The Bellringer Newsletter o f GOVANS PRESBYT ERIAN CHURCH, 5828 York Road , Baltimore MD 21212

June July

August 2009

Join our annual picnic—fruits to nuts and burgers

Surely you don’t need to be cajoled into coming to our annual picnic and sharing your favorite dish with everybody—and they’ll share theirs with you! Bring those great edibles on Sun., June 14, where we will gather—after our 10 o’clock combined service—on the front lawn under the big shade trees. Last names ending in A-O please bring side dish or salads; P-Z desserts. The church will furnish veggie and beef burgers.

In a dramatic sign of progress, 78 presbyteries of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)—up from 44 in 2002—voted to approve the proposed Book of Order Amendment 2008-B that would replace the present discriminatory language with inclusive language to allow qualified lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender people in relationships to answer God’s call to serve as ministers, elders, or deacons. The present wording of G-6.0106b contains language barriers that prevent otherwise qualified members from serving.

A major shift occurred as 34 presbyteries transitioned from opposition in 2002 to support in this year’s vote (list at end of article). However, 98 presbyteries voted against ratifying the Amendment, but by margins that are getting ever narrower. It would have taken 87 approval votes to have ratified it.

The vote, while disappointing, makes it clear that the PC (U.S.A.) is moving dramatically closer to removing the barriers preventing LGBT people from having the same opportunities and responsibilities of full participation, membership, and ordained service offered to their heterosexual sisters and brothers. The Board of That All May Freely Serve: Baltimore (TAMFS:B) and Rev. Donald Stroud remain steadfast in working in the Presbytery of Baltimore and nationally to hasten the change this trend represents. As TAMFS:B Board Member and Moderator Rev. Doris Cowan reminded the Board during a recent devotional time, “In the pursuit of justice, we have the right not to be silent.” Better yet, we might say that all of us engaged in this mutual

The Session, at its regular May meeting dealt with the following:

A larger than expected deficit for mid-year is due in part to slightly lower than expected pledged giving and higher than expected BGE bills. The current deficit is nearing 44,000.

Session moved discussion of the Govanspallooza Fall Festival to the agenda of the Planning and Training meeting on Sat., May 30. The Planning meeting will be scheduling the 2009-2010 program year. (See page 3.)

After Pastor Tom proposed changes in format in the Children and Youth Ministry Area, Session conducted a productive discussion and, in the end, took no action. Therefore, planning for the 2009-2010 Sunday School year will continue using the current format.

After discussion, Session deferred approval of the merger of the Church Growth and Outreach Ministry Area with the Fundraising/ Fellowship Committee. The purpose is to give the Fundraising/Fellowship Committee time to meet and discuss the merger further.

Appreciation was offered to members rotating off Session: Ben Hobbs, Stephen Gaede, Jeananne Stine and Jim Williams.

These member changes were noted: ❖ Noted with regret the death of Jean

Lowers on May 14, 2009. ❖ Transferred the membership of

Corky Shaw to Towson Presbyterian.

❖ Corrected rolls to include Greg Western on the Inactive List.

Session segues into annual program planning

ministry of making the church and society just and fully inclusive of LGBT people have the obligation not to be silent.

The 34 presbyteries that changed to a positive vote this year were Western North Carolina, Lake Huron, East Tennessee, Cimarron, Southeastern Illinois, Charlotte, Maumee Valley, Great Rivers, Scioto Valley, Sheppherds and Lapsley, Tres Rios, New Hope, Greater Atlanta, Ohio Valley, Arkansas, Yellowstone, Whitewater Valley, Transylvania, Eastminister, West Jersey, MacKinac, Newark, West Virginia, Philadelphia, Grace, Wabash Valley, Salem, Western New York, Detroit, Leheigh, Minnesota Valleys, Utah, Pacific, and Missouri River Valley.

—Robert Jackson Board Member of TAMFS:B and Member of Covenanting Church, St. John United, Columbia, MD

Close vote spells significant progress for LGBT full inclusion in church leadership

2 The Bellringer

Pastoral Ponderings

God take a vacation from church? Why should we? Dear Friends,

Summer is upon us! You know I think I am about to say what I said last year at this time, but it bears repeating… COME TO CHURCH!!! Don’t take a vacation from church! Do we stop facing the trials of life during the summer? Do we stop sinning in the summer? Do we suddenly, for three months, figure out the meaning of life? I know I don’t. Now, I admit life makes more sense sitting in the shade of a tree by a swimming pool with a book. And vacations in far-off places make it hard to come to Govans. But, community worship is a spiritual discipline. It is something that will help us be more grounded people and help connect us to God and to each other. Not only do we need it each week, but the effect of regular church attendance is cumulative. The more regularly we attend the more we will be connected to God and to each other.

