Messenger | April 26, 2023

This week's release at a glance:

Pastor’s Message

Into the Words: Billy Collins

Commitment Sunday Coming Soon!

New Member Class

Mother's Day Special Workshop

Magician in the Kitchen: Honoring a Great Lady

VBS Registration is Open

Spots Open for WoodsWork

Pastor's Message

Dear friends and family of Woods Church,

In preparing the weekly Messenger "table of contents," I'm always struck by the array of things happening in the life of our church. In the articles below, you will read about a New Member class, a food drive, a Senior Fellowship dinner, a workshop for Mother's Day, a book drive, a music concert, and several other items of interest. They give a nice snapshot about our church activities, but how do all these programs fit into the larger definition of a healthy church of members following the teachings of Jesus Christ?

It is traditional to define "church" as the gathering of members who participate in times of worship, education, and doing good deeds. They are the people who follow along with the Sunday bulletin, who pass along the communion trays and offering plates, who take their turns teaching a Sunday School class or greeting at the front doors, and who catch up with old friends and new during the Fellowship hour.

Some would insist that something more than all of that is necessary—that it is important to complement these Sunday activities with a heartfelt profession of faith in God as revealed in Jesus Christ, a commitment to study and be guided by scripture, and a personal regimen of daily prayer. Others may insist that all the activities within the church are secondary to how we live out our faith outside the church walls—how we treat others we meet at work and play, how we care for those in need through our finances and our volunteer efforts, and how we challenge injustice, racism, and inequity wherever we encounter it.

In reality, all three perspectives have validity when considering what it means to be "church." Public worship, personal piety, active Christian service - they are all expressions of a vibrant, living Christian faith. To paraphrase I Corinthians 12, can a hand tell the foot it has no need of it or the eye tell the ear that it is without value? Can the evangelist tell the case worker her job is without spiritual value, or the Sunday greeter look down on the youth league coach mentoring middle schoolers in baseball tournaments?

The church is less about a location and much more about a connection between people, and these connections will always take a variety of forms. Giving a ride, calling after a doctor's appointment, sending a card, delivering a meal, writing a letter to an elected official, saying a prayer for someone else who'll never know your name—in all these ways we become part of something bigger than us individually and something grounded in the life-giving activity of God's Spirit of healing, grace and love.

So as a new month is about to dawn, step into this connectional "space" we call Woods Church. Ask not what it can give you, but rather how Christ is inviting you to give and share and study and worship and learn with others—and may it all be for the glory of God.

Peace in Christ,

Randy Bush

Church News

“Into the Words” Mini-Podcast

In this week's episode of “Into the Words,” Pastor Randy discusses works by poet Billy Collins. Click the button below to watch previous episodes.

Commitment Sunday Coming Soon!

The countdown has begun and this year's Stewardship Campaign is underway! Our theme is simply Come Home to Woods. Our hope is that Woods Church is a place in which people find a spiritual home, a community of faithful witness, compassionate service, invigorating worship, and intergenerational education. Through the act of making a stewardship pledge, you help our church leaders budget wisely and plan effectively the various programs for the coming year. In the coming weeks, you'll receive a letter and pledge card, which we hope you will return on or before Commitment Sunday, May 7. You also can click on the link below to fill out a pledge form.

To set the tone for this campaign, a short video was created that captured the stories of how two families, one new member and one long-time member, found their home here at Woods. Click on the link below to watch it. And thank you from our Stewardship Team!

New Members Class

Our next New Members Class will be held on Sunday, April 30, 11AM. If you have any family, friends, or neighbors who you'd like to invite, please contact Pastor Nancy at nreynolds@woodschurch.org.



Mother's Day Special Workshop

The Flower Ministry is offering a Mother's Day Special Workshop for members and friends of Woods Church on Friday, May 12, 5:30–8PM, in the Founders Room. The workshop will begin with a demonstration and discussion, followed by a DIY project.

All materials will be provided, but participants will need to bring a floral cutter with them. The cost is $20. Space is limited to 30 participants.



Register online or through the church office by emailing Pam Ward at pward@woodschurch.org.

Magician in the Kitchen: Honoring a Great Lady

Carolyn Watkins has served as Woods Kitchen Coordinator for some 23 years! On Sunday, May 7, during our 9:30AM worship service and at a reception afterward, the congregation, WELCOME & Property Ministries and Woods Child Development Center (CDC) will pay tribute to her extraordinary gifts.

Defining Carolyn’s many gifts to Woods is no small task, but a few of us have spent some time in the kitchen asking questions and jotting down her "secrets"—how does she put together a brunch for 100, or a congregation-wide Kick Off Sunday Picnic? How about the menu for a new members' dinner? And most important, how does she make our congregational favorite, CHICKEN SALAD? Answers to these and other questions will be found in All Prayed Up, a conversation about her own delicious creations, as well as a compendium of "recipes" passed orally from her mother to Carolyn and now to all of us.

During the next two weeks, we will be collecting a Love Offering in recognition of Carolyn’s service and culinary gifts to all of us. All contributors to the Love Offering will receive a copy of All Prayed Up.

The love, energy, and planning that made Woods one of the most connected of churches is largely due to the receptions, dinners, lectures, and REHAB meals that Carolyn has overseen. A talented, modest lady of deep faith, Carolyn has been the center of our fellowship gatherings, serving delicious food and words of wisdom for almost a quarter of a century. (Had it not been for Covid, we would have honored Carolyn’s work a bit earlier.) Carolyn plans to retire in December—although to our knowledge, her letter of request has not yet been accepted.

