Ninth Sunday After Pentecost!
The Arkive: Ark and Dove's Newsletter
Celebrate the Ninth Sunday After Pentecost this Sunday, July 25!

Outdoor Worship* 9:15 am!
Livestream Worship 10:30 am!
Virtual Fellowship*** 11:45 am -12:15 pm!

Please connect on YouTube HERE

*Reservations are no longer required for outdoor worship service. Please check the Ark and Dove homepage, the morning of the service, for cancellation due to inclement weather.
**Reservations required for in-person worship in the sanctuary. Masks required, please.
***Please email Fellowship@arkanddove.org to receive an invitation to join the Virtual Fellowship call on Zoom.
Message from Pastor Tim
Dear Friends and Members of the Ark and Dove Community,
 
As we have been crawling out of the pandemic, I have been touching base with my colleagues in the Presbytery of Baltimore and ACT.  I have felt for some time that the triple 2020/2021 ordeal of having to face a racial inequity reckoning, an organized attack upon our Capitol and our democracy, and the isolation and 600,000+ deaths in our nation from COVID has left every member our church community traumatized. Our partners in ministry are feeling the same way. No congregation has been spared hardship. No, we have not faced the consequences of a Syrian Civil war, but nonetheless everyone has been under deep stress and has had their life and their church life upended. Each person has been affected in a different way and there is no practical, scientific or useful way to compare levels of trauma. Our best response is to meet people where they are, treat people kindly and gently and to always remember that we are all children of God. As always the best approach is to listen with an open heart and to display the compassion of Christ in the way we conduct ourselves. In deep sharing there is healing.

A reminder: our Stephen Ministers, our Deacons and our Pastors are here to listen.

A large number of you have been active in Anne Arundel Connecting Together. Coming this week we have 12 slots open to Ark and Dove to continue or deepen our support. We could use 6 people on our ACT Core Team, and we have a training available to us on Tuesday, July 27, at 6:30 to 8:00 pm by Zoom. It is entitled “How to Build a Stronger Relational Power Structure” in your church.   If you contact me or Shirley Fuller (sffuller@mac.com), we can send you the link to register.  We need 11 people to support the emerging tenants' association of Woodside Gardens in Annapolis, Saturday, July 31, from 11:00 am to 12 pm. They are calling it their Independence Day. We have 5 people signed up, so we need 6 more. Again contact me or Shirley Fuller to sign up (see article below).

In my sermon on Sunday, I will speak a little bit about expansive language for God. Here is a link to a resource from the United Methodist Church that lists many different ways, in which we can address God.

Peace of Christ,
Tim
tstern@arkanddove.org
Verse and Prayer
A man came from Baal-shalishah, bringing food from the first fruits to the man of God: twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain in his sack. Elisha said, “Give it to the people and let them eat.” But his servant said, “How can I set this before a hundred people?” So he repeated, “Give it to the people and let them eat, for thus says the Lord, ‘They shall eat and have some left.’” He set it before them, they ate, and had some left, according to the word of the Lord.

- 2 Kings 4:42-44 
Generous God, at all times you watch over us with love and compassion. Grant that our inner beings may be strengthened through your Spirit, that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith, and that you may accomplish within us far more than all we ask or can imagine. Amen.
I'm away this week, but we are so blessed by Karen Dodson stepping up to the plate and playing even more than she normally does for the worship service. Thank you Karen! Our offertory this week is a recording we did earlier this year with some of my horn-playing friends and colleagues: "O Lord God" by Russian composer Pavel Tschesnokov.

Peace,
Margaret
Director of Music
margaret.mcgillivray@gmail.com
This week we have another outdoor service. To remind you, no RSVPs are needed for outdoor worship, however, indoor worship still needs one. The band is continuing with our Doxology response this week by Stars Go Dim, and the hymn is a favorite that we haven't done in quite a while, "Mountaintop" by The City Harmonic. My postlude is a piece by a Filipino composer, Jubing Kristianto, titled "Once Upon a Rainy Day."

I hope you all have a wonderful and blessed week!
Pat
Director of Contemporary Music
psise11@gmail.com
Generosity!
DONATE ONLINE! One-time and recurring!

TEXT your donations! 410-983-3481
Text give to get started. Text commands for more options.
Habitat for Humanity special offering: text an amount
followed by habitat.


Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Cornithians 9:7
Ninth Sunday After Pentecost!
Worship
Reserve Worship Service Space HERE
In-Person Sanctuary Worship This Sunday, July 25, at 10:30 am, we welcome worshipers of all ages, with masks, into the sanctuary with limited attendance. To RSVP to attend worship in the sanctuary, 10:30 am, please sign up HERE.  No child care for now. Singing with masks on is allowed. This service will be live streamed, so most seats will be on screen for a moment or more. A limited number of off-camera seats will be available; more details will be available in the sanctuary.

