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“Are we there yet?”

Preaching is an interesting challenge – an amazing privilege - but an interesting challenge. Someone said preachers mostly preach to themselves, and I’m sure that’s right. It’s hard not to speak out of your own experience, your own heart. Last Sunday, you got to hear a good bit of my “heart and soul.” Thank you for allowing me to be honest, vulnerable, confessional.

As I introduced the sermon, I shared some of my angst around the times in which we are living, and said, “If I dare to be honest… this is where I am… I have never been so disillusioned, so disappointed in humanity. Will we never learn? I have never been so frustrated and heartbroken. How much dishonesty… how much division… how much unnecessary death will we have to endure? Are we there yet?... It feels like we’re not even close. Doesn’t it?”

Someone shared his concern for me this week. He had listened, felt the personal anguish I shared, and said he had prayed for me. Thank you. I can always use your prayers!

The comment made me wonder, however, if the personal angst obscured my larger point – which was a word of Hope! (It was, after all, Hope Sunday in Advent.)

Here’s the hope, in case you missed it:

“We are not there yet. We are not saved; the world is not safe. Some days it feels like we’re not even close. But in every age, there have been those days – and the statistics tell us we are less violent than we have ever been. Our technology offers incredible possibilities. Hopefully, our lived experience, this time around, will finally defeat fear and fanaticism and fascism. We are not there yet, but we must trust Paul’s faith: salvation is nearer… than it ever has been.”

I then concluded with a word from Teilhard de Chardin, the French Jesuit Priest, who says, with the advanced development of humanity, the evidence of our evolution all around us, now is the time to act: “No longer, as in the past, [however, acting] for our small selves, for our small family, [for] our small country; but [acting] for the salvation… of the universe…”

Every age has its concerns – there are always wars and diseases and calamities of all sorts – though I do think we are facing some particularly troubling concerns, and that there are troubles in my world that I, personally, have never experienced. Maybe being on the verge of a 60th birthday makes me more anxious. Maybe it just makes me more aware.

However, one might explain my anxiety, I do trust in the strength of faith, the witness of scripture, the Love of God, and the Way of Jesus, and for this season I will cling to Paul’s strong word to the church in Rome – whose anxieties were not all that different from ours – salvation is nearer now… Salvation. Is. Nearer.

I just wanted you to know that I really do believe this idea! Thanks for listening on Sunday. Thanks for listening now.

As we keep trudging through Advent, let’s be open-eyed, and keep faith, together. - Russ

This annual tradition is a wonderful way to celebrate the season with friends at church. Join us for a wonderful meal prepared by Tam Gordon, and some good Christmas jazz, by the Greg Jarrell’s “GTO Trio.”

Dinner will begin at 5:30p, and the program will conclude in time for choir members to join Bob Pritchard for a 7p rehearsal. Please make sure to RSVP for dinner no later than this coming Tuesday, December 12 at noon. You can RSVP by signing up in Helt Hall on Sunday morning, calling the church office, or email info@ParkRoadBaptist.org.

Thanks to all who have made a pledge for our 2024 Annual Ministry Plan. Allison Wieland has tallied our gifts, and we are well under way. That being the case, we still have “miles to go before we sleep”! Russ said on Sunday that we would not talk about the AMP anymore from the pulpit in December – let’s walk through Advent and celebrate Christmas together. If you have not yet made a commitment, we need to hear from you. Please help us close this process. You can contact Allison in our Finance Office (704-523-5717 or info@parkroadbaptist.org) or scan the QR Code to make a confidential pledge. Thank you for being found faithful.

Our Christmastime lunch will be provided by the good folks at Leo’s Italian Social (4720 Piedmont Row, click here for a link to the menu.). We always have a wonderful time sharing a meal together. We hope you can join us at Leo’s. Please let us know if you plan to meet in the church parking lot and ride together at 11:15a, or will meet us there for lunch at 11:30a. You can RSVP by signing up in Helt Hall on Sunday, emailing Info@ParkRoadBaptist.org, or calling the church office (704) 523-5717.

