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Yep Summer Camp - It’s Here!

I spent nine summers working at the Baptist boys’ camp in South Carolina. Every year at the end of school I would get ready with butterflies in my stomach. I was excited to make my way back up the mountain to meet my friends from the staff and to make new friends joining the staff. We would spend a week in “pre-camp” doing various safety trainings and protocols for in-camp procedures, reviewing all the programs, taking all the hikes, clearing the trails, cleaning the cabins, preparing the dining hall, and checking out all the equipment. It was a lot of work.

Apparently, it takes a lot of work to have a lot of fun.

All day Sunday, well, after worship and the reception for JD and the backyard birthday party for Milli and Charloth Perez, Amy spent the rest of the day and the night, getting ready for youth camp. She got up early Monday morning and picked up the rental van. There was a paperwork snafu, there usually is, but she finally got that worked out and got back to church. Where 16 anxious teenagers loaded up and headed out to Maryville college in Tennessee. Four hours later we talked, and they were about halfway there. It’s a four-hour trip!

All day yesterday, I worked preparing my last-minute details for children’s camp. I always lead the music and somehow have also become responsible for preparing everything for worship. I spent the day reviewing PowerPoint slides and inserting texts and songs and prayers.



Late last night, I finally got around to restringing my guitar. When I tightened the high E string, I heard a little snap then string slid off the neck. Ugh… a broken nut. The nut is that all important little piece of bone that fits at the top of the neck of the guitar and holds the strings, providing the proper separation from each other, and lifting them off the neck itself. You cannot play a guitar without a nut, but it was 10:30p. What to do?

I got up Tuesday morning at six and headed to my shop. I don’t know how long a wooden nut will hold, but at least I have six strings on the guitar. If it will get me through the first session this afternoon, I can head to the music shop and get a replacement. Then it took about 30 minutes to load all my instruments and accoutrements for worship, as well as my own gear.

Apparently, it takes a lot of work to have a lot of fun.

However, it is always worth it. When I was a youth minister, I always said that I accomplished more in two weeks in the summer: mission trip, and youth camp, than the other 50 weeks combined. Being away from home, away from parents and screens, and the normal routine, spending time together, retreating in the best sense, a little study, and a lot of fun, well, nothing beats it.

So, for all the work that has been done, and is yet to be accomplished this week, say a prayer. The youth and children all arrive home on Friday afternoon. Just in time to start preparing for Sunday 😉!

Apparently, life just takes a lot of work. I am fortunate to live a life that makes all of that work worthwhile.

See you Sunday.

Our children and youth are having a blast this week at their respective camps. JD, Russ, and Amy are joining in all the fun along with a huge thanks to our chaperones: Margaret Robinson, Jimmy Niell, Geoff Palmer,

and Beth Mintich.

Summer Camp at the CDC is off to a great start. The campers will be exploring and creating all summer long. 

Thank you to our Receptions Team for hosting a lovely occasion last Sunday to welcome JD to our church as our Associate Pastor for Children, Youth, and Families. After one week in the office, JD is spending the week at Unidiversity Youth Camp - nothing like hitting the group running!

Keep introducing yourself to JD as he begins to make his home in Charlotte and at Park Road!

Congratulations to Katie Welch and Travis Brown and big brother Heron on the birth of Lyndon Roan Brown born May 17, 2023. He weighed

7lb 13oz and joined us in

worship last Sunday!

We welcome Tracey Snyder to our church family. Tracey has been visiting for quite some time as a friend of Rosemarie Burton, but Tracey has already plugged in to so many opportunities for worship and service, they include setting up for Room In The Inn, small group studies, Thirsty Third Thursday, and a regular on Sunday mornings. Her involvement shows we should all invite more friends to come to church with us. Thanks, Rosemarie, for making Tracey our friend too!

Come and enjoy a weekend of fun, fellowship, and deepening connection. The theme “Practice Makes Possible” will explore different ancient and modern rituals that help us engage our faith and daily commitments in new ways. 

Thanks to a generous donor, you can come and enjoy the weekend at no cost to you! So, mark your calendars and plan to join us on Labor Day weekend! Please make sure to reserve your spot by signing up in Helt Hall after Sunday Worship, calling or emailing (info@ParkRoadBaptist.org) the church office. Sign-up deadline is August 1, 2023.

Our July Mission Offering will go directly to the local chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Type 1 Diabetes is an autoimmune disease that strikes both children and adults suddenly. It has nothing to do with diet or lifestyle. There is nothing you can do to prevent it, and, at present, there is no cure. Our own Reid Heaton has bravely dealt with this condition on a daily basis. Now he is a Youth Ambassador for JDRF. This is the leading global organization harnessing the power of research, advocacy, and community engagement to advance life-changing breakthroughs for Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). 

A group of 23, Park Roadians along with a few guests, watched the Charlotte Knights play the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp at Truist Field last Friday evening. The game featured a lot of offense - hits, home runs, and runs scored, but unfortunately Charlotte lost 11-6. The evening was beautiful and not too hot since a storm passed through the area an hour or so before game time. To top off the night, a spectacular fireworks display followed the game! A great time was had by all! Plan to come and join us next time.

Our sympathy goes out to the family of Dot Finley who died last weekend. Dot was a long time member of Park Road who at 97 was attending Flexercise and Fun Food Friday outings until recently. Details for her memorial service will be communicated in an upcoming One Call voicemail and in

next week’s newsletter.

We list an individual each week that we call our “Friends at Home” with their contact information.

Drop a card or give a call to check-in. Even if you do not know someone personally, a contact from someone from their church is always an encouragement.

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

Coffee and Kibitz Bible Study

(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