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In this week's Family News (Scroll to Learn More):

1. Dennis's Article
2. Heritage Sunday and Lunch
3. Spring Forward this Weekend!
4. Mission Expo
5. Men's Shelter Dinner
6. Basketball Banquet this Sunday
7. Snapshot Sundays in March
8. Happy Birthday to Alexander Aguilera
9. Lenten Services
10. Artful Lent
11. On the Way Lunch
12. Church Eggstravaganza - We need plastic eggs!
13. Atlanta Trip Recap
14. Heritage Article
15. Save the Date!
16. Prayer List
17. Minister On Call Schedule & Staff Contact Info

THE HANDS OF CHRIST:

A HERITAGE MESSAGE POINTING TO OUR FUTURE

by Dennis W. Foust, Senior Minister

Years ago, a story made the rounds about a church in Europe that was bombed during World War II. In the bombing, a statue of Christ was damaged. A sculptor repaired the statue. However, the statue was completed without hands.

Many of us started questioning whether the story was factually true when the location of the church kept changing. One version said the church was in England. Another version said the church was in Rome. Still, another located the church in Germany.

Eventually, researchers traced the story to Christ the King Catholic Church in San Diego, California. A statue of Christ on the grounds of the church was vandalized.   When the statue was repaired, the church decided not to replace the hands. Instead, they put up a plaque at the base of the statue stating, “I have no hands but yours." The plaque was referencing a poem by St. Teresa of Avila:  

“Christ has no body now on earth but yours,

no hands but yours,

no feet but yours,

Yours are the eyes through which is to look out

Christ’s compassion to the world;

Yours are the feet with which he is to go about

doing good;

Yours are the hands with which he is to bless men now.”

On Sunday, March 19, we will celebrate Heritage Sunday – our 101st. On that day, we will welcome many of our Ministry and Mission partners. It will be a good day to celebrate the many ways we are the hands of Christ, as a servant church. We will begin our second century in worship, followed by a meal, and a Mission Expo.

I HOPE EVERY ONE OF YOU WILL MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO BE PRESENT.  As we enter our second century, as a church, let’s choose to transform all the vandalizations, victimizations, mean-spiritedness, damage, and destruction into opportunities for us to show up as the hands of Jesus Christ. This will be the best way to begin our future! Amen

Heritage Sunday & Luncheon

Sunday, March 19

Reservations Required

Please join us on Sunday, March 19 at 11:30am as we celebrate our second century. Following worship, there will be a catered lunch in Broach Hall. Lunch will include baked chicken, mac & cheese, green beans, coleslaw, and rolls. The cost of lunch is $15 for adults and $10 for children 5th grade and under. There is a household maximum of $50.

You must pay in advance for lunch. You can pay online or by check. Checks should be made to St. John’s Baptist Church and be given to Amanda Morrison in the Church Office by March 13. You may access the Realm registration link below.

Reservations for lunch with payment are required.

Don't forget to SPRING FORWARD one hour this weekend as we begin Daylight Savings!



Mission Expo

March 19 after Worship in the Gym

On Sunday, March 19, during the Heritage Sunday lunch, all are invited to meet, greet, and connect with our St. John's mission partners in the gym for a Mission Expo, hosted by the Mission Resource Team. Representatives from each organization will be present with up-to-date materials and information to share about the work their team is doing to build a better world. You will even be able to sign up to volunteer with any organization that sparks an interest in you.

We are so thankful to the Mission Resource Team for setting this event up! Come and learn after worship and during lunch on March 19!

Thank you to all who made pudding and who served at the Shelter in February. A reminder that we serve on the third Friday of EVERY MONTH. You may choose to make pudding or serve any month that fits your schedule.

What we would like, is for you to sign up on Sign up Genius here. That way we know that we have enough dessert and enough servers. You may pick any month through June. Click on the link here to get to the sign up. You can also find the link to sign up at the beginning of the Family News each week. If you have any questions about it, Amanda in the office will help. We hope we have made it easy for you to use.

The men at the shelter love the pudding and the people who serve receive a blessing in doing God’s work. Thank you, St. John’s, for being servants at the shelter ever since it was built!

St. John's Basketball Banquet

Sunday, March 12

To everyone who played children and youth basketball this year with St. John's, we thank you! To celebrate a great season, we will gather this Sunday, March 12 for fellowship with informal games, player recognition from our coaches, trophy presentation, and pizza. The schedule for this celebration is as follows:

4-5PM

GYM - Family games for 6 & Under Co-Ed, 8 & Under Boys & Girls. Trophies are given out at the end of each quarter, and the Cha-Cha slide

5-6PM

LOUNGE - Pizza for all players and parents on the 6 & Under and 8 & Under teams

GYM - Family Games for 10 & Under Girls, 12 & Under Boys as well as player recognition and trophy presentation.

6-7PM

LOUNGE - Pizza for all players and parents on the 10 & Under Girls and 12 & Under Guys

GYM - Mixed squad game with the 15 & Under Girls and 18 & Under Girls

7-7:30PM

LOUNGE - Pizza for 15 and 18 & Under Girls and parents

We hope all players and their families are able to join us next Sunday night, March 12 and next season as well! 

Snapshot Sundays

Did you have your picture taken for Realm yet?

Not yet? No problem! Each Sunday in March before Sunday School OR after Worship, stop by the Main Entrance and we will take your picture and upload it for you.