We are looking forward to sharing homemade soup in Helt Hall and enjoying an evening around the fireplace. Following the meal, Bob Pritchard will lead us in enjoying many of the secular songs of the season, some as group sing-alongs and some as solos from our musicians. We need a little help with this event: preparation, setup, and cleanup. If you are willing to give a little time, please contact the church office (704-523-5717 or info@parkroadbaptist.org).

Second Cornhole Night for Men's Work

Join us on Tuesday, January 16^th, from 6:30-8p. We will play "under the lights" in the courtyard. If weather is inclement, we have a backup indoor location. For more information please contact: Kevin Kline by clicking here (kk5thirty1@yahoo.com)

Winter Retreat, February 2-4

Also, for the guys, we’re heading to the mountains for a couple days of retreat and renewal. Dan Davis, who led our intergenerational retreat, is the founder and director of “Animate Mentoring – guiding individuals and families so they can navigate life's transitions intentionally with wisdom and courage.” Most of Dan’s work is with men and boys, so we are fortunate to have him join us at beautiful High Pastures Christian Retreat Center Highpastures.org in Burnsville. We’re asking participants to take at least part of the day off on Friday to travel. Make it a day if you’d like, head to the mountains, and do a little exploring before the retreat officially begins with dinner. Sessions will continue through Sunday morning. The cost for the retreat, the lodging, and all meals is $250. Limited scholarships are available. You can express interest in attending by signing up in Helt Hall on Sundays or contacting the church office.

“My name is Jimmy Niell, and I have been a member at Park Road for over 40 years. I am a native Charlottean and the proud father of 2 men. My oldest son is Jason, and his wife is my awesome daughter-in-law, Katie. They are parents of my two granddaughters Charli and Addie. My youngest son Clayton works for American Airlines. I am employed by Batesville Casket as a delivery driver. Over the years, I have participated in just about every area of activity at Park Road other than choir and preaching. The choir is still on my bucket list. I have never been asked to preach. I love PRBC because we welcome all people and are always at the forefront of change. At Park Road we are hands-on in all our efforts to help others.” – Jimmy Niell

We kicked off Advent last Sunday with refreshments and sharing. We asked ourselves: “What are we waiting for?” We considered Hope even as we anticipate the Peace and Joy and Love that is too come. Last Sunday was our only time meeting – either in person or virtually. From this point, everyone is on their own with Kate Bowler’s free online Advent study. https://courses.katebowler.com/courses/advent-devotional Feel free to jump in and follow along. If you want to be added to an email thread that will send one email per week to the group for further pondering of the readings, let Amy know; and she can add you to the group. If anything jumps out at you or speaks to you or sparks you to want further conversation, feel free to chime in to the group. Sometimes, though, it is enough to know that there’s a group reading the same words and praying the same prayers on the same day. We are in this together, even when we are apart. That’s the beauty of community.

The Cuba mission trip is fast approaching! Our group will depart on January 11, 2024. Our partner church in Carlos Rojas is certainly looking forward to seeing Park Roadians in 2024!

Medicines are always in short supply in Cuba, and the need continues to grow. Please consider donating some of the over-the-counter medicines from this list below for us to take:

• Tylenol (Acetaminophen) and Vitamins for children and adults
• Ibuprofen or any other anti-inflammatory medicine for children and adults.
• Menthol (Example: Vicks Vapor Rub)
• Antihistamine
• Aspirin
• Analgesic Creams
• Triple Antibiotic
• Hydrocortisone cream
• Prednisone Tablets
• Flu Medication
• Anti-diarrheal medicine
• Inexpensive reading glasses

You can bring donations on Sunday mornings (There is a barrel in Helt Hall.) or drop them off at the church office. Thank you!

PRBC is hosting a Rise Against Hunger meal packing event on Sunday, December 17, in the Community Center, with the goal of packing 50,000 meals! This event is a wonderful opportunity for us to work together for a very worthwhile cause! It is designed so that people of all ages can participate and there’s a lot of fun and excitement! So, please plan to join us on the 17th! Click the link below to register for the event and sign up to help. Please note the meal packing start time has changed to 6p.

