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About people… sometimes you just know. You meet along life’s journey, and you just know. There’s an instant connection, respect, appreciation. Jonathan Foster is one of those people.

We met in Denver two years ago. Tom Oord (keynote for our Open and Relational Theology conference last fall) hosted a conference there and invited me to talk about my latest book. Jonathan was helping, and when I met him, there was just something about him. I knew.

I heard Jonathan talk. I was impressed. I bought his book, Theology of Consent: Mimetic Theory in an Open and Relational Universe. I knew our theology jibed. (There are some beautiful, wonderfully-accessible passages in this book, and also some thick theology based on the mimetic theory of the French academic, Rene Girard.) I heard his story. I was intrigued. I listened to his podcast. I wanted to know more.

So, I bought his book Indigo: the color of grief, and I cried as I read this moving collection of poetry, based on the death of Jonathan’s 20-year-old daughter Quincy…

“indigo is the

joy and lament of a

human being

theologian

father

fashioning new ideas about the divine

within the painful loss of his daughter

within the constraints of his own intelligence

within the constraints of what religion

had been telling him his whole life

some of which was good and

some of which wasn’t

good. . .

read it for cursing

for weeping

for laughing

read it for mourning

read it

for the

world

is on fire”

After all of this, I knew we had to have Jonathan talk with us – so, on Sunday, October 18, Jonathan, former Nazarene pastor who was excommunicated for his inclusive views on sexuality, will be with us. He’ll preach and lead a session after worship. I hope you’ll be here for both.

Lunch is $10 (sandwiches, salad, drink, dessert). Please sign up in Helt Hall, or by using this link, by Tuesday, October 13. Jonathan will talk – but mostly wants to entertain our questions.

He has a lot of wisdom about a lot of good things. He can talk about mimetic theory (whatever that is!)… about how his changing views on sexuality got him kicked out of his denomination… about how religion is changing in our changing world… about Open and Relational Theology… about the grief of losing a daughter, and grief that comes to us in so many ways…

Since Amy’s diagnosis on January 30, I’ve been in a constant state of grief. Not the grief of death, but of so much loss we’re already experiencing, and it’s helpful and healthy for me to know I’m not alone, that others have walked and are walking this journey – and that we have each other to lean on. Jonathan’s experience, his wisdom, his poetry have helped me – so come join us. We’ll talk about your experiences of indigo grieving (or we can talk mimetic theory if you’d prefer! 😊)… but, either way, I hope you’ll join us.

Sunday, October 18. Worship. Lunch. Meet Jonathan. Share. Learn. You’ll be glad you were here. - Russ

Let's meet this time for some good, southern home cooking at Pressley Park Restaurant. Dan and I just checked it out, and we can recommend it wholeheartedly. Meet in the parking lot, a week from Friday, on October 16 at 11:15 or at 740 Pressley Road at 11:30 - but please sign up, either way, to let us know if we can count on you. You can sign up by emailing info@parkroadbaptist.org or in Helt Hall this Sunday — Russ

Families are invited to join us at the Foust House for an evening of food, fun and fellowship. In this season of crisper nights, fading light and rushed days, gather around the table with other children and youth families for an intentional Sunday evening, October 25, from 5:30-7:30. We will have an outdoor movie on the blow-up screen and carve pumpkins together as we move into the deep fall. We will have all supplies needed and dinner will be provided but we need to know how many to expect, so if you'd like to join please let Caleb know by 10/22.

I will say more about this in an upcoming Heart and Soul article in our newsletter at the end of October, but I did want to get this on people's calendars ahead of time. For those that knew Lydia and her relationship to our church, you will understand that the church was Lydia's family in so many ways for so many years. Because of that, we have decided to have her memorial service as a part of our worship service on Sunday, November 1st, which is All Saints' Sunday. We will have an abbreviated service and go to the columbarium after worship to inurn her ashes and read the names of everybody that has died since the beginning of this church's history. This time is always such an important tradition for our congregation. We hope that everyone will stay and honor this longstanding ritual. Following the time in the columbarium, there will be a visitation reception in Helt Hall to speak to Lydia's family and her care team and celebrate her life and our church's opportunity to be such an integral part of that life. -Amy

We know you get a lot of messages these days — but we do want to communicate with you! Our best communication of all that is happening is our newsletter. If you do not receive an email newsletter every Wednesday, please let us know. In addition, the best way to get more urgent information to you is through our automated phone messaging app. We promise not to be a nuisance, but we can reach the entire congregation quickly through "One Call Now." If you have never received a call from the church, we would love to make sure your (most recent) phone number is in our system — and you may want to add (877) 698-3261 to your address book, so you can identify these calls when they come. Please contact the church office if you need to update any of your contact information: (704) 995-4385 or info@parkroadbaptist.org. Thank you!

