Pastor Vern's Top Ten
1. MOPS Volunteers Needed – Mothers of Pre-Schoolers is a wonderful program lending support to all moms of young children, and it meets at our North Campus. One of the essential features of MOPS is that childcare is offered to moms who attend the program, to give them a little break and to allow them a chance to fellowship and learn and grow spiritually with other moms. Those who provide the childcare are, therefore, serving in valuable way! We need some volunteers who can watch pre-school age children once a month, either on Wednesday morning or Wednesday evening, for a couple of hours. If you can help, please contact Pastor Marsha at marsha@northgatefmc.com and from all the moms at MOPS... thank you!
2. Christmas is Coming! – Yes it is, and we’re looking forward to a wonderful celebration of Christ’s birth! This year we are bringing back “Vintage Christmas” – our community-minded festival that will be held in our “backyard” on December 3 and 10 from 6-8pm. We’re looking for some volunteers to help us make this a wonderful time for everyone who attends. We need people to read, stoke the bonfire, help in the parking lot, serve as trail guides and more. If you’d like to help and couldn’t make the meeting last Sunday, just contact Anthony at anthony@northgatefmc.com. Thanks!
3. “Wrestling with the Mysteries of Suffering, Pain, and God’s Sovereignty” – That’s the subtitle of a book by Joni Eareckson Tada called A Place of Healing. Pastor Vern and Pastor Marsha are starting a new group using this book to help us explore the topics of suffering and healing and the questions we have around these topics. You are welcome to join us on Sundays at 9:30am in Room 1 at North. And if you have any questions, just ask! Please note: we had planned to begin this study November 14, but we have to push it ahead a few weeks. Please watch this space for an announcement on when we’ll start, or email one of us to let us know you’re interested, and we’ll make sure you know when to come! You can reach us at vern@northgatefmc.com or marsha@northgatefmc.com.
4. Another Kids Movie Night is Coming Up! – On Saturday November 20 our Children’s Ministry Leaders will be offering parents another opportunity to get a short break from parenting in order to attend a worship service or go to dinner or do some shopping or whatever you need to use that time for! We will be holding a Kto4 movie night beginning at 5:30pm that evening. For more information contact Leah at leah@northgatefmc.com.
5. Curious About Life After Death? – Pastor Vern is starting a new group on Sunday November 14 and we’ll be talking about things like near death experiences, heaven, hell, reincarnation and so on. We’ll meet for an hour beginning at about 12:30 (after second service) in Room 1 and people are invited to bring a bag lunch if they like! We’ll be using a new book by Lee Strobel titled The Case for Heaven. If you’d like one ordered for you please contact Pastor Vern at vern@northgatefmc.com.
6. Great Day of Giving – Each year at Thanksgiving we seek to focus on how God has blessed us as a church by blessing others. We do this through a special offering called the “Great Day of Giving” and then we share that offering between local agencies that provide help to people, a global missions project and a capital project here. This year the offering will be taken in our services November 20 and 21 or you can give online through our website or the Northgate APP. The offering will go to: Genesee Cancer Assistance; the Mental Health Association; the Suicide Prevention Coalition; the new Gahanda, Rwanda Free Methodist Church sanctuary; and the playground being planned for our North Campus. Thank you for your generous giving to this offering.
7. Thanksgiving Meals for Migrant Families – For many years now we have been packaging and delivering bags of groceries to migrant families living in our area. These bags provide the families with everything needed for a wonderful Thanksgiving meal. They also are an expression of our love for these families. Even though the leader of this project, Rosalina, has moved to Buffalo to be closer to family (insert sad face here!) she continues to return to Northgate and make this happen. Thank you, Rosalina! If you’d like to help with the cost of the groceries, it’s usually around $30 and you can note that your gift is for “Thanksgiving bags” or give online through our website or the Northgate APP. You can also help by praying for our local migrant families or with the distribution of the groceries. For questions, contact Pastor Chris at chris@northgatefmc.com. Thanks!
8. Get to Know Northgate – The first three Sundays of each month the Northgate pastors rotate leading “Northgate 101” at 9:30. This group provides an opportunity to learn more about Northgate and Free Methodism, and it’s a place you can ask questions of the pastors on any topic church-related. It also serves as the “Membership Class” for anyone who is interested in membership. Sign-ups aren’t needed – and all are welcome, whether you are new to Northgate or have attended for many years!
9. Mothers Of Preschoolers (MOPS) – MOPS is meeting this Fall in person! The group held a kickoff service this past Wednesday and there is a wonderful year planned. One change to note is that MOPS will be meeting at our North Campus this year (8160 Bank St. Rd. Batavia) and meetings will be held on the 2nd Wednesday in the morning and the 4th Wednesday in the evening. For more information contact Pastor Marsha.
10. Join Pastor Daniel for Game Nights – Pastor Daniel is hosting game nights at South, on Monday nights from 6-8pm. A variety of board games are provided, and people of all ages are invited to come and bring a friend. This is a great time to get to know some new people and form more connections in the Northgate family. For more information contact Pastor Daniel at daniel@northgatefmc.com.
To learn more about these opportunities, or to suggest an idea for a group or a gathering, or to inquire about reserving space at the church or the pavilion you can always email the office (office@northgatefmc.com) or call 343-4011. You can check out our website too (northgatefmc.com).
**********************************************************************************
You Can Count on This – Romans 3:22-24 – This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Read Romans 3:21-30)
This is good news! We can receive righteousness through faith in Jesus. We don’t have to work for it or hope we can have it - it’s ours through faith and trust. And it’s available to everyone who believes! There is a way for people of all nations, ethnicities, races and languages to live in peace with one another as brothers and sisters - through faith in Jesus and receiving the righteousness of God. More good news! And then there’s this: I don’t have to feel like I’m some kind of unique sinner - as if I’m worse than anyone else, because all have sinned and fall short! There’s nothing in there about “degrees” of falling short - it simply says we all have! Still more: we are justified freely - it costs us nothing but our faith and trust, because it comes by way of Jesus Christ who has already paid the cost for it! So much good news in just a few verses!
