March 2023 Newsletter

ECHO

A Word from our Pastor ...

MArch 2023

Worship Highlights

This year “March Madness” in college basketball runs from March 14th to April 3rd the only time I myself watch college basketball. It’s a really enjoyable tournament, featuring almost every year an underdog team that defeats a surprising number of upper ranked teams, before they usually fall near the end. March Madness underdogs capture our imagination because they are filled with hope, they almost represent hope literally against all odds.

The month of March was named after Mars, the Roman god of war, in the early Roman calendar. Originally it was the first month of the calendar year, before later they moved things around and added January and February “at the beginning.” March was thought of as a month of beginnings. It was named after war, because March was the first month the armies could resume their military campaigns after a winter of having to put them on hold. With spring came renewed war, which, I hope, is not the way we usually think of spring. So March, the beginning of spring, was the beginning or the beginning again of war.

March usually takes us from gray skies (like today, February 28th , as I’m writing this) to the beginning of the skies of spring and the early appearances of green on the trees around us. And in March we as a church enter into Lent which at first might not sound like a time of “beginning.” Self-examination, confession, spiritual disciplines, repentance, the practice of giving up things for Lent these practices might not sound like positive beginnings but rather somber endings. But repentance is always the first word of our response to the Gospel, the power of God’s love to forgive and renew and bring new life. Cutting back, pruning is always necessary in gardens if you want to see them grow in their spring and summertime fullness. Jesus said that if we want to follow him into abundant life, we must first die to ourselves and take up our crosses.

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In Person Worship at 10am And on Facebook Live

3/5

Second Sunday of Lent

Jonah 3: 1-10

Justice and Anger

3/12

Third Sunday of Lent

Jonah 4:1-11

God’s Compassion

3/19

Forth Sunday of Lent Guest Pastor

Rev. Laurie Loveless

3/26

Fifth Sunday in Lent Guest Preacher

Rev. David Lovelace

One Service at 10am

Join us for our new dynamic, worshipful service at 10am each Sunday. Come and experience worship together with the whole EPC body.

Elkton Presbyterian Church

Echoing the good news of God’s love

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In the sermons early this month, we are looking at God’s efforts to get the attention of his servant Jonah. Jonah repents in fits and starts and the story at the end even remains open-ended as to whether Jonah will deeply respond to God. Join us as we allow that prophetic Scripture to examine our own responses to God’s grace. This month, also, on Wednesday nights we are looking together at worship: what is worship, really? What is the heart of worship? First we will join together for potluck supper at 6 pm, followed by watching a short video teaching then discuss its application to our lives. And we will worship. All Lenten activities and disciplines of the church of Jesus in every time and place are designed to lead us up to that time of worshipping Jesus (on Good Friday and Easter morning) in his sacrifice for us and his triumphant resurrection from the dead. This March, let us intentionally and sacrificially turn (which is the meaning of repent) to our crucified Lord and open ourselves to the newness of resurrection life that he brings!

Pastor Gary

Prayer Concerns…

❖ Peggy Benjamin

pulmonary fibrosis

❖ Janet Burbank - health issues

❖ Wayne Callahan Liver surgery recovery

❖ Helen Chapman continued back pain

❖ Arthur and Barbara Gorman – multiple heath issues, mobility and cognitive

❖ Gerri Kearns Colon Cancer

❖ Barb Kunkle – back pain, treatment relief

❖ Elna Mafnas – recovering from knee replacement

❖ Burnie McLain kidney disease, hip surgery Recovery

❖ CoCo Motangu mental health concerns

❖ Sharon Parker gastritis

❖ Edgar Saeger recovering from car accident

❖ Ellie Shields – chronic back pain

❖ Jane Sommers Cancer

❖ Chuck Stoner – continued health issues

❖ Marie Wilson pulmonary fibrosis

Our Military…

❖ Shawn Antonelli U.S. Coast Guard

❖ Chris Bradley Jr. - Groton Naval Sub Base, Groton, CT

❖ Fred Cost-Delaware National Guard

❖ Brian Gorman - part time Air Force Reserves, Dover AFB,

❖ Jesse Hill-Delaware National Guard

❖ Andrew Loeffler-Coast Guard Charleston, SC

❖ Eric Luppold PA Air National Guard, Willow Grove, PA

❖ James McCreary (Steve’s son) - NG Delaware

❖ Dylan Pierce-U.S. Army-Ft Shafter, HI

❖ Brady (Rollins) Wharton– Delaware NG

❖ Will Rollins-Airborne Ranger– Ft Benning. GA

❖ Nathaniel Walton-U.S. Army, Fort Hood, TX

❖ Matt Wilson (Nacole’s husband)- stationed in London

❖ All serving in military and their families and chaplains

❖ Partners in Care Ministry.

