From kkovacs at catonsvillepresb.org Tue Mar 3 19:09:10 2009 From: kkovacs at catonsvillepresb.org (Kenneth Kovacs) Date: Tue, 3 Mar 2009 19:09:10 -0500 Subject: [Members-and-Friends] TidingsMarch3, 2009.doc Is Your Congregation Communicating Its Faith Identity? Message-ID: <000301c99c5d$71c9c530$555d4f90$@org> ?? March 3?, 2009 Is Your Congregation Communicating Its Faith Identity? For decades congregational leaders have made decisions?both consciously and unconsciously?about identity and values and how they are communicated. Everything about a congregation communicates identity: its photos, bulletin, newsletter, website, worship style, preaching, ministries, mission activities ? and, even physical space. Clearly conveying your congregation?s faith identity and values will help it connect to the community around it, as well as, have a deep impact on the congregation itself. The six myths below describe some underlying communication issues for congregations. Myth 1: We?ve got a mission statement, so we?ve figured out who we are. Mission statements can help congregations express who they are and what they care about. However, some members are tempted to believe that once a mission statement is in place, the congregation can get on with doing ministry. Congregations revise their mission from time to time so they must also evaluate their communi-cation message to ensure that it reflects current values and identity. Myth 2: Our identity is rooted in our faith. Some are tempted to believe that their traditional faith values determine their congregation?s identity ? so, once formed, there is no need to reevaluate. But there are specific gifts of service inherent in every faith tradition. One congregation might have a strong commitment to justice, another to community outreach and yet another to youth ministry. Congregations must periodically evaluate their gifts and how best to communicate their use. Myth 3: We already use new communi-cation technology well enough. Some congregations offer podcast, stream video sermons on websites or have wonderfully progressive audio/visual ministries. But that doesn?t mean they are communicating wisely. New communication technology can distort a congregation?s faith identity just as easily as it was meant to convey it. Myth 4: We avoid the new technologies because we?re leery of the consumer culture, and we don?t want our faith to become a consumer item. Some people shop for a congregation; while some congregations are portrayed as selling a ?message of faith?. What congregations communicate about their values shapes how members act upon their faith. It is important to determine which form of communication best conveys faith identity. Myth 5: Congregation values and identity are best communicated through words i.e., sermons, newsletters and website. Although much of Christian tradition emphasizes words over images, our society is moving steadily toward an image-based culture. Congregations should refine how they are visually depicted in all modes of communication, including physical space. Myth 6: If your heart is in the right place, communication takes care of itself. The single most important thing for congregations is to worship and follow God in a way that engages hearts and minds. However, a vibrant faith does not ensure effective communication and many congregations can benefit from reviewing not only ?what? but ?how? they communicate values and faith identity. Adapted from Reaching Out in a Networking World: Expressing Your Congregations Heart & Soul, L. Baab Inside this Issue Take Note/Act Now ? Planned Giving Seminar ? Clergy Retreat ? Educator?s Luncheon ? Youth Leader Retreat ? Towson Music & Meditation ? Govans Dinner & Film ? Big Tent ? Death Penalty ? Spring Clergy Retreat ? Lay Ministry Training ? Hope Vacancy Presbytery Meetings Stated Meetings [correction] Saturday, Mar. 28 at 10am Towson Presbyterian Church Council Meeting Mar. 10 at 7pm Vision Meeting Mar. 10 at 5pm Committee Meeting Mar. 3rd (1st Tues. of the month) LIFE IN TODAYS CHURCHES ?Pastor, every week you ask us to pray for the shut-ins. Why doesn?t someone just let them out? Contact Information The Presbytery of Baltimore: Phone: 410-433-2012 or 800-511-0087 Office E-mail: office at baltimorepresbytery.org Website: www.baltimorepresbytery.org To subscribe/unsubscribe: Call 410.433.2012 or email Roger Evans Also on the Presbytery of Baltimore website Find past issues of Tidings at: Tidings Archives See new Church Announcements at: http://www.baltimorepresbytery. org/announcements.html Take Note/Act Now Presbytery of Baltimore LIMITED SEATING. SIGN UP NOW!!! The Presbytery will host a Planned Giving Seminar featuring guest speaker, Karl Mattison of the Presbyterian Foundation from 10am to noon on Saturday, Mar. 7th at its Baltimore office. To register, email rturberville at baltimorepresbytery.org. Does Your Soul Need Restoring? Register for a Spiritual Retreat sponsored by Clergy Care of the Presbytery of Baltimore. The nest retreat will be held March 25th at Bon Secours Retreat Center. For details, click Clergy Retreat. Want to learn how to minister to Kids with Special Needs? Come to the Educator?s Luncheon scheduled for noon to 2pm on Monday, Mar. 9tgh at Brown Memorial Park Avenue Presbyterian Church in Baltimore. Lunch will be provided. To register, email jjohnson at baltimorepresbytery.org. Are you a youth leader running on Empty? Because we know youth ministry is EXHAUSTING, the Presbytery is sponsoring a Youth Leader Retreat from 6pm on Friday, Apr. 3rd to 4pm Saturday on Apr. 4th at The Bishop Claggett Center in Buckeystown Station, MD. For details, email jjohnson at baltimorepresbytery.org. Church Notices For everything there is a season Join Towson Presbyterian Church for Music & Meditation from 12:10pm to 12:45pm on Wednesdays during Lent. For a details schedule, click Towson Govans Presbyterian Church will host a dinner featuring a showing of the film "For The Bible Tells Me So" at 6pm on Wednesday, Mar. 11th. Discussion will follow. For details, call 410.435.9166 Synod and General Assembly Items Mark your calendar for the Big Tent event, June 11th-13th in Atlanta, GA. Experience 10 different PC(USA) partner conferences occurring concurrently with common time set aside for participants to attend workshops, worship and enjoy meals together. For details, visit www.pcusa.org/bigtent Other Items and Events A Prayer Service will be held 7pm on Sunday, Mar. 8th at the Basilica of the Assumption to seek the repeal of the death penalty in Maryland. The Presbytery advocates its support for a bill to repeal the death penalty in Maryland, which is currently under deliberation by a state Senate committee. SPRING CLERGY RETREAT: SAVE THE DATE! May 6th-7th (Wed.-Thus.) at the Bishop Claggett Center, Buckeystown, Md. Get away for learning, spiritual refreshment and fellowship. Facilitator will be the Rev. Saleem Ghubril (PCUSA), community organizer and executive director of The Pittsburgh Promise, an organization dedicated to transforming lives through holistic urban renewal. Cost is only $81. to register, email bmillen at baltimorepresbytery.org Do you feel a longing to engage in ministry but don?t quite know how to go about it? The Ecumenical Institute of Theology offers a Master?s degree in Church Ministries designed for individuals who want to serve as lay ministers and for others considering ordination. For more information, call 410.864.4200 or visit our website: www.stmarys.edu/ei. Hope Presbyterian Church needs an organist to play tradition and contemporary music. If interested, contact the church at the 410.247.4673. Peter Nord, Executive Presbyter pnord at baltimorepresbytery.org Bill Millen, Associate Executive bmillen at baltimorepresbytery.org Vaughn L. Brown Jr., Stated Clerk v brown at baltimorepresbytery.org Deb Milcarek Associate of Mission and Justice dmilcarek at baltimorepresbytery.org Jane Johnson Associate for Leadership Development, Education and Youth jjohnson at baltimorepresbytery.org Bob Turberville Director of Development rturberville at baltimorepresbytery.org Julie Erickson Director of Public Policy jerickson at baltimorepresbytery.org Judi Forrester Coordinator of Financial Services jforrester at baltimorepresbytery.org Roger Evans Coordinator of Information Services revans at baltimorepresbytery.org Wanda Morgan Coordinator of Resources wmorgan at baltimorepresbytery.org Deborah I. Greene Coordinator of Communications dgreene at baltimorepresbytery.org Questions? Comments? E-mail office at baltimorepresbytery.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... 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Name: not available Type: image/jpeg Size: 8381 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.catonsvillepresb.org/pipermail/members-and-friends/attachments/20090303/9c248729/attachment-0002.jpe From dboulton at catonsvillepresb.org Thu Mar 5 12:14:59 2009 From: dboulton at catonsvillepresb.org (Dorothy Boulton) Date: Thu, 5 Mar 2009 12:14:59 -0500 Subject: [Members-and-Friends] Sympathy to the Fromm Family Message-ID: <002201c99db5$ea4399b0$0701a8c0@asstpastor> The family and friends of Catonsville Presbyterian Church extend their sympathy to the Fromm family. Vince Fromm's father, John Fromm, died at home last week, following a long illness. A worship service will be held this Saturday, March 7th, at 10:00 am at St. Marks Catholic Church in Catonsville. Please keep Vince, Liz, Emily, and Ellen Fromm in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.catonsvillepresb.org/pipermail/members-and-friends/attachments/20090305/0b1a862f/attachment.html From kkovacs at catonsvillepresb.org Thu Mar 5 18:24:38 2009 From: kkovacs at catonsvillepresb.org (Kenneth Kovacs) Date: Thu, 5 Mar 2009 18:24:38 -0500 Subject: [Members-and-Friends] Enewsletter for Sunday, March 8, 2009 -- Daylight Saving Time begins this Sunday. Clocks ahead one hour on Saturday night. Message-ID: <006901c99de9$8dbeead0$a93cc070$@org> cid:image001.jpg at 01C91A43.AE9A5250 For the week of March 8, 2009 Worship Preview Second Sunday in Lent Sacrament of Baptism: Genevieve DaSol Bolognese ?Jesus Collapses Under the Cross,? Gustave Dor? (1832-1883) ? for there are higher things than the ego?s will, and to these one must bow.? C. G. Jung (1875-1961), Memories, Dreams, Reflections Text: Genesis 17: 1-7, 15-16 & Mark 8: 31-38 Sermon: Dare to Give Your life These verses in chapter eight, especially vv. 34-37, are the hinge upon which swings the entire Gospel of Mark. They?re right at the center of the book. They?re situated at the heart of what Mark considered the core, the crux of Jesus? message and ministry. They focus upon the meaning of the cross. Being associated with Jesus inevitably means denying oneself, taking up our own cross, and then following him. But what does this really mean for us as individuals, and as a church? Are we to read this literally? Probably not (maybe, for some). But, if not literally, then how? What does it mean to take up a cross? And how does taking up a cross (whatever it means) actually bring us to life instead of death? What good can really come of it? Can?t there be an easier way? Peter?s way is, of course, an option (8:21-33). But we know how Jesus felt about that. See you