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.
2. Christmas is Coming! – Yes it is, and we’re looking forward to a wonderful celebration of Christ’s birth! This year we are bringing back “Vintage Christmas” – our community-minded festival that will be held in our “backyard” on December 3 and 10 from 6-8pm. We’re looking for some volunteers to help us make this a wonderful time for everyone who attends. We need people to read, stoke the bonfire, help in the parking lot, serve as trail guides and more. If you’d like to help and couldn’t make the meeting last Sunday, just contact Anthony at anthony@northgatefmc.com. Thanks!
3. “Wrestling with the Mysteries of Suffering, Pain, and God’s Sovereignty” – That’s the subtitle of a book by Joni Eareckson Tada called A Place of Healing. Pastor Vern and Pastor Marsha are starting a new group using this book to help us explore the topics of suffering and healing and the questions we have around these topics. You are welcome to join us on Sundays at 9:30am in Room 1 at North. And if you have any questions, just ask! Please note: we had planned to begin this study November 14, but we have to push it ahead a few weeks. Please watch this space for an announcement on when we’ll start, or email one of us to let us know you’re interested, and we’ll make sure you know when to come! You can reach us at vern@northgatefmc.com or marsha@northgatefmc.com.
4. Another Kids Movie Night is Coming Up! – On Saturday November 20 our Children’s Ministry Leaders will be offering parents another opportunity to get a short break from parenting in order to attend a worship service or go to dinner or do some shopping or whatever you need to use that time for! We will be holding a Kto4 movie night beginning at 5:30pm that evening. For more information contact Leah at leah@northgatefmc.com.
5. Curious About Life After Death? – Pastor Vern is starting a new group on Sunday November 14 and we’ll be talking about things like near death experiences, heaven, hell, reincarnation and so on. We’ll meet for an hour beginning at about 12:30 (after second service) in Room 1 and people are invited to bring a bag lunch if they like! We’ll be using a new book by Lee Strobel titled The Case for Heaven. If you’d like one ordered for you please contact Pastor Vern at vern@northgatefmc.com.
6. Great Day of Giving – Each year at Thanksgiving we seek to focus on how God has blessed us as a church by blessing others. We do this through a special offering called the “Great Day of Giving” and then we share that offering between local agencies that provide help to people, a global missions project and a capital project here. This year the offering will be taken in our services November 20 and 21 or you can give online through our website or the Northgate APP. The offering will go to: Genesee Cancer Assistance; the Mental Health Association; the Suicide Prevention Coalition; the new Gahanda, Rwanda Free Methodist Church sanctuary; and the playground being planned for our North Campus. Thank you for your generous giving to this offering.
7. Thanksgiving Meals for Migrant Families – For many years now we have been packaging and delivering bags of groceries to migrant families living in our area. These bags provide the families with everything needed for a wonderful Thanksgiving meal. They also are an expression of our love for these families. Even though the leader of this project, Rosalina, has moved to Buffalo to be closer to family (insert sad face here!) she continues to return to Northgate and make this happen. Thank you, Rosalina! If you’d like to help with the cost of the groceries, it’s usually around $30 and you can note that your gift is for “Thanksgiving bags” or give online through our website or the Northgate APP. You can also help by praying for our local migrant families or with the distribution of the groceries. For questions, contact Pastor Chris at chris@northgatefmc.com. Thanks!
8. Get to Know Northgate – The first three Sundays of each month the Northgate pastors rotate leading “Northgate 101” at 9:30. This group provides an opportunity to learn more about Northgate and Free Methodism, and it’s a place you can ask questions of the pastors on any topic church-related. It also serves as the “Membership Class” for anyone who is interested in membership. Sign-ups aren’t needed – and all are welcome, whether you are new to Northgate or have attended for many years!
9. Mothers Of Preschoolers (MOPS) – MOPS is meeting this Fall in person! The group held a kickoff service this past Wednesday and there is a wonderful year planned. One change to note is that MOPS will be meeting at our North Campus this year (8160 Bank St. Rd. Batavia) and meetings will be held on the 2nd Wednesday in the morning and the 4th Wednesday in the evening. For more information contact Pastor Marsha.
10. Join Pastor Daniel for Game Nights – Pastor Daniel is hosting game nights at South, on Monday nights from 6-8pm. A variety of board games are provided, and people of all ages are invited to come and bring a friend. This is a great time to get to know some new people and form more connections in the Northgate family. For more information contact Pastor Daniel at daniel@northgatefmc.com.
To learn more about these opportunities, or to suggest an idea for a group or a gathering, or to inquire about reserving space at the church or the pavilion you can always email the office (office@northgatefmc.com) or call 343-4011. You can check out our website too (northgatefmc.com).
**********************************************************************************
You Can Count on This – Romans 3:22-24 – This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Read Romans 3:21-30)
This is good news! We can receive righteousness through faith in Jesus. We don’t have to work for it or hope we can have it - it’s ours through faith and trust. And it’s available to everyone who believes! There is a way for people of all nations, ethnicities, races and languages to live in peace with one another as brothers and sisters - through faith in Jesus and receiving the righteousness of God. More good news! And then there’s this: I don’t have to feel like I’m some kind of unique sinner - as if I’m worse than anyone else, because all have sinned and fall short! There’s nothing in there about “degrees” of falling short - it simply says we all have! Still more: we are justified freely - it costs us nothing but our faith and trust, because it comes by way of Jesus Christ who has already paid the cost for it! So much good news in just a few verses!
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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