Messenger | May 7, 2026
Messenger is here!
May 7, 2026
This week's release at a glance:
- Pastor’s Message
- Dinner Church
- Anne Arundel Connecting Together Candidate Forum
- HOPE For All Pillow Collection
- Spring Senior Dinner
- WCDC Placements
- A Night on Broadway
- A Tapestry of Music Spring Concert
- Open Dance Classes
- High School Bible Study
- Summer Activities for Kids
- Tech Volunteers Needed
- Lost & Found
Pastor's Message
This Sunday is important for two reasons. First, it is our Stewardship Dedication Sunday here at Woods! We will be dedicating our pledges to support the mission of Woods Church in 2026–2027; the Session has an ambitious ministry plan for this coming year, and your support through your giving, your prayers, and your participation are essential for us to answer the call that we believe God is giving us. You should have received a pledge card in the mail if you are a member of the church, but you can also pledge online at www.woodschurch.org, or you can simply come to church on Sunday, where we will have cards with which you can submit your pledge when you come forward in either worship service to dedicate it.
Second, this Sunday is Mother’s Day in the United States; it is not a church holiday, of course, but it is a significant cultural moment, and I want to say a couple of things about that before Sunday. Many families are planning special celebrations for the mothers in their lives. And it is wonderful and important to take time to celebrate the mothers in our lives who have given so much of their time and energy and love to ensure the health and well-being of their children. We give thanks for their dedication, their love, their strength and tenacity and sacrifice, and their grace in raising us.
At the same time, precisely because of all that attention and celebration, Mother’s Day is also a complicated and even difficult day for many people. For some, it is a day when grief makes a special and pronounced visit, as they remember their mother or the mother of their children who has died. For others, it is a day of particular pain, because they are children estranged from their mothers, or mothers estranged from their children, or because they have wanted so badly to become a mother and have been unable to do so for various reasons, or because they are the mother of a child who has died. I have talked to many people who actually avoid coming to church on Mother’s Day for some of those very reasons. So this Sunday, in the Prayers of the People, we will have moments for those who are celebrating and for those who are in pain, because it is important for us as a community to honor both those dimensions of Mother’s Day that our neighbors are experiencing, and to be a community of love and support in all those circumstances and more.
Peace and blessings,
—Pastor JC
Church News
Dinner Church
On Monday, May 11, we will offer our Dinner Church experience in Fellowship Hall! There will be a gathering time starting at 5PM; Dinner Worship itself begins at 5:30PM and concludes around 6:30PM. This will be a family-friendly, multi-generational time of food and worship in a comfortable, casual setting. We will gather around tables, and dinner will be integrated into the service itself—which will include singing, prayer, a pastor's message, and an interactive reflection time. Come share in good worship, good food, and good community!
Celebrate America’s 250th at Our Spring Senior Dinner
The Deacons of Woods Church invite all who are 70 years and older to a Spring Fellowship Dinner on Friday, May 15, 5:30–7:30PM, in Fellowship Hall, as we celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday! Entertainment will be provided by Woods’ own Myra Dennis and Geoff Wood as members of the First Maryland Regiment 18th Century Living History organization.
Come to see and learn about life during the 18th century while enjoying great food and fellowship. Patriotic attire is encouraged!
Please RSVP by emailing madams@woodschurch.org or by calling 410.647.2550.
HOPE For All Pillow Collection
Furniture poverty is a hidden crisis! HOPE For All, through its Turning Houses into Homes program provides furniture and basic household items to Anne Arundel County residents in need to help create healthy homes. Requests for pillows are expected to exceed 1,000 this year!
As long-time supporters of this wonderful local ministry, Woods is hoping to help by collecting new standard size pillows from Sundays through May 17.
Please drop off new, plastic-wrapped, standard-size pillows in the big blue bin in the Church Lobby. Let's help everyone get a healthy night's rest! Questions? Contact Pam Blumenthal at mblumenthal1941@gmail.com.
Anne Arundel Connecting Together Candidate Forum
Mark your calendars for May 21! ACT (Anne Arundel Connecting Together) has asked that Woods members be invited to the Candidate Forum on Thursday, May 21, 7–8:30PM, at Asbury Methodist Church, 87 West Street, Annapolis. It is our opportunity to hold candidates to their promises for making Anne Arundel County a better place to live for all. Come and show the candidates how important it is to you to get the right candidates into office in this year’s elections.
If you have questions or to confirm your attendance, please contact Beth Hadley, Julia Erickson, or Joan Tiernan. Click here to download a flyer.
WCDC Placements
Woods Child Development Center has Tuesday & Thursday placements in the Part Day 2, Part Day 4, and Full Day 4 year old programs. Contact us to schedule a tour or to get more information. Join us as we explore our world with wonder and whimsy.
For more information, please email Roxann Bartone at rbartone@woodscdc.org.
