Top Ten - January 18
1. “This Changes Everything” Baptism Weekend – We have a group of people planning to be baptized the weekend of 2/10-11. Baptism is one of the ways we demonstrate our commitment to follow Jesus wholeheartedly. If you would like to join these individuals in expressing your love for Christ that weekend through baptism, please let Pastor John know at john@northgatefmc.com.
2. Bible Reading Plans – The start of a new year is always a good time to start a
Bible reading habit if you don’t already have one. If you are looking for a Bible reading plan to follow you can find many on the internet. Here are a couple of trustworthy sites to check out that have a few available: https://www.navigators.org/resource/bible-reading-plans/ or https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justin-taylor/reading-the-whole-bible-in-2016-an-faq/
3. Valentine’s Date Night – Enjoy an evening together with Northgate's help! We’ll provide the childcare. Pick up a date night kit at either the North or South Campus and enjoy a few hours together. The kit will include fun ways to connect to your spouse as well as discounts to local restaurants in the Batavia area, so make your reservations if you can! Childcare and dinner will be provided for infant - high school. Register at: https://northgatefmc.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/2095330
4. Grief Share – A new session of Grief Share is beginning on January 23. Grief Share is a 13-week video program/support group for those who have lost a loved one. It is held from 6-7:30 at 34 Williams St. in Batavia. If you have any questions or would like to register, please call Patti Chadwick at 585-297-3009 or email her at patti.chadwick@juno.com
5. Divorce Care – The Divorce Care group resumed on January 6 from 5 to 6:15 on Saturday nights in Adult Room number 1 at North Campus. New people are always welcome at any time. For more information on this group, you can contact Patti (585-297-3009/ patti.chadwick@juno.com)
6. Gatherings for Moms…
7. Sight and Sound Trip to See “Daniel” – Angelique has been putting the final touches on a trip to see “Daniel” at Sight and Sound in Lancaster, PA later this year. The dates for this trip are July 9-11. If you’d like to get your name on the list for more information on the trip to see “Daniel” you can email Angelique at angelique@northgatefmc.com.
8. New Year Reading Club – With the start of the New Year the Northgate Book Club is going to read a devotional together, My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. Many, many people have gained understanding and encouragement from this daily devotional over the years, and we think that reading this and sharing with each other what God is telling us will be a wonderful experience.
This devotional is available free online at https://utmost.org/. You can sign up to have the email sent to your inbox daily. If you prefer a hard copy, they are available for $6.99 on Amazon. (If needed, we can order for those who do not have internet access.)
We will have discussions of the devotional on our Northgate Book Club Facebook Page and some small groups will be using this for their time together. If you would like to use this devotional with others and need any help with that, please let Angelique know at angelique@northgatefmc.com.
9. “A Good Enough Lent” – Believe it or not, Lent is just around the corner. Lent is the period of time in the church calendar that we use to prepare to recognize the death of Jesus on the cross on Good Friday and celebrate His resurrection on Easter. Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent marks the start of the 40-day Lenten time, and Ash Wednesday this year is February 14. We’d like to invite our church to participate in a Lenten devotional by Kate Bowler called “A Good Enough Lent.” It’s a free resource that you can download at https://katebowler.com/lent/. This devotional is based on Kate’s book, Good Enough: 40 Devotionals For a Life of Imperfection. You can use the free resource with/without the book. If you’d like a copy of the book but resources might be an issue, we’ll have copies of it available here at the church.
10. Interested in Learning to Speak Spanish? – Rosalina Vanegas is holding a Spanish class on Wednesdays at noon at North in the Guest Lounge. This is quite informal and is appropriate for those who already know a bit of Spanish, as well as those who know none but want to learn. Everyone is welcome!
********************************************************************************
You Can Count on This – Hebrews 1:1-2 – In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. (Read Hebrews 1:1-14)
This is the way the book of Hebrews begins, and it’s powerful. When God spoke through the prophets, people were expected to listen to them. Not that they always did. But when they failed to, they suffered for not paying attention to what God wanted them to know.
Now God’s own Son has come and spoken God’s word to us. How much more are we to listen to Him? We are so blessed to be living on this side of Jesus’ coming to the earth. We have the wonderful gospels through which we have access to His very words and teachings. And He is so much more than a messenger. He is God who came to us, and who through the Holy Spirit, is with us still!
Who is Jesus? He is the “heir of all things.” We might, in the course of a lifetime, become heirs to some things. I have been an heir to some things. But I’ll never be the heir of all things, and neither will you! Only Jesus is receiving everything! All the planets, all the stars, all that has been created belongs to Him. Every angel, every president, every nation, every island, every mountain. They are His. Everyone that lives, will live, or has lived belongs to Him. If some reject His ownership of their lives, that is to their detriment. But every knee will one day bow to Him and have to acknowledge that He is the rightful heir of all things.
