16th Sunday after Pentecost

Then Peter came and said to him, "Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?" Jesus said to him, "Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times."

Matthew 18:21-22

Brother Jesus, the storm is life and life is the storm and there is no escaping it; but what matters is that you are in the storm with us, a Beacon and a Presence that is sure.

(From Madagascar)

Dear Friends,

After a summer break, our full band is back together this week, ready to fill the sanctuary with joyful noise!

The services will open with Wendy Wellington singing “Good to Me" by Audrey Assad. This song is contemplative with minimal accompaniment to prepare for worship.  

We will sing traditional hymns and contemporary responses this week. Our Offertory anthem is called "Holy Water" by We the Kingdom. This song is about the power of forgiveness and what it means to be forgiven by God. We will have a very full sound, with John Goodwin on Drum set, Diane Yates on auxiliary percussion, Johnny Fuller on guitar, Karen Dodson on the keyboard, Fred Barrow on the bass guitar and myself at the piano. Adell Gaurin and I will lead the vocals and we have Wendy Wellington, Kristen Maxwell, Jackie Scheer and Christa Kronser singing harmonies. Please welcome Kristen to our band! You will get to read more about her in the coming weeks. We are also excited to welcome Atticus Maricle to our choir, joining our tenor section! Speaking of tenors… I would love to add even more tenors and basses to our choir. Have you ever thought about singing with us? We could really use you now! 

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

With love,

Rebecca

Director of Music

rechols@arkanddove.org

YTD Expected Unpledged Income $14,667

Actual Unpledged Income $12,216

Behind $2,451

YTD Expected Pledged & Electronic Giving $346,631

YTD Actual Pledged & Electronic Giving $326,475

Behind $20,156

Peace and Global Witness Special Offering

PCUSA holds the annual Peace and Global Witness Special Offering every fall. Through our Peace and Global Witness donations, we will support Anne Arundel Connecting Together (ACT) with 80% of our giving and Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, supporting emergency relief for refugees, with 20% of our giving.

https://www.arkanddove.org/site/donate.asp?sec_id=180010855, scroll down to Peace and Global Witness

Or text Peace to: (410) 983-3481

For more information, please contact Lori Kronser mission@arkanddove.org

Special Disaster Offering for Lahaina, Maui

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) urges your support in response to the

devastating wildfires in Hawai‘i, which authorities are calling the deadliest natural

disaster in state history. PDA has already released emergency grants to meet the urgent

needs of the communities and to provide immediate care. The magnitude of this event

will require the development of long-term projects and assistance, both for the physical

and emotional long-lasting effects. Years of recovery lie ahead, and your commitment will help PDA extend the hands of Christ. You may make a donation on the Ark and Dove website: Giving tab/Donate Online/Presbyterian Disaster Assistance.

For more information, please contact Lori Kronser (mission@arkanddove.org)

Parent Group Fellowship Meeting

on Sept 24 at 11:30

Parents and caregivers of children through college age are invited to gather in the Marshall room after the 10:30 service on September 24th for casual conversation. Let's all get to know each other better! We will share the cost of pizza and childcare.

For questions, please contact Nicole Howe, nicolehowe123@gmail.com

The deacons need your help making meals for those in need in our congregation. For more information, please contact Debbie Arey, debarey@hotmail.com or 508-579-7748. 

Hello Four Seasons Friends,

Old and Young Alike

Do you like helping people, walking dogs, both? Here's your chance to help out a church member. Mori is an obedient but active black standard poodle who is 8 months old. Mori is looking for high school students (he thinks you may get service learning credit for this) or even people older than that who would be willing to walk him around 8 am and/or sometime after 3pm. He wants you to know that he is very friendly, gentle and a little playful. If you would like to volunteer or just learn more, please email Joan Berry (berry962@verizon.net). Thanks!

POC: Adell Gaurin (adell.deacon@gmail.com)

Time to Register for LOGOS!

Register for LOGOS. Volunteer sign-up.

Please attend our September 12th virtual parents/volunteers meeting from 7:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The Zoom link will be sent via email.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is LOGOS? LOGOS is Ark & Dove's mid-week children's program for kindergarten through fifth grade held on Tuesday evenings from 6:00 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. starting September 26th through March 19th. Each week we welcome kids by gathering in small groups for a 15-minute snack then do three 20-minute rotating activity stations (bible time, worship arts, and recreation time). On the third Tuesday of every month, we will provide a family-style dinner for LOGOS kids, their families, and other volunteers. On those weeks LOGOS will end at 7:30 pm.

