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Mission Statement and Purpose

Sardis Presbyterian Church

Building God’s Kingdom

Mission Statement The mission of Sardis Presbyterian Church is to glorify God as we seek to live, express and faithfully demonstrate the Great Commandment and Great Commission of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

The Great Commandment “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind…Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40)

The Great Commission

“Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

The Purposes of the Church

We seek to advance this mission through the God-directed purposes of: Worship Service

Evangelism Discipleship Fellowship

Adopted by the Session April, 2001

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Contents Mission Statement and Purpose ......................................................................................... 1

Annual Statistical Report for 2011 ...................................................................................... 4

Christian Education Ministry -2011 .................................................................................... 5

Clerk’s Ministry 2011 ........................................................................................................... 7

Finance Ministry 2011 ......................................................................................................... 8

Membership Ministry 2011 ................................................................................................. 9

Mission Interpretation Ministry ....................................................................................... 10

Personnel Ministry 2011 ..................................................................................................... 11

Sardis Weekday School Ministry 2011 .............................................................................. 12

Servant Ministry 2011 ....................................................................................................... 14

Stewardship Ministry 2011 ................................................................................................ 15

Worship Ministry 2011 ...................................................................................................... 16

Youth Ministry 2011 ........................................................................................................... 17

Community Service Ministry 2011 .................................................................................... 18

Congregational Life and Care Ministry 2011 .................................................................... 20

Evangelism Ministry 2011 ................................................................................................. 21

Fellowship Ministry 2011 .................................................................................................. 22

Food Service Ministry 2011 ............................................................................................... 23

Sports and Recreation Ministry 2011 ................................................................................ 24

Senior Link Ministry 2011 ................................................................................................. 25

2011 Budget Report ........................................................................................................... 26

2012 Budget ....................................................................................................................... 27

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ANNUAL STATISTICAL REPORT FOR 2011

Membership December 2010 2373

GAINS 2011 Profession of Faith/Reaffirmation of Faith 33

Certificate of Transfer 23

Restored to Active Roll by Session 0

Total gains 56

LOSSES 2011 Certificates of Transfer 29

Deaths 23

Removed by action of session 5

Total losses 57

Membership December 2011 2372

BAPTISMS Infant 22

Adult 3

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CHRISTIAN EDUCATION MINISTRY -2011

Mission Statement: Christian Education seeks to provide creative ways to educate and communicate the Christian faith to all ages in our congregation and community. Our goal is to provide a strong Christian Education program that enables us to grow spiritually, as individuals, and as members of a faith community, and to use this knowledge in service for Christ’s kingdom.

Activities conducted by this Ministry included the following events:

Lenten Breakfasts and Meditation averaged 65 in attendance each week with a series of excellent Lay speakers. Evening series was based on What’s The Least I Can Believe To Be A Christian by Martin Thielen, with Mustard Seed Leaders conducting small group discussions.

Logos, a mid-week program re established as Connect @ Sardis due to scheduling conflicts, includes a choral music component with children singing in church once each quarter. Rainy Day Castle: The Fantastic World of Molly Pickens made up the literary component.

Eight Adult Sunday School Classes are currently being offered:

Miller Peoples

Crossroads

Women’s Bible Study

Bibles, Books, and Topics

JAVA

Men’s Class

Open Door

Reading for Reflection

Sunday School for Babies and Toddlers teach about God’s love through stories and music while Two, Three and Four Year old classes used the curriculum “Wee Believe.” It is difficult contracting teachers for the trimesters of these classes.

Kindergarten through Fifth Grade participated in the popular Rotation Workshop with 3-6 week rotations featuring one Bible story in active multi-intelligent settings, and a rotation of teachers. Shepherds are the constant contact in these classes.

Middle School Students are studying the curriculum “Claim the Life.” Wednesday evenings they meet in Collide with programs provided by Catherine Craley and Richard Ramsey.

Senior Highs meet mid-week in Full House with programs provided by Jason Robbins.

Confirmation Class had an enrollment of 25- 27 and held retreats in the spring at Valle Crucis and September 23-25 at Ocean Isle beach. It was proposed to the Session, and approved, to change the Confirmation Age/Grade from the Ninth Grade to the Eighth Grade beginning with the 2012-13 class.

Worship Orientation class will be revamped by Renda Brinson to better fit the 45 minute class time. This year’s class had 18 students and 75 attended the final breakfast.

TGIW, re-established as Connect@ Sardis, consisted of Soup’s On in January, Dr. Richard Boyce speaking on “Hope in Times of Grief” in February and What’s the Least I Can Believe to Be A Christian by Martin Thielen in March. Shrove Tuesday, March 2, had Renda Brinson and Dr. Jane Fobel hosting a pancake dinner with activities following. A special Global Emphasis Series

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included Sardis Staff leading several programs as well as Actionnel Fleurisma speaking on Haiti and Dr. John Kuykendall of Davidson speaking on “Americans in a New Christian World.”

