Top Ten - December 21
1. Services for Christmas Eve Weekend – Christmas is coming up next week and we want to be sure everyone knows what the schedule will look like for our Christmas Eve weekend services at Northgate.
2. Christmas Eve Offering – Every year we dedicate our Christmas Eve offering to something special. This year we are dedicating that offering to the Madeline Bartz Mission. Many here knew and remember Madeline Bartz. Maddie was a part of this church, a young girl who we lost just over two years ago. Her family wanted to turn a tragedy into something beneficial, so they created the Madeline Bartz Mission to shine a light on childhood trauma and to bring more awareness, compassion and support to those in our area affected by childhood trauma and the mental illnesses that can result from it. You can learn more about the Madeline Bartz Mission at https://www.madelinebartzmission.org/page/2281566-home-page
3. Office Closed – The church office will be closed between December 25-28 of next week. We will have our regular worship services on the weekend of December 30/31… Saturday at 6pm, Sunday at 9:30/11am at North and Sunday at 10am at Arbor House.
4. Bible Reading Plans – We’re near the end of 2023 and getting close to the start of 2024. I’ll be finishing one Bible reading plan soon and be starting another. I don’t always follow the same plan year to year, but I do seek to read the Bible through every year. If you are looking for a Bible reading plan to follow you can find many on the internet. Here’s one trustworthy site to check out that has a few available: https://www.navigators.org/resource/bible-reading-plans/
5. Flower City Work Camp 2024 – Pastor DL is leading a group of youth to Rochester from April 1-5, 2024, for Flower City Work Camp. Currently, he still requires assistance in filling the required adult volunteer roles. These roles play a crucial part in supporting our students during the camp. For every 3 students Northgate sends to FCWC, we need to provide 1 required adult leader. Required adult leaders should be available to serve from Monday, April 1st, to Thursday, April 4th, approximately from 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM each day. There are four different types of required leaders:
If you are interested in serving in any of these roles or would like more information, please contact DL at dl@northgatefmc.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 next June 11-13. 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 use this devotional with others and need any help with that, please let Angelique know at angelique@northgatefmc.com.
9. Prayer Cards and Prayer Rail – It’s always so encouraging to receive prayer cards and to see people go up to the prayer rail during a worship service. It’s encouraging because this is our mission: to help people grow in their relationship with Jesus, and prayer is one of the important ways we do that. It’s also encouraging to see how the “Centered” service has grown in attendance. Please continue to share your prayer requests and praises with us via the prayer cards and use the prayer rail as you are led by God’s Spirit, and the next “Centered” service will be the first Wednesday of January – January 3. All are welcome.
10. Winter Solstice is Here! – We’ve made it! Today (Thursday 12/21) is the shortest day of the year. Starting tomorrow we begin to gain daylight, a little at a time and then more and more. I always look forward to this day because I do miss the sunshine in this season. And yes, let’s allow the increasing sunlight to remind us of the fact that God sent His Son Jesus into a world that’s often dark and difficult, to bring light to our lives. The sunlight brings the hope of spring and warmth. The Son brings the hope of new life eternally! Blessings on your winter solstice day!
********************************************************************************
You Can Count on This – Titus 2:13-14 – …while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. (Read Titus 2:1-15)
We are waiting for “the blessed hope.” I love that phrase. Paul uses it to refer to the return of Jesus, which we are waiting for even as we celebrate (next Monday) the first coming of Jesus into our world as a human being. We are waiting for Jesus to come back and to complete the work He began with His first coming. In His first coming Jesus brought the message of the gospel and went to the cross to pay for our sins and rose from the dead to declare victory over death and sin for all who put their faith in Him. When Jesus returns, He’ll take the reign over the whole earth. He will remove Satan and evil from the earth permanently and will establish His rule over it all.
We live in what some call the “already/not yet” of history – God has already begun His plan of redeeming the whole world, and it’s not yet finished, but it will be. This is our hope, and this is our confidence. And what’s more, while we live in this “already/not yet,” we also live in the hope and confidence that God is purifying and cleansing those of us who have a relationship with Jesus. God is doing His good work in our lives, making us His people, “eager to do what is good.” May God continue to bless us as He does.
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.
- On Saturday at 6pm we will have a “Cookies and Carols” service which will include a lot of singing and some meditations and time of fellowship.
- On Sunday (Christmas Eve) at 10am we will have our Family/Children’s Christmas Eve service at North.
- Please note – only one service this Sunday morning at North.
- Arbor House will hold their Christmas Eve service at 10am Sunday morning (Christmas Eve). This will be a traditional worship service.
