Messenger | August 13, 2025

 This week's release at a glance:

• Pastor’s Message
• Kick-Off Sunday Ministry Mall and Family Picnic
• Get Ready for Our Holiday Bazaar
• Confirmation Class Registration is Open
• A New Thing for Twos and Threes
• Backpack Blessing!
• Youth Group is Collecting Donations
• Pastors’ Bible Study
• Presbyterian Women’s Circle Bible Study
• Support the Cecilia McKay Fund
• Mission Team is Back from Malawi
• Softball vs. SP United Methodist
  

Pastor's Message

I want to thank the WoodsWork leaders, both youth and adults, for leading worship so faithfully and well last Sunday and helping us not only learn more about the powerful ministry of WoodsWork itself, but how to think about “God sightings” in our own lives and in the world around us. It was a wonderful contribution to our larger church theme and sermon series about perceiving God’s new thing springing forth!

Last week we also announced “WoodsWords,” which is gathering up your perceptions of God’s new things springing forth in your life, in the church, and in the larger world. This is an exciting way for everyone to do what our WoodsWork youth did last Sunday: telling the story of what you’re perceiving, believing, and experiencing about God at work in and around you. As Nancy mentioned, you can submit your stories either by emailing them to WoodsWords@woodschurch.org or submitting them to the Information Booth, or the front desk in the Church Office. We will then compile them into a booklet that you can read for personal devotion and reflection; I often say that the shortest distance between two people is a story, and other people’s stories can help us attend to what God is doing in the story of our own lives and faith.

As you hopefully know, this effort is also part of our ongoing Stewardship initiatives as we entered a new year of ministry and mission in July. Woods Church is poised and ready for a year of extraordinary life and work together: going out into the world in new ways; thinking again about how we can welcome people authentically into this community; building up our current vibrant ministries of faith formation, mission and service, worship and music, fellowship and community, and so much more. To help us get there, we’re asking for those who haven’t yet made a pledge to support the church financially in the coming year to do so, and those who have made a pledge to prayerfully consider whether this is a time that you could increase that initial pledge. As a sign of thanks for either such pledge, we will send you a copy of “WoodsWords” for your enjoyment and discernment.

We are in a time in which the very things that Woods most has to offer the world are most needed: unity in the midst of diverse opinions and backgrounds; compassion and kindness towards each other and our neighbors; asking hard questions together and seeking God’s response and guidance; looking for God’s redeeming grace already at work in the world and joining in; and experiencing and sharing the presence of God in and through our community.

I am convinced that God is calling into a powerful future to make us instruments of peace, to paraphrase Francis of Assisi’s famous prayer; all we need to do is respond! May God bless your prayers, your reflection, your ministry, and your faith as we do so together.

Peace and blessings,

—Pastor J.C.

Church News

Kick-Off Sunday Ministry Mall and Family Picnic

Sign-ups for our 2025–2026 Confirmation Class are open! Our 8th grade Confirmation Class will meet on Sundays, September 14–May, 2–3PM. This class is designed for 8th graders to explore their relationship with God, recommit themselves to their walk with Christ, and take the step to join the church. In this class, you’ll learn more about your faith, what it means to be the Church, and how to share your faith with others!

In addition, we are offering a NEW High School Confirmation Crash-Course for any high school students who are interested in being confirmed and joining our church, but might be a bit old for our normal 8th grade class. This also is a great option for students who have been confirmed before, but are interested in taking a refresher class. This class will meet on Sunday afternoons, 3:30–4:30PM, starting on September 14, and will last only one semester.

Get Ready for Our Holiday Bazaar

It’s never too early! Yes, it's never too early to start planning for our Woods Holiday Bazaar!

Bring new or gently used board games and puzzles on Kick-off Sunday, September 7, and get up to two free raffle tickets for a chance to win the Holiday Bazaar Gift Basket valued at over $200! The Woods Holiday Bazaar Table also will distribute cards for specific items to donate to the Sweet Shop for candy making.

New this year, we will be offering children's clothing in sizes infant to youth 10. Please save your kids’ outgrown clothing and bring them to the church beginning Sunday, September 7. There will be a large rolling blue bin in the lobby for drop-off.

And save the date for our 2025 Holiday Bazaar on Saturday, November 22, and plan to shop for the holiday season!

Confirmation Class Registration is Open

Sign-ups for our 2025–2026 Confirmation Class are open! Our 8th grade Confirmation Class will meet on Sundays, September 14–May, 2–3PM. This class is designed for 8th graders to explore their relationship with God, recommit themselves to their walk with Christ, and take the step to join the church. In this class, you’ll learn more about your faith, what it means to be the Church, and how to share your faith with others!

In addition, we are offering a NEW High School Confirmation Crash-Course for any high school students who are interested in being confirmed and joining our church, but might be a bit old for our normal 8th grade class. This also is a great option for students who have been confirmed before, but are interested in taking a refresher class. This class will meet on Sunday afternoons, 3:30–4:30PM, starting on September 14, and will last only one semester.

