Messenger is here!

November 7, 2026

A note to our readers: You may have noticed that this week’s Messenger is being sent a few days later than normal. Please accept our apologies for the production delay. We’ll be back on our normal schedule next Wednesday.

This week's release at a glance:

• Pastor’s Message
• Medical Care in a Social World
• Restaurant Day and Night
• Picnic Table Build
• Gift Cards for SPAN
• Holiday Fun Raffle & Silent Auction
• Holiday Bazaar Baked Goods
• Calling All Artists
• The Carols of Christmas
• Improbable Gratitude Study
  

Pastor's Message

This Sunday, during the 9:30AM Traditional service, we will be ordaining an Elder and a Deacon and installing the two of them to terms of service on the Session and the Board of Deacons. We also will be installing a Deacon who is already ordained to a term of service. This seemed like a good occasion for a reminder about ordination and installation in the Presbyterian Church.

First, ordination in the Presbyterian Church is to service, not to status; people who are ordained are not any more important or holy or powerful than anybody else in the life of the church, they have simply been called to serve to particular service because of their gifts, skills, and personal ministries. The reason we ordain people to certain offices is because, without those offices doing what they do, the Church can’t effectively be the Church. Deacons are ordained to a ministry of compassion and care because, if we are not serving those who are sick, poor, lonely, or grieving, we are not fulfilling one of the basic callings of the Church. Elders are ordained to a ministry of governance and discipline because, if our leaders are not discerning what God is calling us to do as our congregational mission and ministry, we are not functioning as a church of followers of Jesus Christ. And Ministers of Word and Sacrament are ordained to their ministry because if God’s Word is not being preached and the Sacraments are not being administered, then we are not functioning as a church living according to God’s Word and in the power of God’s Spirit.

Second, ordination is for life, and it is in the whole Church, not just the congregation of Woods. So, once you are ordained, you remain an Elder or Deacon until you die. That’s because God’s gifts and calling never expire; the only thing that changes is how we engage them. What expires is a particular term in office (usually three years at a time). So you can be installed multiple times, but even when your term expires, you are still called to live out your ordination vows in ministry within the congregation, even though you aren’t currently serving on the Session or the Board of Deacons. We install people to terms rather than for life so that leadership can be shared more widely and does not become a burden to a small group of people, and so that new perspectives and ideas can be constantly part of the Session and Board of Deacons, ensuring that we do not start taking our work for granted, or assuming that what has always worked in the past will always work in the future.

Finally, the Congregational Nominating Committee is already at work soliciting names for nomination in the spring, to be ordained and/or installed in June 2027. If you know someone whom you feel may be called to serve as an Elder, Deacon, or Trustee, or if you feel that you yourself may be called to do so, please let the Nominating Committee know by emailing them at Nominating@WoodsChurch.org or filling out one of the Nomination Forms at the Welcome Desk or in the Church Office.

Peace and blessings,

—Pastor JC

Church News

Medical Care in a Social World: You, Me and the Influencers

The Severna Park Community Center is hosting a FREE community discussion on Thursday, November 12, 5–6PM, led by Dr. Barry Meisenberg, Chair, Department of Medicine and Executive Medical Director, Cancer Services at Luminis Health. The conversation will focus on how changing access to medical information through social media and online advice changes our healthcare decisions. While the event is free, you are asked to register to reserve your spot!

Restaurant Day and Night

Need a break from cooking? In the mood for some cozy food in the cooler weather? Our Outreach and Service partner, Hope for All, is hosting a fundraiser event on Thursday, November 12, 11AM–9PM, at Brian Boru (489 Ritchie Hwy)! Select from three courses of great food, with great company, for a great cause!

Gift Cards for SPAN

Each year, SPAN collects gift cards for families to purchase Christmas presents for their children. Members from Woods are able to help by visiting the Outreach and Service Outpost to find a family to help sponsor this Christmas Season. You can visit Fellowship Hall on Sundays, November 15, 22, & 29 to select a wish list. Gift cards are due back to Fellowship hall by December 9.

Questions? Please reach out to Julie VanHassent at djvanhassent@comcast.net!

Picnic Table Build

Our Annual Picnic Table Build will be held on Saturday, November 14, and all members of Woods and the community are welcome to come help build with us. The tables will be donated to Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake, sold at the Holiday Bazaar to support our mission partners, and taken on the WoodsWork Mission trip to be donated to the new Habitat homeowners.

