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Our Ministry Council, which represents our five Ministry Areas, the three Leadership Committees, Deacons, and Ministerial Staff, also serves as our annual Nominating Committee. The Ministry Council has been working to prepare a slate of nominees for leadership positions in 2024. The slate will be presented at the January 28, State of the Church meeting, for your approval. (The floor will be open for additional nominations, but a complete slate will be presented.)

Thanks to this year’s Ministry Council, and to Greg Blum, Chair, for providing such a wonderful list of names. Thanks to all who have served and will serve in these leadership positions.

In addition to voting on the slate (presented below), you will also have a chance to sign up to participate. In 2012 our overall leadership structure was changed, making most of our positions completely voluntary. The Ministry Council leadership positions, our three Leadership Committees, and our Deacons and Officers, are elected positions – but everything else (most of the work of the church!) is done through our Action Teams, which are completely grass-roots oriented. Teams are composed of volunteers (church membership is not required for Team participation) and everything about the team is chosen by the Team: goals, meeting time, meeting frequency, etc....

We are looking to rejuvenate the work of our Action Teams in 2024, and we will give you a chance at the State of the Church meeting to sign up – for as many Action Teams as you want to serve! Take a look at the list of names, and Action Teams, and plan to come to worship on January 28, and stay for Potluck Lunch and State of the Church meeting – and be ready to sign up and get involved!

Proposed Leadership Slate for 2024

2024 Ministry Council

Chair, Margie Keith

Deacon Chair, Missy Solomon

Deacon Vice Chair, Mike Hamrick

Outgoing Chair, Greg Blum

Five Ministry Area Coordinators (see below)

• Spiritual Development, Laura Baxley
• Missions, Darin Gantt
• Resources, Brian Smyth
• Communications, Beverly Doyle
• PR Community, Paula Knight

Representatives from Leadership Committees:

• Administration, Leslie Blum
• Child Development Center, Katie Parker
• Personnel, Gina Helt
• Ministerial Staff

Action Teams for each Ministry Area are as follows,

(names listed for each Action Team are the individual team leads):

Spiritual Development Ministry Area, Laura Baxley

“We will enhance the church’s commitment to warm, liturgical worship

and challenging education.”

Action teams include:

• Music and Arts, Laura Baxley and Ken Reynolds
• Youth, Crystal Smyth
• Children, Lisa Mason
• Adults, __This Could Be You __

Mission Ministry Area, Darin Gantt

“We will further the church’s conviction that the Gospel is social in nature.”

Action teams include:

• Unhoused Community, Jimmy Niell
• Cuba, __This Could Be You __
• Schools, George Miles
• Needlers, Rosemarie Burton and Sally Silden
• Honduras, Full Honduras Team
• Tiny House, Kathleen Carriere

PRBC Community Ministry Area, Paula Knight

“We will strengthen this church’s identity as a “family of faith.””

Action Teams include:

• Triple CCC’s (Caring Church Companions), Sarah Ashcraft
• New Babies, Allyson Neeriemer and Beth Heaton
• Seasonal Parties, __This Could Be You __
• Intergenerational Retreats, __This Could Be You __
• VSP, Max Carroll
• Receptions, Linda Hefner

Resources Ministry Area, Brian Smyth

“We will inspire a culture of generosity in PRBC.”

Action Teams include:

• Garden, Laura Leach
• Library, Twila Broadway
• Weekly Offering, Chris Woolley
• Multimedia, Bruce White
• Legacy, Brian Smyth

Communications Ministry Area, Beverly Doyle

“We will create a culture that promotes the PRBC identity.”

Action Teams include:

• Social Media, Martha Kinney
• Outreach, Ann Miles
• New Member Orientation, Kathleen Carriere

Church Officers

(all are returning)

• Clerk, Laura Baxley
• Treasurer, Chris Woolley
• Assistant Treasurer, Max Carroll
• Moderator, Tom Polaski

Leadership Committees and Deacons

(serve a 3-year term. Listed below are this year’s incoming class of leaders.)

Personnel Committee

• Heather Rudolph
• Tyler Crosby

Administration Committee

• David Knight
• Will Neeriemer
• Ken Thornburg

CDC Committee

• Alex Worrell
• Julie Crosby

Deacons

• Hugh Ashcraft
• Tracy Bradey
• Cam Helt
• Ron Pelt
• Mark Story
• Ann Miles
• Netta Moseley
• Erin Rumble
• Geoff Palmer

Trustee (to replace Parks Helms; term is for life)

• Laura Baxley

It’s been too long – since before Covid – that we have enjoyed a good, old-fashioned potluck. Our Annual State of the Church meeting on Sunday, January 28, immediately following worship, is the perfect time to reinstitute this time-honored tradition. This is our one regularly scheduled annual church business meeting of the year, but don’t let the sound of “church business meeting” fool you. Everyone bring a dish or two to share – no guilt if you pick your dish up at Harris Teeter!—and after the potluck, we will: affirm the slate of nominees for our leadership positions; vote on the mission budget allocations for 2024; enjoy a slide show of the church in ministry and mission as a review of 2023; hear a State of the Church address; and most importantly . . . we will reinvigorate our Action Team model for being Church. In this “most important part of the meeting” you will have an opportunity to sign up for the Action Teams that do the work of the church. No nominations. No voting. Just sign up for what fits your passions and your gifts. Since the time of COVID these teams have not been as active, and it is time to renew our commitments in volunteering. It is sure to be a wonderful church business meeting!

