The Arkive: Ark and Dove's Newsletter
|
|
Dear Friends and Members of Ark and Dove,
Children pasted the sanctuary walls with post-it notes naming what they are thankful for in this church:
community, love, welcome, leaders, music and more.
Dillon Benson gave a sermon encouraging us to give thanks with whole heart.
Joseph Morrison reminded us of all we have to be thankful for at Ark and Dove.
Alexis Yeager preached on how we can be grateful for the glory of God's creation with songs of praise.
Children sang of their gratitude for peanut butter and jelly and Ark and Dove.
Many more made songs of thanksgiving with instrument and voice.
Last week, on Youth Sunday, we were taught by the younger members of this congregation that a necessary part of Christian life is gratitude. At the risk of being redundant, I was so very grateful for Youth Sunday. "It was so uplifting," as one adult member said. Our hearts lifted with joy. Much is given to our children and youth at Ark and Dove. On this Sunday, they gave back in abundance.
This Sunday, April 7th, we invite you to reflect on all you have been given and then do as our children and youth: give back in abundance. You should have received the stewardship brochure in the mail. Included in that was a pledge card. On Sunday, we will bring our completed pledge cards and lay them on the communion table as a sign of our dedication. Please be in prayer about the promise you can make to support the ministry and mission of Ark and Dove. We are hoping for a 20% increase in overall giving. Your gifts and support are not lost on this very grateful congregation.
In gratitude,
Pastor Jon
jgnelson1985@gmail.com
|
|
Stewardship of the Environment
|
|
In my sermon of February 24, entitled
The Mad Farmer I mentioned the dirty dozen, the twelve vegetables and fruits that are most pesticide laden. Here is a link to the updated list produced by the
EWG, Environmental Working Group.
Peace of Christ,
Pastor Tim
timsstern@gmail.com
|
|
O give thanks to the Lord, for God is good, for God’s steadfast love endures forever.
-Psalm 136:1
|
|
Loving God: you are good and gracious. All good things come from you. The whole earth is yours and you have given to us in abundance. Let us not forget to give thanks in every circumstance. So moved by your generosity, may we be increasingly generous. Amen.
|
|
We Are Called to Be Purposeful Givers
|
|
|
|
During the seasons of Epiphany and Lent, your Stewardship Team has been busy educating, encouraging and engaging the entire congregation to learn and grow, as disciples, through gratitude. Our hope is that we helped everyone within our congregation to realize how truly blessed we are—for each other; the gifts we bring and share; our mission and ministry efforts that enrich us, encourage us and empower us to be the people God envisioned us to be.
Our wish, is that we will continue to keep all of our promises throughout this year, not only to ourselves, as good stewards to all that is entrusted to us, but also to the many people we serve and depend upon us.
The congregational promises we made are:
- To fairly and fully compensate our talented Pastors up to their Presbytery peers.
- To start replenishing our facilities, maintenance and improvements fund after spending over $120,000 in 2018.
- To fully support our ministry and mission programs by increasing resources to match our increasing needs.
In order to meet our commitments and prevent another $25,000 budget-shattering shortfall, what is now required is:
- Every household’s PURPOSEFUL participation in pledging (and giving) towards reaching this very achievable congregation-wide goal. While pledging is purposeful it is also purpose-filled as it’s your vote and voice in endorsing the mission and ministry efforts at Ark & Dove.
So, if our 184 households pledged and gave just 10% more in 2019 and 10% more
throughout 2020, we’d be back on track, financially speaking, keeping our
promises.
- Every household’s PURPOSEFUL participation in paying their annual Per Capita.
If everyone were to pay their Per Capita, we would have an excess of funds for Mission and Ministry. At $37.00 per person, per year this is also very attainable.
(Now available, donate per capita to 410-983-3481. Text
37 PerCapita
)
When you receive your Pledge Card this Lenten season, please take some time to reflect on all that has been given to you and pledge to give purposely, not out of sacrifice, but out of gratitude and from the abundance’s you’ve been blessed with.
Your Stewardship Team would like to thank you for your continuing generosity in supporting the missions and ministries; its people and programs at Ark & Dove.