Enrichment Series on March 4,5,6 was led by Dr. Roger Nishioka with the topic, “A Church For All the Ages”.

Zone 45 consists of approximately 25 Fourth and Fifth Graders performing service projects and enjoying fun and fellowship.

FRIENDS is a program addressing special needs children with church members acting as partners. Sardis hosts summer Camp Holiday for the Down Syndrome Association of Charlotte and conducts a free after-school program for Allegro Foundation.

Vacation Bible School was held July 11-15 with approximately 200 children and 50 adults with “Shake It Up Café” as its theme. The theme for 2012 will be “The Life of Daniel”, as approved by the Session.

Sardis Bible Studies features “Disciples – Jesus In the Gospel” on Tuesday mornings and the book of Hebrews on Thursday mornings led by Renda Brinson. Jane Fobel is conducting a class on Thursday mornings on the book of Isaiah.

The Family Retreat was held September 16-18 at Blue Ridge Assembly in Black Mountain. Due to a low turnout, this event will be held October 19-21 next year.

Mary and Joseph Breakfast was held very successfully on December 3 with Sardis Weekday School, and included a delicious catered breakfast and a family craft. Babysitting was provided until 1 PM for those attending the breakfast.

The Adult Sunday School Council was revitalized under Dr. Jane Fobel.

Worship Bags, for children attending church services and containing sermon related contents, were handed out beginning August 28. Christmas ornaments were included during Advent.

Sunday School offerings have been approved for the following:

January and February – Heifer Project International

March and April – One Great Hour of Sharing

May – Family Promise

June, July, and August – TBD – follow project selected for VB

September and October – Crop Walk

November and December _ RITI

Advent Devotional Booklet, Gathering in Bethlehem, was prepared by Sunday School teachers and other interested church members

Ann Wenzl – CE Chair

Dean Calhoun – CE Vice Chair

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CLERK’S MINISTRY 2011

The Clerk’s Ministry is responsible for assembling and maintaining the membership of the 19 standing ministries of the Session and Diaconate, in addition to the four major sub-ministries: Cemetery/Columbarium, Property, Information Technology, and the Sardis Gift Trust. Clerk’s Ministry considers preferences of officers and church members when making assignments to these various ministries, but is always aware of the church’s need for quality representation and leadership, and these needs will always take precedence in making assignments. Every effort is made to insure that ministries maintain balanced representation and do not remain under control of any interest group, while also encouraging the assimilation of new members into the service of the church.

Clerk’s Ministry is also responsible for annual review of the Ministry Information Forms, insuring that any changes to duties and structure of those ministries are approved by the Session.

In 2011, the Clerk’s Ministry worked for approximately nine weeks beginning in August making personal contacts with potential members for ministries. Over 320 members were contacted resulting in approximately 263 members being assigned to one of the 12 Sessional Ministries, 7 Diaconate Ministries, or one of the 4 Commissions/Trusts for 2012.

In 2012 the Clerk Ministry along with staff, chairs, and Session will be looking into how we might coordinate responsibilities of some of our ministries while more clearly defining each one’s over-all purposes. The report from “Committee on Committees” to be received by the Session in early 2012 will be used as the guiding tool in this process.

The Clerk’s Ministry is always grateful for those members who volunteer to serve in this capacity. Sardis is blessed with many giving and hardworking people.

Jackie Camp

Clerk of Session

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FINANCE MINISTRY 2011

The mission of the Finance Ministry is to monitor the revenues and expenses of Sardis, In accordance with Session policies. The ministry also monitors the key business and accounting processes and systems, plays a key role in the operating budget process, oversees the treasury function (including monitoring the overall banking relationship), and works closely with the Stewardship ministry.

The Ministry’s 2011 activities included:

Reviewed and discussed monthly revenue and expenses

Discussed the Preschool financials.

Participated in the 2011 Budget process

Reviewed the 2010 bank statements

Meeting with the CPA to review the independent auditor’s report for the year ending December 31, 2010.

Monitored credit line for the Sardis house

Met with chair of Sardis Gift Trust and discussed the role it has at Sardis.

Developed monthly cash flow charts.

With 2011 being a tough year for cash flow, the committee spent a lot of time discussing what actions should be taken if the cash flow targets were not met.

Had tremendous involvement from entire committee. In fact, we almost had 100% attendance at every meeting.

Rudy Heintze

Finance Ministry Chairperson

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MEMBERSHIP MINISTRY 2011

The Membership Ministry conducted five, four-week New Member class sessions during January, March, May, September and November. Each session was well attended by individuals of varying ages. The New Member classes provide opportunities to help ensure that the participants become informed about Sardis, get to know members of Sardis staff, and have a consistent group of Sardis members from the ministry to help them acclimate to Sardis programs. The strategy of having the first two classes led by staff, followed by two classes where we discuss various programs and groups within Sardis is well received by the new members. In 2011, we received 34 new members into worship and the congregational life of Sardis through the New Member classes. Sardis also added 19 new members from the 2010-2011 Confirmation Class for a total of 53 new members.