in worship, Ken Kovacs ___________________________________________________ Life in Our Community for the Week of March 8-14, 2009 Daylight Saving Time begins, Sunday, March 8. Remember to set your clocks one hour ahead on Saturday night. Lenten Practices: ?I invite you, therefore, to observe a holy Lent ? These words from the Ash Wednesday service in the Book of Common Prayer invite us to celebrate the season before Easter in a special and significant way. There are several opportunities for prayer and self-giving in our One Great Hour of Sharing materials. Additional copies of the weekly prayers, children?s calendars and Fish Banks are available in the back of the sanctuary. You may also wish to make time for study, ex: our Sunday morning and Wednesday evening Adult Education series, or for private devotions. Our denominational website, pcusa.org offers daily prayer sites, for example. We pray that these forty days (plus 6 Sundays) before Easter will be a time of exploration for you ? a time when God will create something new in your spirit, in your life. May this be a holy Lent for us all Christian Education Youth Groups: Crossroads meets Sunday night at the Fromm household, 5:30?7:30 p.m., for Movement & Munchies ? our unique way of introducing the Lenten season. Rising Stars gathers from 6?7:30 p.m. at the church for Mid-March Mayhem. It includes a bit of running around in the gym, so please wear sneakers & comfortable clothes. Second Sunday meets this Sunday. K-2nd graders will continue to worship in the library following the Children?s Message. The theme is ?Who is the Greatest?? Child care for infants ? age 5 is available in the Cribbery and Panda Rooms. Adult Education Lenten Series: All Who Believed Were Together: Finding Christ in Community ? 9:00 a.m. in the library; child care is available. March 8: The Hospitality of God: Paul the Inclusion of Gentiles. Using Paul as our guide in Romans 11-15, we?ll look at the hospitality extended to the Gentiles seeking to follow Christ and how they were incorporated into the church. March 15: Koinonia ? Fellowship at the Heart of the Christian Experience. We?ll study and discuss the profound meaning of this word, so central to early Christians. Led by Ken Kovacs March 22: The Baltimore Covenant and the Contemporary Challenge to Community. How do Christians talk together when there?s disagreement? How can we cultivate the spiritual discipline of listening? What does collective discernment of the Spirit look like? Led by Ken Kovacs March 29: The Community (Communities) of Catonsville Presbyterian Church. Elder Susan Krehbiel will facilitate this discussion as we reflect upon our own personal experiences of community at CPC. How can we deepen our sense of community? Job & the Cross: A Midweek Series for Lent ? Wednesdays at 7-9 p.m. in the library. Child care will be provided. March 11, 18, & 25: The Thursday Morning Bible study group has been wrestling with the book of Job. It's surely one of the most demanding texts in the Bible. We've had lively discussions as we seek to unpack this challenging book and see how it speaks to our lives today. Many assume the text is a statement about human suffering or why the innocent unjustly suffer. But other scholars see this ancient story as a window into an era in human development when we became more self conscious of our identities in a complex universe. Others see it as paving the way for Jesus and the way he addressed the problem of human suffering in and through a cross. For three weeks we'll summarize our study of Job and see how it shapes the way we approach the cross. Please bring your Bible. There will be two texts for sale to help you through the study. Ken Kovacs Mission Lenten Choice: Looking for something to TAKE UP for this Lenten season? Why not join our ?5 CENTS A MEAL? HUNGER PROGRAM? By setting aside a NICKEL each time you sit down to a meal, and contributing that to our Hunger Program, you can help churches in our Presbytery feed the hungry. Look for the RED and WHITE CONTAINERS in fellowship hall to contribute your pennies, nickels, etc. Your spare change can help to fight hunger in our local communities. Take This Pledge Home With You As A Reminder: Nickels for Hunger Pledge For the season of Lent, I agree to be a part of the ?5 Cents A Meal? program by praying for those who are hungry and by setting aside at least 5 cents per meal to contribute to the ?5 Cents A Meal? program. Name: Stewardship Our Financial Resources Doing God?s Work As of February 28, 2009 $ Actual Income to Date $ 68,231 $ Pro-rated Expenses to Date $ 75,815 $ Shortfall to Date $ (7,584) It takes $1,285 per day to keep the 2009 operations of the church funded. We rely on everyone to support what God is doing through this congregation. The vitality of this ministry is secured by God?s grace and funded by the faithfulness and commitment of God?s people. We are counting on the ongoing generosity of our members and friends. Bob Shumaker, Finance Committee Have you submitted your pledge for 2009? If so, thank you! Pledge Report 2009 2008 Thru 2/28/09 Number of Pledges Received to Date 117 122 Total Dollar Amount Pledged $318,709 $ 311,030 Average Pledge $ 2,724 $ 2,653 Median Pledge $ 1,800 $ 1,560 The pledges received so far breakdown as follows: $10,000 or more 4 $1,200-$1,499 8 $5,000-$10,000 12 $1,000-$1,199 15 $3,000-$4,999 22 $800-$999 8 $2,000-$2,999 16 $500-$799 14 $1,500-$1,999 14 Less than $500 4 $ 102 pledges have been renewed. $ 45 pledges received were increased over last year. $ 15 new pledges have been received. $ 17 pledged last year but have not yet pledged this year. Respectfully submitted, David Carr, Pledge Secretary Growing in God?s Grace? Capital Campaign Number of Pledges Received to Date 155 Total Dollar Amount Pledged $ 968,216 Amount Received 3/01/09 $ 1,212 Amount Paid to Date $ 901,790 The 2009 Per Capita is $30.41 for each member. To date, we have received $1429. Per Capita is an assessment paid to the Presbyterian Church (USA) based on church membership. Per Capita is used for administrative expenses of the Presbytery of Baltimore, the Synod of the Mid-Atlantic, and the General Assembly. Worship The Blue Pew Envelopes are for donations to the Capital Improvement Fund, Deacons? Assistance Fund, Growing in God?s Grace Capital Campaign, and Grace Mission Fund. When donating to more than one fund, we ask that you use a separate envelope for each. Please indicate your choice by checking one of the boxes. This provides a ?safety net? when the check does not indicate the donor?s choice, and it is essential when cash is enclosed. Thank you for your donations; they are very much appreciated. Pink prayer request sheets are available before worship in the back of the sanctuary. All are invited to write their joys and concerns; these will be shared with the congregation during the Prayers of Thanksgiving & Intercession. Worship Flowers: If you would like to provide the flowers for a Sunday morning worship service as a memorial, in recognition of someone, or in celebration of a special event, please call Betty Nagle at 410-465-2294. Please let her know how you would like the announcement to read. The two bouquets are $37.95. Sharing Easter Joy Now we are in the season of Lent, but we know that Easter will soon be here (April 12). There will be flowers and singing and special treats. As we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, let us share our joy with our less fortunate brothers and sisters right here in Catonsville by helping them to meet their most basic needs. Catonsville Emergency Food Ministries has requested that we donate the following items: Canned peas soups Canned spinach canned carrots Canned mixed vegetables tomato sauce canned tomatoes jelly spam canned fruits instant potatoes peanut butter canned salmon canned meats (including spaghettios, ravioli, etc.) There will be a bin in fellowship hall to collect these items. Please bring your donations to church by April 5 (Palm Sunday). Sponsored by the deacons. If you have any questions, please call Sidney Turner 410-788-8427 or email vankoten at verizon.net. Calendar for March 8?15, 2009 Sunday, 3/8 LENT II 9:00 a.m. Adult Education, Library 9:00 a.m. Church School 10:30 a.m. Worship 3:00 p.m. Concert by DUO: Stephanie Ho and Saar Ahuvia, Sanctuary 5:30-7:30 p.m. Crossroads at the Fromms 6:00-7:30 p.m. Rising Stars Monday, 3/9 9:00 a.m. Counters, Conference Room Tuesday, 3/10 9:30 a.m. Quilting Group, Library 7:30 p.m. Vision Study Task Force, The Huttons? Home Wednesday, 3/11 11:15 a.m. CPCFCCC Children?s Chapel, Sanctuary 2:00 p.m. Presbytery Mission Committee Task Force, Library 7:00-9:00 p.m. Job & The Cross: A Midweek Series for Lent, Library 7:30 p.m. Trustees, Conference Room Thursday, 3/12 6:30 p.m. Handbell Choir Rehearsal, Sanctuary 7:30 p.m. Chancel Choir, Music Room Friday, 3/13 Saturday, 3/14 Sunday, 3/15 LENT III 9:00 a.m. Church School 9:00 a.m. Adult Education, Library 10:30 a.m. Worship 7:30 p.m. Evening Prayer in the Style of TaizJ, Sanctuary 6:00-7:30 p.m. Crossroads Youth Group Reverend Dr. Kenneth E. Kovacs, Ph.D. Catonsville Presbyterian Church 1400 Frederick Road Catonsville, Maryland 21228 410.747.6180, ext. 1005 www.catonsvillepresb.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.catonsvillepresb.org/pipermail/members-and-friends/attachments/20090305/cad95f23/attachment.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: application/octet-stream Size: 11345 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.catonsvillepresb.org/pipermail/members-and-friends/attachments/20090305/cad95f23/attachment.obj -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: application/octet-stream Size: 44600 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.catonsvillepresb.org/pipermail/members-and-friends/attachments/20090305/cad95f23/attachment-0001.obj From kkovacs at catonsvillepresb.org Tue Mar 10 10:39:54 2009 From: kkovacs at catonsvillepresb.org (Kenneth Kovacs) Date: Tue, 10 Mar 2009 11:39:54 -0400 Subject: [Members-and-Friends] : TidingsMarch 9, 2009.doc HEY YOU! Volunteer Workshop Message-ID: <000301c9a196$75a47bd0$60ed7370$@org> March 9?, 2009 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.1 Peter 4:10, NRVS If you?ve been a church member long enough then you?ve likely faced the challenge of recruiting other pew-mates for ministry. Instead of brow-beating, cajoling and button-holing church folks for a commitment to ?help out,? why not use the biblical process of calling people to serve based on their spiritual gifts and interests? ?Hey You!? ? a workshop sponsored by the Presbytery of Baltimore ? offers anyone struggling to find church volunteers a strategy for identifying spiritual gifts based on a scriptural foundation of calling people to service. This interactive workshop, sponsored by LOGOS and featuring Liz Perraud, will be held 10am to 2pm on Monday, Apr. 20th at Christ Memorial Presbyterian Church in Columbia. Participants attending ?Hey You!? will learn a step-by-step biblically-model to identify whom God may be calling and how to approach and encourage service from potential volunteers in a prayerful, practical and powerful way. They?ll also learn how to form a calling committee for any church vacancy; and, even