Messenger is here!

October 7, 2026

This week's release at a glance:

• Pastor’s Message
• Outreach and Service Partner: Anne Arundel Connecting Together
• Outreach and Service Partner: Langton Green Farm
• Calling All Youngish Adults
• Blessing of the Animals Recap
• In-Home Gatherings with Pastor Ashley
• Picnic Table & Bench Orders
• Fall Flower Workshop
• A Broadway Afternoon: From Golden Classics to Today
• Holiday Bazaar Jewelry Donations & Sale
• Fall Costume Party & Parade
• Woods is Offering a Drop-In Program
• Join Our Choirs
  

Pastor's Message

On the last Sunday of October, we will be celebrating Reformation Sunday, since that is the Sunday that is closest to October 31, the date on which Martin Luther famously nailed his “95 Theses” to the door of Wittenberg Cathedral, inadvertently launching what became the Protestant Reformation. I say “inadvertently” because despite the dramatic sound and image of nailing the theses to the door of a church, Luther was not trying to incite a religious revolution; he was following an established practice for inviting an academic debate! Regardless of his intentions, though, the religious revolution happened, and happened fast, expanding from a relatively contained set of concerns about the pope selling indulgences to a comprehensive rethinking of the theology and practice of the Christian Church as it stood in the early 1500s.

One of the biggest developments that came out of the Protestant Reformation, as you probably know, is summed up in the Protestant slogan, “sola Scriptura!”, which means “Scripture alone!” Protestants were arguing that if Scripture and the teaching/tradition of the church are in conflict, Scripture is the only ultimate authority of Christian faith, and the church teaching or tradition has to change to conform to Scripture in that case. This emphasis on the authority of Scripture led to a number of other reforms that we take for granted today, such as individual Christians having the right to read Scripture on their own. Prior to the Reformation, Scripture was seen as literally the property of the Church and its clergy; medieval churches often chained the Bible to the pulpit so it could not be removed by anyone, and locked it shut so that it could not be read by anyone but clergy. And even if they hadn’t done those things, many people in that age were illiterate, and only educated elites would be able to read Latin, which was the only translation that the Church permitted (as you probably know, the original languages of the Bible are Hebrew for the Old Testament and Greek for the New Testament). So, effectively, nobody could read Scripture except clergy, and even they sometimes were not well educated and could not actually understand Latin, they just knew how to pronounce the words!

So, one of the biggest innovations of the Protestant Reformation was translating the Bible into local languages, starting with Luther’s translation into German. The first complete English translation of the Bible from the original languages was in 1526, just nine years after the Reformation began, and there have been numerous English translations since then. The King James Version was produced in 1611 because the king felt that the Geneva Bible, which had been translated by English exiles in John Calvin’s Geneva in 1560, had annotations and notes that were “too Presbyterian” because they were critical of monarchical traditions in the Bible. It became the standard English version for several centuries, but in the 19th century, a combination of better original language manuscripts discovered by archeologists and changes in common use English language from its Elizabethan days (“thee” and “thou” was falling out of fashion) required a new translation. This resulted in the American Standard Version (ASV) in 1901, which became the common translation in many U.S. Protestant churches. It was substantially revised in 1952 because of a wave of new archeological discoveries in the previous few decades that provided older and more accurate versions of the original language manuscripts, resulting in the predicably titled Revised Standard Version (RSV) and a desire to reflect common English syntax again, and then again in 1989 for the same reasons, resulting in the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

The New Revised Standard Version is what we have been using in worship at Woods Church for a long time at this point, but as of this week, we are shifting, because the New Revised Standard Version was revised again in 2022, resulting in the helpful, if unfortunately titled, New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE). As with previous revisions, this one was undertaken to incorporate the most accurate sources of the original language manuscripts and to mirror English as it is commonly spoken in the United States. A few months ago, the Session affirmed a switch to the NRSVUE for us in worship, and this week we will be implementing that. A pulpit Bible has not been produced yet for the NRSVUE, so for the time being, our lectors will be reading from printouts of the NRSVUE, but our current NRSV pulpit Bible will remain on the pulpit in worship as a link to that Protestant tradition of the Bible being “unchained and unlocked,” both literally in terms of church practice and figuratively in terms of it no longer being in Latin.

We look forward to adding an NRSVUE pulpit Bible when it becomes available. In the meantime, we celebrate and give thanks for the long and rich Protestant and Reformed tradition of Scripture being accessible to us and unrivaled in authority for us in our Christian lives and faith.

Peace and blessings,

—Pastor JC

Church News

Outreach and Service Partner:

Anne Arundel Connecting Together

Our Outreach and Service partner, Anne Arundel Connecting Together (ACT), is hosting a Candidate Action for an Affordable Maryland event with the Maryland Just Power Alliance. The event will take place on Sunday, October 18, 2:45–4:30PM, at First Baptist Church of Guilford (7504 Oakland Mills Rd, Columbia, MD). The event will allow Anne Arundel County residents to discuss the causes and challenges important to them. Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman and Secretary of Housing Jake Day have confirmed their attendance and other election candidates have been invited.

You can learn more about the event here: https://www.actaaco.org/events/statewide-action.

Blessing of the Animals Recap

Thank you to the organizers and everyone who brought their beloved creatures to the Blessing of the Animals this past Sunday! Our pastors enjoyed blessing your furry and amphibious friends!

