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In this week's Family News (Scroll to Learn More):
- From Dr. Don Gordon: The Bridge
- Introducing Stephen Davis
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Rise Against Hunger, THIS SUNDAY! September 28: Sign Up Now!
- Stewardship 2026
- Thursdays on the Town, October 9
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CROP Hunger Walk, October 19: Sign Up Now!
- Fall Festival, October 26
- Basketball Registration is Coming
- Men's Shelter Volunteering
- Get Your Key Fob!
- MeckMin Friendsgiving
- Global Mission Offering Update
- Fall Churchwide 2025 Save the Dates
- Prayer List, Sympathy, Thanks, and Celebrations
- Financial Update
- Minister On Call Schedule
- After Hours On Call Schedule
- Staff Contact Info
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The Bridge
by Dr. Don Gordon, Interim Minister
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If you want to know what I’ll be doing as the interim senior pastor over the next year, consider me a bridge. Not the Golden Gate Bridge — the most iconic in America. Not the George Washington Bridge — the busiest in the world for vehicle traffic. Instead, think of a pontoon bridge: one that can be assembled quickly, used for a time, and then disassembled and placed elsewhere.
I see my role as a bridge between your former pastor and the new pastor you will soon call. A pontoon bridge isn’t valued for its beauty, like the Golden Gate, or for its massive capacity, like the George Washington. Its value lies in its simple functionality: getting people and cargo safely from one side to the other. In the same way, I am here to help you move faithfully toward your next pastor and be ready to welcome her or him when the time comes.
Some basics of pastoral ministry will guide my time with you. I will preach regularly, proclaiming the beauty of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and its many implications. I will offer pastoral care and support to staff and congregants, in partnership with your ministerial staff and commissioned caregivers. I will assist church teams and committees as needed, especially the pastor search team.
How do we measure success in such a ministry? Ultimately, it will be measured at the landing. Did St. John’s call a pastor well-suited to lead this congregation into the second quarter of the 21st century? That’s the goal. Along the way, I also hope we experience the power of God’s presence in worship. I hope we continue to be the hands and feet of Jesus in Charlotte (and in Sudan) as we seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God. And I hope we don’t merely wait for the next pastor, but instead practice living faithfully and joyfully now.
We may not yet know who our next pastor will be, but we do know the Good Shepherd. And he certainly knows us.
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Welcome to Stephen Davis!
Welcome to our new part-time Office Assistant, Stephen Davis. Stephen is a church member who started working with us on September 15. His hours are 10 am to 2 pm Monday through Thursday. If you call in during this time you may get to talk to him.
Welcome Stephen, we're happy to have you here!
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Rise Against Hunger - THIS SUNDAY! September 28 | |
We’re coming together to pack 15,000 meals for families in need around the world!
Partnering with Rise Against Hunger, an international humanitarian organization, we’re joining a global movement to end hunger by empowering communities, nourishing lives, and responding to emergencies. Since its founding, Rise Against Hunger has packaged and distributed over 600 million meals to countries worldwide.
This is a unique, family-friendly way to make a real impact — join us and be part of something bigger!
Register Today by visiting the link here!
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STEWARDSHIP 2026:
Rooted in Faith, Growing in Purpose
This fall, we invite you to reflect on how your generosity helps St. John’s grow in purpose and deepen its impact. Our stewardship theme for the 2026 budget year is “Rooted in Faith, Growing in Purpose.” It’s a celebration of what we’ve built together — and a call to continue nurturing the mission we share. Commitment Sunday will be held during worship on November 9. Mark your calendar and begin considering your pledge for the coming year. Let’s keep the momentum going — with joy, wisdom, and faith!
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Thursdays on the Town at Urban District Market
Families, join us on Thursday, October 9, 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., at the Urban District Market for good food and fellowship! There is something for everyone, so bring the kids! Register soon!
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The Charlotte CROP Hunger Walk is back — and we're hungry for a win!