discuss what to do if a member says, ?no? to church service. According to religious leaders, many churches face two major problems when recruiting volunteers: first, some volunteers are active in church but using their spiritual gifts ineffectively; and, secondly, far too many Christians perceive themselves as spectators rather than participants in ministry. Perhaps one reason why so many have chosen to do so little or nothing in the way of ministry in the local church is because they have seen how frustrated those are who are striving to accomplish tasks they were never intended to attempt. For most church tasks, the primary qualification is a willingness to try, or at least too little fortitude to turn down the job. The solution to both these problems is a proper understanding of spiritual gifts.1 Guiding members to recognize and utilize their spiritual gifts can be of great help in discerning the will of God. According to scripture, every Christian has a particular function in the body of Christ; therefore, knowing one?s particular gifts ensures that he/she plugs in to the right ministry. For reservations or further information about ?Hey You!? click LOGOS . Inside this Issue Take Note/Act Now ? Spiritual Retreat ? Church Rolls Workshop ? Clerks Gathering ? PW Spring Gathering ? Towson Music & Meditation ? Kairos at Woods ? Govans Film Series ? Madison Ave Women?s Day ? Big Tent ? Spring Clergy Retreat ? Hope Vacancy Presbytery Meetings Stated Meetings [correction] Saturday, Mar. 28 at 10am Towson Presbyterian Church Council Meeting Mar. 10 at 7pm Vision Meeting Mar. 10 at 5pm Committee Meeting April 7 (1st Tues. of the month) Contact Information The Presbytery of Baltimore: Phone: 410-433-2012 or 800-511-0087 Office E-mail: office at baltimorepresbytery.org Website: www.baltimorepresbytery.org To subscribe/unsubscribe: Call 410.433.2012 or email Roger Evans Also on the Presbytery of Baltimore website Find past issues of Tidings at: Tidings Archives See new Church Announcements at: http://www.baltimorepresbytery. org/announcement Take Note/Act Now Presbytery of Baltimore Does Your Soul Need Restoring? Register for a Spiritual Retreat sponsored by Clergy Care of the Presbytery of Baltimore. The next retreat will be held March 25th at Bon Secours Retreat Center. For details, click Clergy Retreat. A workshop on Church Rolls and Registers will be offered for church staff, clerks of session, moderators and other interested Leaders at Faith Presbyterian Church on Friday, Mar. 20th and Saturday, Mar. 21st from 10am to noon on both days. The workshop will feature, Kris Valerius, Associate, Records, Ministers, Office of the General Assembly. For details, call 443-618-3089 or email vbrown at baltimorepresbytery.org. Sign Up Now! for Annual Clerk of Session Gatherings. For details, click CLERKS . The Spring Gathering of the Presbytery Women of the Presbytery of Baltimore will be held 9am to 1pm Saturday, Apr. 18th at Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church in Severna Park. For details, click PW . Church Notices For everything there is a season Join Towson Presbyterian Church for Music & Meditation from 12:10pm to 12:45pm on Wednesdays during Lent. For a details schedule, click Towson Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church presents Doug Berky in the one-man show, ?Kairos? The Life of Jesus Christ told in mask, movement and story at 7pm on Sunday. Mar. 29th. Reception included. Teen and Adult admission is $5. For mature audiences. For details, call 410.647.2550. Govans Presbyterian Church will host a dinner featuring a showing of the film "For The Bible Tells Me So" at 6pm on Wednesday, Mar. 11th. Discussion will follow. For details, call 410.435.9166 Come, worship with Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church on Women's Day at 10am on Sunday, Mar. 15th. The event, entitled, "Leading by Example: Teaching, Preaching, Walking and Living God's Word" features guest speaker, the Rev. Jacqueline E. Taylor, Assoc. Exec. Presbyter of the New Castle Presbytery. Synod and General Assembly Items Mark your calendar for the Big Tent event, June 11th-13th in Atlanta, GA. Experience 10 different PC(USA) partner conferences occurring concurrently with common time set aside for participants to attend workshops, worship and enjoy meals together. For details, visit www.pcusa.org/bigtent Other Items and Events SPRING CLERGY RETREAT: SAVE THE DATE! May 6th-7th (Wed.-Thus.) at the Bishop Claggett Center, Buckeystown, Md. Get away for learning, spiritual refreshment and fellowship. Facilitator will be the Rev. Saleem Ghubril (PCUSA), community organizer and executive director of The Pittsburgh Promise, an organization dedicated to transforming lives through holistic urban renewal. Cost is only $81. to register, email bmillen at baltimorepresbytery.org Hope Presbyterian Church needs an organist to play tradition and contemporary music. If interested, contact the church at the 410.247.4673. Peter Nord, Executive Presbyter pnord at baltimorepresbytery.org Bill Millen, Associate Executive bmillen at baltimorepresbytery.org Vaughn L. Brown Jr., Stated Clerk v brown at baltimorepresbytery.org Deb Milcarek Associate of Mission and Justice dmilcarek at baltimorepresbytery.org Jane Johnson Associate for Leadership Development, Education and Youth jjohnson at baltimorepresbytery.org Bob Turberville Director of Development rturberville at baltimorepresbytery.org Julie Erickson Director of Public Policy jerickson at baltimorepresbytery.org Judi Forrester Coordinator of Financial Services jforrester at baltimorepresbytery.org Roger Evans Coordinator of Information Services revans at baltimorepresbytery.org Wanda Morgan Coordinator of Resources wmorgan at baltimorepresbytery.org Deborah I. Greene Coordinator of Communications dgreene at baltimorepresbytery.org Questions? Comments? E-mail office at baltimorepresbytery.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... 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Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 13060 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.catonsvillepresb.org/pipermail/members-and-friends/attachments/20090310/e0fe8027/attachment.gif From kkovacs at catonsvillepresb.org Tue Mar 10 14:00:16 2009 From: kkovacs at catonsvillepresb.org (Kenneth Kovacs) Date: Tue, 10 Mar 2009 15:00:16 -0400 Subject: [Members-and-Friends] Job & the Cross: A Midweek Series for Lent -- Starts Wednesday at 7 p.m. Message-ID: <005801c9a1b2$73501ad0$59f05070$@org> Job & the Cross: A Midweek Series for Lent Wednesdays, March 11, 18, & 25 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. in the library. Child care will be provided (but please call the office to confirm). "When the Morning Stars Sang Together," from William Blake's (1757-1827) illustrations of Job. The Thursday Morning Bible study group just finished wrestling with the book of Job. For almost five month we unpacked this text and tried to apply it to our contemporary lives. It's probably the most demanding text in the Bible. Many assume the text is a statement about human suffering or why the innocent unjustly suffer. Biblical scholars see this ancient story as a window into an era in human development when we became more conscious of our identities in a complex universe. Others see it as paving the way for Jesus and the way he addressed the problem of human suffering in and through a cross. For three weeks we'll (attempt to) summarize our study of Job and see how it shapes the way we approach the cross. Please bring your Bible. We'll be relying on Stephen Mitchell's extraordinary translation, The Book of Job, which contains an introductory essay (worth the price of the book). Cost: $11.50. Reverend Dr. Kenneth E. Kovacs, Ph.D. Catonsville Presbyterian Church 1400 Frederick Road Catonsville, Maryland 21228 410.747.6180, ext. 1005 www.catonsvillepresb.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.catonsvillepresb.org/pipermail/members-and-friends/attachments/20090310/4a469244/attachment.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: application/octet-stream Size: 64093 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.catonsvillepresb.org/pipermail/members-and-friends/attachments/20090310/4a469244/attachment.obj From dboulton at catonsvillepresb.org Thu Mar 12 15:46:34 2009 From: dboulton at catonsvillepresb.org (Dorothy Boulton) Date: Thu, 12 Mar 2009 16:46:34 -0400 Subject: [Members-and-Friends] enewsletter for March 15, 2009 Message-ID: <000401c9a353$afd7ac50$0201a8c0@asstpastor> For the week of March 15, 2009 Worship Preview Third Sunday in Lent The Crucifixion Aleppan icon at the monastery of Our Lady of Balamand ___________________________________ Text: Psalm 19; 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 Sermon: Foolishness Indeed! At the heart of Paul's gospel is a skandalon, the cross. We, who frequently wear the cross as an art object, may find it difficult to think of it as what it was: a scandalous method of capital punishment. Yet it is the cross that stands at the center of our sanctuary, the central symbol of the Christian faith. This symbol of shame, humiliation, and rejection is not "folly", but the very power that is transforming our lives. We are halfway through Lent, halfway through our own pilgrimage --our journey to this cross. Let's gather together to discover how, in a time when we experience anxiety over power, wealth, and status, God's wisdom is real for us, and invites us into God's new creation. See you in worship! Dorothy Boulton __________________________________ Things you need to know. For the week of March 15, 2009 Christian Education Youth Groups: Movement & Mystery Night. Crossroads senior high youth will meet at the church at 6 p.m. this evening. Please be prompt since we're heading out to spend some time with our special guests; we will return by 7:30 p.m. Next Sunday: Rising Stars has its Upper Room Lent Event, 6-7:30 pm. Lenten Practices: "I invite you, therefore, to observe a holy Lent." These words from the Ash Wednesday service in the Book of Common Worship invite us to celebrate the season before Easter in a special and significant way. There are several opportunities for prayer and self-giving in our One Great Hour of Sharing materials. Additional copies of the weekly prayers, children's calendars and Fish Banks are available in the back of the sanctuary. You may also wish to make time for study, ex: our Sunday morning and Wednesday evening Adult Education series, or for private devotions. Our denominational website, pcusa.org offers daily prayer sites, for example. We pray that these forty days (plus 6 Sundays) before Easter will be a time of exploration for you - a time when God will create something new in your spirit, in your life. May this be a holy Lent for us all. Adult Education Lenten Series: All Who Believed Were Together: Finding Christ in Community - 9:00 a.m. in the library; child care is available. March 22: The Baltimore Covenant and the Contemporary Challenge to Community. How do Christians talk together when there's disagreement? How can we cultivate the spiritual discipline of listening? What does collective discernment of the Spirit look like? Led by Ken Kovacs March 29: The Community (Communities) of Catonsville Presbyterian Church. Elder Susan Krehbiel will facilitate this discussion as we reflect upon our own personal experiences of community at CPC. How can we deepen our sense of community? Job & the Cross: A Midweek Series for Lent - Wednesdays at 7-9 p.m. in the library. Please call by Monday for child care. March 11, 18, & 25: The Thursday Morning Bible study group has been wrestling with the book of Job. It's surely one of the most demanding texts in the Bible. We've had lively discussions as we seek to unpack this challenging book and see how it speaks to our lives today. Many assume the text is a statement about human suffering or why the innocent unjustly suffer. But other scholars see this ancient story as a window into an era in human development when we became more self conscious of our identities in a complex universe. Others see it as paving the way for Jesus and the way he addressed the problem of human suffering in and through a cross. For three weeks we'll summarize our study of Job and see how it shapes the way we approach the cross. Please bring your Bible. There will be two texts for sale to help you through the study. Ken Kovacs Mission Lenten Choice: Looking for something to TAKE UP for this Lenten season? Why not join our "5 CENTS A MEAL" HUNGER PROGRAM? By setting aside a NICKEL each time you sit down to a meal, and contributing that to our Hunger Program, you can help churches in our Presbytery feed the hungry. Look for the RED and WHITE CONTAINERS in fellowship hall to contribute your pennies, nickels, etc. Your spare change can help to fight hunger in our local communities. Take This Pledge Home With You As A Reminder: Nickels for Hunger Pledge For the season of Lent, I agree to be a part of the "5 Cents A Meal" program by praying for those who are hungry and by setting aside at least 5 cents per meal to contribute to the "5 Cents A Meal" program. Name: Outreach Not sure what's going on at Catonsville Presbyterian? Check out our website at www.catonsvillepresb.org. Be sure to join our email list if you would like to find out about special events, upcoming worship, educational opportunities, and announcements regarding members and friends of the church. To become part of this service, go to the home page of our website and click on About Us, then Contact Us. Stewardship The 2009 Per Capita is $30.41 for each member. To date, we have received $1800.64. Per Capita is an assessment paid to the Presbyterian Church (USA) based on church membership. Per Capita is used for administrative expenses of the Presbytery of Baltimore, the Synod of the Mid-Atlantic, and the General Assembly. Our Financial Resources Doing God's Work As of March 14, 2009 Actual Income to Date $ 86,410 Pro-rated Expenses to Date $ 93,805 Shortfall to Date $ (7,395) It takes $1,285 per day to keep the 2009 operations of the church funded. We rely on everyone to support what God is doing through this congregation. The vitality of this ministry is secured by God's grace and funded by the faithfulness and commitment of God's people. We are counting on the ongoing generosity of our members and friends. Bob Shumaker, Finance Committee Have you submitted your pledge for 2009? Pledge Report 2009 2008 Thru 2/28/09 Number of Pledges Received to Date 117 122 Total Dollar Amount Pledged $318,709 $ 311,030 Average Pledge $ 2,724 $ 2,653 Median Pledge $ 1,800 $ 1,560 The pledges received so far breakdown as follows: $10,000 or more 4 $1,200-$1,499 8 $5,000-$10,000 12 $1,000-$1,199 15 $3,000-$4,999 22 $800-$999 8 $2,000-$2,999 16 $500-$799 14 $1,500-$1,999 14 Less than $500 4 $ 102 pledges have been renewed. $ 45 pledges received were increased over last year. $ 15 new pledges have been received. $ 17 pledged last year but have not yet pledged this year. Our projected shortfall in CPC funding for 2009 was $35,000 as of the date of the annual meeting in February. This gap must be closed by year end. Respectfully submitted, David Carr, Pledge Secretary Growing in God's Grace" Capital Campaign Number of Pledges Received to Date 155 Total Dollar Amount Pledged $ 968,216 Amount Received 3/08/09 $ 2,437 Amount Paid to Date $ 904,227 Worship Pink prayer request sheets are available before worship in the back of the sanctuary. All are invited to write their joys and concerns; these will be shared with the congregation during the Prayers of Thanksgiving & Intercession. Worship Flowers: If you would like to provide the flowers for a Sunday morning worship service as a memorial, in recognition of someone, or in celebration of a special event, please call Betty Nagle at 410-465-2294. Please let her know how you would like the announcement to read. The two bouquets are $37.95. Additional Help Appreciated The Spring Cleanup of Church the Grounds will be Saturday, April 4, from 9 a.m. - noon. The Boy Scouts will be there to do the "heavy lifting." We would love your help. Feel free to bring your family along with a rake and some gloves. The work will not be too hard, and there will be refreshments provided. Questions? Contact Bruce Lutz at brucelutz5 at verizon.net or Glenda Johnson at gtassoc at verizon.net. Deacons Sharing Easter Joy: Now we are in the season of Lent, but we know that Easter will soon be here (April 12). There will be flowers and singing and special treats. As we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, let us share our joy with our less fortunate brothers and sisters right here in Catonsville by helping them to meet their most basic needs. Catonsville Emergency Food Ministries has requested that we donate the following items: Canned peas soups Canned spinach canned carrots Canned mixed vegetables tomato sauce canned tomatoes jelly spam canned fruits instant potatoes peanut butter canned salmon canned meats (including spaghettios, ravioli, etc.) There will be a bin in fellowship hall to collect these items. Please bring your donations to church by April 5 (Palm Sunday). Sponsored by the deacons. If you have any questions, please call Sidney Turner 410-788-8427 or email vankoten at verizon.net. Praying through the Congregation: Throughout the year, the congregation will be praying for all church members and families. Using our alphabetical church directory, we will feature these names on our Intercessor List, approximately seven members/families each Sunday. We invite you to pray for these persons during that week; reaching out by sending a card or making a phone call are also welcome. Directory Notice We are wrapping up work to print our church directory, which should be available in May. One feature that will be new in this directory is that it will be accessible via a password-protected website. This website will include the entire directory contents, photos, as well as contact information. We acknowledge that, even with the password protection, some of you may not feel comfortable having your pictures and/or contact information available online. Be assured that we, not Olan Mills, are able to determine the content of our directory website and can update it by adding or deleting photos and information. We have been very pleased by the participation of so many of our church family in preparing this directory. If you would like to have your information available in the hardcopy directory, which will be available to all who sat for photos by Olan Mills but would not want your information on our directory website, please notify Stuart Shippey at shshippey at yahoo.com or at 443-889-7646. Quilting The Quilting Group was formed in April 2003 when a few women in the church wanted to learn more about quilting. We started meeting on Tuesday mornings from 9:30 to noon in the library, and we continue to meet year round. We now have a group of eight regulars, some of whom still quilt and others who knit and do other needlework projects. If you want to see some of our handiwork, stop by the table in fellowship hall today. We have a display of some of our recent projects. The Quilting Group welcomes anyone to stop by for a visit or join us regularly. A Glimpse Into Our Past Recently Ken told us in a sermon that you cannot be a Christian by yourself. If you should ever check one of our bound copies of old church bulletins, you would see the following statements, which are in total agreement: "You cannot be a Christian without the church, for Christianity is never a private matter although it must be personal. The content of Christianity is not your individual system of thought. The practice of Christianity is not your private code of morals. Christianity is a life with God and with men, which has come down to us through the ages in the church of Christ. Apart from its presence and power in this historic body, Christianity is not a religion but an abstraction. In the Church, the individual Christian finds the confirmation and correction of his personal faith." Question: What is the date of the church bulletin? Answer: It was the January 18, 1942, bulletin when Rev. William Kepler was our fourth pastor - over 67 years ago. Community Event That All May Freely Serve: Baltimore will hold an Art Auction of patron donated art on Saturday, May 2, 2009, in Sharp Hall of Govans Presbyterian Church, 5828 York Rd., Baltimore 21212. Doors open 6:30 p.m. to view art. Auction begins 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $5 in advance (Carol Graves 410-366-4662, graves.c at verizon.net) or $7 at the door. Terms of art sales: credit, check, cash. Enjoy dessert, wine, and cheese. Babysitting provided. If you have art objects that you would like to donate for sale, please contact Don Stroud (410-464-0293, Donestro at aol.com). Easter Sunday Memorial Flowers Azaleas and Easter Lilies, which provide decoration in the sanctuary on Easter Sunday in honor of loved ones, are available for $18. This form and an accompanying check-payable to Catonsville Presbyterian Church-should be placed in the offering plate or sent to the Church House office by Wednesday, April 1. Azalea ___ Lily ___ Given by Phone # In memory of Do you intend to pick up the plant immediately after worship on Sunday, April 12? Yes___ No____, it can be taken to a home member. Please do not take a plant after worship without allowing your name to be noted. Calendar for March 15-22, 2009 Sunday, 3/15 LENT III 9:00 a.m. Adult Education, Library 9:00 a.m. Church School 10:30 a.m. Worship 11:45 a.m. Outreach Committee, Library 7:30 p.m. Evening Prayer in the Style of TaizJ, Sanctuary 6:00-7:30 p.m. Crossroads Monday, 3/16 10:30 a.m. Counters, Conference Rm 7:30 p.m. PW Coordinating Team, France Rm Tuesday, 3/17 9:30 a.m. Quilting Group, Library 7:30 p.m. Peace & Justice Committee, Library 7:30 p.m. Worship Committee, Conference Rm PW Connections Circle Wednesday, 3/18 7:00-9:00 p.m. Job & The Cross: A Midweek Series for Lent, Library 7:00 p.m. Child Care Council, Conference Rm Thursday, 3/19 6:30 p.m. Handbell Choir Rehearsal, Sanctuary 7:30 p.m. Chancel Choir, Music Rm Friday, 3/20 Saturday, 3/21 Sunday, 3/22 LENT IV 9:00 a.m. Church School 9:00 a.m. Adult Education, Library 10:30 a.m. Worship 6:00-7:30 p.m. Rising Stars: "Upper Room" Lent Event From the point of view of this world - with its falseness, its failures upon failures compounded over many generations, its violence and fear, callousness and greed - the way of the cross, of self-sacrificial love, is foolishness indeed. But in the light of eternity, in the radiance that shines from this old book and from the lives, that one true Life that is set forth here, I can perceive another world: an alternative to all the sad betrayals, shoddy compromises of the past; a fairer, truer, realm where love fulfills itself in selflessness and joy is born wherever life is shared. Teach me such foolishness, Lord God, and fit me for your world which is to be. J. Barrie Shepherd, A Pilgrim's Way -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.catonsvillepresb.org/pipermail/members-and-friends/attachments/20090312/1bb88a91/attachment.