- Sunday evening at North we will have two Christmas Eve services, at 7pm and 11pm. These will be communion and candle lighting services.
2. Christmas Eve Offering – Every year we dedicate our Christmas Eve offering to something special. This year we are dedicating that offering to the Madeline Bartz Mission. Many here knew and remember Madeline Bartz. Maddie was a part of this church, a young girl who we lost just over two years ago. Her family wanted to turn a tragedy into something beneficial, so they created the Madeline Bartz Mission to shine a light on childhood trauma and to bring more awareness, compassion and support to those in our area affected by childhood trauma and the mental illnesses that can result from it. You can learn more about the Madeline Bartz Mission at https://www.madelinebartzmission.org/page/2281566-home-page
3. Office Closed – The church office will be closed between December 25-28 of next week. We will have our regular worship services on the weekend of December 30/31… Saturday at 6pm, Sunday at 9:30/11am at North and Sunday at 10am at Arbor House.
4. Bible Reading Plans – We’re near the end of 2023 and getting close to the start of 2024. I’ll be finishing one Bible reading plan soon and be starting another. I don’t always follow the same plan year to year, but I do seek to read the Bible through every year. If you are looking for a Bible reading plan to follow you can find many on the internet. Here’s one trustworthy site to check out that has a few available: https://www.navigators.org/resource/bible-reading-plans/
5. Flower City Work Camp 2024 – Pastor DL is leading a group of youth to Rochester from April 1-5, 2024, for Flower City Work Camp. Currently, he still requires assistance in filling the required adult volunteer roles. These roles play a crucial part in supporting our students during the camp. For every 3 students Northgate sends to FCWC, we need to provide 1 required adult leader. Required adult leaders should be available to serve from Monday, April 1st, to Thursday, April 4th, approximately from 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM each day. There are four different types of required leaders:
**Worksite Teams:** Performing home repairs, light construction, renovation, painting, and yardwork.
**Sidewalk Clubs:** Reaching out to neighborhood kids through music, drama, crafts, and sports.
**Basketball and Soccer Camps:** Teaching about teamwork and competing in tournament-style play.
**Agency Support Teams:** Conducting service projects for other local area non-profits.
If you are interested in serving in any of these roles or would like more information, please contact DL at dl@northgatefmc.com.
6. Gatherings for Moms…
- MOPS meets on the 2nd/4th Tuesdays at 6pm at North
- The Mommy and Me play group meets every Tuesday 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 next June 11-13. 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 use this devotional with others and need any help with that, please let Angelique know at angelique@northgatefmc.com.
9. Prayer Cards and Prayer Rail – It’s always so encouraging to receive prayer cards and to see people go up to the prayer rail during a worship service. It’s encouraging because this is our mission: to help people grow in their relationship with Jesus, and prayer is one of the important ways we do that. It’s also encouraging to see how the “Centered” service has grown in attendance. Please continue to share your prayer requests and praises with us via the prayer cards and use the prayer rail as you are led by God’s Spirit, and the next “Centered” service will be the first Wednesday of January – January 3. All are welcome.
10. Winter Solstice is Here! – We’ve made it! Today (Thursday 12/21) is the shortest day of the year. Starting tomorrow we begin to gain daylight, a little at a time and then more and more. I always look forward to this day because I do miss the sunshine in this season. And yes, let’s allow the increasing sunlight to remind us of the fact that God sent His Son Jesus into a world that’s often dark and difficult, to bring light to our lives. The sunlight brings the hope of spring and warmth. The Son brings the hope of new life eternally! Blessings on your winter solstice day!
********************************************************************************
You Can Count on This – Titus 2:13-14 – …while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. (Read Titus 2:1-15)
We are waiting for “the blessed hope.” I love that phrase. Paul uses it to refer to the return of Jesus, which we are waiting for even as we celebrate (next Monday) the first coming of Jesus into our world as a human being. We are waiting for Jesus to come back and to complete the work He began with His first coming. In His first coming Jesus brought the message of the gospel and went to the cross to pay for our sins and rose from the dead to declare victory over death and sin for all who put their faith in Him. When Jesus returns, He’ll take the reign over the whole earth. He will remove Satan and evil from the earth permanently and will establish His rule over it all.
We live in what some call the “already/not yet” of history – God has already begun His plan of redeeming the whole world, and it’s not yet finished, but it will be. This is our hope, and this is our confidence. And what’s more, while we live in this “already/not yet,” we also live in the hope and confidence that God is purifying and cleansing those of us who have a relationship with Jesus. God is doing His good work in our lives, making us His people, “eager to do what is good.” May God continue to bless us as He does.
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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