18th Sunday after Pentecost

Dear Friends and Members of the Ark and Dove Community,

There is another spoof e-mail out there claiming to come from me. This is the text of the e-mail.

Greetings XXXX,

I am reaching out to request your assistance with a specific matter.

Would you kindly inform me of your availability to handle this request?

Blessings!

Rev. Timothy Stern

Delete the e-mail. It's not me.

Peace,

Tim

Dear Friends of the Ark and Dove community,

Earlier this month, the PC(USA) briefly popped up in the news–blink and you might have missed it! The story was covered almost exclusively by Presbyterian outlets, but it’s news that I hope many of us hear and respond to. Here’s a condensed version of the events, taken from Mike Ferguson writing for the Presbyterian News Service:

“The Rev. Jihyun Oh, Stated Clerk of the PC(USA) has responded to a letter from the Chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary seeking information on the role Climate Action 100+ plays with the PC(USA)’s Committee on Mission Responsibility Through Investment (MRTI).

In a July 30 letter which went out to 130 firms and faith-based organizations, U.S. Reps. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, who chairs the committee, and Thomas Massie, R-Kentucky… say that the committee, ‘has uncovered evidence that financial institutions are colluding with climate activists through initiatives like Climate Action 100+ to adopt left-wing environmental, social and governance-related goals, potentially in violation of US antitrust law.’

Oh, in her response, underscores two key messages: First, the PC(USA) exercises great care and responsibility in how it invests God’s financial resources so that these investments serve humanity and God’s Creation in accordance with the PC(USA)’s environmental values and policies… Second, that the PC(USA) makes these decisions as a denomination, informed by but not directed by any other organization.”

The full article of Oh’s responses to the committee can be found here.

I don’t share this news with you to make you angry, or to confirm or challenge your personal opinions of certain elected officials. I do share this with you as a validation of who we are as a denomination: committed to engagement in the world, boldly living those values out, and standing firmly behind those values when questioned on their validity. Rev. Oh writes in her full response to the committee that the PC(USA) “recognizes that climate change is undeniable and is one of the most pressing moral and theological problems of our time. We come to this position as a theological matter and engage the public policy debate around this and other issues as faithful expression protected under the First Amendment for all religious traditions.” Her response, holding both theology and public policy together, is such a great encapsulation of what it means to be a Presbyterian, motivated to action and care not in spite of, but because of our theology.

As we enter into the period of peak anxiety before the 2024 election, keep an eye on this story. May it move us, challenge us, and provoke us to engage in the work of Christian witness, and to find our political identities within our deepest moral and theological convictions.

Peace,

Pastor Jenn

They went on from there and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it, for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, "The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again. "But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him. Then they came to Capernaum, and when he was in the house, he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the way? "But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” Then he took a little child and put it among them, and taking it in his arms he said to them, "Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me."

Mark 9:30-37

Child God 

God in Daycare 

God at home with a weary parent 

God at the whims of unhealed adults 

God at the mercy of violent systems 

God hiding under a classroom desk 

God, sole survivor of a family buried under rubble 

Child God 

God of Vibrant Laughter 

God of Holy Vulnerability 

God of Open-Hearted Trust 

God of Everyday Awe 

God in Need of Protection 

God of Inherent Worth 

We yield to your needs 

We relish your wonder 

We honor you today & always

Prayer by Rev. Molly Bolton writing for Enfleshed

Dear Friends,

This week, our Band instrumentalists will be leading the blended music, while our vocalists will be a combination of both the Band and Choir. I’m incredibly grateful to have such talented and dedicated musicians who are always willing to step in when needed. Since many of our band vocalists are traveling, the choir graciously stayed after their rehearsal to learn the Offertory music. I’m often humbled by the commitment of the people I get to work with, and this week was no exception.

We will begin the service with a beautiful ballad, “Be Still My Soul” by Kari Jobe. The hymns for this week are: “Come, Live in the Light!”, “When the Poor Ones” and “Called as Partners in Christ’s Service”, and since the congregation did such a wonderful job singing “Dona Nobis Pacem (Grant Us Peace)” last week, we’ll be singing it again this Sunday! I think we can do even better, so just follow me closely when the choir splits into parts.

For our Offertory, we’ll be singing “Build Your Kingdom” by Rend Collective. While we often think of songs about peace as slow and reflective, this one is full of energy and joy. It’s an uplifting call for God's peace—a peace that heals and unites our community. The chorus proclaims:

Build Your kingdom here

Let the darkness fear

Show Your mighty hand

Heal our streets and land

This song captures the spirit of peace in action, calling on God’s presence to bring healing and unity. I can’t wait to share it with you all on Sunday!