❖ All suffering from PTSD.

The Prayer Closet

by Mary Ellen Beck

Together we pray for people….and their Family

We pray fervently for the Family; each person created by God, to live in relationship with Him and one another. We pray for the family to be a place where we learn to honor our parents, and parents nurture their children with love, and train them up to know and follow Him. He created marriage for a man and woman to be bound in a covenant with Him, and live as a family that follows Him. He knit us together in the womb, fearfully and wonderfully making us in His image. We pray that people would know that they are His workmanship, not one person is a mistake. He establishes generations of families by marriage, birth, foster care, adoption and more, as people share their lives and love according to His Word, will and way. He invites us to be a part of His family, the eternal family of God. He calls us His children; having believed we are born again into His family. We pray that all people would draw near to Him as their perfect Heavenly Father, no matter what kind of example or experience with their earthly parents. May he bring families closer to Him prompting them to pray, study Scripture, serve actively in church, and love their neighbors together. We pray that the Holy Spirit fill our hearts and our homes, binding us together in love, honor, joy and trust. Please pray for the Family!

From: The National Day of Prayer

Need Prayer?

If you are in need of prayer please contact our phone or e-mail prayer chain and you will receive prayer coverage. If you need someone to pray for you in person or by phone please call me. If you would like to be anointed with oil and prayed for, please let us know. We will come to you.

MAIN EVENT

Date: Tuesday, May 2, 2023

Time: 6:30PM EDT

Location: Fair Hill Fairgrounds

Address: 4640 Telegraph Road, Elkton, MD 21921

Seating: Please bring your own chairs and blankets.

The God Loves You Tidewater Tour is coming to the Tri-State region to give the lost an opportunity to know Jesus and encourage believers in their faith. The free evening will feature a message of hope from Franklin Graham and music by Newsboys, Marcos Witt and Dennis Agajanian.

NIGHT OF WORSHIP & PRAYER

Date: Thursday, March 16, 2023

Time: 6:30PM Location: Crossroads Bible Church, 144 Appleton Road, Elkton

Join us for an evening of prayer for the God Loves You Tidewater Tour and the Tri-State region. Worship will be led by Freddy Washington, formerly of Brooklyn Tabernacle and Times Square Church in New York City.

CHRISTIAN LIFE & WITNESS COURSE

Learn simple and practical ways to share your faith at this free, three-hour training. CLWC attendance is required to apply to be a prayer team volunteer during the God Loves You Tidewater Tour. Registration not required to attend.

Date: Thursday, March 9, 2023 Time: 6:00PM Location: Christ the Cornerstone, 3135 Summit Bridge Road, Bear

Date: Saturday, March 11, 2023 Time: 9:00AM Location: Parkview Assembly of God, 235 Polly Drummond Hill Road, Newark

Date: Saturday, March 18, 2023 Time: 9:00AM

Location: One in Christ Community Church, 2145 Graves Road, Hockessin

Date: Saturday, March 25, 2023 Time: 9:00AM Location: Cornerstone Pres. Church, 109 Gypsy Hill Road, Landenberg

Date: Thursday, April 13, 2023 Time: 6:00PM Location: Pleasant View Baptist Church,150 Downin Lane, Port Deposit

Date: Saturday, April 15, 2023. Time: 9:00AM Location: Bible Fellowship Church, 808 Old Baltimore Pike, Newark

PRAY FOR YOUR LOVED ONES

Look around where you live, work, or go to school-this is your mission field. List names of people you know who need Jesus, whom you will pray for. Lift them up to the Lord regularly before the tour, then invite them to go with you to the event in Elkton.

Wednesday Night Lenten Series “The Worship Dilemma” by Aaron Short

Using this video series from Right Now Media, we tackle the ongoing dilemma of who or what we worship in our lives and how what we worship can have the biggest impact in influencing our decisions and direction in life.

Feb 22—Ash Wednesday Service, 7pm in Sanctuary

Session 1: Worldly Worship

Mar 1— Session 2: The Purpose of Worshipping God

Mar 8— Session 3: The Downward Spiral of Misplaced Worship

Mar 15— No Meeting this week

Mar 22— No Meeting this week

Mar 29— Session 4: The Beauty of Right Worship

Apr 5 —Session 5: Our Path Forward

Adult Discipleship Ministry

God calls us into spiritual fellowship with each other and exploring the Bible together is a positive and fruitful way to do so. Growing deeper into God’s Word brings continued blessings into our lives that we can share with others. Come join in this rich experience.

