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GOOD TIDINGS

The Weekly Newsletter for Park Road Baptist Church

September 13, 2023

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According to the legend, the bones of the Apostle James were discovered in a field in the northern Spanish province of Galicia in the 9th century, where they were preserved as sacred relics. In the 11th century cathedral, the in Santiago de Compostella ("St. James of the Field of Stars”), became their home. Visitors stand in line to join the throng, now millions of pilgrims, who travel to Santiago to visit the cathedral and pay homage to the relics of the disciple.

While the history is a bit complicated, one of the medieval popes named Santiago one of three pilgrimage destinations worthy of receiving a plenary indulgence (the forgiveness of your sins), after which, Jerusalem, Rome, and Santiago became popular pilgrimage destinations. In the 1990s, with the help of some specific marketing efforts, El Camino de Santiago (the Way of St. James), became a worldwide phenomenon, a destination for secular and religious pilgrims.

During our 2009 sabbatical, Amy and I travelled with our 10- and 12-year-old sons, to walk the last 113 kilometers of “the Frances.” (The route from St. Jean Pied de Port, France is now the best-known of at least 10 paths to Santiago.) Walking 100 kilometers qualifies one as an official pilgrim in the eyes of the Catholic Church, so, many tourists now travel to the town of Sarria to begin the pilgrimage.

We were so ecstatic about our experience, as an adventure and a spiritual discipline, that we recreated this walk, and in 2022 fourteen Park Roadians joined us for the pilgrimage. Sarria to Santiago is about 113km (70 miles), and utilizing the wonderful resources of Andaspain Walking Adventures, the 16 of us reveled in this 5-day journey to the cathedral. The average day is 14.5 miles of walking, about 8 hours, with stops along the way for Andaspain’s famous snacks and picnic lunches, amazing dinner meals, and overnight accommodation in hotels or guest houses. (Andaspain also provides a small bus to transport luggage and the occasional pilgrim who needs a lift!)

Another Spanish legend names the coastal village of Finesterre the “end of the earth.” As Jesus commanded his disciples to take the Gospel from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth, many pilgrims continue their walk another 50+ miles to the coast. Last year, four of our Park Road entourage added these additional miles, which is more rural, the hills a bit tougher, but a terrific addition to the journey. The lighthouse at Mile 0.0 makes a spectacular end to the pilgrimage.

Thanks to Park Road’s sabbatical policy for all full-time ministers, Amy and I have another sabbatical due. We have now walked the 70-miles from Sarria twice, but we are planning to begin next summer in St. John Pied de Port and spend a month walking more than 400 miles, across the Pyrenees mountains and through Pamplona, Burgos and Leon, into Galicia. When we arrive, we hope to be greeted by another group of Park Road Pilgrims, so we can walk together into Praza do Obradoiro – Cathedral Square.

We are inviting another group to join us in Santiago, as we continue the walk from Santiago to Finesterre – and on to the neighboring town of Muxia, another day’s walk. So, there will be three “legs” of our 2024 journey: Sabbatical walk (Russ/Amy)... Sarria-Santiago... Santiago-Finesterre/Muxia.

Who will join us? More details will follow from Andaspain, but here’s what we know:

May 26 – June 22 – Russ/Amy walk from St. John Pied de Port to Sarria
June 23 – Park Road Pilgrim Group One, meeting in Sarria
June 24 – 28 – 5-day walk to Santiago
June 29 – Tour cathedral/rest day
June 30 – July 4 – Park Road Pilgrim Group Two, 5-day walk to Finesterre and Muxia

The two group walks will be guided by Andaspain – whose wonderful service led last year’s group to call our walk the “bougie tour” of the Camino! I am waiting on a final price, but I know it will be in the neighborhood of $2,000 (for each 5-day walk). The price does not include airfare to Spain but is essentially all-inclusive once we begin the walk (luggage transfers, meals, hotels).

For more information, please contact Amy or me. For a brief overview of El Camino, watch

this brief video

We are grateful for the opportunity to travel for another sabbatical – and nothing would make it better than to have you join us for one (or both!) of the 5-day group walks. Our Spanish guide tells me that hotels are already filling up for 2024, so we will need to hear from you in the next few weeks if you want to reserve a spot.

The pilgrim experience is unique. We would love for you to be able to share it with us. Let us know now if you want us to reserve a spot for you.

“Buen Camino!”

El Camino - Russ

Park Road University: Delving into Diversity and Difference

We had a GREAT first week thinking about why differences can be so unsettling, learning a bit about why we (and others) sometimes overreact when we encounter differing perspectives, and exploring ways we can find that little bit of space that allows us to react in the ways we'd like to.

