The Arkive: Ark and Dove's Newsletter
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Celebrate the third Sunday of Advent with Mary's song,
at both the 9:30 am and 11:00 am worship services!
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3rd Sunday of Advent,
Mary's song, December 16
4th Sunday of Advent,
Zechariah's song, December 23
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Christmas Eve Children's Service, Christmas Pageant, December 24, 4:00 pm
Christmas Eve Band Led Service, Angel's song,
December 24, 6:00 pm
Christmas Eve Choir Led Service, Angel's song,
December 24, 8:00 pm
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Dear Friends and Members of Ark and Dove,
Have you ever gotten a song stuck in your head? In my experience, the songs that most get stuck in my head are ones I wish wouldn't. Songs with annoying choruses, repetitive melodies, and even strange lyrics--these are the ones that replay in incessant loops until they induce headaches.
If ever there was a song that I wish could play over and over in my conscious and subconscious, it would be Mary's song. It is a song for everyone who has been in a low place and it is a song that reminds us that our God is for us, beginning with the very least. This is a song to change our view of the world and give hope for a new one. If this song got stuck in my head, I think it would rearrange my life.
Come this Sunday to hear Mary's song as we celebrate a day of joy in our Advent season. I hope you go out repeating this song to yourself and others. I hope all the songs of worship will inspire you to praise the One who comes in the Christ child.
There are still many songs to sing in these days approaching Christmas. Join us on December 23 to celebrate the last Sunday of Advent. On Christmas Eve, you are invited to an interactive pageant for families at 4 pm (sign-up if you want to be involved:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0549a8a923aaff2-arkand), band led carols and worship at 6 pm, and choir led carols and worship at 8 pm. On that night, we will sing along with the angels.
Peace,
Jon
jgnelson1985@gmail.com
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My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.
-Luke 1:46-48
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God of Mary: I give thanks for you look upon me with favor. I have not to gain your pleasure, to grovel for your attention, to earn your reward, or to work for your love. You uphold and love me as I am. You lift me up when others look down upon me. Knowing this, help me to see all others upheld by your hand. All that is within me rejoices, for you are well pleased with your beloved and that is what I am. Amen.
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This week we're joined by the fabulous Sacred Strings who will be presenting two selections for prelude music:
Good King Wenceslas and
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. The choir will be presenting
Even So, Lord Quickly Come, an anthem by American composer and educator, Douglas Wagner. It's expressive melody and buoyant accompaniment builds the words of the anthem to a gentle conclusion. We're working towards some amazing music for the December 23rd service, Christmas Eve and beyond, and we hope that in this new season any singers who may have been on the fence about singing in choir will join us!
Both children's choirs (Joyful Noise Youth Choir and Dove Choir) are now rehearsing pieces for the 4pm Christmas Eve service and pageant. The Joyful Noise choir rehearses on Thursdays at 6pm and the Dove Choir rehearses on Thursdays at 5:30pm.
Peace,
Margaret
Director of Music
margaret.mcgillivray@gmail.com
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Joyful Noise Choir (ages 7+) will meet regularly on Thursdays, 6-6:40 pm.
We are currently preparing for the pageant and beyond!
Dove Choir (ages 4-6) will meet regularly on Thursdays, 5:30.
We have a special Christmas song chosen for this wonderful group.
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Our Christmas Pageant is taking place at our 4 pm Christmas Eve service. It would be very much appreciated if parents of our LOGOS groups would mark that date and,
Saturday December 22nd, from 2-4:30 pm, bring the kids that are taking part in the pageant to the service and rehearsal. Margaret is also holding rehearsal the evening of Thursday December 20th. Please inquire with her for more details. We are excited to present the pageant this holiday, and appreciate all the parents and kids helping to make it a success. Please sign up
HERE. Thanks!
God bless!
Pat
Director of Contemporary Music
psise11@gmail.com
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Establish or increase EFT
here!
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DONATE
ONLINE
!
Christmas Joy Offerin
g,
Peace and Global Witness Offering for ACT: Anne Arundel Connecting Together
,
Pledged Giving
,
Capital Savings Fund
and more!
Many opportunities
await you!