Asking yourself, "Why do I even need a profile picture?" These pictures are used to help ministers and members put a face to the name. This way we can get to know one another better.

Elizabeth Communities of Faith Lenten Services

The Elizabeth Communities of Faith will continue the 2023 Lenten Services each Wednesday in March in the Sanctuary at St. John's with lunch afterwards in BROACH Hall. Donations will be accepted for lunch.

• Wednesday, March 15 at 12pm: Jesus Wears a Crown of Thorns and Is Victimized by Mockery: Mark 15:16-20
• Wednesday, March 22 at 12pm: Jesus is Served by Simon of Cyrene: Mark 15:21
• Wednesday, March 29 at 12pm: Jesus is Crucified: Mark 15:22-26

Artful Lent

Kindergarten-5th Grade

Sunday, March 26 at 11:30am

Our Kindergarten – 5th grade children are invited to Artful Lent on Sunday, March 26 at 11:30am in Broach Hall. Through art, our children will illustrate their understanding of “The Last Seven Words of Jesus from the Cross.” During Holy Week, our church family will be invited to visit our Stations of the Last Seven Words.

Register on Realm or click below.

On the Way

St. John's Retired Adults and Friends

St. John’s retired adults (and friends) will be On The Way to Mama Ricotta’s for lunch on Friday, March 17. Please meet at the church at 11:00 am so we can coordinate to carpool to Mama Ricotta’s at 11:15am. We have reservations for an 11:30 am lunch in a private meeting room that seats up to 22 people. We should return back to the church around 1:00 pm. Let’s be festive and wear green since it is St. Patrick’s Day! 

Please let Lee Gray LGray@sjcharlotte.org know if you plan to participate so he can convey our numbers to our contact. Here is a link to their lunch menu- https://www.mamaricottas.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Mamas-New-Lunch-menu-Dec-2022-1.pdf

Please also mark your calendar for Wednesday, April 19 for a day-trip to Winston-Salem to Reynolda Museum, Gardens, and Shops. We will also have lunch at the Village Tavern that day. More details about this trip will be forthcoming.

Church Eggstravaganza!

Get those Easter baskets and your cameras ready and join us for an intergenerational Church Eggstravaganza on Sunday, April 2 at 11:30am in Broach Hall. Before festivities begin, we’ll hop over to the buffet line, where we’ll be greeted by an Italian feast. Be sure to save room for those Easter eggs!

Easter egg hunt, games, and entertainment. Don't feel like hunting for those hidden eggs? No problem, there's still plenty to do!

Donations of unfilled plastic eggs may be placed in collections bins in our Giving Nook and/or in Kheresa’s office. Eggs may be donated until March 29.

Register here.

SJBC Youth Atlanta Trip Recap

SJBC Youth had a FANTASTIC time this weekend in Atlanta for our Faith and Racial Justice weekend immersion. We started off our Saturday morning with a trip to the MLK Jr. National park and The King Center. About half of us had the opportunity to tour MLK Jr.'s birth home where we learned about his childhood and family. We stopped for a quick lunch then headed over to the National Center for Civil and Human Rights where we learned about the Greensboro sit-ins through an immersive experience, the ways that people are oppressed through the making of goods we use, and different areas of the world whose political freedom is oppressed.

After our time at the NCCHR, we headed over to the Harry Potter Exhibition where we got to play and see props from the movies. We finished up with dinner at The Varsity and some debriefing back at the hotel.

We joined Ebenezer Baptist Church for worship Sunday morning and experienced God through their music, preaching, and hospitality. We truly felt welcomed and loved! I encourage you to ask any of our youth who attended about their experience and what they learned.



From the Heritage Room

Notes on the 1990s

In addition to ministerial staff changes during the 1990’s, there were changes with the administrative and support staffs. Peggy Harrison assumed the job of Church Administrator in September 1990, joining Carolyn Richards, Ace Millsaps, and Judy Abernathy in the church office. Wanda Grantt, previously employed with ACS, became the business manager and financial secretary in 1991. Ace retired in 1992 and Wanda Gouge joined the staff. Steve Taylor became the Maintenance Supervisor in 1997, replacing Michael Lashley.

There were also changes in lay leadership organization. In April 1993, the diaconate was expanded from 36 members to 48 and the position of deacon emeriti established. In 1995, a new stewardship plan was introduced. Previously the church budget was not prepared until after pledges were made. Under the new plan, a budget was presented, and members were asked to “pledge to the budget”. For several years, a Stewardship breakfast was held the first Sunday of Advent to celebrate the success of this new process.

Read the rest here.

Save the Date!

Wednesday, May 3, 2023

“Building a Better World: In Solidarity with Immigrant Children and Families”

Please join us for dinner in Broach Hall, followed by a dialog in the round about the experiences of immigrant children and families. We’ll hear from a local DACA recipient, from an ourBridge for Kids program leader, and from a local immigration attorney who represents children. These guests will share insights about the hardships, obstacles, and triumphs of these families.

Prayers, Thanks, and Celebrations

• Martha Brown, Barbara McElwey, Nyandheng Mijak, Joseph Mabil Majak, Melanie Foust, Pat Engle, Parker Fields, Debbie Stillerman, Pris Tillman

Minister On-Call Schedule

• March 6 – 12: Haley 
• March 13 – 19: Kheresa 
• March 20 – 26: 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)
• 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 Olmsted, Weekday School Director - 704-333-5428, ext. 39
• Jill Rackley, Church Administrator - 704-333-5428, ext. 20