The 2011 format used for the New Member classes remained the same as during 2010. Our classes continued to focus on two important aspects: 1) emphasizing spirituality to help new members further understand who and what GOD is, the importance of faith in a wholesome relationship with GOD and a better understanding of grace and love. This goal was achieved through meaningful lessons led by Alice Johnson during the first two weeks, followed by informal discussion with ministry members, and 2) recognizing that successful assimilation in a church comes from getting involved in church life quickly. This goal was achieved by providing thorough information (both written and oral) about the many programs and opportunities offered at Sardis. Representatives from Stewardship, Christian Education, Mustard Seed Ministries, Servant Ministry and Women’s Circles (started in November) visited with our new members providing useful information. Sardis campus tours were offered to each new member class as well as a presentation of the history of Sardis.

The Membership Ministry continued to be a component of the “Welcome Ministry” along with Evangelism and all of the Diaconate ministries. This ministry is supported by providing volunteers to staff the “Welcome Visitors” table in the narthex for each Sunday service.

As a ministry, we enjoyed serving in additional ways throughout 2011. Ministry members provided meals for Family Promise and Habitat for Humanity. We also provided items for “Welcome Baskets” sponsored by Community Link in both the spring and the fall.

Bobby Smith, Chairperson

Membership Ministry

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MISSION INTERPRETATION MINISTRY

The Mission Interpretation Ministry oversees the benevolent giving of Sardis Presbyterian Church. It assesses the non-profit agencies and organizations and foreign mission projects that receive mission funds. It provides financial assistance and other support to our missionaries and seminary students. It funds Sardis mission projects, both foreign and domestic. During 2011 Sardis Presbyterian Church

1. Supported 34 agencies serving our community. The applications for financial assistance were assessed by members who also made on-site visits.

2. Donated $70,000 to Charlotte Presbytery general benevolence.

3. Supported missionaries in Peru, Brazil, Equatorial Guinea, and Indonesia.

4. Contributed to the support of three Sardis seminarians.

5. Planned with Sardis staff for the ordination of Carson Overstreet, October, 2011.

6. Supported Planting Seeds of Hope, Rama Rd. Elementary School partnership.

7. Donated $1,000 to Church World Service for the annual CROP Walk.

8. Provided $20,000 for home construction, Matthews, NC Habitat for Humanity.

9. Encouraged member support of “The Magic of Christmas” for mission funds in partnership with the Presbyterian Foundation.

10. Organized and staffed the Alternative Gift Market, Advent season.

11. Encouraged offering support for the One Great Hour of Sharing and Joy Gift.

12. Contributed honoraria to seminaries attended by Sardis pastoral staff.

13. Provided mission information emphases in weekly worship bulletins

14. Partnered with Mecklenburg Presbytery for Bayonnais Haiti support at a Charlotte Knights game.

15. Supported ongoing medical assistance in Bayonnais Haiti.

16. Assisted Sardis members in their support of individual school students in Bayonnais Haiti.

Alma Jo Langston, Chairperson

Mission Interpretation Ministry

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PERSONNEL MINISTRY 2011

The mission of the Personnel Ministry is:

To work with the Senior Minister and the Business Administrator to support the Sardis staff, ordained, professional, and lay, so that they may fulfill and support the Sardis mission of Building God’s Kingdom. The ministry is a resource to the Sardis Weekday School Ministry also.

Ministry work includes review of job descriptions, compensation (including Terms of Call), and benefits, and seeing that each staff member participates in the performance dialogue program. It will also periodically review the Personnel Manual and associated documents.

The committee also projects needs for additional staff, helps create job descriptions, encourages use of study leave (and Sabbaticals for ordained staff), and remains sensitive to the morale and growth of individual staff members.

During 2011 the Personnel Ministry:

Added sabbaticals to the terms of call for all ministers in accordance with direction from the Presbytery.

Facilitated the hiring of Richard Ramsey as Director of Contemporary Music

Coordinated the transition of Contemporary music responsibilities

Celebrated a staff appreciation luncheon in May, Pastor Appreciation Month in October, and a staff appreciation breakfast in November

Revised and implemented an updated vacation/time off policy for all Sardis staff.

Supported Rev. Craley in her education for the Doctor of Ministry degree

Supported Dr. Kort during his sabbatical

Prepared and served meals for our Room in the Inn program

Served as Ushers during one worship service

Recognized staff birthdays, anniversaries of service, and years of ordination

Monitored Personnel budget

Began work to update the approach for the Performance Dialogue Program (employee performance review)

Brought representatives from the Presbyterian Samaritan Center to the Session for an overview of the services they provide and a working session.

Most important, the Ministry prayed on a regular basis for every member of the Sardis staff

We finished the year convinced of the fine service our staff gives to the church and its mission of “Building God’s Kingdom”.

