NEWSLETTER Boyds Presbyterian Church 19901 White Ground Road Boyds, MD 20841 phone: 301-540-2544 http://www.boydspc.org e-mail: [email protected] VOL. XXV March 2015 No. 3 From the Pastor HOLY WEEK "The Backstory" Maundy Thursday, April 2 We will celebrate communion with St. Mark’s and Western Montgomery United Methodist Churches at 8 pm. There is a fellowship time at 7 pm in P-W Hall. Good Friday, April 3 There is a candlelight service at 8 pm. We will share the service with Darnestown Presbyterian. There is a fellowship time at 7 pm in P-W Hall. Bench Building, April 4 We will build benches on Sugarloaf Mountain. Meet at the foot of the mountain at the barn at 8:15 am; bring hammers, gloves, trucks; nails provided! Easter Sunday, April 5 6:15 am at the East View, Sugarloaf Mountain 9:30 am Family Service, no Sunday school 11:00 am Traditional Service, choir sings Although Boyds is a Presbyterian Church, I know that some of us come from faith traditions outside of the PCUSA. I thought I would provide my best "unofficial overview" of Holy Week and some of the common liturgical practices in our denomination. PALM SUNDAY “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” (Matthew 21:9) Palm Sunday falls on the Sunday before Easter and marks the beginning of Holy Week in the Christian church. The day commemorates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem--an event mentioned in all four Gospels. It is called Palm Sunday, or Branch Sunday, because the people put down palm branches to 'pave' the road for Jesus according to the Scriptures. The people cried, "HOSANNA" (Hebrew for save!) while waving branches in the air. Palm Sunday worship services often focus on the "triumphal entry" in Scripture--when Jesus' followers were hopeful that their promised messiah had finally come to SAVE them from their Roman oppressors; however, as the story unfolds during Holy Week, we see that Jesus SAVES them from more than the Roman Empire, but from death itself through His resurrection. MAUNDY THURSDAY EASTER "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you." "He isn’t here!" (Matthew 28:6) Easter Sunday is also known as Resurrection Sunday. The name Easter is not a biblical word, but its origin is connected to spring time. Easter as we know it became popular in America following the civil war; however, the essence of Easter is best understood in the context of the Passover meal and celebrating Jesus' final victory over, and our final deliverance from, death (sin). Preachers and church choirs proclaim God's mighty power behind the empty tomb and Jesus' resurrection from the dead. Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the equinox--so the dates of Lent, Holy Week, Easter and Pentecost (50 days after Easter) are not the same from year to year. In some Christian traditions, the word Hallelujah or Alleluia (literally "Praise to the Lord" in Hebrew) are omitted from worship liturgy during Lent, but are introduced again on Easter morning. The Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah was written as an Easter tribute, but portions of the work are often sung at Christmas as well because the work outlines the whole life and ministry of Jesus! (John 15:17) Maundy Thursday gets its name from the word mandatum (Latin) or mandate (English), referring to the firm direction Jesus gives his disciples at the last supper to love one another (John 15:12). In John 13, Jesus shows the disciples God's self-emptying heart by picking up a pitcher, putting on a towel, and washing their feet. The Last Supper was the night the disciples celebrated the Passover with Jesus. Passover refers to the epic event when God delivered His people from Egyptian oppression and led them through the red sea. Then and always, God's presence was 'with them' which is the name given to Jesus at birth: Emmanuel. Jesus' name (Joshua/Hosea) also means deliverance (or literally "God Saves"). The Resurrection is the ultimate Passover, or deliverance, for all of humanity. GOOD FRIDAY "It is finished." (John 19:30) Respectfully, Good Friday is thought to be named for God's Friday. It is usually an evening worship that memorializes the crucifixion of Jesus. Church crosses are often shrouded in black and sometimes the seven last words of Christ are used for meditation and guided prayer. A Tenebrae service is a 'service of darkness'--a way of reflecting on these seven verses while a candle is extinguished for each verse. Worshipers leave the sanctuary in darkness and silence, waiting for Easter promises to be fulfilled. EYDE Bad Weather Action Plan In the event of heavy weather this winter, please call the church office to listen to any worship schedule changes; Pastor Eyde will update the voicemail message between 7 and 7:30 am on Sunday morning with any special alerts. 