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MESSAGE FROM PASTOR JON
Dear Friends and Members of Ark and Dove,
Our Long Range Planning Team has been hard at work assessing the needs of our congregation and discerning the vision God has for our community as we move forward in faith. They are asking us to complete a
Congregational Survey in order to better understand our collective desires, hopes, and dreams for the Ark and Dove that community. Please take the time to complete this
survey. You can find it
here. All information will be kept anonymous. Your feedback and insight is invaluable as we strive toward God's good future for us.
The
LOGOS team has also been listening and reflecting on the needs of our families, children, and youth. This has led to some changes in our LOGOS ministry, which is our mid-week children and youth program. LOGOS will meet for a shorter time period on Tuesday nights. Children in preschool through 4th grade will meet from 5 pm to 7 pm. They will focus on interactive Bible study, recreation, worship arts, and family fellowship over dinner. From 6 pm to 8 pm, 5th through 8th graders will focus on a similar program, but more appropriate for their own spiritual development.
We believe that this program is simpler, more effective, and accommodating to busy family lives. It is our commitment to provide safe carpooling opportunities for any family struggling to get to
LOGOS. This, of course, means that we will now have High School youth group on Sunday nights! Start date to be determined. On Sunday nights, our high school youth will have an opportunity to engage in fun things and faith formation.
Our youth are incredibly important to the vitality and mission of our congregation. I hope that we can provide them with the kind of spiritual community in which they can thrive. The program we now have before us hopes to weave all the children and youth activities we have all year together, including VBS, the Center, Habitat, Summit, Confirmation, and more. I am also in conversation with our Presbytery (see below re: Middle School Retreat) and other LOGOS churches to do some great things this year.
Please contact me if you feel moved to support, guide, or walk alongside our youth in this journey of faith. We need all the passionate leaders we can get!
Peace,
Jon
Pastor Jon
jgnelson1985@gmail.com
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VERSE AND PRAYERS
Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.
--Hebrews 13:1-2
Holy God: Help us to receive each person we meet today as a tremendous gift from you. No matter who they are or how intrusive they may be, open our hearts and minds to accept others with joy. Send divine messengers to our doorsteps, workplaces, playing fields, and meetings. May we have the humility to learn from those we think could never teach us. Fill us with wonder at every stranger and friend we see today. Amen.
For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. --Luke 14:11
God of humility: In Jesus Christ, you humbled yourself to take on flesh and walk a path of rejection in this world. And you experienced the humiliation of the cross. After this you were exalted in Christ. Guide us on this path-however hard it might be. For on the modest journey, walking in meekness, pursuing the simple way, you empower us and grant us a dignity not found at the most esteemed and powerful positions of this world. Give us not to the temptation of self-acclaim and self-glory. For our glory is found only in you. Amen.
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N
TES FOR YOU
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Next week, our choirs resume rehearsals. Beginning on Thursday, September 1st, the Dove Choir (children ages 3-5 years old), will rehearse from 5:30-6:00. Joyful Noise, our youth choir, will rehearse from 6:00-6:45. Our Adult Choir will meet from 7:00-8:30. All of the rehearsals will be in the sanctuary. Please join us!
The Orchestra will begin rehearsing on Wednesday, September 7th and will meet from 5:30-7:00 in the sanctuary. I am looking forward to working on all of the amazing music that we have planned this season.
Love,
Rebecca
rebeccaebell@gmail.com
The new school year is here, and I am excited to share some of the things that the contemporary music program has planned for the year! Things to look forward to include a Christmas Revels program in December, a special service for World Communion in October, learning and presenting the music of Ben Rector, and the production and release of two music videos! We can not wait to see all of these projects and goals come to fruition, and I am excited to see how the band operates this year.
I am also so excited for the upcoming Logos program in September. Getting new and familiar faces involved in worship is always such a joy, so be on the lookout in the fall and spring semesters to see when the youth are participating in worship.
God bless,
Mark
mark.edwards.guitarist@hotmail.com
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PLEDGED AND UN-PLEDGED INCOME
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FINANCIAL REPORT In July, for the first time this year, both pledged income and un-pledged income exceeded our budgeted amount, and we caught up a little. Thank you Ark and Dove. Pledged income is still about $12,000 behind for the year and un-pledged income is still $5500 behind. Please keep up the catch-up for August and September.
~ From the Finance Team
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NOTE FROM PASTOR TIM
Dear Friends,
This class being offered at
Christ Our Anchor is not a match with mainline protestant theology, nor is every statement made perfectly ethical from a Christian perspective. However, if your household is in financial trouble or there is conflict around money, I recommend the course. Some parts are very very helpful.
New Set of Classes Begins
Monday September, 12th!
Do money worries cause you stress or keep you up at night? Are you wondering how you'll ever save enough for retirement or your children's college fund? Do you wish you could experience "financial peace?" If so, you are invited to
Financial Peace University ("FPU").
Monday, September 12, 2016. Registration cost: $93 with lots of tools and materials included. Anyone is welcome---no affiliation with church is required.
