Church Calendar | Realm Log-In | Deacon Schedule | Usher Schedule | Greeter Schedule | Men's Shelter Sign Up | Room in the Inn Sign Up | Daily Gospel Readings

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

1. Heritage Sunday: Crossing a Threshold
2. Mission Expo this Sunday
3. Community and State Mission Offering
4. Snapshot Sundays
5. Happy Birthday
6. Lenten Services
7. Easter Eggstravaganza
8. Artful Lent
9. On the Way
10. CBFNC Annual Gathering
11. Meet Jared Daugherty
12. Thursdays on the Town
13. Welcoming Paul Baxley
14. Brewery Night
15. Youth Mission Auction
16. Heritage Article from Fredda
17. Prayer List and Welcome
18. Minister On Call Schedule & Staff Contact Info

Heritage Sunday: Crossing a Threshold

by Dennis W. Foust, Senior Minister

So here is my question: ‘When you cross a threshold, are you entering or departing?’



Often, people use the phrase, ‘crossing the threshold’ when a person enters a new chapter of life such as leaving for university, getting married or beginning a new job or career. Other people refer to, ‘crossing the threshold’ when mentioning a person graduated from high school, left behind their single life for marriage, or departs from an old job or career. In other words, ‘crossing the threshold’ can represent both an ending and a beginning.

This coming Sunday is our 101st birthday as a church. We name it ‘Heritage Sunday.’ I HOPE EACH OF YOU PLANS TO BE PRESENT THIS SUNDAY AS WE WELCOME MORE THAN THIRTY OF OUR MISSION PARTNERS, ENJOY A FELLOWSHIP MEAL, AND LEARN MORE ABOUT THE WAYS WE ARE BUILDING A BETTER WORLD WITH GOD ON MISSION.

We have just completed an entire year of celebrating our centennial. We have remembered people, told stories, read articles, looked at photos, and reviewed records of our first century. St. John’s began as a vision, has been nurtured by commitments, and has thrived through adversity. Hundreds of thousands of people have been served and inspired by participating in the worship and ministries of this faith community. Charlotte is a better city because of St. John’s. And our world is better because of the active faith of St. John’s people.

If you have appreciated all the ways we have observed our centennial, please express your gratitude to Fredda Kimball, Linda Crowder, and their crew on the Heritage Resource Team. These folks have served us with excellence during this past year. I am thankful for their vision, effort, attention to detail, creativity, and vigilance in every way.

As we approach this Sunday, we are crossing a threshold. And, true to the meaning of the term, we are both entering and departing. We are entering a new chapter in our church’s story and we are leaving behind our first century and a year of celebration with gratitude.

As we cross this threshold, we step into the unknown with possibilities, uncertainties, opportunities, and vulnerabilities. Crossing a threshold can be both exciting and frightening. However, we cross this threshold of our second century with faith in the God who is faithful. We are following the same God who has guided this church from nothing more than an idea to be a church of impact and influence in this city. In the words of the hymn writer, ‘Many things about tomorrow, I can’t seem to understand. But I know who holds tomorrow and I know who holds my hand.’

So here is my answer: ‘When you cross a threshold, you are entering and departing.’

AND, BECAUSE YOU ARE FOLLOWING THE WAY OF JESUS, THE LORD GOES AHEAD OF YOU TO MAKE EVERY THRESHOLD SAFE BEFORE YOU CROSS. Shalom!

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!

Community & State Mission Offering

In Honor of Bert & Dianne Green

Our Mission Resource Team is announcing that our 2023 Community and State Mission Offering will go to Habitat for Humanity in support of this year’s Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project to help build The Meadows, a nine-acre property in West Charlotte.

There is an added dimension to this year’s offering. We are presenting these offerings in honor of Bert and Dianne Green. Bert became involved with Habitat through St. John’s in 1985 and served on the Board of Directors from 1988-1992 and then became the Executive Director in 1993 serving for 19 years before transitioning to the role of Director of Strategic Initiatives in 2012. With our gifts to this year’s offering, we will honor the commitments and vision of Bert and Dianne and we will help provide home ownership for the working poor in Charlotte.

Help us reach our goal of $7,500 and let’s build a better world!

Snapshot Sundays

TWO MORE SUNDAYS TO GO!

Have you had your photo taken for Realm? Not yet? No problem!

Each Sunday in March (two more to go!) before Sunday School OR after Worship, stop by the Main Entrance and we will take your picture and upload it for you.

These photos will help us put names and faces together as we renew, regather, and reconnect.

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 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

Church Eggstravaganza!

Sunday, April 2

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!

