Every Wednesday
6:45 PM Overeaters Anonymous
8:00 PM Debtors Anonymous
Thursday, April 1
7:30 PM Choir Rehearsal
Sunday, April 4
9:30 AM Easter Sunday Breakfast
11:00 AM Worship/Communion Sunday, Rev. Powers preaching
12:15 PM Potluck Lunch & Book Discussion
Thursday, April 8
7:30 PM Choir Rehearsal
Sunday, April 11
9:30 AM Bible Study
11:00 AM Worship, Rev. Powers preaching
12:00 PM Bread for the World Letter Writing
12:30 PM Session Meeting
Thursday, April 15
7:30 PM Choir Rehearsal
Saturday, April 17
10:00 AM Church Gardening Day
Sunday, April 18
9:30 AM Bible Study
11:00 AM Worship, Rev. Powers preaching
12:30 PM Mission Committee Meeting
Thursday, April 22
7:30 PM Choir Rehearsal
Sunday, April 25
9:30 AM Bible Study
11:00 AM Palm Sunday Worship, Rev. Powers preaching
S.O.B.E.R. Sunday
Thursday, April 29
7:30 PM Choir Rehearsal
SHIFTING FOCUS: DEEP SHIFT AT LIGHT STREET
by Roger Scott Powers
Before getting involved in the Deep Shift Church Transformation process, Light Street Presbyterian Church was burdened by its need to grow. How would it increase worship attendance? Where would it find new members? How would it turn around its budget deficit inorder to be financially sustainable over the long term? What we needed was a good marketing plan ... or so we thought!
Our Deep Shift Consultant, Denise Van Eck, encouraged us to go deeper -- to clearly articulate our values as a congregation, focus on our church's mission, and examine our congregation's culture. All through the process we asked ourselves two questions: Who is God calling us to be? An what is God calling us to do?
In addition to Denise's on-site visits, she served as a sounding board and idea generator on monthly coaching calls. And leaders in the congregation joined with leaders from other congregatins for Peer Learning Days on such subjects as spiritual growth, leadership development, congregational culture, and conflict resolution.
At Light Street, we decided to have monthly potluck lunches after worship to help build a deeper sense of community within the congregation and to provide regular opportunities for congregational conversation about our life together as a church family. We developed a values statement that is now posted outside our church door. We focused our mission to support the House of Ruth and South Baltimore Emergency Relief. And we had in-depth conversations about how various aspects of our church's culture: how we communicate and celebrate good news; how we make decisions; how we deal with conflict; how we bring new people into our community; etc.
With Deep Shift we didn't focus on expanding our numbers, and we never talked about a marketing plan. But we have grown, nevertheless!
In the two years that we were involved with Deep Shift, our average worship attendance increased by 20% (from 30 to 36), our membership increased by 14% (from 42 to 48), and congregational giving increased a whopping 39% (from $60,560 to $84,243)!
Reprinted from the March 15, 2010, issue of "Tidings: a weekly communique from the Presbytery of Baltimore."
LIGHT STREET CONCERT SERIES BENEFITS HAITI
On Sunday, February 28th, 12:30 p.m., Light Street hosted a concert of classical guitar music and songs featuring guitarist Benjamin Beirs. A free will offering received during the benefit concert raised more than $1,100, which will go to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance for Haiti Earthquake Relief. Many thanks to Benjamin Beirs, to Kyle Bennett, or organist/choir director who organized the concert, and to everyone who attended and gave so generously!
MAUNDY THURSDAY COMMUNION SERVICE - APRIL 1, 7:30 PM
This is the day on which Jesus celebrated The Passover with his disciples, sharing a meal we call the Last Supper. The word "maundy" comes from the Latin mandatum, meaning "command." It refers to the command given by Jesus at the Last Supper, that his disciples love one another. Please join us for this special worship service during Holy Week, which will include candlelight and music from the Taize Community in France.
