Messenger | May 24, 2023

This week's release at a glance:

Pastor’s Message

Congregational Meeting Called

Support the Pentecost Offering

Into the Words: Christian Wiman

Memorial Day

VBS Updates & Volunteers

Spring Concert

Pastor's Message

Dear friends and family of Woods Church,

This Messenger contains exciting news about an upcoming Congregational Meeting in which you will be asked to elect a Pastor Nominating Committee to call the next Woods Head of Staff. This is an important step forward as we discern God's leading into the new chapter at our church.

As part of this discerning process, it is also good to remind ourselves of some of the priorities that should shape our actions going forward. First, in our recent CAT survey, you emphasized the following four goals that merit attention in the coming months.

1. Have a strategy to welcome and incorporate new people into the church.
2. Attract families with children and youth to the church.
3. Create opportunities for people to form meaningful relationships at church.
4. Strengthen and support the staff so their work can be effective and celebrated.

In addition, we are an intentional Matthew 25 PC(USA) congregation. This means we prioritize the following three goals.

1. Build congregational vitality.
2. Eradicate systemic poverty.
3. Dismantle structural racism.

Our ministry and council meetings almost always include a moment to reflect on how we are living into these important evangelism & social justice goals.

As a point of comparison, Baltimore Presbytery recently adopted a Strategic Plan designed to promote justice, practice inclusivity, and prioritize the thriving of churches and leaders in our region. Among the stated goals are supporting strong, sustainable congregations; be an inclusive organization where all have voice and access; and providing pastors with resources for spiritual, mental, and emotional health.

Staying focused on what matters is important in our daily walk as well as our church's spiritual walk. Think about the ways Woods Church can better live into its own goals and its Matthew 25 commitments. Drop me an email to share your thoughts. And blessings to you for Pentecost Sunday as well as the summer season ahead!

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Randy

Church News

Congregational Meeting Called

The Session has called a Congregational Meeting for Sunday, June 4, to follow after each of the two worship services that day. The three items on the agenda are to elect a Deacon nominee to the Board of Deacons, to elect the 2023–2024 Congregation Nominating Committee, and to elect a Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC) to call the next Head of Staff at Woods Church.

Click the button below to read a short biography of each PNC nominee. Once the PNC is elected, continue to keep them in your prayers as they will work diligently in the coming months discerning God's guidance as they seek new pastoral leadership for the next chapter in our common ministry.

Support the Pentecost Offering

The Pentecost Offering connects us with children, youth, and young adults—each with gifts to share—and offers them opportunities to build a solid foundation of faith to last a lifetime.

This is one of the four PC(USA) Special Offerings supported by Woods Church.

Click the button below to contribute online. Checks can be made out to Woods Church with "Pentecost" in the memo line. Thank you for supporting this important initiative.

“Into the Words” Mini-Podcast

On this week's episode of Into the Words, Pastor Randy discusses Carlo Rovelli's The Order of Time. Click the button below to watch previous episodes.

Memorial Day Remembrance

Monday, May 28, is Memorial Day! As always, we will remember those who have died while serving in the U.S. military by having a Memorial Day board outside the sanctuary in the narthex. Please place the name of anyone you would like to honor on the board. (Cards will be provided).



Closed on Memorial Day

The Church office will be closed on Memorial Day, Monday, May 29.

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.

Ministry Announcements

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.

Join the VBS hive for dinner in Fellowship Hall, June 26, 27, 28 & 29, 6:15–7PM. Sign up at the VBS table in Fellowship Hall following services on Sundays, May 28–June 25. Bring your inner child and sense of fun to hear a life-size Bible story and sing fun Bible songs!

For more information contact Frances Carty or Kat Green at 410.647.2550.

Upcoming Events

In Our Community

Coed Softball

There will be no game over Memorial Day weekend. Our next game will be on Sunday, June 4, 2PM, against SP United Methodist at Elvaton #1.



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

Prayer Requests: How can We Pray for You?

Prayer requests can be submitted from any of these available prayer offerings:

Welcome Desk – Write your prayer request on the index card and place it in the box.

Woods Website – Visit www.woodschurch.org, click “About Woods” and then “Pastoral Care and Services” submit prayer request button is there.

Sunday Fellowship Pad

Call the church office and ask to speak to Maureen Adams, admin for pastoral care.

Submit an email to the prayer tree at prayertree@woodschurch.org This type of prayer will be distributed to a dedicated group of prayer warriors.

Here are the prayer types and it’s important to indicate what applies to your specific prayer needs:

Prayer Tree – Your request goes to a dedicated group of members who we call our prayer warriors. They pray for 2 weeks unless otherwise indicated.

Public Prayers – These appear on the printed Sunday prayer list and if for members, their names are prayed out loud. If you are requesting prayers for another member, we will need to reach out for their permission. If you'd like prayers for family or friends that are not members, their names will appear on the back of the printed prayers under Family and Friends of Woods.

Private Prayers – You will be prayed for during our weekly staff meetings.

CEO – Confidential for Pastor Prayers only.

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).