Messenger | July 3, 2024

This week's release at a glance:

• Pastor’s Message
• Celebrate July 4
• Homebound Communion
• Stewardship Update
• Tuesday Night Thrive
• Mission Trip to Guatemala
• A Note from Our Sister Church in Sancti Spíritus
• Aloha from Hawaii!
• Film and Faith
• Softball: Woods Church vs. St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church

Pastor's Message

Happy Fourth of July! This week, will find us surrounded by familiar sights, smells, and sounds as we celebrate America's birthday once again.

Fireworks and outdoor grilling and barbeques may fill the air accompanied by sparklers and red-white-and-blue decorations and attire. Celebrating the birth of our nation and the freedom inherent in it is a "joyful noise" made by thankful people.

We may be mindful, at the same time, that many more beyond our country's boundaries are not free and often struggle to find the basic food, shelter and clothing necessary for survival. Part of the freedom we enjoy is the choice to help others in need. One of the persistent joyful noises at Woods is the making of that choice. Whether by building houses for others, sending cards to the homebound, supporting the Mission Partners of our church, praying or comforting those who grieve, there is a cacophony of sound produced.

A joyful noise about which we tend to speak only once a year during Stewardship season is the sound of giving. All of the above are undergirded by a willingness to provide financial resources. Often, without that offering, the noises go untended. Please consider what you are able to give to this year's Stewardship campaign. Join the Clouds of Witnesses and let us make a Joyful Noise Unto the Lord!

Grace and Peace,

—Pastor Nancy

Church News

Celebrate July 4th

Would you like to celebrate Independence Day with Woods Church? Join our float at St. Martin's in the field, 9:45AM, to walk with us or you could also meet at the church at 9AM to help decorate our float. All are welcome!

Tuesday Night Thrive

On Tuesdays, July 9 and August 13, at 6PM, gather with us for a time of praise and prayer followed by food, friends, and fun in Fellowship Hall.

We encourage everyone to stay and continue the fellowship and food with us, but please use the link below to sign up to ensure we have enough food available. Please sign up by Friday, July 5, for our July event, and Friday, August 9, for our August event. See you all at Tuesday Night Thrive.

Homebound Communion

Homebound Communion will be offered on Sunday, July 21. Recipients may choose to have the elements dropped off the week before for those who watch services online and prefer to have communion by intinction, or have them administered by a deacon following the 9:30AM service on July 21.

If you would like to be included or know of anyone in the congregation who might enjoy having communion brought to their home, please contact Maureen Adams at 410.647.2550 or email her at madams@woodschurch.org.

From Generation To Generation: Woods Child Development Center Marks 70 Years

Up a long driveway in the heart of Severna Park sits a wooden church surrounded by boxed gardens and blooming flowers. During the week, Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church doubles as an accredited preschool for children ages 2–4 in the Severna Park area. The name of the school is Woods Child Development Center (WCDC), and this year, WCDC reached a remarkable milestone: its 70th anniversary.

Stewardship Update

This Stewardship season, our Clouds of Witnesses have pledged $1,250,431, which represents 81.2% of our $1,540,000 goal. Thank you so much for your continued support of Woods missions.



If you have not done so already, please make your pledge online at woodschurch.org or fill out a pledge card in the front office.

Sing with Our Summer Choir

Come and sing with us on these summer Sundays: June 30, July 21, July 28, August 18, and September 1. Members of the Adult Choir will meet at 8:45AM in the Sanctuary to rehearse an anthem, and then sing it for worship!

It’s fun, easy, and a great way to lend your voice over the summer! For more information, please email David Merrill at dmerrill@woodschurch.org.



Summer Worship Schedule

Join us for worship on Sundays this summer for a blended service at 9:30AM. This single-service will continue through Kick-Off Sunday, September 8.



