We often think of worship as time spent together on Sunday mornings dedicated to strengthening our connections with the divine, but it is much more. Worship is also a verb; it’s service and action taken on behalf of others. We may not worship together in our sanctuary on Sunday morning, (click here for LiveStream Worship, Sunday @ 11 AM), but there are other ways we can strengthen our connection with God during this difficult time. Mitigation of the coronavirus may alter plans for worship at Sardis Baptist, but it will not dampen the spirit of service we share with our greater community!

Recent events have only increased the need for two of Sardis Baptist’s current missions projects and we have made plans to continue our efforts with the following alterations:

Traditionally on Easter we offer the opportunity to honor and memorialize special people with Easter lilies displayed in our sanctuary on Easter Sunday. This year we are putting worship in action and honoring our loved ones a little differently. We invite you to purchase Goodness Groceries in lieu of lilies. The groceries will be donated to food insecure families that attend Charlotte Secondary School, a neighborhood charter school where 60% of students qualify for free and reduced lunch. The school provides food for students during the week, however, weekends and school breaks are often times of hunger. Goodness Grocery money collected will be used to purchase non-perishable food items to feed food-insecure students and their families while the school is closed due to the coronavirus. The unexpected closing of schools has created an immediate need for these families whose children would normally receive food during school days.

The cost for each grocery bag is $20. Click here to make a donation through PayPal to our Goodness Groceries fund. Please notate Goodness Groceries and the name(s) of the person(s) you wish to honor or memorialize. You may send a check directly to the church if you prefer.

One of many consequences of coronavirus is a significant drop in blood donation, which is limiting the ability of blood banks to adequately replenish supplies. Sardis Baptist Church, as well as many other churches and organizations, have cancelled in-person worship services and group gatherings, including blood drives, in order to limit community spread of the virus. The ultimate goal of cancellations is to support the health and vitality of community members, but there are unintended consequences to patients in need of transfusions.

Our blood drive scheduled for Sunday, March 15th has been postponed, but it is not possible to postpone the need for blood donations. Donated blood is perishable, and blood banks need a consistent supply to meet patient’s needs. “In the United States, a patient is treated with a blood transfusion every two seconds. This is only possible through the generosity of our country’s volunteer blood donors. They are the heroes who make lifesaving treatment a reality,” says Debra BenAvram, CEO of AABB, the association that accredits the majority of blood centers in the US. People who are at low-risk for coronavirus are still able to help. Local blood donation centers are open for appointments:

OneBlood.org, 888.9.DONATE

RedCrossBlood.org, 800.RED.CROSS

We discourage anyone at high risk of serious illness from coronavirus from donating blood. This includes anyone over the age of 60, and anyone with diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, asthma, autoimmune or other chronic condition.

Donations to our Ministry Plan make the work of the church possible, and the work of the church will continue throughout this health crisis. Many of our Ministry Partners are also supported through our Ministry Plan, including Crisis Assistance, Loaves & Fishes, HOPE Chapel and others. Click here to make a donation through PayPal to our Ministry Plan fund. Please notate Ministry Plan.