What if my kid’s sports schedule conflicts? No worries! You can register now and join us in November when the sports season ends.

Can younger siblings attend? Yes! For adults who are volunteering during LOGOS, we have nursery care for PreK and younger.

Can older siblings attend? Sure! We love our middle-school or high-school helpers.

How much does it cost? The LOGOS program is a self-supporting ministry and is not part of the general operating budget of the church. Therefore, we have a suggested donation of $30 per child to help cover the cost of snacks, meals, curriculum, activity materials, and leadership training. No child or youth will be denied the experience of LOGOS for financial reasons.

We also accept general donations to the LOGOS program. Donate here.

Get involved! Core to the LOGOS philosophy is fostering intergenerational relationships within the church. When children are baptized, we as a congregation pledge to help them on their faith journeys. As the saying goes, it takes a village! With this in mind, we encourage parents and other adult church members to support this ministry and get to know the kids in our church by signing up for at least one volunteer role. There are many options, including some that are every week and others that are monthly. Volunteer here.

For more information on the LOGOS program, check out the 2023-2024 LOGOS Handbook or contact Jen Roman by emailing logos@arkanddove.org or by texting 443-758-3273.

LOGOS Returns September 26th

Save the date! LOGOS, Ark & Dove’s midweek children’s program for grades K-5, is starting up again on Tuesday September 26th 6pm-7:15pm.

Mark your calendars: Parents and volunteers meeting will be September 12th at 6pm. Stay tuned for more details.

For more information, please contact Jen Roman, LOGOS Director. email logos@arkanddove.org or text 443-758-3273

IRIS Group: now twice a month!

By popular demand, the IRIS Group, the LGBT+ focused group for teens, will now meet twice a month on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays, at 7pm in-person in the Calvin room, led by Adora Grace Nilsen-Johnson and Craig West. The next meeting is on September 20th. Expect fun, games, and discussion! Bring friends! 

Godly Play Training

Sunday, Sept. 17, 11:45- 1:30, all are invited to join us—from veteran Godly Play leaders to curious newcomers! We will hear a story and discuss aspects of the program. Lunch will be provided.

SignUpGenius link here and in the lobby.

Questions see Amy Tardiff Amy.Tardiff@arkanddove.org

Leaders and Helpers Needed

To ensure that we can continue to offer the below services we need 2 adult/teenage leaders, from different nuclear families to help provide leadership. Please consider volunteering for one of the following this summer. 

Please sign up here: Nursery Volunteers

You will be assisting Cara Moody as needed and be another set of eyes/hands in the nursery.

GLEAM- Family & Ally Support Group

GLEAM Family & Ally meetings are back! Join us Monday, September 18 7:00– 8:00 pm on Zoom. This group is for family and friends of LGBTQIA+ persons and for allies who want to learn more about allyship.

For the Zoom link, please contact Amy Tardiff (Amy.Tardiff@ArkandDove.org)

FREE Hard Drive Destruction and Paper Shredding Event

Want to get rid of unneeded hard drives and sensitive papers? Here's your chance! Chesapeake Paper systems will be on site to destroy them in front of your eyes. Saturday, October 7, Noon - 4 pm at Prince of Peace Presbyterian Church Parking Lot, 1657 Crofton Parkway, Crofton, 21114. Event sponsored by the Bay Area Disciples Ministry Group of the Baltimore Presbytery, PC(USA) of which Ark and Dove and Prince of Peace are members.

POC: Shirley Fuller (sffuller@mac.com)

Unity Gardens Grant Helps Ark and Dove Go Native This Fall

Ark and Dove has applied for and received a $1440 grant from AACO nonprofit Unity Gardens to replace non-native and invasive plants and trees with natives on our church property. As an Earth Care Congregation, we want to encourage environmental stewardship and demonstrate the beauty and importance of native plants to our congregation and community. Work days are scheduled for September 23rd and September 30th. Plan now to join us! Sign Up here.