2 Envelopes for the Easter Altar Arrangement in memory of loved ones will be available March 15th, 22nd, & 29th and are $10 per memorial. Deadline is March 29th. Families, individuals, or groups are needed to host the fellowship time during the first three or four weeks of each month. The last Sunday of each month is designated as “Pot Luck.” The sign-up sheet is in Pollock-Williams Hall. Saturday, March 7th: Set your clocks AHEAD one hour (spring forward, fall back). Also, this is a good time to check or change the batteries in your smoke and CO2 detectors. The 2015 Sanctuary Cleaning schedule is on the bulletin board in the church vestibule. Individuals or families are needed to sign up for one month of weekly cleaning. The Mission and Merriment group will meet Tuesdays, March 3rd and 17th at 11 am in P-W Hall. Come help with the mission projects. For more information, contact Susan Blackman at 301-279-7320 or [email protected]. Bring the family to Clarksburg High School’s production of Tarzan, with music by Phil Collins! The Lunch Bunch meets the second Tuesday of each month at various restaurants. The next gathering is March 10th at 12 noon at Outback in Germantown. For reservations, contact Nancy Daugherty at 301349-5207 or [email protected] by Monday, March 9th. March 20th, 21st, 27th and 28th at 7 pm and a matinee on March 21st at 1 pm. Discounts for Scouting troops are available at the March 21st matinee. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for students. For more info, go to: http://www.playbillder.com/show/vip/Clark sburg_High/1999/Tarzan_11032. The Men’s Fellowship meets the second Saturday of each month at Bob Evans in Germantown. Their next meeting is Saturday, th March 14 at 8 am. For information, contact Rowland New at 301-882-7151. The Boyds Crocheters meet the second Saturday of each month in P-W Hall. Their next meeting is Saturday, March 14th The Lenten Study group meets Thursday evenings at 7:30 pm in P-W Hall. The study is titled My Heart, Christ’s Home by Robert Munger. Please join Pastor Eyde at 6:30 pm for a light dinner. Contact Pastor Eyde at 360-620-3326 for more information or material. at 9:30 am. Spring Clean-Up is scheduled for Sat., March 21st, from 9 am 12 noon. Grab your gloves and rakes and join in the fun as we get ready for Spring! Bad-weather date is March 28th. The New Member class, Part 2 will meet Sunday, March 1st at 12:30 pm in P-W Hall. Lunch will be provided. 3 We make a living by what we get --We make a life by what we give! ~Winston Churchhill Coming soon: VBS 2015! Songs Games Gizmos Snacks Appreciation and gratitude: to all who contributed to the Souper Bowl of Caring; to Doug & Lisa Fiedler and Tom & Melane Hoffmann for hosting one of the February fellowships; to Kay Curtis for cleaning the church during the month of February; to Steve Gibson for shoveling snow from the sidewalks. Videos Skits Stories What is the REAL reason Vacation Bible School is so Great? YOU! Calling all High Grandparents Schoolers, Moms, Dads, This year marks the sixty-sixth anniversary of the first One Great Hour of Sharing. Over the years, thanks to Presbyterians’ generosity (about $7 million annually) this offering has made a tremendous difference to people around the world experiencing need. The OGH offering will be gathered on Palm Sunday, March 29th. Please tape your fish boxes shut and place your name on the box for credit. Volunteer guides and crews needed: Science leaders, Bible Story leaders, Video Discussion leaders, Preschool leaders, Skit participants, Snack helpers, Music assistants, Photographer assistant, Recreation assistants, Preschool assistants, Leader assistants, Set Construction team, Decorator team. At Everest vacation Bible school, kids experience God’s Word in surprising and unforgettable ways! Each day, leaders reinforce one simple Bible truth – God has the POWER to Provide, to Comfort, to Heal, to Forgive, to Love Embark on an icy expedition with us where kids overcome obstacles with God’s awesome power! This winter sermon series is based on the classic devotional written by Robert Munger, My Heart, Christ's Home, and will take us up to and through the season of Lent. As we continue to ask God to give us his "heart to love" in 2015, this sermon series will challenge each of us to see our heart as a home. As we move through the different rooms of our heart in 4 each Sunday's sermon, we will be encouraged to surrender the contents of each room--no matter how messy--to the Lordship of Jesus. of Deacons and Trustees. In coming months, all members will be invited to participate. What can you do in the meantime? There are many tasks that need to be accomplished in the next few months. Consider pairing up with another family to host fellowship. The church sanctuary needs volunteers to clean it each month. The Board of Trustees will be announcing the Spring Yard Clean-Up day soon. We will need your help mulching, weeding and getting ready for Spring. Consider volunteering to be a visiting grandparent to a Sunday School class once a month. Vacation Bible School will