Decoration Sunday

The children had a fantastic morning of decorating this past Saturday! It was fun getting students and children together. They enjoyed seeing several of their Sunday school teachers and neighbor nights hosts as well! A big thank you to all who participated in our family ministries on Saturday and every day!

Guatemala

JD is needing to put together an initial interest list for the PRBC Youth Guatemala Mission Trip in August of 2024 (this isn't a commitment yet but that will come soon). If you or your youth are interested in going, please contact JD as soon as possible JD@ParkRoadBaptist.org to get your name on the list.

• December 13 – Church Wide Christmas Banquet - Instead of Worship Wednesday, we will share in a Christmas banquet with the entire church.  Once the Jazz concert portion of the evening begins, JD will pull the children and youth who would like to play "Reindeer games."
• Traditional Youth Progressive Dinner - If you're willing to host part of our traditional progressive dinner, please let JD know so we get that on the calendar ASAP. 
• December 17 - Rise Against Hunger Event (previously known as Stop Hunger Now). The youth have been asking about resuming this event and the church staff (especially Dan McClintock) have taken that feedback seriously and made it happen. This event will start at 6:30p and replace SNT for this night.
• December 20 - Soup and Caroling. Most youth should be out of school close to this time, so it should be a stress-free blast. Details TBA.
• July 8-12 Unidiversity Camp - It is never too early to sign up. 🙂 

• December 13 - Christmas Banquet will start at 5:30p. Children can eat with the rest of the church (and stay for the program if they would like) but once the Jazz concert starts JD will pull the children and youth who would like to play "Reindeer games."
• December 17 - "Rise Against Hunger" Event (previously known as Stop Hunger Now) begins at 6:30p. This project is for all ages and is a really special program the church has done in the past. 
• December 20- Soup and Caroling – This is another sweet tradition. Details TBA. 
• July 16-19, 2024 – Camp Prism – Any student who will complete third grade this year is invited to sign up for Camp Prism. This week is a wonderful time with our students, and JD would love all our current 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders to be there. Think summer camp but with Russ leading worship. Some members of our kid’s ministry team serving as counselors, and no bad theology to cause you worry. 🙂 

Do You Hear What I Hear? It’s Silver Bells, Silver Bells ringing to say, “Come All Ye Faithful VSPers on December 21.” Don’t appear On A Midnight Clear but arrive a little before noon, my dears. We’ll eat, enjoy being together, laugh at some silly jokes, maybe win a door prize, and listen to a little cool Yuletide jazz to make us all proclaim Joy To The World. ‘Tis the season!

Please make your reservation no later than December 17 by calling the church office at or sign up in Helt Hall or by emailing info@ParkRoadBaptist.org

After a year of sewing/knitting/crocheting work, our Needlers deserved to treat themselves to a lovely lunch together, complete with prizes for everyone because you know how creative and crafty these folks are! Prayer shawls and baby blankets and fleece blankets for those who are cold and pillowcase dresses to take to Cuba have kept our Needlers very busy. There are over 300 dresses ready to take to Cuba in January on our next trip. Thank you to all who are God’s sewing hands bringing warmth and comfort to people.

Sympathies

Sympathy is extended to the family of Paul Ramey in his recent death. Paul was a fixture at Park Road and kept everything running for many years. There is no service planned, but please keep Phyllis and the rest of his family in your prayers.



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We also extend our love and prayers to Chris and Lorie Gabriel in the sudden death of their 7-year-old son, Nate. A service will be held at St. Matthews Catholic Church on 8015 Ballantyne Commons Parkway at 1p tomorrow, Thursday, December 7.

Coming Up at Park Road

Sunday Worship

Facebook Live and In-Person

11a

First Wednesdays

Dinner and Vespers

(Community Center)

5:30p Dinner / 6p Vespers

First and Third Tuesdays

Bible Study and Fellowship

(Community Center - Room C503)

10a

Tuesday and Thursdays

Flexercise

(Community Center)

9a

Park Road Baptist Church 

 3900 Park Road | Charlotte NC | 28209

Tel (704) 523-5717 

Fax (704) 523-8481

info@parkroadbaptist.org 

 www.parkroadbaptist.org