Plan to join us for a love fest (feast) on Sunday, May 7, as we pay tribute to a hidden figure, a lady who has devoted much of her life to nourishing her babies in CDC, and the Woods congregation. She has deeply touched many of us with her kindness, generosity of spirit, remarkable talent, and love—for much of her life and ours.

Ministry Announcements

New 11AM Sunday Class

Join us for our new 11AM Sunday class, April 23–June 4, to discover Jesus' character through Jesus Revealed: The I Am Statements in the Gospel of John by pastor and author Matt Rawle. We'll meet in the Conference Room or on Zoom.

Light, Bread, Shepherd, Life. The Gospel uses these and other symbols to paint a picture of who Jesus is. Through the "I Am" statements, Jesus describes himself with rich images, showing us that he is both fully human and fully divine, and is calling us as his followers.

The "I Am" statements are symbols that resonate throughout the Gospel and all of Scripture. These words point beyond themselves to the deep mystery of Jesus Christ. Experience the profound truth at the heart of the gospel, that Jesus calls us to himself and offers us the hope of resurrection.

VBS Registration is Open

BEE sure to register for VBS online at WoodsChurch.org. VBS is for children age 3–rising 6th graders and will run daily, June 26–29, 4–7PM! The cost includes dinner, and parents are welcome. Scholarships are available. Please contact a pastor or Kat Green for details.

The whole church is invited to be part of a welcoming community of faith! Volunteers are needed to decorate, set up each day, be a “Plus One” for a classroom, classroom teachers, music leaders, story helpers, dinner orderers, musicians, game leaders, nursery caregivers, and art leaders. The curriculum is based on the BEE-atitudes, and asks, "How does Jesus teach us to BEE in the world?" Let us be called children of God.

Nursery care is available for volunteers' younger children.

Spots Open for WoodsWork

There is still space available for youth to sign up for WoodsWork, a Youth Ministry Mission Trip supporting Habitat for Humanity. We will travel to Hartsville, South Carolina, June 22–30, to build two homes for deserving families, and to complete other needed construction projects.

No construction skills are needed. The trip is available to youth who are entering 9th grade through graduated seniors.

Registration is open until Friday, May 12. Register at WoodsChurch.org.

Food Donations Needed

Our Mission partner, SPAN ( Serving People Across Neighborhoods), is in need of some non-perishable food items for their Food Pantry. Their wish list consists of:

Baked beans

Canned tomato products,

Peanut butter and jelly

Canned meats including tuna and chicken

Ham

SPAM

Sausages

Canned chili meat

Please drop off donations in the SPAN barrel in Fellowship Hall. Your gifts of nonperishable food to SPAN make a difference in many of our neighbors’ lives. Without your help, many local families might otherwise go hungry.

Upcoming Events

Senior Spring Fellowship Dinner

Save the date for our Senior Spring Fellowship Dinner on Friday, May 5, 5:30–7:30PM. We invite all who are 70 and older (spouses welcome) to join us for our Homecoming Themed dinner. RSVP by calling the church office at 410.647.2550.

In Our Community

Coed Softball

The Greater Severna Park Coed Church Softball League is once again entering their spring season. Congratulations, because you already made the team! No experience required! Qualifications include: you must bring a smile, and be at least 16 years of age by December 31, 2022. No full-time commitment is necessary; come for however many games you’d like!

The first game will be held on Sunday, April 30, 2PM, at Elvaton. If you are interested, contact Andrew Wiley at 443.867.8803 or wileyas1@gmail.com. If you are thinking… "The GSPCCSL sounds very legit... am I good enough to participate?" then you are asking the wrong question... The correct question is... "Why would anyone pass up a chance to play coed church softball?" And yes, we accept everyone!

Boy Scout Book Drive

Cooper Powell, a Boy Scout from Troop 339 (which meets at Woods Church), will be hosting a book drive through April 30, for his Eagle Scout Project.

Woods Church is one of several drop off locations. Additional drop-off locations include The Big Bean and Park Books. All books are welcome and will either be used in the little free library he’ll be building at Earleigh Heights Ranger Station or donated to the Maryland Book Bank. Questions? Contact Cooper Powell at cooperpow06@gmail.com.

Church Family News

Senior Recognition

Woods Church is proud of all the high school and college graduates in our congregation. Please send the names of graduates and, as appropriate, the names of colleges they'll be attending (or attended) to Leslie Dowtin, our administrative assistant for Youth Ministry at adminyouth@woodschurch.org. We will need this information by Monday, May 15, to include it in our Senior Recognition service on Sunday, May 21.

Death Notice

Condolences to Jerome Keemer, Jr., Woods employee, on the death of his father, Jerome Keemer, Sr.

Visitation will be at the Empowering Believers Church of the Apostolic Faith (7566 East Howard Rd., Glen Burnie, MD), on Wednesday, April 26, 3–7PM, and again on Thursday, April 27, 10AM, followed by a funeral service at 11AM.

Congregational Prayer

God of mercy, as an Easter people, we no longer look for Jesus among the dead. He is alive and has become the Lord of life. From the waters of death you raise us with him and renew your gift of life within us. Increase in our minds and hearts the risen life we share with Christ, and help us to grow as your people toward the fullness of eternal life with you, through Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.



Amen.