Top Ten - July 7
1. This Changes Everything! Baptisms – Congratulations to Don and Emily. Don was baptized and brought into membership on Saturday night, and Emily was baptized on Sunday. Although each of them had been baptized early in life, they had each made new commitments to Christ and wished to testify to that through their baptisms. We celebrate with them their relationships with Jesus and pray for their journey with Christ to always remain strong and healthy.
2. Northgate 101 – At a recent medical appointment my doctor asked me about the difference between Free Methodist and United Methodist. I was very happy to share that information with her! Do you know the difference? On three Sundays in July the pastors will be taking turns meeting with people interested in learning more about the Free Methodist denomination and Northgate Church. We’ll talk about where our denomination came from (we had very local origins even though we are now spread around the world) and what makes us distinct (like the “5 Freedoms”). We’ll also cover what is needed if someone is interested in becoming a member of the church (though this gathering is for everyone – whether interested in membership or not.) Northgate 101 will take place at 9:30 on July 10, 17 and 24 at the North Campus in Room #1. We look forward to seeing you there!
3. Kids Camp is Next Week! – Camp will be held July 11-15 at our North Campus for children ages 3-9. For more information or to register check out this link: https://northgatefmc.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/1300091. And if you are interested in helping as a volunteer you can find information on that here: https://northgatefmc.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/1282908
4. The Communication Cards Are Back – We’ve restocked our sanctuary chairs with communication cards. This is an easy way to let us know if you are new to Northgate, recently decided to follow Jesus, want to be baptized or know more about membership, want to speak to a pastor, share a prayer concern, or anything else that is on your mind. Just fill out the card and drop it into one of the new “collection” boxes which are located in each doorway of the sanctuary. We really love to hear from you, and this is just one way to do that. You can also always email, call, or talk to us when you see us!
5. Developing Space for Fun and Fellowship – There are two things happening in our backyard that you might like to know about. One is that the Disc Golf course is just about ready to go. This will be open to the public and we hope will help people get more familiar with us. The other is that we are starting a new playground project behind the building at North. God has blessed us with all of this land, and we want to use it to its fullest! These should just enhance our ability to join together, invite friends and make good use of what we have.
6. Men’s Campout – We have a group of men planning a campout to be held in the woods behind our building at North. This is scheduled for September 2-3. This will be a wonderful time of fellowship and worship and we’d love to see a great group of guys participating. For more information please contact Pastor John at John@northgatefmc.com.
7. Grief Share and Divorce Care – If you or someone you know has experienced a loss and is walking through the feelings of grief or has experienced a divorce and is coming to terms with that, and would like to know how to handle grief or divorce from a Christian perspective, we have a group for each here at Northgate. New sessions of Grief Share will begin on September 20 at 6pm, meeting at 34 Williams St. in Batavia. And new sessions of Divorce Care will begin on September 24 at 6pm at our North campus building (8160 Bank St. Rd. Batavia). For more information contact Pastor Vern at vern@northgatefmc.com.
8. Meeting for All Interested in Being Part of the “Set Free” Movement – Inspired by recent presentations at our church by Free Methodist missionaries Gerry McNamara and Kevin Austin, a Set Free Team has formed at Northgate. This group is considering how to be part of helping people to “live in the direction of freedom" together. If you want to help end human trafficking in our time and in our region, please attend one of the monthly meetings, held on the last Sunday of the month at 12:30p.m. in Meeting Room 2/3, North Campus. For more information, visit setfreemovement.com and/or email Pastor Marsha marsha@northgatefmc.com.
9. Worship Outdoors – Mark your calendars for Friday, August 19. That night we are planning to hold an outdoor worship service at our North Campus. This might be a great opportunity to invite a friend to come and see what Northgate is all about.
10. Prayer Groups – You are invited to join with others to pray for our church and community on Wednesdays at 1 and Sundays at 9:30. The Wednesday Prayer Group prays for one hour in Meeting Room 1 at North Campus and on Sunday people gather in Room 4 for an hour and pray for our services and congregational needs. Everyone is welcome to either or both of these prayer meetings.
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 – 1 Corinthians 7:31b – …For this world in its present form is passing away. (Read 1 Corinthians 7:1-40)
In chapter seven of 1 Corinthians Paul gives some very clear teachings about marriage, sexual relationships, singleness and divorce. He affirms the biblical teaching about keeping sexual relationships within the bounds of marriage between a man and a woman. He advocates for the blessings of singleness. He speaks to the issue of divorce. And he talks about all of this within the context of living in recognition that “the time is short” (verse 29).
When Paul talks about the time being short, he’s referring to the idea that Jesus can return at any time, and we should live in readiness for that. The fact is, we don’t know when God will begin the next phase in world history leading to Jesus’ return to the earth and the consummation of all things. Depending on your understanding of the timeline of end times events that could happen in a moment, or it may not take place until some other events happen first. Either way, we are to live in readiness for it. Jesus spoke extensively about this in Matthew 24-25.
Does that mean we should all sell our houses and go somewhere to wait for Jesus’ return? Absolutely not. We should continue to be about the work that Christ has us here to do. However, it does mean that we want to live as if we were going to meet Jesus today. In the way we do our work, in the way we love and care for people, in the way we live we want to be able to greet Jesus at any time and hear Him say, “Well done good and faithful servant.” We shouldn’t live for this world: it’s passing away. We need to live for Jesus – we’ll be spending eternity with Him.
