Messenger | May 31, 2023

This week's release at a glance:

Pastor’s Message

Congregational Meeting

Into the Words: Annie Dillard

Spring Concert

Summer Worship Schedule

VBS Updates & Volunteers

WoodsWork Car Wash

Prayer Requests

Pastor's Message

Dear friends and family of Woods Church,

There's a lovely verse tucked inside Psalm 31 that says "My times are in your hand" (vs. 15). It is a comforting image—this idea that the entirety of our lifetimes are being gently held in God's hands. I imagine two hands cupped together as if holding a monarch butterfly or a baby chick. Or perhaps a hand holding our hand as we walk together to a new place.

Having said that, if this promise is true for us, then it is also a promise God has honored for those who've gone before us and will honor for those who'll come after us. God's providential care can't be limited to my short span of years. It must be a much longer covenant, stretching back to humanity's earliest years and stretching forward into futures yet unseen.

During the upcoming days, take time to think about "time." It is a precious commodity with only a limited amount given to each of us. Thoreau once remarked that it is impossible to 'kill time without injuring eternity' and Annie Dillard wisely commented that "how we spend our days is of course how we spend our lives." This doesn't mean that every day must be filled to the brim with activities and accomplishments. But hopefully there are times each day when we pause long enough to realize what a blessing it is to be alive, to have connections with others, to walk over the face of this beautiful earth, and to be held lovingly in God's hands.

And take time to gather for worship! Praising God together as the body of Christ is surely one of the best ways to remember whose hands hold us all our days.

With thanksgiving,

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.

“Into the Words” Mini-Podcast

On this week's episode of Into the Words, Pastor Randy discusses two works by author Annie Dillard, titled Pilgrim at Tinker Creek and Teaching a Stone to Talk.

Summer Worship Schedule Begins June 18

On June 18, we will move to our summer worship schedule 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. Join us on Sunday, June 18, as we ordain and install our incoming church officers as well as commission our 2023 WoodsWork participants.



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.

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.

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!

Upcoming Events

WoodsWork Car Wash

Get a clean car and support a good cause! Stop by the Woods Church parking lot on Saturday, June 3, 9AM–2PM. Youth will wash your car and you make a donation toward their WoodsWork Mission Trip to Hartsville, South Carolina, later this month.

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 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.

Memorial Day Remembrance

Thank you to all who contributed to our Memorial Day Remembrance bulletin board last Sunday. And join us in remembering all those who have fallen while serving in the U.S. military.

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).