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St. John's Family News

Week of February 26-March 3, 2024 | Vol. 83, Issue 9

www.stjohnsbaptistchurch.org | @sjbccharlotte

Church Calendar | Give Online | Realm Log-In Deacon Schedule Usher Schedule 1 | Usher Schedule 2 Greeter Schedule 1 Greeter Schedule 2 | Men's Shelter Sign Up | Nursery Schedule | Room in the Inn Schedule | Divine Center Prayer Guide

On Sunday last week, our children had their own Lenten experience called A Little Lent. They planted paperwhite bulbs that will bloom on Easter, spoke about Jesus being in the desert, and imposed ashes on one another.

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


  1. What Are We Doing to Reach out to New People and How Can You Help?: Part Two
  2. Update on Emails at the Church
  3. Happy Birthday!
  4. Writing from the Heart Workshop: Register Here
  5. Easter Eggstravaganza: Register Here
  6. Nursery Volunteers Needed for Easter Sunday
  7. Collection for Refugee Support Services
  8. Converge in April
  9. GWU Concert Choir on March 8
  10. Heritage Sunday on March 17
  11. Prayer List, Sympathy, and Celebrations
  12. Minister On Call Schedule
  13. Financial Update
  14. Staff Contact Info

What Are We Doing to Reach New People - And How Can You Help? Part Two

by Dennis W. Foust, Senior Minister

 

Last week, I wrote about three practical ways you can help us reach out to new people. Those three options provide you opportunities to build bridges with folks of every generation who are already entering our buildings to participate in the ministries we offer.

 

This week I am offering three more ways you can be involved in our expanded outreach consciousness. Once again, these options make it easy for you to welcome people

 

  • First, you can help one Sunday per month as a hospitality volunteer. Every Sunday, our dedicated deacons rotate as greeters at our main entrances. They greet you and others providing a welcoming word. However, imagine you are a guest one Sunday. You are greeted at the door by a deacon and introduced to a hospitality volunteer who guides you to the children’s division to help your children get acclimated while introducing you to the teachers in the room. Then the hospitality volunteer guides you to a Sunday small group and introduces you to other parents in your age group. Or, imagine you and your family show up one Sunday ten minutes before worship and a hospitality volunteer helps you find the nursery and sits near you during the service to introduce you to others.

 

  • Second, you can speak with Kheresa Harmon or Haley Blackwell about ways you can help with the care for and education of our children and youth. You will not be asked to be in charge of our ministries with children or youth. You will be woven into the fabric of a team. You will be blessed by bright and caring young people. These children and youth need faith models who care for them, show interest in them, listen to their stories, and encourage them. You can still be active in your Sunday small group most Sundays AND rotate as a worker in these ministries with our younger members.

 

  • Third, you can notice new people moving into your neighborhood and introduce yourself to them. Let your new neighbors know why you drive past other churches to be active in St. John’s. People who are searching for a community of faith are looking for these three experiences: (1) a church that wants to know them and care about them; (2) a church that gives them opportunities for spiritual growth; and (3) a church that provides opportunities to serve the community in ways that continue the ministry of Jesus. Tell your neighbors and coworkers of your positive experiences in St. John’s. Introduce them to our website and other digital media sites. They do need to hear from you if they are to know about the healthy and vital ministries of St. John’s.

 

Please join me in praying for our outreach consciousness to increase. God’s Church deserves no less. And many people need a congregation like St. John’s.

An Update About Our Email Issues


We hope you all received our emails earlier this week about our @sjcharlotte emails being down.


While we can send emails to you, those of us in the office with St. John's emails cannot receive any emails from outside the organization. So, anyone without an @sjcharlotte email can't send us anything right now.


If you have sent us an email since Saturday of last week, we have not received it.


The issue is the domain name, sjcharlotte.org, that expired after being purchased ten years ago. We are working to get this domain back up and running and are close to a solution.

In the meantime, please call the church office at 704-333-5428, call or text the ministers using their cell numbers listed at the bottom of this newsletter, or email us at our temporary email address: sjbccharlotte@gmail.com.


We appreciate your patience and hope to be up and running by the end of this work week.

Happy Birthday!


Happy birthday to Kayleigh Mac Whipple on March 3. She is the daughter of John and Elizabeth Whipple.


Please wish her a happy birthday when you see her next!


Writing from the Heart

March 9, 2024 from 9am-3:30pm


You are invited to learn and experience how the art of writing can transform your spiritual life along with writer and author, Carol Fore Injaychock.


Twenty years ago, Carol was diagnosed with breast cancer and, after the treatments, she turned to writing as therapy. A by-product of her writing is her book, Matters of the Heart—A Cancer Journey, about her cancer’s emotional journey. In addition, she has contributed to anthology books, participates in writing groups, and does motivational speaking to small groups about life lessons. Carol believes writing is the way to tap into our spiritual essence.


Register below. This will be limited to 15 participants and there is no charge. There are 10 more spots available.

Register Here

Join us for our Second Annual Easter EGGstravaganza!

