The Arkive: Ark and Dove's Newsletter
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All are invited to celebrate the First Sunday of Advent with communion,
at both the 9:30 am and 11:00 am worship services!
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1st Sunday of Advent, Zephaniah's song, December 3
2nd Sunday of Advent, Elizabeth's song, December 9
Advent Celebration, Sunday, December 9, 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm
3rd Sunday of Advent, Mary's song, December 16
4th Sunday of Advent, Zechariah's song, December 23
Christmas Eve Children's Service, Angel's song, 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,
This Sunday we begin the Advent season. Advent marks the beginning of the church year and it is full of hope and anticipation. I invite you each Sunday to come to worship ready to hear God's promises for you and for the world.
Upon hearing God's promises, people of God have often been drawn to song. A worship song, as many theologians have noted, is a prayer prayed twice. The music says to God what cannot be described and the lyrics state what can. For these reasons, we are focusing on four songs of Scripture that praise God for promises made and kept:
Week One: December 2, Zephaniah's song, Zephaniah 3:14-20
Week Two: December 9, Elizabeth's song, Luke 1:39-45
Week Three: December 16, Mary's song, Luke 1:46-55
Week Four: December 23, Zechariah's song, Luke 1:59-80
As we focus on these songs week by week and as we light candle by candle, we hope that you will be moved to song as you approach the joy of Christmas. We will sing together with the angels on Christmas Eve. To enhance your Advent experience, be sure to pick up an Advent devotional in the lobby and/or join us for Wednesday Bible Study at 10 am.
Another way to be moved by song this Advent is at our celebration on December 9, 4 to 6 pm. We will decorate Christmas cookies and ornaments as musicians serenade us with Christmas tunes and lead us in caroling. Bring neighbors and friends!
I pray you have much peace and joy this season.
Peace,
Jon
jgnelson1985@gmail.com
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Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands grow weak. The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing as on a day of festival.
- Zephaniah 3:17-18
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Grant us much faith this Advent season, O God, for there is much to fear. We have been shaken by disasters, both natural and evil, and are anxious of those to come. We have seen the clash of nations, the push and pull of tyrants, and the oppression of policy. We are afraid of what is to come. We have known the pain of sickness and death and we worry about what is next. Let us hear now songs of your promises. May they get stuck in our heads. This season, let us not look forward in fear, but in faith. Amen.
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Thank you so much to everyone for their kindness and welcoming words at last week's service! This week, Ill be playing a lovely arrangement of
Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus using the Hyfrydol tune to begin our worship in the Advent season. The choir is hitting the ground running this week with a lovely arrangement that superimposes two advent hymns,
Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silent and
O Come, O Come Emmanuel. We've also begun music that will take us through Advent and into the Christmas season--all voice types are welcome, and we would love to have you join us!
All children ages 7+ who love to sing should join us on Thursdays (yes, this week!) from 6:00-6:40 as we start Joyful Noise rehearsals once again. We'll be preparing for the pageant on Christmas Eve and will also be looking ahead to exciting musical offerings in the new year. If you have any questions, please contact me via email or see me after church. Our Dove Choir will (ages 4-6) will begin meeting next week on Thursdays at 5:30pm. I look forward to hearing Ark & Dove's beautiful young voices!
Peace,
Margaret
Director of Music
margaret.mcgillivray@gmail.com
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The First Sunday of Advent is this Sunday, Dec. 2nd. The band will be sharing a new anthem called 'Joy' by Rend Collective. Please join us to celebrate the arrival of Advent during our Advent Celebration on Dec. 9th from 4-6 pm in the sanctuary. We will be decorating cookies, while musicians play Christmas songs, and we will finish with a carol sing-along!
God bless!
Pat
Director of Contemporary Music
psise11@gmail.com
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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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Join your Ark and Dove friends to celebrate the season of Advent on Sunday, December 9 from 4-6 pm. Enjoy music and carols by our new music directors and musicians, come decorate and take home holiday cookies, create several "easy to make" ornaments for your tree and enjoy snacks. Wear your most unique (ugly) Christmas sweater and enter our Unique Sweater Contest to win prizes. Child care provided. Please contact Donna Anderson at donna.anderson30@aol.com. Get ready to celebrate!
Get ready to bring in the joy!
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Every generous act of giving is from above. James 1:17
Are you looking for a meaningful way to participate in Advent, the time in the church calendar leading up to Christmas? Are you weary of the commercialism that dominates this season in our culture? The remedy could be supporting the
Christmas Joy
special offering, now until December 24.
What is the
Christmas Joy
offering? The Presbyterian Church, USA, has 4 special offerings that are collected throughout the year that benefit different programs and causes, within the PCUSA, as well as our local congregation. The
Christmas Joy
offering will support the following endeavors:
- 50% to local mission activities at Ark and Dove (this year the proceeds will be shared equally by Communidad Presbiteriana la Trinidad and our Refugee Mentoring ministry);
- 25% to support current and retired PCUSA church workers in their time of need;
- 25% to developing future leaders at Presbyterian-related racial ethnic schools and colleges.
It's easy to give to the
Christmas Joy
offering. You may use the special envelopes that can be found throughout the sanctuary; designate "Christmas Joy" on your check; or donate securely through our
website
. Our goal is $4500 and I am sure that together we can make this goal a reality.
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.
Please support the Christmas Joy Offering during Advent!
~ Cheryl Schafer, Mission Elder, csscas@verizon.net
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Christmas Holiday Sharing!
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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 share some of our blessings and provide Christmas gifts to families in our community. The Holiday Sharing office matched us with 21 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 16. Sign-ups for gift-giving and delivery will begin in the lobby after worship services on November 25. For more information, or to sign up between Sundays, contact Greg Makar (301-483-8255, GLMakar@juno.com).
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New Habitat Build Opportunity!
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Habitat of the Chesapeake is having a build on
Saturday, December 15
, at 123 Clay Street! Ark and Dove would like to send four volunteers to help with this exciting build. Please contact Ellen Makar (eemakar@aol.com) or Cheryl Schafer (csscas@verizon.net) for more information.
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Comunidad Presbiteriana la Trinidad
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One of the Comunidad Presbiteriana la Trinidad (CPT) families -- grandmother, mother, father, 8-year-old daughter, and baby boy due to arrive in January -- is in need of a vehicle. They are currently spending about $800 a month on transportation. Having their own vehicle will allow them to not only spend less but increase their independence and ability to participate in the larger community, including CPT. If you, or someone you know, has a vehicle in good condition that you would consider giving to them or selling at a low cost, or if you have questions, please call or email Lillian Van Rompay (410-695-0907 or Lillian.VanRompay@gmail.com).
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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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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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Please keep the following people in your prayers this week:
PRAYERS OF HEALING AND SUPPORT for Patrick Sise’s mother, Carol; Adell Gaurin; 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; and Matthew Fellows.
PRAYERS OF SUPPORT go out to the guests and churches involved with Winter Relief this week: St. Andrews Episcopal (Pasadena) and Mt. Zion 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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