Top Ten - February 8

1. “This Changes Everything” Baptism Weekend We have a group of people planning to be baptized this weekend. Baptism is one of the ways we demonstrate our commitment to follow Jesus wholeheartedly. Please be sure to encourage them and pray for them as they make this public expression of their faith in Jesus! And if you have a “This Changes Everything” shirt – this is a great weekend to wear it!

2. New Caregivers Group Warren and Nancy Savage will be leading a new session of the Caregivers group beginning on Tuesday, March 5 at North. The group will meet at 6:30pm. If you would like more information about it, please contact Angelique at angelique@northgatefmc.com.

3. Collection for the YWCA Domestic Violence Shelter During the season of Lent we are collecting items for the Domestic Violence Shelter at the YWCA. Each week of Lent we are collecting a different item, and the list can be found below. Items can be dropped off at the table in the lobby at either North or Arbor House. If you have any questions, contact Pastor Chris at chris@northgatefmc.com.

  • 2/17&18: Twin size comforters
  • 2/24&25: Twin size blankets
  • 3/2&3: Pillow cases
  • 3/9&10: Bath towels
  • 3/16&17: Deodorant (women or gender neutral scents)
  • 3/23&24: Toothbrushes (Kids size only)

4. Childcare Coordinator For MomCo. (Formerly MOPS) Northgate’s MOMCo. Group (formerly MOPS) is looking for a key volunteer to help with their kids programming! This position would coordinate with the Leadership Team to provide childcare and assemble a team of volunteers during their meetings which run September - May. This volunteer would utilize the MomCo. Curriculum to provide biblical lessons and activities for the kids. They will also coordinate to make sure all volunteers are We Care trained. If you feel called to help in such a way, please contact angelique@northgatefmc.com

5. Ash Wednesday is Next Week On Ash Wednesday, 2/14, the sanctuary at South will be open from 8am to 10am for anyone who wants to receive ashes.

6. Monday Night Bible Study Pastor Vern’s Bible study meets on Monday nights at North. We begin at 6:30 with a time of prayer and then we work through a book of the Bible chapter by chapter. We’ll be going through the gospel of Mark this spring. All are welcome, and if you can’t make it to the church we do stream the study via Zoom. Just let Pastor Vern know if you need the link… vern@northgatefmc.com.

7. Gather to Pray We want to be a people of prayer. Here are some opportunities to pray together at Northgate…
  • Prayer meeting Wednesday at 1pm at North in Room #1
  • Centered: the first Wednesday of the month at North at 6pm (Sanctuary)
  • Sunday mornings at 9:30 at North in Room #4
  • Prayer rail: Before and after services on Saturday/Sunday and also while we are singing/praying during services
  • Anytime the church is open people are welcome to come and pray in any available room or in the sanctuary. The church is generally open Monday through Thursday from 9:30 to 4pm, Saturday from 4 to 7:30pm and Sunday from 8am to 1pm. Arrangements can be made to be open at other times too, if needed.

8. A Conversation About Faith and Sexuality Grace/Truth is a ten-week group learning experience that introduces Christians to LGBT+ people, the language to use and avoid, a theologically faithful view of marriage and sexuality, and practical guidance on how to embody the love of Christ toward sexual and gender minorities.  Grace/Truth starts Monday, February 19th in Room #1 at 6:30 PM, led by Ralph and Debbie Vick.  If you have any questions, please contact   angellique@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. Northgate Intergenerational Single Women’s Gathering On March 3, single women ages 20+, are invited to attend a meeting to plan for this fun new adventure.  During the meeting, we will discuss activities we can do together to share our faith, to fellowship and to have fun!  We will meet at 12:15 in Room #2/3.  There will be a light lunch provided!  Come and join in!  If you have any questions, please contact Angelique at angelique@northgatefmc.com.

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You Can Count on This – Hebrews 4:1, 3a – Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it… Now we who have believed enter that rest… (Read Hebrews 4:1-16)


Praise God that the “promise of entering his rest still stands.” To enter “his rest” is another way of talking about “being saved,” having our sins forgiven, being in a relationship with Christ and so on. I think it is actually a beautiful way of putting it. When we surrender ourselves to Jesus, we enter God’s rest. We can take a deep breath and know without doubt that God has accepted us as His children. We can stop trying to earn our salvation and stop wrestling with whether or not we are “good enough” for God to love us. We can rest in His promises. This is the most important thing any of us can do… to enter the rest of God. Have you done that? Have you repented of your sins, and do you believe that through the death and resurrection of Jesus your sins are forgiven, and you are God’s child by faith in Christ? If you haven’t entered God’s rest, what is holding you back from doing that today?

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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