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I cannot remember my childhood home without the presence of that old grandfather clock. It was one of the many furnishings my father bought, at one of the many antique stores he frequented. (He knew every store on the east coast!) He loved antiques, and this clock was one of his prizes. He always kept it wound: those two black weights rising up in the cabinet, then slowly falling over the next week, the weight of gravity and the mechanisms of gears and cogs powering the movement of time. Day and night, the percussion of that slow “Tick… Tock…” permeated the air of my childhood, and on every hour, the clock’s crystal clear bell reminded us that another sixty minutes of life had passed. For guests in our home, every hour of the night must have seemed a hint to “rise and shine” (the bell rings for all to hear!), but for those of us who had gotten accustomed to the attack and decay of each ring, the bell sounded a reminder of progress.

When we moved my parents into their retirement center home, we failed to take proper account of the clock’s delicate inner workings, and, sadly, my father has never heard it keep time again. I’m so sorry. He kept asking, “Can’t you make this thing work?” We never could. It sat silent for five years.

Long ago, as three children had talked about our inheritances from our childhood home, we had agreed the grandfather clock would come to me. (Even broken!) So, last year, when we moved my father into Memory Care, the clock came to Charlotte. It sat silent on Springhouse Lane, but was a tall, stately reminder of all I cherish about my childhood. When Amy and I made plans to move in March, however, I made plans, too: I’m going to get that clock to work.

After it settled in its new home, I asked “the Google” for a clock repair recommendation, and she referred me to Joshua in Monroe. I left a message. He called back: “Text me a few pictures…” In just a few minutes, he returned the picture of the pendulum attachment and told me the pendulum was hanging from the wrong part of the mechanism. Duh! “But that tangle of cable, around one of the weight pulleys… now, that’s going to be tough.”

But after he told me his service call fee, I decided my brother and I needed to learn clock repair! Phillip stood on one side, I stood on the other. Wearing headlamps, and with a tool in each hand, we stared into the mechanism and struggled for 90 minutes, carefully re-wrapping the small cable that attaches to the weight and winds around the pulley, providing the slow, steady force that fuels gears and springs. When the cable was rewound, we loaded the weights and wound them high. We reattached the pendulum, and gave it a swing… And as I type these words, three months later, the “Tick… Tock…” from the other room soothes my soul.

I have two other old pendulum clocks in the house, and I can’t get them perfectly calibrated, so throughout the day and night, the Grandfather rings, then a few minutes later Amy’s mother’s Seth Thomas echoes from a high shelf, followed by the wall clock near the front door. I think it drives Amy a little crazy, but I love it, and I am fascinated: before iPhone set the hour for us, how did anyone calibrate a clock? Each pendulum must be fine-tuned, or 60 minutes becomes 62 minutes or 57 or 65! So, to borrow a line from an old rock ‘n roll classic, “Does anybody really know what time it is? Does anybody really care? About time?”

We care. For several years we have been talking about our timeline with Park Road, and we had figured we have about a half-dozen more years (if you’ll keep us that long). Even with Amy’s recent diagnosis in the picture, we’re hoping that timeline will still hold – and we believe that a new Vision for Park Road – Building. Community. – will be a great way to start the clock ticking on a final chapter together. What time is it?

It’s time to think about the future, to prepare for the next generation, to consider how we might wind up the weights and empower Park Road to remain vibrant and faithful, ringing out the progress of the years, with God walking beside us, every minute of the day.



Please come Sunday. At the end of worship we’ll take a vote on a new Vision.

It’s about time. – Russ

Everything you need to know about the Vision Team’s work can be found on the PRBC website under the Resources menu; then choose Building. Community. We encourage yo u to visit the website and read through the Vision Team’s work, including the FAQ, before the vote this Sunday.

Several weeks ago, I had the chance to sit in the Prayground with some friends. Throughout the service, I saw them looking at different people with curiosity when we would sing, or pray, or recite together, and it made me wonder when it is that you really learn about worship? For many of us, it’s a question we can’t really pinpoint an answer to. It was something you picked up on over time, or you still don’t understand why we do some of the things we do, but when we think about it, what we do in worship probably seems very foreign to a lot of us, especially our Children. I think about how it must make someone feel to sit in a space where nothing has been explained to them about what is happening and know they can’t ask either.

I have always believed it is important for children to be in worship together with adults because the story of faith isn’t segregated by generations; it’s a collective call to action to learn how to be a sanctuary in the world wherever we are, but that does not mean we shouldn’t take special opportunities to learn together when we can. Starting this Sunday, May 31, we’ll offer a special time during worship for the children (and anyone else who wants) to gather in Helt Hall after the children’s time (which will also be earlier in the service this week), so that we can walk through what they’re seeing and practice some of our worship rituals together. At the end of the service, we’ll be waiting in Helt Hall to regather with families. - Caleb

When our Child Development Center was established in 1970, we supported a diversity of children, racially and from a diverse socio-economic demographic. For explainable reasons, we have lost that early diversity; our Center now largely supports children from more affluent families. If the church affirms our new Vision on Sunday, “Building. Community.” we will move to re-establish that diversity by expanding our Center and adding 70 spots for children whose families need financial support. With the funds we raise, and through vouchers and other means, we will again provide affordable childcare on our campus. Thanks to one generous church member, we have been given a headstart on a fund for children – providing a half-tuition scholarship for the child of one of our CDC teachers. This is a preview of things to come, if we move forward with a new Vision. Thank you!

