The Arkive: Ark and Dove's Newsletter | |
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2nd Sunday of Advent
December 4th, 2022
In-Person Worship at 9:00 and 10:30 am, this Sunday!
Livestream Worship, 10:30 am, every Sunday!
**Mask required at 9:00 am Worship, Mask Optional at 10:30 am Worship
Child Care available for 9:00 and 10:30 am services!
*Sunday School for Pre-K - 8th Grade during 10:30 am Worship, every Sunday!
Get your bulletin here.
*Register for Sunday School here.
You can connect on YouTube HERE.
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Dear Friends and Members of the Ark and Dove Community,
I have heard many in our church community tell me that they have to take the news in small doses these days. The headlines get them down. Luke Powery writes on Day 6 in his Advent Reflections upon the Spirituals, Rise Up Shepherd: "If we gaze out on the landscape of current events, it would be easy to see lots of bad news - violence, hatred, poverty discrimination civile wars - the list seems to be eternal. Tragedy is so prevalent it appears to be a comedy, a laughingstock of our human plight...This raw truth is everywhere in the Spirituals. Melancholic misery resonates through these songs....At the same time hope is born through them....hope is present...... This hope envisions another day, a better world." In quoting the Spiritual, Good News, The Chariot is Coming, Powery points out that even in the midst of brutality the human imagination peers into eternity and finds hope and peace. "The Chariot is coming!" This is the deep meaning of Advent; that God is coming into the world. Christ is coming and because Christ comes again and again, we can live with hope, we can find peace. This Sunday we light the second candle on the Advent Wreath, the light grows brighter, because Jesus Christ, the light and peace of the world, is coming again.
The Stewardship Team of our church met this week and is pleased to report that 52 households have already returned their Renewed in God pledge cards and that 62 % were increases and that there were five new pledges. In their words, we are off to a great start. The Session will begin solidifying mission and ministry plans in January, so this is a reminder to return your pledge card. A self-addressed stamped envelope was provided in the Stewardship mailing. Or you can even e-mail your pledge to [email protected].
Advent is early this year, and this means that Advent is a full 28 days and that the third Sunday in Advent, our normal Sunday for presenting the Christmas Pageant is December 11th at the 11:00 AM worship service. Our kids are working hard. Earlier in the Autumn, the staff made a collective error of saying the Pageant would be on a later Sunday. Please accept our apologies for this goof up. We are full steam ahead for December 11.
Looking ahead to Christmas Eve, we will be offering two worship services: A Children's service at 4:00PM and a 7:00 PM Service full of lessons, Carols, and chock full of Band and Choir Music. The 7:00 service will conclude with the singing of Silent Night by candlelight. I have been asked to remind you (LOL) that if you are wearing your mask, please remember to lower it to blow out your candle at the end of the service.
A late Advent also means that this church year, Christmas Day and New Year's Day fall on Sundays. December 25, 2022, and January 1, 2023, for obvious reasons, will be Single Service Sundays at a later time, 11:00 AM. You might want to enter this time into or onto your calendar.
Peace of Christ,
Tim
[email protected]
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Message from Interim Associate Pastors | |
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Dear friends and members at Ark and Dove,
Caroline’s brother and sister-in-law don’t give gifts at Christmas. They have opted out of traditional religion, and yet, in many ways, they are two of the most ethical people we know. When Caroline’s mother needed a nursing home, they took her into their own home and cared for her for the next ten years. Nobody expected her to live that long. Their wonderful care probably extended her life. Their Thanksgiving table is always filled with a wide range of people, of various races, nationalities, and orientations. Nothing is organized until the last minute, which works well for people whose lives are in disarray. They are vegan but cook a turkey for the rest of us. Over the years they have cared for three other relatives in their home along with an intense passion for caring for the environment. They work to educate people about native plants and help people transform their yards into native habitats. From a traditional perspective their yard looks like an overgrown mess, but if you sit on their porch in the summer, you will be visited by a wide variety of insects, beautiful lizards, an amazing array of birds and will glimpse other wildlife sauntering through the woods behind their house.
Sometimes we have been judgmental: Why are they so critical of the church? Why don’t they clean up their yard? Why are there always so many people in various states of need, in and out of their house? Why are things so messy, so chaotic over there? Over the years we have come to see the utter goodness of these relatives of ours. They have a firm commitment to not giving gifts at Christmas. But then, they give gifts of caring all year long and are an incredible inspiration to us.
