Messenger | June 7, 2023

This week's release at a glance:

Pastor’s Message

"Into the Words" Podcast

Spring Concert

Woods Zoom Meeting

Summer Worship Schedule

Youth Summer Gatherings

VBS Updates & Volunteers

Help Wanted for Our Children's Music Program

We're Looking for a New Youth Director

Pastor's Message

Dear friends and family of Woods Church,

In many ways, the month of June is a month of transitions. During these days families transition from school schedules to summer schedules. Work routines get adjusted as vacation days affect office staffing patterns and travel plans. Basketball and hockey seasons culminate in championship games, while baseball races start to get interesting.

Woods is also in a season of transition. On June 18, we will shift to our summer worship schedule with a single, typically blended service at 9:30AM. Our fiscal year draws to a close, so it is a great time to make sure you are caught up with your current year pledge. Elders and deacons retiring from active service will be celebrated at next week's joint meeting, while incoming church officers will be installed during worship on June 18. Also, another group of WoodsWork volunteers will head off to Hartsville, South Carolina, on June 22, continuing a strong legacy of Christian service for our church.

Last Sunday's congregational meeting included the election of our seven-person Pastor Nominating Committee. They already have one meeting under their belts with another coming up soon, and their first task will be to complete the church document describing our hopes for the incoming pastoral leadership. Keep them in your prayers as they begin this important work.

If you reflect on your life, it is almost always in transition to some degree. That is why our faith is considered a foundation, a "house built on stone" instead of on shifting sands. It gives us a steady point of reference as we navigate the changes happening all around us. It reminds us that Christ is with us always, in every season and circumstance. Stay close to God as you go through the coming days and be of good cheer!

Peace in Christ,

Pastor Randy

Church News

“Into the Words” Podcast

Our Into the Words podcast series with Pastor Randy has concluded. If you missed or would like to revisit an episode, click the button below to see the full playlist.

Spring Concert: Many Gifts, One Spirit

Join us for our end-of-the-year Spring Concert, Many Gifts, One Spirt, on Friday, June 9, 7PM! This concert will include the Adult Choir, Praise Team, SEEK Band, Children’s Choir, Dancers, and Soloists from past musical productions and concerts.

This concert is FREE with a love donation. For more information please reach out to David Merrill at dmerrill@woodschurch.org.

Woods Zoom Meeting

Woods members in their 30s & 40s, we want to hear from you! Two Zoom meetings are planned to check in with this vital segment of our congregation and learn more about your hopes for our church. Join us on either:

Sunday, June 11, 7PM.

ID: 876 2229 0479 | Passcode: 410900

Tuesday, June 13, 5:30PM

ID: 824 4085 0747 | Passcode: 099904

Finance Update

June is the last month in our fiscal year, an important time to complete any annual pledge commitments.

If you have questions about your giving status or want to submit a pledge for the 2023–2024 fiscal year, call the church office or email our Finance Coordinator Ada Sell.

Also, any funds donated to our Special Offering for June go to support our church's Flower Ministry.

Summer Worship Schedule Begins June 18

We will move to our summer worship schedule on Sunday, June 18, with only one service at 9:30AM on Sunday mornings. These summer services will have a blend of traditional, contemporary, and special music offerings with some opportunities for "post-worship sermon conversations" in Fellowship Hall afterwards.

On Sunday, June 18, we will ordain and install our incoming church officers and commission our 2023 WoodsWork participants. Following worship, we will honor Pastor Nancy Lincoln Reynolds for her 40 years of ordination, as well as the 20 years she has been a pastor at Woods Church and director and therapist at the Woods Counseling & Care Center. She has richly blessed us with her deep faith and ministry of care and compassion. All are invited to Fellowship Hall at 10:30AM for refreshments and to express our gratitude to Pastor Nancy.

Ministry Announcements

Youth Summer Gatherings

Our Youth Group will check in bi-weekly at Rita's Italian Ice beginning on Wednesday, June 7, 5–6PM. Stop by for a free Rita's ice!

VBS Volunteers Can BEE Difference Makers

Come make a difference in the faith of a child! We have storytellers, game leaders, musicians, and art leaders. What we need is YOU.

• Are you able to help decorate sometime on Monday, June 26, 9AM–3PM?
• Can you help set up before VBS one day during the week at 1PM?
• Would you welcome children and their family to Woods one day during the week at 4PM?
• Might you want to say "goodbye" to the children as they leave with their family members by handing out popsicles on evening at 7PM?
• Will you walk through two hours of fun and faith with a group of children?

VBS is a Baptismal Vow moment where we live out our promises which are part of the Baptismal Charge during infant baptism. We pray for the children, teach them the Christian faith, love and nurture their families, and live out the call to Christian discipleship.

