The Arkive: Ark and Dove's Newsletter |
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All are welcome!
World Communion!
10:00 am, livestream worship!
Please connect on YouTube HERE
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Dear Friends and Members of Ark and Dove,
This Sunday is World Communion Sunday. This Sunday hundreds of millions of Protestant Christians will join with Catholics and Orthodox Christians (who serve communion every Sunday) to celebrate our connection with Christ in the sacrament of communion. Please be sure to have grape juice or wine and bread on hand so that you can celebrate at home.
Speaking of connection, the theme of this years Stewardship effort is Connections. The purpose of a church is to help people connect with God and other disciples, so that we grow in faith and work to transform the world. Several articles and links appear below. I am inviting you to read the articles and to enter into a season of prayer, as our Stewardship Team and our Session are inviting us to increase our household giving to Ark and Dove by 1% of total family income.
Peace of Christ,
Tim
tstern@arkanddove.org
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Dear Friends and Members of Ark and Dove,
DeAnte Musgrove was, for a long time, part of the Ark and Dove community. We grieve his death, two weeks ago, at the age of 28. DeAnte attended with his mother, Dot Bruno, who was a beloved deacon and died only a few years ago. He came with a great smile and positive attitude. His family and friends remember his love and light. We will remember him in a virtual service of witness to the resurrection this Sunday. You can tune in here. Please be in prayer for his family, especially his siblings Tara, Kyra, John, and Darrace.
Peace,
Jon
jnelson@arkanddove.org
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When all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking, they were afraid and trembled and stood at a distance, and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, or we will die.”
- Exodus 20:18-19
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Ancient Celtic Communion Prayer*
Christ great High Priest
Risen on high,
Christ offering life
Never to die.
Christ great High Priest,
Ascended above,
Come down O Lord
Cover with love.
Christ great High Priest
Back from the dead,
Show us your Presence
In the Bread.
Christ great High Priest
Saviour Divine,
Give us Yourself
In the red Wine.
(*this prayer will be in Sunday's World Communion liturgy)
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It was such fun to put together the opening hymn for World Communion this week with a little makeshift percussion. Hymn #396 hails from Zimbabwean composer Patrick Matsikenyiri, who wrote both the words and the music. The choir will repeat the hymn 4 times, and I hope you will join us in singing in the original Shona language. The postlude is a Korean hymn by Sunkyng Lee and is also found in our hymnal.
Peace,
Margaret
Director of Music
margaret.mcgillivray@gmail.com
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I hope you enjoyed seeing some familiar faces last week during the band videos. You will get to see them more and more each week. This week is world communion and the band has prepared "Bread to the Nations' as the offertory. The band hymn is a band and congregation favorite, 'He Reigns.' They both carry a message of community and love across the world. The prelude is a piece by J.S. Bach. Originally written for an instrument called the lute-harpsichord, which is basically a harpsichord shaped like a lute. It was then arranged for the baroque lute and later transcribed for guitar along with many other lute pieces from the era. If you would like to hear the entirety of the piece, I recommend listening to David Russll's recording of the entire work, Prelude, Fugue, and Allegro BWV 998. The album 'David Russell plays J.S. Bach' can be found on all streaming platforms.
Have a blessed week!
Pat
Director of Contemporary Music
psise11@gmail.com
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DONATE ONLINE! One-time and recurring!
TEXT your donations! 410-983-3481
Text amount followed by peace, to give to Peace and Global Witness.
Text give to get started. Text commands for more options.
You will be enriched in every good way for your generosity….
- 2 Corinthians 9:11
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Connections 2021: Stewardship Effort |
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Week One: Discipleship Ministry |
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From the Stewardship Team |
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We Are Builders on the Foundations of Our Faith |
We are connected to one another as followers of Jesus Christ. He is the cornerstone of our faith. Thanks to his teachings and preaching, as recorded in Scripture, we are inspired to continue to grow in faith, purpose and service. To carry out our mission and ministry efforts for 2021, a year we anticipate with continuing hardships and pleas for assistance, we must continue to build on the foundations of our faith as foundation builders.
Foundation builders are people like Elias Boudinot, who came before us and laid the ground work so our generosity and purpose can be practiced, taught and then passed on to the next generation. When it’s their time, they too will rise to the occasion, just as we do. Building on the foundations of faith will enable us to advance and perpetuate the mission of the church, generation after generation.
Who was Elias Boudinot?
Elias Boudinot, an American patriot of Huguenot descent, was born in Philadelphia in 1740. After receiving a classical education, he practiced law in New Jersey where he rose to prominence. In 1778 he was elected to the Continental Congress, serving until 1779 and again from 1782-83 when, as president, he signed the Treaty of Paris.
