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ADVENT IS HERE, CHRISTMAS IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER, AND THERE IS A LOT GOING ON

by Dennis W. Foust, Senior Minister

Have you returned your financial commitment card for 2023 yet?

Are you committed to help begin our second century with renewed spiritual strength?

Are you planning to attend the Live WDAV Broadcast of Lessons and Carols on Tuesday, December 6, in our sanctuary from 7 to 8 pm with a reception to follow in Lasater Hall?

Have you volunteered to help with the senior adult luncheon in Broach Hall on Thursday, December 8 at 11:30am?

Have you signed up to help with Room in the Inn during our winter service schedule?

Have you signed up to serve dinner to our homeless neighbors at the Men’s Shelter on a third Friday in the coming months? (Link at top of this Family News)

Have you noticed our Proclamation Banners on the front pillars of the sanctuary? LOVE NEVER FAILS

Have you heard the beautiful sounds of our new centennial carillon chiming the hour and playing hymns at noon?

Are you planning to be present this Sunday, December 4, for Hanging of the Green during morning worship?

Is your family planning to participate in one or more of the fellowship and fun events being planned for children and youth during December?

Have you brought a Christmas ornament for our Heritage Christmas Tree? Bring an ornament related to the Christmas story with your names on it and used in future years.

Have you brought your donations for Baby Bundles – bibs, receiving blankets, and baby socks?

Have you noticed the new Giving Nook inside the Main Entrance by the gym?

Have you brought your donated coats to help those who face this winter’s cold in poverty?

Are you planning to send some Christmas cards to some of our Senior Neighbors this year? Lee Gray has set up the table of addresses and cards in the Main Entrance foyer – next to the Giving Nook.

This year’s Advent Theme is ‘Do You Hear What I Hear?’ Last Sunday, I introduced Isaiah as our greeter at the door of Advent holding forth a small bell to each of us so we can ring the bell of hope in this season. This Sunday, I will encourage you to ring the bell of God’s peace in this strife torn world. Each person in worship this Sunday will be given a small bell as a reminder that God’s peace can be heard amidst the amplifications of violence and cruelty.



To the future ringing the bell of God’s shalom!

This Sunday, we will have our Hanging of the Green service during morning worship as we celebrate the second Sunday of Advent with the theme, "Do You Hear the Peace I Hear?"

Throughout the service, we will have special readings that describe each aspect of our decorations as well as music. We can't wait to have everyone see the Sanctuary ready for the season with our greenery, Advent wreath, Chrismon trees, and more.

Join us in person and online at 10:30am.

Opportunities for Children and Youth this Month

Children's Ministries:

• December 4 at 11:30am: Gingerbread House Decorating Party for Children and their Families; Register here. See below for details.
• December 8 at 6:00pm: Thursdays on the Town for families with children at Abugida Ethiopian Cafe; contact Kheresa or register here if you need childcare
• December 11 at 11:30am: Children on Mission at Baby Bundles
• December 17 at 12pm: Light the Knights Festival Fun Day for Children, Youth, and Their Families at Truist Field. Register on Realm or here.

Youth Ministries

• December 4: Poinsettia delivery after worship with lunch
• December 17 at 12pm: Light the Knights Festival Fun Day for Children, Youth, and Their Families at Truist Field. Register on Realm or here.
• December 18: Youth Christmas Party in the evening, Haley will provide details



Join WDAV & St. John’s for the 2022 Lessons & Carols LIVE on the air from the Sanctuary for the first time back since COVID hit in 2020.

The concert will feature on WDAV and in person this coming Tuesday, December 6 at 7pm. There will be a reception afterward with light refreshments.

Admission is FREE and open to the public. We can’t wait to see you!

For the 2022-23 season, St. John's and our partners at Caldwell Presbyterian Church will again jointly host 8 homeless neighbors vetted by Roof Above within the Room in the Inn program, often referred to as RITI, on 9 Friday nights.

St. John's will host at St. John’s on the third Friday from December to March.

RITI hosting at St. John's will begin on Friday, December 16, 2022 and run through Friday, March 17, 2023. Just as information, St. John's members are needed to drive our van for BOTH churches on all NINE Friday nights and the following Saturday mornings. The signup list linked below includes van driver signups for ALL NINE Friday nights/Saturday mornings.

Right now, we need at least 5 more people to help on December 16!

Please contact Dale Johnson at 704-454-8931 or Alice Wirz at 704-222-6208 if you have any questions on any of these tasks.

Thank you for your support for Room in the Inn at St. John's!

We are all looking forward to the annual Senior Christmas Luncheon on Thursday, December 8 from 11:30 am -1:30 pm in Broach Hall. Many of you have already let your Pastoral Deacon or Bobbie Hinson know that you plan to be participate in the festivities that day. If you did so, we look forward to seeing then.

