Pastor Vern\'s Top Ten - 3.12.21
March 12, 2021
1. Shoe Drive Coming Up – Northgate is participating in a shoe drive that will benefit people in developing countries as well as our local YWCA. We will be collecting gently used shoes next weekend (March 20/21) which we will give to the YWCA, which will then donate them to an organization that will distribute them to people who can use them. The YWCA will receive a donation for their part in this. So you can benefit multiple people by bringing your gently used shoes to either North or Arbor House next weekend! Thank you in advance for your thoughtfulness!
2. Also Coming Up – Food Distribution/Volunteers Will Be Needed – In April we may have the opportunity to be part of the Salvation Army/FoodLink food distribution for our area. We’ll be looking for volunteers to help with that. The dates are yet to be decided but we’ll get that information out as soon as we have it. I just wanted to get it on your radar! Thanks!
3. April 1st: Flashlight Scavenger Hunt – This spring, we are putting a fun, new twist on the Easter egg hunt! Mark your calendars -- your kids won't want to miss this! We will be sending out more information in the coming weeks with more details and a link to register! We can't wait to enjoy the Easter season with you and your kids! We are going to need volunteers for this event so if you would like to help out, please let Leah know via email leah@northgatefmc.com!
4. Coming Soon: Pray Station – The Children’s ministry team is also planning a fun event at the church dedicated to the importance of spending time with God. This will be built on stations, with each station taking your family deeper into what it means to talk to God. We hope this activity stimulates meaningful conversations about connecting with God and how kids can continue to do so on a regular basis. More details will be coming out soon.
5. Arbor House Is Holding In-Person Services – Arbor House has returned to in-person worship services. The service begins at 10am and meets at our South Campus building at 350 Bank St. in Batavia. Arbor House offers a liturgical style worship service and all are welcome!
6. Virtual Connection Cards – If you’re new to Northgate, attending either online or in person, we’d love to have you fill out a virtual connection card. You can find it in our Northgate App – click on “Connect Card. If you don’t see it, you may need to update the App – we’ve recently made some changes to it. Thank you!
7. Pastor Daniel’s Thursday Night Opportunity – Pastor Daniel has started a new group for Middle and High School students. The group meets virtually on Thursday nights at 7pm using Right Now Media. For more information contact Pastor Daniel at daniel@northgatefmc.com.
Also Remember – Base is meeting on Wednesday nights. There’s open gym at 5pm and the meeting starts at 6pm. Ember (for young adults) meets on Wednesday morning at 9:15 at Pub Coffee.
Pastor Daniel is also holding an evening meeting (7pm) at South Campus which is reading 8 classic books by C.S. Lewis. This is open to everybody and you can sign up for it on our website: northgatefmc.com, or just come out on Monday nights. For more information on any of this contact Pastor Daniel at daniel@northgatefmc.com.
8. How Can We Pray For You? – The Northgate staff loves to pray for you – it’s an honor and a privilege. We also have a Care Team that regularly prays for many people in our congregation. Please help us know how we can pray by submitting your requests to one of the pastors, or through the Northgate APP, or by emailing (prayer@northgatefmc.com) or texting (585-204-0645). Thank you!
9. Bishop Linda’s Article on “Life-Giving Holiness” – Bishop Linda has written a wonderful and in-depth article on one of our core beliefs as a Free Methodist church: entire sanctification, which is one way of talking about what it means to be holy. In the article Bishop Linda describes holiness this way: “a radical transformation of heart and mind resulting in fully loving God and neighbor.” Can you think of anything our world needs more right now than people who have been radically transformed and who fully love God and neighbor? Bishop Linda’s article is well worth taking the time to read so that we can better understand exactly what God wants to do in and through us. You can find it here: https://lightandlife.fm/life-giving-holiness/.
10. Prayer-Walk Opportunities Coming Up – Looking forward to warmer weather and more time together, we will be starting several Northgate Prayer-Walk Groups the week following Easter (April 4). These groups will meet once a week to walk and pray together. We hope to be able to offer groups in a variety of places and neighborhoods. If you’d be interested in joining a prayer-walk group please let Pastor Marsha know by emailing her at marsha@northgatefmc.com.