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/jpeg Size: 11345 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.catonsvillepresb.org/pipermail/members-and-friends/attachments/20090312/1bb88a91/attachment.jpe -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 156257 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.catonsvillepresb.org/pipermail/members-and-friends/attachments/20090312/1bb88a91/attachment.gif From dboulton at catonsvillepresb.org Thu Mar 12 16:39:22 2009 From: dboulton at catonsvillepresb.org (Dorothy Boulton) Date: Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:39:22 -0400 Subject: [Members-and-Friends] Messenger articles due Message-ID: <002901c9a35b$029ced40$0201a8c0@asstpastor> Items for the church newsletter are due by 5pm on Monday, March 16th. Please send articles to Vickie Lord at editor at catonsvillepresb.org. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.catonsvillepresb.org/pipermail/members-and-friends/attachments/20090312/4bfca534/attachment.html From kkovacs at catonsvillepresb.org Mon Mar 16 14:57:09 2009 From: kkovacs at catonsvillepresb.org (Kenneth Kovacs) Date: Mon, 16 Mar 2009 15:57:09 -0400 Subject: [Members-and-Friends] TidingsMarch 16, 2009.doc Ministering to Youth Ministry Leaders Message-ID: <006601c9a671$63f0a3c0$2bd1eb40$@org> ?? March 16?, 2009 Ministering to Youth Ministry Leaders: Weekend Retreat Offers Spiritual Direction Why doesn?t God do something about poor people in the world? Where was God when our family had to move out of our home? ?When will God answer my prayers?? ?Why do I feel different and so alone?? These questions, and others, are stirring in the minds of our young people. The same teens that sing praise choruses with us in worship also come to us hoping that we can tell them something that will satisfy their disappointments in faith. The only problem with these questions is that they ask them of us ? people who are themselves wondering about the whys, whens, and whereabouts of God in times of crisis and suffering. As a youth ministry leader, Brent Parker, founder of the Texas-based This Way Ministries, has often found himself sitting with teenagers, trying to make sense of their thoughtful questions about faith. He contends that young people will most naturally follow in the way of Jesus, guided by the Holy Spirit of God, when they are surrounded by adults who are witnesses of [living out their faith] in the world. That?s why, he says, it is so important to pay attention to the inner movement of God within the souls of youth leaders and others who work tirelessly to love, encourage, and walk with teenagers through their Christian faith journey. Brent Parker Mr. Parker?s ministry is dedicated to helping congregations form youth programs that can be life giving both for teenagers and for those who minister to them. He?ll share his ministry with youth leaders in the Presbytery of Baltimore next month during a retreat entitled, The Encounter: Experiencing Jesus Again for the First Time. A seasoned youth leader, author and motivational speaker ? Mr. Parker will lead participants in an exploration of the Gospel of John 4:1-42 which depicts Jesus? encounter with the woman at the well. Participants will also engage in prayer, teaching and worship as they learn ways to accompany young people in their search for answers about the Christian faith. This is a wonderful chance to connect with youth leaders and youth volunteers from across the Presbytery. There is a $50 fee for the overnight retreat, which will be held 9am to 4pm on both Friday, April 3rd and Saturday, Apr. 4th. For those who wish to attend only on Saturday, the cost is $25. Meals are included in all fees. Scholarships are available. For registration details, please RSVP by March 23rd to Jane Johnson, jjohnson at baltimorepresbytery.org. Article adapted from This Way Ministry website. Inside this Issue Take Note/Act Now ? Spiritual Retreat ? Church Rolls Workshop ? Clerks Gathering ? PW Spring Gathering ? Towson Music & Meditation ? Kairos at Woods ? Govans Film Series ? Madison Ave Women?s Day ? Big Tent ? Spring Clergy Retreat ? Hope Vacancy Presbytery Meetings Stated Meetings [correction] Saturday, Mar. 28 at 10am Towson Presbyterian Church Council Meeting June 9th at 7pm Vision Meeting Apr. 14th at 5pm Committee Meeting Apr. 7th (1st Tues. of the month) Bible Story A father was reading Bible stories to his young son. He read, "The man named Lot was warned to take his wife and flee out of the city, but his wife looked back and was turned to salt." His son asked, "What happened to the flea?" Contact Information The Presbytery of Baltimore: Phone: 410-433-2012 or 800-511-0087 Office E-mail: office at baltimorepresbytery.org Website: www.baltimorepresbytery.org To subscribe/unsubscribe: Call 410.433.2012 or email Roger Evans Also on the Presbytery of Baltimore website Find past issues of Tidings at: Tidings Archives See new Church Announcements at: http://www.baltimorepresbytery. org/announcement Take Note/Act Now Presbytery of Baltimore HEY! Want to expand your church?s food program or even start one of your own? The Presbytery of Baltimore is offering one-time grants starting at $2,500 to partnering congregations who sponsor community food programs. To get money for your church?s food program, sign up for a one-hour information workshop at 8:45am on Saturday, Mar. 28th, prior to the Presbytery?s 833rd Stated Meeting in Towson. For details, email Julia Hartenstein at jhartenstein at baltimorepresbytery.org. Does Your Soul Need Restoring? Register for a Spiritual Retreat sponsored by Clergy Care of the Presbytery of Baltimore. The next retreat will be held March 25th at Bon Secours Retreat Center. For details, click Clergy Retreat. The Spring Gathering of the Presbytery Women of the Presbytery of Baltimore will be held 9am to 1pm Saturday, Apr. 18th at Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church in Severna Park. For details, click PW . Mark your calendar! The Presbytery will host a Stewardship Workshop from 9am to noon on Saturday, May 9th highlighting the successes of last fall's Stewardship Campaign. Keep watching this column for more details! Cancellation Notice: Workshops on Church Rolls and Registers and the Annual Gathering of Clerks scheduled for Mar. 21st at Faith Presbyterian Church has been cancelled. Church Notices For everything there is a season Join Towson Presbyterian Church for Music & Meditation from 12:10pm to 12:45pm on Wednesdays during Lent. For a details schedule, click Towson Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church presents Doug Berky in the one-man show, ?Kairos? The Life of Jesus Christ told in mask, movement and story at 7pm on Sunday. Mar. 29th. Reception included. Teen and Adult admission is $5. For mature audiences. For details, call 410.647.2550. The Gallery at Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church presents SIGNS AND SYMBOLS FOR LENT, an exhibition of 25 local artists depicting Christ?s Crucifixion and Resurrection in a variety of media i.e., oils, acrylic and watercolors, collages and pen and ink. This exhibit is open daily from 9am to 9pm until April 5th. Synod and General Assembly Items Mark your calendar for the Big Tent event, June 11th-13th in Atlanta, GA. Experience 10 different PC(USA) partner conferences occurring concurrently with common time set aside for participants to attend workshops, worship and enjoy meals together. For details, visit www.pcusa.org/bigtent Other Items and Events Unique opportunity to experience a modern illuminated Bible being made using medieval calligraphy and illustration. The Wisdom books and the major Prophets are on view at The Walters Art Museum - www.TheWalters.org Peter Nord, Executive Presbyter pnord at baltimorepresbytery.org Bill Millen, Associate Executive bmillen at baltimorepresbytery.org Vaughn L. Brown Jr., Stated Clerk v brown at baltimorepresbytery.org Deb Milcarek Associate of Mission and Justice dmilcarek at baltimorepresbytery.org Jane Johnson Associate for Leadership Development, Education and Youth jjohnson at baltimorepresbytery.org Bob Turberville Director of Development rturberville at baltimorepresbytery.org Julie Erickson Director of Public Policy jerickson at baltimorepresbytery.org Judi Forrester Coordinator of Financial Services jforrester at baltimorepresbytery.org Roger Evans Coordinator of Information Services revans at baltimorepresbytery.org Wanda Morgan Coordinator of Resources wmorgan at baltimorepresbytery.org Deborah I. Greene Coordinator of Communications dgreene at baltimorepresbytery.org Questions? Comments? E-mail office at baltimorepresbytery.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... 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Name: not available Type: application/octet-stream Size: 1124 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.catonsvillepresb.org/pipermail/members-and-friends/attachments/20090316/4ee57c73/attachment-0001.obj -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: application/octet-stream Size: 2888 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.catonsvillepresb.org/pipermail/members-and-friends/attachments/20090316/4ee57c73/attachment-0002.obj -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: application/x-ms-wmz Size: 13957 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.catonsvillepresb.org/pipermail/members-and-friends/attachments/20090316/4ee57c73/attachment-0001.bin -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: application/octet-stream Size: 6690 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.catonsvillepresb.org/pipermail/members-and-friends/attachments/20090316/4ee57c73/attachment-0003.obj From kkovacs at catonsvillepresb.org Thu Mar 19 16:21:47 2009 From: kkovacs at catonsvillepresb.org (Kenneth Kovacs) Date: Thu, 19 Mar 2009 17:21:47 -0400 Subject: [Members-and-Friends] Gifts of Remembrance: Easter Sunday Brass & Easter Sunday Flowers Message-ID: <004e01c9a8d8$b66cb670$23462350$@org> New This Year for Easter. Gifts of Remembrance: Easter Sunday Brass The worship service on Easter Sunday is one of the most festive of the church calendar and it is made even more so with the inclusion of brass instrumentalists to make a joyful noise unto God. For this year's Easter Sunday service, we are offering the opportunity to make a contribution in memory or in honor of someone special. Your gifts will cover the cost of the instrumentalists. If you are interested in making a contribution, please place this form and a check-made payable to Catonsville Presbyterian Church-in the offering plate or send it to the church house office. Please indicate on the check, "Easter Brass 2009." The name of your loved one or honoree will be included in the Easter worship bulletin. Contributions will be accepted through Wednesday, April 8. Given by: In memory of/in honor of (please circle one): Phone #: Contribution: $______________ ___________________________________________________________________ Easter Sunday Memorial Flowers Azaleas and Easter Lilies, which provide decoration in the sanctuary on Easter Sunday in honor of loved ones, are available for $18. This form and an accompanying check-payable to Catonsville Presbyterian Church-should be placed in the offering plate or sent to the Church House office by Wednesday, April 1. Azalea ___ Lily ___ Given by Phone # In memory of/in honor of (circle one) Do you intend to pick up the plant immediately after Sunday, March 23, worship? Yes___ No____, it can be taken to a home member. Please do not take a plant after worship without allowing your name to be noted. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.catonsvillepresb.org/pipermail/members-and-friends/attachments/20090319/b2b5eb53/attachment.html From kkovacs at catonsvillepresb.org Thu Mar 19 17:09:57 2009 From: kkovacs at catonsvillepresb.org (Kenneth Kovacs) Date: Thu, 19 Mar 2009 18:09:57 -0400 Subject: [Members-and-Friends] Enewsletter for March 22 Message-ID: <007801c9a8df$70886490$51992db0$@org> cid:image001.jpg at 01C91A43.AE9A5250 For the week of March 22, 2009 Worship Preview Fourth Sunday in Lent New Picture (9).bmp Miami, Florida (2008) Photo: www.flickr.com "When the Christian story is reduced to a sentence, instead of heard as a story, It's so easy for that sentence to become a magic formula or mesmerizing mantra." James F. Kay, Seasons of Grace: Reflections From the Christian Year (1994) Text: John 3: 1-21 Sermon: John 3:16 - More Than a Magic Formula or Mantra The scripture reading for this week contains the famous (ubiquitous?) verse 3:16 situated right in the middle. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but have ever lasting life (NRSV)." Martin Luther (1483-1546) said this verse was "the gospel in miniature." We probably memorized it when we were in Church School (using the King James Version?). "John 3:16" turns up everywhere - on bumper stickers, t-shirts, tattoos, key chains, billboards, and banners at football games and sporting events. It's become a slogan, a code number for the gospel, a summary of the Christian message. Even someone with a modicum of Bible-knowledge knows what John 3:16 says. We know how it reads. But what does it really mean? Can this verse really summarize the gospel? Is it appropriate to pull it out of its context? What if we read it within the wider setting of the rest of the chapter, indeed the larger story of God's love? What would the verse mean then? See you in worship, Ken Kovacs ___________________________________________________ Life in Our Community for the Week of March 22-28, 2009 Lenten Practices: "I invite you, therefore, to observe a holy Lent." These words from the Ash Wednesday service in the Book of Common Worship invite us to celebrate the season before Easter in a special and significant way. There are several opportunities for prayer and self-giving in our One Great Hour of Sharing materials. Additional copies of the weekly prayers, children's calendars and Fish Banks are available in the back of the sanctuary. You may also wish to make time for study, ex: our Sunday morning and Wednesday evening Adult Education series, or for private devotions. Our denominational website, pcusa.org offers daily prayer sites, for example. We pray that these forty days (plus 6 Sundays) before Easter will be a time of exploration for you - a time when God will create something new in your spirit, in your life. May this be a holy Lent for us all. Christian Education Youth Groups: Rising Stars middle school youth gather in the UPPER ROOM for Sunday's LentEvent. Take a journey through Holy Week via music, video, devotional activities, and more. We'll meet by the Frederick Road door at 6 p.m. Our evening will conclude by 7:30 p.m. Crossroads senior high youth do not meet this evening, but will gather in the UPPER ROOM next Sunday, March 29, 6-7:30 p.m. Lord's Little People (grades 3-5) are participating in a special overnight program at Maryland Science Center this weekend. Many thanks to Dorothy Noble for organizing this excellent adventure. Adult Education - 9:00 a.m. in the library; child care is available. March 22 (Lenten Series): The Baltimore Covenant and the Contemporary Challenge to Community. How do Christians talk together when there's disagreement? How can we cultivate the spiritual discipline of listening? What does collective discernment of the Spirit look like? Led by Ken Kovacs March 29 (Lenten Series): The Community (Communities) of Catonsville Presbyterian Church. Elder Susan Krehbiel will facilitate this discussion as we reflect upon our own personal experiences of community at CPC. How can we deepen our sense of community? April 5, Palm Sunday: Holy Week in Word & Image. Join us as we explore the events of Holy Week by reading scripture and "reading" images inspired by scripture. Ken Kovacs will guide us through key themes in Mark's Gospel. Nina Lagervall will share three paintings, which emerged from her reading of the passion narrative in Mark's Gospel, two from the Garden of Gethsemane and one from the Easter morning account. Word and image together will allow us to enter into the story in new ways. Mission Lenten Choice: Looking for something to TAKE UP for this Lenten season? Why not join our "5 CENTS A MEAL" HUNGER PROGRAM? By setting aside a NICKEL each time you sit down to a meal, and contributing that to our Hunger Program, you can help churches in our Presbytery feed the hungry. Look for the RED and WHITE CONTAINERS in fellowship hall to contribute your pennies, nickels, etc. Your spare change can help to fight hunger in our local communities. Take This Pledge Home With You As A Reminder: Nickels for Hunger Pledge For the season of Lent, I agree to be a part of the "5 Cents A Meal" program by praying for those who are hungry and by setting aside at least 5 cents per meal to contribute to the "5 Cents A Meal" program. Name: Stewardship The 2009 Per Capita is $30.41 for each member. To date, we have received $2491.51. Per Capita is an assessment paid to the Presbyterian Church (USA) based on church membership. Per Capita is used for administrative expenses of the Presbytery of Baltimore, the Synod of the Mid-Atlantic, and the General Assembly. Our Financial Resources Doing God's Work As of March 21, 2009 Actual Income to Date $ 98,470 Pro-rated Expenses to Date $ 102,800 Shortfall to Date $ (4,330) It takes $1,285 per day to keep the 2009 operations of the church funded. We rely on everyone to support what God is doing through this congregation. The vitality of this ministry is secured by God's grace and funded by the faithfulness and commitment of God's people. We are counting on the ongoing generosity of our members and friends. Bob Shumaker, Finance Committee Have you submitted your pledge for 2009? Pledge Report - Closing the Gap Our projected shortfall in CPC funding for 2009 was $35,000 as of the annual meeting in February. Since then we have received 4 increased pledges and 2 new pledges and have closed the shortfall to $26,463. This gap must be closed by year-end. 2009 2008 Thru 3/14/09 Number of Pledges Received to Date 118 122 Total Dollar Amount Pledged $323,989 $ 311,030 Average Pledge $ 2,745 $ 2,653 Median Pledge $ 1,800 $ 1,560 The pledges received so far breakdown as follows: $10,000 or more 4 $1,200-$1,499 8 $5,000-$10,000 12 $1,000-$1,199 15 $3,000-$4,999 23 $800-$999 8 $2,000-$2,999 16 $500-$799 14 $1,500-$1,999 14 Less than $50 4 $ 102 pledges have been renewed. $ 45 pledges received were increased over last year. $ 16 new pledges have been received. $ 17 pledged last year but have not yet pledged this year. Respectfully submitted, David Carr, Pledge Secretary Growing in God's Grace" Capital Campaign Number of Pledges Received to Date 155 Total Dollar Amount Pledged $ 968,216 Amount Received 3/15/09 $ 2,410 Amount Paid to Date $ 906,637 Additional Help Appreciated On Saturday, April 4, you are invited to join the trustees and Scout Troop 306 in the annual spring cleanup of the church grounds . We will work from 9 a.m.-noon to remove sticks and other debris from the lawns and to clean out the flower beds. Bring your gloves, rakes, and wear work shoes. It would be helpful to have a few tarps available. Your help would be greatly appreciated for part or all of the morning. Refreshments will be available for volunteers near the end of the work session. Questions? Contact Bruce Lutz at brucelutz5 at verizon.net or Glenda Johnson at gtassoc at verizon.net. Deacons Sharing Easter Joy: Now we are in the season of Lent, but we know that Easter will soon be here (April 12). There will be flowers and singing and special treats. As we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, let us share our joy with our less fortunate brothers and sisters right here in Catonsville by helping them to meet their most basic needs. Catonsville Emergency Food Ministries has requested that we donate the following items: Canned peas soups Canned spinach canned carrots Canned mixed vegetables tomato sauce canned tomatoes jelly spam canned fruits instant potatoes peanut butter canned salmon canned meats (including spaghettios, ravioli, etc.) There is a bin in fellowship hall to collect these items. Please bring your donations to church by April 5 (Palm Sunday). Sponsored by the deacons. If you have any questions, please call Sidney Turner 410-788-8427 or email vankoten at verizon.net. Praying through the Congregation: Throughout the year, the congregation will be praying for all church members and families. Using our alphabetical church directory, we will feature these names on our Intercessor List, approximately seven members/families each Sunday. We invite you to pray for these persons during that week; reaching out by sending a card or making a phone call is also welcome. Calendar for March 22-29, 2009 Sunday, 3/22 LENT IV 9:00 a.m. Adult Education, Library 9:00 a.m. Church School 10:30 a.m. Worship 6:00-7:30 p.m. Rising Stars: "Upper Room" Lent Event Monday, 3/23 10:30 a.m. Counters, Conference Rm Tuesday, 3/24 9:30 a.m. Quilting Group, Library Wednesday, 3/25 7:00 p.m. Deacons, Library 7:00-9:00 p.m. Job & The Cross: A Midweek Series for Lent, Library 7:00 p.m. Outreach Committee, Conference Rm Thursday, 3/26 6:30 p.m. Handbell Choir Rehearsal, Sanctuary 7:30 p.m. Chancel Choir, Music Rm Friday, 3/27 Saturday, 3/28 10:00 a.m. Baltimore Presbytery Meeting, Towson Presbyterian Church Sunday, 3/29 LENT V 9:00 a.m. Church School 9:00 a.m. Adult Education, Library 10:30 a.m. Worship: Baptism 6:00-7:30 p.m. Crossroads Reverend Dr. Kenneth E. Kovacs, Ph.D. Catonsville Presbyterian Church 1400 Frederick Road Catonsville, Maryland 21228 410.747.6180, ext. 1005 www.catonsvillepresb.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.catonsvillepresb.org/pipermail/members-and-friends/attachments/20090319/035d6fdb/attachment.