Top Ten - October 29
1. Youth Party Tomorrow Night! – Tomorrow night (Sunday - 10/30) Base will hold a Pumpkin fest for people in grades 5-12 from 5-7pm. Pizza will be provided and there will be pumpkin painting, carving and activities of various kinds.
2. Leadership Academy – Are you interested in leading better where you are? Would you like to hear and read voices that challenge your perspectives and help you grow? Our next cohort of the Northgate Leadership Academy is forming, and we are looking for a couple more members to round out the group. This is beginning on Tuesday, November 1 (sorry about saying November 8 last week. I was mistaken!) There is no cost to participate in the group, but there is a substantial time and reading commitment. If you are interested in learning more, getting a syllabus, or an application please email Pastor John john@northgatefmc.com. Thank you!
3. Suicide Prevention Fundraiser – On Tuesday November 8 we are hosting a drive-through dinner (4-6pm) in support of programs to reduce the risk of suicide among young people. All proceeds from the dinner will go to the Mental Health Association for that purpose. Tickets are needed ($14) and will be available this week in the office and at the Information desk.
4. Communion Next Weekend – We’ll be observing communion in our worship services next weekend (November 5/6). If you’ll be worshiping with us on-line, please have your communion elements ready so you can join us in remembering what Jesus has done for us!
5. Northgate 101 – We’re offering a new session of “Northgate 101” on November 6, 13 and 20 at 9:30 in meeting room 1. This short-term small group is a place to meet people and learn about the Free Methodist Church and about Northgate. If you’re interested in membership this is a required group, but everyone is welcome to attend whether or not they are planning on membership. Email Pastor John to sign up - john@northgatefmc.com.
6. Monday Night Bible Study – This discipleship group has started up again on Monday nights at 6:30pm. We are studying the book of Hebrews together. Everyone is welcome to this study, and you don’t have to be a Bible scholar to come! We’ll grow together, chapter by chapter! For more information contact Pastor Vern at vern@northgatefmc.com.
To learn about all of the groups being offered by Northgate please check out this link: https://northgatefmc.churchcenter.com/groups/unique. You can also view the list on the Northgate app.
7. Can We Pray For You? – Please let us know how. Email us at prayer@northgatefmc.com. And if you’d like to join one of our several prayer teams (Sunday mornings, Wednesday afternoons, the Care Team) please let us know that too.
8. Mothers & Grandmothers – Moms in Prayer International group will begin on October 11 at 6 p.m. at North campus on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month while school is in session. We meet to pray for our school and/or college aged children, their educational successes and needs while they are enrolled in school and the typical challenges that students meet on a daily basis. Moms in Prayer guides, written by founder Fern Nichols, can be ordered, and purchased if desired, however prayer outlines are provided each week. The hour is spent praising God using scripture, silent confession, Thanksgiving for answered prayer and praying for specific needs. You can check out the website for more information (www.MomsinPrayer.org) or contact prayer leader Paula Neumann (585)201-0079.
On Sunday mornings from 9:30 to 10:30 a prayer team meets in meeting room 4. During this time people pray for the services, needs of our congregation and other topics as God leads. We would love to have you join this prayer team.
9. Vintage Christmas – Planning has begun for our Vintage Christmas celebrations this December, and we’d like to invite you to be part of the team that makes this happen. If you are interested in volunteering for one of the many tasks that need to be done, please contact the church office at office@northgatefmc.com and let us know. We would love to have you!
10. Prayer Shawl Ministry – The Prayer Shawl ministry meets the first Saturday of every month at 10am at Northgate North. This group makes prayer shawls which are given out to people going through difficult times in their lives. All are welcome to come and join in; if you don’t know how to knit a shawl this is a great place to learn!
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).
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You Can Count on This – 2 Corinthians 5:17 – Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here. (Read 2 Corinthians 5:1-21)
I recently referred to this verse in one of my weekend messages. I said something to the effect that I wish more of us understood the importance of what God is saying to us here. When we turn our lives over to Jesus, He makes us new. New! Our sins are forgiven. The record of our wrongs is expunged. God looks at us as brand-new creations - beings! This is wonderful news and should encourage us - we have a fresh start. We don’t have to live under the black cloud of our pasts. We can step out into the brilliant sunshine of God’s love, mercy and forgiveness.
Yesterday after a service I conducted a woman came up to me and said she had something to tell me about the message I gave. She said she’d been a Christian a long time, but something I said spoke deeply to her. It was this: “Heaven is a place where the pain we’ve caused by our sins and failures will no longer have the power to depress us or cause us pain and sadness.” I believe that to be true. When we enter heaven all of the guilt or shame we feel about our pasts will be completely and totally and eternally healed. The woman who spoke with me thanked me for reminding her of that and said that it was very encouraging to her. It helped her to remember that she won’t be plagued by guilt and shame when one day she is received into heaven.
I’m glad that God could speak that word of hope to her. The truth is that many of us struggle to free ourselves from feelings of guilt or regret or shame about the things we’ve done. In heaven we will no longer struggle with that. But I also believe that God wants us to be free now. He wants us to know that through our relationship with Jesus He no longer counts our sins against us. He doesn’t look at us with scorn. Only with love. Read Romans 8:1. And Psalm 103:1-14. And then read them again! And understand that if you are a Christian, you are a new creation in Christ.
