St. John's Family News: Vol. 78 Issue 20 for the Week of May 18-24, 2020
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This week's Mid-Week Moments are available now on the website and Facebook!
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Conversation Hours
St. John's Ministers Offer New Online Conversation Hours Each Week
As we explore new ways to do ministry, we are realizing our mutual loss of “along the way conversations.” At times these conversations happen in the hallways or before and after a meeting. Then, some of these “along the way conversations” happen when people just drop by the offices. Therefore, your Equipping Ministers are beginning a new ministry called “Along the Way.”
Each of us has chosen an hour a week and named our hour something that reflects our approach to this time:
- Monday: On the Porch with Dennis from 5pm-6pm
- Tuesday: Afternoon Coffee with Lee from 3:30pm-4:30pm
- Wednesday: Happy Hour with Allison from 5pm-6pm
- Thursday: Poet's Corner with Kevin from 2pm-3pm
To join one of the conversation hours,
click here
to find the schedule and Zoom links
for each day this week.
Mallory will send the new links out each day for each meeting.
At the time of each hour, click the appropriate link and you can join in as you have an internet connection. You can use your smartphone, iPad (or other tablet), laptop computer, or desktop computer.
If you have trouble getting on the Zoom hour, please contact the minister in charge of the hour you are trying to join for assistance.
These are NOT MEETINGS. These are just, ‘talk about whatever’ open Zoom calls. Hopefully, you will feel less isolated and more in touch with one another and your staff.
See you “Along the Way.”
Shalom,
Dennis
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Graduate Celebration Parade on June 7
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St. John’s has a large group of seniors graduating this year - 17 total. We will honor them in the online morning worship service on June 7. On Sunday, June 7, they will be honored in the morning worship service. In the afternoon at 1PM on June 7, you can come congratulate them yourself in our Drive-By recognition parade for our graduating seniors.
They will be lined up in socially distanced family units on the backside of the church at 1PM. You are encouraged to drive by them with honks, posters, and affirming words. On that day drivers will
enter on 5th Street
and, after driving by our graduates,
exit on 5th Street
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If your last name begins with A-I, please arrive at 1PM; and if your last name begins with J-Z please arrive at 1:20PM
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Come affirm our fine group of graduating seniors that day. Our seniors have lost many opportunities in the last several months, but you can come and help to make this day special for them! Questions? Contact Lee Gray.
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Listen to St. John's on Sound Cloud
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Listen to St. John's sermons and messages through Sound Cloud on your computer, cell phone, or tablet. To listen on your computer, click this
link. To listen on your cell phone or tablet, download the Sound Cloud app in the AppStore or Google Play store and search for St. John's Baptist Church! Look for our green logo.
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Mission Resource Team Responds to COVID-19
The St. John’s Mission Resource Team has met by phone several times since the COVID-19 restrictions began in our area. One of the first things the team did was to look at the MRT portion of the St. John’s budget and prayerfully and carefully review the allocations that had just days before been decided for the 2020 budget year. Recognizing the crisis that lay ahead and the need to be able to respond to critical needs, both within the congregation and in our community, the team discussed allocations item by budget item and made decisions about which allocations could be at least partially repurposed to create an emergency fund.
We kept in place the allocations to groups that focus on delivery of services around basic needs of food and shelter. Disbursements to fulfill our commitments to those agencies continue to be made as funds come in. Those agencies have reacted with incredible creativity and hard work to deliver vital services during this time of expanding need.
Below, we share with you some ways partner organizations are responding to needs in the midst of the crisis and have included a link where you can find information about ways interested individuals can help, while still maintaining isolation and social distancing. Most of the agencies are offering curbside drop off of needed items.
- Loaves and Fishes has temporarily closed its regular pantries and is providing mobile pantries throughout the area. They continue to receive curbside donations of food items at their warehouse, 648 Griffith Rd. See loavesandfishes.org
- Refugee Support Services has set up a drive-through food distribution for the people served in their regular programs. Every Wednesday morning boxes of staples are placed in the trunks of the cars of pre-approved recipients. On Wednesday mornings they accept drive-through donations of items of food. See refugeesupportservices.org for specifics. Some of our mask makers have sent masks to be added to the boxes. Also, funds collected at our Lenten services soup lunches have been sent to support the current food distribution program at RSS.
- OurBridge for Kids is a relatively new organization with which we are beginning to partner. We will be hearing more about this organization, but for now we will let you know that this is an after school and summer program for immigrant children, grades K-7th. With schools closed for the pandemic the staff of OurBridge are delivering nearly 9,000 meals each week (along with educational materials) to families who have children in their program. Part of our Hunger Funds for this quarter has been sent to support this effort. See joinourbridge.org
- Hope Chapel has just purchased stools to use for outdoor services when they resume May 31. They hope to have about 40 masks to distribute. Anyone who can contribute any please let Willa McNeill know at willa.mcneill@gmail.com.
Next week the Mission Resource Team will give you information about how our other partner ministries continue to find creative ways to serve those most impacted by COVID-19.
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Online Giving Available Now at St. John's!
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Online giving is now available at St. John’s! If you have set up your account in Realm, you can log-in and give through your account. At this time, you can contribute to the following funds online:
- 1. Budget
- 2. Endowment
- 3. State & Community Missions
- 4. Hunger
- 5. Memorials
If you have not joined the St. John’s online community in Realm yet, you can still give online by click the green "Give Now" button below.
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You can also give through our new text-to-give feature using your cell phone. The text-to-give feature only accepts budget gifts at this time. To access text-to-give from your cell phone, follow these easy steps:
- Text 73256 (this is the phone number you are texting)
- Add text message SJGIVE and send
- You will receive a reply. Click on the link in the reply to be directed to the Realm site.
- You will be prompted to enter an amount, select type from the drop-down menu (BUDGET), and enter account information. (Account information may be saved for future gifts)
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Deacon Nominations for 2020-21
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The Leadership Task Force is seeking deacon nominations for the 2020-2021 church year. Our diaconate is the primary lay leadership body of St. John's Baptist Church. Members of the congregation are elected to determine, initiate, and support the various ministries of the church with each of three panels overseeing a different part of our greater whole. The administrative panel is responsible for the business and management, including finance, personnel, house & grounds and technology. The ministry panel is responsible for programming and education, including outreach, missions, spiritual formation and worship. The pastoral panel is responsible for congregational care and relationship building. For this cycle, the church will elect at least 4 administrative deacons, 4 ministry deacons and 8 pastoral deacons.
If you would like to nominate a candidate, please alert Mallory Brown at
mbrown@sjcharlotte.org
. Please secure your candidate’s permission prior to nominating them, and if possible indicate which panel your candidate prefers.
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Prayer Concerns and Sympathy
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Andrew Adair, Emily Batts, Byron Bullard, Mary Chilton (mother of Amy Chilton), Carol Drye, Teri Franklin, Don Furr, Camille Green, Polly Hull, Maddie and Domhnall Minogue and baby Cian, Gene Poole, Elma Thomas, Alison Zieglmeier (daughter of Ken and Donna Scott); Parker Jackson, military; Chip Wilson, assigned to the Pentagon for COVID-19 response
Congratulations to Nick and Hannah Lineberger in the birth of their daughter Foster Grey Lineberger. She was born on May 14th weighing 9 pounds and 6 ounces. Proud grandparents are Warren & Jane Lineberger and Laura Strickland is the proud aunt.
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Financial Ministry Plan Report
Week of May 13-19: $39,260
Income through May 19: $487,160
Annual 2020 Ministry Plan Budget Goal: $1,175,000
Thank you for your continued financial faithfulness!
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