We need eggs! Donations of unfilled, plastic, Easter eggs may be placed in collection bins in our Giving Nook at the Main Entrance or in Kheresa's office. Please have all donations in by March 29.

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 the Lounge (note the location change). 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.

Upcoming Events: On The Way

St. John’s Retired Adults & Friends

If you have signed up for the Mama Ricotta’s tomorrow, Friday, March 17, please meet at the church at 11:00am 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! Here is a link to their lunch menu.

On Wednesday, April 19 we will be On The Way to Winston-Salem for a day-trip to Reynolda Museum, Gardens, and Shops. We will also have lunch at the Village Tavern that day. Entrees at the Village Tavern are from $15-$25. The cost for the Reynolda Museum is $18. Reynolda Gardens are free. Your call on whether you purchase anything from the shops at Reynolda. We have a 15 passenger bus reserved. Please let Lee Gray lgray@sjcharlotte.org know if you plan to attend so additional driving arrangements can be made if needed. We will meet at the church at 9:00am to leave by 9:15am. We will return to the church between 5:30 - 6:00pm. 

Cooperative Baptist Fellowship-NC Annual Gathering

March 23-24, 2023 at Ardmore Baptist Church

We look forward to gathering together with Cooperative Baptists from across North Carolina at the CBFNC Annual Gathering on Thursday, March 23 & Friday, March 24, 2023 at Ardmore Baptist Church in Winston-Salem!

This year’s event will be an in-person gathering with both general sessions live-streamed online. We hope you will make plans to join in for two days of connecting, worshiping and learning together. 

The psalmist writes in our theme verse, “How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity” (Psalm 133:1). Admittedly, we do not always get along with our sisters and brothers. We can easily give in to taking sides and endless arguing but we continue to do the work of cooperation and kingdom building. This idea, this theology of cooperation is what guides our Annual Gathering in 2023 as we explore together in a variety of ways our theme of Living Together. 

Please Note: Registration is NOT required to view the Annual Gathering sessions online; these will be live-streamed on our main CBFNC website and social media.

Meet Jared, Our Interim Minister for Worship & Music

Our Interim Minister for Worship and Music Search Team and our Personnel Resource Team are pleased to introduce you to Dr. Jared Daugherty. He will begin his service with us in this interim season as our search team does their work to identify candidates for our permanent position. Our Interim Search Team consisted of: MC Sorrell, chair of our Diaconate; Steven Follis, chair of Personnel Resource Team; and three members of the Chancel Choir – Kathy Bragg, president, Ken Hungate, and Patti Klein.

Jared Daugherty is deeply invested in God’s calling upon his life to use the power of music to build a better world. His efforts for over 25 years as a teacher and music minister have brought choirs and members of the community together to worship and inspire hope through collaborative concerts.

As a church musician, Jared is committed to creating worship experiences that inspire people to connect with God in meaningful ways. Most recently he served as the Minister of Music and Director of Traditional Worship at Sardis Presbyterian Church, Charlotte, North Carolina, where he successfully revitalized the music ministry. He was innovative in introducing new music and new ways to praise God while holding familiar faith traditions close to his heart.

In 2020, he accepted an invitation from MidAmerica Productions to guest conduct Poulenc's Gloria at Carnegie Hall, in New York City. Unfortunately, this concert was canceled due to COVID-19 closures.

Professionally, Jared is a member of American Choral Director’s Association, American Guild of Organists, Handbell Musicians of America, and the Presbyterian Association of Musicians. He chaired the planning committee for the annual Mid-Carolinas Handbell Festival. Most recently, he completed a three-year term on the advisory council to the Presbyterian Association of Musicians Board.

Jared grew up in the metro area of Atlanta where his father served as a Baptist pastor. Jared holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Georgia Southern University, a Master of Music from Western Michigan University, and a Doctor of Musical Arts in conducting from the University of Georgia. He is the father of two daughters, Lauren, whose 16th birthday is March 26th, and Lydia, age 11.

We are grateful to God for connecting us with Jared for this interim season. His responsibilities include rehearsing with our Chancel Choir on Wednesday evenings; communicating with our organists, choir, and staff; participating in our weekly process of worship planning; and leading us in worship on Sunday mornings. Please pray for Jared as he begins his service among us.

Thursdays on the Town

April 13 for Parents with Children

Parents of children birth to 5th grade are invited to join us on Thursday, April 13 from 6-8 PM for dinner at Mama Ricottas (601 S Kings Drive AA). Childcare at the church is provided at no cost. Register by April 10 or let Kheresa know you plan to attend.

This is an excellent opportunity for parents of young children to enjoy one another's company for a few hours during the week. We hope you will come, drop your children off into the care of our trusted volunteers at the church, and enjoy a meal with old and new friends.