EASTER SUNDAY AT LIGHT STREET - APRIL 4
Easter Sunday begins at Light Street with breakfast at 9:30 a.m. We will celebrate the resurrection with worship and communion at 11:00 a.m. Then our feasting will continue with our First Sunday Potluck Lunch. Following lunch we will continue our discussion of Practicing Our Faith, edited by Dorothy C. Bass. We will look at chapter 6 on "Keeping Sabbath."
SUPPORTING THE HOUSE OF RUTH
During the month of March we have begun collecting personal hygiene items to donate to the House of Ruth for the families being sheltered there. Easter Sunday, April 4, will be the last day for this collection.
ONE GREAT HOUR OF SHARING
SHARING RESOURCES, CHANGING LIVES
Since 1949, Presbyterians have joined with millions of other Christians through One Great Hour of Sharing to share God's love with people experiencing need. Funds support Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, Self-Development of People, and the Presbyterian Hunger Program. At Light Street, we will receive this special offering on Palm Sunday, March 28, and Easter Sunday, April 4.
It's amazing what your gift will do:
$10 can help start a small Moringa tree nursery with 10 seedlings.
$20 can provide mosquito nets for a family, helping them avoid malaria.
$50 can buy a rabbit hutch and two rabbits.
$65 can buy a treadle pump to help a farmer irrigate fields.
$75 can buy a wire chicken coop and a batch of chickens.
$150 can buy fishing nets and 500 fish fingerlings.
$200 can provide a water sanitation system for a family in Central America.
BREAD FOR THE WORLD OFFERING OF LETTERS
Bread for the World is a collective Christian voice urging our nation's decision makers to end hunger at home and abroad
This year we have a chance to make progress on two key components of any successful effort to end U.S. hunger: helping low-income families make ends meet and ensuring that children have nutritious food.
Congress will be turning its attention to tax policy because a significant group of tax cuts and tax credits enacted in previous years will expire in 2010. Legislators must decide which ones to renew or change.
Bread for the World's 2010 Offering of Letters calls on Congress to protect and strengthen key tax credits to help working families who struggle to put food on the table. Our Offering will help ensure that the needs of low-income families do not get lost in the critical congressional debate on taxes.
On two Sundays, April 11 and 18, we will have the opportunity to write letters to Congress during fellowship hour. Our Offering of Letters will be dedicated in worship on Sunday, April 25, before they are sent off to Washington, D.C.
For more information, contact Bob Jewett or Jaia Lent, or visit the Bread for the World web site.
CHURCH GARDENING DAY - SATURDAY, APRIL 17
Everyone is invited to pitch in on Saturday morning, April 17, beginning at 10:00 a.m. to spruce up the church garden. We will be trimming shrubs, pulling weeds, planting, and mulching. If you have starts of annuals to share, like daffodils, hosta, daylilies, or lily truf, we will gratefully plant them in our garden. Bring your gloves, pruners, rakes, and, most importantly, your enthusiasm to make our outdoor sanctuary shine.
"A FAREWELL TO DON STROUD" DINNER - SATURDAY, APRIL 24
A dinner celebrating Don Stroud's 11 years of service as Minister of Outreach and Reconciliation with That All May Freely Serve: Baltimore, will be held on Saturday, April 24, at Govans Presbyterian Church (5828 York Road, just south of the Senator Theater) beginning with hors d'oeuvres at 6:30 p.m. The event will be a wonderful opportunity, not only to say goodbye to Don, but to have a delightful fellowship meal with good friends who have been "fighting the good fight" for GLBT justice in Baltimore for years. We hope to see you there. For reservations, contact Charles Forbes at 410-667-4241.
CHURCH DIRECTORIES AND ANNUAL REPORTS
Copies of the new, updated Church Directory and the 2009 Annual Report are available on the downstairs hall table. If you have not received your copies, please pick them up next time you are in church.
COME SING WITH US!
