Week of July 18-24, 2022 | Vol. 81 Issue 28

Your Spiritual Growth and Our Church's Buildings:

A Personal Reflection

by Dennis W. Foust, Senior Minister

A St. John’s friend recently gave me a compliment. He said, “You do a good job of promoting the value of our buildings.” I said, ‘thank you.’ Then I confessed, “I have never enjoyed my calling more than this blessing of caring for the people, ministries, buildings, and future of St. John’s.” Although we are the Church and our buildings are mere resources, let me tell you how I learned to value church buildings.

I was born on Monday, August 8, and handed to Mrs. Poole in the church nursery the next Sunday, August 14. Before I was a week old, my experience of God’s loving care by the Church began in the church buildings. Since my father was the pastor, the church building was my second home. Every time I entered a church building, there were people there who knew my name, cared for me, and helped me learn. During my elementary years, the church buildings provided all kinds of good experiences with my friends and adults who listened to my questions. I drew on bulletins and colored Bible story pages on while sitting on the pew beside my mother listening to my father’s sermons. We learned Bible stories, heard about how God’s love is experienced by people close by and around the world, and sang lots of songs. During my years in youth group, church buildings became places where I enjoyed good friends, discussed questions, played sports, sang in youth choir, formed relationships with faith models, and learned about leadership. Within a church building, as we became an inter-racial church, I learned that all people have most things in common, but we focus on our differences too much. So many memories. What are yours?

St. John’s, when I walk through our church’s buildings, I see more than rooms or furniture or pews. I see sacred space where the spirituality of children is being formed. I see rooms where youth are learning to live honest faith. I see hallways where hugs and smiles are shared. I see pews where people pray and sing to The Living God. I see musical instruments that inspire, social space echoing with laughter, and classrooms where adults truly search for spiritual growth and authenticity.

Beloved, as you set your sights on the end of this summer, I encourage you to return to our church buildings on a regular basis. Please understand I am not encouraging you to gather within the walls of our church buildings because I need you to do so. My challenge is based upon your need to rediscover spiritual growth by participating with your sisters and brothers of this wonderful church in our buildings. I would be a terrible shepherd if I didn’t remind you sheep that you are a flock. You are not merely disconnected scattered individual sheep. Two years of separation from one another in our buildings is enough! As the Church, you will find spiritual growth within the sacred space of our buildings.

Gathered Church, I expect to see you soon!

Have you heard about the 2022

Global Missions Offering?

2022 Goal: $25,000

Received: $8,940

This year, we are supporting the Nyarweng School in South Sudan as well as Project Ruth to support those affected by the war in Ukraine.

$20,000 will go to support Nyarweng School

$5,000 will go to Project Ruth

You can give towards this goal today by donating online and specifying Global Missions (button below), or by writing "Global Missions" in the memo line on your check.

Give to Global Missions

A Church Staff Update

We have some important updates regarding our awesome church staff. Please take some time to read these updates by clicking the green button below.

Although we have experienced some changes, we are doing well and will emerge this autumn with a full and strong staff.

Read About Staff Updates

Youth In-Town Mission Immersion Trip

August 6-9

In early August, our youth will participate in a mission immersion trip right here in Charlotte. This will be a great way for our new Minister for Youth and Young Adults, Haley Blackwell, to be introduced to our youth.

Throughout the city, they will attend worship and do a work project at Hope Chapel, do a stream clean-up of our part of Little Sugar Creek, deliver meals and work in the warehouse for Loaves & Fishes/Friendship Trays, work to prepare bundles for newborn babies at Baby Bundles - Clothing Newborns With Love, sort clothes at Crisis Assistance Ministry, and tie-dye shirts for St. John’s participants to wear to the Charlotte Pride Parade.

Thank you to the congregation of St. John’s for their support of Youth Mission experiences. Our last mission auction was in 2019 and helped to support both 2019 mission trips and both 2022 mission trips.

Painting Donated by Tony Griffin

We are so excited to be the recipients of this painting, American Gothic, by our friend and renowned painter, Tony Griffin.

Tony was kind enough to donate this beautiful work of art to the church. Over the next few weeks, the painting will be displayed in a prominent place. This special work will add greatly to the ambience of our space.

Women of the Church Luncheon

Save the date and mark your calendars for the 2022 Women of the Church Luncheon after worship on Sunday, September 18!

More details to come.

Ice Cream Social on August 21

St. John's is going to host an ice cream social on August 21 directly after worship. We will have food trucks as well as ice cream with ALL the toppings.

After lunch, we will participate in the Charlotte Pride Parade in Uptown Charlotte.

If you would like to sign up to make homemade ice cream please reach out to Meg Bond 980-225-2824.

Friday night at the shelter was a success!

Thank you to Lynn for buying and delivering the food. Thank you to Jim, Jane, Becky and James for serving.

Thank you to Fredda, Carol Johnson, Barbara, Mary Jo, Cathy, Becky, Jane Starnes, Jane Winn, Alice and Carol Snyder for puddings.

Check your calendar for our next meal: Friday, August 19.

Will you consider signing up for this great cause?

Click on the button below to sign up for service to our neighbors.

From the Heritage Room

A few more notes before leaving our celebration of the 1950’s at St. John’s—

-- In 1954, when the Supreme Court issued its ruling in Brown vs. Education” in which the court ruled that state laws establishing racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional, Dr. Broach preached a sermon entitled “The Christian Conscience and Segregation” in support of the ruling. The sermon was endorsed and appreciated by most; however, to those who opposed his support for the Court’s ruling, Dr. Broach said, “For their right to differ, I will contend heartily, and cordially. The freedom of dissent is vital in our Baptist heritage. It is a sign of life. If we maintain the spirit of love, our differences are stimulating but no divisive”.