As a private citizen, Boudinot was a Trustee of what is now Princeton University and one of the founders of the Princeton Theological Seminary. In 1799 he also became the first President of the Board of Trustees of the Presbyterian Church, which was established to administer the properties of the whole Church. He amassed an ample fortune and in 1805 began giving liberally, making the first of several gifts and endowments to Princeton. Upon his death in 1821, he bequeathed his remaining property to his only daughter and for charitable uses.
Some of his gifts and bequests, all relevant to his era, were: $200 to buy spectacles for the aged and poor; 13,000 acres of woodland to the Mayor and Corporation of Philadelphia so that the poor might be supplied with wood at low prices; another 3,000 acres were donated towards establishing a Philadelphia hospital for the benefit of foreigners; and last, but not least, the establishment of the first permanent fund held by the Presbyterian Church; now the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Foundation.
In this stewardship season, let’s find new pathways to connect with each other, and encourage and help one another as we all strive to grow and build on the foundations of our faith. And, when we do, we will not only carry out our congregation’s charitable and relevant-to-the-times mission and ministry efforts, but we’ll also ensure that our generosity and legacy endures, as foundation builders, one generation to the next. The needs remain great so this is why we must be that light amidst all the darkness.
The 2021 Connections Stewardship Team would like to thank you for your extreme generosity in supporting our evolving mission and ministry efforts at Ark and Dove this year. Thanks to all of you, we did not miss a beat as we adapted to the perilous times. As a result, we’re continuing to touch and make a real positive difference in people’s lives. When we give in the spirit of helping others in need, our legacy of generosity will never fade: it will endure as one of the true foundations of our faith.
Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation. Isaiah 28:16
Ark & Dove’s Stewardship Team: Tricia Gray, Discipleship Elder, Joe Gray, Steve Debus, Diane Johnson, Bruce Sanders, Doug Walcutt
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September Financial Update |
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YTD Expected Unpledged Income
Actual Unpledged Income
Behind
YTD Expected Pledged Income
YTD Actual Pledged Income
Ahead
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$29,016.00
$22,828.00
$6,188.00
$340,137.72
$341,766.00
$1,628.28
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Now may the Lord of peace give you peace at all times in all ways. -2 Thessalonians 3:16 |
On World Communion Sunday we celebrate that Christ’s peace extends throughout all creation. We celebrate that we are all together at the table, in God’s house. We celebrate that we are offered what we need to continue the work of building the household of God with active peacemakers. We take action today by offering a blessing of our own. Through our participation In the Peace and Global Witness Offering, our church extends Christ’s peace throughout our community. This Sunday culminates the Peace and Global Witness Offering. This offering will be used to support ACT as we support peace in Anne Arundel County.
You may donate online, by text (text amount followed by peace to 410-983- 3481) or by check. Cheryl Schafer, Mission Elder, csscas@verizon.net.
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Antiracism and Social Equity |
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Join the Ark and Dove Antiracism and Social Equity team for our third peaceful rally in support of the equality of Black and brown lives. We will gather at Ark and Dove on 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. We hope to see you there! We are only publicizing this within the Ark and Dove and Kingdom Celebration Center members and friends in order to maintain some control of who shows up to our Peaceful Demonstration. Questions? Please contact Lori Kronser, lkronser16@gmail.com. |
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The Antiracism and Social Equity Team of Ark and Dove invites you to attend our ZOOM forum on RACISM 101, this Sunday, October 4 from 3-4:30 pm. We will begin by helping you understand the social construct of race, what racism is and how it impacts racial groups differently in our country. Then we will move into a demonstration of relational conversations about race. This forum is for those who see themselves as beginners, as well as those who want a refresher. What questions do you have? What do you want to know more about? Please complete this form, so we can send you the ZOOM link and find out more about what you want to know. Any questions, please contact Lori Kronser at Lkronser16@gmail.com. As our banners say: "Join Us in the Conversation."
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Anne Arundel Connecting Together |
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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.