In-Person Outdoor Worship Reservations for Outdoor services are no longer needed! Outdoor service will be held every other Sunday: July 25, and August 8 and 22, 9:15 am. Please check the homepage of the Ark and Dove website for cancellation due to inclement weather. The website will be updated the morning of the outdoor service. Out of consideration for other attenders, masks are truly welcome at the outdoor service, but will not be required.
Adult Christian Education
Summer Book Club
The Summer Book Club August selection is "A Lesson Before Dying", which is described as "a deep and compassionate novel about a young man who returns to 1940s Cajun country to visit a black youth on death row for a crime he didn't commit. Together they come to understand the heroism of resisting." Having seen this book on some young adult reading lists, you may consider reading this with your older teen. Join us on Zoom on Tuesday, August 17, 7:30 pm. Contact Kim Champagne (kim.champagne@gmail.com) or Pastor Jon (jnelson@arkanddove.org) if you are interested in joining us!
Mythbusters
Is heaven a gated community of mansions and streets of gold? Will a certain number of people be taken up to heaven in the end times? Did God dictate Scripture to scribes? Is a horned devil responsible for human evil? Join us on Sunday mornings to explore some of these myths of Christianity and bust them! There is no homework or lecture. We will gather at 9:15 am on August 1st, August 15th, and August 29th. (Parents, this class will happen at the same time as Summer Sunday School.) Come as you are. Pastor Jon Nelson, jnelson@arkanddove.org
Christian Education
Summer Sunday School
We are excited for Summer Sunday School outside at 9:15 am every other Sunday. Our next class is Sunday, August 1. We will share a fun story, create a craft, and play games. Parents, you can join our adult Christian education class that happens at the same time. Any questions? Contact Christian Education Elder, Sara Fox at christianed@arkanddove.org
Outreach and Connections
Parent Group Canceled for July
Parent Group will not meet this month due to too many vacationers! Please contact Nicole Howe (outreach@arkanddove.org) with any questions. Thank you!
Gently Used Books Collection
Prince of Peace Presbyterian Church and the Anne Arundel Literacy Council are collecting gently used books for their Book Fairs happening this Fall. This is the perfect opportunity for you to clean out your bookshelves, recycle those books you no longer need/want, and support great community organizations! A box for book collection will be in the church lobby, but you can also contact Wendy Wellington (wmwelli64@gmail.com) to make other arrangements for pickup, or if you'd like more information about the Literacy Council.
Mission Ministry
Mission Ministry Back to School Program
School supplies are a prerequisite for school participation and success. The need to purchase school supplies affects our region’s households in a variety of ways. For some it’s an incidental expense, for others an annual extra expense that needs to be thoughtfully worked into the budget, and for some it’s impossible to get everything needed.

For many years Ark & Dove has partnered with the County Department of Social Services and the AA Public School System to purchase backpacks and supplies for elementary school students. Separately, we have also been purchasing supplies for Meade Middle School students. The Back to School Program continues this year, and Social Services matched Ark & Dove with 35 students at Odenton and Seven Oaks Elementary Schools.

For the elementary school students, Ark & Dove donors will select a student to sponsor by signing up online, in-person after the Sunday 10:30 worship services, or by contacting Greg Makar (301-483-8255, GLMakar@juno.com). Then purchase the backpack and supplies provided for that grade, deliver them to the school or bring them to church for delivery. We are working on the sign-up forms, supplies lists, and detailed instructions, and expect sign-ups to be ready about July 30. Look for an announcement in the July 30 Arkive.
Special Offering for Habitat for Humanity
Ark and Dove will be collecting a special offering for Habitat for Humanity for six weeks in July and August. Habitat is one of the organizations that we have supported since the first days of Ark and Dove. We look forward to the time when we can again participate directly with Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake in local building projects and summer Mission trips. In the meantime, we can continue to support them financially. Mission Ministry hopes that you will consider a generous donation between now and the end of August. Donate by texting a dollar amount followed by habitat to: 410-983-3481, visit our webpage, or by check. For additional information contact Lori Kronser, mission@arkanddove.org
We Need You! Woodside Gardens Residents Independence Day
Anne Arundel Connection Together (ACT) has helped the residents of Woodside Gardens in Annapolis to organize to fight the extreme neglect of their apartments: mold, crashing ceilings, rotting walls, vermin. Please join us for the Residents Independence Day and the founding of a residents' association on Saturday, July 31, 11am-12pm, Woodside Gardens Apartments - 702 Newtowne Dr. Annapolis, MD 21401. Ark and Dove has pledged at least 10 people will attend. We need YOU! Sign up to attend HERE. For additional information contact Shirley Fuller, sffuller@mac.com
Christian Assistance Program
The mission ministry continues to collect food for the Christian Assistance Program (CAP) West County food pantry in Severn. Donations can be left at church on the table just inside the front door or in the covered picnic area. The items needed most are cereal (hot and cold), tomato products (such as canned tomatoes and pasta sauce), and rice and rice sides (maximum two pounds, please). For more information, please contact Greg Makar (GLMakar@juno.com).
Healing through Grief
Have you lost someone during this pandemic year? Were you unable to see them, or attend their funeral or memorial service? Pastor Tim, Cathy Debus, and I will be co-facilitating the next Healing through Grief group on Wednesday, August 11th at 7pm, again as a Zoom meeting. The Healing through Grief small group is open to anyone attending Ark and Dove, and their family, who have experienced the death of a loved one, whether it is recent or a long time ago.