be coming up in mid-June. Men’s Fellowship, Mission and Merriment, The Lunch Bunch and The Boyds Crochet Group are all ways to get involved and stay involved. There are many ways to contribute your time and talent. If you have an interest, please call the church office and let us know! Next mtg: Monday, March 2nd at 7 pm in P-W Hall. The sermon series will begin on Sunday, February 8, and conclude on Sunday, March 22. Palm Sunday is March 29. The Session met on February 2nd. From The Session: The most common question members of Session get is, “When is the Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC) going to be named.” The answer remains the same. We have a lot of groundwork to do before that can occur and Presbytery has to approve our work before a PNC can be named. Rest assured, members will be notified when the opportunity to be a part of the process comes. While we aren’t ready to start a PNC, the Session has started the transition plan for finding our next called pastor. We have started comparing our way of doing business to the way prescribed by Presbyterian Church USA. Think of this as a sort of tune-up for your car – a way to get ready to accept a new pastor. We want to be “ready for company” when the time comes. We expect to have a Town Hall meeting for members in the next few months where we will be available to answer questions and describe where we are in the process and tell everyone what’s next. One requirement in the process involves surveying the congregation on what we do well and what could be improved. Session has contracted with a church consulting group that administers a web-based survey. The Session has started the survey process with the Boards The Board of Deacons met on February 9th. Reviewed 2015 usher schedule and communion dates. Discussed ways to promote youth SSL participation. Discussed the new Cabin Branch development and impact to area. Discussed new pastor search process with Pastor Eyde. Next mtg: Monday, March 9th at 7 pm in P-W Hall. The Board of Trustees met February 17th. Part of meeting was spent with Ken Beal, our new Treasurer; received $26,680 from Edward L. Byrd trust and $500 from Irma Byrd estate. Discussed Cemetery audit; Trustees to prepare operating manual, lot purchasers to receive copy of cemetery by-laws, deeds to be signed at meetings so they can be recorded in minutes. Approved one space request. Next mtg: Tuesday, March 17th at 7 pm in P-W Hall. 5 Younkin; Mary Younkins. Pray for those recovering from their war wounds. Pray for communities and nations recovering from natural disasters; for victims of violence and war throughout the world. If your email address has changed, please notify the church office at [email protected]. For the ninth year, the youth of the church sponsored the hunger mission project called the “Souper Bowl of Caring.” They presented their witness on Sunday, Feb. 1st during the worship services. They raised $1,806 which was sent to Germantown’s Meals-OnWheels. They also collected non-perishable food items for WUMOC HELP. 2007 --2009 --2011 --2013 --- $ 676.60 $1,113.19 $1,630.27 $1,500.00 An Irish Blessing Always remember to forget the things that made you sad. But never forget to remember the things that made you glad. Always remember to forget the friends that proved untrue. But never forget to remember those that have stuck by you. Always remember to forget the troubles that passed away. But never forget to remember the blessings that come each day. 2008 --- $ 716.30 2010 --- $1,542.29 2012 --- $1,796.70 2014 --- $1,600.00 Prayer List Pray for those who grieve: Family of Terry Harner: Chuck Harner’s brother, who died February 4. Family of Kevin Staley: Grace Turner’s grandson and Sharon Catron’s cousin, who died February 10. Pray for healing: Gerri Bartee; Stephen Breen; Nelle Brewer; Billy & Michael Broschart; Reese Burdette; Will Canas; Lucy & Elizabeth Cannon; Teresa Deavours; Carrie Donat; Elaine Dorman; Billy Dorsey; Edith Dove; Annette Hale; Ruth Hoyt; Julie King, John’s mother; William Knott; Karen Kozel; Drew Landriau, Ellen’s son; Karen Lightman; Katie McWilliams; Bob Mongold; John Morgan; Rex Reed; Edna Reffit; Norman Roskin; Sandy Sermon; Lindsay Slettin; Michael Slinkard; Rupert & Nancy Spring; Carol Wagner; Phyllis Ward; Wendy Wood; Gene & Marylynn Worship Attendance February Adults Child Teens 2015 2014 1st 80 3 26 109 134 8th 72 2 2 76 98 th 15 30 0 0 30 93 nd 22 no services due to snow 86 Monthly Newsletters can be found on the church website: www.boydspc.org or on our facebook page: www.facebook.com/BoydsPresbyterianChurch 6 Boyds Presbyterian Church 19901 White Ground Road Boyds MD 20841 [Return services requested] March March March March March 7th – Turn clocks ahead one hour 17th – Saint Patrick’s Day 20th – Spring Begins 21st – Spring Clean-Up 29th – Palm Sunday NONPROFIT U.S. POSTAGE PAID Suburban, MD PERMIT NO. 1876
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