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In this week's Family News (Scroll to Learn More):
- Dennis's Article
- Winter Wear and Other Items Collection for Western NC
- Friendsgiving Lunch & Thankful Art Party for Children and Families
- CBF Regional Gathering on November 21
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Room in the Inn Begins Soon!: Sign up here
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Anniversary Book Pre-Orders Open Now!: Order here
- Ushers & Greeters Needed
- Sound and Livestream Volunteers Needed
- Brotherhood of the Biscuit on November 15
- Join the Chancel Choir for Advent & Christmas
- Youth News for November
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Lunch with Santa!: Register here
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Parents Night Out on December 20: Register here
- Common Table Christmas Gala on December 5
- WDAV Lessons & Carols on Tuesday, December 3
- Senior Adult Christmas Luncheon
- Prayer List, Sympathy, Thanks, and Celebrations
- Financial Update & Hurricane Helene Fund Update
- Minister On Call Schedule
- Staff Contact Info
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A PLACE KISSED WITH SINCERE HUMILITY
by Dennis W. Foust, Senior Minister
During my first trip to Israel, we entered Bethlehem as two truckloads of Israeli soldiers arrived. Thirty-six armed soldiers ran through the area looking for someone who had threatened the peace of the area. Our vehicle was searched along with all others in the area. Eventually an all-clear signal was given and the soldiers loaded up and left.
We entered the Church of the Nativity, through ‘the eye of the needle.’ This is not a literal needle; it is a small doorway with a low door header. Unless you bend down, almost into a squat, you cannot maneuver through the opening. This refers to a narrow and low opening making it difficult for intruders or bandits to enter a city or a sanctuary on horseback or camelback.
Once we were inside the Church of the Nativity, the ceilings were high, and the areas were spacious. Numerous chapels allowed for a variety of traditions to offer prayers as well as a few vendors to sell their wares. Within those walls, you could purchase beautiful nativity figurines, nativity carpets, nativity calendars, nativity jigsaw puzzles, etc. It made us remember Jesus and the moneychangers.
Eventually, through the tourist groups and noise, we meandered to a place where someone long ago determined was the place where Mary gave birth to Jesus. I’m not sure whether it was in that exact spot. It was a small grotto or cave. The place was marked long ago as the exact place where the infant Jesus first appeared among us. I am not convinced it was the precise place.
However, I am convinced that place draws awe and sincerity from those who kneel there. Older women from Italy kissed that place as holy ground. An older couple from Spain held one another’s hands and helped each other bow before the place set aside to acknowledge that God has come to us in humility. An entire family from Ireland held hands and prayed. Then the grandmother knelt and kissed the place marked for Jesus’ birth. Three couples from Iowa kissed their fingers and touched the holy shrine.
As we left the Church of the Nativity, I reflected on how that place drew such authentic worship from a diverse crowd. My cynicism was thwarted as I embraced how God’s love had been embodied in the life of Jesus and how this one life evokes such adoration. Whether that is the very place where Jesus was wrapped in swaddling cloths is not important. What is of value is that his life inspires at least one place on planet earth to be kissed with sincere humility.
As you consider your financial investment in ‘God’s Work: Our Gifts’ for 2025, you may just approach your decision as ink marks on a campaign card. Or you may approach this commitment as a sacred moment to be kissed with sincere humility.
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Winter Wear and Other Items for those affected by Helene
As we continue to support those affected by Hurricane Helene, we are asking you to:
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Please consider donating winter wear such as coats, hoodies, gloves, hats, and scarves.
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Please donate self-rising flour and sugar. We have been made aware that these items are needed in Mars Hill and surrounding areas.
All items can be placed in the Giving Nook in the Main Entrance Lobby.
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Friendsgiving Lunch & Thankful Art Party
REGISTER BY TODAY!
All children and their families are invited to bring their favorite sweet or savory pie and artistic skills to Broach Hall immediately following worship on Sunday, November 17, where we will join Cindy Osborne for a Friendsgiving Lunch and Thankful Art Party.