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A few willing helpers are needed to assist with changing the sanctuary over between the three Christmas Eve services. If you are willing to come early or stay after, the help would be greatly appreciated. The biggest job will be setting up the risers and chairs for the choir after the 6:00pm service. If you can help, sign up at
arkanddove.org/ChristmasEveHelp
. If you will be participating in multiple services and won’t be able to get dinner, you can sign up at
arkanddove.org/ChristmasEveDinner
, and put any dietary needs in the comments. I’ll have food available in the kitchen for anyone that needs it. If you’re interested in helping to provide food, or have any questions, please contact the Worship Elder, Ryan Stavely (
ryan@stavely.org
or 410-980-2307). Thanks!
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Christmas Pageant: December 24, 4pm
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The Christmas pageant is fast-approaching and will be a little different than in years past. It will be taking place on December 24th at the 4pm service and all children of church (big and small) are welcome to participate. The pageant will be in tableaux format, with narrators describing the story and actors silently setting up the action. The Joyful Noise and Dove choirs will be presenting short pieces during some of the tableaux and the congregation will also be participating in the singing of carols during the pageant. Our main rehearsal take place on
December 22nd from 2pm-4:30pm in the sanctuary. We are in need of adults to act as costumers, prop finders, child-wranglers, shepherds, wise men and to help with blocking and direction. Children’s and youth's roles include Mary and Joseph, angels, sheep and shepherds. Please sign up
HERE. Children who wish to sing in the special music will also need to attend Joyful Noise (Thursday @ 6 pm) or Dove Choir (Thursdays @ 5:30 pm) rehearsals. Margaret McGillivray, Director of Music, margaret.mcgillivray@gmail.com
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How do we fulfill our mission at Ark and Dove?
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Who is my deacon? Why do I have a deacon? What do deacons do, and who can be one? If you have ever asked yourself these questions or similar questions about session, elders or the organization of Ark and Dove, plan on attending the next Equipping the Saints class on
Wednesday, January 9th when Pastors Tim and Jon will help explain the roles, responsibilities and functions of how, we at Ark and Dove, fulfill the mission of our ministries. Dinner will be served at 6:30 and discussion will go from 7:00-8:30. Please sign-up in the lobby. Questions? Please contact Bruce Sanders (brusanders@aol.com) or Steve Debus (steven.debus89@gmail.com).
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The Direction of Ark and Dove
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In November we asked for your input on the priorities you believed Ark and Dove should focus on. Across the small groups, one-on-one meetings and surveys the ideas we heard the most support for were: adequate compensation for pastors and staff; maintenance of our church facility; full support for our current ministry programs; and a continued dedication to mission. As the Stewardship team plans our upcoming pledge campaign, for early next year, these priorities, as well as the many detailed comments we received, will be used to shape our request, as well as the direction of Ark and Dove. Steve Debus, Discipleship Elder (steven.debus89@gmail.com)
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The Longest Night: December 21, 4:30 pm
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Christmas Holiday Sharing Gift Delivery!
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This
Sunday, December 16, we will gather and sort the gifts (probably in the Marshall Room) during the services, so we can deliver in the afternoon. Please be sure to mark the gifts according to the instructions. Thank you to everyone providing or delivering gifts. We're still looking for additional volunteers to help deliver to the 22 families in Odenton and Severn. For more information, please contact Greg Makar (301-483-8255, GLMakar@juno.com).
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Every generous act of giving is from above. James 1:17
In the lead up to Christmas, many of us spend time in search of the perfect gift. The Presbyterian Church (USA) reflects God’s gift to us, through the Christmas Joy Offering. One quarter of the Christmas Joy offering goes to the Assistance Program of the Board of Pensions to help current and past church workers and their families who are in financial need. One example of how this offering assists is the love story between Ralph and Mary Hamburger. Ralph is a retired Presbyterian pastor. They served their church both home and abroad. Mary developed dementia and other health related problems, which demanded that she move into a skilled nursing unit, which nearly depleted their savings. Today, after 65 years of marriage, the gifts to the Christmas Joy Offering enable Ralph and Mary to live together in the skilled nursing unit at a Presbyterian Home. Ralph says he “feels the arms of the church around us making our lives more comfortable at the end. It’s wonderful that the church does not forget those who worked in Presbyterian ministries….” This is a love story not just about Ralph and Mary’s love for each other, but also about God’s love and the love we show with our gifts of time, talent and treasure.