Presently, EPC provides the following ongoing study groups:

Sunday School - 8:30 am Connections Class Study of the 10 Commandments (meets in Upper Room.)

9:00 am Adult Study Book of Acts (Fellowship Hall)

Tuesday evening Women’s study 6:30-8:00pm (currently on ZOOM) - They are doing a study on the book of Galatians.

Tuesday evening Men’s study 6-8:00pm (Chapel) They are exploring “Understanding the Old Testament” by Dr. Robert Miller.

Wednesday Night Zoom Bible Study

There is a Bible study that is regularly available for you, every Wednesday night, on Zoom. This is for those of you who may find it difficult, for whatever reason, to come to meet together in person. Or for those of you who may simply be curious to try a different method of Bible study. We use the “manuscript” style of Bible study a method which is excellent for promoting comfortable discussion of the Bible from the entire group. We would love for you to join us sometime. The study meets on Wednesday nights at 8 pm. If you’d like to come “visit” on zoom, call Pastor Gary at 412-913-6063 or email him at garywm2005@gmail.com.

Thursday morning Men’s study 9:00-10:00am (Upper Room) - They are doing a study on the book of Matthew.

Thursday Friends Women’s study 10:30-11:30am (Conference Room and ZOOM) - This small group of 8-10 women meet for bible study and support each other through prayer. They have just begun a study of the book of Matthew.

Beta Group (men & women) contact Dale Gorman, 443-553-2998. This small group meets to share a meal, bible study and prayer for each other.

Young Adult Small Group 2d Saturday, 10am and 4th Tuesday, 7pm

The young adults small group meets on the 2nd Saturday of each month, at 10 am, and on the 4th Tuesday of each month, at 7 pm. Both meeting times we meet in the lovely home of Alex and Hannah Emrey. God is really good to us. We enjoy a warm time of informal conversation about the Word, prayer in support of each other, and sometimes just hanging out. We just finished a “manuscript study” of the Gospel of Mark that we started last year at about this time. Next, we’re thinking of a bit of a change of pace for a while perhaps an essay or two by the classic Christian writer CS Lewis before we jump back into another intense Bible study. If you fit the description of “young adult” (even loosely fit it), please join us! Contact Pastor Gary at 412-913-6063 or garywm2005@gmail.com for more details.

More information about any of these possibilities can be obtained through Pastor Gary or Dick Baldwin or the office.

Deacons Corner

Dale Gorman

So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9 (NRSV)

We’d like to take a quick moment to thank EVERYONE who came out for the Soup and Sandwich in February! We raised over $300 for the Needy Family Fund. Though that may not seem like much, every little bit helps in keeping our Outreach program going so we can support those in our area.

Thank you also to the New Castle Presbyterian Women who gave the food pantry a grant of $500.

At our February meeting, Judy Richmond provided our Food Pantry report. The Food Pantry provided 275 bags of food in the month of January – which means they assisted 40 families, 8 vets, 16 kids and 6 homeless. Please take a moment and thank those who work in our Food Pantry which are Judy Richmond, Judy Jacobsen, Dale Gorman and Meg Besong. They do a lot to help members of our community get food that they need.

We also may have some frozen soup in the freezer in the kitchen. If you know of anyone who could use a container of frozen, homemade soup, please feel free to take it to them!

One more note – we brought greeting cards back into the sanctuary! Some of you may have received them already. This was a tradition here at EPC that ended in the midst of COVID, and we decided it was time to bring this gesture back. Be sure to check the back of the sanctuary each and every Sunday for cards to sign – they will be for our sick, those who have lost a loved one, birth announcements, thinking of you cards, etc.

And, if you know of someone who might like to receive a card from the congregation, please let the Deacon of the Month know. The Deacon of the Month for March is Meg Besong. Thank you as always for supporting the Deacons!

Symbol of the Shamrock

St. Patrick used the shamrock to teach people about the Godhead. Holding up a shamrock, he challenged them, “Is this one leaf, or three?” Inevitably, people replied that it was both, prompting St. Patrick to draw the analogy that so, too, is God: one God in three Persons the Holy Trinity.