Gratefully,
Julia Kirby, Team Lead, Steve Debus, Discipleship Elder, Diane Johnson, Amita Joshi Dubois, Caroline Jones, Bruce Sanders, Doug Walcutt
|
|
Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
2 Corinthians 9:7
|
|
|
|
When we began Lent, the adult choir presented a modern adaptation of the
Kyrie Eleison (
Lord Have Mercy). This week, as we celebrate the last communion before Holy Week, the choir again turns to the words and spirit of the Kyrie in Craig Courtney's
Mercy, with its haunting melody.
Rehearsals for our large-scale spring choral work will begin after Easter, on April 25th. This year we will be studying and singing Johannes Brahms'
German Requiem, the momentous work he wrote as he processed and celebrated his mother's life and death. The adult choir will continue to meet at 7 and we will turn our attention to the Brahms from 8-9pm. Please get in touch if you think you are called to sing or help out in another way!
Peace,
Margaret
Director of Music
margaret.mcgillivray@gmail.com
|
|
Youth Sunday was a huge success. Both worship services went great, and we all should be proud of the leadership the youth provided. This Sunday marks the
Celebration of Gratitude. Please attend service so we can all, as a community, show our gratitude for God's love and reflect on how we can continue to share that love with others and give back!
God bless,
Pat
Director of Contemporary Music
psise11@gmail.com
|
|
Ark and Dove has now established a phone number for giving by text. Simply text ‘give’ to: 410-983-3481, to get started. First-time text givers will receive a link via text for setting up a payment method for giving.
Examples of what you can text to the number (410-983-3481):
Commands
—to get a link for an explanation of Text Commands
Give
—to be prompted on how much you’d like to give
50 weekly
—to set up a weekly gift of $50; any number can be specified
100 GreatHour
—to give $100 to One Great Hour of Sharing
All donations go directly to the Operating Fund, unless otherwise specified. Currently, you can specify
GreatHour for One Great Hour of Sharing,
Flowers for Easter flower donation and
PerCapita.
Questions or concerns, contact: Alta Paronto, church treasurer, alparonto@gmail.com; or Wendy Wellington, swt520@verizon.net
|
|
|
|
DONATE
ONLINE
!
One Great Hour of Sharing
,
Peace and Global Witness Offering for ACT: Anne Arundel Connecting Together
,
Pledged Giving
,
and more!
Many opportunities
await you!
|
|
Financial Update for March 2019
|
As requested during our fall stewardship consensus building activity, we learned that the congregation desired to received regular financial updates. This update covers income received for March 2019.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be. Matthew 6:21
We are still needing each member to pay their one time annual per capita payment of $37. (Now available, donate per capita to 410-983-3481. Text 37
PerCapita) We are celebrating that 77 households/members have made a payment! Remember this payment is PER member not household. We still have a way to go so please help us by paying your allocated portion.
Our financial progress for March was great as we benefited from 5 Sundays. From a budget perspective, we received $49,525 in pledged, un-pledged and loose plate giving, which significantly reduces the deficit we were facing. Well done Ark & Dovers!!
Please continue or increase your giving to help us support our current mission and ministry budget (operating fund). Thank you!! If you have any questions either about our current financial position or per capita, please reach out to Steve Debus (steven.debus89@gmail.com) or Julia Kirby (maybe_soon98@yahoo.com). Let's start this year strong and link our gratitude for everything Ark & Dove brings to our lives to our abundance in giving back through our engagement, passion and investment.
|
|
|
|
Taize Contemplative Worship
|
Come join us for a silence-filled Taize worship service! Join us
April 10 at 7:00pm
for a half hour of worship designed to help us find the silence within us. Questions? Contact Ryan Stavely (ryan@stavely.org, 410-980-2307).
|
|
Salem County Habitat for Humanity
|
The older youth (16 and above) and young adult mission trip is scheduled for August 4-9, 2019. This year we are traveling to Salem County Habitat for Humanity in southern New Jersey. Please register with Pastor Tim Timsstern@gmail.com or Don Zielger donaldkziegler@gmail.com.