Using Dave Ramsey's FPU principles, you learn simple, common sense steps to budgeting, a systematic approach to paying off debt, and tools to help you plan your future.
Want to learn more? Check out daveramsey.com and contact (410) 974-1713 or Ramsey.COA@gmail.com to reserve your spot.
Rev. Jessie Lowry
Christ Our Anchor Presbyterian Church
(410) 974-1713
Peace of Christ,
Tim
Pastor Tim
TimSStern@gmail.com
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WINTER RELIEF Save the date! With the recent hot weather pattern we've been experiencing, it seems like the cooler months will never arrive. However, winter will be here before we know it, and our friends at the Arundel House of Hope need our help! This year, Ark and Dove will be the first church to host 25 men experiencing homelessness for Winter Relief. Our week will be
October 10-October 17 and there are a multitude of ways you (and your families, friends, and neighbors) can participate. Questions can be directed to Christine Caufield-Noll, Mission Elder (ccnmission@outlook.com); Sue Hanburger, Co-Coordinator (avongypsygal@gmail.com); and Brooke and David Hisle, Co-Coordinators (brookehisle@gmail.com). Sign-ups will begin shortly, so please prayerfully consider what your role will be in our church's largest mission experience!
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NEW MEMBERS/INQUIRERS CLASS
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NEW MEMBERS/INQUIRERS CLASS Saturday, September 17, 8:30am-12:30pm. Please join us for a New Members/Inquirers Class where you can meet other people who have been visiting Ark and Dove and enjoy breakfast and fellowship. This "no obligation" class is just for you if you want to learn more about Ark and Dove and what it means to be a member. We'll provide breakfast and childcare. Hope to see you there! Sign-up sheet in the lobby, or email Donna Anderson, Outreach and Connection Elder, donna.anderson30@aol.com.
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MEN'S BREAKFAST Hi everyone! We're excited to announce the next Ark And Dove Voyagers Men's Fellowship Group breakfast,
Saturday, September 24th, 8:00am-10:00am, at the Nautilus Diner in Crofton. We will have a private room, and they are prepared for separate checks. Please share this with other men in the congregation.
As with past meetings, a member of the congregation will be making a short informative presentation.
Ryan Stavely has agreed to speak. Ryan is a former Naval officer who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and served in the Office of Naval Intelligence. He now leads the Navy and contractor team that designs, installs and tests the combat systems aboard the Littoral Combat Ship. Ryan will be talking about life as a surface warfare officer, his transition out of the Navy, and his current work (as he says the process of building a ship from empty aluminum hulk to fully outfitted vessel). Please RSVP to me at joshuaederheimer@aol.com.
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COMING IN SEPTEMBER SENIORS GROUP Seniors (self-defined), if you're interested, come September look for a survey--on line and hard copy--to express your preferences for forming a group to socialize, learn, and mentor. The first meeting's where and when will be determined by your answers. Also, put on your thinking caps and ponder what kind of activities you'd like to have and a potential name for the group (these are questions on the survey). So look for the link on E-Arkive after Labor Day or pick up a survey to fill out in the narthex at that time. Have questions? Ask Joan Berry (berry972@verizon.net)/410-672-5237 or Frances Keyes (FRKeyes1005@gmail.com /410-874-7253.
Let us consider how we can stir up one another to love. Let us help one another to do good works. Hebrews 10:24
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SUNDAY SCHOOL Our Summer Sunday School program needs a teacher for
Sunday, September 4th, at both 9:30 and 11:00. The lesson and materials are available in Kim's mailbox.
Regular Sunday School begins on Sunday, September 11th. Teachers and doorkeepers (assistants) are needed in our Preschool, Godly Play, Middle School and High School programs. Excited to get involved? Please email kim.champagne@gmail.com.
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LOGOS: CHILDREN AND YOUTH PROGRAM
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LOGOS PARENTS MEETING Interested in our revamped children and youth program? Come to a parent info meeting on
September 6 at 6:00 pm. Food and childcare provided. Contact Jon Nelson, jgnelson1985@gmail.com.
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MIDDLE SCHOOL POOL PARTY
This Sunday at the Kirby's from 2-4 pm! Please let Pastor Jon know if you are able to make it. (jgnelson1985@gmail.com).
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MIDDLE SCHOOL YOUTH RETREAT
The Baltimore Presbytery is hosting a middle school retreat in Quarryville, PA on October 21-23. The theme of the retreat is "7 Habits for the Highly Effective Teen." The retreat focuses on fun, fellowship, and spiritual growth for all middle school youth. We are planning to join several other churches for what will be a really great weekend. Please contact Pastor Jon if you are interested (jgnelson1985@gmail.com).