Then there is the whole God issue. Forgive me while I slip on my Baptist

hat…. OK, now. God does not take a vacation from us! God does not stop loving us! God does not stop calling us to help one another and be a

community united in Christ’s love! So, we should not stop coming to church just because it is summer.

And don’t talk to me about the weather! Believe me I hear it all. I didn’t come to church because it was too nice out. I didn’t come because it was too rainy, too hot, too cold, too mild, too windy, too humid, too dry, too many Pacific volcanic eruptions.

The church is the people and the people need

to come together each week no matter what the weather.

IT IS ONE HOUR A WEEK!!! So, have a great summer. Go

places. See family. Enjoy the pool. And I hope to see you in church.

Peace, Tom

Enjoy your boating or sitting under the trees. But come to church first.

“The effect of regular church attendance is cumulative.

The more regularly we attend, the more we will be connected

to God and to each other.”

First in a series Our sponsored children

Sara belies a quiet nature with her enthusiastic smile

Sara, a quiet 9-year-old girl, was born in Port au Prince, Haiti.

Sara was a baby when her father abandoned her, her mother, and her two sisters. Her mother is a street seller and could not afford to feed or send her children to school.

Sara had been living with her aunt and then came to Kay Papa Nou eight months ago. She is happy in her new KPN home where she is loved and cared for, has food to eat, friends, and the opportunity to attend school. She enjoys singing and art, and dreams of becoming a doctor.

Her sponsors are Terry and Dana Shaw who are helping to give Sara a better life. Two sponsors are needed to cover costs of food and school for each child. If you are interested in sponsoring a child at KPN or Unity House, please contact Joyce Kruse at 443-904-1149 or krusetj@comcast.net or.

Sara

Sara is a quiet 9-year-old girl and was born in Port au Prince, Haiti. When Sara was a baby, her father abandoned her mother, her, and two sisters. Her mother is a street seller and could not afford to feed or send her children to school. Sara lived with her aunt but came to Kay Papa Nou 8 months ago. Sara is happy at Kay Papa Nou where she is loved and cared for, has food to eat, friends, and the opportunity to attend school. She en-joys singing and art, and she dreams of be-coming a doctor. Her sponsors are Terry and Dana Shaw and Mary Beth and Wayne White who are helping to give Sara a better life. If you are interested in sponsoring a child at KPN or Unity House, please contact Joyce Kruse at krusetj@comcast.net or at 443-904-1149. Two sponsors are needed to cover the cost of food and school for a child each year.

Govans giveaway gardens underway with tilling, fencing, watering, and planting of many varieties

The garden group has made remarkable progress since the germination of the idea for a Govans Garden.

The last half of May, Loren Western and Chris _______ spread the compost and tilled the two gardens. Virgin gardens require a great deal of tilling the first season, and we appreciate the muscle and good humor they have put into the task. They then installed the bunny blockade fencing and Bonnie Thomson began planting!

For folks who want to participate by donating plants, the Govans garden still needs lots of hearty vegetables, such as squash, any kind of peas or beans, carrots, potatoes, celery, and vegetables you like. Many tomato plants are already in

For folks who want to participate by donating plants, the Govans garden still needs lots of hearty vegetables, such as squash, any kind of peas or beans, carrots, potatoes, celery, and vegetables you like. Many tomato plants are already in along with eggplant, peppers, squash, strawberries, peas, and herbs.

Thanks to Elizabeth Whitfield who started seedlings and to others too numerous to name including Cylburn Arboretum for

(continued on page 4)

Summer 2009 3

Focus is to connect with each other and with God in coming year

Adult

Options

At its Annual Planning Day at the end of May, Session focused on two areas for development, planned the calendar for the program year, and did some interpersonal training to get to know each other as a group.

As the first order of business,

ELDER CONTACT GROUPS were formed as each elder selected about ten cards, each with the name of a family in the church.

Each elder is asked to have three contacts a year with people in his or her group. Contact can be varied including church, phone calls, and visits. Session hopes that formation of the Elder Contact Groups will help church leadership stay better connected with our members.

“CORE PRACTICES as now stated,

do not express our distinctiveness as a church,” concluded Session training following small group and full group discussions that were described as “very productive.”

Therefore, the next Session meeting will begin to articulate the more specific values that make us a distinctive church.

Though the core practice statements are still at an early stage, they said, Session plans to share them with the Ministry Areas—Fellowship/Caring, Christian Education/Personal Growth, Worship, and Mission & Social Justice—for their input.