We still try to find something for them at Christmas, a small token of our love. But the best way to respect such people in our lives is to “give-it-forward”. If we can give to someone we don’t know, that is a good way to honor those who feel they already have enough. Giving to others is also a joyful way to honor those who are no longer with us. When you think of a loved one for whom you can no longer wrap a gift, think about wrapping a gift for someone else, someone you don’t know.
We are grateful for opportunities like Christmas Holiday Sharing at Ark and Dove. There are also needs at CAP food pantry, the Joy Offering, and needs of our Afghan refugee family (keep reading in the Arkive). It is a joyful thing to be able to give out of love for someone we know, to someone we don’t know. We are so thankful for those at Ark and Dove who are organizing these efforts.
Pastors Caroline and Stephen
[email protected]
[email protected]
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In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”[a] This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said,
“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
make his paths straight."
Matthew 3: 1-3
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God of hope and peace, today I groan but help me to learn that my groaning is going somewhere - toward the redemption found in you. Set me free to hope while I groan. Come into my life that I may receive the joy of the good news of your birth in the world. Amen.
by Luke Powery
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We have a full Sunday of wonderful music planned for this second week of Advent.
The services will open with a piece called Love Came Down, sung by Stephen Herman and Kim Champagne, with simple, yet luscious instrumentation of piano, synth, cello and guitar.
We will also sing the contemporary hymn, A Baby Will Come, and I'm so excited to feature Milena Hernandez Lee this week. Milena has been attending Ark and Dove for only a few weeks, but I learned of her insane musical gifts, and I am so excited for you all to hear her gorgeous voice and guitar, as she leads us in this hymn.
The Offertory piece will be sung by the choir. It's titled, My Heart Shall Sing by Karen Marrolli. This piece opens with a celtic-inspired piccolo solo. Laura Doughty perfectly adds her expertise to this tune with the piccolo soaring over the choir throughout its entirety, while Diane Yates adds the heartbeat of the song with her percussion. This piece is a unique marriage of an old Irish tune, Star of the County Down, which we know as Canticle of the Turning, paired with an original melody. The upbeat tempo, singable melody, and its message leaves us full of hope as we await the arrival of Jesus' birth.
My heart shall sing of the day you bring.
Let the fires of your justice burn.
Wipe away all tears, for the dawn draws near,
and the world is about to turn.
I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
With love,
Rebecca
Director of Music
[email protected]
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DONATE ONLINE! One-time and recurring!
TEXT your donations! 410-983-3481
Text give to get started. Text commands for more options.
ESTABLISH AN EFT
Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7
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November Financial Summary | |
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YTD Expected Unpledged Income $45,833
Actual Unpledged Income $18,724
Behind $27,109
YTD Expected Pledged & Electronic Giving $468,799
YTD Actual Pledged & Electronic Giving $471,497
Ahead $2,698
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Bulletin - 2nd Sunday in Advent | |
Ministry & Membership
Interest Meeting
Interested in ways to get involved at Ark and Dove? Considering becoming a member? We will be having a ministry and membership interest session this Saturday on December 3rd from 9am until roughly 11:30am. Breakfast will be provided and childcare will be provided if needed. Please RSVP below. We look forward to seeing you!
RSVP HERE
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Advent Services
Dec. 11th
3rd Sunday of Advent:
Children's Christmas Pageant
Dec. 18th
4th Sunday of Advent
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Christmas & New Year's
Dec. 24th
Christmas Eve Services:
-Children's Service 4pm
-Service at 6pm
Dec. 25th
Christmas Day
Single Service Sunday at 11:00am
January 1st
1st Sunday of Christmas
Single Service Sunday at 11:00am
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Christmas Poinsettias
The Flower Team and Worship Ministry is accepting donations for flowers, greens, and a Christmas tree for the Advent season and Christmas Eve/Day service. We will be displaying poinsettias for the Christmas Eve Service. The suggested donation is $15 dollars. Forms are available in the church bulletin or online.
If you have any questions, please contact Paula Griggs at 443-510-6687 or [email protected].
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From the Tech Booth: Volunteers Needed
If you attended the 10:30 service 3 weeks ago, you heard Pastor Tim speak out for the need for volunteers to help staff the tech booth as Joe Gray had one arm on each computer trying to keep things running smoothly. This isn’t the first time in the recent past where we’ve had to adapt at the last minute due to the small size of our team... In a perfect world, we would have sufficient volunteers to have a “once per month” rotation. Each week, we would like to have seven people participating on the tech team, so to have everyone volunteer once a month, 28 people would be needed. Over the last few months, that load has been carried by 7 people, with two people recently starting to run the sound board solo. This means we’re looking for 17 additional people!
