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Christmas Pageant, "The Grumpy Shepherd," at 9:30 am and the Third Sunday of Advent message, "The Gift," at 11:00 am!
All are welcome!
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ADVENT, PAGEANT AND CHRISTMAS
3rd Sunday of Advent--Give More!
Sunday, December 17, 9:30 am & 11:00 am
and the
Christmas Pageant,
The Grumpy Shepherd, 9:30 am
4th Sunday of Advent--Love All!
Sunday, December 24, 10:30 am
Christmas Eve Children's Service
Sunday, December 24, 4:00 pm
Christmas Eve Service with the band
Sunday, December 24, 6:00 pm
Christmas Eve Service with the choir
Sunday, December 24, 8:00 pm
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MESSAGE FROM PASTOR TIM
Dear Friends,
The Advent wreath grows brighter as Christmas moves closer. This Sunday we will light the third and pink candle on the Advent Wreath for Mary's
yes! and joy. And it's about this time of the year that some people get a little overwhelmed with the rush and tumble of parties and shopping (which is why we are contemplating the
Advent Conspiracy) and some people even get grumpy. Well according to one legend, this even happened before the the first Christmas, which is the story of the
Grumpy Shepherd. Turns out the
Grumpy Shepherd will be in church on Sunday--a supporting role in our Christmas Pageant. Will the light of Christ win him over? Or will he go away mad?
The schedule on Sunday is a change. The 9:30 service will host the pageant, and the pageant will be the sermon. For a spoken sermon entitled, "The Gift," we will reserve you a seat at the 11:00 service. Christmas and Advent carols at both services.
Looking ahead, please remember there will be only one morning (10:30) service on Sunday, December 24, Advent 4 is our theme.
Then Christmas Eve services at 4:00 for children. 6:00 with the band and 8:00 with the choir and ensemble.
Word from the church office is that the returning of
Prelude pledge cards have slowed to a crawl. If you need a new 2018
Prelude pledge card, please call the church office, and we will send you one--or we have extras at church.
This coming Thursday, December 21, is the Fifth Annual "
Longest Night" Homeless Memorial Service for Annapolis and Anne Arundel County,
Thursday, December 21, 2017, 4:30pm in front of the State House, Lawyer's Mall, Annapolis. Sponsored by our mission partners Arundel House of Hope, Sarah's House Catholic Charities and also the Light House Annapolis.
Please join Pastor Jon and myself and members of the Mission Ministry, on the longest night of the year, at this service in Annapolis. Imagine what it would be like to be out in the weather on this longest night of the year. Some people will be carpooling. Send us an e-mail to coordinate.
timsstern@gmail.com
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VERSE AND PRAYERS
The Angel said to her....."for nothing will be impossible with God." Then Mary said, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her. - from Luke 1
Household Prayer: Morning
Light of the world, you greet me this morning with new possibilities. Shine brightly, I pray, until I see into the dark places of this world, and into the dark places of my own life. I want to follow you in paths of justice,
(Isa. 61:8) speak up with you for liberty,
(Isa. 61:1) and bend with you toward the brokenhearted, even the broken places within myself. I trade in my faint spirit for your mantle of praise
(Isa. 61:3, 10) and with my whole being I will rejoice in you. Amen.
Household Prayer: Evening
Restore me, O God, from the rush of the day. Let me dream this night of all the great things you have done. As the darkness comes, and these little lights in my house glow, I give thanks for the greater Light no darkness can overcome. To anyone who mourns or sits in prison or fears danger this night, bring the peace that only you can give. You are faithful, and I know you will do this. In Christ. Amen.
- prayers from
Feasting on the Word
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and more! Many opportunities await you!
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N
TES FOR YOU
A joyful and blessed Advent and Christmas to all of our dear friends and family at Ark and Dove! We look forward to celebrating with you!
With love, Rebecca and Mark
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Christmas Eve Children's Service
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THE CHRISTMAS STORY WITH EMOJIS
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EMOJI CHRISTMAS This Christmas Eve at 4 pm we are telling the Christmas story with emojis! In a drama, written and directed by Christa Kronser and Ben Rollins, kids have to describe what happened the night Jesus was born using those texting characters we've come to rely on. Intermixed, many carols will be sung. If you are interested in joining this Christmas drama, please contact Pastor Jon (jgnelson1985@gmail.com).
