-Galatians 3:27-28

God of love: we are grateful for the gift of baptism, which reminds us just how much you care for us. As we remember our baptisms, whether in or outside of memory, we recall that your love always undergirds us and we realize that our love should be as unconditional. Adorn us with the clothing of Christ, that we might show your unending grace and mercy to a merciless world. Amen.

This week's exploration of Stewardship includes two different versions of 'Take My Life' and 'Let it Be'. One version will be sung by both the choir and congregation as our opening hymn. The other is a setting of the same text, heard as our instrumental prelude music with music by Scott Underwood. This week's music offering is by Mark Miller, who wrote the choral anthem heard in worship a few weeks ago ('I Believe'). Mr. Miller's music is known for its themes of social justice and 'We Abide' explores what it means to be in community with one another and possibilities that are open to us if we offer ourselves on the altar of God's love.

The Choir will rehearse on Thursday, October 15th at 8pm via Zoom. Please email me for the link.

This week we celebrate stewardship and gratefulness. I am incredibly grateful to all the musicians who dedicate time every week to record music for Sunday services. They are very patient with the process and my drive to get the best sound we can, and the talent of our musicians is apparent in the finished products. I am also grateful for the tech team, who has worked diligently to learn the streaming platforms and audio board. It's amazing to see the quality they bring each week to our services. Lastly, I am grateful for all of you in our church family. We have such a wonderful community at Ark and Dove. The support that the staff gets from all of you is priceless. So thank you for everything you do from donating to the live stream fund, stewardship campaigns, and for the supportive words and atmosphere so we can continue to worship amidst this hectic world.

God bless,

Director of Contemporary Music

psise11@gmail.com

 

Ark and Dove builds bridges connecting us to the community and beyond through mission and service.

 

Bridges are designed to bring things together. They connect land masses, roads, and people allowing for passage over a physical obstacle, which is usually difficult or impossible to traverse otherwise. Modern and, to an extent, ancient bridges are engineering miracles. Both are intended to not only cross over difficult obstacles, but also support the load which is placed upon them. This stewardship season, as we take a determined step forward into the indeterminate, let us focus on how our ministry and mission efforts at Ark and Dove build bridges connecting us to the community and beyond. As Christians, we are called to bridge the gap between Christ’s church and today’s world. No one said it would be easy to reach out to assist another person, organization, or community or that we wouldn’t encounter opposition along the way. When reaching out to help those in need there will always be obstacles to overcome, whether they be logistical, financial, or systemic. However, a heart that is moved by compassion cannot sit idly by while someone suffers in need. Loving our neighbor as ourselves is being moved to help to the full extent of our abilities. When we encounter obstacles in our path, we build a bridge. The wonderful thing about bridges is that they run both ways. As we reach out to our neighbors and commit to walking through life together bearing one another’s burdens, we radiate God’s love and light for all those in the dark, hopefully drawing them back across those bridges to join us in love, hope, and faith.     

 

At Ark and Dove, we build bridges that connect us to our community and beyond through mission and service. According to the Church Assessment Tool (CAT) one of our goals as a congregation is to continue to support expanding outreach ministries that provide direct services to those living on the margins of society such as the homeless, immigrants and transient persons. We are called to make a way for those in need and be the catalyst that transforms lives by loving and serving others as Christ loves us. We dedicate our time, talents, and resources to positively impact lives in our community and around the world in so many ways. For instance, we support the Lighthouse Homeless Prevention Center which seeks to rebuild lives by providing shelter and services to prevent homelessness and empower people as they transition toward employment, housing, and self-sufficiency. We support the Refugee Mentoring Ministry which helps a refugee family living in our local area better integrate into American culture through English language learning, cultural exchange, and support from church members. These mission efforts, and so many more, build bridges that connect us to all of God’s children and allows for positive change to happen.    

