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Christmas Revels and Ark and Dove's 25th Anniversary Celebration Kick-Off is this Sunday beginning at 6:00 pm!
Come share in the singing, the stories and the joy!
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MESSAGE FROM PASTOR TIM
Dear Friends and Members of Ark and Dove,
Twenty-five years ago, this week, Ark and Dove had its first worship service at Odenton Elementary School. We are kicking off our 25th anniversary celebrations with our Winter Revels Concert in the sanctuary at 6:00 PM and we are being joined by Craig Sparks, who served as Director of Music before Rebecca was called to lead us. Craig will be directing the choir as they sing The Shepherd's Song, a song which he wrote. I look forward to seeing Craig among us again and all the great music, which our talented members have prepared.
Winter is coming and so is our Winterization of our building and grounds. Please join the Facilities Ministry and Pastor Jon and me this Saturday, December 3, at church as we spruce up the place and get everything ready for Christmas. We are getting started at 8:00 and we will be out of the door by noon. We would love to have your help if even only for an hour. Somehow, we always seem to need more wheelbarrows.
Thank you to all who have participated in our Catch the Joy! ministry plans for 2017. To date 74 pledges have been received by the church including 13 new pledges 24 increased pledges and 6 new commitments to electronic giving. We are very grateful for your commitment to our church. Naturally, we are hoping to get the rest of the pledges in as soon as possible. We have pledge cards in the chairs at church, if you have misplaced your cards.
This Sunday is the Second Sunday in Advent, many people choose to celebrate by wearing blue (except next Sunday which is Joy and pink Sunday). The Advent Wreath grows brighter as we prepare to celebrate the promise of Emmanuel, God among us, at Christmas.
Peace of Christ,
Tim
Pastor Tim
timsstern@gmail.com
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VERSE AND PRAYERS
In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." 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.'"
Now John wore clothing of camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
-- Matthew 3:1-6
[Stories] touch something that is human in us, and is probably unchanging ... It's what holds a culture together.
-- Rachel Naomi Remen
Prayer
Give us the courage, God, to share stories and hear others' stories. Give us glimpses of your world from perspectives that are not ours. Help us to learn the stories of our fellow members, but also the stories of those who are far away. In Jesus name. Amen
Celtic Blessing
May God
be a bright flame before you,
be a guiding star above you,
be a smooth path below you,
be a kindly shepherd behind you,
today, tomorrow, and forever.
--St. Columba
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N
TES FOR YOU
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I hope you are all planning on being at the Christmas Revels concert this Sunday at 6:00pm. You will hear the amazing Adult Choir, a sneak peek of the children's Christmas Pageant, a french horn duo, and Craig Sparks (our former Director of Music) will be here conducting a piece that he wrote. And so, so much more! It will be an exciting way to begin our Christmas season, and I hope you will all be there to share it with us!
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CHURCH GROUNDS WINTERIZATION tomorrow,
Saturday, December 3rd, 8:00 am-12:00 pm
is Ark and Dove's church grounds winterization. We will be raking, weeding, repairing pot holes, trimming bushes along the parking lot and driveway, and placing snowplow stakes around the parking lot. Lots of opportunities to feel good in getting a job done right! We ask that you please bring tools, gloves and anything else you feel will help prepare our church home and hearts for welcoming the Advent Season and Christmas. Excited to join the team? Please contact Ryan Stavely, ryan@stavely.org or Tony Hoxie, anthony.hoxie@gmail.com.
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PLANNING FOR JOYFUL MINISTRY
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ADVENT SERIES The Gospel of Matthew begins with Jesus' genealogy. We usually skip over this long list. However, there are many persons mentioned who are models of faith. This Advent season Pastors Tim and Jon will be preaching on four models of faith from this genealogy.
Advent 2: Rahab- The Faithful Ally
Advent 3: Mary- The Mother Expectant
Advent 4: David- The Fumbling, Faithful King
We believe that in looking at these characters, we can learn more about faithful living. Pastor Jon will lead a class on these characters on
Thursday nights at 7 pm through December 18th.
We look forward to celebrating this season with you. Questions? Pastor Jon, jgnelson1985@gmail.com.
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CHRISTMAS EVE AND CHRISTMAS DAY
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CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES
Saturday, December 24th
4:00 pm
Children's Service and Carols
6:00 pm
Lessons and Carols with the Band
8:00 pm
Lessons and Carols with the Choir
CHRISTMAS DAY SINGLE SERVICE
Sunday, December 25th
11:00 am
Single Service The Nativity of Jesus Christ
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CHRISTMAS REVELS and 25th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION KICK-OFF
All are invited to the Second Annual Christmas Revels and the 25th Anniversary Celebration Kick-Off, this
Sunday, December, 4th, beginning at 6:00 pm.
Come share in the singing, the stories and the joy! Amy Stavely, amy@stavely.org.
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FELLOWSHIP FOR CHRISTMAS REVELS
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CHRISTMAS REVELS HELP WANTED
If you are planning to attend Christmas Revels on Sunday, please consider bringing a dessert to share. Last year we had over 200 people attend so we need all the help we can to make the fellowship portion of the evening possible. Sign up HERE
or on the sheet in the lobby. Any questions can be directed to Amy Stavely (amy@stavely.org).
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ADVENT DEVOTIONAL BOOKLETS FROM THE PCUSA PEACEMAKING PROGRAM are now available in the church lobby. Proclaiming the Good News of God's Peace features scripture, prayer, and reflections on mass incarceration and immigration detention. There is a devotion for each day from November 27th through Christmas Day.