A first order of volunteerism: who would like to coordinate the potluck? This entails receiving the food as it comes in and putting it out so that when worship ends, we are ready to eat. The job also entails organizing the clean-up afterwards. (The tables and chairs will be set up ahead of time and the organizer does not have to be responsible for that set up.) Can you help? Contact the church office if you are willing to head this up.

We had another good year and finished with a $36,000 surplus – though that good news came with a bit of a mixed message. We ended with a surplus despite falling short on pledges by over $20,000. That shortfall was overcome by several large year-end gifts (non-pledge income) and by exceeding our rental income budget by $17,000 and by underspending our expenses by $54,000. (Most of this due to the new Associate Pastor’s salary being paid for only six months, and to not spending the allocation for the Tiny House project). The surplus will help us to move forward with the 2024 Annual Ministry Plan. It’s always good to finish strong. Thanks for being found faithful.

Our regular, monthly Wednesday night meal/service/activities will be held on our normal schedule of First Wednesdays (February 7 – see article above). This year, Ash Wednesday falls on the second Wednesday of February which also happens to be February 14, which is, you guessed it – Valentine’s Day. Our plan is as follows: we will have an Ash Wednesday worship service only (no meal) at 6p on Wednesday, February 14. This is always a meaningful service as we begin the liturgical season of Lent to prepare for Easter. The service will include music and silence, scripture and reflections, and the imposition of ashes as we “mark” ourselves with the sign of the cross as we enter the season of reflection, repentance, and contemplation. We hope you will join us for both our regular Wednesday dinner and program on February 7 (dinner at 5:30p/program begins at 6p), and then Ash Wednesday worship service only at 6p.

Join us this Friday for the best meal of the month – a meal together. We will gather in the parking lot to ride together, or you may meet us for our 11:30a lunch at Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar on East Boulevard. We always have a great time. All are welcome! Please call the church office to let us know if you will be joining us.

Join us for our next Thursday, January 18 at 6p at the Rhino Market and Deli, South Park for Thirsty Third Thursday! We had a great group in December! Won’t you join us for our January gathering? The address is 4300 Congress Street, Charlotte, NC 28209. There are other Rhino Markets, so please make sure you have the correct address. The Rhino Market in South Park is directly across from the Village Tavern.

Lots of intergenerational fun at the Charlotte Checker's game! A big thanks to Ken Reynolds for providing tickets to the game. 

• January 31 - Worship Wednesday
• July 8-12 Unidiversity Camp - Please let JD know by the end of January if your student plans on going to camp! 🙂 

• January 12 - Charlotte Checkers Hockey Game at 7p - For Youth, Children, and Families.
• July 16-19, 2024 – Camp Prism – Any student who will complete third grade this year is invited to sign up for Camp Prism. This week is a wonderful time with our students, and JD would love all our current 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders to be there. Please make sure to let JD know by the end of January if your student plans on going to camp.

It’s already time to sign up for our First Wednesday – meal and vespers, for February (time flies!). Tam Gordon, our church cook always prepares a wonderful meal, but the reason to come is to sit together, enjoy the fellowship, and participate in a time of vespers (worship/dialogue) together. It’s a great mid-week retreat – and we finish in time for Sanctuary Choir rehearsal (We’d love to have you!) You can sign up for dinner in Helt Hall on Sunday Mornings or by emailing the church office at info@ParkRoadBaptist.org

Men's Work will sponsor a blood drive on January 21st from noon - 3p for all men and women. They will use the One Blood Big Red Bus. The location will be the back parking lot of the church.

Donors can reserve a time slot via the following link or by scanning the QR Code.

https://donor.oneblood.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/1450571

Walk-in donors are welcome, too.

Each 3rd Sunday of the month we give you a chance to sing in the choir without having to come to a Wednesday night rehearsal (though, Wednesday night rehearsals are a lot of fun!) Anyone who is interested may join Bob Pritchard in the Choir Room this Sunday morning at 9:30a. The anthem will be easy enough to learn in an hour, and present during the 11:00a worship service. We’ve had good response – and would love to include you This Sunday!

Coming Up at Park Road

Sunday Worship

Facebook Live and In-Person

11a

First Wednesdays

Dinner and Vespers

(Community Center)

5:30p Dinner / 6p Vespers

First and Third Tuesdays

Bible Study and Fellowship

(Community Center - Room C503)

10a

Tuesday and Thursdays

Flexercise

(Community Center)

9a

Park Road Baptist Church 

 3900 Park Road | Charlotte NC | 28209

Tel (704) 523-5717 

Fax (704) 523-8481

info@parkroadbaptist.org 

 www.parkroadbaptist.org