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The next meeting of the crafting group will be Wednesday, October 7 at 7 pm. We are a group of handcrafters who get together twice a month to talk about our crafts and our current projects. If you’d like to join us please contact Amy Tardiff (lilac.n.spruce@gmail.com) for a ZOOM invitation. |
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Outdoor Movie Night at Ark and Dove! |
Saturday, October 17, 7pm. (Rain date will be Friday, October 30.) Bring your chairs, blankets, and face masks. The movie will be appropriate for ALL ages. Please save the date! More details to come. Nicole Howe, nicolehowe123@gmail.com
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Adult Christian Education |
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Adult Cyber Education Opportunity from the Discipleship Ministry |
With so much of our personal and professional business conducted online, it is more important than ever to maximize our awareness of personal safety and security risks associated with using the internet. Please join us for the last session of Online Computer Safety class (Hacking Methodology) October 6, 8 pm, via ZOOM. Please contact Tricia Gray (tricia.gray@yahoo.com) with any questions. |
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Join us around a campfire on church grounds the second Wednesday of the month for a healthy conversation over the controversies of our times. Bring a chair, non-alcoholic beverage, and s’more supplies (if you like), bug repellant, the intention to social distance, and we will enjoy each other’s company as we create faithful responses to the conflicts of our time. We will meet from 7-8:30 pm.
- October 9: Cancel Culture (Friday!)
- November 11: Presidential Support/Opposition
- December 9: Capitalism and its Alternatives
Please RSVP with Pastor Jon (jnelson@arkanddove.org) as we have limited space to maintain social distancing around the fire.
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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.
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CONFLICTED: Exploring Conflict and How it Might Help Us Today |
We are embroiled in conflict. As a nation, we are at odds with others and our own. As citizens, we are polarized. As a Church, we differ from one another. As families, we fight. In this pandemic, international and national conflicts have increased. During this racial reckoning, divisions have widened. How do we handle these conflicts?
Join us for the last three courses addressing biblical and contemporary conflicts from the international to the interpersonal. Each week, we will study certain conflicts to see how we might deal with the ones we face today.
- Week Four: Church Conflicts (Inclusive Christianity and Gentile Christians)
- Week Five: Interpersonal Conflicts (Political Arguments and Family Disputes)
This class will be co-led by Katie Nilsen Johnson (who recently earned a Masters in Peace and Conflict Studies), Grant Johnson, and Pastor Jon. We meet on Tuesdays at 7:30pm, through October 13th. All are welcome, even if you can't attend all the sessions! Please contact Pastor Jon for a Zoom link (jnelson@arkanddove.org).
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Being Grateful in Difficult Times |
We all know the joy of a surprise gift, good news, or a great achievement -- all of those things eliciting feelings of gratitude. But these days, full of grief, worry, and uncertainty did not easily nurture a sense of thanks. Indeed, they seem to be gnawing away our hearts and our hopes.
So what of gratitude now? When we don't feel grateful? In a 6-part course based on her recent book, Grateful, Diana Butler Bass takes us into a journey to understand what gratitude is, how it can strengthen us as individuals and in community, and the surprising ways in which it subverts hopelessness and injustice. In addition to lectures and mini-practice sessions, Diana will be joined by other writers in conversation about how giving thanks has made a difference in their own lives.
Join us for this course wherein, we will watch brief videos and have discussion over the content. Purchasing Bass’ "Grateful", will be helpful but not necessary. Class size is limited to 25. Please contact Kim Champagne to sign up (kim.champagne@gmail.com)
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Every Wednesday at 10 am, we gather online for fellowship, Bible study on the upcoming Sunday scriptures, and prayer. This has been and continues to be a great way to deepen friendships and faith. Please join us, there is no commitment or homework. Contact Pastor Jon for the Zoom invitation (jnelson@arkanddove.org).
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Youth Christian Education |
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Our Sunday school program for grades K-5 takes place via Zoom each Sunday from 9:00- 9:40 am. Our host welcomes the child(ren), the storyteller tells a story and then leads the children in reflection and wondering. Normally, our class would involve a work/creative response time as well, so our Godly Play team has put together response bags containing art supplies and other materials for the children to keep at home for personal use. If you are interested in getting a bag for your child(ren), or you have any questions about Godly Play or would like to be put on our list to receive zoom invitations, please contact Julie Devers, Christian Education Elder, at jbdevers@gmail.com. |
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LOGOS Weekly Lessons and Activities |
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.
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Sunday Fellowship after the live-stream church service continues! Via a ZOOM meeting, of course. If you'd like to join in for some light conversation and have a chance to see some familiar faces, simply send an email to fellowship@arkanddove.org to request an invitation. We will then send you a link to the Zoom meeting. You only need to do this one time, and you can use the same link each week. The meetings begin around 11:15 each Sunday. It will be great to "see" you! Nicole Howe, nicolehowe123@gmail.com.