Wendy Beauchemin

Personnel Ministry Chairperson

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SARDIS WEEKDAY SCHOO L MINISTRY 2011

Mission: Sardis Weekday school Ministry oversees the operation of the Sardis Weekday School program in accordance with established protocols and procedures of Sardis Presbyterian Church while emphasizing

Christian values and teachings.

Highlights are as follows:

Updated the Scholarship Fund Guidelines document and revised to clarify that assistance is on a temporary basis, enabling others in need to apply and receive assistance from existing funds.

Approved to assist three families with tuition costs with funds from the Scholarship Fund

Scheduled annual inspection of the playground, equipment was pressure washed, sand boxes filled

Evaluated the condition of the ground cover for the playgrounds. Current mulch needs to be replaced and drainage issues solved.

Supported the spring and fall Consignment Sales with SWS teachers lending support as well

Approved expenditures which used donations from the Consignment Sale

Approved the 2011-2012 budget and school calendar

2011-2012 tuition proposal was presented and approved

Very positive parental surveys taken in April reflected the wonderful job Louise and the teachers are doing

Hired one new teacher; all others returned

Revised sick/personal leave policy for teachers

Added crib room offering and a two day toddler class

Approved seven weeks of Summer “Camp” programs

Continued to oversee the general functions of Sardis Weekday School and the Parent Advisory Council (PAC)

Approved the sale of the Sardis Weekday School Cookbook

Approved PAC to have two Book Fairs during the school year

Continued to look for ways to evangelize to our SWS families in addition to distributing pertinent information about our church at registration time and throughout the year by sending invitations to special church sponsored events

Sponsored “Meet Me on the Playground” as social gathering at beginning of school year.

Outreach: “Movie Night” for preschool families, church members and community

Monkey Joe’s event for Sardis Weekday School

Continued to publicize our school through the website, the Communicator, Gathering Place and bulletin boards

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Louise continues to be in contact with area preschools to compare programs

We are so grateful to several families that made donations to the school; also, to the Consignment Sale chairwomen, Angela Connell and Heather Odean and the dedicated volunteers that worked and continue to work with them. We thank them for their commitment to Sardis Weekday School. These donations and Consignment Sale proceeds provide us the funds to purchase things that benefit the Weekday School and Sardis Sunday School classes who use the facilities.

Wendy Reeder

SWS Ministry Chairperson

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SERVANT MINISTRY 2011

The Servant Ministry exists to convert our members from volunteers to servants for Jesus Christ.

Using the slogan, “R U Converted”, the Ministry worked to:

Convert our spiritual understanding of servanthood

Convert our database into a usable tool to support our various ministries. To do this, we worked with Ministry Chairs to write job descriptions and with members to explain the importance of their completing a Profile on line.

1. Introduced “R U Converted?” for three Sundays in January with Sunday School visits, minutes for mission, sign-up tables for people to complete their Profile Sheets and explanatory articles in the Communicator.

2. January 23, held a Sunday School wide training session and Dr. Kort preached on Servanthood.

3. Continued to work with Ministry Chairs to complete job descriptions. Staff entered descriptions into database. In September, updated job descriptions.

4. Jessica Otto made presentations on using the database to the Session and the Diaconate, encouraging them to use the system in their work.

5. Met with staff and database vendor to solve access issues.

6. Wrote a job description for Servant Ministry Director. Position was approved by Session. Formed search committee and interviewed for the position. Hiring was put on hold due to budget considerations.

7. Made plans to continue the work of the Ministry into 2012 with a training session at the Officer’s Retreat.

Marilyn Marks

Servant Ministry Chairperson

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STEWARDSHIP MINISTRY 2011

The mission of the Stewardship Ministry is to motivate our congregation to give enthusiastically of their time, talent and financial resources. This has been and will continue to be accomplished by an ongoing effort to inform, connect and encourage active participation by all members of the enormous opportunities that exist at Sardis Presbyterian Church. We will conduct an annual Stewardship Campaign with the goal of becoming a tithing congregation.

The major activity of the Ministry is the Fall Stewardship Campaign. In 2011, the theme of Campaign was "Celebrate Sardis-One Faith, One Church--One Family". This year we had one Worship service on November 6,2011 to allow us to be together as One Faith, One Church -One Family. We think the single service and the celebration following was well received by the congregation. The following Sunday , November 13,2011, was Dedication Sunday, where each of us had the opportunity to come forward to rededicate our Time, Talents and Treasure to God's work.

Celebrate Sardis was a major undertaking requiring many volunteers. Thank you Sardis members for assisting Stewardship with this event.

During 2011 and continuing next year we have two sub-committees of Stewardship that are reviewing

1. Stewardship Education and

2. Our long range strategy for Stewardship in the future. We look forward to their findings and recommendations.

As of January 17,2012 we have received 474 pledges totaling $ 1,801,231 ( 2011 actual was $ 1,898,000((budgeted was $1,950,000)). We still have members who pledged for 2011, who have not yet decided yet. We continue to follow up and are hopeful that those 2011 pledging members along with new members in 2012 will allow us to have a Pledge budget of $1,930,000 .