Senior Adults, mark your calendars for next Thursday, October 15, our first VSP (Very Special Persons) meeting of the new season. We'll gather for lunch ($8) in Helt Hall, followed by the meeting and entertainment.

Our entertainment will be James and Janet Ford of Taylorsville, NC. The Fords are retired schoolteachers and longtime friends of Hugh's for many decades. They will play and sing a mixed bag of classic popular songs along with a bit of gospel music, and Janet will share a couple of her poems with us.

We always have a drawing at the end for several lucky persons to win a table centerpiece plant. A sign-up sheet will be available in Helt Hall on Sundays through October 11, or you may call the church office at (704) 523-5717 or email info@parkroadbaptist.org.

On Saturdays (like every other day) our campus is full. Our little baseball field is home to t-ballers in the Dilworth Little League, and it’s great fun to see all these kids and their parents enjoying a morning together.

The Big Red Bus is coming back to Park Road Baptist Church on Sunday, October 18, from 12:00pm–5:00pm — and we hope you'll roll up your sleeve and give!

All donors receive a $20 eGift card (Target, Walmart, Amazon, and more), a Halloween t-shirt, and a free wellness checkup including blood pressure, pulse, temperature, iron count, and cholesterol screening. Appointments are encouraged — sign up here using sponsor code 72939. ID required. It's a small act with a big impact — we hope to see you there!

Thanks to all who were able to work last Saturday, with clippers and trimmers, shovels and rakes. Your work helped to beautify our campus and make it a welcoming space, open to all.

*Youth - are students who are currently in grades 6th – 12th during the 2026-2027 school year.

Regular Scheduled Programing is as follows:

• Sunday Mornings, 10a - Preview

*Children - are students who are currently in grades K– 5th during the

2026-2027 school year.

Regular Scheduled Programing is as follows:

• Sunday Mornings 9:45-10:45am Children's Sunday School (K-5th)
• Sunday Mornings 10am-12pm Nursery
• First Wednesdays 5:30pm Dinner/6pm Children's Midweek - The first Wednesday of each month.

Coming Up at Park Road

• Sunday Worship

Facebook Live and In-Person - 11am

(Sancutary)

• Sundays

Pickleball - 7:15pm

(Community Center - Gym)

• First Wednesdays

Dinner and Vespers

5:30pm Dinner / 6pm Vespers

(Community Center - Gym)

• First and Third Tuesdays

Bible Study and Fellowship - 10am

(Community Center - Room 503)

• Tuesday and Thursdays

Flexercise - 9am

(Community Center - Gym)

PRU Fall 2026 Offerings

October 18 – Indigo: The Color of Grief, Jonathan Foster

For more information see Heart and Soul article above.

October 19 – “Monday School”

If Sunday School has quit working for you, maybe a Monday night discussion group at the home of Marinn and John Esch will be just right. More details TBA.

October 25 – “Teaching Dissent: the Witness of the Minority,” Bill Leonard

Our friend, Dr. Bill Leonard, former Dean of Wake Forest Divinity School and one of the country’s leading Baptist Historians, will lead a session on the historic Baptist voice of dissent and will preach in worship. Community Center. 9:45am. Worship in the sanctuary, 11:00am.

November 8 – “How to Read the Bible in Today’s World,” Dr. Sandy Rogers

November 9 – “Monday School”

November 15 - “Stitching Strength,” ALS documentary film with Dr. Richard Bedlack

Dr. Bedlack, M.D., Ph.D., Duke University, is one of the world’s leading researchers and a practicing physician for patients suffering from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Dr. Bedlack will be with us to entertain our questions after we view his documentary film. Sanctuary. 1:30-3:00pm.

December 6 – “How to Read the Bible in Today’s World,” Dr. Sandy Rogers

December 20 – Dealing with Grief in the Holidays

While the holidays are a joyful time, they can also be very difficult. If the loss of a loved one or some other grief weighs heavy during the holiday season, join us to share together. Place and time, TBD.