Presbyterian Women

Pam Culley

“I am the vine, you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

A new year and a new member joining EPC Presbyterian Women’s Executive Board!!!

Diane Shorter is joining the PW Board as treasurer beginning in February. Diane will be taking over for Barb Lambert who is leaving to be on Deacons. We appreciate the many years Barb has handled the Treasurer’s position and kept us on track with our financials. We welcome Diane and appreciate her accepting this position.

THANK YOU BARB AND WELCOME DIANE!

It seems like spring has arrived a bit early this year! I’m just hoping Mother Nature isn’t pranking us!!!

Every year New Castle Presbyterian Women select a non-profit group to receive a grant. It alternates between downstate (Kent & Sussex County) and upstate (Cecil & New Castle County). This year was the upstate group’s turn to submit nominees from their area for consideration. Elkton’s PW Board nominated Dot’s Food Pantry. The NCPW Coordinating Team met via Zoon the end of January for their quarterly meeting and voted. Dot’s Food Pantry was selected as this year’s recipient of the $500 grant to help those in need with supplies from the food pantry. CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!

On March 21 Elkton Presbyterian will be hosting the Cecil County Choral Society concert. A reception following the concert will be held in Fellowship Hall. Be sure to mark your calendars for a wonderful evening of music and fellowship! Hope to see you there.

Meanwhile, we continue with the quilting and knitting/crocheting ministries, Circle Bible study and Thursday Friends study group, Men’s Shelter luncheon ministry, as well as the monthly coffee hours. We welcome any who might be interested in any of the activities to join in at any time. The continued support of the congregation makes these ministries happen.

PW Martha Circle

We are studying "The Lord’s Prayer”. We meet once a month for study on the 3rd Monday of the month at 10:30 in the Chapel. Please think about joining us, we have a lot of fun and learn a lot. Contact me if you have any questions at 443-593-9011. Praying to hear from you. In Christ,

Joyce Clark

Mission and SocialAwareness Ministry

Mary Kearns

Thank you to everyone that supported our food drive for our EPC food pantry Souper Bowl of Caring Mission. We were able to collect over 100 items and used the $315 donated to buy more items. Your generosity is making a difference right in our own town of Elkton. And in case you were wondering, even though the Kansas City Chiefs won the big game, many more were rooting for the Eagles here at church.

One Great Hour of Sharing Special Offering

in a world of disaster, hunger, and oppression

Millionsofpeoplelackaccessto sustainablefoodsources,clean water,sanitation,education,and opportunity.

The three programs supported by One Great Hour of Sharing - Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, the Presbyterian Hunger Program, and Self-Development of People - all work in different ways to serve individuals and communities in need. From initial disaster response to ongoing community development, their work fits together to provide people with safety, sustenance, and hope.

We will be taking up this special offering until Easter Sunday.

By Sharon Murphy

Looking forward to Easter, let us consider how we can be even more welcoming to our church. David said in Psalm 122:1, “I rejoiced with those who said to me, Let us go to the house of the Lord.”

Think of all the times you’ve been welcomed at a restaurant. How much more could we extend a welcome when we have the Bread of Life to share. This is one small part of our moving forward in our new worship service.

Let’s have such a warm welcome that all who arrive will say “I’m so glad we came. God is in this place!”

We can do this together. I will be asking you to greet one Sunday every 4-6 weeks: someone(s) at our church entrance and someone to serve at the welcome desk. Could you consider 30 minutes to greet before and after the worship service, as a tithe of your time for God!! “Good morning” with a smile is all that is required and there's no age limit!

We have ordered a welcome desk and two coffee bistro tables from Peaceful Valley furniture in PA.

“Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together but spurring each other on.”

Hebrews 10:24 MSG

Thanks to all who have been serving. I look forward to many more joining our welcome team. Phone: 443/553/8525 or email golfhoney12@gmail.com

Sharon Murphy

Fellowship Activities Ministry (F.A.M.)

Debi Heusser

Mark Your Calendars EPC! Join FAM At The Ironbirds!

Mark your calendars for Saturday, April 22!

FAM will be getting a hold of tickets to go see the Aberdeen Ironbirds as they battle against the Jersey Shore Blue Claws at 7:05 pm.

More information is coming very soon. We are in the midst of hopefully getting a group rate from the Ironbirds, which in turn might make the cost of your ticket cheaper! We will all sit together, and we want you to bring friends to this event!

There will be a maximum of 50 tickets available total. Once they’re gone – they’re gone!

We will have a flyer with more information available in the Narthex very soon.