Fall Flower Workshop

The Flower Ministry invites members and friends of Woods Church to a workshop on Saturday, October 17, 9:30AM–12 PM, in the Founders Room. Space is limited to 25 participants. The cost is $25, which includes materials. Please bring garden cutters (clippers).

Register online or contact Pam Ward at 443.261.3263 or visit the church office.

Calling All Youngish Adults

Back from college? New to the area? Looking for your people? Let’s get the gang back together! We’re gathering young adults, ages 21–late 30s together to reconnect, meet new people, and dream about what the future of Young Adults at Woods could look like. Join us and Pastor Ashley for dinner and fellowship at Vida Taco Bar (Severna Park location) on Thursday, October 22, 6PM.

Know someone who should be here? Pass this along and invite them! RSVP online, or email or text Pastor Ashley to RSVP at ABrown@woodschurch.org or 512.210.9330.

In-Home Gatherings with Pastor Ashley

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

Picnic Table & Bench Orders

Would you like to order a handmade picnic table or bench? We’re taking orders until Thursday, October 15.

Please return your Order Form to Beth Hadley at bbhadley@gmail.com. Questions? Call 443.668.2551.

Holiday Bazaar Jewelry Donations & Sale

Our jewelry table will be loaded with costume jewelry of all types, including necklaces, earrings, bracelets, rings, and watches, with most prices ranging from $1–$5. Start gathering your unbroken costume jewelry now to donate to the Bazaar. But wait until the week of November 15 to bring it to Zimmerman Hall. Then shop on Saturday, November 21!

A Broadway Afternoon: From Golden Classics to Today

Come and join us for a fun-filled, Broadway Afternoon on Sunday, October 25, 2PM! The concert features renowned singers - Andrew Fowler (Tenor), Jennifer Cooper (Alto), Shouvik Mondle (Baritone), Tabitha Popernack (Soprano), David Merrill (Tenor), and pianist Sandy Daelemans. We’ll take you on a journey through some of the most beloved musical theater songs ever written! From West Side Story, to Cats, Phantom of the Opera, to Pippin there is something for everyone!

This event is free, but registration is required, please register at www.woodstix.org. For more information email David Merrill at dmerrill@woodschurch.org.

(Original concert concept created by Shouvik Mondle)

Children's News

Fall Costume Party & Parade

Join the Woods Children’s Committee for a fun-filled evening of costumes, games, crafts, music, prizes, and treats on Thursday, October 15! Children and families are invited to celebrate the season with friends and show off their favorite costumes during our festive parade. The party will take place in the Children's Garden near the Counselling Center.



Come dressed in your favorite costume and enjoy an evening of family-friendly fall fun. We can’t wait to celebrate with you!

Woods' Drop-In Program on School Early-Release Days

Looking for a meaningful and fun option on public school early-release days? Our Drop-In program offers Christian Formation activities from 1–5PM.



Children will enjoy a snack, large-motor play, engaging small-group activities from 3–4:30PM. Workspace is available for parents who wish to “work from home” after drop-off. The cost is $10 per child.

Available on select two-hour early dismissal days by AACPS. Registration for October 13 and December 8 will open on September 21.

Youth News

Education & Small Groups

Weekly Bible Study

Lead Pastor JC Austin and our Associate Pastor Ashley Brown offer a weekly Bible Study on Wednesdays, 11AM, to examine the upcoming Sunday’s scripture readings before they are presented in worship.

Join us on Zoom and gain a new understanding of scripture and enhance your worship experience.

Music Notes

Join Our Choirs

Be a part of our Music Ministry at Woods! For questions about our choirs, bands, or arts offerings, email David Merrill at dmerrill@woodschurch.org.

Adult Choir

Come join us as we sing and lead worship through all styles of music. All are welcome to come and sing! We rehearse Thursday evenings at 7PM. We look forward to having you with us.

Praise Band

Do you play an instrument, sing, or just love music? Then join our Praise Band! Our Praise Band leads worship at our 11AM service, with rehearsals on Thursdays, 7PM.

Reach out to Sarah Kent with any questions at skent@woodschurch.org.

Children’s Choir | Grades 1–5

Do you have child that just loves to sing, or wants to give it a try? Then come on out to Children's Choir! It’s super fun, and the tunes are catchy and easy to learn. 

SEEK Band | Grades 6–12

Do you play an instrument, enjoy singing, or just love music? Then come on out! Any youth in grades 6–12 can join our SEEK Band. The SEEK Band offers music for worship regularly, with many wonderful solo and musical opportunities.

Church Family News

Tech Volunteers Needed

Easy to learn! We’re currently looking for volunteers to help with running slides and cameras during our worship services. This would be a great opportunity to support our church behind the scenes and/or pick up a new skill or two!

If you’re interested in helping or have any questions, email Eric Willner at ewillner@woodschurch.org.



Support Our Bagel Ministry

Looking for a way to honor, celebrate and/or remember a family member, friend, or special event? Consider sponsoring bagels following our worship services on Sunday mornings! The cost is $100.

For more information, contact Kathie Hamlett at khamlett@woodschurch.org.

Lost & Found

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

Have faith that you and your objects will be reunited!