We're Looking for an Accountant

Woods Church is looking to hire an accountant—someone to maintain the various church funds and accounts in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and the church’s Financial Policies & Procedures Manual. This is a benefit eligible, 40-hour per week position. Knowledge of accounting software and Microsoft Office applications required.

If you’re interested in this position, please contact John McLaughlin at 410.647.2550 x335 or jmclaughlin@woodschurch.org.

Mission News

Mission Trip to Guatemala

Join Sher Atkinson on Sunday, July 7, 10:30–11AM, in Founders Room to chat about an exciting mission trip with Baltimore Presbytery to the Protestant Center for Pastoral Studies in Central America (CEDEPCA) in Guatemala.



The trip is November 2–9, and focuses on causes of immigration as well as visits to CEDEPCA programs that support women and families, efforts to reduce emigration and domestic violence, and projects to provide sustainable employment in the country.

If you would like more information, email Sher at sheratkinson@earthlink.net or call at 410.647.4824.

A Note from Our Sister Church in Sancti Spíritus

Come meet our brothers and sisters in Sancti Spiritus, Cuba, November 6–13! If you’re interested and would like more information, please contact Marty Clayton at mclayton@breezeline.net.

This week, Woods sent food to our sister church in Sancti Spíritus, Cuba, including ramen noodles and beef franks to feed the elderly and shut-ins, and chicken franks and cookies for the children’s lunch at Vacation Bible School.

Yanelys Bonet, the church administrator, sent this note: "This food will help the children in their summer school and the elderly in their homes. Many thanks to the congregation of Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church for so much love.”

Aloha from Hawaii!

Please visit the new art display in the Gallery. This month’s art exhibit is titled, Tropical Summer Love by artist Michelle Nelson Love. Michelle grew up at Woods and was recently married in our sanctuary. Most of her art has been created while living on the beautiful island of Oahu. Aloha from Hawaii!

Children's News

Film and Faith!

Our new high school youth Bible study Film and Faith! will be meeting throughout the summer, every Tuesday night , 7PM. Each week, starting July 9, we will be looking at scripture through the lens of some of our favorite movies! (We’ll gather immediately following Tuesday Night Thrive!). We hope to see you there!

For more information, contact Oliver Page at opage@woodschurch.org.

WoodsWork Prayer Leaves

Our whole church—adults and children—prayed for our WoodsWork youth and adults! Each leaf has a leader or youth's name on it. Stop by!

Continue the Conversation at Home

Let's Continue the Conversation at Home from Sunday morning! Our children's moment was about what kind of superhero we can be and are. There were so many great Super Hero outfits! They was a Spiderman costume, a princess, "Dad's my superhero" t-shirts, a transformer, and so many more! We talked about how our WoodsWork team members are superheroes.

Our Sunday story was about how Paul, Peter, and James met in Jerusalem and told everyone that Jesus' life and story is for EVERYONE. It is not just one kind of person. Jesus told us, "Love your neighbor as yourself." The church's superpower must be LOVE. I wonder, how can we love ourselves? I wonder, how can we love our neighbors?

Jennifer Grant wrote a wonderful book, called I Can Be a Neighbor, Too. We find out so many ways that we can be a neighbor! How will you use the church's superpower of love to be a neighbor this week?

In Our Community

Woods Church vs. St. Margaret's

This week, our softball team will take the field against St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church at Cypress #1 on Sunday, July 7, 2PM. If you’d like to play, contact Andrew Wiley at 443.867.8803 or wileyas1@gmail.com.

No experience required! Players must be at least 16 years of age as of December 31, 2023. Play as your schedule permits.

A Moment of Prayer

Gracious God, we thank you for the many blessings in our lives and we are especially grateful for the freedoms given to us in this land. Let us be intentionally aware of all we have been provided, and enable us to be generous in sharing and in serving. We pray this week for all who are charged with responsibility for maintaining this country, asking that you grant them wisdom, discernment and a desire to do what is right according to your call to each one of us individually and as a nation.

Amen.