Calendar Begins with Summer Fun

Calendar planning for the entire 2009-2010 program year was quite a task. Why not get out your date book before you go any further and calendar your events as you read.

For June, most of you are already aware of (and probably plan to attend!) our ANNUAL PICNIC on June 14 (Story on page 1).

July will feature an EVENING INTERGENERATIONAL VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL, July 20-24. Some of you may remember our mixed adult and children’s Bible School some years past that we all enjoyed thoroughly. Plan on coming out!

Many of us enjoy the occasional 10 a.m. COMBINED SERVICES that give those attending the opportunity to worship with and visit members they rarely see. Four services are planned: ➤ June 14–Preceding Annual Picnic. ➤ Sept. 13–Fall schedule kickoff

with Education Rally Day. ➤ Nov. 29–St. Andrews Sunday

celebrates our Presbyterian heritage. ➤ May 16, 2010–Congregational

Program Meeting

WORKDAYS may not be our favorite activity, but they’re a wonderful opportunity for us to get to know each other as individuals in an easy and casual atmosphere. ➤ Sept. 19–Weeding Workday. ➤ Nov. 21–Leaf-Raking Work Day ➤ Dec. 5–Church Christmas Decoration

Day ➤ Jan. 9, 2010–Sanctuary Cleaning and

“Undecorating” Day ➤ Though not scheduled, a “Spring

Cleaning” will perhaps be added.

Our social life as a congregation is so connected to our spiritual and program life that merit lies in listing these activities together. Do you express gratitude to God for our richly rewarding church?

2009 Sept. 13–Fall program kickoff with

EDUCATION RALLY DAY Sept. 16–WEDNESDAY NIGHT PROGRAM

begins Sept. 20–BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS Sept. 27–BRING A FRIEND TO BRUNCH Oct. 17–GOVANSPALLOOZA FALL

FESTIVAL Oct. 27–STEWARDSHIP CAMPAIGN

Session leads the way by getting their pledges in.

Nov. 14–STEWARDSHIP DINNER Nov. 15–PLEDGE SUNDAY Nov. 25–HARTFORD HOUSE

THANKSGIVING Nov. 26, 10 a.m.–THANKSGIVING DAY

SERVICE

Nov. 29, 10 a.m.–ST. ANDREWS HERI-

TAGE SUNDAY (combined service) Dec. 24, 5:30 and 9 p.m.– CHRISTMAS

EVE SERVICES.

2010 Feb. 7–ANNUAL CONGREGATION

MEETING for Budget and Election of Elder Nominating Committee

Feb. 16–FAT TUES. PANCAKE SUPPER Lent Begins

Feb. 17–ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICE Feb. 21–SNOW TUBING Mar. 28– PALM SUNDAY BRUNCH

(between services) Apr. 1, 7 p.m.–MAUNDY THURSDAY

SERVICE Apr. 2, 7 p.m.– GOOD FRIDAY SERVICE Apr. 4–EASTER SUNDAY May 16–CONGREGATIONAL PROGRAM

MEETING (combined service) May 22–SESSION PLANNING DAY June 6–CHRISTIAN EDUCATION

APPRECIATION DAY June 13–ORDINATION/INSTALLATION OF

NEW ELDERS and CHURCH PICNIC (combined service)

The Session Planning Day was held

Sat., May 30, at the church with new, continuing, and outgoing Session members participating.

Early in the day, Session members introduced themselves. To get to know each other, they paired up and introduced their partner to the larger group. Elders rotating off served as “celebrity judges” and judged the introduction for style, content and fashion.

During their short lunch, members enjoyed visiting while eating together.

The meeting concluded with examination of the Session members being newly ordained after which they were enthusiastically approved!

Won’t we enjoy our picnic tenfold if we bring a bag of groceries for CARES as we share our Annual Picnic food with each other.

4 The Bellringer

After reading verses from the book of Proverbs. the VERB, our Govans not-quite-teen group, had an opportunity to create their own Personal Proverbs.

The children received excerpts from common proverbs, then completed them each in her or his unique way. Children say the darndest things! Out of the mouths of babes come pearls of wisdom. The VERB’s Proverbs are funny, cute, and informative. Read, laugh, and enjoy!

VERB’s contributing writers were Oscar, Jack, Daphne, Charlotte, Quincy, Emily, and Stella.

—Peggy Winfield, Christian Educ. Dir. STRIKE WHILE THE…

ball is flying. Oscar person is not looking. Jack crowd is not watching. Emily prey is not looking, or you may

lose your meat. Stella

IT’S ALWAYS DARKEST BEFORE… it is happy and bright. Emily the eyes are open. Stella

NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF... a bully. Charlotte love because it covers hate. Emily

YOU CAN LEAD A HORSE TO WATER, BUT... you can’t lead the horse to God.