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. Leadership Academy – Are you interested in leading better where you are? Would you like to hear and read voices that challenge your perspectives and help you grow? Our next cohort of the Northgate Leadership Academy is forming, and we are looking for a couple more members to round out the group. This is beginning on Tuesday, November 1 (sorry about saying November 8 last week. I was mistaken!) There is no cost to participate in the group, but there is a substantial time and reading commitment. If you are interested in learning more, getting a syllabus, or an application please email Pastor John john@northgatefmc.com. Thank you!
3. Suicide Prevention Fundraiser – On Tuesday November 8 we are hosting a drive-through dinner (4-6pm) in support of programs to reduce the risk of suicide among young people. All proceeds from the dinner will go to the Mental Health Association for that purpose. Tickets are needed ($14) and will be available this week in the office and at the Information desk.
4. Communion Next Weekend – We’ll be observing communion in our worship services next weekend (November 5/6). If you’ll be worshiping with us on-line, please have your communion elements ready so you can join us in remembering what Jesus has done for us!
5. Northgate 101 – We’re offering a new session of “Northgate 101” on November 6, 13 and 20 at 9:30 in meeting room 1. This short-term small group is a place to meet people and learn about the Free Methodist Church and about Northgate. If you’re interested in membership this is a required group, but everyone is welcome to attend whether or not they are planning on membership. Email Pastor John to sign up - john@northgatefmc.com.
6. Monday Night Bible Study – This discipleship group has started up again on Monday nights at 6:30pm. We are studying the book of Hebrews together. Everyone is welcome to this study, and you don’t have to be a Bible scholar to come! We’ll grow together, chapter by chapter! For more information contact Pastor Vern at vern@northgatefmc.com.
To learn about all of the groups being offered by Northgate please check out this link: https://northgatefmc.churchcenter.com/groups/unique. You can also view the list on the Northgate app.
7. Can We Pray For You? – Please let us know how. Email us at prayer@northgatefmc.com. And if you’d like to join one of our several prayer teams (Sunday mornings, Wednesday afternoons, the Care Team) please let us know that too.
8. Mothers & Grandmothers – Moms in Prayer International group will begin on October 11 at 6 p.m. at North campus on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month while school is in session. We meet to pray for our school and/or college aged children, their educational successes and needs while they are enrolled in school and the typical challenges that students meet on a daily basis. Moms in Prayer guides, written by founder Fern Nichols, can be ordered, and purchased if desired, however prayer outlines are provided each week. The hour is spent praising God using scripture, silent confession, Thanksgiving for answered prayer and praying for specific needs. You can check out the website for more information (www.MomsinPrayer.org) or contact prayer leader Paula Neumann (585)201-0079.
On Sunday mornings from 9:30 to 10:30 a prayer team meets in meeting room 4. During this time people pray for the services, needs of our congregation and other topics as God leads. We would love to have you join this prayer team.
9. Vintage Christmas – Planning has begun for our Vintage Christmas celebrations this December, and we’d like to invite you to be part of the team that makes this happen. If you are interested in volunteering for one of the many tasks that need to be done, please contact the church office at office@northgatefmc.com and let us know. We would love to have you!
10. Prayer Shawl Ministry – The Prayer Shawl ministry meets the first Saturday of every month at 10am at Northgate North. This group makes prayer shawls which are given out to people going through difficult times in their lives. All are welcome to come and join in; if you don’t know how to knit a shawl this is a great place to learn!
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 – 2 Corinthians 5:17 – Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here. (Read 2 Corinthians 5:1-21)
I recently referred to this verse in one of my weekend messages. I said something to the effect that I wish more of us understood the importance of what God is saying to us here. When we turn our lives over to Jesus, He makes us new. New! Our sins are forgiven. The record of our wrongs is expunged. God looks at us as brand-new creations - beings! This is wonderful news and should encourage us - we have a fresh start. We don’t have to live under the black cloud of our pasts. We can step out into the brilliant sunshine of God’s love, mercy and forgiveness.
Yesterday after a service I conducted a woman came up to me and said she had something to tell me about the message I gave. She said she’d been a Christian a long time, but something I said spoke deeply to her. It was this: “Heaven is a place where the pain we’ve caused by our sins and failures will no longer have the power to depress us or cause us pain and sadness.” I believe that to be true. When we enter heaven all of the guilt or shame we feel about our pasts will be completely and totally and eternally healed. The woman who spoke with me thanked me for reminding her of that and said that it was very encouraging to her. It helped her to remember that she won’t be plagued by guilt and shame when one day she is received into heaven.
I’m glad that God could speak that word of hope to her. The truth is that many of us struggle to free ourselves from feelings of guilt or regret or shame about the things we’ve done. In heaven we will no longer struggle with that. But I also believe that God wants us to be free now. He wants us to know that through our relationship with Jesus He no longer counts our sins against us. He doesn’t look at us with scorn. Only with love. Read Romans 8:1. And Psalm 103:1-14. And then read them again! And understand that if you are a Christian, you are a new creation in Christ.
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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