Prayer-Walk Group Leaders Needed! – In order to offer as many groups as possible in as many locations as possible (see #7 above) we need leaders! The concept is simple: To lead a prayer-walk group, set a starting time and place near where you live; let friends and neighbors know; then go for your walk. We suggest a 30-45-minute walk, once per week, for 6-8 weeks. Gather prayer requests ahead of time and/or on-the-spot. Group members can pray aloud or silently as you walk. Also allow time for fellowship and discussion. Sound refreshing? It is! To the body, mind and spirit. If you are willing to lead a prayer-walk group where you live, Northgate would like to give you a complimentary copy of the book, God Walk: Moving at the Speed of Your Soul by Mark Buchanan. Use the book as the basis for discussion and/or inspiration with your group. You can do this! If you’re interested in giving it a go, please contact Pastor Marsha at marsha@northgatefmc.com to lead this simple and profound spiritual practice.
Right now we have prayer-walk leaders for Attica, Batavia, Northgate Prayer Walk, Mount Albion Cemetery, Strong Memorial Hospital and Cedar Street Park in Batavia.
We are looking for leaders for LeRoy, Batavia City Hall area, Oakfield, Elba, Bergen, Churchville, Corfu, Medina, or where you live!
You Can Count on This – Acts 10:34–35 – Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.” (Read Acts 10:1-48)
Something very important happens in Acts chapter 10. Peter, a Jewish-Christian, receives a vision from God encouraging him to eat food that Peter had, as a Jew, considered “unclean” – off limits. God repeated his command three times. Shortly
after this Peter was asked to meet with a Gentile, a man named Cornelius, who also had been given a vision in which he was told to invite Peter to his home and listen to what Peter had to say. Peter then made his way to the house of Cornelius.
Upon meeting Cornelius Peter shared the lesson God had just taught him: that although Jewish law had created a separation between Jew and Gentile, God was tearing that barrier down (verses 27-28). Peter then shared the gospel with Cornelius and his household, who received it and believed in Jesus and were baptized that very day.
We humans seem to always be creating “in-groups” and “out-groups.” We divide between “us” and “them.” Peter lived in that kind of world too. But God showed Peter a new thing: that in Jesus we are all one people. And that no one needs to be separated from the love of God. God “accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.” The message of the gospel is to offered to all people without exception and as Christians we are called to love all people, regardless of where they come from.
When you’re not sure what you can count on in the world around you, know this: You can count on God keeping his word. So read what God has to say in scripture! And count on it.
1. Shoe Drive Coming Up – Northgate is participating in a shoe drive that will benefit people in developing countries as well as our local YWCA. We will be collecting gently used shoes next weekend (March 20/21) which we will give to the YWCA, which will then donate them to an organization that will distribute them to people who can use them. The YWCA will receive a donation for their part in this. So you can benefit multiple people by bringing your gently used shoes to either North or Arbor House next weekend! Thank you in advance for your thoughtfulness!
2. Also Coming Up – Food Distribution/Volunteers Will Be Needed – In April we may have the opportunity to be part of the Salvation Army/FoodLink food distribution for our area. We’ll be looking for volunteers to help with that. The dates are yet to be decided but we’ll get that information out as soon as we have it. I just wanted to get it on your radar! Thanks!
3. April 1st: Flashlight Scavenger Hunt – This spring, we are putting a fun, new twist on the Easter egg hunt! Mark your calendars -- your kids won't want to miss this! We will be sending out more information in the coming weeks with more details and a link to register! We can't wait to enjoy the Easter season with you and your kids! We are going to need volunteers for this event so if you would like to help out, please let Leah know via email leah@northgatefmc.com!
4. Coming Soon: Pray Station – The Children’s ministry team is also planning a fun event at the church dedicated to the importance of spending time with God. This will be built on stations, with each station taking your family deeper into what it means to talk to God. We hope this activity stimulates meaningful conversations about connecting with God and how kids can continue to do so on a regular basis. More details will be coming out soon.
5. Arbor House Is Holding In-Person Services – Arbor House has returned to in-person worship services. The service begins at 10am and meets at our South Campus building at 350 Bank St. in Batavia. Arbor House offers a liturgical style worship service and all are welcome!
6. Virtual Connection Cards – If you’re new to Northgate, attending either online or in person, we’d love to have you fill out a virtual connection card. You can find it in our Northgate App – click on “Connect Card. If you don’t see it, you may need to update the App – we’ve recently made some changes to it. Thank you!
7. Pastor Daniel’s Thursday Night Opportunity – Pastor Daniel has started a new group for Middle and High School students. The group meets virtually on Thursday nights at 7pm using Right Now Media. For more information contact Pastor Daniel at daniel@northgatefmc.com.