The uncertain economic conditions continue to challenge Sardis members and therefore Sardis Ministries. On behalf of the Stewardship Ministry , thank you for your financial support of God's work through Sardis .

Dean Sellers

Stewardship Ministry Chairperson

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WORSHIP MINISTRY 2011

The Worship Ministry has overall responsibility for encouraging and supporting regular worship of God through Word and Sacrament, offering guidance in all aspects of the music ministry, providing opportunities for the appropriate participation of all church members in worship and maintaining a worshipful environment for all the services. Specific areas of the Ministry are: directs and organizes lay involvement in worship to prepare communion, provide ushers, greeters, and floral needs for the worship services. The ministry also assists with weddings, funerals, music ministry, and the sound for sanctuary, chapel and fellowship hall. The ministry provides recorded sound and video of worship services as requested to members.

The Worship Ministry provides funds for traffic control and for transportation to Sardis services from area retirement homes.

During the 2011 year the Worship Ministry:

Maintained, revised and added to the pew information in the pew racks and Friendship package.

Planned Laity Sunday Worship.

Provided extended communion to homebound members.

Continued to upgrade sound equipment for the sanctuary, chapel, and fellowship hall.

Enhanced video coverage of the worship services.

Continued to provide ushers and greeters for all services.

Mailed the revised Funeral and Memorial Guidelines booklet to all members.

Initiated Taize worship services that were held in the Chapel during July.

Welcomed and supported Richard Ramsey--our new Contemporary Music Director.

Updated the schedule of wedding fees for weddings held at Sardis.

Financially supported the purchase of percussion instruments for the youth program.

Supported the purchase and assembly of candles for all worshippers during Christmas Eve services in the Sanctuary.

Supported the groundbreaking and dedication of the Sardis House.

Tended to the many details that make the Worship Services meaningful and run smoothly.

Respectfully submitted by:

Rodney Hutchison

Worship Ministry Chairperson

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YOUTH MINISTRY 2011

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COMMUNITY SERVICE MINISTRY 2011

The Community Service Ministry mission is to select and coordinate service opportunities which encourage church members to get involved and make a difference in our community. These opportunities are presented to the congregation in the Communicator, on the Sardis website, in the weekly e-mails, Minute for Missions during Sunday services, on the bulletin board, in Sunday school flyers, and with recruiting/information tables in the Gathering Place. During 2011, the ministry and the congregation responded to the following community needs:

HUNGER:

Over 1,800 pounds of food were donated to Loaves and Fishes during the February, June and November food drives. In addition, over 500 pounds of spaghetti sauce was collected during the monthly collection for Loaves and Fishes.

19 Sardis walkers raised over $14,600 at the 2011 Charlotte CROP Hunger Walk.

The Sardis garden provided fresh produce to many agencies within our community and to Sardis homebound members. About 800 pounds of tomatoes and squash were grown and distributed from this lovingly tended garden.

Sardis groups volunteered at the Urban Ministry Soup Kitchen on the fourth Saturday of each month (except December).

Meals were prepared and served at the Salvation Army Center of Hope Women’s Shelter over 20 times during the year (each 1st Sunday of the month and several Tuesdays). Each meal fed about 150 women and children.

SHELTER:

Sardis built its 13th Habitat for Humanity House in the spring and summer of 2011. The house was dedicated in honor of Paul Kramer. Many of Paul’s family members along with over 200 Sardis volunteers constructed the house.

Over 350 Sardis members volunteered for the Room in the Inn ministry, which served over 400 homeless neighbors on 35 nights at Sardis. The volunteers gave of their time and/or helped provide meals for the guests. Sardis has supported Room in the Inn since its inception 15 years ago. To support this program, many Sardis members also generously donated toiletries, linens, socks, underwear, t-shirts, hats, scarves, and gloves.

Sardis hosted Family Promise for four weeks during the year. About 150 Sardis volunteers helped, and 15 homeless families (including many children) were served. Two families graduated to their own housing while with Sardis.

Two teams (15 Sardis servants) sponsored families in the WISH (Workforce Initiative for Supportive Housing) Program. At the end of 2011 one family graduated from the program while the other family sadly was disqualified from the program.

CLOTHING AND HOUSEHOLD NEEDS:

Over six vanloads of clothing were donated to Crisis Assistance Ministry during the fall and spring clothing drives.

Ten Welcome Baskets were delivered to Community Link in 2011. The baskets provide household necessities to homeless neighbors who are moving into housing.

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HEALTH:

During the year, Sardis members donated 155 pints of blood at the American Red Cross blood drives held quarterly at Sardis.

CHILDREN AND YOUTH:

Camp Holiday used Sardis facilities and volunteers to provide opportunities for children with Down syndrome; this included two three-week summer camps and other events.

Sardis members donated 273 Christmas stockings to the Salvation Army in December.

Sardis members continued to collect soup labels and box tops to support Alexander Youth Network.