Charlotte it might not thank you. Emily

DON’T BITE THE HAND THAT… you write with. Daphne grabs. Charlotte helps yours. Emily feeds or you will end up hungry. Stella

IF YOU LIE DOWN WITH DOGS, YOU’LL...

get your face bitten off. Jack gets slobbed on. Quincy survived like a dog. Stella

WHERE THERE’S SMOKE THERE’S… a barbecue on fire. Jack

HAPPY THE BRIDE WHO… finds a husband. Emily

LOVE ALL, TRUST… because trust is good. Jack for God. Charlotte your best friends. Quincy who loves back. Emily the trusted. Stella

THE PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN… the pencil. Jack

the paper. Stella the fist. Oscar

AN IDLE MIND IS horrible. Quincy useless. Stella

A PENNY SAVED IS… a lucky penny. Jack

good luck. Daphne a penny that should be spent. Quincy a penny more to spend. Emily before the penny is spent. Stella

THERE ARE NONE SO BLIND AS… the greedy. Stella the blind who don’t enjoy life

anymore. Emily

CHILDREN SHOULD BE SEEN AND NOT... hiding. Jack judged. Emily be treated badly. Quincy

IF AT FIRST YOU DON'T SUCCEED… try again; it’s worth it. Emily

NO NEWS IS… perfect. Charlotte from the lazy. Stella not always true. Quincy

A MISS IS AS GOOD AS… a hit. Emily

WHEN THE BLIND LEAD THE BLIND… they get lost. Oscar the not blind lead the not blind.

Jack it’s bad luck. Charlotte they run into a stop sign. Quincy they just fight which way to go.

Emily A BIRD IN THE HAND…

is a good thing. Oscar is good luck. Charlotte likes to tweet. Quincy is a special bird. Emily

BETTER LATE THAN… not there. Quincy early as they might not be set up if

you’re early. Emily

Govans Garden Underway (continued from page 2) plant donations. With two garden plots, we have room to grow more produce, so bring in those donations, please.

In addition to plant donations, we need help with the following:

Water the gardens and keep an eye on them.Water is easily available to both plots and the Peace Garden. One of the regular gardeners will gladly show you what to do.

Pull weeds. If we pull early and often, they won’t be hard to deal with, especially if we follow the spirit of the old adage, “Many hands make light work.” Why not come and weed a little before church or drop by to or from work or errands? Bonnie Thomson, one of initiators of the garden, exclaimed, “I worked in

the garden for several hours on Tues. night, planting new seedlings that Elizabeth donated, weeding (yes, they are starting to sprout) and talking to lots of folks on the way in to New Wave [rehearsal].

“It was heavenly, working on the garden to the sounds of such great music! We are generating quite a bit of interest and lots of good wishes for what we are doing,” from the Senior Center as well, she said.

Thanks also to Bonnie for her Veggie Tales newsletter. “I am having a ball working on this project,” she concluded. “Hope you'll join me to play in the dirt.”

ProVERBS Out of the mouths of babes…and into our hearts

In Memoriam

Please pray for this saint, for her family, and for our own communion of saints here at Govans Presbyterian Church.

Jennifer Lins May 28, 2009

Summer 2009 5

CARES and Peace Center to benefit from summer communion offerings

The grocery shelves at CARES

empty even faster once summer comes and children no longer get valuable nutrition through school breakfast and lunch programs.

Govans traditionally sponsors a food drive for CARES during June to help meet this increased need. This year our goal is 100 bags of groceries.

Watch the shelves placed in the sanctuary fill up during June. Groceries most needed are peanut butter and jelly, canned fruits and vegetables, cereals, elbow macaroni (1 lb.), canned pork & beans, rice (1 lb.), soups, spaghetti, sauce, tuna. If you prefer to donate cash, each thirty dollars collected can fill a bag.

Help up meet out 100 bag goal.

The July Communion offering benefits the Peace Study Center, founded by our own Cindy Woodruff and located at Govans. The Peace Study Center’s mission is “to build a more peaceful world, one book at a time. By sharing quality literature with children, we will inspire them to resolve differences without violence and learn to appreciate diversity through educational experiences. By teaching adult caregivers to build the concepts of peace and social justice into their curriculum, we will empower them to create a more harmonious classroom.” Be generous in your support of this very worthwhile cause.

The Confident Steward

by Judy Western

Have you noticed the two garden plots that have sprung up by the church? They are the result of about a dozen Govans members who decided that planting a community garden whose produce would benefit CARES clients was a good idea.