Also Remember – Base is meeting on Wednesday nights. There’s open gym at 5pm and the meeting starts at 6pm. Ember (for young adults) meets on Wednesday morning at 9:15 at Pub Coffee.
Pastor Daniel is also holding an evening meeting (7pm) at South Campus which is reading 8 classic books by C.S. Lewis. This is open to everybody and you can sign up for it on our website: northgatefmc.com, or just come out on Monday nights. For more information on any of this contact Pastor Daniel at daniel@northgatefmc.com.
8. How Can We Pray For You? – The Northgate staff loves to pray for you – it’s an honor and a privilege. We also have a Care Team that regularly prays for many people in our congregation. Please help us know how we can pray by submitting your requests to one of the pastors, or through the Northgate APP, or by emailing (prayer@northgatefmc.com) or texting (585-204-0645). Thank you!
9. Bishop Linda’s Article on “Life-Giving Holiness” – Bishop Linda has written a wonderful and in-depth article on one of our core beliefs as a Free Methodist church: entire sanctification, which is one way of talking about what it means to be holy. In the article Bishop Linda describes holiness this way: “a radical transformation of heart and mind resulting in fully loving God and neighbor.” Can you think of anything our world needs more right now than people who have been radically transformed and who fully love God and neighbor? Bishop Linda’s article is well worth taking the time to read so that we can better understand exactly what God wants to do in and through us. You can find it here: https://lightandlife.fm/life-giving-holiness/.
10. Prayer-Walk Opportunities Coming Up – Looking forward to warmer weather and more time together, we will be starting several Northgate Prayer-Walk Groups the week following Easter (April 4). These groups will meet once a week to walk and pray together. We hope to be able to offer groups in a variety of places and neighborhoods. If you’d be interested in joining a prayer-walk group please let Pastor Marsha know by emailing her at marsha@northgatefmc.com.
Prayer-Walk Group Leaders Needed! – In order to offer as many groups as possible in as many locations as possible (see #7 above) we need leaders! The concept is simple: To lead a prayer-walk group, set a starting time and place near where you live; let friends and neighbors know; then go for your walk. We suggest a 30-45-minute walk, once per week, for 6-8 weeks. Gather prayer requests ahead of time and/or on-the-spot. Group members can pray aloud or silently as you walk. Also allow time for fellowship and discussion. Sound refreshing? It is! To the body, mind and spirit. If you are willing to lead a prayer-walk group where you live, Northgate would like to give you a complimentary copy of the book, God Walk: Moving at the Speed of Your Soul by Mark Buchanan. Use the book as the basis for discussion and/or inspiration with your group. You can do this! If you’re interested in giving it a go, please contact Pastor Marsha at marsha@northgatefmc.com to lead this simple and profound spiritual practice.
Right now we have prayer-walk leaders for Attica, Batavia, Northgate Prayer Walk, Mount Albion Cemetery, Strong Memorial Hospital and Cedar Street Park in Batavia.
We are looking for leaders for LeRoy, Batavia City Hall area, Oakfield, Elba, Bergen, Churchville, Corfu, Medina, or where you live!
You Can Count on This – Acts 10:34–35 – Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.” (Read Acts 10:1-48)
Something very important happens in Acts chapter 10. Peter, a Jewish-Christian, receives a vision from God encouraging him to eat food that Peter had, as a Jew, considered “unclean” – off limits. God repeated his command three times. Shortly
after this Peter was asked to meet with a Gentile, a man named Cornelius, who also had been given a vision in which he was told to invite Peter to his home and listen to what Peter had to say. Peter then made his way to the house of Cornelius.
Upon meeting Cornelius Peter shared the lesson God had just taught him: that although Jewish law had created a separation between Jew and Gentile, God was tearing that barrier down (verses 27-28). Peter then shared the gospel with Cornelius and his household, who received it and believed in Jesus and were baptized that very day.
We humans seem to always be creating “in-groups” and “out-groups.” We divide between “us” and “them.” Peter lived in that kind of world too. But God showed Peter a new thing: that in Jesus we are all one people. And that no one needs to be separated from the love of God. God “accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.” The message of the gospel is to offered to all people without exception and as Christians we are called to love all people, regardless of where they come from.
When you’re not sure what you can count on in the world around you, know this: You can count on God keeping his word. So read what God has to say in scripture! And count on it.
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