|
|
Learn what it means to be a member! Tomorrow morning!
|
If you are new to Ark and Dove, please join the New Members/Inquirer’s Class this
Saturday, April 6, from 8:30 am to noon where you can meet other people who have been visiting Ark and Dove, and enjoy breakfast and fellowship. This “no obligation” class is just for you if want to learn more about Ark and Dove and what it means to be a member. We’ll provide breakfast and childcare. Hope to see you there! For last minute reservations, please contact Donna Anderson at donna.anderson30@aol.com, so we can plan for breakfast and childcare.
|
|
|
|
The Flower Team is accepting donations for palms and flowers for Palm Sunday (April 14) and Easter (April 21) services. Suggested donation amount is $7-$10 dollars. Forms are available in the church bulletin and in the lobby.
(Also, now available, donate for flowers to 410-983-3481. Text
10 Flowers.) If you have any questions, please contact Paula Griggs at 443-510-6687 or paulagriggs32@gmail.com.
|
|
Seeking Sunday School and Godly Play Leaders
|
No experience needed just a love for God and kids! Contact Laura Rockwell (laura.a.rockwell@gmail.com) for more information.
|
|
The Bible is a library. It is hard to know what to read and how to read it. Join us for Bible study. For five weeks this spring, we will focus on the book of Revelation in an effort to learn skills and practices for Bible reading. We will meet Tuesdays at 7-8:30 pm, April 30 to May 28. Need childcare? Let us know. Pastor Jon (jgnelson1985@gmail.com) and Kim Champagne (kim.champagne@gmail.com) are organizing. Please RSVP.
|
|
|
|
Book Club:
The Great Divorce
|
Interested in reading popular fiction and nonfiction that engages Christian faith? Join Ark and Dove's book club. April's book is
The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis, which is a short story about heaven and hell. We will meet at the end of April for a brief discussion. RSVP: Pastor Jon (jgnelson1985@gmail.com).
|
|
|
One Great Hour of Sharing
|
You shall be called the repairer of the breach -
Isaiah 58:12
(Now available! Donate to One Great Hour Hour of Sharing
via 410-983-3481. Text the dollar amount, space bar and
GreatHour
!)
We have heard how about
One Great Hour of Sharing is about Disaster Relief and helping those who lives are adversely affected by crisis and catastrophic events. It is about alleviating hunger, and addressing the root causes of poverty so all may be fed. It is also about the Self -Development of People, helping people better themselves and help loosen the bonds of injustice. The Presbyterian Committee on the Self Development of People continues to work with low-income communities across the United States to overcome oppression and injustice. Projects are focused on advocacy, youth-led initiatives, skills development, farming, worker rights and immigration/refugee issues. Through your gifts to
One Great Hour of Sharing, over 5,000 projects in economically poor communities in the United States and around the world have had an opportunity to develop solutions to their own challenges. Please give generously to One Great Hour of Sharing Cheryl Schafer, Mission Elder csscas@verizon.net
|
|
Featured item for March--
RICE (wild rice, short grain brown rice, basmati, etc.). Please drop off food items in the Mission Zone bin.
Thank you for your donations!
|
|
|
|
Save the date! Vacation Bible School! July 8 to July 12!
|
|
|
|
If you have school-aged children or younger and are looking to connect with other families at Ark and Dove, join us for Parents' Group (and a potluck salad dinner where everyone brings one salad topping) on
Friday, April 12th from 6:00 to 8:00pm
! We're hoping to kick-off regular meetings again! A sign-up sheet will be on the bulletin board or contact Nicole Howe at
nicolehowe123@gmail.com
so we can plan for childcare while the parents chat.
|
|
A fun night for FUNdraising!
|
Save the date for a Parent's Night Out!
Friday, April 26th, 6:00 to 9:30 pm. Childcare for all ages, activities, and dinner included! This is a fundraiser for our youth groups to lower costs for their summer trips. Cost is $30 for first child and $15 per sibling. Register and pay online at
http://arkanddove.org/PNORegistration. Please help spread the word! Our youth groups thank you in advance!
|
|
|
|
Antiracism and Social Equity
|
|
Parenting Forum on Raising Race Conscious Children
|
Save the date!