With love,



Rebecca 

Director of Music

rechols@arkanddove.org

YTD Expected Unpledged Income $32,618

Actual Unpledged Income $34,966

Ahead $2,348

YTD Expected Pledged & Electronic Giving $334,445

YTD Actual Pledged & Electronic Giving $343,012

Ahead $8,567

Check Out Ark and Dove's New Website!

The Ark and Dove website has received a makeover! We would like to thank the Website Team for all of their hard work and dedication to this project! Team Lead Keith Tardiff, team members Paul Alcorn, Amy Goldberg, Katie Nilsen-Johnson, Ryan Stavely, and Alice Szczepaniak, and our Worship Times partner did a fantastic job. Please check out our new look at https://arkanddove.org/ and let us know what you think.

Sensory-Friendly Livestream Worship

in the Calvin Room this Sunday!

The Calvin Room has been refreshed and is available if you need a smaller, calmer space to view worship via livestream during the 10:30am service. You’ll find options for cozy seating and sensory-friendly movement and exploration as well as a new, wall-mounted TV streaming the service live. As always, all are welcome to move and make sound in the sanctuary! The Calvin Room is simply an additional option available to those who need it.

Nursery Leaders and

Helpers Needed

To ensure that we can continue to offer children and youth programming we need 2 adult/teenage leaders, from different families to help provide leadership. Please consider volunteering!

Please sign up here: Nursery Volunteers

Bridges to Community Information Session 

Join us Sunday at 3pm at Ark and Dove for an information session about a service/learning trip this summer to build a house in the Dominican Republic. Youth must be 14+ by June 2025 to take part in this trip. Contact Pastor Jenn for more information. jenn.mccullough@arkanddove.org

LOGOS Parents

 and Volunteers Information Meeting

Please join us on Tuesday, September 24th at 6pm for a pre-LOGOS meeting and orientation. LOGOS is our Tuesday night, intergenerational gathering, with curriculum focusing particularly on the needs of kindergarten-5th graders. It will be held on Tuesday nights, starting on October 8th. At our info meeting, we'll go over basic LOGOS principles and sign up for roles and volunteer tasks. If you are new to LOGOS, please feel free to reach out for more information. You may preregister here or below for our 2024-2025 LOGOS program. We'd love to see you there and childcare will be provided!

Registration Link:

https://arkanddove.breezechms.com/form/4d8be5638999862.

For more information contact Amy Tardiff, christianed@arkanddove.org or Heather Ruddick heather.ruddick@arkanddove.org.

Thank You for a Great First Week!

Hello all, I just wanted to take a moment to say "thank you" to everyone as we began the new Sunday Morning Children and Youth CE Programs this past week. Thank you in advance to all of the wonderful leaders and helpers who have stepped up!

We continue to seek additional leaders and helpers for all programs, as well as Nursery helpers. Please email Ann Zelenka at ann.zelenka@arkanddove.org or Amy Tardiff at christianed@arkanddove.org for more information on helping with Sunday Morning Child and Youth CE Programs. Please also email Ann Z, or email Shanna Webb at shanna.webb@arkanddove.org to help in the nursery on Sunday Mornings.

Thank you so much, again, in advance!

Ark and Dove Book Club’s

September Selection

The Ark and Dove Book Club September Selection is Madness: Race and Insanity Inside a Jim Crow Asylum by Antonia Hilton. Join us as Linnie Girdner and Amy Tardiff lead the discussion on Sunday, September 22nd after the second service in the Marshall Room. This will be a hybrid discussion. Please contact Kim Champagne (kim.champagne@arkanddove.org) for the Zoom code and more information.

Youth Called to Join the Beadles! 

Ark and Dove has a Loyal Order of the Beadle for youth in (roughly) 5th-8th grade. A Beadle holds an honored position at the beginning of worship, most notably leading the worship procession at the beginning of services. Beadles also assist with less visible work in preparing for worship. There will be a Beadle training and pizza dinner for interested youth and those continuing service at the church on Wednesday September 25, 6:00-7:00pm. If interested or if you have questions, please RSVP to Sarah Hendricks, sehendricks@gmail.com, or text 240-615-4986.



Annual Peace and Global Witness Special Offering

The Annual Peace and Global Witness Special Offering will be collected from now through World Communion Sunday on October 6th. Our Peace and Global Witness donations support Anne Arundel Connecting Together (ACT) with 80% of our giving and Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services (LIRS) with 20% of our giving. Every day, families in Anne Arundel County face systemic racial, social and economic hardships and injustices that harm and make people feel powerless. Through ACT, we are able to increase our capacity to organize WITH people for change, solving these problems and creating a more just community. LIRS supports emergency relief for refugees locally and nationally. Please GIVE prayerfully and generously! Contact Lori Kronser (lori.kronser@arkanddove.org) for more information.