Cindy, a retired art teacher, will guide our children and their families to create a harvest printmaking project using paints and vegetables for printing.
Our event is free, but registration is required. Please register by Thursday, November 14.
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Room in the Inn Begins in December!
For the 2024-25 season, St. John's and our partners at Caldwell Presbyterian Church will again jointly host 8 homeless neighbors vetted by Roof Above within the Room in the Inn (RITI) program on TEN Friday/Saturday nights.
Caldwell volunteers (plus van drivers from St. John's) will host at Caldwell on the third Saturday night of December through March while St. John's volunteers will host on the second and fourth Fridays of those months at St. John's.
RITI hosting at St. John's will begin on Friday, December 27 and runs through Friday, March 14, 2025. Just as information, St. John's members are needed to drive our van for BOTH churches on all TEN hosting nights and the following mornings. The signup list below includes van driver signups for ALL TEN hosting nights and the following mornings.
Please contact Dale Johnson at 704-454-8931 or Alice Wirz at 704-222-6208 if you have any questions on any of these tasks.
Thank you for your support for Room in the Inn at St. John's!
If you would like to go ahead and sign up, please do so below.
Dates for this season:
- 12/27/24
- 1/10/25
- 1/24/25
- 2/14/25
- 2/28/25
- 3/14/25
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The St. John’s 100th Anniversary Book is ready to send to the printer!
Pre-order your copy today!
Copies need to be pre-ordered at a cost of $20. The deadline date is December 1.
Pre-orders can be made at a table in the alcove behind the Sanctuary for the next three Sundays (cash or check) and also through Realm.- Events Section. Look for this in the Events section on Realm or click below.
Please contact Fredda Kimball if you have any questions.
In addition to “Our Story” written by Sally Young, the 220-page book also includes articles, among others, about the Elizabeth Neighborhood in the early 20th Century, the History of our Building, Music at St. John’s, Women at St. John’s. St. John’s and Habitat for Humanity, Youth at St. John’s, and St. John’s and the Lost Boys. It also includes remembrances and reflections from members and from our current and previous staff members.
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Join the usher and greeter team!
The church is seeking additional members to volunteer and serve as morning greeters and ushers for the upcoming 2025 year.
This is an excellent opportunity to greet and meet current and new members while serving the church. Couples, friends, or members of your Sunday School Class can be assigned together. You can volunteer to serve on a rotating or substitute basis. All are welcome.
The greeters serve from 10:05 am to 10:35 am at both the Broach Hall and Main (Gym) Entrances (1 person per entrance).
The ushers serve from 10:05 am to 10:35 am inside the Narthex (2 persons) and inside the sanctuary entrance near the piano (1 person).
If interested, please contact Chip Wilson at seatimewilson@gmail.com for more information.
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Volunteer on the soundboard and livestream on Sundays!
Do you have talents in the area of tech and video?
Volunteers are needed to help run sound and video live stream during worship on Sunday mornings. This is a vital ministry of our church. If you are interested in training on the system, please get in touch with Russell Nelson.
Email: rnelson@sjcharlotte.org; Call/Text: (980) 228-6244.
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Brotherhood of the Biscuit
The Brotherhood of the Biscuit will meet again on Friday, November 15 at 6:30 am in the church lounge. Our guest speaker this month will be Norris Frederick and he will share a little about his life, faith, and work as a philosophy professor at Queens University. Please email Lee Gray at LGray@sjcharlotte.org if you plan to join us.
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Join the Chancel Choir for Advent & Christmas!
If you would like to make a short-term commitment to the Chancel Choir for our Christmas season, now is the time to join us!
If you can join us on Wednesday nights for all of November and part of December, there’s a place for you. We will present a full service of music on Sunday, December 15.
Please contact Russell Nelson if you are interested or have questions.
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Youth News for November
Discipleship Class this Sunday Night
This Sunday, November 17, youth will have a Discipleship Class hosted by Dennis Foust and Lee Gray, with special guests Ken Benton and Ethel Haris who will share what St. John’s has meant to them throughout the years.