Children's News

A New Thing for Twos and Threes

Beginning Sunday, August 24, the twos and threes are invited to their own Sunday School Class after the children's moment during 9:30AM worship.

The children will have a circle time with Jesus, hear a Bible story about God’s love for them, and enjoy a short enrichment activity. There will be lots of love and playtime, as we help children experience God as the maker of all things, one who loves them unconditionally, and Jesus who shows us how to love each other.

Do you have questions? Please contact Kat Green at kgreen@woodschurch.org or Lindsey Miller at lmiller@woodschurch.org.

Backpack Blessing!

Bring your backpack, sports bag, lacrosse stick, catcher's mitt, dance bag...whatever...to worship on Sunday, August 24. During our 9:30AM worship service, we will celebrate the beginning of a new school year and bless our backpacks to remember that God is with us wherever we are.

Youth News

Youth Group is Collecting Donations

Our Youth Group will be collecting donations for Hygiene Kits this Sunday, August 10, in the church lobby before and after worship. We will be assembling the kits at our Mission Lock-In next weekend, and donating them to the Anne-Arundel House of Hope.

We are looking for donations of:

• Soap
• Shampoo
• Toothbrushes/Toothpaste
• Deodorant

And if you are in 6th–12th grade, consider joining Woods youth for our Mission Lock-In on Friday–Saturday, August 15–16. Click the button below for more details and to sign up.

Mission News

Support the Cecilia McKay Fund

There are many budgeted Mission efforts at Woods…but a daily need is to help those facing eviction or having their electricity cut off through the Cecilia McKay Fund. It relies on direct donations (online or by check with Cecilia McKay in memo). We all know how electric bills have gone up, but what if you were living on the edge financially.

In April, May, and June, we have helped 45 families overcome financial issues (37 for BGE); 125 requested assistance. We cannot help everyone (ask Dick Moore for the criteria). In those three months, Cecilia McKay disbursed over $9,000! Without your help, we will need to say no to even more folks in need.

Please consider earmarking $50 or $100 to Cecilia McKay Fund for families in need. Thank you!

Mission Team is Back from Malawi

The Ministry of Hope – Malawi Mission Team is home safely after a long delay on our return flight. The team presented multiple math workshops at two of Ministry of Hope’s community-based village centers. In total, over 450 students received additional math tutoring to help prepare them for end-of-year exams this month. Funds from Woods Church enabled us to provide all of these orphaned teens with math kits for the next school year. We also left materials to provide writing workshops later this summer. These workshops will be led by college students studying education at the African Bible College in Lilongwe.

In addition, the team participated in two mobile medical clinics funded by Woods. These clinics provided medical care and medication to over 800 people in two days. The team also made 12 home visits. Community center directors arranged for us to visit families in the village who had particular needs. We shared rice, sugar, oil, soap, corn meal, and sweet treats for the children with each family. One grandmother we visited did not even have straw mats for sleeping. She and her grandchildren slept on the dirt floor of their hut (with the roof caving in). She tries hard to keep the children in school, but they often need to do piece work on farms. This year, she did not harvest enough corn to have food through the rainy season. This story was repeated over and over. The poverty and needs in Malawi are overwhelming.

We met extraordinary Malawians working hard to improve the lives of their people, especially children, across central Malawi. We are grateful for the opportunity to serve with them for two weeks.

Thanks to Woods for all you do to improve life for orphans and their extended families in Malawi.

Education & Small Groups

Pastors’ Bible Study: New Time

Lead Pastor J.C. Austin and Associate Pastor Nancy Lincoln Reynolds 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.

Presbyterian Women’s Circle Bible Study

The Women's Circle Bible study will meet in Room 212 on the second Tuesday of each month, starting September 9, 10AM. We will be studying the Horizons Bible Study, Finding Resilience, Joy, and Our Identity in Jesus Christ. Study guides will be available in Fellowship Hall on August 10, 17, & 24. We will make this study available on Zoom also. Please stop by the table and look it over. The book cost is $14. Come and join us for this interesting study.

Click here to download a flyer. If you have any questions, please contact Bev Haines at 410.551.8412.

In Our Community

Game Day vs. SP United Methodist

Game On! This Sunday, August 17, 2PM, we’re taking the field against SP United Methodist at Elvaton #2.

No experience required and you already made the team! Qualifications include: you must bring a smile, and be at least 16 years of age by December 31. No full-time commitment is necessary.

If you are interested, contact Andrew Wiley at 443.867.8803 or wileyas1@gmail.com.

A Moment of Prayer

God our shepherd,

you are our safe place, our shelter,

our ground, our breath.

We turn to you in hope and trust,

knowing we have come this far by faith,

and you will guide us all the way

Mold our daily patterns for your purposes

so that we may live as one heart and mind

with you and our neighbors,

rejoicing together and praising your holy name,

through Jesus the Christ.

Amen.

From Call to Worship Volume 59.1