VBS Supper Club

VBS—it’s what’s for dinner! Join your church family for dinner June 26–29, 6:15–7PM. You will get to see the "day's doings" from VBS. Please sign up for dinner with Kat or Frances in Fellowship Hall on Sunday. Let us be called children of God!

Continue the Conversation at Home

Families, don't let the discussion stop on Sunday. Children's Ministry is now providing you with "Continue the Conversation at Home" resources. One of the ministry members will share a book, a question, an activity, or a suggestion to explore with your child(ren).

This week's resource is Maybe God Is Like That, Too by Jennifer Grant. The church school resource room has two copies. Can we lend you one so you can continue the conversation about being made in the image of God?

Lookout for a Summer Newsletter for friends and families of/with children. It should be in your mailbox on Thursday. If you do not receive it, and would like to, please contact the church office.

Friends, Romans, & Countrypersons...

Lend me your...sneakers?

VBS prep is really heating up. In preparation, we need to make a video of an energizer (movement to music) to Patti LaBelle's New Attitude to use in the VBS daily opening. However, for our purposes, it will be "A New BEE-Attitude."

Can you help? If so, wear your best retro workout attire this Sunday, June 11, or bring it to change into. You also could wear a uniform if you wish. Miss Kat will be rocking knee high athletic socks, tennis shoes, and shorts with a T-shirt—and probably a sweatband or two.

We will record during 11AM Sunday School. It's going to rock your socks off!

Help Wanted for Our Children's Music Program

If you appreciate our children's music program at Woods, here is how you can help. We're looking for two volunteers to work in conjunction with Music Director David Merrill. We are seeking a Children's Choir Director and a Children's Choir Coordinator, who together would give leadership and structure to this music ministry. Or, if you are good at the alphabet, we also need a volunteer Music Librarian to help keep our musical scores in order. To learn more, speak with David Merrill or email dmerrill@woodschurch.org.

We're Looking for a New Youth Director

The primary responsibility of the Director of Youth Ministry is to direct, train and recruit a team of youth leadership and adult volunteers to serve the spiritual needs of young people (grades 6–12) and their families by creating an environment where youth, their families, and their adult leaders can engage in life-long Christian growth and discipleship. The Director of Youth Ministry will plan for and provide for a robust program of Christian Formation for youth and their families.

Send resumes to clerkofsession@woodschurch.org.

Upcoming Events

Reception for Mission Co-Worker

You're invited to a dessert "Meet and Greet" for PC(USA) Mission co-worker Betsey Moe and her husband. It will be hosted at Ark and Dove Presbyterian Church (8424 Piney Orchard Pkwy, Odenton) on Wednesday, June 14, 6PM. It will include a presentation by Betsey to thank all the Bay Area Presbyterian supporters of her mission work. She is the PCUSA Mission co-worker in Guatemala and our liaison with CEDEPCA.

Also, thank you Woods Church for the generous donation of yarn collected for the Guatemala Church, which was received in March for their prayer shawl ministry.

In Our Community

Coed Softball

Our next game will be on Sunday, June 11, 2PM, against College Parkway Baptist at Cypress #2.

No experience required! Players must be at least 16 years of age by December 31, 2022. Play as your schedule permits

If you are interested, contact Andrew Wiley at 443.867.8803 or wileyas1@gmail.com.

Church Family News

Congratulations, Yasan

Hooray! Yasan Kdisaat has graduated from high school! The Missions Ministry thanks the Woods congregation once again for our early support and sponsorship of the Kdisaat family, and also each person who volunteered over the first two years or more. Sue Bohlman has continued to tutor and nurture Yasan to get him to graduation. Thank you everyone!

Recognizing Erin Ward

Congratulations to Erin Ward who is a member of the Children's Ministry team at Woods. She was recently honored as the BAYADA National Hero 2023 for her work as a speech therapist. Last Sunday, we heard about how humans are made in the image of God. Watch the video below to see Erin's real-life impact and a glimpse at how God works in the world. She is certainly an illustration of being made in the image of God.

Death Notice

It is with sadness that we inform you of the death of Woods member Nana Whalen.

Nana has been a member of Woods Church since 2018 and could always be found on Sundays greeting everyone at the Welcome desk.

A Service of Witness to the Resurrection will be held this Friday, June 9, 1PM, in the sanctuary. A reception will follow.

 Please keep Nana's family and friends in your prayers.

Congregational Prayer

We celebrate, O God, how your Spirit descended upon all people on Pentecost. Your love amazes us. Unlike human love, it shows no partiality. Your eye watches over people of all languages and lands. Your help extends to sinners and saints alike. Your face shines on us even when we stray from you. Your ear hears the whispered prayers of our hearts better than do our own.

 As a small part of your church, we pray for each other and your church universal. Bless all who are in need today. Heal the sick, comfort those who grieve, calm the anxious, walk beside those who are alone. Let us be your witnesses to the ends of the earth, through Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Amen.

Adapted from "Reformed Prayers for Christian Worship" (2002).