Thank you to Debbie Pittman for providing dinner this Sunday!
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Lunch with Santa
December 8 after Worship
Have lunch with Santa after worship on December 8 from 11:30am-1:00pm.
Lunch is free. Monetary donations to our church’s Designated Fund for Hurricane Relief will be accepted.
Save your spot with Santa by Wednesday, December 4th!
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Parents' Night Out in December
Friday, December 20, 2024 6:00 pm Gym Parents, drop your kids off at church from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. on Friday, December 20, where we will jump in bounce houses, play games, and watch The Grinch!
The cost of the event is $10 per child, which will help cover the costs associated with dinner.
Childcare for babies - two years of age will be provided by Mon Aye and Zebb Young, WDS teachers.
Sign up by December 16!
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Common Table Christmas Gala
When: Thursday, December 5, 6:30-9pm
Where: Sugar Creek Brewing Company, 215 Southside Dr., Charlotte, NC 28217
Tickets: $50 per person
You're invited to celebrate the gift of the Christmas season, enjoying an evening full of community, joy, and belonging. Your evening will include delicious hors d'oeuvres, access to a cash bar, and entertainment while learning more and supporting Common Table, a new and growing ministry of St. John's Baptist Church bringing the Good News out from our churches to a new community of seekers and believers. We will join with other local churches in celebrating this new ministry, which since the Spring, has already reached more than 70 people, personally connected with more than 50 people, and is steadily growing a collection of nearly two dozen repeat guests into a community of friends who value faith and fellowship. All proceeds will benefit this new ministry’s second year of operating costs in 2025. Tickets are $50.
Purchase your tickets and get more details on sponsorship opportunities at commontableclt.com/#gala
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WDAV Lessons & Carols Live from St. John's
Celebrate the holiday season with the Charlotte Master Chorale Chamber Singers as they lead WDAV’s annual program of carols and holiday music, illuminated by scripture readings. Tune in at home or join us in person as we welcome the season in song.
Free parking is available on-site in St. John’s Baptist Church’s parking lots and on the adjoining side streets.
This event is FREE and open to the public.
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Save the Date for the 2024 Senior Adult Luncheon
Date: Thursday, Dec. 5th
Time: 11:30am - 1:00pm
Place: Broach Hall
More details to follow
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Basketball Games Begin December 7
Below is the practice schedule for all ages:
Practice Times for all teams:
6U Co-Ed - Mondays at 5:00 pm
7-8 Boys (Cardella) - Tuesdays at 6:00 pm
7-8 Boys (Lassiter) – Mondays at 7:00 pm
7-8 Girls - Mondays at 6:00 pm
9-10 Boys (Short) - Thursdays at 6:30 pm
9-10 Boys (Barnhardt/Thompson) - Thursdays at 5:30 pm
9-10 Girls - Tuesdays at 7:00 pm
11-12 Girls - Wednesdays at 5:15 pm
16-18 Girls - Wednesdays at 6:45 pm
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Prayers, Thanks, and Celebrations
Current Prayer Concerns: Shirley Ballard, Pauline Funderburk, Arnold Philemon, Ken Sanford
Continuing Prayer: Tom Bryson, Carolyn Hall, Mary Rickenbaker, Anne Sutton, Jeck Warren
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Financial Update
2024 Full Year Budget: $1,211,000
Income Received Through November 11: $941,263 (78%)
Western North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund
Received through November 11: $13,765
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Staff On-Call Rotation
- November 4-10: Russell
- November 11-17: Lee
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Staff Contact Information
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Rev. Dennis Foust, PhD, Senior Minister - 704-359-7234 (cell); 704-333-5428, ext. 2012
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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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Russell Nelson, Minister for Worship & Music - (980) 228-6244 (cell)
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Mallory Brown, Media Coordinator - 704-477-3349 (cell)
- Chloe Hall, Children's Choir Director
- Noel Lance, Organist
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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
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