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: application/octet-stream Size: 11345 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.catonsvillepresb.org/pipermail/members-and-friends/attachments/20090319/035d6fdb/attachment.obj -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: application/octet-stream Size: 355455 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.catonsvillepresb.org/pipermail/members-and-friends/attachments/20090319/035d6fdb/attachment-0001.obj From kkovacs at catonsvillepresb.org Tue Mar 24 13:44:53 2009 From: kkovacs at catonsvillepresb.org (Kenneth Kovacs) Date: Tue, 24 Mar 2009 14:44:53 -0400 Subject: [Members-and-Friends] TidingsMarch24, 2009.doc Presbytery's $50, 000 Anonymous Gift Benefits Communities and Congregations Message-ID: <006001c9acb0$9f5d4040$de17c0c0$@org> ?? March 24?, 2009 $50,000 Anonymous Gift Benefits Communities and Congregations Throughout the Presbytery Hunger has along been at the forefront of the Presbytery of Baltimore?s mission programs ? even more so now that so many people in our own communities are unemployed, unable to pay their bills or losing their homes. In the midst of these economic woes, donations and dollars to local food pantries and soup kitchens continue to decline. This year, the Presbytery?s Mission Committee has taken a unique approach to address hunger in our communities. The committee plans to use an anonymous gift of $50,000 to expand local food programs through church partnerships; and, provide congregation members with emergency financial assistance. Ministers and others interested in applying for funds from the $50,000 Anonymous Gift are invited to attend an informational workshop at 8:45am this Saturday at Towson Presbytery Church, prior the 833rd Stated Meeting. Julia Hartenstein, the Presbytery?s Mission and Justice Assistant, said this mission effort ?is different from anything the Presbytery of Baltimore has done before. I hope that this program will provide a demonstration of God?s concern for the needy among us and also support Presbyterian churches who are interested in doing mission together,? said Miss Hartenstein, who is overseeing the application process. Partnership funds from the $50,000 Anonymous Gift are offered to any congregation that joins with one or more Presbyterian partner churches in contributions and personal involvement to promoted a food program that serves the a local community. Churches may receive a $2500 start-up grant to open a food pantry, begin a congregant dining program, provide afterschool meals or address hunger in another way. An additional $2000 will be added for initial food purchases. Churches may also receive a $2500 grant to expand existing food programs already housed in Presbyterian Congregations when they partner with one or more Presbyterian congregations. Lastly, the Mission Committee has set aside a portion of the $50,000 Anonymous Gift to benefit members if Presbyterian congregations who are in need of emergency financial assistance, provided through the discretion of their church?s pastor. It is the Mission Committee hope that this anonymous gift of $50,000 from the generous heart of one believer will create an overflow of blessings for our community. Inside this Issue Take Note/Act Now ? Rev. Tom Beagan, LOGOS ? Clergy Retreat ? Volunteer Workshop ? Clerk of Session Meetings ? Dickey Treasure Sale ? BMO at Springfield ? Dan Kulp at Frederick ? Light Street Flea Market ? Signs & Symbols of Lent at Woods Gallery ? Babcock Unicameral Board ? Big Tent ? MILC Vacancy Presbytery Meetings Stated Meetings [correction] Saturday, Mar. 28 at 10am Towson Presbyterian Church Council Meeting April 14th at 7pm Vision Meeting Apr. 14th at 5pm Committee Meeting Apr. 7th (1st Tues. of the month) Life in Today?s Churches Every morning an ol? lady would stand on her porch and shout "Praise the Lord!" Next door, an atheist would always yell back, "There is no God." One day the lady fell upon hard times. She went to the porch and asked God to help her buy food. The next morning there were bags of groceries on her porch. ?Praise the Lord,? she exclaimed. Just then, the atheist jumped out from behind a bush and said, "Ha, I bought those groceries - there is no God." The ol? lady just smiled at him and said, "Lord, not only did you provide me with groceries but you made Satan pay the bill!" Praise & Prayer Please pray for The Rev. J.C Wynn who, while enduring a long illness, was recently placed at the Care Center at Charles Town Community in Catonsville. ******** LORD, please bless the ministries of The Rev. Jan Trammell-Savin who is serving as interim pastor of Hunting Ridge Presbyterian Church; The Rev. David Harris, who is serving as temporary supply of Bethel Presbyterian Church; The Rev. Harold (Hal) Bennett, who is serving as temporary supply at Lakeland Presbyterian Church; The Rev. Gretchen Van Utt, who is serving as temporary supply at Covenant Presbyterian Church; and, The Rev. Ken Osborne, a newcomer to the Presbytery, who will begin serving as interim pastor at Grove Presbyterian Church on April 20th. Contact Information The Presbytery of Baltimore: Phone: 410-433-2012 or 800-511-0087 Office E-mail: office at baltimorepresbytery.org Website: www.baltimorepresbytery.org To subscribe/unsubscribe: Call 410.433.2012 or email Roger Evans Also on the Presbytery of Baltimore website Find past issues of Tidings at: Tidings Archives See new Church Announcements at: http://www.baltimorepresbytery. org/announcement Take Note/Act Now Presbytery of Baltimore This Saturday, at the Stated Meeting, The Rev. Tom Beagan, Exec. Director of The LOGOS Ministry, will offer a presentation entitled, ?What is Family Worship, Why Have It and How to Do It? In preparation for this feature, attendees are asked to consider what?s best about the way we worship within the Presbytery and how those attributes may create roadblocks for those seeking to worship with us. Does Your Soul Need Restoring? Register for a Spiritual Retreat sponsored by Clergy Care of the Presbytery of Baltimore. The next retreat will be held March 25th at Bon Secours Retreat Center. For details, click Clergy Retreat. Sign Up Now for a workshop on Helping Volunteers Discern God?s Call on their lives. For details, click Volunteers . Clerks of Session Meetings, for details click Clerks Church Notices Come to a Treasure Sale in the Fellowship Hall at Dickey Memorial Presbyterian Church, 5112 Wetheredsville Rd., from 8am to 1pm on Saturday, Mar. 28th. Proceeds will benefit our summer mission trip to rebuild New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Springfield Presbyterian Church will feature the Baltimore Mandolin Orchestra in a free performance at 3pm on Sunday, Apr. 5th in the Springfield sanctuary. A free will offering will be collected and a reception follows the concert. For details, click BMO. Frederick Presbyterian Church will host a special performance by Dan Kulp at 4:30pm on Saturday, Apr. 18th. Dan is a Christian singer, inspirational comedian and story teller. A covered-dish dinner will be served after the performance. Child-care will be provided and a good will collection will be taken. Light Street Presbyterian Church will host the, ECONOMY BUSTER, its annual flea market and silent auction, on May 16th at the church. For details, click Flea . The Gallery at Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church presents SIGNS AND SYMBOLS FOR LENT, an exhibition of 25 local artists depicting Christ?s Crucifixion and Resurrection in a variety of media i.e., oils, acrylic and watercolors, collages and pen and ink. This exhibit is open daily from 9am to 9pm until April 5th. Babcock Presbyterian Church is considering a unicameral board. If you have experience doing this, call Rev. Harry Cahill at 410.825.3314. Synod and General Assembly Items Mark your calendar for the Big Tent event, June 11th-13th in Atlanta, GA. Experience 10 different PC(USA) partner conferences occurring concurrently with common time set aside for participants to attend workshops, worship and enjoy meals together. For details, visit www.pcusa.org/bigtent Other Items and Events The Maryland Interfaith Legislative Committee (MILC) is looking for a part-time executive director. This is a paid position requiring organizational skills, computer skills. MILC is a coalition of faith-based advocates who work at the state level for social justice for low income people. For details email jerickson at baltimorepresbytery.org Peter Nord, Executive Presbyter pnord at baltimorepresbytery.org Bill Millen, Associate Executive bmillen at baltimorepresbytery.org Vaughn L. Brown Jr., Stated Clerk v brown at baltimorepresbytery.org Deb Milcarek Associate of Mission and Justice dmilcarek at baltimorepresbytery.org Jane Johnson Associate for Leadership Development, Education and Youth jjohnson at baltimorepresbytery.org Bob Turberville Director of Development rturberville at baltimorepresbytery.org Julie Erickson Director of Public Policy jerickson at baltimorepresbytery.org Judi Forrester Coordinator of Financial Services jforrester at baltimorepresbytery.org Roger Evans Coordinator of Information Services revans at baltimorepresbytery.org Wanda Morgan Coordinator of Resources wmorgan at baltimorepresbytery.org Deborah I. Greene Coordinator of Communications dgreene at baltimorepresbytery.org Questions? Comments? E-mail office at baltimorepresbytery.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... 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Name: not available Type: application/octet-stream Size: 3458 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.catonsvillepresb.org/pipermail/members-and-friends/attachments/20090324/0bc59f84/attachment.obj From kkovacs at catonsvillepresb.org Thu Mar 26 16:08:20 2009 From: kkovacs at catonsvillepresb.org (Kenneth Kovacs) Date: Thu, 26 Mar 2009 17:08:20 -0400 Subject: [Members-and-Friends] Please remember in your prayers Message-ID: <000701c9ae56$fdb83c60$f928b520$@org> Please remember the following people in your prayers: v Bill Huting as he mourns the loss of his father, Dale Huting, who died on March 11. There will be a Service of Witness to the Resurrection on Sunday, April 4, 2009, at 10:00 a.m., at Hope Presbyterian Church, Arbutus. v Kim and William Mercier as they mourn the death of Kim's mother, Anna Marie "Frenchie" Davis, who died on March 13. She was 84. There was a memorial service for "Frenchie" on March 25, 2009, at Witzke's. v Jacqueline Sheridan-Moore as she mourns the loss of her father, Lou Weber, who died on March 15. He was 79. Jackie is also recovering from successful hip surgery that she had last week at GBMC. Reverend Dr. Kenneth E. Kovacs, Ph.D. Catonsville Presbyterian Church 1400 Frederick Road Catonsville, Maryland 21228 410.747.6180, ext. 1005 www.catonsvillepresb.