This week we'll be looking into mainstreams and margins and ways we can be most effective when we find ourselves in positions of relative power and when we find ourselves on the edges. We'll continue increasing our understanding and empathy for ourselves and others and learn some new tools for staying grounded and present.

Each class works as a stand-alone session. Whether you were able to join last week or not, I hope you'll come! - LeDayne McLeese Polaski

September 10 – October 1, Sunday mornings, 9:45a, Milford Chapel

Fun Food Friday at Fin & Fino - September 29

That's a lot of "Fs," but you can be sure that Fin & Fino's will not receive an "F" for their food! This is an upscale restaurant in uptown -- but their lunch menu is not so upscale. We will enjoy the ambiance and the great food. Please call the church to make a reservation, whether you are meeting us there at 11:30a, or meeting in the parking lot at 11a to ride together.

Sunday Worship

September 10, 2 023

First Wednesday Vespers Returns, October 4

Please join us for a good meal together followed by a time of mid-week vespers. The meal begins at 5:30p, and the cost is $8, which is paid before you eat. We have enjoyed this opportunity to enjoy a little music, a little table-talk, a time of reflection and prayer. It's a great way to help you get through the week. Please contact the church office (704-523-5717 or info@ParkRoadBaptist.org) or sign up in Helt Hall, no later than noon Tuesday, October 3 to make a reservation for dinner. No reservation is needed for Vespers, which begins at 6p.

The Needlers

The Needlers met recently to assemble kits that will become dresses for little girls. This project began several years ago when we found out the girls in Cuba (and other countries) were less likely to be abused if they appeared well cared for. The process involves making a pillowcase-sized base. Then elastic and bias tape are cut. The next step is sewing and adding pockets and decorative buttons. The Needlers really enjoy the process of choosing materials that are colorful and imaginative. Several members take the kits home to sew. There will be many dresses ready for our next trip to Cuba!

The Needlers also knit prayer shawls and baby blankets. Please join us for our next meeting on Tuesday October 10 at 10a in the Youth Building. We are glad to teach anyone who would like to participate.

Youth, Children, and Families Corner

Fall Retreat, October 20-22, 2023
If your teen is new to PRBC Youth, events like the Fall Retreat really help students get connected which then creates more comfortability during our weekly programming.
Adult Volunteers Needed - We currently have two people signed up to volunteer, but ideally we need 2 to 5 more volunteers for the retreat. Please let JD as soon as possible if you are able to volunteer.

JD would like to give a big shout out to our volunteers for their help and investment in our kids. They put in lots of work and to have a critical mass for our Midweek and Sunday School programs. However, if you have a recommendation for a volunteer or would yourself like to volunteer once a month, please let JD know.

Save The Date – October 15^th – We potentially planning a fall outing on October 15th, if this interests you, please let JD know. Also being a new resident of this area, JD would appreciate recommendations for locations.

New Instagram Page – Click Here to follow @parkroad_youthandchildren
We will not post pictures of our kids on this Instagram feed unless we are at an outing or event, with parents in attendance, and they give their consent for the photos to be made public. This guideline follows and aligns with the "safety" pillar from the Children and Families Vision.

Thirsty Third Thursday - September 21

The group will meet on Thursday, September 21, at 6p at the Rhino Market and Deli, South Park. The address is 4300 Congress Street, Charlotte, NC 28209. There are other Rhino Markets, so please make sure you have the correct address. The Rhino Market in South Park is directly across from the Village Tavern.

There is food available. Please check their website to view the menu and parking options. If weather permits, we will have the option to sit inside or outside.

Men's Work Updates

Fantasy Football Begins

As Dan noted in last Sunday's announcements, so far our "Men's Work" has been anything but work -- but, who's complaining!? On Monday night, the Deans' backyard was the sight of our first ESPN-based Men's Work Fantasy Football league. The party started in the daylight with burgers and all the fixins but ended well after dark. We had 16 teams, drafting 14 players each. The league will be fun, and PRBC stands to gain in at least one regard: Darin Gantt, our resident NFL expert and Missions Ministry Area Coordinator, has pledged to donate $25 for each team that finishes ahead of him. No offense to Darin, we can all hope that some of our novices outsmart the expert, and our Mission causes benefit from Darin's generous challenge! Let's play ball (Ooops... wrong sport.).

An Evening of Cornhole

Join us for an evening of Cornhole on Thursday, September 21 from 6:30– 8p. The location will be at the church courtyard with a back up location of the gym in case of inclement weather.

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.