The Arkive: Ark and Dove's Newsletter
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All are invited to take part in prayer and reflection this 2nd Sunday in Lent at both the 9:30 am (choir led) and 11:00 am (band led) worship services!
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Dear Friends and Members of Ark and Dove,
As we step fully into Lent, I hope that your Lenten practices are going well. Last week at the Ash Wednesday service, Pastor Jon asked us to look over two posted lists, one of the things we could give up and one of things we could add to our lives. The idea behind choosing either direction is do something that helps you build your faith and prayer life during this period of getting ready for Easter. Some spiritual guides point out that Lent is roughly a tithe (10%) of the church year, a time to walk the extra mile or go the extra distance on our journey toward the cross of Good Friday and the alleluias of Easter.
Speaking of alleluias, there is a custom of burying alleluias during Lent in worship. What does burying your alleluias mean? We don't sing any songs with alleluias in them during Lent, we save them for Easter. SO--we have invited anyone on the church, who would like to create an artful presentation of an alleluia, to bring in their drawing or artwork here by Sunday. On Sunday, we bury them under the worship platform and seal it up until Easter--when we will post our alleluias in the lobby.
One more Lenten practice to add to your repertoire. Because of the study we did last year with the James Company about stewardship at Ark and Dove, we are also praying about stewardship this Lent. Members of the stewardship team will be contacting members, as well as sending information by mail. Stewardship season is a time to take stock of the many life-giving ministries in our church and to dream about a faithful future. Our prayer is that the congregation will increase its giving by 20% during this effort and that all households will pledge to the church. As I said in my sermon this Sunday, the stewardship team and the session are not gaming us. They have looked prayerfully at our financial situation and our future, and the need is truly for 20%. They are not asking for 20% to get to 10%. They have heard the congregation and what we say we want in our church, and they have a faith-based reasonable plan. Be sure to study and pray about the
Linking Gratitude and Abundance that is coming to you.
Oh, one last thought on Lenten practices. Kelly and I are hosting one of the Lenten books studies at our house on Thursday evenings--soup, salad and prayer. March21, 28, April 4 and 11 at 6:30 to 8:30pm. We have room for five more people. Sign up in church. The book is--
Into the Silent Land by Martin Laird, a short, easy read.
Peace of Christ,
Pastor Tim
timsstern@gmail.com
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He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake;
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and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence.
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When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
- I Kings 19:11-13
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My Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think I am following your will
does not mean that I am actually doing so?
But I believe that the desire to please you
does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road,
though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always though
I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me,
and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.
- Thomas Morton
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Connecting to Share Our Gratitude
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Over the past several weeks, our team members have shared some of our thoughts on stewardship, gratitude, abundance and how we give through our engagement, passion and investment. Stewardship encompasses all aspects of sharing and caring for God's gifts to us. Doug Walcutt mentioned that Stewardship is also the passion that we put forth, the time that we spend to hear the Word of God, to act as a disciple, and to be one of God's children. Stewardship comes from a center of gratitude for all the gifts we receive from God. That same gratitude then is the feeling we have when we enable others to achieve their goals and aspirations, so that we can all live with dignity and purpose and hope.
Amita Joshi Dubois shared that prioritizing Ark & Dove and its mission as one of our "most important things" helps us budget our time and purposefully allocate our gifts of engagement. Caroline Jones reminded us to allow ourselves to squirm in the awkwardness of claiming our gifts, and thank God for our unique set of strengths and abilities, and engage with our passion to be a steward! Bruce Sanders eloquently reflected on Matthew 6:21 "For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be", reminding us that we each have a role to play in giving generously with gratitude. I, for one, am extremely grateful for this team who has shared from their hearts to help the congregation understand our vision for
Stewardship.
Linking Gratitude and Abundance as our theme was based on our discussions of the heart of our church--emphasizing spiritual growth and social justice. I am so thankful for the love and support that our church extends to all who walk through our doors, but what else can we do in our broader community to expand that loving impact? Our mission to be a community of disciples that embodies the life and spirit of Jesus Christ, so that lives are transformed and God's dream is carried into the world is alive through the engagement, passion and investment of its members! We have so much to celebrate already, but just pause a minute to envision our impact on not only our personal spiritual growth but also the world if we all commit to generously support our plan for the next year and a half.