Does Jesus have possession of your life? I hope so. There is no one more loving, more gracious, more wonderful to whom we could give our lives.
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. Bible Reading Plans – The start of a new year is always a good time to start a
Bible reading habit if you don’t already have one. If you are looking for a Bible reading plan to follow you can find many on the internet. Here are a couple of trustworthy sites to check out that have a few available: https://www.navigators.org/resource/bible-reading-plans/ or https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justin-taylor/reading-the-whole-bible-in-2016-an-faq/
3. Valentine’s Date Night – Enjoy an evening together with Northgate's help! We’ll provide the childcare. Pick up a date night kit at either the North or South Campus and enjoy a few hours together. The kit will include fun ways to connect to your spouse as well as discounts to local restaurants in the Batavia area, so make your reservations if you can! Childcare and dinner will be provided for infant - high school. Register at: https://northgatefmc.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/2095330
4. Grief Share – A new session of Grief Share is beginning on January 23. Grief Share is a 13-week video program/support group for those who have lost a loved one. It is held from 6-7:30 at 34 Williams St. in Batavia. If you have any questions or would like to register, please call Patti Chadwick at 585-297-3009 or email her at patti.chadwick@juno.com
5. Divorce Care – The Divorce Care group resumed on January 6 from 5 to 6:15 on Saturday nights in Adult Room number 1 at North Campus. New people are always welcome at any time. For more information on this group, you can contact Patti (585-297-3009/ patti.chadwick@juno.com)
6. Gatherings for Moms…
- MOPS meets on the 2nd/4th Tuesdays at 6pm at North
- The Mommy and Me play group is now meeting every Friday at 9:30am at North
7. Sight and Sound Trip to See “Daniel” – Angelique has been putting the final touches on a trip to see “Daniel” at Sight and Sound in Lancaster, PA later this year. The dates for this trip are July 9-11. If you’d like to get your name on the list for more information on the trip to see “Daniel” you can email Angelique at angelique@northgatefmc.com.
8. New Year Reading Club – With the start of the New Year the Northgate Book Club is going to read a devotional together, My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. Many, many people have gained understanding and encouragement from this daily devotional over the years, and we think that reading this and sharing with each other what God is telling us will be a wonderful experience.
This devotional is available free online at https://utmost.org/. You can sign up to have the email sent to your inbox daily. If you prefer a hard copy, they are available for $6.99 on Amazon. (If needed, we can order for those who do not have internet access.)
We will have discussions of the devotional on our Northgate Book Club Facebook Page and some small groups will be using this for their time together. If you would like to use this devotional with others and need any help with that, please let Angelique know at angelique@northgatefmc.com.
9. “A Good Enough Lent” – Believe it or not, Lent is just around the corner. Lent is the period of time in the church calendar that we use to prepare to recognize the death of Jesus on the cross on Good Friday and celebrate His resurrection on Easter. Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent marks the start of the 40-day Lenten time, and Ash Wednesday this year is February 14. We’d like to invite our church to participate in a Lenten devotional by Kate Bowler called “A Good Enough Lent.” It’s a free resource that you can download at https://katebowler.com/lent/. This devotional is based on Kate’s book, Good Enough: 40 Devotionals For a Life of Imperfection. You can use the free resource with/without the book. If you’d like a copy of the book but resources might be an issue, we’ll have copies of it available here at the church.
10. Interested in Learning to Speak Spanish? – Rosalina Vanegas is holding a Spanish class on Wednesdays at noon at North in the Guest Lounge. This is quite informal and is appropriate for those who already know a bit of Spanish, as well as those who know none but want to learn. Everyone is welcome!
********************************************************************************
You Can Count on This – Hebrews 1:1-2 – In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. (Read Hebrews 1:1-14)
This is the way the book of Hebrews begins, and it’s powerful. When God spoke through the prophets, people were expected to listen to them. Not that they always did. But when they failed to, they suffered for not paying attention to what God wanted them to know.
Now God’s own Son has come and spoken God’s word to us. How much more are we to listen to Him? We are so blessed to be living on this side of Jesus’ coming to the earth. We have the wonderful gospels through which we have access to His very words and teachings. And He is so much more than a messenger. He is God who came to us, and who through the Holy Spirit, is with us still!
Who is Jesus? He is the “heir of all things.” We might, in the course of a lifetime, become heirs to some things. I have been an heir to some things. But I’ll never be the heir of all things, and neither will you! Only Jesus is receiving everything! All the planets, all the stars, all that has been created belongs to Him. Every angel, every president, every nation, every island, every mountain. They are His. Everyone that lives, will live, or has lived belongs to Him. If some reject His ownership of their lives, that is to their detriment. But every knee will one day bow to Him and have to acknowledge that He is the rightful heir of all things.
Does Jesus have possession of your life? I hope so. There is no one more loving, more gracious, more wonderful to whom we could give our lives.
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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