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For the Fourth Sunday of Advent, all are invited to the 9:30 Traditional Service - with a sneak preview of the Christmas Pageant - and then the full Christmas Pageant at the 11:00 Contemporary Service!
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Joyful Noise at Christmas Revels.
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MESSAGE FROM PASTOR JON
Dear Friends and Members of Ark and Dove,
Every year, as the Black Friday deals encroach more and more upon Thanksgiving, people ask the same question: Have we lost sight of what Christmas is all about? With all the stress of getting the right gifts, have we lost the art of giving? Is Christmas (practically speaking) just about one morning of getting and giving material gifts?
This Advent and Christmas season, I have been struck by the kind of gift that can't be unwrapped: gifts of talent. It all began with that Arts in Worship weekend, where so many of us brought our artistic talents to create Advent banners. And then, Revels! Wow! What amazing gifts we have in this congregation! Extraordinary music, good food, and, if I may mention, a great original poem by Jessie Gaurin. These gifts of time and talent were a real blessing to our community. Thank you!
As we look forward to this week of Christmas, many more gifts of time and talent will be shared. This Sunday at 11 am Joyful Noise and the Dove Choir will be sharing their gifts at the
Christmas Pageant entitled,
Eek! The Musical. Prepare to be impressed!
Great gifts will be shared at our
Christmas Eve services, this year at
4 pm, 6 pm, and 8 pm. For the Children's service at 4 pm, we are putting on a skit. We have some talented actors lined up, but we still need help. If you'd like to participate in this worship service, please join us at the church this Saturday (tomorrow) at 2 pm. If you can't make it, please shoot me an e-mail.
This Christmas, amidst all the gift-giving, I invite you to share your gifts of talent--whatever they might be--with those you love and those you want to love more. You all have great gifts worth sharing. Thanks be to the One who gifts the world in Jesus Christ.
Pastor Jon
jgnelson1985@gmail.com
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PRAYERS OF ADVENT
MORNING PRAYER
Make room. Let Christ be born in the quiet and the innermost spaces of your hearts. Make room. Let Christ be born in the streets and in the ghettos, in the famines and the plagues and in the wars. Make room. Let Christ be born not far away in distant ages, but in every heart and place where love and faith are found. Let Christ be born, and find in us his Bethlehem. --Christine Sine
EVENING PRAYER
God we welcome your bright and shining star. Let us not be distracted, or turned aside by busyness or power. Let us bow before your Son. A child born in a manger, a son sent to redeem the world, a savior come to renew all things. Let us rejoice with him, cast off the works of darkness, and put on the ways of light. The light of God's morning star be on you, the light of Christ's redeeming love be in you, the light of the Spirit's sustaining presence shine through you, in this season of new birth. --Christine Sine
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N
TES FOR YOU
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This Sunday is the day that the kids have been working so hard on, for so long! On December 20th at the 11:00 service, Joyful Noise (the Children and Youth choir) and the Dove Choir will be singing their Christmas pageant, called
Eek! The Musical. We have local professional singers, soprano, Britt Olsen-Ecker and tenor George Wilkerson joining us to sing the roles of the Innkeeper and his wife. There will be some other surprises as well. You won't want to miss it!
On Christmas Eve, we have a special piece prepared for the 4:00 Children's service and the 8:00 traditional service that is for children, adult choir and the orchestra. If you were at the Revels Concert, you had the pleasure of hearing it as our big finale. The 6:00 service will be led by Mark and the band. It's a big week ahead for us, and I look forward to sharing it with you.
Love,
Rebecca
rebeccaebell@gmail.com
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| Christmas Revels with Joyous Noise! |
A huge, huge thank you to everyone who participated, pulled long hours and attended the Christmas Revels concert this past Sunday! I could not be happier with how everything went, and I know that the revels were just that, and I think we all in the band feel that much more energized for the last week in Advent! The lights, the talent and the leadership all came together in a visibly beautiful way, so thank you all! And to those who took part - CONGRATULATIONS!!