Join us for the 47th annual Charlotte CROP Hunger Walk on Sunday, October 19, 2025, at Providence Baptist Church (4921 Randolph Rd.).
The Charlotte CROP Hunger Walk is more than a walk — it’s a movement of compassion and hope. Rooted in the belief that no one should go hungry, we walk to fight poverty, the leading cause of hunger, and to stand with those working toward a better future.
Through community-driven fundraising, we educate, inspire, and empower people across Charlotte to take meaningful action — supporting both local families in need and global communities striving for self-sufficiency. Every step we take brings hope. Every dollar we raise plants seeds of dignity and opportunity. Join us — and help turn compassion into action.
For nearly 50 years, St. John’s has walked the walk — literally — to fight hunger and poverty locally and globally. This community-powered event raises funds for Church World Service and local heroes like Crisis Assistance Ministry, Nourish Up, and Second Harvest Food Bank. 25% of what we raise stays right here in Charlotte.
For nearly 20 years, Charlotte ruled the CROP Walk world raising more money than any other CROP Walk — until Durham strutted in and stole our crown. Last year, SJBC raised $10,000. In 2025, we're coming for more — and taking the title back. Let’s help put Charlotte back on top where she belongs!
Details:
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Lunch at Broach Hall: After worship, 11:30 AM
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Walk check-in: 1:00–2:00 PM
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Walk starts: 2:00 PM
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Options: Surrounding neighborhood walk or a shorter campus track
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Extras: Plenty of parking, a bouncy house, and activities for the kiddos
Can’t walk? No worries — you can still donate, sponsor a walker, or join as a “Spirit Walker” and fundraise from wherever you are!
Join Team SJBC and help end hunger — one step at a time. Click the button to register. Let’s do this, St. John’s!
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2025 Fall Festival and Trunk-or-Treat
We need volunteers for our Fall Festival and Trunk or Treat community event on Sunday, October 26, 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. at SJBC. How can you volunteer?
- Provide your vehicle that you can decorate.
- Candy, stickers, pencils, etc. as treats for your trunk.
- You in costume, too!
Only Register 1 person per vehicle.
Please sign up by October 22.
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Basketball Registration is Coming!
Registration for St. John’s children and youth basketball teams will go live on September 30th. Look for the link in next week's Family News. Contact Lee Gray at LGray@sjcharlotte.org if you have any questions.
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Men's Shelter Volunteering
St. John's members and friends are invited to serve each month at the Men's Shelter on Tryon Street. We serve on the third Friday of every month! We need servers and banana pudding. Get more information and signup for upcoming serving dates. You may also call Jim Keesee.
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Get Your Church Key Fob!
Maintain your access to the church while ensuring the safety and security of our campus
As you know, St. John's has many doors, and it feels quite porous on Sunday mornings with all of them unlocked. The Safety and Security Task Force is trying to balance our desire to be hospitable with our need to be safe and secure. While we have greeters assigned to certain doors, it is not easy to staff every door, and sometimes volunteers do not report for their duty. (Our God is forgiving!)
Therefore, in the future, you may find that a fob would come in handy. On Sunday mornings, if you arrive at an unattended, locked door, you will still be able to get in via the Broach or Main Entrance by using a fob. (The Narthex doors will be open starting at 10 am.)
Here is how to order your fob today!!
- Key Fob forms can be found outside of Amanda's Office, in the Main Entrance Lobby, and the Broach Entrance Lobby Newsstands.
- Please fill out the form and place it in the white After Hours/Sunday Morning drop box beside Amanda's office.
- You may pick up your new key fob the following Sunday from the Reception Office behind the Sanctuary near the 5th Street Entrance. You can also pick it up by contacting Amanda and coming by the church office during the week.