If you not yet made a reservation but would like to participate or volunteer to help, please let Bobbie Hinson know by emailing her at bobbie.hinson@providenceday.org

The annual Christmas Mailbox for St. John’s Neighbors and Friends is located at the main entrance in the gym foyer. There you will find a mailbox with boxes for each recipient, new blank Christmas Cards, and a list of friends and seniors to whom you can write.

A list of recipients is also included as an attachment at the button below.

Please place your cards in the community mailbox by worship on Sunday, December 18. The collection of cards for each senior will then be delivered by a pastoral deacon, a staff member, or other volunteer during the next week. Out of town recipients will have their cards mailed in one bulk envelope.

Coats and Blankets for Children and Adults

Our mission partner, ourBridge for Kids, is collecting new and gently used coats (all sizes), blankets, and other warm clothing for immigrants and refugees served in their programs. If you would like to participate you can bring your items to St. John’s anytime from now until Sunday, December 11, and we will transport them to the ourBridge location where they will be distributed at a gathering on December 15. 

Please leave your items in the alcove at the main entrance of St. John’s.

Have you and your family turned in your Christmas ornament for the Centennial Christmas tree?

Please bring a Christmas ornament related to the Christmas story with your names on it to Fredda Kimball, Linda Crowder, or Amanda in the office today! The ornaments will be kept and used for future Second Century Christmas celebrations with any additional ornaments added by new (or current) members.

Please see the display in the hall outside of Amanda’s office of Christmases Past at St. John’s. 

Fifty Years of Christmases Past at St. John’s



The early records of the church do not give many clues as to Christmas observances at St. John’s. However, it can probably be assumed that there were Christmas pageants, special music, and support for mission giving. The beginnings of the Family News in 1940 give more information. In addition to the Christmas pageants and special choral music, there is mention of the Young People going caroling and Christmas parties for all ages being held in the Community House. The Youth Councils also prepared a devotional booklet for the congregation. In the 1950’s, there were Choir Concerts by the choirs of all ages, including one written by Kenneth Dooley, the Minister of Music in 1952. Also, in 1952 after the opening of the newly built Chapel building, there was a coordinated effort to decorate all the rooms. In 1953, choir programs and a Youth written devotional booklet as well as the youth leading a Christmas Eve service. In 1956, there was a joint choir program with the choir from Myers Park Baptist,” An Appalachian Nativity”. It was described as hymns and carols of folk music of the mountains originally sung in shape note form. In 1959, for Family Night, members were asked to bring a home-made decoration for the Christmas tree. In the 1960’s, December was a busy month—in addition to Christmas activities, the budget was developed and approved, and pledges were made. There was an observance of the Week of Foreign Missions sponsored by the WMU and the collection of the Lottie Moon Offering for Foreign Missions. In 1961, there is the first mention of a Christmas Party for the children attending an after-school program held by Miss Anita Stroud. The entire church family was invited to participate by bringing socks for a “sock tree” which were then distributed to the children at the party. This was the beginning of a tradition that lasted by several decades.  

Prayers, Thanks, and Celebrations

• Tarsha Williams, Martha Brown, Barbara McElwey, Betty Herr, Margaret Falls
• Sympathy to the family of Ken and Judy Sanford for the passing of Ken’s sister Elaine Whisenant.
• Sympathy to the family of Pauline and Steve Carter for the passing of Pauline’s sister Charlotte Whitcomb.
• Sympathy to Carol Drye in the passing of her aunt

Minister On-Call Schedule

• Nov 28-Dec 4: Kheresa
• Dec 5-11: Lee

Staff Contact Information

• Haley Blackwell, Minister for Youth & Young Adults - 620-515-3558 (cell)
• Rev. Dennis Foust, PhD, Senior Minister - 704-359-7234 (cell); 704-333-5428, ext. 12
• Rev. Lee Gray, Minister for Congregational Care - 704-451-1309 (cell)
• Kevin Gray, Minister for Music and Worship - 803-524-0287 (cell)
• Rev. Kheresa Harmon, Minister for Children & their Families - 910-890-3392 (cell)

• Mallory Brown, Media Coordinator - 704-477-3349 (cell)
• Chloe Hall, Children's Choir Director
• Noel Lance, Organist
• Dr. Matthew Manwarren, Associate Organist
• Amanda Morrison, Ministry Coordinator - 704-333-5428, ext. 11
• Lydia Olmstead, Weekday School Director - 704-333-5428, ext. 39
• Jill Rackley, Church Administrator - 704-333-5428, ext. 20