Respectfully submitted,

Kristen Taylor, Chair

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CONGREGATIONAL LIFE AND CARE MINISTRY 2011

Congregational Life and Care ministers to the needs of the congregation as a whole, with special emphasis on the sick, elderly, homebound, bereaved or others with special needs. Our traditional responsibilities and sub-committees include Sardis Care Connection, Prayer Chain, Stephen Ministry, Mustard Seed Groups, Women of Sardis, Funeral Reception Ministry, Bereavement Meal Ministry, Prayer Shawl Ministry, and the Women of Sardis Retreat. During 2011 we added a new ministry – Sardis & Soup – that prepares and freezes soup to be delivered by ministers or officers to any member of the congregation who needs it.

During the year the members of this ministry wrote hundreds of notes to members who had been hospitalized, had a family member hospitalized, or who had experienced a death or birth in their family. We delivered weekly bouquets of flowers to homebound members following Sunday services. We baked dozens of cookies in support of the funeral reception ministry, and also provided the Deacons with cookies along with a poinsettia or other seasonal plant to deliver to homebound members in December. We also ushered one of the services in August.

The Prayer Shawl team continued with their valued work of knitting prayer shawls to be delivered by the pastors to those with serious illnesses. The Funeral Reception team provided cookies and beverages as requested following funeral services at Sardis, and the Bereavement Meal team took meals to the home of bereaved loved ones as needed.

The Women of Sardis organized Spring and Fall dinners that included presentations by entertaining speakers. The Women of Sardis Retreat in February was held at Camp Dogwood for a second year, and was well attended.

Stephen Ministry led by Alice Johnson continued to provide care to members of the congregation who have experienced the loss of a loved one, or other difficulty. Catherine Craley continued her role as the pastoral liaison for the Mustard Seed Group program, with more than 200 participants in that ministry.

This team worked hard, had fun and accomplished much in its ministry to Sardis members in 2011, all with minimal impact on the overall budget of the Church.

Respectfully submitted,

Frank Anderson, 2011 Chairperson

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EVANGELISM MINISTRY 2011

During 2011, the Evangelism Ministry continued its dual approach that focused on drawing new Charlotteans to Sardis while encouraging our congregation to be inviting and welcoming. We were involved in many of the same activities as recent years. We also heightened our emphasis on “Invite A Friend”, as we believe a personal invitation is the most powerful and effective way that a lay person can be an evangelist.

INVITE A FRIEND: The logo appears frequently in the Communicator and we encouraged its use in flyers and other promotional materials. The topic of the monthly “Me, An Evangelist?” articles often have a tie-in to the Invite A Friend theme. We will continue to encourage our congregation to consider inviting a guest to Sunday worship and church events as an opportunity to reach out. Members were encouraged to invite friends to events including the Sardis Night Out Eagles game, Halloween Hullabaloo, Thanksgiving breakfast and Christmas dinner.

WELCOMING VISITORS: Evangelism has the responsibility for getting volunteers to man the Visitors table and for the materials displayed on the table. We experimented with the placement of the table to promote visibility without impeding traffic through the narthex. An idea that we hope to develop is that guiding visitors to the table is a natural part of being a greeter. Near the end of the year, we reached out to Worship, who has responsibility for getting greeters, to discuss the idea of combining the Greeter and Visitors Table duties. We hope to continue this discussion in 2012.

EVENTS: A reception following the 8:30 service was held for the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and Basketball programs again this year. For each event, doughnuts and refreshments were provided. Follow-up letters were sent to non-Sardis participants of each of these programs to share information on the church and to invite them to attend another event or service.

CHARLOTTE EAGLES PARTNERSHIP: We partnered with the Charlotte Eagles Soccer Team for two YMCA Soccer Camps this year. The camps mix soccer with Christian education and an invitation to come to Christ on the last day. We flew a Sardis Presbyterian banner, provided refreshments for parents on the opening and commencement days, and snacks /breakfast /lunch to the coaches throughout the week. The coaches said several times that we were one of the “best church partners”.

MAILINGS: We discontinued the monthly postcard mailer late in 2011 to allow us to use the funds elsewhere. A December mailing invited visitors and non-member participants in Sardis activities to join us for the Christmas Dinner events with Evangelism picking up their cost.

RADIO: Radio advertising was procured for the Advent season with announcements by Dr. Tom Kort. Tom talked a bit about the season and encouraged listeners to join us for the various worship services. The 2102 budget request included amounts to cover Lenten, Advent and a Back -To -School media flights

GOOGLE SEARCH ADS: We experimented with several key search words and the days of the week to be active. Among the search terms, we want to leverage the Sardis Weekday School as we believe it is a wonderful blessing and can be a great attraction to draw in new families. We realized the management of the Google campaigns on a part-time basis is difficult to do well.

