

Vacation Bible School will be held this year July 13‐17, with the children leading in worship on Sunday, July 19. The VBS team is working hard to make changes in our format to allow each job to be easier, have less prep, and be full of fun! More news to come! Remember this is the year that no child will be turned away because of lack of VBS volunteers!

Call today to sign up for your favorite area.

Children’s Sunday School on Easter

There will be a special class for all elementary and middle school age children. Students are to meet in the Education Hall on Easter morning to celebrate the Resurrection. Hear the most important story of our faith and remember all that Christ has done for us.

Faith and Film Series

This Summer, plan now to join the Faith and Film series each Wednesday night beginning June 17 through August 12. We meet for a light supper and discussion around a film or film topic. Stay tuned for more information.


The Communicator

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2015 April Communicator