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SMALL GROUP OPPORTUNITY - EXPLORING THE WAY
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 AN INTRODUCTION TO THE SPIRITUAL JOURNEY All are invited to take part Tuesday nights at 7:00 pm, September 20, 27, October 4, 18, 25, and November 1, 8. Pastor Tim will be co-leading, with Steve and Cathy Debus, an exploration of An Introduction to the Spiritual Journey from Upper Room Ministries. In the gathering, the notion of Spiritual Formation will be introduced in week one and, then for next seven weeks, the group will explore and try on several different spiritual/prayer practices, while sharing individual successes, joys and failures. More than a few people, who have participated in this experience, have said that it started them again in a fresh way on their faith journey. Sign up in the lobby or contact Pastor Tim, TimSStern@gmail.com.
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 THE OPEN VIEW GROUP All are invited as we gather to explore Becoming Wise: An Inquiry into the Mystery and Art of Living by Krista Tippett. Ms. Tippet is the host of On Being, the acclaimed weekly interview program on NPR. One reviewer referred to this, Tippet's latest NY Times Bestseller, as: "A book in which I underlined more passages than any other book I've read." Another called it: "A mind-expanding exploration of what it means to be human." Open View will meet in the Marshall Room on Sundays at 11:00 AM, September 11 through November 20. Sign-up in the lobby. Questions? Please contact Betsy Baer (bbaer1216@aol.com) or Pastor Jon Nelson (jgnelson1985@gmail.com)
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ANTI-RACISM AND SOCIAL EQUITY
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The FAITH AND ANTI-RACISM group will study America's Original Sin by Jim Wallis, who is a NYT bestselling Christian author, a social activist and the founder of Sojourners. Probing, yet positive, biblically rooted yet highly practical, this book is an antidote to the helplessness and overwhelm that many feel today. In America's Original Sin, Wallis unpacks the historical and structural realities of racism and leads us on a path toward becoming the Beloved Community we want our children to inherit.
We invite you to come and mix history, theology, videos and stories, beginning on Sunday, September 18th at 12:30pm and continuing weekly through November 13. We welcome you to our home in Millersville, where we will begin each meeting with fellowship and a light lunch for those who come straight from church. Paula and David Sparks, trebleclef48@gmail.com.
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TWELVE WOMEN OF THE BIBLE
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SPIRITED SISTERS will study 10 of the Twelve Women of the Bible by Lysa TerKeurst and Elisa Morgan. Each session of this study will focus on one woman of the Bible, such as Eve, Rebekah, Abigail, Mary Magdalene, Martha, and Jesus' mother Mary. We will look at the spiritual lessons of each woman and the implications of her story to our lives today. We will consider how our trials and successes can bring us closer to God. This study uses DVDs as well as a study guide. Whether you are brand new to Ark and Dove or a long time Spirited Sister, I invite you to join together on Saturdays from 9-10:30am, beginning on September 17 and continuing biweekly for ten sessions. Kim Champagne, kim.champagne@gmail.com.
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 THE BIBLE AND THE NEWS (beginning September 8) What does ancient Scripture say to everyday events in the news? Surprisingly a lot! You are invited Thursday nights at 7 pm as we pair headline news with Holy Scripture. Each week we will discern what the Bible says to the news of the week in order to see the world through the lens of faith. Contact Pastor Jon, jgnelson1985@gmail.com, for more information.
WEEKLY BIBLE STUDY Starting back up, September 7th! Are you interested in delving a bit deeper into the Bible? Are you looking for some companions on your journey of faith? Come as you are, there are no prerequisites. We discern and discuss new Bible passages every Wednesday, 10:00 am. Questions? Contact Pastor Jon, jgnelson1985@gmail.com.
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PRAYERS OF HEALING AND SUPPORT for Lester Dabbs who is in hospice care; Janet Dabbs; Marie Shorter; Logan Talbert; Laura Talbert; Debbie Arey; Chris Wilkens; Laurie Barrow and her father and mother; Fred Barrow's sister, Mary Jackson; Dot Bruno; Nora Chidlow; Florence Myers; Ann Hirschy; Ann Hirschy's Uncle Jake; Chip Burnett; Mary Benson; Norma Forgrave; Minnie Bradley; Dot Forloines; Henry Duncan; Pat Stanton's brother-in-law, Ken Hare; friends of the Stantons, Pat Smith and Gary Finzel; the Stantons' niece, Karen Nations; Marlene DeHaven; Shelly Franklin's father, Arlo; Ashley Ricciuti; Preston Ritchie; Helene Marchand-Stancil; Helene Marchand-Stancil's parents, Paul and Mimi Marchand; Josh Zumbrook; Steve Debus' cousin, Linda Donhauser; Ray Mosella; Mary Power; Kenji Nishikawa's mother, Juanita Frizzell; and a member's husband who is awaiting test results.
THE LOVE AND PRAYERS OF THE CONGREGATION go out to the Tardiff family on the death of Amy's father, Shawn Burke.
THE LOVE AND PRAYERS OF THE CONGREGATION go out to Annetta
Fenstermacher, the Talbert family and the Saliby family on the death of Annetta's mother.
PRAYERS OF THANKSGIVING for the marriage of Kimberly Dabbs and John Schroen, this Saturday, August 27th.
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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