Respectfully submitted,

David Templeman

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FELLOWSHIP MINISTRY 2011

The mission of the Fellowship Ministry is to create, organize, and implement well rounded and fun activities and events that encourage fellowship for a diverse congregation. Events are targeted to all age groups, members, non-members who regularly participate in Sardis events and augment the evangelism activities to promote church membership. We welcome opportunities to collaborate with other Ministries.

In addition to events held during the year, Fellowship members staffed the Welcome Table during March and ushered one Sunday in April.

Once events were identified and dates were selected, coordinators volunteered to outline details for approval by the Ministry. This approach saved considerable time in meetings each month. Any cost related issues were brought to Ministry meetings for decisions and records were kept for each event to serve as a planning format for future years. The basic framework for Fellowship Activities during the year were as follows:

Planned a luncheon with the Sardis House Cabinet held prior to groundbreaking ceremonies in March.

The Easter Sp”EGG”tacular included new activities with the help from Christian Education Ministry: Resurrection Eggs, and a story from the Apostle Peter to help the children appreciate the meaning of Easter. The Ministry provided a low cost simple meal of egg sandwiches, chips, and drinks and each family prepared a Resurrection Egg carton to use during the week at home with their children. An egg hunt concluded the event. There were many parents with small children who participated

The Fish Fry, coordinated with Max MacLeod and his team, was another big success with the blue grass band and dancing with the children. All age groups participated.

Line Dancing was offered during May with a small attendance, but fun and good exercise.

The Lawn Party was the kick-off to a new Sardis year in August. Held on the Francis Property, the Ministry provided hot dogs, drinks, and dip-n-dots, with participants bringing side dishes. Reorganization of food tables and game areas for children created less congestion and the DJ encouraged adults and children to dance on the lawn.

The Halloween Hullabaloo was held again in Fellowship Hall with seventeen tables for treats, pie eating contests, lots of chaos and fun. The balloon man was probably the most popular and inflatables greeted children and their parents as they arrived.

The Thanksgiving Breakfast was enjoyed by about 150 people following the worship service.

The Christmas Dinner completed the year’s events. The gospel choir was a highlight of the event; Richard Ramsey played the piano during the meal and Encore Catering provided the meal. About 365 people attended.

The Ministry is also the point of contact for four social groups, which hold activities during the year: Quiddlers, M&M, Hot Fish Club, and Mixed Nuts. All groups are currently operational.

Sallye P. Brown

Chair

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FOOD SERVICE MINISTRY 2011

The mission of the Food Service Ministry of Sardis is to act as coordinator and provide support and instruction for “meal related” events at the church. The ministry is to help other ministries coordinate their events and to instruct them on the use of the kitchen appliances, where to find supplies, and to provide rules on the maintenance of the kitchens. The ministry also acts as a coordinator between groups and our caterers and provides instruction on the use of the kitchen and the process involved in ordering meals and services from the caterers. All information is supplied in a notebook in the food service box in the church mailroom.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2011:

The Food Service Ministry in 2011 continues with the sub-committee format with 5 chairs who headed up catering, reservations, major and special events: Connect @Sardis service; Equipment/Maintenance; Pantry/ Storage; and Community Service.

Through the format ministry members signed up to helped arrange, set up, serve and cleanup for Connect@Sardis, Enrichment Events, Leadership Breakfast, Lenten Breakfasts, Stewardship Event, Christmas Dinner and other special events.

Worked on finding a Caterer for Connect@Sardis to allow better budget control and menu pricing. The Ministry continues to work with other catering services on occasions.

The Ministry conducted multiple service projects in 2011 including RITI meals, Collected different kinds Toiletries ($170.00) for Men’s Shelter, served at the Soup Kitchen, helped with several meals for Family Promise, collection of flour and sugar for Loaves & Fishes.

The Ministry budget did not allow for a professional cleaning service. The committee took on this responsibility for the large and small kitchens. Weekly cleaning and towel service was provided by committee membership. The floors were pressure washed by the custodial staff in the summer.

The Ministry recommendation to hire a Food Services Director was made and approved in 2008 by a sub committee consisting of members of the personnel, food service, and CE ministries. Continued budget restraints have left this position unfilled. In 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011 this has continued to be a recommendation from the Food Service Committee to improve the meals and kitchen ministry at Sardis.

Several large pieces of equipment had to be serviced repeatedly and will need to be replaced as soon as budget allows.

Green issues were discussed at beginning of year and were put on hold due to budget constraints.

Caroline Yancey, Chairperson

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SPORTS AND RECREATION MINISTRY 2011

The Sports Ministry had a great year of providing well-rounded recreational programs to our youth and adults. Our mission is to administer these programs and help to promote fellowship with our church members as well as non-members in our community. This year we provided the following programs to our members and guests:

AM Walker – Daily walk around the church campus

Youth basketball for boys and girls

o For the 2010-2011 season we had 120+ basketball players ranging in age from 6 to 18 years old and 14 different teams.

o In the 2011-2012 season that is currently going on, we have seen in increase in players and teams over last year and have over 150 players and more than 16 teams.