Sunday May 19th 2-4pm
. Learn to talk to your kids about race and racism. We are currently arranging a speaker for parents and are considering inviting a Child & Family Therapist to do an interactive and play based discussion with children ages 3-14 years old on understanding race and racism. Please contact Jen Roman at jroman8414@gmail.com if you’re interested so we can determine the number of parents and the ages of children who might be attending.
|
|
Anne & Emmitt: A One-Act Play
|
The
Maryland Lynching Memorial Project and Theatre Morgan announce a special benefit performance of Janet Langhart Cohen's
Anne & Emmett on Saturday, April 27, 2019 at 7:30 pm at the
Murphy Fine Arts Center at Morgan State University in Baltimore. The one-act play is directed by Broadway veteran, Reggie Phoenix. Or choose from another evening or matinee performance to experience this moving conversation in "Memory" that has lessons for us for repairing the world, "Tikkun Olam. If you would like to connect with others and maybe carpool, let me know which performance and email Linnie Girdner,
girdnerlinda@gmail.com or text/call 410-999-7892.
|
|
|
|
Community Forum: Opioid Crisis Awareness
|
|
Opioid Crisis Awareness Event
|
Ferndale UMC
and
Refuge Church Ministries II
are co-hosting an Opioid Crisis Awareness Event on
Saturday, April 13
at Ferndale UMC (117 Ferndale Rd in Glen Burnie). The event will be held between 9-2 and includes a free lunch. Speakers include Maryland State Police, Anne Arundel County Fire & Rescue, Arundel Crisis Response, Northern Lights Against Substance Abuse Coalition, as well as someone who is successfully in recovery. Narcan training will also be offered. Deb Saylor, saylordeb@yahoo.com
|
|
Please keep the following people in your prayers this week:
PRAYERS OF HEALING AND SUPPORT for Christy Yeager’s mother and father, Linda and Leon Jordan; Bruce and Karen Sanders’ granddaughter, Hannah Algoet; Marie Shorter; Sam Lawson; Agnes Stavely; Steven Kirby; Corinne Baker; Lori Kronser and her father Cliff Corn; Amy Benson’s friend, Brian Shriner; Tameka Oberman’s grandmother; Nikol Sahai's mother, Marie Krizanova; Kim Schroen; Chris Wilkens; Pat Sise’s grandfather, Ed Sise and brother, Justin; Amy Tardiff’s father-in-law, Richard Tardiff; Margaret McGillivary’s friend, Kim Nolet; Declan Steward’s father, Daryl; James Franklin’s father, Homer; Kameron and Kamarii Miller; Cheryl Walcutt’s mother and sister, Judy Walsh; Cheryl Walcutt’s student, Mo Gaba; Amanda Wehage’s family; Jon Nelson’s aunt, Linda, and grandmother, Peggy; Chip Burnett; Laura Doughty's aunt, Marie; Lydia Doughty’s friend, Carley; Ylonda Fauntleroy's aunt, Bernice Taylor; Brooks Emrick and her sister, Susan; Vaughn Brown and his sister, Kathie; Ann Hirschy; 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 and Sue's grandson, Enzo; Edie and Richard Budd; Dotty Kaufmann's grandson, Nathan; Amy Benson's family; Lisa Mezaache’s friend, Pearl McNamara; David Michels; Jerri Webb’s friend, Mary Van Orten; Evelyn Ziegler; Thomas and Judy Kochis; Wayne Sweet; Yadong Wei; Laura Talbert’s friend, Kristin Goin; Joan Berry’s daughter-in-law, Camilla; Maxine Dixon and her family; Paula Sparks’ friend, Pat; Donald Hall; and Doug Mattingly’s mother.
PRAYERS OF SUPPORT go out to the guests and churches involved with Winter Relief: Arundel Christian and Mt. Olive AME Church.
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.
|
|
Ark and Dove Presbyterian Church | 410-674-6400 | admin@arkanddove.org |
www.arkanddove.org
| 8424 Piney Orchard Pkwy. Odenton, MD 21113
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
