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In this week's Family News (Scroll to Learn More):
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From Dr. Don Gordon: A Walk in the Woods
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Update from the Pastor Search Team: This Sunday, April 26
- No Sunday School for Nursery, Preschool, and Elementary Children on Sunday, April 26
- Sundaes on Sunday: April 26 at 11:30 AM
- Youth Mission Auction Update
- On The Way: April 30
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Softball Season Announcement
- Message from Church Council: Leadership Proposal
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Finding Home - 25th Anniversary Luncheon of Lost Boys Coming to the USA: May 17! RSVP Now!
- Save the Date: Children’s Paint Party at Noah’s Art: June 6
- Children's Sunday School: Summer Edition
- Nursery Assistance Needed for Summer and Beyond
- Personnel Resource Team Update
- Prayer List, Sympathy, Thanks, and Celebrations
- Financial Update
- Minister On Call Schedule
- Staff Contact Info
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A Walk in the Woods
by Dr. Don Gordon, Interim Minister
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When I first proposed facilitating a walk in the woods with the St. John’s congregation last fall, I didn’t realize how much I would need it when the day finally arrived. This past Saturday 13 humans and 2 dogs gathered at James Boyce Park for a C3 Nature walk. C3-Christians Caring for Creation is the 501c3 non-profit I began 6 years ago to help people love God and neighbor by loving all God’s creation. C3 is sponsoring these nature walks around the country to encourage people to experience the glory, awesomeness, wonder and wildness of God.
I, for one, needed a walk in the woods Saturday morning. My return home from an early morning car wash was disrupted by the half-marathon winding its way around and through the South Park area of Charlotte. Everywhere I turned I was blocked by orange cones and police officers. I was trapped like a mouse in a room full of cats. Though I had given myself plenty of time, I slowly began to stress out about missing the C3 Nature Walk I had initiated.
After an agonizingly long wait, I finally made it to the park for the walk. After some initial greetings, a taste of apple fritters brought by Rick Walker, we read Psalm 24:1 “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it,” said and prayer and dispersed into the woods. I took Norman, my 90 pound sheepadoodle with me on a narrow trail away from other human beings. I let Norman off the leash so he could chase some squirrels and release his own tension. My tension, too, slowly ebbed out of my body like rain running through pebbles into a flowing creek. My frustration subsided, my shoulders unclenched with each step on the dirt and each inhalation of pine purified air. I was undergoing my own emotional makeover, brought about by God’s creation.
When our group finally gathered for a parting reflection, we stood in a circle and recounted what we had seen, heard and smelled. Debbie Pittman showed us a photo of a 6 foot long black snake that was out enjoying nature like the rest of us. Steve Hoffman brought back a flowering bud of a poplar tree as a treasure for all. And sweet little Joy Follis spoke up and out farther than would be expected of any 4 year old, “I saw a red cardinal. I named him Reddy!” All of these people, and those who didn’t speak, had participated in an important spiritual exercise – Observation. Paying attention to the natural world is one of the ordinary ways God speaks to us and sometimes heals us. Psalm 19:1 reminds us, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” The message of God coming to us-- through a snake, a tree, a bird-- can stimulate us, awaken us to his presence and heal our anger. We don’t need a Bible for this. We just need to enter into the wonders of God’s unfathomable natural world.
I experienced a sense of healing being out in God’s world this Saturday. I believe others may have as well. If you are feeling stressed, uptight, angry or sad, God’s, I encourage you to get out in nature, out of your controlled environments, into the wild and wonderful world God has created for his glory and your pleasure.
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Update from The Pastor Search Team (PST)
This Sunday, April 26, we are excited to present our candidate for Senior Minister at 9:15 a.m. in Broach Hall. Children of all ages are welcome to attend. Please note that childcare will not be provided that morning so that our volunteers may participate in this special time.
The search team will offer a 30-minute presentation, followed by 30 minutes for questions and discussion. Afterward, we will move to the sanctuary for worship.
In keeping with SJBC tradition, we will hold a church conference this Sunday, April 26. At the request of our ministers, this will take place at the conclusion of the worship service to avoid disrupting the livestream.
How will this work?
Following the service, we will have a brief intermission to allow guests to depart, families to pick up their children, and childcare volunteers to join us in the sanctuary. We will then reconvene for the vote. All members present are eligible to vote, which will be conducted by a show of hands.
We are grateful to be part of this sacred moment in the life of St. John’s and look forward to seeing you this Sunday, April 26!
Grace and peace,
Leslie Bragg
Chair, Pastor Search Team
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| During the churchwide Q/A session on April 26, nursery and Sunday school classes for children will NOT be held. Children of all ages are invited to attend the Q/A session. Nursery will be provided during the worship hour. Worship care for preschool children will be available as well. | | |
Sundaes on Sunday: April 26
Children and families, let’s make sundaes on Sunday! Join us in Broach Hall following worship on Sunday, April 26 for an ice cream sundae bar. After a sweet treat, we will make door decor for 32 families living at the Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte. Register here by April 24.
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YOUTH MISSION AUCTION UPDATE
The Youth Mission Auction was a huge success! After looking at preliminary numbers, it looks like we exceeded our goal and raised over $31,000!!! I'm beyond amazed!! Everyone came together to make this possible - the Auction Committee, our kitchen crew, our emcees, event day volunteers, and of course the congregation that came out and supported our efforts! The youth and I are incredibly grateful for your support. I will make sure to update you as we receive more definite financials on the event as well as updating you on our final plans for mission projects coming up this summer!