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LAST CHANCE: GIFT CERTIFICATES FOR WOMEN'S RETREAT
We'll be selling gift certificates for the 2018 Women's Retreat between the 9:30 and 11:00 services on December 17th. Want to keep it a secret? Contact Shelley Franklin (
shelleyfranklin@vwrld.net).
Women's Retreat Pricing
- Saturday Day Pass (April 21): $115
- Single Occupancy Two-Night Stay (April 20-22): $290
- Double Occupancy Two Night Stay: $260/person
Click
HERE for more information and/or to register.
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 OUR LOCAL MINISTRIES We are in the season of Advent, a time of preparation. One way we can prepare is by being intentional with our holiday spending. Some of you may have finished your Christmas shopping; others may not have begun. Instead of focusing on procuring only material items this year, I would encourage you to try out an alternative gift, perhaps a donation to the Christmas Joy offering. This offering benefits not only PCUSA programs for current and retired PCUSA church workers and Presbyterian-related racial ethnic schools and colleges, but also two local programs as well. This year, Comunidad Presbiteriana la Trinidad (CPT) and our Refugee Mentoring ministry will be the recipients of the funds you contribute.
Rev. Migde Lucas of CPT ministers to the Hispanic community members of Anne Arundel county with the goal of building a new PCUSA worshiping community directed at this under-served population. This community celebrated its one year anniversary this fall. The Solano family, whom we have been supporting, was connected to us by CPT. Laura Willoughby and Cheryl Schafer continue to coordinate the ongoing needs of the Solanos, especially their financial needs. The Christmas Joy funds will help us to meet our church's portion of contributions that support CPT, about $1,250.
Koko, Rose, and Htet Htoo are a Burmese refugee family we've been mentoring in partnership with the International Rescue Committee (IRC). Each week, members of the team spend two hours with the family, helping them with English and become more acclimated to the American culture. They even celebrated their first Thanksgiving this year at an IRC event. Funds from the Christmas Joy offering will help us continue to support our team's activities and to meet our financial obligations to the IRC.
It's easy to give to the Christmas Joy offering. You may use the special envelopes that can be found throughout the sanctuary; designated "Christmas Joy" on your check; or donate securely through our website at
http://www.arkanddove.org/site/donate.asp?sec_id=180010855
(perfect to share with friends and family!).
Our goal is $4500 and as of this writing we've received just over $930. We can meet our goal with your help!
When you give to the Christmas Joy offering, you not only provide financial support to important programs, but you also take a step towards refocusing on what is really meaningful about Christmas. You may find yourself being able to Worship Fully, Spend Less, Give More, & Love All (http://www.adventconspiracy.org/).
Peace in Christ,
Christine Caufield-Noll
Mission Elder, ccnmission@outlook.com
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 RESOLUTION WALK On
Saturday, December 30, our LOGOS intergenerational program is sponsoring a
Resolution Walk. This is a great opportunity for you to spend some quality time with your family and community. We are meeting near the playground at 9:30 to enjoy some fun outdoor activities, while enjoying coffee, cocoa and donuts. We will then go on a
Resolution Walk together to start off the New Year. Bring your gently used books with you because we will also be hosting a book swap and a book drive to benefit Sarah's House. If you have family in town, why not bring them along? It's sure to be a great time! Contact: Christy Yeager, christyyeager171@gmail.com.
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Dear companions in mission,
Greetings from Costa Rica, where chilly winds announce that Christmas is approaching.
I returned from Australia a couple of days ago, just in time for my final class. This week most of our students are returning to their home countries. Soon Javier and I will be packing our bags as well to spend Christmas with our daughter in Portland.
May your hearts be filled with joy as we celebrate God coming among us in the Babe of Bethlehem and may we all find new strength for the work that lies ahead of us in the coming year.
My Advent newsletter from Presbyterian World Mission can be found here:
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CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY SHARING
Ark & Dove is participating again in the Christmas Holiday Sharing Program organized by the Anne Arundel County Department of Social Services. Now that we have signed up for all 80 children, we turn our attention to: 1) contacting the families; 2) purchasing gifts; 3) wrapping and tagging the gifts; and, 4) delivering the gifts. We will need a lot of help delivering to the 36 families in Odenton and Severn after the
11:00 service, this Sunday, December 17
. For more information about any of these steps, contact Greg Makar (GLMakar@juno.com).