Rebuilding Together Project

Rebuilding Together is looking for volunteers and donations to make a home remodeling project for a low-income family in Howard County a reality. Paul Alcorn, Doug Walcutt, and Fred Barrow will be leading a team of volunteers in late October. Doug will be giving details during Worship this Sunday. For more information, contact Paul Alcorn at pdalcorn@gmail.com.

Send a Welcoming Message

to Haitians in Springfield

We will be getting postcards printed to send welcoming messages to Haitians in Springfield, Ohio, who have been repeatedly maligned and threatened. The postcard front will include the words "We welcome you and wish you many blessings" in Haitian Creole. On the back we will write the English translation and another supportive statement and/or drawing. The postcards will be collected and mailed to either the City Manager or a local Haitian association. This is a way to live our values to love the stranger and welcome the immigrant. Please contact Linnie Girdner at girdnerlinda@gmail.com if you have questions or want to write postcards.

Save the Dates!

Winter Relief is coming to Ark & Dove October 28th-November 4th! The following areas are opportunities for involvement:

• hospitality
• intake
• overnights
• meals
• supply donations
• set up

More info on this amazing experience to come.



Sign Up for

Get Out the Vote Postcards!

Consider helping to mail Get Out the Vote Postcards. Postcards will be available at the end of August. Please let me know if you would like to participate in writing postcards. The messages are nonpartisan and addresses are provided. They are not to be mailed out until sometime in October, so there will be plenty of time to complete the postcards. Every bit helps! Contact Linnie Girdner for more information. linnie.girdner@arkanddove.org

Light House

Homeless Prevention Center

Thank you to everyone who donated food and helped assemble sandwiches last Sunday in order to provide 50 unbagged lunches to the Light House Homeless Prevention Center.

There are many volunteer opportunities available to help and the Light House also provides Student Service Hours. For more information, please click on this link or email Lillian McGraw at lillian.mcgraw@arkanddove.org.



Yarn Donations Requested for the Guatemala Partnership Trip

Ark and Dove have participated in many trips with the Presbytery of Baltimore throughout the years. The type of Intercultural Encounters that Ark and Dove have evolved since we first started participating. We began through the Immersion-Work Groups. A time of study of a certain topic with work experience where they would participate in mutual learning and interaction with Central American people and groups. We later started participating in the Intercultural Encounters which is a program that designs and facilitates experiences of encounter, reflection, dialogue, and mutual service between people of the United States and Canada with Central American communities in search of a more just, tolerant and equitable world.

If you would like to learn more about the Partnership, please visit the Baltimore Presbytery website under the Relationships tab.

https://baltimorepresbytery.org/guatemala-partnership/

On November 2nd Louise Sharrocks, Lillian McGraw, Barbara Cencich and I will be traveling to Guatemala for a week to learn about Migration from a Guatemalan Perspective with CEDEPCA. We will be taking with us yarn for the women who create beautiful scarves for their prayer shawl ministry. A box will be placed in the lobby. Any type or color of yarn, and needles will be greatly appreciated.

Blessings,

Cheryl Walcutt



Mark Your Calendar!

Mark your calendar for our ACT Countywide Meeting on September 30th! During this meeting we'll receive updates from Housing on MPDU legislation, next steps on descendant African American communities, statewide action with PATH & AIM, and more.

ACT Countywide Meeting

Monday Sept 30th 7:00–8:30 pm

St. Philip's Episcopal Church

730 Bestgate Rd, Annapolis, MD

Discover Ark & Dove!

Come learn more about the life and ministry of Ark & Dove and how you could get involved! An informational, no-obligation ministry and membership class will be held October 5th from 9am to 12:30pm with breakfast available, childcare can be provided if needed. RSVP at arkanddove.org/interestmeeting and email Katie Nilsen-Johnson (knilsenjohnson@arkanddove.org) with any questions.



Listening Session for Issues of Renters or Landlords in Anne Arundel County

Ark and Dove in collaboration with Anne Arundel Connecting Together (ACT), will be conducting a Listening Session regarding issues and concerns of renters and landlords in Anne Arundel County. Did you know that Maryland is only one of six states in the country that prohibits counties from enacting their own good cause eviction law? Congregation and community members who are renters or landlords are invited to attend October 9th at 7:00pm-8:00pm in the Sanctuary. Please RSVP to lori.kronser@arkanddove.org by October 8th.



Ark & Dove Presbyterian Church | 410-674-6400 | admin@arkanddove.org

arkanddove.org | 8424 Piney Orchard Pkwy. Odenton, MD 21113

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