If you’re interested in being one of the 17, please stop me on a Sunday morning or email me at [email protected]. Once a handful of people have been identified, we’ll hold a brief orientation session and then begin your training. No prior experience is needed, and you don’t need to be a “computer person” to be a good fit. If Sunday morning doesn’t work for you, one of the weekly needs is the prior preparation of the graphics/words for the service. This can be done from home any time during the second half of the week.
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Join guest host, Ellen Makar, as she interviews a Stewardship Team member, Joe Gray, as they discuss Dedication Sunday.
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6 November
Join guest host Lilly as she interviews our new Interim Director of Youth Ministry: Whitney Grimm to discuss her plans for the newly re-instated Ark and Dove Youth Group!
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16 October
Lobby Host Christa Kronser discusses the Anne Arundel Connecting Together (ACT) Candidates Accountability Action with Countywide Candidates event held on 14th of October at Ark and Dove Presbyterian Church.
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Grief and the Holidays
If you’re grieving the loss of someone this Christmas season, the music, decorations, and busy plans that create holiday cheer for others may not do it for you. Sometimes it is good to spend a little time in the company of those who may feel more like you do -- who also lost a loved one, whether recently or long ago. You, as well as family and friends, are invited to join Grief and the Holidays on Wednesday, December 14th from 7:30 - 8:45pm on Zoom. The group is co-facilitated by Tim Stern, Cathy Debus, and Linnie Girdner.
Please notify Linnie Girdner at [email protected] to sign up and receive the Zoom link, even if you just have an inkling that you might attend.
For additional ways to handle the holiday, see HERE.
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Parent Group will resume in 2023
Due to scheduling conflicts during the holiday season, parent group will not meet again until January 2023. If you have any questions, please contact Nicole Howe at [email protected].
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Christmas Joy
This Sunday begins our five Sunday Christmas Joy Special Offering. The Christmas Joy offering supports the following endeavors:
- 25% to refugee assistance
- 25% to the Light House Homeless Prevention Center
- 25% to support current and retired PCUSA church workers in their time of need
- 25% to developing future leaders at Presbyterian-related racial ethnic schools and colleges
Go to Ark and Dove Giving page or TEXT your donations to 410-983-3481. Text GIVE to get started. Text COMMANDS for more options.
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CAP Food Pantry
The Christian Assistance Program (CAP) food pantry in Odenton is grateful for our ongoing support. The items most needed right now at the pantry are shelf milk (like Parmalat®), jelly/jam, ramen, and macaroni & cheese.
We have bins marked for CAP food in the cabinet across from the lobby coat rack. Food can also be taken directly to the pantry at First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Odenton, on Tuesdays 10:30am-1:30pm and Thursdays 1:30-5:30pm. Or contact Greg Makar ([email protected]) to make other arrangements.
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Christmas Holiday Sharing
As part of our mission ministry, Ark & Dove is participating again in the Christmas Holiday Sharing Program organized by the Anne Arundel County Department of Social Services. We have several team captains to serve as the points of contact for the Holiday Sharing families and the Ark & Dove participants. Sign up HERE or look for the link on the church website. The sign-up has detailed instructions, the team captain roster, and a sign-up slot for each child with gift ideas and clothing sizes. Team captains will work with you on deliveries, which we will try to complete by December 18th. For more information, please contact Greg Makar ([email protected]).
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GLEAM- Changing the Game,
movie & discussion
Movie & discussion- Join us Sunday, January 15th at noon in the sanctuary for a viewing and discussion of the documetary Changing the Game. Light snacks and drinks provided. If you need childcare contact Amanda Crose [email protected]
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Donations Needed
As the Abawi family settle into their new home, we can then concentrate on the many other ways we can support this family.
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Car Donation
As they find employment in the near future along with the many health appointments they have, both the Annapolis Presbyterian Church and Ark and Dove are asking if you, or anyone you may know, have any vehicle that can be donated to the Abawi family. Please reach out to Debbie Arey at [email protected].
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Let's Talk - December 6th
Last winter a group who studied Robin DiAngelo's book, Nice Racism, followed her suggestion to form a White Affinity Group to continue learning and hold each other accountable. It's an informal space where we share how we are continuing our anti-racist journey, ask questions, share concerns, and make suggestions for further learning. We'd like to start the group again and invite all to join, regardless of where you are on your journey. Meetings will be monthly on zoom, Tuesdays from 7pm - 8pm and begin on December 6th. Contact Paula Sparks, [email protected] to sign up for the group and receive the monthly zoom link.