Work will take place in the parking area next to the garage storage units and the WoodsWork shed. No skill level required and all tools will be provided! Everyone is welcome! All work will be performed from 9AM–3PM. You may come at any time to help and you can leave when you need to. Liability Forms are required and are available at the beginning of the build. All volunteers must wear work boots or closed toe shoes. Lunch will be provided.

Any youth younger than 6th grade must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Questions? Contact Oliver Page at opage@woodschurch.org or Scott Wiley at wilecoy2us@gmail.com.

Holiday Fun Raffle & Silent Auction

Stop by the raffle table in Fellowship Hall while at the Holiday Bazaar to purchase your raffle tickets! Tickets are $1 each or 6 for $5. The raffle basket is filled with baked goods, games, decorations, jewelry, books, and other surprises. The winner will be announced at the Bazaar, but you do not need to be present to win. The Silent Auction in Fellowship Hall will feature fun themed gift baskets, such as Family Game Night or Taco Tuesday, paired with local gift cards. All winners will be announced at noon on November 21.

Holiday Bazaar Baked Goods

Calling all bakers! Bring your pies, cakes, brownies, cookies, cupcakes, and other treats to be sold at the Baked Goods table at the Holiday Bazaar. Contributions can be droped off on Friday, November 20, or Early Saturday morning. Mark your calendars and bring your children, your neighbors, and yourself for a day of shopping and socializing. As a reminder, 100% of the proceeds from the Bazaar support mission activities of our church.

Holiday Nut Orders

Fall has arrived, and it’s time to place your holiday nut orders! Don’t miss out on your seasonal favorites. You can download the order form at woodschurch.org or pick one up at the Welcome Desk. Return your completed form to Woods Church by mail or drop it off at the Office with your check made out to Woods Church (note “Nut Order” on the memo line).

If you have any questions, please contact Kay Mitchell at 410.757.7103.

The Carols of Christmas: A Contemplative Christmas Concert with Harp, Choir, and Soloists

Join us on Friday & Saturday, December 4 & 5, 7PM, for our annual Christmas concert, The Carols of Christmas. Through the angelic sounds of the harp—and the light of flickering candles—this concert is about reflection and finding peace. Accompanied only by the harp, we will spend an hour bringing beloved carols to life, through harp solos, vocal duets, and choral anthems, including our main piece, A Ceremony of Carols by Benjamin Britten.

We kindly ask that you register for this FREE concert at www.wooodstix.org. For questions, please email David Merrill at dmerrill@woodschurch.org.

Calling All Artists

The Gallery at Woods is having their Annual Advent and Christmas Exhibit on Monday, November 23. Register your artwork for this exhibit (deadline November 18) by providing your name, art title, and contact information to Jenny Henry, jennyhenry1188@comcast.net or Pam Ward, pward@woodschurch.org.

Your artwork must be framed and ready to hang (wire on back), there is a three-piece limit. Artwork will be dropped off in the office conference room from November 18–20, 9AM–4PM.

In-Home Gatherings with Pastor Ashley

A number of people are hosting small groups of people in their homes to meet for conversation with Pastor Ashley so that she and we can get to know each other better. If you are interested in attending one, please email apnc@woodschurch.org or call the Church Office at 410.647.2550 and we'll connect you with a gathering that works for your schedule.

Education & Small Groups

Improbable Gratitude Study

Join us for our new Adult Formation Bible Study, "Improbable Gratitude," on Sundays, November 8–22, 11AM. Sometimes it seems difficult, if not altogether unlikely, to see how gratitude might emerge from difficulty. Looking at the example of how early missionaries spread the good news about Jesus, we will see how their difficulties gave way to gratitude. The focal texts will be Acts 16 and Paul's letter to the Philippians. Hopefully, we can find our way to thanksgiving by Thanksgiving.

We will meet in Room 208 and on Zoom.

Weekly Bible Study

Lead Pastor JC Austin and our Associate Pastor Ashley Brown 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.



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.

Lost & Found

Eyeglasses, water bottles, and keys are some of the items regularly turned in to the Church Office. If you’ve misplaced something, please check the Lost & Found located in the sliding cabinets under the staff mailboxes. Volunteers clean out the collection at the end of each season and donate what remains.

Have faith that you and your objects will be reunited!