Blog


06
Dec 2023

We welcome Rev. Dr. Daynette Snead Perez as Interim Pastor of Sardis Baptist Church, effective December 1st! Rev. Dr. Daynette Snead Perez is an ordained minister, entrepreneur, and the creator of DIASPRA® and Stranger to Neighbor MinistryTM. She will now add Interim Pastor to her impressive CV. Daynette earned her Doctor of Ministry degree from Gardner-Webb University in 2019, and has held multiple ministry roles since, most recently as the manager of domestic disaster relief for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. Before moving to Charlotte, she served as associate pastor of First Chin Baptist......

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01
Aug 2023

The vote was unanimous! Sardis Baptist Church voted on Sunday, July 23rd to approve the visioning proposal that was developed by the Discovery and Design Team in conjunction with David Brown of Pinnacle Leadership.  Phase One of the six-phase process is now underway. Details of the process are below. Sardis staff will be happy to answer any questions as we move through this formative journey. Consulting Engagement – Sardis Baptist D_D Presentation 6-4-2023...

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24
Mar 2023
Five Dollar Kindness

A recent sermon inspired a kind of social experiment. I was moved by the idea of how one small gift, five loaves and two fish, created a multiplier effect for an entire community. One act of generosity led to communal fulfillment. Pretty cool! So…I decided to invest $100 into something I’m calling Five Dollar Acts of Kindness.  We don’t really carry around loaves and fishes in our knapsacks these days, but you can find a can of sardines and a sleeve of saltines at any convenience store or grocery store. In 2023,......

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23
Feb 2023
What Happened to Your Sign?

What Happened to the Sardis Entrance Sign? In late January, a motorist collided with the Sardis entrance sign. Thankfully, nobody was seriously injured in the accident, but our brick sign was reduced to rubble. The destruction of our sign coincided with our congregation beginning a visioning process. Yes, we will eventually replace our sign, and there’s already a team stewarding that work.  In the interim, we created a banner featuring a blue Band-Aid. We think it’s a fun and clever way to tell the community we are on the mend. But in......

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02
Dec 2022
2022 Advent Calendars

2022 Advent Calendars Odds are, you’ll wrap a present this holiday season. And if you wrap a present, you’ll most likely add a bow. Bows are an enhancement. They help us state that a gift is special, and that it comes from a place of love. Bows have other meanings, too. They are indicative of unity – two or more strands become one, and work together for a greater purpose. They also represent the idea of tension and release, as well as completion. Bows can also serve as a symbol of endurance......

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01
Nov 2022
Thanksgiving Thoughts

Thanksgiving Thoughts A lost sheep nuzzles into the grass-stained shoulder of a shepherd who’s gone searching for her. An old woman throws a party to celebrate finding the coin that went missing. A daddy streaks across a field to welcome home a son returned from wanderlust. There is joy! There is gratitude! There is reconciliation! In these simple stories, Jesus paints a picture of God’s extravagant love. The most significant being in existence loves us, pursues us, welcomes us, and parents us. Thanks be to God! Still, we struggle to make sense......

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17
Oct 2022

Attached is a deck from the Sardis Academy session on 10/12/2022. We were giving thought to who we are, and what we want to be, and how we will live out our calling. The staff presented a proposal for programming in 2023. On 10/19/2022, we will have a follow up conversation to get feedback from the congregation. 2023 Sardis Programming Presentation (10/12/2022)  Here are some questions we would love for you to consider for our next discussion: What is our prophetic witness? Where do we want to be seen? Who do we......

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23
Aug 2022
The Word of the Week

THE WORD OF THE WEEK For many of the Sundays in the Fall, we’ll be exploring one book of scripture per week. I’ll provide an historical overview, as well as a homily centered on a passage that includes a main theme of the overall work. My hope is that you’ll take some time each week to read and explore the book of the week. To help in that endeavor, I’ve included a playful worksheet — it’s just a collection of thoughts I have from each week of study presented in a more......

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02
Jun 2022
June Thoughts

June Thoughts During the middle part of May, I was out of the office because of Covid isolation, and didn’t preach last week. I was working on some thoughts regarding Uvalde and Buffalo that I hadn’t quite finished, and then we heard about the events in Tulsa yesterday. My thoughts are too long for our newsletter column, and not quite ready for a sermon. They’re still a little clumsy and lengthy, but I decided I wanted to think out loud today. Here goes:  I grew up in Winston-Salem, NC in the late......

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12
Apr 2022
Holy Week Reminders

Holy Week Events MAUNDY THURSDAY COMMUNION SUPPER April 14th @ 6:00 PM Join us for a light supper of soups, grapes, cheese and bread followed by Communion. We will remember Jesus’ last meal with the disciples (and his first Communion with each of us). GOOD FRIDAY SERVICE A Space for Reflection and Devotion Friday, April 15th @ Noon Sardis Baptist and Presbyterian Churches will partner with St. Stephen UMC for their annual Good Friday Service. This year’s gathering will offer a new way to experience Good Friday. Congregants will gather on the......

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