Register by March 19


In Broach Hall at 11:30 am on Sunday, March 24, we will gather for lunch and Easter fun. We will have BBQ chicken, Mac-n-cheese, Slaw, Baked Beans, and Rolls catered by Anderson’s. There will be an Easter Egg hunt for all ages, please bring something to collect eggs in! Come out for fun games, good food, and great fellowship.


Cost is $12 per person. You can pay online through Realm or at the door with cash or check. Checks must be made to St. John’s Baptist Church.


Please register by March 19 so we know how much food to order.

Register Here

Nursery Help on Easter Sunday

Can you help?


We MUST have 3 additional volunteers to serve with our nursery (infants - 2 years of age) during Sunday school and worship (9:15 - 11:30am) on Easter Sunday, March 31.


One volunteer is not enough to care for our children.


Please contact Kheresa immediately to help.

Easy Ways To Help!

A Collection for Refugee Support Services


Refugee Support Services is asking the community to provide a couple of items to support their ongoing services to refugees in Charlotte.


  • Small vases (glass or plastic) for displaying flowers, handmade by ladies in their Knit Together Group and sold at Pop-Up sales around Charlotte.
  • Clean egg cartons for packing eggs contributed by local chicken farmers and distributed at the RSS weekly food distribution for clients served in their programs.

Our collection begins immediately and will run throughout the month of March. If you wish to donate either or both of these items you may leave them on the table inside the main entrance by the “Giving Nook."


Questions? Nina Phillips, ninacarl@gmail.com, Beverly Hester, beverlyrhester@earthlink.net

Is CONVERGE on Your Calendar?

Sunday, April 21

 

You have the opportunity to help shape the future of St. John’s. On Sunday, April 21, we will gather for a church-wide conversation. This is one of the ways we practice local church autonomy.


Please put April 21 on your calendar. Be here! Participate! Help make St. John’s stronger!

Gardner-Webb University Concert Choir at St. John's!


Please come and enjoy the music and hard work of the Gardner-Webb University Concert Choir in the Sanctuary at St. John's on March 8 at 7pm.


The concert is free and open to the public.


Another concert will take place in Charlotte at Providence Baptist on March 13 at 7pm in case you miss the one at St. John's.

Heritage Sunday

March 17 during Worship featuring Dr. Corey D.B. Walker


Please mark your calendars for Heritage Sunday!


The celebration of our 102nd year at the corner of 5th and Hawthorne will be on Sunday, March 17th.


We will honor the first section of our Church Covenant which states:

“We will take seriously the responsibility of personal Christian growth...”


As you heard in Sunday’s Converge moment, we have many opportunities for learning and personal Christian growth. Among them are Sunday School or Spiritual Growth Groups for all ages - adults, youth, and children, Bible Studies, Faith Journey Book Study, the daily Divine Center readings, and presentations by various speakers. If you would like to share memories of these learning opportunities through the years, please contact Fredda Kimball.


Our guest proclaimer on that day will be Dr. Corey D. B. Walker, the Dean of the Wake Forest University School of Divinity.


Mark your calendars and plan to worship with us at 10:30am on March 17!

Prayers, Thanks, and Celebrations 


Current Prayer Concerns: Tom Bryson, Joyce Ehrenberger, Carol Johnson, Linda Finger, Dick Schafer, Jane Winn


Continuing Prayer: Kelly Belcher, Mary Rickenbaker, Jack Crymes, Jean Hutson, Betty Mullins, Jerry Stephens


Kimberly Hicks father Joel Corson passed on ahead of us Sunday February 25 in Jacksonville, FL. Please remember Scott, Kimberly, Corson, and Tucker Hicks in your prayers.

Staff On-Call Rotation

  • Feb. 26-Mar. 3: Haley

Financial Update


2024 Full-Year Budget

  • $1,211,000


Income received through February 28

  • $151,978


Through January 2024

  • Budgeted Income- $100,917
  • Actual Income received- $69,969
  • Income over(under) budget- ($30,948)
  • Actual Expenses paid- $81,385
  • Income/Expense Surplus(Deficit)- ($11,416)

Staff Contact Information


  • Rev. Haley Blackwell, Minister for Youth & Young Adults - 704-333,5428, ext. 2013; 620-515-3558 (cell)
  • Rev. Dennis Foust, PhD, Senior Minister - 704-359-7234 (cell); 704-333-5428, ext. 2012
  • Rev. Lee Gray, Minister for Congregational Care - 704-333-5428, ext. 2015; 704-451-1309 (cell)
  • Rev. Kheresa Harmon, Minister for Children & their Families - 704-333-5428, ext. 2018; 910-890-3392 (cell)
  • Russell Nelson, Minister for Worship & Music - (980) 228-6244 (cell)


  • Mallory Brown, Media Coordinator - 704-477-3349 (cell)
  • Chloe Hall, Children's Choir Director
  • Noel Lance, Organist
  • Amanda Morrison, Church Administrator - 704-333-5428, ext. 0
  • Lydia Olmsted, Weekday School Director - 704-333-5428, ext. 2039

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St. John's Baptist Church | 704-333-5428 | 300 Hawthorne Lane, Charlotte, NC 28204 | stjohnsbaptistchurch.org