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MeckMin Friendsgiving: November 20
For fifty years, Mecklenburg County’s diverse faith communities have gathered each fall in a spirit of unity, gratitude, and service. What began in 1975 as one of the Southeast’s first interfaith Thanksgiving services — initiated by Rev. Dr. Sidney Freeman of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Charlotte and Rabbi Harold Krantzler of Temple Beth El — has blossomed into a vibrant annual tradition.
Now reimagined as the Mecklenburg Interfaith Friendsgiving, this celebration reflects the rich cultural diversity and deepening interfaith connections of the region. This year’s event will take place on Thursday, November 20, 2025, at 6:00 PM at Myers Park Baptist Church (1900 Queens Rd., Charlotte, NC 28207).
Centered around the themes of Unity in Diversity, Gratitude, and Shared Humanity, Friendsgiving offers a family-friendly, welcoming space for all. Attendees will enjoy:
- A Ukrainian children’s dance team
- A local high school singer-songwriter
- Sikh musicians
- An African “drum call”
- Art and cultural displays from local Turkish, Ukrainian and Haitian communities
- An international buffet featuring global cuisine
This event is more than a celebration — it’s a powerful statement of solidarity at a time when spaces that celebrate diversity are increasingly rare and urgently needed.
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Global Mission Offering Update
Inspired by teaching under a tree on his first visit home, Lubo dreamed of a permanent primary school in Nyarweng. With St. John’s mentor Phillips Bragg and Patricia Shafer of the nonprofit Mothering Across Continents, the “Raising South Sudan” campaign was born.
Results so far:
- Two primary schools (Nyarweng & Gumriak) now educate 1,000+ children each year and routinely place in the top five for exam performance in their counties.
- Teacher dorms, solar wells, and a feeding program were added; the third campus in Aliap is slated to open in 2025.
- Annual operating cost ≈ $200,000 (≈ $250 per student); graduates from the first cohort returned in 2024 as tablet-equipped teaching fellows—evidence that education is already “multiplying hope.”
St. Johnsians, please let’s keep this ministry strong at the Nyarweng School in South Sudan through generous giving by September 30! The children and teachers of Nyarweng need our support and Christ calls us to respond to their need and to be peacebuilders in the world.
Global Missions Offering Goal - $23,000
Amount Received through August 27 - $18,325
| | You can give online quickly, easily, and securely! Choose "Global Mission" in the "Fund" dropdown menu. | | |
Fall 2025 Churchwide Save The Dates: |
- All Saints Sunday, November 2
- NAMI Walk Saturday, November 8
- Friendsgiving, November 16
- WDAV Lessons & Carols, December 2
- Hanging of the Green & Nativity Play with Lunch, December 7
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Prayer List, Sympathy, Thanks, and Celebrations | |
Current Prayer Concerns:
Mary Jo Breckenridge, Joe Trull
Continuing Prayer:
Anna Lynn Kearse, Mary Rickenbaker
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2025 Full Year Budget – $1,241,000
Budgeted Income thru August 31 - $827,333
Actual Income Received thru August 31 - $802,636
Actual Expenses Paid thru August 31 - $818,022
Global Missions Offering - $23,000
Income Received thru August 27 - $18,325
| | Minister On Call Schedule |
- Sept. 22 - 28: Kheresa
- Sept. 29 - Oct. 5: Don
- Oct. 6 - 12: Lee
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Staff Contact Information
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Dr. Don Gordon, Interim Minister - 704-333-5428, ext. 2012; 919-972-1933 (cell)
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Rev. Lee Gray, Minister for Congregational Care - 704-333-5428, ext. 2015; 704-451-1309 (cell)
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Rev. Kheresa Harmon, Minister for Children & their Families - 704-333-5428, ext. 2018; 910-890-3392 (cell)
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Noel Lance, Minister for Worship & Music
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Amanda Morrison, Church Administrator - 704-333-5428, ext. 0
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Lydia Olmsted, Weekday School Director - 704-333-5428, ext. 2039
- Chloe Salmeron, Children's Choir Director
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Liza Tindall, Media Coordinator
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