Please contact Bob Fuller (rtfuller@mac.com) for more information.

Mental Health First Aid Course Offerings

The Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County (CFAAC) is offering the following Mental Health First Aid Training courses in September and October:

Virtual Adult Mental Health First Aid Training Course

*Taught in TWO 3-hour courses (1 HR of on-line prep work is required)

Dates: September 12 & 19, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Cost: $25/person and includes training and materials.

This course is appropriate for anyone age 18 and older who wants to learn how to help a person who may be experiencing a mental health crisis or problem.

Register here.

Youth Mental Health First Aid Training Course

Date: Saturday, October 7, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Location: CFAAC Office at 900 Bestgate Road, Suite 400, Annapolis

Cost: $25/person and includes training and materials. Refreshments included.

This course is designed to teach parents, family members, caregivers, teachers, and other caring citizens how to help an adolescent (age 12- 18) who is experiencing a mental health or addictions challenge or is in crisis. Youth Mental Health First Aid is primarily designed for adults who regularly interact with young people. Topics covered include anxiety, depression, substance use, disorders in which psychosis may occur, disruptive behavior disorders (AD/HD) and eating disorders.

Register and learn more here.

For more information contact Amy Tardiff (amy.tardiff@arkanddove.org) or to learn more about CFAAC go to www.cfaac.org

Call For Donations

Call for Donations – Southern Border Asylum Seekers



Church member Laura Willoughby is traveling to Brownsville, Texas, across the border from Matamoros, Mexico, the busiest crossing for asylum seekers entering the U.S. She will spend two

months there, and as part of her trip will be taking donations for Team Brownsville, a non-profit providing resources to both newly-arrived asylum seekers and people awaiting an asylum appointment in Matamoros.

The organization is in need of:

• NEW Men’s knit boxer briefs, particularly small and medium sizes
• Lightly-used Men’s shirts and pants (comfortable items), particularly in small and medium sizes
• T-shirts in general, in smaller sizes
• Shoes in good condition in smaller sizes
• Kid's toys that are small and easily transportable: think Beanie Baby size-- Kids’ books for reading in any language

Any donated underwear should be NEW. Other items may be used as long as they are free of tears, stains, etc., and they should be comfortable. Most of those arriving at Team Brownsville’s Welcome Center in Brownsville journey further into the U.S. in buses, planes, and private cars.

Items can be placed in the plastic bin marked “Border Donations” that sits underneath the coat rack. Collection will be ongoing through the end of October.

Any questions? Contact laura@laurajanewilloughby.com

With the rise of authoritarianism in the US, attacks on queer and trans beloveds both through legislation and right-wing protesters at drag shows, anti-immigrant policies and rhetoric, as well as the censoring of books and school curricula, we are seeing an increase in the targeting of sacred spaces for violence. Across religious traditions, we are seeing online threats, pride and Black Lives Matter banners torn down, hate speech graffiti-ed on synagogues, violent actors appearing at sanctuaries and disrupting services, and more.

So, how can congregations be prepared? Why is this violence escalating, and what community safety practices can we engage in now that also help us build the world we long for?  Join us for a 2-part training series for faith communities of all traditions, in which we’ll explore the current context of authoritarianism in the US, why faith communities are being targeted, and practical tools and skills your congregation can build and practice together. The training series will be led by Christian, Jewish, and UUA SURJ-Faith leaders.

Register below!  We will be referencing SURJ-Faith’s Community Safety for All toolkit, so sign up for that now!

There will be participant support, live captioning, and ASL available.

Sessions will be recorded and made available for future use.

Hungry for more training on how We Keep Each Other Safe? Check out SURJ’s Get Ready, Stay Ready series, August-November 2023. We will focus on skill-building and practical moves that give your group, your actions, and your community more choices, especially when up against far right actors and state agencies. Click HERE for more information!

Session Two:

Road Map to Building Community Safety

Date/Time: October 18, 8-10pmET / 5-7pmPT

This session will offer a 1, 5, and 10 year road map for building community safety with your congregation, as well as dig in to 2 tools you can begin to practice together.

Register Here for Session 2!

Ark and Dove Presbyterian Church | 410-674-6400 | admin@arkanddove.org www.arkanddove.org | 8424 Piney Orchard Pkwy. Odenton, MD 21113