It is interesting to note that about 50% of the players in the basketball program are non members who joined a team with a friend.

Youth softball for girls in the spring

o For the 2010 season we had 1 middle school team.

Men’s softball

o The men and some women had a great year of fellowship and just having a good time playing softball this summer.

Sardis Stars Square Dancing

As in previous years we held our annual “Basketball Sunday”. All players wore their jerseys to church for everyone to see. The goal was to show our congregation that not only do they play sports but represent our church, and serve as missionaries to promote God’s word. It was also an opportunity to reach out to our non-member players to see what Sardis Presbyterian is all about.

The ministry spent time this year discussing ways to expand the ministry and offer even more programs and activities for youth and adults at Sardis.

We as a church are very fortunate to have the ability to offer these programs for our members as well as an out reach program to our community.

Amanda Willis, Chairperson

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SENIOR LINK MINISTRY 2011

The mission of the Senior Link Ministry is to provide support programs and activities which serve senior members of Sardis Presbyterian Church and to foster connections and opportunities to participate in the life of Sardis. These connections and opportunities include:

Backpack Program – Rama School. We are especially proud to deliver backpacks filled with food every Thursday during the school year for homeless school children to have nutrition on the weekends.

Bus Transportation. Bus transportation is available to Sunday worship and Sunday School for members and guests from Plantation Estates. It is also available to The Carriage Club, Sharon Towers and The Cypress as needed.

Extended Communion. Kits are prepared and maintained for officers to serve Elements of Communion to homebound members.

Friendship Connection. This is a monthly fellowship program and lunch or a trip. Two popular programs were with Richard Ramsey, Director of Contemporary Music and with Chef Ron Ahert of the Community Culinary School of Charlotte. A favorite trip was to Charlotte Aviation Museum to view a film about the “Miracle on the Hudson” and to see the plane.

Phone Friends. We pair homebound members with a phone friend.

Shepherd Center and Shining Stars Adult Day Respite. Close ties are maintained with Shepherd Center, a center dedicated to mobilizing active older people. We also serve as liaison between Sardis and Shining Stars, a program for those in early stages of Alzheimers that is hosted weekly at Sardis.

Special Worship Services and Communion. Senior Liink holds gently paced services in the chapel for those unable to attend regular worship services.

Tai Chi Classes. Tai Chi classes are recommended for improvement in strength and balance. A class began early in 2011, led by William Wong. William is a Christian and he modified the traditional meditation time within the class to include a Christian devotion and prayer. The class was well received and continued in the fall as an “intermediate class” and a second beginner class was added.

Loretta Burch, Chair

Senior Link Ministry

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2011 BUDGET REPORT

FINANCE MINISTRY

6,500.00

6,500.00

FOOD SERVICE MINISTRY

13,845.00

17,780.00

ADMINISTRATION

302,386.00

335,251.00

MEMBERSHIP MINISTRY

92.00

150.00

DEBT SERVICE

24,879.00

-

PERSONNEL MINISTRY

1,300,213.00

1,285,979.00

PROPERTY MINISTRY

95,155.00

127,479.00

RECREATION MINISTRY

0.00

-

SENIOR LINK MINISTRY

4,511.00

6,014.00

SERVANT MINISTRY

213.00

1,000.00

STEWARDSHIPMINISTRY

6,550.00

6,550.00

WORSHIP/MUSIC MINISTRY

24,398.00

26,150.00

YOUTH MINISTRY

28,843.00

28,843.00

TOTAL EXPENSES

2,220,729.00

2,241,500.00

NET TOTAL

9,185.00

* 2011 budget: Mission Interpretation, Community Service,

358,906.00

General Benevolences, plus non pledge special offerings

Additional Mission gifts from designated funds

98,326.00

2009 TOTAL MISSION DISBURSEMENTS

457,232.00

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2012 BUDGET

The 2012 budget report was approved by the Session on January 23. It is provided for information only; it is not part of the 2011 report and the congregation does not vote to approve it.

Revenue

Budget

Pledge Receipts

$1,930,000

Uncollectable receipts

-$38,600

Prior yr Pledge Receipts

$10,000

Loose offering

$10,000

Christmas Eve

$6,400

Special Offering

$500

Non Pledge

$265,000

Use of Facilities

$15,000

Total budgeted revenue

$2,198,300

Expenses

Budget

Evangelism

$5,000

Servant

$800

Finance

$6,500

Communications

$1,200

Youth

$28,000

Mission

$232,531

Community Service

$8,340

General Benevolences

$52,500

Total Mission Budget

(3 above) $293,371

Debt Service

$38,000

Christian Education

$36,000

Congregational Care

$9,360

Stewardship

$5,895

Recreation

$0

Membership

$135

Transportation

$0

Property

$115,400

Personnel

$1,305,817

Worship

$20,920

Food Service

$14,502

Administration

$308,500

Fellowship

$4,000

Senior Link

$4,900

Total budgeted expenses

$2,198,300

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