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. Northgate 101 – At a recent medical appointment my doctor asked me about the difference between Free Methodist and United Methodist. I was very happy to share that information with her! Do you know the difference? On three Sundays in July the pastors will be taking turns meeting with people interested in learning more about the Free Methodist denomination and Northgate Church. We’ll talk about where our denomination came from (we had very local origins even though we are now spread around the world) and what makes us distinct (like the “5 Freedoms”). We’ll also cover what is needed if someone is interested in becoming a member of the church (though this gathering is for everyone – whether interested in membership or not.) Northgate 101 will take place at 9:30 on July 10, 17 and 24 at the North Campus in Room #1. We look forward to seeing you there!
3. Kids Camp is Next Week! – Camp will be held July 11-15 at our North Campus for children ages 3-9. For more information or to register check out this link: https://northgatefmc.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/1300091. And if you are interested in helping as a volunteer you can find information on that here: https://northgatefmc.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/1282908
4. The Communication Cards Are Back – We’ve restocked our sanctuary chairs with communication cards. This is an easy way to let us know if you are new to Northgate, recently decided to follow Jesus, want to be baptized or know more about membership, want to speak to a pastor, share a prayer concern, or anything else that is on your mind. Just fill out the card and drop it into one of the new “collection” boxes which are located in each doorway of the sanctuary. We really love to hear from you, and this is just one way to do that. You can also always email, call, or talk to us when you see us!
5. Developing Space for Fun and Fellowship – There are two things happening in our backyard that you might like to know about. One is that the Disc Golf course is just about ready to go. This will be open to the public and we hope will help people get more familiar with us. The other is that we are starting a new playground project behind the building at North. God has blessed us with all of this land, and we want to use it to its fullest! These should just enhance our ability to join together, invite friends and make good use of what we have.
6. Men’s Campout – We have a group of men planning a campout to be held in the woods behind our building at North. This is scheduled for September 2-3. This will be a wonderful time of fellowship and worship and we’d love to see a great group of guys participating. For more information please contact Pastor John at John@northgatefmc.com.
7. Grief Share and Divorce Care – If you or someone you know has experienced a loss and is walking through the feelings of grief or has experienced a divorce and is coming to terms with that, and would like to know how to handle grief or divorce from a Christian perspective, we have a group for each here at Northgate. New sessions of Grief Share will begin on September 20 at 6pm, meeting at 34 Williams St. in Batavia. And new sessions of Divorce Care will begin on September 24 at 6pm at our North campus building (8160 Bank St. Rd. Batavia). For more information contact Pastor Vern at vern@northgatefmc.com.
8. Meeting for All Interested in Being Part of the “Set Free” Movement – Inspired by recent presentations at our church by Free Methodist missionaries Gerry McNamara and Kevin Austin, a Set Free Team has formed at Northgate. This group is considering how to be part of helping people to “live in the direction of freedom" together. If you want to help end human trafficking in our time and in our region, please attend one of the monthly meetings, held on the last Sunday of the month at 12:30p.m. in Meeting Room 2/3, North Campus. For more information, visit setfreemovement.com and/or email Pastor Marsha marsha@northgatefmc.com.
9. Worship Outdoors – Mark your calendars for Friday, August 19. That night we are planning to hold an outdoor worship service at our North Campus. This might be a great opportunity to invite a friend to come and see what Northgate is all about.
10. Prayer Groups – You are invited to join with others to pray for our church and community on Wednesdays at 1 and Sundays at 9:30. The Wednesday Prayer Group prays for one hour in Meeting Room 1 at North Campus and on Sunday people gather in Room 4 for an hour and pray for our services and congregational needs. Everyone is welcome to either or both of these prayer meetings.
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 – 1 Corinthians 7:31b – …For this world in its present form is passing away. (Read 1 Corinthians 7:1-40)
In chapter seven of 1 Corinthians Paul gives some very clear teachings about marriage, sexual relationships, singleness and divorce. He affirms the biblical teaching about keeping sexual relationships within the bounds of marriage between a man and a woman. He advocates for the blessings of singleness. He speaks to the issue of divorce. And he talks about all of this within the context of living in recognition that “the time is short” (verse 29).
When Paul talks about the time being short, he’s referring to the idea that Jesus can return at any time, and we should live in readiness for that. The fact is, we don’t know when God will begin the next phase in world history leading to Jesus’ return to the earth and the consummation of all things. Depending on your understanding of the timeline of end times events that could happen in a moment, or it may not take place until some other events happen first. Either way, we are to live in readiness for it. Jesus spoke extensively about this in Matthew 24-25.
Does that mean we should all sell our houses and go somewhere to wait for Jesus’ return? Absolutely not. We should continue to be about the work that Christ has us here to do. However, it does mean that we want to live as if we were going to meet Jesus today. In the way we do our work, in the way we love and care for people, in the way we live we want to be able to greet Jesus at any time and hear Him say, “Well done good and faithful servant.” We shouldn’t live for this world: it’s passing away. We need to live for Jesus – we’ll be spending eternity with Him.
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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