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Eight years ago, a journalist from Charlotte Magazine reported on us. The concept of Co-Pastors was intriguing and a church that would venture into this kind of pastoral leadership led Jen Tota McGivney to want to know more about Park Road. We did not seem to be a typical Baptist church. Her article actually generated a lot of visitors joining Jen’s intrigue about who we are. We have thanked Jen many times over the years for the great free publicity. We’ve kept in touch, and Jen has even visited a few times herself over the years. Perhaps most thrilling of all. . . she reads our newsletter. (I say “most thrilling” because we often fear we put all of this effort into getting information to folks but they don’t actually have time to read it!)

A month or so ago, Jen contacted us because she was so intrigued by our September-December 2022 “Pay It Forward” challenge sponsored by a legacy gift from Mack Duncan. Mack’s family had us give out $5000 in $100 increments over the course of four months to help people in any way the recipient of the money saw fit. The family felt there was no better way to honor Mack’s memory than to have the church be involved in a mission effort to help others in real and tangible ways. That was Mack’s passion and what he has left as his legacy among us.

Once again, Jen was intrigued by Park Road and asked if she could do a story for the upcoming April 2023 edition of Charlotte Magazine about this “Pay It Forward” initiative. I contacted Dot Duncan and her family for permission to once again use Mack’s name to tell this story. Jen interviewed us over the phone. It was a fun conversation of telling so many of the stories we had received about how those 100 dollars were spent, and how that money multiplied time and time again.

This week I got a text one evening from Ron Pelt’s daughter, Amanda Capobianchi. Her copy of the April edition of Charlotte Magazine had arrived, and she sent me this message: “Just flipped through our Charlotte Magazine that arrived today and look what I found . . .” There was a screen shot of the article “$100 Acts of Kindness: Even after his death, a generous man reminds others of their potential to help.”

I had assumed this would be the typical report on a good news story. I had to get the tissues for the story’s ending. You see, Jen felt so inspired in telling this story that she participated herself. She took her own $100 and gave $43 to ourBRIDGE for Kids to cover one week of supplies for one child, $18 for breakfast for Samaritan House, $26 for a comforter for Safe Alliance, and $14 to feed an animal through Animal Care & Control Pet Food Bank. She ends the story with these words: “I can’t imagine a more satisfying way to spread $101 . . . Maybe I can’t change the world, although I’ll keep trying. In the meantime, I’ll remember how little it takes to makes someone’s day better. Some days, that’s enough. Thank you, Mack.”

Jen brought us a few copies today and it will be out to the public in April. Be sure to check it out. Thank you, again, Jen, for helping us tell our story. And thanks again to Mack, for continuing to hold our feet to mission fire. - Amy

Ps – If you would like to read the article from eight years ago, please click here.

If you would like to sing in the choir but can’t make the commitment to a weekly rehearsal, you are invited to join Bob Pritchard and the Sanctuary Choir at 9:30a on the third Sunday of each month. Bob will plan an anthem you can learn in an hour and then sing during worship. We are looking forward to adding a few new faces. Please join!

Each year our Easter Sunday cross is decorated with beautiful flowers of the season. Lilies will be purchased, and for a donation of $10 each, you can designate a lily in memory or honor of someone. This is not a fundraiser. The donation provides for the purchase of the lilies to be used. A list of names will be published in the Easter Sunday bulletin. Please sign up in Helt Hall or contact the church office to designate a lily in a loved one’s name.

As you know from the newsletter, Easter Lilies are on sale in memory of or in honor of a loved one. Just like during Advent we need your help with decorating. We would love 5-6 people to join us at 9 am in the sanctuary to decorate the cross with the lilies.  No professional decorating skills are needed. Just bring some garden clippers to help cut all the lily stems off. We will just stick the flowers in the cross until it becomes a beautiful piece of art. That simple! If you have any questions, please reach out to Laura Baxley or Ken Reynolds.

Pat and Richard Faulkner are part of a large group of church members who were very active for many years beginning in the Charlie Milford years. They joined in 1962, sang in the choir, and taught Sunday school. Also, Richard was a deacon. The Faulkners moved to Marion, NC in 1976 but stayed in touch with their friends at Park Road. After moving to Taylor Glen Retirement Community in Concord to be near Julie, Chris, and the grandchildren, they returned to PRBC, and have now made it official. They say they feel they have come home. Welcome home, Pat and Richard!

Julie Faulkner Connelly grew up at Park Road along with her brother, John, who now lives in California. Julie and her husband, Chris, who is a neurologist at Atrium Cabarrus, also live in Concord. They have been enjoying Park Road along with her parents. We are delighted they have made a decision to officially unite with our congregation. Welcome, Chris and Julie!

*Article Reprint: We are republishing this article from our March 1, 2023 newsletter due to a digital error that occurred in the initial publication.