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FIFTH ANNUAL
"LONGEST NIGHT"
for Annapolis and Anne Arundel County
Thursday, December 21, 2017, 4:30pm
in front of the State House
Lawyer's Mall, Annapolis
Sponsored by
Arundel House of Hope
Sarah's House - Catholic Charities
Light House Annapolis
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CHRISTIAN ASSISTANCE PROGRAM HOLIDAY MEALS
The CAP Food Pantry is
gearing up for its Holiday Sharing program where we provide 200 households with food for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. All events will take place at the Church at Severn Run, 8187 Telegraph Rd. in Severn. For more information please contact CAP representative Greg Makar (
GLMakar@juno.com
, 301-483-8255)
- Christmas
- Monday, Dec 18
- 8:30-11 am: 5-7 strong people to meet at the church at Severn Run and travel together to Walmart and Aldi's to pick up the food and bring it back to the church
- 11 am-12:30 pm: volunteers to help unload trucks and then pack the food into 200 bags
- Tuesday, Dec 19
- 3-4 pm, 4-6 people to help bag turkeys
- 4-7 pm, volunteers to assist with the food give-away
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DECEMBER'S FOOD OF THE MONTH
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C
AP WEST COUNTY FOOD PANTRY Featured item for December is BAKING MIXES (bran muffins, Bob's red Mill pancake mix, cornbread, 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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LEARNING HOW TO INTERRUPT RACISM
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INTERRUPTING RACISM Many of us are uncomfortable talking about race, but, "Learning about how to interrupt racism is part of learning how to be a disciple of Christ. We need to get comfortable with being uncomfortable." So say the Reverends Denise Anderson and Jan Edmiston, co-moderators of the 222 General Assembly of the PCUSA. Ark & Dove is creating a safe space to talk about racism. Paula Sparks, trebleclef48@gmail.com, and Pastor Tim, timsstern@gmail.com, will lead a study about interrupting racism for beginners: people who are anxious about the whole national dialogue. Ever ask a simple question simply to get your head bitten off? No head biting will be allowed.
Together we will read and discuss the book Waking Up White by Debby Irving. We will watch some clips and videos, explore basic vocabulary and then deep dive into some of the complicated issues. We will covenant with each other to treat each other like children of God, and we will be partially guided by a study guide written by Rev's Anderson and Edmiston. By the way Rev. Anderson is black and Rev Edmiston is white. We will meet for six weeks on Tuesday evenings at 7:00 PM beginning on January 9. Sign up in the lobby and start reading. Books are available in paperback or Kindle editions. We can order you a book if you would like.
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FLOWER HONORARIUM 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 $7-$10 dollars. Forms are available in the church bulletin and in the lobby. If you have any questions, please contact Paula Griggs,
paulagriggs32@gmail.com or 443-510-6687. Thank you!
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PRAYER CONCERNS
Please keep the following people in your prayers this week:
PRAYERS OF HEALING AND SUPPORT
for Linnie Girdner and Jan Hof;
Paul Ferrell; Ann Hirschy; Charles Lawrence; Daryle Echols; Marcia Bussey;
Sarita Barrow and her brother Rashad; Mary Beckwith; Kathy Miller; Marie Shorter; Karen Dodson; Debbie Saylor's aunt, Gail, and cousins, Ed and Jen; Donna Anderson's brother-in-law, Tom; Nicole Howe's aunt, Linda; Bob Johns; Frances Keyes; Chip Burnett; Dot Forloines and her brother Jack; Henry Duncan; Helene Marchand-Stancil and Helene's mother, Mimi; Judy Cooper's sister, Barb Eardley; Ellen Makar's father, Don Erickson; Laura Willoughby's father, Norman; Amy Stavely's aunt; Steve and Brandi Downs; Janet Dabbs's sister, Diane Maloy; Mary Stum's sister-in-law, Sandy; Sue Hanburger's sister-in-law, Evelyn Hanburger; Kelly and Tim Stern's nephew, Hunter Field; Julia Kirby's mother, Margaret Floyd; Amy Carskadon's nephew; Ken Jacqueline, Logan and Luke Sievers; Jason Ziegler;
Brenda Figueroa;
Jon Nelson's aunt, Linda and uncle, Gene; Archer and Honor Bauman's grandmother, Jackie; Charlotte Davie's sister, Ann; Zachary Rosenthal; Ann-Marie Rosenthal's friend, Anne Long; Erika Sealings grandmother, Margaret Schade; Tawes Dewyngaert; and Dick and Carol Baily.
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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