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THE RACE CARD
(And other "microaggressions" that get in the way of real conversations about race)
On Sunday, January 29th the Anti-Racism team will host a luncheon after the service, followed by a 2 hour workshop from 12:30 - 2:30pm presented by Jeff Bolognese. Jeff comes to us highly recommended from Presbytery and has led these trainings through work and in churches. Please add the date to your calendar now and plan to join us for this important training.
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Rise Up, Shepherd! Advent Reflections on the Spirituals
During this Advent season we will be reading the above title written by Luke A. Powery. There are a variety of dates and times to choose from. Please indicate your interest in joining a group by filling out this form.
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Christian Education for Children | |
Sunday Mornings for Children and Youth | |
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9:00 AM
Childcare
Middle School Chimes and Percussion Ensembles (9:00 to 9:45)
After the Children’s Sermon: Godly Play Sunday School Pre-K through grade 5
10:00 AM
Children’s Choir
10:30 AM
Childcare
After the Children’s Sermon: Godly Play Sunday School Pre-K through grade 4
Middle School Sunday School grade 5 through 8
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Leaders and Helpers Needed
To ensure that we can continue to offer the above Christian Educational opportunities we NEED leaders! Currently we do NOT have enough to fully staff any of these programs. Please consider offering your gifts and talents to help these programs thrive. You will need to complete a background check and training. Curriculum and materials are provided. Please contact CE Elder, Sara Fox at [email protected] if interested.
Thank you to those of you who’ve already made a commitment to help out this year!!!
Nursery Helpers: If you are already a CE leader or a high school student please consider signing up HERE to help in the nursery. You will be assisting Cara Moody as needed.
As always, any questions or concerns please reach out to me at [email protected].
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Please keep the following people in your prayers this week:
PRAYERS OF HEALING AND SUPPORT for a family member out of the hospital; Nikol Sahai, undergoing chemo-therapy; Audrey Miller; Mike Davie's sister-in-law in hospice care, and for her family; the Marsh Family waiting for their adopted boys to come in January; a wonderful teen facing the challenges of an eating disorder; a teen in need of a family; Carolyn Patrinicola, the mother of Beth Stewart; The mother of Sara Yotter; Martha Huthmaker, Cherese's mother-in-law; Arlyce Lohr; Dotty Kaufmann; Harrison James Odom; Mary Elizabeth Nay, diagnosed with Colon Cancer; Bri awaiting preliminary results & tests; a teen struggling with peer concerns at school; Ron Miller, dealing with health issues; Holly Folk, friend of Laura Willoughby, recovering from back surgery; Carol & Henry Saylor; Rose having health issues; Deb Saylor's grand-nephew, Jordan; Christy Hipchen's Great Uncle, Steven Stanko; a friend's mother in hospital battling an illness; Chantel Seetram; Debbie and Bruce Arey's Daughter, Allison; a husband awaiting test results; families impacted by gun violence; Dr. Jesse Nicholson, Connie Batts' brother-in-law; Laura Talbert; Danni Johnson, fighting cancer; Denise Bartgis chemo treatments; little girl diagnosed with leukemia and her family; the family of Gavin Hurley; Amanda Welford; Bruce Arey's sister; Helen Jarkiewicz; Dee going through breast cancer; Doug Dehaven with cardiac problems; Karen Judeich; Marie, Nikol Sahai’s Mom; Irina Lee, Jan and Al Jank's daughter-in-law; Fran; Dot Forloines; Vaughn Brown; Dick Paronto; Julie Devers' friend Zenia Dacio-Messina; Hope Sutphin; Emily Wehage; Jeff Miller, Kathy Miller’s brother-in-law; Freyja Hartzell; Amy Goldberg's father, Michael Cooper; Rebecca Echols friend, Lauren Douglas; Andy, friend of Karen Dodson; Ghazal Abawi; Mike Bartgis's cousin; Marjorie Tanner, Laura Doughty’s mother; Cara Moody’s father-in-law, Gary Moody Sr.; Carly & Chris Taylor, Friends of Michelle Schoonmaker; Debbie Saylor's Friends: Carlene Printy and Helen Rossum;
If you have prayer concerns or blessings that you would like to share, please contact Deacon Patriceo Green at [email protected] and he will add your concern to the prayer partners email chain.
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