Please support the Christmas Joy Offering during Advent.
Your donation will fund these four essential programs: 25% to the Assistance Program for retired PCUSA church workers in financial crisis; 25% to Schools and Colleges Equipping Communities of Color; 25% Comunidad Presbiteriana La Trinidad, and; 25% Refugee Resettlement. Envelopes can be found in the chair pockets in the sanctuary, offering box or you may give online. Thank you for the gift to the Christmas Joy Offering. Cheryl Schafer, Mission Elder, csscas@verizon.net.
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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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The Voyagers, our church men’s group, will meet at Ed & Kristin Barrett’s house (1541 Star Stella Drive, Odenton) at noon, tomorrow, December 15th, for a screening of the movie Joyeux Noel, a movie about the World War I Christmas Truce. The Barretts will provide some soft drinks, some Gluhwein punch, and some small appetizers. If the attendees would like to bring some (pot lucky?) snacks, that would be appreciated. Please let Ed Barrett (ejbarrett13@verizon.net) know, if you plan to attend.
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Flowers for Advent and Christmas
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The Flower Team is accepting donations for greens, for Advent, and flowers/poinsettias, 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 at 443-510-6687 or paulagriggs32@gmail.com.
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Antiracism and Social Equity
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Save the date! Baby shower, January 6!
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The Refugee Resettlement Team is giving a baby shower for Rose and Koko who are expecting their 2nd child in February. Htet Htoo is 5 now and was born in Malaysia while they were refugees from Myanmar, so they have nothing for this new baby. And it’s a GIRL! We will be following up with a sign-up soon. It will be a potluck luncheon held after the 11:00 service. If you haven’t met the family, this is a wonderful time to meet them. Any questions, please call Debbie Arey at 508-579-7748 or email, debarey@hotmail.com.
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Please keep the following people in your prayers this week:
PRAYERS OF HEALING AND SUPPORT for Helen Wilkens; Patrick Sise’s mother, Carol; Joan Berry’s son, Bryan Flom; James Franklin’s father, Homer; Jay Olson; Kameron and Kamarii Miller; Karen Dodson; Cliff Wellington’s father, Roy; Cheryl Walcutt’s sister, Judy Walsh; Amanda Wehage’s family; Jon Nelson’s aunt, Linda, and grandmother, Peggy; Chip Burnett; Laura Doughty's aunt, Marie; Ylonda Fauntleroy's aunt, Bernice Taylor and Ylonda Fauntleroy’s and Michelle Schoonmaker’s aunt, Alice Turner; Diane Johnson's aunt; Brooks Emrick and her sister, Susan; Vaughn Brown and his sister, Kathie, and brother, Jim; Ann Hirschy; Christy Yeager's father, Leon Jordan; Donna Anderson's brother-in-law, Tom; Frances Keyes; Dot Forloines; Helene Marchand-Stancil; Laura Willoughby's father, Norman; Julia Kirby's mother, Margaret Floyd; Amy Carskadon's nephew; Erika Sealing's son, Trip, and grandmother, Margaret Schade; Sue Hanburger's grandson, Enzo; Laura Rockwell's friend, Adam Hurst; Edie and Richard Budd; Dotty Kaufmann's grandson, Nathan; Amy Benson's family; Lisa Mezaache’s friend, Pearl McNamara; Annetta Fenstermacher’s sister, Margaret; Dorene Chen’s grandfather, Tian Tao Li; Christy Hipchen’s cousin, Corey; David Michels; Dakota Miller; Clarence Scott; Marlene and Doug DeHaven; Mike Stefanick; Jerri Webb’s friend, Mary Van Orten; Rob Yeager’s co-worker, Wayne Sweet; Mike and Charlotte Davie’s friend, Dave Page; Matthew Hagemann’s friend, Michael Prosperi; Miranda Holjes; and Matthew Fellows.
PRAYERS OF SUPPORT go out to the guests and churches involved with Winter Relief this week: Severn Covenant Church, Gloria Dei Lutheran, and Asbury Annapolis UMC.
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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Ark and Dove Presbyterian Church | 410-674-6400 | admin@arkanddove.org |
www.arkanddove.org
| 8424 Piney Orchard Pkwy. Odenton, MD 21113
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