Top Ten - December 16
1. Pastor Marsha's Reception – We are sad to announce that Pastor Marsha will be leaving Northgate at the end of the year. She has accepted a position as the pastor a Baptist church in Albion. Pastor Marsha has served faithfully here at Northgate over the past five years as the leader of small groups and of pastoral care. She’s been a great blessing to many of us and she will be missed. This weekend we will have some special treats to share after each service and hope you will take a moment to enjoy some and to say thank you to Pastor Marsha and to wish her well in her new placement!
2. Kids Movie Night – Save the date! A Kids movie night is being planned for Saturday, December 17. It starts at 5 and runs to 7pm. Kto4 kids and their potty-trained younger siblings are all invited to attend. Please bring a snack to share if you can. Hope to see you there!
3. Angel Tree – The distribution day for the Angel Tree gifts is next week Wednesday December 21. If you’d like to help with that day, please contact Pastor Chris at chris@northgatefmc.com. Help is appreciated… there will be about 300 families coming to receive gifts that were donated through the Angel Tree program.
4. Christmas Eve Services – Christmas is coming quickly, and some have been asking about when our Christmas eve services will be held. We’ll have four Christmas Eve services – a 4pm service at Arbor House; a 5pm child-friendly service that will be especially geared to children; a 7pm communion/candle lighting service and an 11pm communion candle lighting service (these last two services will be very similar).
5. Christmas Day/New Year’s Day Services – Christmas and New Year’s come on a Sunday this year, and we will be holding services those days. Arbor House will meet at their usual time both weeks: 10am. At North we are holding just one service on Christmas and one on New Year’s Day, each at 10am.
6. Childcare for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day – Parents please note… there will only be childcare for the 5pm Christmas Eve service for Nursery and Toddlers. On Christmas Day there will be childcare for Nursery, Toddler and Preschool. And on New Year’s Day there will be full childcare provided (Nursery – Kto4) for the one service at 10am.
7. Year End Giving – Please note: If you’d like to get 2022 donor tax credit all gifts or donations need to be received or postmarked prior to 12/31/2022. If you have any questions, contact Mark Logan at mark@northgatefmc.com.
8. Creation Museum/Ark & Sight and Sound Trips – It’s time to make plans! Angelique has been working on putting together the first of our excursions planned for next year. We are planning a trip to Sight and Sound to see “Moses”! This trip will take place on May 1-3, with travel days on the 1st and 3rd and a 3pm show on the 2nd. We plan to travel by bus (though individuals are of course free to drive separately) and we’ll be staying at “Bird-in-Hand Family Inn.” The cost is coming in at under $500 per person for the bus, hotel, show and two breakfasts. At this point we need to get a firm handle on the number of people who would like to go. We’ll be limited to 34 people for this trip. If you want to be part of it, please email Angelique at angelique@northgatefmc.com and let her know. Thanks!
9. Right Now Media – As a church we subscribe to Right Now Media, a web-based video service which offers thousands of videos on all kinds of topics of interest to the Christian community. Included are many Bible studies of various kinds which make leading a family or small group discussion really easy. It’s free for you to use as a Northgate attender, but you do need a password. To get that contact Sherrie in the office at sherrie@northgatefmc.com.
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 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.
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.
And 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.
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 12:8-9 – Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. (Read 2 Corinthians 12:1-21)
There is no shortage of speculation around the nature of the “thorn in the flesh” that plagued Paul and which he had prayed in earnest three times for God to remove. It may have been a physical illness or ailment. It might have been an emotional issue. We don’t know. But we do know that he asked God to take it away three times, and three times God told him “No.” Instead, God told Paul that He would give Paul the grace to endure it. It seems God knew that ultimately this “thorn in the flesh” was a necessary thing for Paul to live with. For God’s good reasons, He let it remain.
One of those reasons is stated for us. “My power is made perfect in weakness.” This thing that plagued Paul was allowed in part to remind Paul of his weaknesses, and consequently of his need for God. It was also allowed in order that the world would see God’s power at work through Paul. As a missionary of the gospel Paul had no equal. No one planted more churches or converted more people to Christ than Paul. Perhaps Paul would have been tempted to boast in his human gifts and abilities. Instead, the presence of his thorn caused him to boast in the power of Jesus which was behind his human abilities and successes. Paul didn’t get the glory for all he was accomplishing. Jesus did. As Jesus should.