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CHRISTMAS EVE CHILDREN'S SERVICE
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SENIOR HIGH CHRISTMAS PARTY Mark your calendars for Sunday evening, 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm, December 18 at the Burnett's house for a Christmas party! We will have a gift swap, so bring a $5 gift to share. If you need directions, please contact Pastor Jon (jgnelson1985@gmail.com).
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CHRISTMAS EVE CHILDREN'S SERVICE
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CHRISTMAS EVE CHILDREN'S DRAMA
Our 4:00 Christmas Eve Service is a wonderful service for families to get involved! We will put on a short drama, and we would love children, youth, and adults to play a part. If you are interested in this fun opportunity to spread Christmas joy, let Pastor Jon know (jgnelson1985@gmail.com).
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SENIORS CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS!
Since we had a great first meeting, the group of seniors has decided to eat out at The Nautilus, on Dec. 11th, 1:00 p.m. We'll have our own private room and time to get to know each other. There will be no preparation--except to make a reservation! We need to know by Dec. 7th, if you will be coming to make sure you have a seat at a table! So please let Joan Berry (berry962@verizon.net, 410-672-5237), or Frances Keyes (FRKeyes1005@gmail.com, 410-874-7253) know if you plan to come. This is pure socializing! Obviously, if you have questions, Joan or Frances will try to answer them. Keep thinking of a possible name for our group.
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EQUIPPING THE SAINTS
Join us for Equipping the Saints, on Wednesday,
December 7th, from 6:30-8:30
, in the Marshall Room. We will dream and brainstorm about Ark and Dove's three year vision, and we will discuss reasons why it's important for churches to do this in the first place. Chick-Fil-A will be provided for dinner. You can sign up in the lobby, and childcare will be provided upon request. Please contact Sam Dewey with any questions: samanthadewey@gmail.co
m.
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PREPARING OUR CHURCH HOME FOR CHRISTMAS
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CHRISTMAS FLOWERS The Flower Team is accepting donations for flowers and greens for the Christmas Eve service. Suggested donation amount is $5-$10 dollars. Forms are available in the church bulletin and in the lobby. If you have any questions, please contact Paula Griggs at 443-510-6687 or paulagriggs32@gmail.com.
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Anti-racism and Social Equity
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RACE: THE POWER OF AN ILLUSION
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ANTI-RACISM AND SOCIAL EQUITY On Nov. 20th, 30 people came to church to watch and discuss The House We Live In, Part III of the PBS Series Race: The Power of an Illusion. It was an eye-opener for many, making us aware of how little we know of our country's systemic racism and its impact on generational wealth. If you missed this event, you can find the whole series on youtube. In 2017, we are planning a six week small group starting Tuesday, January 10 and expect to have forums with either films or speakers at least quarterly. We will keep you posted. If you would like to join the Anti-Racism and Social Equity Team, please contact Linnie Girdner at 410-999-7892 or Lkgirdner@comcast.net or Paula Sparks at 443-623-1169 or trebleclef48@gmail.com.
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Church Leadership Retreat
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PLANNING FOR JOYFUL MINISTRY
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CHURCH LEADERSHIP RETREAT
Planning for Joyful Ministry in 2017 and beyond!
Friday, January 6, 6:00 pm to Saturday, January 7, 2:00 pm at Bon Secours, Marriottsville, MD. Overnight rate is $160 for single occupancy and $214 for double occupancy. Includes dinner, breakfast, lunch and snacks. Check-in time is 3:00 pm, dinner starts at 6:00 pm, and the program will begin at 7:15 pm. Reserve your space by filling out a registration form today (lobby bulletin board). Questions? Pastor Tim, timsstern@gmail.com.
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CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY SHARING
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CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY SHARING 2016 Ark & Dove is participating again in the Christmas Holiday Sharing Program organized by the Anne Arundel County Department of Social Services. Through this partnership we provide Christmas gifts to families in our community by sharing some of our blessings. The Holiday Sharing office matched us with 37 families (80 children) in Odenton and Severn. We will purchase a clothing item and another gift for each child and then deliver to the families after the 11:00 service on December 18. Sign-ups for gift-giving and delivery will continue December 4 & 11 in the lobby. For more information, or to sign up between Sundays, contact Greg Makar (301-483-8255, GLMakar@juno.com) or Nicole Howe (410-868-6266, nicolehowe123@gmail.com).
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CAP WEST COUNTY'S FOOD PANTRY Featured item for December is BAKING MIXES (bran muffins, Bob's Red Mill pancake mix, etc.) Please drop off food items in the Mission Zone bin. Thank you for your donations!
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PRAYERS OF HEALING AND SUPPORT for Dot Bruno; Christy Yeager's mother, Linda Jordan; Barbara Reynolds mother, Ruth Campbell; Chip Burnett; Joe and Ann Devers; Laura Talbert; Laurie Barrow and her father and mother; Nora Chidlow; Ann Hirschy; Mary Benson; Dot Forloines; Henry Duncan; friends of the Stantons, Pat Smith and Gary Finzel; Helene Marchand-Stancil's parents, Paul and Mimi Marchand; Judy Cooper's sister, Barb Eardley and brother-in-law Bill Eardley; Mary Stum's sister, Barbara Kendig; Pat Stanton's uncles, Bob Berg and Hallie Hawn; Ron Stanton's aunt, Ruth; Ellen Makar's father, Don Erickson; Janet Dabbs' sister, Diane Maloy; Kevin Hood; Debbie Saylor's friend, Drew Beeler; and Dick and Carol Baily.
PRAYERS OF GUIDANCE AND STRENGTH for a young man battling addiction.
THE LOVE AND PRAYERS OF THE CONGREGATION go out to the Howe and Diana families on the death of Scott Howe's friend Eric Diana.
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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