God bless,
Mark
mark.edwards.guitarist@hotmail.com
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 CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY SHARING This Sunday, December 20th, is delivery day for Holiday Sharing! Please have all gifts to the Marshall Room before the pageant ends, so we can have them sorted and ready to go. We will also be looking for more people to make the deliveries. Map and instructions will be provided. Contacts: Greg Makar (301-483-8255, GLMakar@juno.com) and Beth Stewart (bpstewart@gmail.com, 410-672-6394)
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EQUIPPING THE SAINTS In his book entitled,
Power Surge: Six Marks of Discipleship for a Changing Church, Michael W. Foss states, "Disciples worship. Their very lives are expressions of trust and praise to the God who made them, loves them, and invites them to love as God loves. Everything that happens in a discipleship church moves to and from that holy moment when God's people gather together in worship," (p. 96). However, congregations across the Christian spectrum are attending worship less frequently. Pastor Tim poses the following question: "If worship helps to build disciples and transform lives- what does less frequent worship say about our direction?" Join us on
Wednesday, January 6th, from 6:30-8:30, in the Marshall Room, as we discuss the third mark of discipleship, "Weekly Worship." Dinner will be soup, salad, and sandwiches. Sign up in the lobby. Childcare will be provided upon request. samanthadewey@gmail.com.
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THE FLOWER TEAM is accepting donations for flowers and greens for the Christmas Eve Worship Services. Suggested donation amount is 5-10 dollars. Forms are available in the church bulletin and in the lobby. If you have any questions, please see Paula Griggs, PaulaGriggs32@gmail.com.
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ADULT CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
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OPEN VIEW CLASS The Open View Class, meeting at 11:00 a.m. in the Marshall Room on Sunday mornings, will begin on January 10. We will be studying the book: Soil and Sacrament, A Spiritual Memoir of Food and Faith by Fred Bahnson. This is a book "about communion in its deepest sense--an inspiring and joyful meditation on what grows above the earth, beneath it, and inside each one of us." For information, contact Betsy Baer, bbaer1216@aol.com, who also has a few books available.
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FACILITIES Leaf Blowers Wanted! Do you have a
gas powered leaf blower? Would you consider letting us borrow it (or you!) for a few hours? Now is the time to banish all of the leaves back to the woods where they belong. If you can help us, contact Ryan Stavely, Facilities Elder (410-980-2307 or ryan@stavely.org). Thanks!
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CHRISTMAS JOY OFFERING The Christmas Joy Offering for Mission will be received by the church during Advent and Christmas.
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 Please keep the following people in your prayers this week:
PRAYERS OF HEALING AND SUPPORT for Melissa Beaudry's mother, Donata Zartman; the Eckert family; friends Karen and Don; Yvonne Kareha; Ray Mosella; Tom Kees; David Kees; Kirsten Seidler; Nancy Gatdula; Christina Nelson's uncle and family; Henry Duncan; Nora Chidlow; Ann Hirschy; Lester Dabbs; Dot Bruno; Florence Myers; Jason DeVono; Briah Ryan; Tracy Churchill; Karen Dodson's brother, Dennis; Charlotte Davie's uncle, Charles Sabin; Pat Stanton's uncle, Bob Berg; the Stanton's friend, Mike Rund; the Stanton's niece, Randi; Janet Dabbs' sister, Diane Maloy; Lester Dabbs; Debbie Saylor; Anne Rosenthal's mother; Ethan Howe and Tammy Wright.
THE LOVE AND PRAYERS OF THE CONGREGATION go out to the family of Kate Snyder upon her death, especially her husband Ed and her children. Kate is a friend of Russ Hester.
JOY AND PRAISES for the birth of Linnie Girdner's great nephew, Caden Girdner.
PRAYERS FOR SAFETY AND PEACE for the Tamarindo community in Colombia. They have been displaced once and continue to be at risk of illegal eviction. Also for the Presbyterian and other Christian accompaniers and mission workers
If you have prayer concerns or blessings that you would like to share, please contact Deacon Sue Hanburger at avongypsygal@gmail.com, and she will add your concern to the prayer partners email chain.
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