The Arkive: Ark and Dove's Newsletter
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All are welcome! Celebrate the Baptism of the Lord this Sunday at both the 9:30 am (choir led) and 11:00 am (band led) worship services!
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Dear Members and Friends of Ark and Dove,
The Session recently voted to issue a call to Chris Wilson to serve as Seminary Intern for the period of February 1 to May 31, 2020. Chris will be working 12 hours a week for Ark and Dove
Chris Wilson is a Chicago Theological Seminary student and a Member in Discernment with The United Church of Christ (UCC) and a member of UCC Annapolis (A fellow Reformed family denomination). They are currently completing the first half of their internship process at Broadview Baptist in Sunderland, Maryland. Their current responsibilities are leading a strategy team that develops and generates community organizing training for teens and young adults, preaching regularly, and developing adult formation curriculums. Chris works with ACT as a core team member for UCC Annapolis, has attended IAF 3-Day Training, Next Church Training, and has filled various leadership and mission roles at UCC Annapolis in the past two years. They are an Air Force veteran and spouse with a background in sociology, psychology, and applied electronics.
Chris’ passion and calling are about including people on the edges, those who have been hurt or rejected by society and/or those who have experienced profound trauma. They are called into pastoral ministry and have a desire to work in new and transformative ministries.
This internship will help Chris prepare for ministry and will help Ark and Dove reach into our church family and out to the community with an eye on diversity and compassion. Chris visited worship anonymously on December 29 and reports that they were genuinely welcomed and warmly greeted by a double handful of Ark and Dove members (you go Ark and Dove!). We are still working on some of the specifics of the call but look forward to welcoming Chris in February. This is an exciting opportunity.
Annual Meetings have become a tad bit ordinary in recent years so we are trying the express option this year on Jan 25 at 5:00 to 6:00 PM. The meeting will be followed by a Trivia Night youth summer trip fundraiser with dinner. Let's see how this works.
Lastly we are now receiving the Per Capita Offering this month, which mostly funds the work of the Presbytery of Baltimore a great support and resource for Ark and Dove. To a far lesser degree it also funds the work of the national church. Take a visit to
PCUSA.org
and peruse all the amazing things that are happening in our denomination.
Peace,
Tim
timsstern@gmail.com
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And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.
And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
-- Matthew 3:16-17
Guide us O Holy One
That Ark and Dove might find an unclenched moment at the beginning of this year that we might find a deep breath, a clearing of the frantic collective mind, a letting go, of heavy expectations, of shriveling anxieties and dead certainties, that softened by some silence, surrounded by light and in fellowship with partners in discipleship, we might become open to your mystery, that we might be found by wholeness, that we might be upheld by the unfathomable, entranced by the simple and filled with the joy that is you and the purpose that is us, so that we might minister in faith in 2020. Amen
-- Inspired by Ted Loder in
Guerillas of Grace
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This week we finish visiting the season of Epiphany with our prelude by Keith Getty and choral introit by Kenn Carmichael. The choir has been enjoying Joel Raney's
At the Riverside, a snappy setting of two different African-American spirituals. Just a reminder that Children's Choir resumes this Sunday, starting at 12:15, right after the second service. All children ages 5-10 are welcome!
Peace,
Margaret
Director of Music
margaret.mcgillivray@gmail.com
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I hope the new year is going well for you all. This Sunday we get to celebrate the baptism of our Savior, Jesus! The band will be playing some of our favorite baptismal songs during the 11 am band led service. Please join us as some of our congregation will be baptized along with some ordinations!
God Bless!
Pat
Director of Contemporary Music
psise11@gmail.com
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Annual Congregational Meeting and Trivia Night
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Saturday, January 25
5pm
Twenty-eighth Annual Congregational Meeting!
6pm
Trivia Night Fundraiser! (see article below).
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God loves a cheerful giver!
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TEXT your donations! 410-983-3481
Text
give to get started. Text
commands for more options. Text an amount followed by
PerCapita to contribute your portion of percapita.
Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. - 2 Corinthians 7
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A heartfelt thank you for your financial support of the Outreach and Connections ministry! The monies allocated to this ministry enable us to fund fellowship events throughout the year like the Shrove Tuesday Pancake Dinner, the Church Picnic, and our Christmas Holiday event.
These gatherings allow us the opportunity to mingle and build deeper relationships with one another. We also enjoy fellowship every Sunday, after both services, in part due to budgeting money for snacks, drinks, and paper supplies. (A HUGE thank you to Cheri Hahn for donating specifically to this effort on a regular basis! Before Cheri, there was the assiduous Chris Wilkens!)
Can you imagine not having a snack table to gather around after church?! We are also able to reach out to and invite members of our community to join us, as well as support new member meetings and breakfasts because of money set aside in this budget. Thank you for contributing to these wonderful things via your pledges and offerings! If you have any ideas for new Outreach and Connection events, please let me know!
