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

1. Dennis's Article
2. Happy Birthday to Greer!
3. Fat Tuesday on Friday, February 24 (Register below)
4. Thank you for supporting SJBC Youth!
5. Love Offering for Kevin Gray
6. Youth Sunday Pictures
7. Church Conference on Sunday at 10:15am
8. Brewery Night on February 17
9. Elizabeth Communities of Faith Lenten Services
10. Basketball Playoff Schedule
11. Lent for Littles
12. Artful Lent
13. Youth Mision Auction Donations
14. Snapshot Sundays
15. Heritage Sunday & Mision Fair on March 19
16. From the Heritage Room: The Youth Bible
17. An Invitation from Brooks and Laura Sorrell
18. Prayer List & Memorial Services
19. Minister On Call Schedule & Staff Contact Info

Worship and Music Ministries

by Dennis W. Foust

We are currently expressing our gratitude to God for Kevin Gray and his eight years of service among us as Minister for Worship and Music. We are currently gathering a love gift offering for him and we will honor him with a reception following worship on February 26. It has been my blessing to serve alongside Kevin during his tenure.

In this, our centennial year, we should remember that St. John’s has expressed worship and beautiful music to The Living God for each of our one-hundred years. Kevin has blessed us for eight years. Therefore, for ninety-two years prior to Kevin’s arrival, our Chancel Choir and thousands of other individuals served in our worship and music ministries with sincere and persevering commitment. And these persevering commitments continue today and are focused on our future.

As we step into the next few weeks, I want you to know the steps we are already taking to prepare for these interim months.

1. You should know that our Worship and Music Ministries staff have committed themselves to leadership during the coming months.
2. Our organists, Noel Lance and Dr. Matthew Manwarren, have already met with me multiple times to discuss worship planning for the month of March. We have already chosen hymns and creative expressions of worship and will be choosing choral anthems and solos in the next week.
3. Chole Hall has already requested dates for our children to lead us in worship through music in the spring.
4. Jacquelyn McAbee has already requested dates for our handbells to lead in worship.
5. Jessica Borgnis, Director of our Academy of the Arts, is making plans for summer camp options for children in our community and is becoming certified in Kindermusik as we plan for a strong launch this autumn.
6. M.C. Sorrell, chair of deacons, and Steven Follis, chair of personnel resource team, have met with me to discuss first steps of moving forward. First, they enlisted an Interim Selection Task Force consisting of choir members Kathy Bragg, Ken Hungate, and Patti Klein to meet with M.C., Steven and me. We will recommend to personnel a part-time interim person to lead us for a few months. This person will rehearse the choir, participate in worship planning and lead us in worship.
7. M.C. Sorrell and Steven Follis have also started enlisting a Search Team as we look for our next full-time Minister for Worship and Music. James Laney has agreed to serve as chair of this team as they conduct a national search in the coming months. I will announce the full list of our Search Team in next week’s Family News.

Within the past two weeks, we have accomplished a great deal of progress.

Please pray for these groups as we step into the future – TOGETHER.

Fat Tuesday on Friday

Register today!

Come join us for Fat Tuesday on Friday on February 24 @ 6:00 pm in Broach Hall. A George Brooks pancake dinner will be served and there will be games for the whole family to enjoy! Our very own Minister for Music and Worship, Kevin Gray, will provide musical entertainment. You don’t want to miss this fantastic opportunity for fun and fellowship!

Register on Realm or with the button below to attend.

Thank you for supporting the SJBC Youth!

Thank you to the Women of the Church who made and sold homemade baked goods during this past Saturday’s basketball games (and also after church on Sunday).

They raised $326 to go into the Youth Mission Auction fund and added an extra dimension to our game day experience. 

Love Offering for Kevin Gray

J. Kevin Gray has accepted a position for Minister of Worship and Music at Myers Park Baptist Church beginning on March 1, 2023. His last Sunday to be with us at St. John's will be on February 26, 2023. We have been blessed with Kevin's skills, talents and kind spirit for eight years and we wish him nothing but the best in his new position.  

To show our love and appreciation for his service to the members of St. John's, we will be a collecting a Love Offering for Kevin. This will be given to him as he is commissioned on February 26, 2023.

Contributions can be made by check to the church (Kevin Gray Love Offering in the memo line, online through Realm (click below and choose "Love Offering") or by text (text SJGIVE and the amount to 73256). All contributions are due by Wednesday, February 22.

Mark your calendars!

Church Conference on Sunday, February 19, at 10:15AM (just before worship) in the Sanctuary. 

The purpose will be to review highlights and approve the 2023 SJBC Ministry Budget as shown here.

Brewery Night

THIS FRIDAY February 17 from 6:30-8:30pm

All young adults are invited to Brewery Night on February 17 at 6:30 at Brewers at 4001 Yancey. Come and enjoy great conversation and fun!

Contact Haley Blackwell with questions.

Elizabeth Communities of Faith Lenten Services

The Elizabeth Communities of Faith will begin the 2023 Lenten Services on Ash Wednesday, February 22 and continue each Wednesday in March in the Sanctuary at St. John's with lunch afterwards in Lasater Hall.

The theme for the services this year is "Journey to the Cross." We will partner with Hawthorne Lane UMC, St. Martin's Episcopal, Caldwell Presbyterian, and the area hospital chaplains for each service and lunch. See below for the schedule.

Note: for Ash Wednesday only, we will meet at St. Martin's for worship instead of St. John's.