At this point, we want to hear more from the congregation. As I attempted (rather teary-eyed as my heart was wide open) to share on Sunday, we are embarking on the next phase of our journey. We have trained a large task force to connect with each of you. Our goal is to learn from you what you are grateful for in relation to Ark & Dove and to build better connections in our church family. We want to capture all of your input on what makes Ark & Dove special for you--we want to know what you are grateful for. We would also appreciate any feedback or ideas relating to our stewardship approach.
A member of our task force will be reaching out to request a face to face meeting. I know everyone is busy, but this is a real opportunity to connect and continue your spiritual growth through sharing time with another church member. We will be respectful of your time. All I ask is that you accept the meeting for this important opportunity to learn more, as we make this effort to raise the level of understanding of the financial condition of the church and how our finances align to our vision of what we want the church to be. The task force members will NOT be asking for your pledge or even give you a pledge card. That will come to you later in the mail. They are truly interested in sharing and caring!
We have such great goals for our future and are blessed with wonderful church leaders in our pastors, staff and lay leaders. Our task team members will share our Stewardship brochure with you, which is filled with all the information to answer questions and hopefully inspire you to dream big with us. Our ask is for a 20% increase in giving over 2018 levels. April 7th we will be celebrating gratitude and abundance as we bring our pledges. The pledges will cover from June 2019 and the entire year of 2020.
May grace and peace be yours in abundance! (1 Peter 1:2b)
If you have any questions, please contact me - Julia Kirby at maybe_soon98@yahoo.com or Steve Debus at steven.debus89@gmail.com.
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Lent has begun and the adult choir is in full preparation mode for Palm Sunday and Easter. If you have been unable to join the choir regularly until this point, would like to try participating in the musical leadership of our services, are able to sing or play for services in April (or any time!), or are interested in learning more about any of the musical opportunities at Ark & Dove, I'd love to chat!
Peace,
Margaret
Director of Music
margaret.mcgillivray@gmail.com
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Youth Sunday is coming up on March 31st. We will need all hands on deck for both services to support the youth that will be leading worship. Parents please mark this date on your calendars, and check with your children about which service they are taking part. The LOGOS middle schools kids will be leading music and running VMG/audio board at the band led service. They will be performing a song that they wrote about prayer!
God bless,
Pat
Director of Contemporary Music
psise11@gmail.com
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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!
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Establish or increase EFT
here!
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Financial Update for February 2019
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As requested during our fall stewardship consensus building activity, we learned that the congregation desired to received regular financial updates. The first update was provided at the end of January. This update covers income received year to date through February 2019. Our income received during
February was $36,077.22. This does place us still in a deficit position of approximately $16,000 from where we would like to be based on our approved budget. We appreciate the gifts that everyone is sharing with Ark & Dove. We are also still behind on per capita which is the $37 per member for this year, not per household. This does include young adult members who may be away at college. Thank you to those who have already paid their per capita. 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.
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Adult Christian Education
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The Christian Education team is requesting your input on future adult education offerings. Please join us this
Sunday, March 17, for 15 minutes at 10:45 or 12:15
in the Marshall Room.
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Does praying do anything?
A conversation over beer and beverages. Join us location TBD on
April 3, 7:00-8:30 pm. Contact Pastor Jon (
jgnelson1985@gmail.com).
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Mission and Christian Education
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Youth Summer Trip Info Meeting!
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All youth, young adults, and their associated grownups are invited to an information meeting
this
Sunday, March 17th (new date!) at 5pm
in the Sanctuary to hear about our opportunities for this year's Summer Trips (Habitat, The Center, Youth Summit, etc...). We will serve dinner and share info and stories about these exciting happenings. More info is being mailed to each home, so please keep an eye out for the flier, and mark your calendars to join us that evening. If you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Jon (jgnelson1985@gmail.com).
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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. If you have any questions, please contact Paula Griggs at 443-510-6687 or paulagriggs32@gmail.com.