Sincerely,
Nicole Howe
Outreach and Connections elder
nicolehowe123@gmail.com
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Per Capita Special Offering
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Per Capita 2020
Each year Ark and Dove pays a sum to the Presbyterian Church USA to support the work done at the Presbytery, Synod and General Assembly levels of our denomination. This
Per Capita amount is our promise to support the larger church. When Ark and Dove was first started, we were a recipient of much support, especially from the Presbytery, and, as we have grown, we continue to give back so that other new churches and new efforts from PC(USA) have the resources needed to flourish.
Per Capita is assessed by the number of members in a congregation as of the end of each year and this year stands at $37 dollars per adult (and confirmed youth) member in each family. This is not considered part of the pledges made to the Mission and Ministry fund, and we prayerfully request that each family contribute their portion of this sum in addition to any pledge. The past few years we have steadily increased the amounts provided by the congregation for Per Capita with a new record of over $6000 in 2019, but this is still less than our full assessed amount and any difference is taken from our Mission and Ministry budget. Please consider contributing your Per Capita offering this month. You can note this in the memo line of any checks provided, or give online at ArkandDove.org under Giving where there is a Per Capita section under
Donate Online. Or text an amount followed by
PerCapita to 410-983-3481. Questions? Please contact Steve Debus steven.debus89@gmail.com
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Antiracism and Social Equity
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Screening of JUST MERCY this Saturday!
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Debbie Arey and I are both involved with a racial justice coalition called Connecting the Dots, which has worked with the Equal Justice Institute. Connecting the Dots is thrilled to announce that through a special arrangement with Warner Brothers and Cinemark Theaters, it will be hosting a private screening of the film Just Mercy at the Cinemark Egyptian 24 and XD Theaters, 7000 Arundel Mills Circle in Hanover on Saturday, January 11th at 2 p.m. Doors open at 1:30 pm. And YOU are invited! The movie is based on the best-selling memoir of the same name by Equal Justice Initiative Founder and Executive Director Bryan Stevenson. Tickets must be purchased through the Maryland Lynching Memorial Project's website and are $10. A portion of the ticket proceeds will benefit the continuing work of Connecting the Dots, Anne Arundel County. Click
here to purchase tickets: Hope to see you there! Linnie Girdner, girdnerlinda@gmail.com
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NOT TOO LATE TO JOIN
How to Be An Antiracist Book Study
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Ark and Dove’s Anti-Racism and Social Equity team invites you to join us in studying the book How to Be An Antiracist by award-winning author Ibram X. Kendi. We met initially on 1/5, but our reading has just begun, so feel free to join us on 1/19 for our next session. Purchase the book wherever you like and read chapters 1-6. We will meet in the Ark and Dove Room from 12:30 - 2:00 on Sundays, 1/19, 2/2, and 2/16, which is every other Sunday. You are welcome to bring a bag lunch. The New York Times described it as "the most courageous book to date on the problem of race in the Western mind." Feel free to invite friends and neighbors.
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Summer Youth Opportunities
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SAVE THE DATE - January 19th, 5 pm
Join us Sunday, January 19th, 2020, at 5pm, at the church, for an informational session on summer youth experiences. These week long experiences include mission, discipleship, and faith formation opportunities. Dinner will be provided as the information session. Please contact Pastor Jon, jgnelson1985@gmail.com, with any questions.
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Join other Ark and Dove families for fellowship and dinner during LOGOS! Come on Tuesday, January 7th from 5:30-7:30pm for a weekly program that engages children and youth in the life of the church, providing opportunities to learn about God, to have fun and to create lasting relationships with others.
There will be no LOGOS on December 24th or December 31st. For questions about the program please contact Julie Devers at jbdevers@gmail.com
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A Game for Everyone! Trivia Night!
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Family Trivia Night at Ark and Dove (a fundraiser for youth group summer trips)!
Saturday, January 25, 2020 at 6:00 pm (following the annual congregational meeting). This is a game for everyone! Enter as teams. Advance ticket sales after church services on Jan 12 and 19 for $10 per person (ages 7+). Includes entry to the game, dinner and drinks, and a chance to win some awesome prizes! Price will increase at the door. Let's see who will win this year!
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Friendly Seniors will hold its 2020 planning meeting on
this Sunday, January 12, 2:00 p.m. at the Nautilus Diner on Rt. 3 South. Please let Joan know ASAP so that she can make reservations. If it's already Sunday when you see us, come anyway, and we'll manage somehow! Come with your ideas for activities and restaurants. Joan will have the Bowie theater list for 2020 for the group to choose something. Questions? Please contact Joan at berry962@verizon.net or 410-672-5237.
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Adult Christian Education
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This is a “come as you are” discussion group that meets
most Wednesdays, 10 am
. To learn more, please contact Pastor Jon, jgnelson1985@gmail.com.
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For those beginning the spiritual journey.
