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On May 31, our congregation affirmed the Five Directives of the Building. Community. vision plan. Over the next five weeks, we'll take a closer look at each directive, exploring the hopes, goals, and ministries they represent. We hope these weekly highlights will continue to help us better understand the vision we have embraced together and how it will shape the future of Park Road Baptist Church.

Directive: Mission: Affordable Child Care

In our previous long-range Visions we used the word “initiative” to describe specific actions intended to come out of the plan. In Building. Community. we have chosen to use the word “Directive,” because of its implication of movement, action, guidance. Our previous Visions really have guided Park Road, making us the church we are today – our facilities, our leadership structure, our stewardship of openness with our campus. We trust Building. Community. will have the same directional impact on the life of our church for the next chapter.

You have now read about the four other Directives that form this new vision, Building. Community. We believe every component of the vision is essential for the continued success, the viability and vitality of Park Road Baptist Church in the coming years. These Directives are connected, interwoven. Supporting our staff helps us support the mission and ministry of the church. Spiritual Discovery will keep us on track as a vibrant community, always exploring, always reaching new heights of understanding. Keeping our campus, grounds and facilities up-to-date, allows us to be the open community we have desired. A program of Outreach for Growth will be essential in helping us to expand our ministries, especially through an expanded Child Development Center.

A generous legacy gift from the estate of Betty and Buck Blankenship initiated this entire conversation about a new Vision. Buck, in particular, was interested in affordable housing. He had served on the Board of Habitat for Humanity, International, and had a long commitment to systems and programs that provide adequate housing. That is where we got our start, and we initially talked about joining the citywide effort to provide affordable housing, by using our land and building a few apartments. But as we talked, listened, prayed, had conversations with folks across our city, the conversation shifted. “Why don’t you lean into what you do best – which is, providing childcare?”

With that question, our conversation shifted, and we realized that we could live into the best of our convictions, help return our CDC to its original mission, and engage in the quest to provide affordable housing, by providing affordable childcare.



While all the details of a new building will be fleshed out by a Building Committee, the overall concept is to construct a new facility for our own children’s and youth ministries, and to expand the capacity of our CDC by 70 children. Those spaces will be filled by subsidized tuitions, working with the YWCA and a non-profit called Care Ring to reach families in financial need, allowing their children to access the quality childcare that we have provided for so long.

Because this Vision is bold and taps into the citywide effort at affordable housing, a number of large corporate donors have expressed interest. We believe there is capacity for a $6 million campaign from the community. Half of the $3 million Campaign for our church will be dedicated to this Directive, bringing the total for the cost of a new CDC building to approximately $7.5 million.



The poet Robert Browning said, “But a man’s reach should exceed his grasp – or what’s a heaven for?” This Directive, and our Vision, “Building. Community.” Will exceed our grasp, but what is a Vision for, if not?

We are excited for all that Building. Community. Means about our congregation’s Vision, our courage to reach out, the effort to remain true to the long-term mission of this congregation, even as we seek to expand the reach of that mission.

As we have walked through this process, we have received nothing but excitement and encouragement. We trust that as we move into the planning and capital fundraising portion, that energy will only strengthen – with our prayers, our efforts, our financial support.

After all… What’s a Vision for? - Russ

It’s time once again for our monthly food collection! On the first Sunday of each month—which is this Sunday, July 5 —we collect nonperishable food items to support the Duncan Community Pantry, a vital ministry serving neighbors in need.

⭐ Top-priority items include (self-opening cans are especially needed):

• Easy-open cans of meat: chicken, tuna, turkey, Spam, Vienna sausages, and more. (Canned meat is always the first to run out.)
• Granola bars, breakfast bars, peanut butter crackers, individual bags of chips and popcorn, shelf-stable fruit cups, and pudding cups (individual snacks)
• Ramen, self-opening cans of soup and chili, individual bowls of mac and cheese that just need water added, and ravioli in a can
• Capri Sun drinks, juice boxes, sports drinks, and other shelf-stable beverages

🛢 Look for the donation bin in Helt Hall during Sunday morning services.

💵 Prefer to give financially? Just note “Duncan Pantry” with your donation.



📌 Kind reminder: Please check expiration dates—no opened, partially used, or expired items, please.

Every year at camp(s) we start our daily debrief with two simple questions: Where did you see God today and where did you see someone being Jesus today? These questions lead our students to not just think abstractly about God in the world but to approach the world with eyes open to the presence of God all around us.

This summer, as we are walking through the parables in worship, I want to find a way for our children, youth, and their families to engage with these stories and some of the other stories Jesus told. Each of our kids and youth families will receive a camp snap camera to be on the lookout for examples of the places where the Kingdom of God is around us!

I've put together a guide to be used as a pseudo-scavenger hunt. I encourage our families to take part in the search together. We will find ourselves in so many different places over the summer, that I think we will be pleasantly surprised to find all the ways in which we experience God in the world. Each box coincides with a parable or example of a lesson from Jesus. The purpose is not to just find and take the pictures but use the guide as an opportunity to look at the world with new eyes, approach every day with the same curiosity as our children, and even read the stories together asking, "What do you think this means?" You can download the Scavenger Hunt here, email Caleb for one to be sent to you, or grab a paper copy from Helt Hall! - Caleb

Every other month on the second Saturday, Park Road volunteers prepare and serve lunch for more than 100 men at the Men's Shelter (1210 N. Tryon St.). Our next opportunity to participate will be on July 11. The work is not difficult, and it's a fun way to get to know some other Park Road members. If you can help on the 11th, please sign up by clicking here or by contacting Dan McClintock:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0945aca92da2fd0-roof#/

Join us for the next session of Ways to Pray: Creativity as Spiritual Practice on Sunday, July 12. The workshop begins at 1:00 p.m., with an optional lunch together at 12:30 p.m.



