Seen Around Church: Week of November 9, 2025

Volunteers Spruce Up SMPC Campus 

Thank you to our amazing volunteers who came to Campus Cleanup Day on Saturday! Our campus looks beautiful and ready for Matt and Donna’s retirement celebrations later this month AND for the upcoming Advent season!! Thank you, thank you!

Photo credit: Rev. Lindsey Odom

Confirmands Grow in Faith and Friendship at This Year’s Retreat

Our 2025 Confirmands spent Saturday’s retreat learning and growing in faith. They participated in team-building activities and laser tag at Sports Connection, served at Crisis Assistance Ministry, and had lunch at Optimist Hall!

The theme of the 2025 Confirmation Retreat was Connected, Confirmed, & Commissioned.”This theme helped Confirmands develop a deeper understanding of themselves as God’s beloved children—created in the image of God, joined to the church at baptism, and called and commissioned through the program of Confirmation to live a life that increases good in the world and creates justice, love, and peace for all. ❤️

A big thank-you to our wonderful Confirmation mentors and parent volunteers/drivers!

Photo credit: Rev. Lindsey Odom

SMPC Makes Priceless Announcement

In case you missed it Sunday morning, the Funds Management Committee celebrated Dr. Matt Brown’s birthday with a priceless announcement! As David Gaines, Elder and Treasurer of SMPC, so eloquently said, one of Matt’s greatest physical legacies at SMPC is our beautiful sanctuary. Thanks to the generosity of many SMPC congregants, visitors, and friends, we are officially debt-free! We celebrated with a “note burning” and a special message. Watch the video below – it’s a moment you don’t want to miss!

Photo credit: Terry Gaines

Happy Birthday, Pastor Matt!

In addition to celebrating our newly paid-off sanctuary, we also celebrated Pastor Matt Brown’s 65th birthday on Sunday, November 9! Check out the social media video here. The banner was a joint project between our children and youth—it was beautiful!

SMPC Youth Enjoy Pancakes and Fellowship

On Sunday night, 42 middle and high schoolers came to church dressed in PJs and enjoyed delicious homemade pancakes! They had lots of time for fun and fellowship, which included playing games outside, charades, and eating pancakes and donuts together. Is there a better dinner than that? Nope!

Thank you to our wonderful adult volunteers and leaders!

Photo credit: Rev. Lindsey Odom

Everyone’s Favorite Office Pup Gets the Spotlight

While Matt Brown and his wife, Donna, were out of town celebrating his birthday, their fur baby, Molly, got spoiled at the office! She got tons of hugs and cuddles from our youth and even “held court” at staff meeting. We will surely miss having this sweet face roam the halls when Matt and Donna retire, but we feel certain she’s counting down the days until she has full days with her favorite people at home (let’s not tell her about any upcoming retirement trips they have planned!).

Photo credit: SMPC Youth and Staff

Bible Study Marks Last Meeting with Beloved Leader

Wednesday, November 12, marked the last Bible study with Pastor Matt Brown as leader! “Conversations with Matt Brown” has been on the church calendar for years—the group even met via Zoom during COVID. Thank you to all who have participated through the years, and thank you to Matt for his gift of making Scripture accessible and relatable to everyone. We will miss these mornings so much!

Next Wednesday, the Bible study will meet at its regular time – 9:30 a.m., in the McQueen Room or via Zoom – with SMPC friend Tom Robinson, who is a retired PCUSA pastor and member of the Charlotte Presbytery.

Scout Celebrates Eagle Court of Honor with Grandparents and Great-Grandparents by His Side

Congratulations to Scout Troop 119’s Jack D., who celebrated his Eagle Court of Honor last week with not only his parents by his side, but also his paternal grandparents and paternal great-grandparents. How amazing and wonderful!

Photo credit: Dean Elledge and Steve Stevenson