Tuesdays, 7 pm
,
January 14 through February 25
. Calvin room. Please contact Pastor Tim, timsstern@gmail.com, for more information. This group will have an interesting twist—we are looking for people who will commit to leading a 5 to 8 week small group in the next two years: so a small group to help us grow personally and in skills needed to lead a small group.
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Understanding Difficult Books of the Bible: Romans
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Join us as we wrestle with some of the more difficult passages of Paul's letter. We will talk about what it means to be
justified
, who gets
saved
, who is the Holy Spirit, and more
Tuesday nights 7:30-9 pm
,
January 14, 21, 28
.
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Creation or Big Bang? Made or Evolved? Science or Religion? Join us
January 16, 7 pm
, at Frisco Taphouse for a lighthearted discussion on the thornier issues that animate some science and theology debates.
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Responsible Use of Technology & Prevent Digital Abuse!
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Public & Permanent: Motivate Responsible Use of Technology & Prevent Digital Abuse!
When:
Saturday, February 8, 2020
Time:
6:00-7:30 pm
Speaker:
Richard Guerry
At this event the youth will gain the following information
• Preventing Cyber Cruelty
• Safe Communication in Gaming
• PC & Mobile Security
• Public Databases & Digital Transparency
• Preventing Abuse of Current & Future Apps
• Poor Social Media & Oversharing Behaviors
• Many Other Current & Future Cyber Issues
Richard Guerry is the author of multiple cyber safety books and has been a featured speaker at numerous national & international conferences. He has also appeared as an expert on Radio Disney, CNN, FOX, CBS, MTV’s Thin Line Campaign, as well as in Parade
Magazine and many local, regional, and international publications.
The Bay Area Disciples (BAD) is hosting this very important Cyber Safety Event for Middle and High School youth, parents are encouraged to attend. If you have any questions about the event please contact: Deborah Saylor, BAD Ministry Group Convener at saylordeb@yahoo.com.
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CAP Featured Food Item for January
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Featured item for January—PASTA and PASTA SAUCES. Please drop off food items in the Mission Zone bin. Thank you for your donations!
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Please keep the following people in your prayers this week:
PRAYERS OF HEALING AND SUPPORT
for Jon Rolewicz; Maren McGillivray-Stubbs; Laurie and Fred Barrow’s niece, Hope Simeone, nephew, Samuel, and Fred’s aunt, Lee; Bernabe Solano; Griselda Solano's sister, Irma; Amy Stavely's grandmother; Karen Dodson’s brother, Ron; Kathy Miller’s sister, Beth; Lisa Mezaache’s father, Bo Blanks; Dotty Kauffman; Greg and Diane Makar's mother LeeAnn, Aunt Adeline, and cousin Michael; Mike Davie’s stepmother, Kathleen; Charlotte Davie’s sister, Janet; Nikol Sahai’s mother, Marie Krizanova; Laura Doughty’s brother-in-law, Carl Hahn; Bob Johns; Hollis Butterworth’s brother-in-law, Brian Smith; Cindy Knott’s mother, Madeline Knott; Debbie Saylor’s uncle, Wayne; Laura Willoughby's father, Norman; Frank Dakai; Jose Lopez’s mother, Queta; Bill Ruble’s mother, Mary Jane Weathers; Stan Houck and Ann Hirschy; Edie and Richard Budd; Christina Nelson’s grandmother, Pat Dole; Jon Nelson’s grandmother, Peggy; Chip Burnett; Kelly Burnett’s nephew, Justin; Debbie and Bruce Arey’s daughter, Allison; Debbie Arey’s aunt, Linda Rose; Dot Forloines; Declan Steward’s father, Daryl; Lewis and James Shorter; Janet Dabbs’ sister, Diane Maloy; Archer and Honor Bauman’s grandfather, Larry; Lori Kronser’s father Cliff Corn; Amy Tardiff’s father-in-law, Richard Tardiff; Brian Boudreau’s cousin, Valery Householder; James Franklin’s father, Homer; Kameron and Kamarii Miller; Cheryl Walcutt’s mother, nephew, and sister, Judy Walsh; Amanda Wehage’s father, Dave; Ylonda Fauntleroy's aunt, Bernice Taylor; Brooks Emrick and her sister, Susan; Vaughn Brown; Frances Keyes; Julia Kirby's mother, Margaret Floyd, cousin, Judy and friend Barb Cleland; Erika Sealing's son, Trip, and grandmother, Margaret Schade; Amy Benson's family and Amy’s friend, Brian Shriner; Thomas and Judy Kochis; Margaret’s friends, Kim Nolet and Pastor Virginia Studer of Faith Presbyterian Church; the Mabry family; and Doug Mattingly’s mother.
PRAYERS OF LOVE AND SUPPORT
for the guests and congregations involved with Winter Relief this week: Woods Memorial Church and St. Phillips Episcopal.
THE LOVE AND PRAYERS OF THE CONGREGATION
go out to the Franklin family on the death of James Franklin’s father and Shelley Franklin’s father-in-law, Homer.
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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