 

We strive to be an open-minded an open-hearted church: progressive in theology and practice, inclusive in worship and leadership, and engaged in mission and advocacy. As such, we welcome all God’s children as siblings in Christ and long to see our church family grow. In fact, according to the CAT survey, as we look to the future, one of our top goals as a congregation is to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to reach new people and incorporate them into the life of the church. This is another opportunity to build bridges. As a church with a magi culture, according the CAT survey, we are marked by the combination of an adaptable approach to change and a more progressive theological perspective which leads to strengths such as curiosity, advocacy, and inclusiveness. We are uniquely suited to make a commitment to understand and form authentic relationships with people who have different backgrounds and beliefs in order to share the gospel and make Christianity relevant to these beloved people. This stewardship season, as we dedicate our time, talents, and resources to creating and nurturing these relationships, may we be intentional about providing a safe and welcoming environment in which to connect, learn, and grow. As we reach out in love to our neighbors, we build bridges of love, hope, acceptance, forgiveness, and faith.  

 

This November, please consider prayerfully increasing your pledged commitment to Ark and Dove by 1% of household income. This will help us to properly fund all our mission and ministry endeavors so that we can continue to build bridges that connect us to the community and beyond so that lives are transformed and God’s dream is carried into the world.

 

2021 Connections Stewardship Team: Doug Walcutt, Tricia Gray, Joe Gray, Dianne Johnson, Bruce Sanders, Steve Debus, and Pastor Tim

As of now, we have six people signed up to attend. We need YOU! Join the Ark and Dove Antiracism and Social Equity team for our third peaceful demonstration in support of the equality of Black and brown lives. We will gather at Ark and Dove, this Wednesday, October 14 between 4:30 and 6:30 with signs of support and waves of love and peace. Please sign up to attend for an hour shift, as we are limited to 50 people at any one time. Wearing masks and social distancing will be mandatory. Bring positive signs, a bottle of water, comfortable shoes and enthusiasm. Also, we ask that you stand away from the curb. See you there! Questions? Please contact Lori Kronser, lkronser16@gmail.com.

ACT is organizing one or two days where we will BE the GOTV phone bank for Common Ground, our affiliate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This is a non-partisan effort to reach 30,000 voters around Common Ground institutions. Training will be provided. Sign up here for a two-hour time commitment inclusive of training and calls.

Why us? As ACT gears up for our own work in major elections in the next two years – City of Annapolis in 2021 and state-wide and Anne Arundel County in 2022 – this is an excellent opportunity to learn how to do this work so that no one who can vote is disenfranchised from voting. Please sign up and please share with your organization.

You can also work directly with our affiliates in NC, WI, or OH to help with their phone banking. Indicate below that you'd like to be directly in touch with each organization, and we will get you in contact; see this flyer for more information. Please do not delay – training has already begun for some sessions.

Please contact Lead Organizer, Rev. Ryan Sirmons (preachsirmons@gmail.com // (407) 720-7547), with any questions. More information is here.

If you would like to explore some different ways of praying, Pastor Tim is leading a group beginning October 27 using the book Creating a Life with God: The Call of Ancient Prayer Practices by Daniel Wolpert.  The group will meet for five weeks on Tuesdays at 7:00 pm. Please register by emailing tstern@arkanddove.org.

We will begin meeting online October 21, 7:30 pm and meet weekly through November 25th. Even though the class is based on Diana Butler Bass's book Being Grateful in Difficult Times, you don't have to read the book to participate. I wanted to facilitate a class because I myself am dealing with a lot of negative emotions that are interfering with my health, my sleep, as well as my spirituality. I know I am not alone! Bass's course in gratitude offers a different approach to all the negativity, something I know many of us need right now. I hope others will join me in this six week adventure. Class size is limited to 25. Please contact Kim Champagne to sign up (kim.champagne@gmail.com)

LOGOS has begun; check your emails each Tuesday! LOGOS is Ark and Dove's midweek intergenerational experience for children and youth up to 8th grade. It is a time for all ages to come together to learn about God and grow in their relationships. Unlike previous years, we will not be meeting in the church building. Instead, each week will have a different family-centered activity to do either at home or outside at church. There will be crafts, games, bible study, and opportunities for worship and mission. If you’d like to get on the weekly emailing list, please contact Amy Goldberg at amygoldberg.2010@gmail.com. If you’re interested in volunteering, please contact Jen Roman at jroman8414@gmail.com.