Please RSVP by Wednesday, July 8 to the church office or to Missy at revmissysolomon@gmail.com. A sign-up sheet will also be available in Helt Hall.

Our monthly Mission Offering for July is in partnership alongside Camp Prism, supporting Christians Caring for Creation (C3), an environmental non-profit that seeks to educate and support local, national, and global efforts to care for the one wild and precious Earth we have. This year for Camp, our 3rd-5th grade students will be walking through the creation narratives in the beginning of Genesis and hearing about why the world around us is our responsibility to care for rather than a place to execute power over. Alongside its advocacy and education emphasis, C3 provides a platform to address the critical environmental issues of our day. C3 challenges people of faith to act boldly in loving God and neighbor by loving all God’s creation. C3 highlights best practices among persons, churches, and organizations which are impacting creation in positive ways. They speak, act, and lead from a multi-generational perspective, recognizing the problems we face will only be solved when every generation joins the effort.

C3 does not engage in partisan politics, though we bear witness to issues that have environmental consequences. We do not pretend caring for creation is the sum of the gospel of Jesus Christ, but we affirm that being a disciple of Jesus includes loving everything God made. Last year we participated alongside C3 in Son-Day as a reminder of the ways in which we are bound together and responsible for all of the natural world around us. Christians Caring for Creation is a 501(c)(3) organization that seeks to encourage and enable Christians of varying traditions to care for the creation we share. 

I hope you’ll join us in walking alongside the Park Road contingent for the Charlotte Pride Parade. We’ll be joining a host of other churches and organizations in the ally march on Sunday, August 16. More details will come in July, but I am working to get ahead on participation, so if you would like to join us, please sign up in Helt Hall or RSVP to the church’s email (info@parkroadbaptist.org). Someone recently mentioned we are lacking in merchandise, so we’ve decided to order some shirts for all who would like one, whether you can attend or not. We will place a bulk order, so please order by July 26 by emailing info@parkroadbaptist.org. When placing your order, please include the size you would like and which front-of-shirt design you prefer. The back design will be the same on all shirts. The cost of the shirts will depend on the total number ordered; however, we expect to have a ballpark price available in the coming weeks. (Youth sizes Small - XL are available.)

Please note that the church office will be closed on Friday, July 3, in observance of the July 4th holiday. Because July 4 falls on a Saturday this year, the holiday will be observed on Friday. We wish everyone a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend and will resume regular office hours on Tuesday, July 7.

The PRBC Child Development Center kicked off the month of July with a festive Fourth of July parade and popsicles! It was a fun way to celebrate together as children, families, and staff welcomed the holiday with smiles and summer spirit.



The CDC staff wishes everyone a wonderful July 4th holiday and a safe, joyful celebration.

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

UniDiversity Is Almost Here!

This year we will explore the book of Micah and look at the systemic injustice, and the call of the church to be a part of the solutions to a lack of empathy and lack of equity in the world around us. Our theme this year is Rise Above, and we will address the shortfalls of the age-old misuse of theology that leads to a belief of exceptionalism and Christian Nationalism. Our 6th–12th graders will join alongside 300 other students from 20 other churches across Virginia, Tennessee, Missouri, Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky, and North and South Carolina on the campus of Maryville College in Maryville, TN. This year we are also partnering with the university to form a long-lasting impact for students on campus throughout the year. We will be donating goods for the food pantry and supply closet on the campus for the use of university students from September–May. If you would like to join in providing any goods for the school, please see the attached list of most needed items for college students! They can be sent directly to the university. If you are one of the families who has a teen participating, and can’t find your schedule and packing list, download them by clicking the links. If you are not going with us but want to support our teens, download the schedule and be in prayer for a great week of learning and fellowship for all involved. If you’d like to pray specifically for our group, you can download our team roster here. If you have any questions please email Caleb.

Regular Scheduled Programing is as follows:

• Sunday Mornings, 10a - Preview
  (Currently paused for the Summer, will return on August 23rd.)

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

Camp Prism is Almost Here!

Camp Prism is Almost here! The year we will explore the opening 4 chapters of Genesis and look at the power of our beginnings and how we are all bound to and connected with our neighbors. We have a great crew of eleven 3rd-5th graders headed to western NC to join with 130 other kids from 10 other churches across North and South Carolina. If you are one of the families who has a kid joining us and can’t find your schedule and packing list, download them here. If you are not going with us but want to support our kids, download the schedule and be in prayer for a great week of learning and fellowship for all involved. If you’d like to pray specifically for our group you can download our team roster here.

Regular Scheduled Programing is as follows:

• Sunday Mornings 9:45-10:45am Children's Sunday School (K-5th) (Currently paused for the Summer, will return on August 23rd.)
• Sunday Mornings 10am-12pm Nursery
• First Wednesdays 5:30pm Dinner/6pm Children's Midweek - The first Wednesday of each month. (No First Wednesday in July)

Coming Up at Park Road

• Sunday Worship

Facebook Live and In-Person - 11am

(Sancutary)

• Sundays

Pickleball - 7:15pm

(Community Center - Gym)

• First Wednesdays (No First Wednesday in July)

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)