Join us for our next outing, specifically planned so we can visit with Bette Honeycutt, who is now a resident at TerraBella Sr. Assisted Living in Harrisburg. The Harrisburg Family House restaurant is just a few miles from Bette’s new home, so we’ll eat there (5429 Highway 49 in Harrisburg). We hope Bette will join us at the restaurant, but if not, we’ll make a quick stop at TerraBella as we return home. Please call the church to sign up, whether you plan to ride the bus (11a in the parking lot) or join us at the restaurant at 11:45a. Please join us and help us make Bette’s day by visiting with old friends.

Our new Honduran friends have told us that back home, the whole country shuts down for Semana Santa. Businesses close, people do not work, and there are festivals throughout the week as people remember and celebrate Jesus’s final week on earth. We have several offerings we hope you will take advantage of to make this year’s Holy Week special. CMS Spring Break often conflicts with Holy Week, but that is not a problem this year. So we hope you can take advantage of the following:

• Palm Sunday: please bring your children for our traditional processional into the sanctuary, bearing palms. We will have good music this day as we conclude our Lenten series, “Pardon our Dust.”

• The Last Week: A study of the book by Marcus Borg and Dominic Crossan. All are invited to join Russ, Monday – Friday, April 3-7, at noon in Helt Hall, to discuss, day-by-day, the last week of Jesus’s life. (A few more books are available for $5.00.)



• Maundy Thursday, Dinner and Worship: Our “First Wednesday” program will be moved to Thursday night of Holy Week (April 6). Tam Gordon will prepare a meal with a hint of Mediterranean flare. We will eat at 5:30p and then move to the sanctuary for our service. Communion will be served, and then the Sanctuary Choir will present David H. Williams’s “On the Passion of Christ,” accompanied by a string quartet from the Charlotte Symphony and soloists, Mahari Freeman, Linwood Little, and John G. Franklin. We will also livestream the service on Facebook.

• Good Friday, “The Seven Last Words of Christ”: As we did last year, we will read the Seven Last Words, as recorded in the Gospels, and extinguish candles. This short program will be offered by livestream only. Tune in to our Facebook page at 3p, which according to Matthew’s account, was the time that Jesus died.

• Easter Sunday: Please don’t miss this Day of Resurrection, which should be joyous, again featuring Charlotte symphony musicians, along with a quartet of instrumentalists from the Charlotte Pride Band. Following worship our children will enjoy their traditional Easter egg hunt in the church courtyard.

Our next Thirsty Third Thursday is tomorrow night, March 16, at T.A.P. The Auto Pour located ata 5033 South Boulevard, Suite O, Charlotte, NC 28217. (The actual entrance is on Seneca.) Check out their website by clicking here. Very little food is available on site, but you can carry food in or order and have it delivered. We do have a reservation at 6p, and Jenny and John are looking forward to hosting our group! As a reminder, significant others, or friends are welcome to join the fun!

The theme was Water – as in the story of the Samaritan Woman at the Well as told by the Gospel of John. Fifteen youth had speaking parts while others served as greeters welcoming people to worship. They prayed, they sang, they presented a creative telling of the text, they engaged the children during Children’s Time, they taught, they preached, they interviewed a mission representative, and they invited people to join the church. Also, Clara Kinney was baptized. It was a glorious day! At every turn they told us about the living water as Jesus did in the story. However, we as worshippers experienced watching and listening and receiving living water ourselves.



Thank you to our young people for leading us so well!

You are invited to join the pastors from the Park Road churches for a casual lunch and conversation each of the Wednesdays of Lent. Only two dates remain and we would love to have you join us!

Upcoming Dates:

• March 22 – Avondale Presbyterian Church - TBD
• March 29 - Woodlawn Community Fellowship - Tom Stinson-Wesley

Patterson Scholarship - Due May 1

Park Road’s college students attending Campbell, Furman, Meredith, or Wake Forest Universities are eligible. Two forms are required: FAFSA and a second simple form. Both are available through

the church office.

Park Road will sponsor a Book-A-Palooza event on April 4 and 5 at which students at Marie G Davis K-8 School will be able to select 3 books for themselves. Volunteers are needed on Monday, April 3, to transport the books, and to unpack the books; on Tuesday, April 4, they will assist the elementary students in selecting books, pack up some books, and unpack others. On Wednesday, April 5, the volunteers will assist middle school students in selecting books, packing the remaining books, and transporting them back to church. Please sign up to help here:



https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0b4caaae2daafe3-bookapalooza6?useFullSite=true#/

We have a few spots left in our Community Garden for the 2023-2024 growing season. The fee is $75.00 a plot. If you would like one of the garden plots please email Parkroadgarden@gmail.com.

See you in the garden!

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

Third Wednesday of Each Month 

Virtual Midweek Meet-Up - Facebook Live

6p

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