Be sure to keep an eye out for it, and we hope you’ll join us!

From the Porch

Dale Collins

Cross-country Wisdom

Cross country running is not for the faint of heart. It’s a grueling sport. My teenage grandson ran on his high school’s junior varsity cross county team this past season. He learned the value of practice to develop his skill set and to be a team player. He had a superb coaching staff that provided each runner with a specific training schedule as well as developing a good mental attitude.

Along the way during his initial season he was exposed to some valuable life skills First of all, being the fastest runner isn’t as important as finishing the race. Secondly, that commitment to the rigors of practice and training increases endurance. He quickly discovered that it was more difficult to run up hills than down them. Whether it was the daily practice session or an actual weekly race, he learned it took both his internal commitment and endurance to keep moving. He quickly found out that running narrow paths through wooded sections of a race can be challenging when trying to pass an opponent. Finally, he learned never to look back, but to concentrate on what was in front of him.

Isn’t it the same with us as we maneuver through our daily lives. We are constantly challenged with all that faces us in this topsy, turvy world. Up is down, down is up, left is right, right is left, right is wrong, wrong is right. As with cross-country running, we have to have both commitment and endurance to keep moving through our days. We can’t be complacent. We have to work hard to hold onto the truth, to be humbled not proud in who we are , and to utilize the gifts God has given to us. Endurance requires a determined commitment to the challenges set before us. Endurance strengthens us when we are tested. Though we aren’t physically running races, we often need to navigate the narrow paths that often restrict and test our efforts to move forward. This race we run is for those who fall, and for those who fall and get up. Being the best runner isn’t as important as finishing the race, and never looking back to where you have been, but only looking forward to the prize of salvation that Christ Jesus has promised to everyone who crosses the finish line. We must have spiritual courage and put our faith in God, who controls everything. Nothing can hold us back from following the truth that our faith is secure because our future is secure in Christ.

Christ is the only one who can run a perfect race.

Philippians 3:13 ….but, I focus on this one thing. Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which god, through Jesus Christ is calling us.

Upcoming Events

Mar 8 Lenten Pot Luck / Worship Study

Mar 10 Deacon’s Community Kitchen Meal

Mar 12 Daylight Savings time begins

Mar 15 No Lenten Dinner/Study

Mar 16 God Loves You Tour Night of worship and Prayer Crossroads Bible Church

Mar 16– Mar 28 Pastor Gary Vacation

Mar 21 Cecil County Choral Concert at EPC , 7:30pm

Mar 22 No Lenten Dinner/Study

Mar 25 Trustee Clean Up Day

April 2-9 Holy Week

May 2 Franklin Graham ”God Loves You Tour” Main Event

May 4 National Day of Prayer

March Birthdays

1 KyleBryant CaseyFredricks

AllisonEwing

2 PamMcCullough

DaveSpencer GarrettRichmond

3 JuliaMiorelli

4 JaceSlaughter

7 LaurelWillingham McLain

10 TomKearns

13 BethAnnMoore

DanielLoveless

SharonParker

ElenaSlaughter

AJVlamis

14 AllanCebrat

16 StephanieEwing

17 KarenClewer

18 NeilFarwell

JoGreen

19 MaryKearns

20 DebMartin

22 PaulMcCullough

25 AnnSedgwick

29 KeriStout

CollinPolaski

Elkton Presbyterian Church

209 East Main Street

Elkton, MD 21921

Address Service Requested

Secretary...Carol McArthur

Director of Music...Susan Cebrat

Organist...Janice Nieves

Sunday School Director…

Carol McArthur

Media Manager Debi Heusser

Financial Secretary...Al Renwick

Treasurer...Dale Gorman

Custodian...George Jones

Office Hours 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Tuesday thru Friday

Phone: 410-398-4636

Email: elkpreschurch@verizon.net

Web Site: www.elktonpresbyterian.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/

ElktonPresbyterianChurchMD

Instagram: elktonpresbyterianchurch

ElktonPresbyterianChurch Welcomes You!

We are a connectional church, belonging to the New Castle Presbytery, The Synod of the Mid-Atlantic and the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A.

BRING People to Jesus

NURTURE People in Jesus

SEND People to Serve for Jesus

Worship Service is held each Sunday morning at 10am, with live broadcast over Facebook.

Adult Sunday School is at 8:30 and 9am Children’s Sunday School is during the worship Service at 10am. Please call the church if you have any questions.

The Reverend Gary Willingham-McLain, Pastor