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The Power is on at church! Come celebrate the 3rd Sunday in Lent!
All are welcome as we prepare our hearts and minds for Easter, Daily Lenten devotions can be found
here.
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MESSAGE FROM PASTOR JON
Dear Friends and Members of Ark and Dove,
Earlier this week I attended the
Next Church conference in Baltimore.
Next Church is a group of creative Presbyterians seeking new possibilities for the future of our denomination.
Next Church stresses the importance of storytelling. We heard stories of churches thriving under difficult circumstances, people pushing beyond adversity, the faithful making the hard but necessary decisions and the prophetic speaking truth to power. These stories were encouraging and challenging. It made me wonder how we can create more space to tell our own stories here at Ark and Dove.
Last night, several members of Ark and Dove joined members of
First Christian Community and
First Presbyterian of Annapolis to tell stories. As you may know, we are part of a developing
Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF) affiliate. We are building relationships among faith organizations in order to make for change in our county. The unique thing about how IAF approaches change-making is that we are not seeking politicians or people in power to get things done. This is a nonpartisan organization. We are starting with relationships. It begins by hearing the stories of many people in this county who are hungry and hopeful for change. By listening to one another and forging relationships, we are building a coalition of the faithful who want to do right by the people of Anne Arundel County.
This Tuesday night, 7-8:30 pm, we are having a listening campaign training at
Temple Beth Shalom in Arnold. What is a listening campaign? It is an opportunity to gather groups of people to listen to their core concerns about their community. Is it affordable housing? Gun violence? Drug abuse? Opportunities for education? When we listen to the concerns of those around us, we will be able to effectively address those concerns. We will have listening campaigns in the church, community and in the county in the near future. This will be an opportunity to hear one another and also where God is calling us to act. If you are interested in joining us this Tuesday, please talk to me or Shelley Franklin (
shelleyfranklin@vwrld.net). Learning to listen well to others will serve this church well but also our community.
Youth, young adults, youth leaders and parents, don't forget there is an informational meeting about summer trips this Sunday at 5 pm.
Peace,
Jon
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VERSE AND PRAYER
Blessed is anyone who endures temptation. -James 1:12
God of faithfulness: There are certainly things I do and don't do that draw me away from you and my neighbor. Grant me endurance, that I may be faithful. Help me to resist those temporary pleasures that attempt to fill a void only you can fill. Help me to deny those ways in which I try to get ahead of others. Help me defy the comforts that make me complacent. Help me fight against the ways I make your message fit into what I already know and do. Grant me courage to endure temptation that I might be found faithful. But even when I fail, let me be assured that you are faithful still. Amen.
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N
TES FOR YOU
This week, I hope you will join the Adult Choir at the 9:30 service as they present "Surely He Has Borne Our Sorrows." It is my very favorite piece we are doing all season, and I can't wait to share it with you!
Love,
Rebecca
rebeccaebell@gmail.com
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SUMMER TRIPS FOR YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS
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YOUTH SUMMER TRIPS INFO MEETING If you are in grade 6 or above, we invite you and your parent(s) or guardian(s) to join the fun at Youth Group on Sunday, March 4th to discuss the options for this summer's mission and summit trips:
- HABITAT FOR HUMANITY Easter Shore of Virginia Mission trip for those 16 years of age or above (June 17-22)
- THE CENTER Day mission experiences for those finishing 6th grade or above (July 23-27)
- GenOn SUMMIT EAST For those finishing 8th grade or above, including college-aged young adults through adults (July 15-21)
We'll begin with dinner at 5pm and then we'll get into discussing the trips, fundraising, and address any questions you might have. So that we're sure to have enough dinner, please RSVP to Kelly Burnett (kellyb327@aol.com) to let us know that you'll be joining us! If you can't make the meeting, but are still interested in learning about these trips, please let either Pastor Tim (timsstern@gmai.com) or Pastor Jon (jgnelson1985@gmail.com) know. We look forward to seeing you this Sunday, March 4th @ 5pm! Kellyb327, kellyb327@aol.com.
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EASTER FLOWERS DONATIONS The Flower Team is accepting donations for palms and flowers for the Easter service. Suggested donation amount is $7-$10 dollars. Forms are available in the lobby. If you have any questions, please contact Paula Griggs at
443-510-6687
or
paulagriggs32@gmail.com
.
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IAF (INDUSTRIAL AREAS FOUNDATION)
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 LISTENING CAMPAIGN TRAINING Tuesday, March 6, 7:00 - 8:30 pm
***New Location***
TEMPLE BETH SHALOM, 1461 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd. Annapolis, MD. As the Anne Arundel County & Annapolis
IAF begins to move from connection to action, we need to hear the voices of THOUSANDS of county citizens. To hear all of our voices, we conduct will Listening Sessions. These are hour-long sessions of small groups in our church, community centers, homes, and anywhere people gather. Come to the training this
Tuesday, March 6, 7-8:30 p.m. at Temple Beth Shalom to learn how to conduct these sessions and why they matter. Please contact Shelley Franklin (
shelleyfranklin@vwrld.net) to participate.