The project began last winter with an e-mail about a seminar to learn about starting a community garden. Two Govans members attended, realizing that our church property has considerable lawn area that could be good for gardening.

Others have since joined in and two plots have been prepared, mulch has been added, the ground worked over several times, a “bunny” fence installed, and plants put into the tilled earth. The sun and rain will now be able to foster growth.

And, over the next months, folks will be checking that the garden is getting what it needs to grow the best it can—watering, weeding, and eventually harvesting will all nurtured by the gardening group.

It occurs to me that gardening is analogous to stewardship. We are stewards of a church community with a set of values and beliefs that pre-existed our involvement. To be effective, we will need opportunities to learn new skills as we stretch to meet the identified needs.

Even though we attempt to plan for all eventualities there will always be circumstances we cannot control. We rely on our faith to help us focus, prosper, resolve, and grow. And if many of us pool our individual efforts and talents, all will benefit.

The Ministry structure at Govans provides a good foundation for stewardship. Didn’t you hear in the Program Reports at the recent Congregational Meeting an amazing number of ways we, as a faith community, are stewards? It was very affirming to hear the accomplishments

of each ministry and to have its members stand to be acknowledged.

Listen for the breadth of our steward-ship through these Ministries: Facilities, Congregational Care, Congregational Growth & Outreach, The More Light Committee, Preschool, Stewardship & Finance, Administration & Personnel, Senior Center, Worship & Spirituality, Children & Youth, Adults, Communica-tions, and Mission & Social Justice. This last includes financial and volunteer participation in an array of charities and issues both locally and globally.

Within this framework, there is a place for each of us to be a confident steward. What will you do?

Once again, Peace Path to form reverse parade the length of Charles Street

Continuing existence of wars and local violence emphasizes the need for peace.

Therefore, on Friday, Sept. 11 from 4 to 6 p.m., a Peace Path will form along Charles Street from Fort Avenue (south of the Inner Harbor) north to the Beltway. Individuals and groups will stand with signs promoting peace, as they have each year since 2002 in an event coordinated here in Baltimore by Women In Black.

The people standing form a “reverse parade”—the parade is stationary and the spectators (motorists) pass by. Govans continues to support the Peace Path to express our faith and belief in peace.

For more information please e-mail peacepath911@yahoo.com or visit www.peacepath911.org. If you care about peace, save the date.

Breadth of Govans stewardship holds room for you

Find lots to do and see at www.govanspres.org and members try our MyGovans website!

Govans Presbyterian Church 5828 York Road Baltimore, MD 21208

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Happy Birthdays in

June 1 Sarah Forbes Allison Woodruff 3 Joan Riffert Barbara Kemp Sarah Weller 4 Oscar Harris 5 Judy Western 9 John Sutherland 13 Grace Kern 15 Katie Arnsdorf 17 Edith Sziburies 19 Carol Hamilton 21 Mary Welliver-Dillon 22 Pam Harris 23 Ken Greene Nicholas Bellamy-Mills 24 Leslie Grant Richard Cox 26 Jean Isteero 29 Anita Tayback 30 Kathy Zito

Happy Birthdays in

July 1 Deb Dalton 3 Ellen O’Laughlen 8 Jay Forbes 11 Ethan Knarr 12 Elsie Hegwood 14 Amy Hardin Janet Simons 15 Jean Jackson 16 Stephen Haduch John Kinnear 17 Dan Dillon 18 Judy Dobbs Chris Mellott 19 Aladdin Owoh 21 Jody Hamilton, Jr. Tom McElfatrick 23 Helen Koller 25 Sam Cox Caron Mullins 26 Charles Corson Maggie Farrand 28 Alice Read 29 Magdalene Fennell Catherine Wilson 30 Eleanor MacDougall 31 Marilyn Forbes Ben Hobbs

Happy Birthdays in

August 1 Megan Cohen 2 Donald Wilson, Jr. 4 George Hoyle, IV Bea Pettit 5 Maria Ascano Delores Batts 6 Ann Shipley Sydney Sutherland 9 David Owen 11 Corey Hoyle 12 Mallory Branson 14 Patsy Owen Mike Reed 15 Christy Brownlee Anne Englar Allison Morgan 17 Linda Owen Robert Vickers, Jr. 20 Jim Pannebecker 21 JoAnn Copes Mary Weller 22 Meg Knarr 23 Sylvia Usher 24 Avis Reither Sid Venable 29 Sydney Brown 30 Linda Ketner

Welcome to our World! Quincy Roger Whitfield

born May 7, 2009 to Elizabeth and Dean Whitfield

,