A Night on Broadway
Join us Saturday, May 23, 5:30PM, for an exciting evening of music and fine dining! Over a delicious Italian dinner, we will enjoy performances by local, talented musical theaters singers: sopranos Sarah Kent and Jenna Augustine; and tenors Dillon McCarrick, Lucas White, and David Merrill. Together, they will serenade us with popular musical theater songs, and classical favorites. And this year, special guest appearances by local musical theater dancers: Matthew Walter, Brayden McDowell, Summer Moore, Jacob Hahn, and Meridian Toalepai.
Dinner Menu: Pasta, salad, New York cheesecake. (catered from local Squisito Pizza and Pasta). Gluten-free options will be available.
- Doors open at 5:30PM
- Dinner begins at 6PM
- Performance starts at 6:30PM
Tickets are $30 and can be purchased at www.woodstix.org. For questions, please email Pam Ward at pward@woodschurch.org.
A Tapestry of Music Spring Concert
Join us for our spring concert, A Tapestry of Music, featuring American composers and the greats that influenced them on Saturday, June 6, 7PM.
Come and hear music by Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein, John Williams, J.S. Bach, L. Beethoven, J. Brahms and more—it’s a concert truly interwoven through time! Performers include the Woods Church Adult Choir, Elysian Dancers, vocal and instrumental soloists, and a special piano solo by Jung-hoon Park.
The concert is free, but a ticket is required. Please register at www.woodstix.org. For additional information or questions, email David Merrill at dmerrill@woodschurch.org.
Open Dance Classes
Join our Worship Ministry for a series of free dance classes this spring! Professional teachers are offering a variety of dance styles, including jazz, musical theater, contemporary, tap, yoga, and more!
Classes are open to anyone ages 12 and up in and outside the Woods community. All experience levels are welcome, though classes are taught at an intermediate level with options for beginners and advanced students.
Our first class is on Sunday, April 12, 2–3:15PM,in Fellowship Hall. Please note that there is no dance class on April 19.
For more information, please email Alyssa Barlis at alyssabarlis@gmail.com.
Support Our Bagel Ministry
Looking for a way to honor, celebrate and/or remember a family member, friend, or special event? Consider sponsoring bagels following our worship services on Sunday mornings! The cost is $100.
For more information, contact Kathie Hamlett at khamlett@woodschurch.org.
Youth News
Children's News
Summer Day Camps for Kids
This year, Woods will be offering more than one camp. You will select which camps your child(ren) would like to attend from the additional items selection. Please remember to print out the the attached below form(s) for the camp(s) you will be attending.
Register online and keep reading for more information on the programs that are available.
Art & the Bible
I Am Who I Am: God in Scripture and the Arts
From Monday–Friday June 6–10, children in K–grade 5 will participate in an innovative approach to Bible study to explore biblical images and names of God through the Bible, paired with their creativity and artistic expression. An Art Reception will take place Friday at 2:30PM, sharing the children's work with their friends and family.
The week-long day camp will include two snacks; participants will bring their own lunch. Water will be provided. The cost is $425/child. Scholarships are available. Registration is limited.
Questions? Please contact our Children's Ministry at children@woodschurch.org.
The program was developed by the Center for Excellence in Christian Education, Union Presbyterian Seminary.
Vacation Bible Study Day Camp
Be Strong and Courageous | Joshua 1:9
This year’s VBS program will take place Monday–Friday, July 13–17. Children in grades K–grade 5 will learn how God helps us to be strong and courageous. How does God encourage us? How is God with us? We will explore the sights, sounds, feels, and joys of Joshua 1:9 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” What does this look like in our community, in our times?
The week-long day camp will include two snacks; participants will bring their own lunch. Water will be provided. The cost is $425/child. Scholarships are available. Registration is limited.
Questions? Please contact our Children's Ministry at children@woodschurch.org.
The program was developed by Kat Green, national spokesperson for children and Biblical Literacy and Director of Children's Ministry at Woods Church.
VBS Express
During VBS week, kids 2 years old through grade 5 are welcome to join us at VBS Express from 4–6 pm. It’ll be all aboard to travel through Bible stories with songs, movement, art, and fun! You’ve got wings!
The cost is $50/child with a $100 family max. VBS Day Camp registration includes participation in VBS Express. No meal will be served, but a snack will be provided to all participants.
Education & Small Groups
Weekly Bible Study
Lead Pastor JC Austin and our Interim Pastoral Associate Sarah Wilson offer a weekly Bible Study on Wednesdays, 11AM, to examine the upcoming Sunday’s scripture readings before they are presented in worship.
Join us on Zoom and gain a new understanding of scripture and enhance your worship experience.
Church Family News
Tech Volunteers Needed
Easy to learn! We’re currently looking for volunteers to help with running slides and cameras during our worship services. This would be a great opportunity to support our church behind the scenes and/or pick up a new skill or two!
If you’re interested in helping or have any questions, email Eric Willner at ewillner@woodschurch.org.
Lost & Found
Please check the Church Office’s Lost & Found for items that you are missing. Items will sit on the counter for one week and then will be housed in the sliding cabinet under the staff mailboxes. The collection will be donated at the turn of the next season, so please check the cabinet if you are missing something!
Water bottles, jewelry, and eyeglasses often turn up—have faith!
