Dear Caldwell,
For many in Charlotte and at Caldwell, this is the last weekend of summer. School is about to start, and we all feel the patterns of our city and our lives shift a bit. Behind the Price Building, the children of our Bilingual Preschool will have a nice surprise when they come back to school. Eagle Scout Candidate Kiley Doyle, whose Troop is based across the park from Caldwell at St. Martin’s Episcopal, is building a first-rate sand box, with a roof and plenty of room for lots of preschoolers. They began work today and it will emerge over the coming weekends. The kids start school at Caldwell in mid-September.
There is another surprise that awaits Caldwell folk when they come to church on Sunday. Two bright, beautiful banners created by our youth now adorn the sanctuary, thanks to the leadership of member Marily Rowland.
In worship, we will take a look at a gospel story that some find tough to read, Matthew 15: 21-28. It’s a story that speaks to the experience of those who live as outsiders and how God’s grace reaches across differences. In the Minute for Mission, we will hear about all the great work our members do to support Merry Oaks school (Don’t forget your school supplies donations).
Also Sunday, as noted for the Yahoo Group, Caldwell has the privilege of hosting the first worship service to be a part of Charlotte Pride Week, a festival for the LGBT community and their friends and famly. It’s an interfaith service at 4 p.m.
We are keeping in prayer: Donna Price and her partner, Julie, as they await results from a biopsy; Don Cowan and his wife, Jean Prewitt, after the recent loss of Don’s father; Randy Hood and Michael Wingate, who also recently lost their fathers; Patricia Mather, as she deals with a case of the shingles; Ebony Petty, as she recovers from a hospital stay; Ruby Jones, who struggles with back pain; Gino Harris, who has foot problems; and Linda Sluder and Smitty Flynn and their aging mothers.
Mark your calendars for two volunteer opportunities: Next Friday in the vegetable garden and next Saturday in the women’s shelter, which we’ve now named Elizabeth’s Caldwell House (more on that to come).
In Christ,
John