• Wednesday, February 22 at 12pm: Ash Wednesday Service at St. Martin's Episcopal Church
• Wednesday, March 1 at 12pm: Service at St. John's Baptist in the Sanctuary with a soup lunch afterwards in Lasater Hall (donation of $5-$10 suggested for lunch)
• Wednesday, March 8 at 12pm: Service at St. John's Baptist in the Sanctuary with a soup lunch afterwards in Lasater Hall
• Wednesday, March 15 at 12pm: Service at St. John's Baptist in the Sanctuary with a soup lunch afterwards in Lasater Hall
• Wednesday, March 22 at 12pm: Service at St. John's Baptist in the Sanctuary with a soup lunch afterwards in Lasater Hall
• Wednesday, March 29 at 12pm: Service at St. John's Baptist in the Sanctuary with a soup lunch afterwards in Lasater Hall

Playoffs Schedule for Basketball

February 18:

• 6 & Under Co-Ed - Season Complete
• 8 & Under Girls - 12:30 pm at St. Stephen UMC
• 8 & Under Boys - 9:30 am at St. Stephen UMC
• 10 & Under Girls - 10:00 am at St. John’s
• 12 & Under Boys - 11:00 am at Charlotte Prep Academy
• 15 & Under Girls - 12:45 pm at Providence Baptist
• 18 & Under Girls - 2:45 pm at Providence Baptist



Lent for Littles

Sunday, March 5

11:30-1:30 in Broach Hall

Join us on Sunday, March 5 for Lent for Littles. Come to Broach Hall immediately following worship for lunch and an immersive and sensory "journey" through the season of Lent. Sand art, water, dried palm fronds, ashes, and jellybeans will help us understand this serious season of preparing for Easter.

We will end our afternoon together by making simple Allelulia stoles, which we will “bury” until Easter. On Easter we will raise our stoles from their “tomb” and our children will be invited to wear them during worship. 

Register on Realm, contact Kheresa, or click below.

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.

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.

Snapshot Sundays

Don't have a picture in Realm?

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.

So, come and have your picture taken each Sunday in March before Sunday School OR after worship at the Main Entrance.

Heritage Sunday & Mission Fair

Sunday, March 19

On March 19, St. John's will celebrate our 101st birthday, the first year of our Second Century.

We will mark this event in the service on March 19 followed by a catered lunch in Broach Hall.

(More information concerning lunch reservations will be in the Family News next week).

The Mission Resource Team is sponsoring a Mission Fair that Sunday following worship (and lunch). Representatives from our Mission Partners have been invited to attend the worship service and to place an informational display in the gym. 

From the Heritage Room-The Youth Bible

Beginning in 1947, St. John's has recognized the difference that our Youth make in our community of faith by setting aside one Sunday in February as Youth Sunday. On that day, the youth minister or ministers sign the pulpit Bible. From 1947 to 1974, there was a different Bible-- an olive wood covered Bible that Dr. Claude Broach purchased in Jerusalem in 1937. After Dr. Broach preached his last sermon before retiring as Senior Minister in 1974, he called a nine-year-old member of the church to the pulpit, Lee Hogewood-son of Ashley and Wanny Hogewood, and gave him the Bible as a symbol of his trust and confidence in the future of St. John's. This Bible was refurbished and returned to the church in 2017 by Lee along with a letter expressing what having and holding the Bible for the church meant to him as well as reiterating the continued optimism in youth and the future of St. John's which Dr. Broach intended it to represent. There are several names of persons in this Bible who are still active St. John’s members. The Bible is now on a stand in the break-front cabinet at the end of the hallway behind the sanctuary along with the letter that accompanied the Bible when it was returned.

Another Bible was purchased to continue the signing tradition. Initially, there was one Youth Sunday speaker designated as “Senior Minister” and was the only speaker who signed the Bible. When the Youth of St. John’s were celebrated on Heritage Sunday, 2019, those who spoke in earlier years and did not initially sign were invited to enter their names on an added sheet which has now been placed in the front of the Bible. After this year’s Youth Sunday, there are now over 100 names in this Bible of Youth Sunday speakers, several of whom are still active in the life of the church. Several years ago, after over 45 years of use, the bindings on this Bible had become frayed. It was rebound and is now kept in the Heritage Room.

Dear St. John's Family, 

Our names are Laura and Brooks Sorrell, members of the St. John's Youth group. We are running as Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Student Visionaries of the Year with our good friend Lawson Surles as Team LLB for LLS. 

After losing several friends and family members to cancer, we want to help find a cure so no one else has to go through it. We became even more passionate about supporting LLS research when we learned that the research done by LLS helps support cures for blood cancers as well as many other types of cancer.  

We are hosting a Pancake Breakfast at St. John's on Saturday, February 18 from 9:00 to 11:00. Join us for Brookscakes and more to support this important cause. 

To learn more about our campaign, visit events.lls.org/nc/svoyclt23/thesorrellsisters. 

To buy tickets to the Brookscakes Pancake Breakfast Venmo @ Meredith-Sorrell or pay at the door on Saturday, February 18th. Questions, email us (brooksiesorrell@icloud.com or lulusorrell@icloud.com) 

Prayers, Thanks, and Celebrations

• Martha Brown, Barbara McElwey, Nyandheng Mijak, Pat Engle
• Sympathy to Beverly Hester in the passing of her brother, Gene Raney
• A memorial service to celebrate the life of Martha Bryson will be held on Sunday, February 19 at 1:30pm in the Sanctuary with a reception following.

Minister On-Call Schedule

• Feb. 13-19: Haley
• Feb. 20-26: Kevin
• Feb. 27-Mar. 5: Kheresa

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