When we are confronted with our own thorns, let us, like Paul, allow them to turn our attention to Jesus. Let us let Christ’s power rest on us.
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. Kids Movie Night – Save the date! A Kids movie night is being planned for Saturday, December 17. It starts at 5 and runs to 7pm. Kto4 kids and their potty-trained younger siblings are all invited to attend. Please bring a snack to share if you can. Hope to see you there!
3. Angel Tree – The distribution day for the Angel Tree gifts is next week Wednesday December 21. If you’d like to help with that day, please contact Pastor Chris at chris@northgatefmc.com. Help is appreciated… there will be about 300 families coming to receive gifts that were donated through the Angel Tree program.
4. Christmas Eve Services – Christmas is coming quickly, and some have been asking about when our Christmas eve services will be held. We’ll have four Christmas Eve services – a 4pm service at Arbor House; a 5pm child-friendly service that will be especially geared to children; a 7pm communion/candle lighting service and an 11pm communion candle lighting service (these last two services will be very similar).
5. Christmas Day/New Year’s Day Services – Christmas and New Year’s come on a Sunday this year, and we will be holding services those days. Arbor House will meet at their usual time both weeks: 10am. At North we are holding just one service on Christmas and one on New Year’s Day, each at 10am.
6. Childcare for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day – Parents please note… there will only be childcare for the 5pm Christmas Eve service for Nursery and Toddlers. On Christmas Day there will be childcare for Nursery, Toddler and Preschool. And on New Year’s Day there will be full childcare provided (Nursery – Kto4) for the one service at 10am.
7. Year End Giving – Please note: If you’d like to get 2022 donor tax credit all gifts or donations need to be received or postmarked prior to 12/31/2022. If you have any questions, contact Mark Logan at mark@northgatefmc.com.
8. Creation Museum/Ark & Sight and Sound Trips – It’s time to make plans! Angelique has been working on putting together the first of our excursions planned for next year. We are planning a trip to Sight and Sound to see “Moses”! This trip will take place on May 1-3, with travel days on the 1st and 3rd and a 3pm show on the 2nd. We plan to travel by bus (though individuals are of course free to drive separately) and we’ll be staying at “Bird-in-Hand Family Inn.” The cost is coming in at under $500 per person for the bus, hotel, show and two breakfasts. At this point we need to get a firm handle on the number of people who would like to go. We’ll be limited to 34 people for this trip. If you want to be part of it, please email Angelique at angelique@northgatefmc.com and let her know. Thanks!
9. Right Now Media – As a church we subscribe to Right Now Media, a web-based video service which offers thousands of videos on all kinds of topics of interest to the Christian community. Included are many Bible studies of various kinds which make leading a family or small group discussion really easy. It’s free for you to use as a Northgate attender, but you do need a password. To get that contact Sherrie in the office at sherrie@northgatefmc.com.
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 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.
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.
And 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.
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 12:8-9 – Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. (Read 2 Corinthians 12:1-21)
There is no shortage of speculation around the nature of the “thorn in the flesh” that plagued Paul and which he had prayed in earnest three times for God to remove. It may have been a physical illness or ailment. It might have been an emotional issue. We don’t know. But we do know that he asked God to take it away three times, and three times God told him “No.” Instead, God told Paul that He would give Paul the grace to endure it. It seems God knew that ultimately this “thorn in the flesh” was a necessary thing for Paul to live with. For God’s good reasons, He let it remain.
One of those reasons is stated for us. “My power is made perfect in weakness.” This thing that plagued Paul was allowed in part to remind Paul of his weaknesses, and consequently of his need for God. It was also allowed in order that the world would see God’s power at work through Paul. As a missionary of the gospel Paul had no equal. No one planted more churches or converted more people to Christ than Paul. Perhaps Paul would have been tempted to boast in his human gifts and abilities. Instead, the presence of his thorn caused him to boast in the power of Jesus which was behind his human abilities and successes. Paul didn’t get the glory for all he was accomplishing. Jesus did. As Jesus should.
When we are confronted with our own thorns, let us, like Paul, allow them to turn our attention to Jesus. Let us let Christ’s power rest on us.
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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