Please let me know if you have the slightest inclination to attend on August 11th, so that we can send you the link to the Zoom meeting. If you change your mind later, no problem. Also, let me know if you have not used Zoom before, so that we can provide you with some information in advance. Any questions, contact Pastor Tim Stern at tstern@arkanddove.org or 410-674-6400 or me, Linnie Girdner, at girdnerlinda@gmail.com or 410-999-7892.

Let's be there for one another in our healing through grief. If you need to talk with someone prior to that date, feel free to give me a call or contact your Deacon. I also am happy to provide referrals to other community resources.
Prayer Requests
Please keep the following people in your prayers this week:
 
PRAYERS OF HEALING AND SUPPORT for Bill Gaurin; Vaughn Brown; Ardeth and Bob Johns; Patty and Steve Plander; Margaret Floyd; Steven Kirby; Arlyce Lohr; Krista Klohr; Michelle Schoonmaker; Dick Paronto; Richard and Edie Budd; Corinne Baker; Wendy Wellington’s father, John Morgan; Helen Wilkens' mother, Jane Reinert; Barbara Reynold's brother, Don Campbell; Christina Nelson’s grandmother, Pat Dole; Judy Cooper’s daughter, Jessica Quigley; Paul Doughty’s mother, Ruth Doughty; Tina Anthis’ father, Steve Bissel; Camille Dubois’ parents and the Dubois family; Debbie Saylor’s sister, Christine; Ryan Stavely’s father, Brian; Todd Stubbs’ stepfather, David Hopsicker; Sue Hanburger’s daughter, Megan; a member of the Tardiff family; Dionne Whitby's daughter and niece, Jannah; Brooks Emrick and her sister, Susan; Amanda Crose’s mother, and grandmother, Betty Davis; Dotty Kaufman, her son, Bill, daughter-in-law, Carol, granddaughter, Sarah, and grandson Nathan; Donna Anderson's brother-in-law, Tom Brown; Steve Debus' cousin-in-law, Stephan; Kathy Miller’s brother-in-law, Jeff Miller; Lewis Shorter and Lewis Shorter’s niece, Jennifer Schwandt-Gayle; Bob Fuller’s brother, Joe Fuller; Dot Forloine’s granddaughter Melisa Tucker Saatthoff, her great-grandson Luke and her friend, Kit Robson; Debbie Arey’s sister; Debbie and Bruce Arey’s family in Connecticut, and their daughter, Allison; Linda Taylor’s mother, Izola; Kennon Bauman’s uncle, Dan Johnston; Amy Goldberg’s grandmother, Ruth Cooper; Christy Yeager’s mother, Linda Jordan; Linda Jordan’s niece, Bonnie; Diane Johnson's Uncle Ed, Aunt Janet, and cousin Richard; Shelley Franklin's father; Hollis Butterworth’s daughter, Rachel Mershont; Amanda Wehage’s sister and father, Dave; Laurie Barrow’s nephew, Gunther Kurtz; Sabonna Keeney’s mother; Bernabe and Griselda Solano, and Griselda's sister, Irma; Laura Doughty’s brother-in-law, Carl Hahn; Laura Willoughby's father, Norman; Ann Hirschy’s aunt, Cindy, and brother; Kelly Burnett’s nephew, Justin; Patriceo Green’s cousin, Philip Brown; Lou Kareha’s cousin, Thomas Kochis; Cheryl and Doug Walcutt’s grandchild, Gray Adacutt; Cheryl Walcutt’s sister Judy, and mother and nephew; Erika Sealing's grandmother, Margaret Schade; Lourdes Cordero's granddaughter; Mike and Charlotte Davie’s friends, Dell and Dave Page; Paula Griggs’ friends Char and Jackie Pullen; Kim Young’s friend, Kurt Kost; Shirley and Bob Fuller’s friend Cindy Schafer; and Maren McGillivray-Stubbs’ best friend’s father, Gentry Sims.

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