We Welcome Paul Baxley to the St. John's Pulpit!

The Rev. Dr. Paul Baxley will be our guest in The St. John’s Pulpit on Sunday, March 26th. Paul is the fourth executive coordinator of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF) with ministries throughout the world and offices in Atlanta, GA.. He frequently preaches and teaches across the 30-year-old Fellowship as he leads this diverse community which includes nearly 1,400 congregations, 19 state and regional organizations, 60-plus field personnel serving in 20 countries, 800-plus chaplains and pastoral counselors, and dozens of theological education and ministry partners. St. John’s has been a ministry partner of CBF for all of its thirty-two year history.

Before becoming executive coordinator of CBF, Paul served as senior minister of First Baptist Church in Athens, GA. A native of Winston-Salem, NC, Paul also served in pastoral and ministry positions in North Carolina and Virginia. He is a graduate of Wake Forest University (Bachelor of Arts – Religion, 1991), Duke Divinity School (Master of Theological Studies, 1996) and Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond (Doctor of Ministry, 2003). Paul and his wife, Jennifer, a licensed physical therapist, have four children: Olivia, Maria and twins Caroline and Matthew. He enjoys reading, especially history, fiction and biography books and cheers for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons and Georgia Bulldogs (but Wake Forest receives his cheers when these two teams meet).

Brewery Night at Olde Mecklenburg Brewery

Friday, March 31

St. John's young adults are invited to come to Olde Mecklenburg Brewery (4150 Yancey Rd, Charlotte, NC, 28217) on Friday, March 31 from 6:30-8:30pm.

Questions? Call or text Haley at 620-515-3558. Can't wait to see you all there!

Youth Mission Auction

Coming April 30!

We are now accepting donations for our 2023 Youth Mission Auction which will take place on April 30! 

You may fill out an online form or you will find paper forms in the church office (or click green button below to print at home). You may drop your paper form off in the box outside Haley's office labeled Youth/Haley Blackwell.

Stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks! For now, consider what you can donate to this wonderful cause.

From the Heritage Room

A Personal Note from Fredda Kimball

When Rev. Bob Lasater retired in 1982 after 23 years as Associate Minister, he was instrumental in the formation of a History Committee which collected documents, photographs, committee reports, deacon minutes, church conference minutes and various other church info. A lot of this information had been in Bob’s personal files. The information was housed in the small room next to the parlor (now the Brides’ Room), As this original faithful committee aged out, the History Room became a neglected depository of materials on shelves, on tables, in a filing cabinet, and in cardboard boxes.

In early 2011 after I retired, I decided to take on the task of identifying and organizing the materials and enlisted the help of Linda Crowder. About the same time, Dr. Dennis Foust arrived as the Senior Minister. He questioned why St. John’s was not celebrating its heritage. Thus in 2012, Heritage Sunday began to be celebrated on the third Sunday in March, the Sunday closest to the formal organization of the church on March 26 (1922). A Heritage Task Force was formed of church members and staff to organize this yearly celebration. I took on the task of general organization of information and Linda Crowder took on the task of photographic and artifact displays bulletin boards, and photography at church events. Together Linda and I began a search through all the cabinets and closets throughout the building and asked the staff to look through their closets and files for information about the church’s history. At some point, Linda and I assumed the titles of co-archivists (an archivist is a person who assembles, catalogs, preserves, and manages collections of historical information).

With all the newly discovered information, a larger space was needed. The Heritage Room was relocated to an unused adult Sunday School room on the first floor underneath the Sanctuary. After the move to the lower level, all the collected information needed to be organized. A plan was devised to sort these materials by date, placing the information for each decade in a separate notebook. Information about various church events and other information, such as newspaper clippings, which pertained to individual staff members were put into a separate binder for church staff. A separate binder was also put together for pictures and other ephemera related to the church building which has been added to and remodeled at various times through the years. There were also documents that were put in separate file folders by decade, including Leadership Reports, Youth Directories, WMU directories, church surveys, and remodeling program plans.

Read the rest here.

Prayers, Thanks, and Celebrations

• Martha Brown, Barbara McElwey, Nyandheng Mijak, Joseph Mabil Majak, Melanie Foust, Pat Engle, Debbie Stillerman, Jan Kerley

Welcome, Janice Little, to St. John's!

Janice Little joined our community of faith on Sunday, March 12. We are so excited to welcome her and hope you will introduce yourselves when you see her!

Minister On-Call Schedule

• March 13 – 19: Kheresa 
• March 20 – 26: Lee 
• March 27 – April 2: Dennis 
• April 3 – 9: Haley 

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