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SHARING RESOURCES CHANGING LIVES
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ONE GREAT HOUR OF SHARING: Sharing Resources and Changing Lives The Christian season of Lent is historically marked with fasting, a traditional practice of giving up food and devoting yourself to prayer. Isaiah 58 describes a new kind of fast, not to give up bread, but to share it. Isaiah 58 calls us to "loose the bonds of injustice," to "let the oppressed go free" and to "bring the homeless poor" into our homes. As we respond through our sharing, Isaiah 58 also provides a promise. As we respond to injustice, feed the hungry, and provide places for those without homes "our light will break forth," and we shall be called "repairers of the breach, restorers of street to live in." In Isaiah 58, God issues a challenge--to love one another more deeply by sharing what we have with those in need. One Great Hour of Sharing is our direct response to the ways in which God has called us to share. Please give generously to One Great Hour of Sharing. Thank you, Cheryl Schafer, Mission Elder, csscas@veizon.net.
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MARCH'S FOOD OF THE MONTH
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C
AP WEST COUNTY FOOD PANTRY
Featured item for March is RICE (wild rice, short grain brown rice, basmati, etc.). Please drop off food items in the Mission Zone bin. Thank you for your donations!
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Antiracism and Social Equity
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THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN US What is race? How do we define or name the races, and what assumptions do we make about race? Join us Sunday, March 11th at 2:00 for a presentation of The Difference Between Us, Episode 1 of the PBS Series Race: The Power of an Illusion. We'll follow the 1 hour film with discussion. Sign up in the lobby (or ONLINE) and let us know if you'll need child care. (This series is appropriate for our youth.) Questions? Please contact Paula Sparks, trebleclef48@gmail.com
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COMPASSION, PEACE AND JUSTICE
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ADVOCACY TRAINING CONFERENCE Join us April 20 for Compassion, Peace and Justice Training Day at The New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C. Gather with your fellow Presbyterians as we look at how our church and our partners are confronting white supremacy and nativism while supporting refugee and migrant populations in our country and abroad. In plenaries and workshops we will analyze our current context and offer concrete tools for members and their congregations to address these urgent issues. We will learn how we build a unified public witness of subversive love amidst the abuse and hatred running rampant in our country. Questions? Please contact Debbie Arey, debarey@hotmail.com.
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FRIENDLY SENIORS INVITE THE CHURCH
Come join the Friendly Seniors to see Frankenstein (adapted from the Mary Shelley novel) at the Bowie Community Theatre on Saturday, March 17 at 2:00 p.m. We will be taking reservations after church services on February 18 and 25. If we get a group of 10 or more the price per person drops to only $15.00! Money will be due by March 1 to purchase tickets as a group. See the sign-up, with details and individual prices, on the flier in the lobby. For more information please contact Joan Berry, 410-672-5237, or berry962@verizon.net.
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PRAYER CONCERNS
Please keep the following people in your prayers this week:
PRAYERS OF HEALING AND SUPPORT
for Brandi Spradling, Karen Dodson; Bill Champagne; Joy Dabbs; Ann Hirschy; Carol and Dick Baily; Brooke Berry's father, John Calhoun; Christy Yeager's father, Leon Jordan; Charles Lawrence; Donna Anderson's brother-in-law, Tom; Mary Beckwith; Bob Johns; Frances Keyes; Dot Forloines and her brother Jack; Helene Marchand-Stancil and Helene's mother, Mimi; Ellen Makar's father, Don Erickson; Laura Willoughby's father, Norman; Steve and Brandi Downs; Mary Stum's sister-in-law, Sandy; Julia Kirby's mother, Margaret Floyd; Amy Carskadon's nephew; Jason Ziegler; Charlotte Davie's sister, Ann; Erika Sealing's son, Trip, and grandmother, Margaret Schade; Tawes Dewyngaert; Archer and Honor Bauman's grandmother, Jackie; Sue Hanburger's grandson, Enzo; two granddaughters; Laura Rockwell's friend, Adam Hurst; Mary Benson's mother and brother;
Edie and Richard Budd
; Don Johnson; Dillon;
Brianna Lapp
; the Nishikawa family; Dotty Kaufmann's grandson, Nathan; and Jerri Webb's best friend and her best friend's mother.
PRAYERS OF JOY AND GRATITUDE
on the healthy birth of Marcel Spradling, 8 pounds 6 ounces, the son of Brandi and Donovan and brother of Zoey, on February 28, 20018!
THE LOVE AND PRAYERS OF THE CONGREGATION
go out to the people of Parkland, Florida.
If you have prayer concerns or blessings that you would like to share, please contact Deacon Patriceo Green at patriceobgreen@gmail.com, and he will add your concern to the prayer partners email chain.
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