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.catonsvillepresb.org/pipermail/members-and-friends/attachments/20090326/bcd4c7f2/attachment.html From kkovacs at catonsvillepresb.org Thu Mar 26 16:32:21 2009 From: kkovacs at catonsvillepresb.org (Kenneth Kovacs) Date: Thu, 26 Mar 2009 17:32:21 -0400 Subject: [Members-and-Friends] Birth Announcements Message-ID: <000c01c9ae5a$58f06910$0ad13b30$@org> We rejoice with the Henderson and Sellars Family: Hunter MacKinnon Horvath was born to Emily & Tray Horvath on March 19, 2009, weighing 8 pounds, three ounces. Hunter is grandchild to Bill and Nancy Henderson and uncle to Christian Henderson. Ethan Mark Sellars was born to Nancy & Mark Sellars on March 18, 2009, weighing 9 pounds and 7 ounces. Congratulations! Reverend Dr. Kenneth E. Kovacs, Ph.D. Catonsville Presbyterian Church 1400 Frederick Road Catonsville, Maryland 21228 410.747.6180, ext. 1005 www.catonsvillepresb.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.catonsvillepresb.org/pipermail/members-and-friends/attachments/20090326/f7e8d02a/attachment.html From kkovacs at catonsvillepresb.org Fri Mar 27 13:02:25 2009 From: kkovacs at catonsvillepresb.org (Kenneth Kovacs) Date: Fri, 27 Mar 2009 14:02:25 -0400 Subject: [Members-and-Friends] Enewsletter for Lent V, Sunday, March 29, 2009 Message-ID: <001401c9af06$2f8acd20$8ea06760$@org> cid:image001.jpg at 01C91A43.AE9A5250 For the week of March 29, 2009 Worship Preview Fifth Sunday in Lent Sacrament of Baptism: Abigail Lee Wilson New Picture (20).bmp Statue of Atlas (1937), Rockefeller Center, New York, New York (Photo by InfiniteJeff at www.flickr.com) "A grain of wheat cannot grow unless it dies. If you encase it in plastic and hang it on your neck, it will never be good for anything but a bauble. For the seed to do what it was meant to do, it has to be given up. It has to fall into the earth and be buried." Barbara Brown Taylor Texts: Jeremiah 31: 31-34 & John 12: 20-33 Sermon: Taking on the World Last Sunday, I took an unconventional (although, I believe, faithful) reading of John 3:16 & 17. These texts declare that it was through the love of the world that God sent the Son, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. The word "world," kosmos, is found throughout John's gospel. It's found in John 12. But, here the "world" is to be "hated," Jesus says, given up and even judged. So what happened to all the love? Where did it go? The answer is embedded in John's use of the word, "world." The clue is in John 12: 31. And with John's particular understanding (that's not obvious in English), we'll find that our reading of John 3:16 & 17 will begin to change, as will our approach to the meaning of Christ's cross. See you in worship, Ken Kovacs ___________________________________________________ Life in Our Community for the Week of March 22-28, 2009 Lenten Practices: "I invite you, therefore, to observe a holy Lent." These words from the Ash Wednesday service in the Book of Common Worship invite us to celebrate the season before Easter in a special and significant way. There are several opportunities for prayer and self-giving in our One Great Hour of Sharing materials. Additional copies of the weekly prayers, children's calendars and Fish Banks are available in the back of the sanctuary. You may also wish to make time for study, ex: our Sunday morning Adult Education series, or for private devotions. Our denominational website, pcusa.org offers daily prayer sites, for example. We pray that these forty days (plus 6 Sundays) before Easter will be a time of exploration for you - a time when God will create something new in your spirit, in your life. May this be a holy Lent for us all. Christian Education Through the Sacrament of Baptism, we welcome Abigail Lee Wilson, born June 28, 2008, to Kim and Craig Wilson, into the household of faith and pray God's blessings and guidance for her. She joins siblings Aidan and Ainsley. Youth Groups: Crossroads Senior High will experience the events of Holy Week using music, video, art, contemplative prayer, and more, beginning at 6 p.m. this Sunday evening; we'll finish by 7:30 p.m. Sunday, April 5, 5:30-7:30 p.m.: Youth groups and their families are invited to the church to kick back and watch a movie (probably "Godspell") for this spring break activity. We'll provide popcorn & drinks. If you'd like to bring a picnic supper, that would be great! Palm Sunday Activities - Sunday, April 5: Church school children (ages 3 - grade 5) and their parents are invited to a brief LentEvent at 9:45 a.m. next Sunday morning (church school still begins at its regular time of 9:00 a.m.). We'll taste the bread of Maundy Thursday, share the joy of Easter morning, sing "Hosanna!," and more. Parents should meet their children in their classrooms, then come over to fellowship hall. We will all gather in the sanctuary at 10:20 to participate in the palm processional. Our church school choir will sing the introit. Easter Sunday: Please note there are no church school/Second Sunday/ youth group activities on Sunday, April 12. Worship for all ages (and child care for young children) is at 10:30 a.m. One Great Hour of Sharing: Fish boxes with our OGHS offerings will be collected in worship on Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. Your money will help communities all over the world. Let's share the good news! Adult Education - 9:00 a.m. in the Library. March 29 (Lenten Series): The Community (Communities) of Catonsville Presbyterian Church. Elder Susan Krehbiel will facilitate this discussion as we reflect upon our own personal experiences of community at CPC. How can we deepen our sense of community? April 5, Palm Sunday: Holy Week in Word & Image. Join us as we explore the events of Holy Week by reading scripture and "reading" images inspired by scripture. Ken Kovacs will guide us through key themes in Mark's Gospel. Nina Lagervall will share three paintings, which emerged from her reading of the passion narrative in Mark's Gospel, two from the Garden of Gethsemane and one from the Easter morning account. Word and image together will allow us to enter into the story in new ways. Mission Lenten Choice: Looking for something to TAKE UP for this Lenten season? Why not join our "5 CENTS A MEAL" HUNGER PROGRAM? By setting aside a NICKEL each time you sit down to a meal, and contributing that to our Hunger Program, you can help churches in our Presbytery feed the hungry. Look for the RED and WHITE CONTAINERS in fellowship hall to contribute your pennies, nickels, etc. Your spare change can help to fight hunger in our local communities. Take This Pledge Home With You As A Reminder: Nickels for Hunger Pledge For the season of Lent, I agree to be a part of the "5 Cents A Meal" program by praying for those who are hungry and by setting aside at least 5 cents per meal to contribute to the "5 Cents A Meal" program. Name: Stewardship The 2009 Per Capita is $30.41 for each member. To date, we have received $2623.73. Per Capita is an assessment paid to the Presbyterian Church (USA) based on church membership. Per Capita is for administrative expenses of the Presbytery of Baltimore, the Synod of the Mid-Atlantic, and the General Assembly. Our Financial Resources Doing God's Work As of March 28, 2009 Actual Income to Date $ 106,021 Pro-rated Expenses to Date $ 111,795 Shortfall to Date $ (5,774) It takes $1,285 to fund the daily operations of the church in 2009. We rely on everyone to support what God is doing through this congregation. The vitality of this ministry is secured by God's grace and funded by the faithfulness and commitment of God's people. We are counting on the ongoing generosity of our members and friends. Bob Shumaker, Finance Committee Have you submitted your pledge for 2009? Pledge Report - Closing the Gap Our projected shortfall in CPC funding for 2009 was $35,000 as of the annual meeting in February. Since then we have received 5 increased pledges and 3 new pledges and have closed the shortfall to $24,351. This gap must be closed by year-end. 2009 2008 Thru 3/21/09 Number of Pledges Received to Date 119 122 Total Dollar Amount Pledged $326,009 $ 311,030 Average Pledge $ 2,739 $ 2,653 Median Pledge $ 1,800 $ 1,560 The pledges received so far breakdown as follows: $10,000 or more 4 $1,200-$1,499 8 $5,000-$10,000 12 $1,000-$1,199 15 $3,000-$4,999 23 $800-$999 8 $2,000-$2,999 16 $500-$799 14 $1,500-$1,999 15 Less than $500 4 $ 102 pledges have been renewed. $ 45 pledges received were increased over last year. $ 17 new pledges have been received. $ 17 pledged last year but have not yet pledged this year. Respectfully submitted, David Carr, Pledge Secretary Growing in God's Grace" Capital Campaign Number of Pledges Received to Date 155 Total Dollar Amount Pledged $ 968,216 Amount Received 3/22/09 $ 307 Amount Paid to Date $ 906,944 Additional Help Appreciated On Saturday, April 4, you are invited to join the trustees and Scout Troop 306 in the annual spring cleanup of the church grounds. We will work from 9 a.m.-noon to remove sticks and other debris from the grounds and to clean out the flower beds. Bring your gloves, rakes, and wear work shoes. It would be helpful to have a few tarps available. Your help would be greatly appreciated for part or all of the morning. Refreshments will be available for volunteers near the end of the work session. Questions? Contact Bruce Lutz at brucelutz5 at verizon.net or Glenda Johnson at gtassoc at verizon.net. Deacons Sharing Easter Joy: As we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, let us share our joy with our less fortunate brothers and sisters right here in Catonsville by helping them to meet their most basic needs. Catonsville Emergency Food Ministries has requested that we donate the following items: Canned peas canned carrots soups Canned spinach tomato sauce jelly Canned mixed vegetables instant potatoes peanut butter canned tomatoes canned fruits spam canned meats canned salmon (including spaghettios, ravioli, etc.) There is a bin in fellowship hall to collect these items. Please bring your donations to church by April 5 (Palm Sunday). Sponsored by the deacons. If you have questions, please call Sidney Turner 410-788-8427 or email vankoten at verizon.net. Praying through the Congregation: Throughout the year, the congregation will be praying for all church members and families. Using our alphabetical church directory, we will feature these names on our Intercessor List, approximately seven members/families each Sunday. We invite you to pray for these persons during that week; reaching out by sending a card or making a phone call is also welcome. Calendar for March 29-April 5, 2009 Sunday, 3/29 LENT V 9:00 a.m. Adult Education, Library 9:00 a.m. Church School 10:30 a.m. Worship: Baptism 6:00-7:30 p.m. Crossroads Monday, 3/30 9:00 a.m. Counters, Conference Rm 7:00 p.m. France Room/Library Renovation Group, France Rm Tuesday, 3/31 9:30 a.m. Quilting Group, Library Wednesday, 4/1 10:00-11:30 a.m. Concert Series Board, Library 7:00 p.m. Session, Library Thursday, 4/2 11:15 a.m. CPCFCCC Children's Chapel, Sanctuary 6:30 p.m. Handbell Choir Rehearsal, Sanctuary 7:30 p.m. Chancel Choir, Music Rm Friday, 4/3 Saturday, 4/4 9:00 a.m.-Noon Church Grounds Cleanup Sunday, 4/5 PALM SUNDAY 9:00 a.m. Church School 9:00 a.m. Adult Education, Library 10:30 a.m. Worship 11:30 a.m. Christian Education Committee, Library 5:30-7:30 p.m. Youth Group Movie Night Dr. Kovacs will be attending the Covenant Network board meeting in Chicago on March 30 and 31. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... 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