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One Great Hour of Sharing
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You shall be called the repairer of the breach -
Isaiah 58:12
One Great Hour of Sharing Special Offering is about alleviating hunger, and addressing the root causes of poverty so all may be fed. It is about helping people by educating them about their rights to land ownership and improved farming methods.It also addresses the serious problems that often plague city neighborhoods, such as the lack of nutritious food. Regardless of where you live, in a rural African village or a bustling city center, without sustainable farming no one can thrive. Please give generously to
One Great Hour of Sharing to end hunger for our neighbors next door
and across the planet.
Cheryl Schafer, Mission Elder, csscas@verizon.net.
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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!
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Anne Arundel Connecting Together
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SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 11AM-3PM
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
COUNTY-WIDE DOOR KNOCKING CAMPAIGN
Help us hear directly from people what issues they are most concerned with addressing!
Ark and Dove Presbyterian Church
8424 Piney Orchard Pkwy, Odenton
Training, Breakfast, Lunch and Childcare Provided
(RSVP for childcare at Walcutt_family@hotmail.com)
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Environmental Stewardship in the Community
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Baltimore Clean Air Act Signed Into Law
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On Tuesday March 7, 2019, the Mayor of Baltimore, Catherine E. Pugh, signed into law the
Baltimore Clean Air Act. It's significant legislation: a bill proposed by Councilman Ed Reisinger from District 10, serving the south side of Baltimore. The bill takes aim at air pollution coming from two city incinerators, the one known at Wheelabrator on the south side and the other at Hawkins Point, owned by Curtis Bay Energy. Both are
major polluters to the city. Curtis Bay owns the largest medical waste incinerator in the country. Both locales emit cancer causing and respiratory damaging toxins into the air for citizens to breathe. The bill will require both companies to radically lower their nitrous oxide emissions (NOX) down to acceptable levels of 45 ppm. by the fall of 2020. Each company has signaled they cannot comply with the new requirements. It appears, both entities will be required to shut down, if not complying by Sept. 2020.
- David Mayeske, mayesked@gmail.com
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You are invited a workshop on
SUICIDE PREVENTION
and how to develop faith communities that companion the desperate into hope and connection. The workshop will be held
Saturday, March 30 from 9am to 3pm at Catonsville PC
. The
fee is $15
, which covers the cost of workshop materials and lunch. This workshop is being offered by the Presbytery of Baltimore, Commission on Spiritual Leader Development.
This training is a one-day training to equip leaders of faith communities including pastors, paid and unpaid church workers and those who are passionate about doing ministry to those who are desperate due to any type of experience with suicide. The training includes the creation of worship resource, training congregation members in suicide awareness and basic conversation skills, and the invitation to those who have been suicidal in the past to share their stories.
Register HERE
.
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Education in Our Community
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Anne Arundel County Public Hearing
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Anne Arundel County is holding a public hearing on March 19 @6:30pm at Arundel High School to consider three options to redistrict the schools that many of our children at A&D attend. Since many schools are already overcrowded I (we) would strongly recommend that parents educate themselves on the options and their consequences and attend the hearing to voice their position. Wear school colors and let the board know how you feel about these changes and their impact on our children's learning. Questions? Please contact Russell Hester, r_hester2000@yahoo.com.
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A Service of Witness to the Resurrection will be held for Jay Olson
Saturday, March 16, at 11:00 am. Donations may be made in honor of Jay to Hospice of the Chesapeake.
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Please keep the following people in your prayers this week:
PRAYERS OF HEALING AND SUPPORT for Sam Lawson; Steven Kirby; Bruce and Karen Sanders’ granddaughter, Hannah Algoet; Linda Jordan; 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 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 sister, Judy Walsh; 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; Diane Johnson's aunt; 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; Sage Worrell; Wayne Sweet; Yadong Wei; Mark Constable; Laura Talbert’s friend, Kristin Goin; and Doug Mattingly’s mother.
PRAYERS OF SUPPORT go out to the guests and churches involved with Winter Relief: St. Paul’s Lutheran, Pasadena UMC and Bay Area Community Church.
PRAYERS OF THANKSGIVING for two years of sobriety for a young addict in recovery.
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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