We have fun singing together on Thursday nights from 7:30 to 8:45 p.m. On Sunday mornings we rehearse again before worship from 10:15 to 10:45 a.m. Please join us! New voices are welcome!
SOBER SUNDAY APRIL 25
As a socially engaged presbyterian church, we believe that faith leads directly into action; therefore, to believe is to do. One of the many ways in which Light Street Presbyterian Church gets involved in the community is by collecting non-perishable and canned goods on the last Sunday of every month, which are given to South Baltimore Emergency Relief (S.O.B.E.R.) for the hungry in our community.
South Baltimore Emergency Relief is in need of:
- For the Homeless: Men's gloves, Socks, Pop-top canned meals, tuna packs, etc.
- For Walk-In Clients: Food supplies to make up kits of (3) days of meals -- canned meats, soups, fruit, veggies, spaghetti sauce, peanut butter, crackers, etc.
- Financial contributions are always welcome. Make checks out to LSPC, earmarked S.O.B.E.R.
Special re-usable shopping bags are available at church for this purpose. Take a bag with you and fill it up with canned and non-perishable goods (pop-top canned meals, tuna packs, spam, corned beef, soup, crackers, peanut butter up to 48 oz., spaghetti sauce up to 26 oz., canned fruits and/or vegetables, etc.) - however much or as little as you want. You can keep the bag in your car and fill it up with "goodies" the next time you go to your favorite supermarket. Another idea is to take the bag to work and have a can drive with your co-workers. Invite them to come to worship with you at Light Street when you return the bag on SOBER Sunday!
Financial contributions are also welcome. Make checks payable to Light Street Presbyterian Church, clearly marked for SOBER (South Baltimore Emergency Relief).
NOTE: Please do not donate food that is past its expiration date. It cannot be used, and, by law, it must be thrown away.
SUNDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY
On Sunday mornings at 9:30 a.m., a small group of church members and friends gather for coffee and Bible study. The group uses a variety of curriculum materials, and our focus for the upcoming weeks will be to read selections from the Bible, perhaps an entire book at a time, and discuss what meaning we find there. The group is open; newcomers are always welcome. For more information, contact Bonnie Cosner or Debbie Szostak.
VIRTUAL BIBLE STUDY
Interested in weekly Bible Study bud don't feel like getting up earlier on Sunday mornings? Light Street has begun an experiment in on-line Bible Study. Each week the scripture passage for the next Sunday's sermon is posted to the group with a few questions to consider. During the week, participants post their comments, questions, and responses to the rest of the group. Only persons who want to be part of Light Street's Virtual Bible Study receive the emails from it, so if you are interested in trying this, you need to let Roger know to include you in the on-line group.
BREAD MINISTRY
Each Sunday after worship, we offer visitors to our church small loaves of bread as a way of thanking them for joining us for worship. Many thanks to Julia Malette and Debbie Szostak for doing most of the baking in recent months. If you would like to help out by baking some small loaves of bread for this ministry, please sign up on the church bulletin board.
HELP LEAD WORSHIP!
Volunteers are needed to help lead worship each Sunday. This usually involves leading the congregation in the "Call to Worship" and "Prayer for Illumination" and reading the scripture lesson(s) for that Sunday. There is a sign up sheet on the downstairs bulletin board.
FELLOWSHIP HOUR VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
It's wonderful each Sunday morning, following worship, to be able to gather downstairs for a time of fellowship and refreshment. But, it means someone needs to take responsibility each week for making coffee, providing refreshments, and cleaning up afterwards. If everyone in the congregation signed up to do this just a few Sundays a year, we would have it covered. Many hands make light work! Please sign up on the downstairs bulletin board.
SERMONS AVAILABLE
Copies of Roger's sermons are available on the downstairs hall table. Please feel free to pick one up if you missed a Sunday. Or, pass one on to a friend!
DEADLINE FOR MAY NEWSLETTER: April 15
Send all newsletter material to John Ginovsky at jginovsk@aba.com