— Lindsay Wilson
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On The Way: April 30
St. John’s retired adults and friends will be On The Way to Lexington Barbecue for lunch and a train ride at the North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer on Thursday, April 30. Please email Lee Gray at LGray@sjcharlotte.org by Sunday, April 26 at the latest if you plan to attend. That way, we can provide transportation for everyone from to the church. The cost will be $40 (please pay day of the trip) and will cover your lunch, the train ride and museum entrance, and transportation there and back. Meet at the church at 9 am, and we should return by 4:30 pm on April 30.
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Softball Season Announcement
If you or someone you know is interested in playing softball with St. John’s please let Dan Redding dpredding2@gmail.com or Lee Gray LGray@sjcharlotte.org know. The season runs from May to early August with all games being played at Providence Baptist Church on weeknights from Monday to Thursday. You must be 18 to play, and though most players are male, we do have at least one female on our roster. The competition level is mild to moderate (and the fellowship level is high) with players of varying skill levels. We need a fairly large roster as players go on vacations throughout the summer.
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A Message from Church Council: An Update on the Leadership Structure Proposal
The Church Council would like to extend a sincere and heartfelt thank‑you to everyone who participated in our recent congregational conversations about the proposed leadership structure. Your presence, your thoughtful questions, and your candid feedback at the in‑person discussion on April 12 and the follow‑up Zoom conversation on April 20 were a gift to this process and to our church community.
We received extensive feedback—encouraging, challenging, and deeply constructive—and we want you to know that it is being taken seriously. Many of you shared insights about clarity of roles, accountability, communication, and how any proposed structure can best support the mission and ministries of our church. Others emphasized the importance of pacing, transparency, and making sure that changes feel pastoral as well as practical. We are grateful for the spirit in which this feedback was offered, and we continue to actively incorporate it into the evolving proposal.
We also want to clarify an important point about timing. Despite our having suggested it as a possibility, there will be no vote on the leadership structure proposal before the May Deacons meeting. We heard clearly that the congregation values additional time for discussion, reflection, and understanding, and the Council agrees that this is time well spent.
To that end, we currently plan to hold another congregational discussion session at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, May 3, with additional Zoom opportunities to follow in the weeks after that. These sessions are intended to continue the open dialogue, address remaining questions, and provide space for voices that may not yet have been heard. Additional materials will be circulated prior to these meetings with more detail on the proposed structure and the planned implementation.
And speaking of voices being heard—one message came through loud and clear. When it comes to discussing leadership structures, no one wants to do that on Mother’s Day. Message received. We promise: we will absolutely honor that request. Flowers, brunch, and gratitude will take precedence.
Thank you again for your engagement, your patience, and your care for the life of our church. We remain committed to a process that is thoughtful, inclusive, and faithful, and we look forward to continuing the conversation together.
With gratitude,
The Church Council
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Finding Home - 25th Anniversary Luncheon of Lost Boys Coming to the USA: May 17!
It’s the 25th year since 40 “Lost Boys of Sudan” arrived in Metro Charlotte through a State Department initiative that recognized the resilience of children who fled war and survived a thousand-mile walk to refugee camps.
Learning of the epic journey, St. John's Baptist Church members invited Lost Boys into their community. Relationships grew into enduring friendships, including support for the goal of UNC Charlotte graduate James Lubo Mijak (“Lubo”) to bring education back home.
Inspired by Lubo's dream, 700+ individuals, churches, schools, and foundations have helped open and sustain three primary schools in the Raising South Sudan initiative.
Join Us to Remember, Reflect, Celebrate
Special Lunch Event – Broach Hall
Sunday, May 17, 2026 | 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Worship Service: 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM
RSVP by May 4
tinyurl.com/25-years-together or email: nancyefuller@aol.com
Everyone is Welcome!
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Children's Sunday School This Summer
Kheresa will offer a combined Sunday school this summer for children ages 3+. Volunteers are needed weekly. Please prayerfully consider assisting this summer. Click here to sign up.
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Nursery Needs
The youngest members of our church need you! Would you please prayerfully consider serving one week per month, beginning June 2026-May 2027?
- 2nd Sunday of each month — 2 volunteers are needed
- 5th Sunday of each month — 1 volunteer is needed
Please contact Kheresa (kharmon@sjcharlotte.org) as soon as possible to sign up.
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Personnel Resource Committee Update
As many of you know, our Office Assistant position became available just over a month ago. And recently our Social Media Coordinator, Liza Tindall, made the decision to focus on her full-time position at Shepherd's Center and step down from her role at St. John's. The Personnel Resource team is excited to announce they have identified a wonderful candidate who will perform both duties and that person will begin Monday May 4th. We look forward to sharing more information about that person in the coming weeks. We sincerely thank those who have stepped up over the last few weeks to fill in during this time.
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Prayer List, Sympathy, Thanks, and Celebrations | |
Current Prayer Concerns:
Dale Johnson, Gayla Tyson
Continuing Prayer:
Warren Howell, Anna Lynn Kearse, Vivian Ann Wilson (Jane Lineberger’s sister-in-law)
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2026 Full Year Budget – $1,230,000
Budget thru March - $307,500
Actual Income Received - $257,983
Income over(under) budget - ($49,5517)
Income over(under) prior year - ($37,274)
Actual Income/Expense Surplus (Deficit) - $2,409
| | Minister On Call Schedule |
- Apr. 13-19: Kheresa
- Apr. 20-26: Lee
- Apr. 27- May 3: Don
| | - Todd Stillerman - (704) 763-6611
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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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Kristina Hartzell, Interim Weekday School Director - 704-333-5428, ext. 2039
- Chloe Salmeron, Children's Choir Director
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Liza Wade, Media Coordinator
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