Park Road’s final Book-A-Palooza at Starmount Academy of Excellence for the 2025–2026 school year is on Friday, June 5. We will set up on Thursday afternoon, June 4. We still need volunteers on both days. We have been partnering with Starmount for several years now; it is a Title I school with an enrollment that is over 70% Hispanic. Kids will be allowed to choose five books of their choice for free from the inventory we have. The kids’ excitement at receiving these books is indescribable! It will thrill your hearts!

Click here to volunteer: Book Drive Volunteers: Book-A-Palooza - June 2026

Please join us, on June 3, for our First Wednesday meal and time together around the tables. In our increasingly isolated world, it’s great to have time together, sharing a meal and fellowship face to face. That’s what families do! Please email to make your dinner reservation by Tuesday, June 2, at noon at info@parkroadbaptist.org, or sign up in Helt Hall on Sunday.

I try to mix up our eating opportunities -- some ethnic options, some American cuisine, some casual, and the occasional fine(r) dining experience. That will be us for this next time out. On Friday, June 5, we'll enjoy the ambiance and the finery of the new Laurel Park restaurant in South Park (4201 Congress St., Unit 190). It's not coat-and-tie for lunch, but you may not want to wear your overalls, either! The menu looks wonderful, and if the weather is good, we're hoping for patio seating. Please let us know if you're coming — whether you're riding with us (11:15 a.m.) or joining us there (11:30 a.m.). We need a complete count, so please RSVP by emailing the church office at info@parkroadbaptist.org or by signing up in Helt Hall on Sunday mornings. I'm looking forward to it!  -Russ

Volunteers are needed (and welcome!) at the last Snack Packing event of the school year on Tuesday morning, June 2, from 9:00 until 10:30 in the Youth Building. This initiative supports 100 of our young friends at Starmount Academy of Excellence who are in need of a little nutritional boost each month. If you would like to help with this project, please reach out to Karen Mayer at kmayer57@gmail.com. Thanks in advance for your support!

J

Join us for the next session of PRU’s Ways to Pray: Creativity as Spiritual Practice on Sunday, June 7, at 1:00 p.m., with an optional lunch together at 12:30 p.m. This hands-on workshop explores creative practices as meaningful ways to connect with God through prayer and reflection.

Please RSVP by Sunday, May 31, to help with planning and materials preparation. You may contact the church office, info@parkroadbaptist.org, or sign up on the sheet in Helt Hall beginning this Sunday.

Pool Party - This Sunday, May 31st

Join us Sunday afternoon from 4:00 – 6:30 for our Children and Youth and Families Pool Party. We’ll enjoy some time together, dinner and refreshments will be provided, and Caleb will offer some updates on the Children and Youth Ministry plans as we move into summer. Email or text Caleb for the address.

*Youth - are students who will complete grades 6th– 12th during the 2025-2026 school year.

Baccalaureate Sunday

Mark your calendars for Sunday, June 7th! We will honor our graduates in worship on Baccalaureate Sunday and have some time to celebrate alongside them in the community center following the service (12:10–1:00 p.m.). These seniors have been an integral part of the life and story of Park Road, and we are so excited for all the places, near and far, they will go in this next chapter! Join us to celebrate them right before they graduate!

Unidiversity is Almost Here!

UniDiversity is quickly approaching. Students have already received the seminar and elective choices this week (students choose 2 seminars and 1 elective to participate in during the week) and need to give Caleb their selections by May 17th. If you have not paid yet, the cost for camp is $350 and can be paid by check or online. For questions please contact Caleb .

Regular Scheduled Programing is as follows:

• Sunday Mornings, 10a - Preview (Will pause for the Summer staring June 14th)

*Children - are students who will complete grades K– 5th during the 2025-2026 school year.

Families: Summer Plans Are Coming Soon!

Last year, I learned that less is more in our summer schedule, so this year I’ve decided to keep it simple. We have a week of Youth Camp and a week of Kids Camp, but we will also look to do a family day out at the lake in August, as well as a church-wide outing to the Charlotte Pride parade. We will also look to do a trip to Carowinds and a movie night! Be on the lookout for the summer calendar coming soon! - Caleb

Camp Prism Is Almost Here!

Camp Prism is almost here. We have eleven 3rd–5th graders already signed up and ready to go this year. Registration closes May 25th, so sign up now if you haven’t yet. The cost for the week is $175 and includes all meals and lodging.For questions or more information please contact caleb@parkroadbaptist.org

Regular Scheduled Programing is as follows:

• Sunday Mornings 9:45-10:45am Children's Sunday School (K-5th) (Will pause for the Summer staring June 14th)
• 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)