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A few weeks ago, ICE arrested an immigrant man on church grounds, at a Maryland church, in violation of policy that says churches, hospitals, schools are all “sensitive locations” and ICE agents aren’t to conduct operations (arrests) in those locations. The man they arrested, Binsar Siahaan, is currently in a Georgia prison awaiting deportation. Meanwhile, DC and Baltimore area churches are organizing rallies and actions advocating not just for Binsar, but speaking up for the sanctity of sanctuary in churches and elsewhere. You can track upcoming marches (and participate if you wish) at Congregation Action Network or track the #FreeBinsar hashtag. On September 29, a little over 30 people rallied in front of Baltimore’s ICE office (socially distanced, masked and sanitizing throughout). If you would like to learn more, please contact Laura Willoughby Perry (ljwilloughby@gmail.com) Debbie Arey (debarey@hotmail.com).
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Thursdays at 3:00 pm on Zoom. Please contact Pastor Tim (tstern@arkanddove.org) to receive an invitation.
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Please keep the following people in your prayers this week:
PRAYERS OF HEALING AND SUPPORT for Wren Suggs; Karen Dodson; Dick Paronto; Camille Dubois; Alex Klemko; Clarke Beaudry’s mother Judy LaMarque; Amy Goldberg’s grandmother, Ruth Cooper; Deborah Dingle; Dot Forloines’ family and her great-grandson Luke; Jess and Adell Gaurin; Debbie and Bruce Arey’s daughter, Allison; Linda Jordan; John Mikeska; Jesse Pennabaker; Michelle Schoonmaker's Auntie Bernice; Diane Johnson's Uncle Ed, Aunt Janet, and cousin Richard; Shelley Franklin's father; Hollis Butterworth’s daughter, Rachel Mershont and brother-in-law, Brian Smith; Amanda Wehage’s mother, sister and father, Dave, and friend; Zach Murray’s father, Kelly Murray; Becky Marcus; Fred Barrow; Laurie Barrow’s nephew, Gunther Kurtz; Carlton Jackson; Sabonna Keeney’s mother; Pattie Plander; Richard and Edie Budd; Bernabe Solano; Griselda Solano's sister, Irma; Kathy Miller’s sisters, Patty and Beth; Dotty Kaufman, her son, Bill, daughter-in-law, Carol, granddaughter, Sarah, and grandson Nathan; Laura Doughty’s brother-in-law, Carl Hahn and Lydia Doughty; Bob Johns; Cindy Knott’s mother, Madeline; Laura Willoughby's father, Norman; Bill Ruble’s mother, Mary Jane Weathers; Ann Hirschy’s Aunt Cindy and brother; Christina Nelson’s grandmother, Pat Dole; Kelly Burnett’s nephew, Justin; Dorene Chen’s family; Lewis Shorter and niece, Jennifer Schwandt-Gayle; Patriceo Green’s brother and sister; Jennifer and Shawn Ralston’s niece; Archer and Honor Bauman’s grandfather, Larry; the Tardiff family; Cheryl Walcutt’s mother, nephew, and sisters; Brooks Emrick and her sister, Susan; Vaughn Brown; Frances Keyes; Julia Kirby's mother, Margaret Floyd; Erika Sealing's son, Trip, and grandmother, Margaret Schade; Amy Benson's family and Amy’s friend, Brian Shriner; Lou Kareha’s aunt, Judy Kochis and cousin, Thomas; Margaret McGillivray's friends, Kim Nolet and Gregg Hanson; Kim Young's friend, Joyce Miller; Linnie Girdner and Jan Hof’s friend, Grace Ligon; the Yeager’s friend, Karen Schell; Steve Debus’ cousin-in-law; Ylonda Funtleroy's friends Gloria Jean Austin and Tanya; Lori Kronser's friend, Barbara Noonan; Kathy Emmert's friend Patty; David; and Doug Mattingly’s mother.
PRAYERS OF HEALING for those with COVID-19 including: Lewis Shorter's sister, Shirley Shorter; Chelsea O’Hanlon’s family; Ylonda Fauntleroy's friend, Sandra; Councilmember Andrew Pruski; and President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump.
PRAYERS OF LOVE, SUPPORT AND PROTECTION for all hospital staff, patients, clinics, grocers, essential workers and hourly workers around the world, who are working bravely and arduously to protect our loved ones and our communities. Including: Tricia Gray’s mother; Becca Distad; Jack Burnett; Caitlyn Bussey; Emily Sanders; Audrey Miller; Linda Jordan’s nephew, Russell; Diane Johnson’s grandson; the Ralston’s family members and friends; Simone Stiegler’s friend, Jean Marie; Mike Stiegler; Amy Grimm’s mother; Jeff Grimm; Amy Goldberg’s brother, Joseph Alexander, and parents, Michael and Maryann Cooper; Judy Cooper’s daughter; John Mikeska’s son, Jonathan; and Hollis Butterworth’s sister-in-law, Cyndie.
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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