Top Ten - June 6
1. Playground Work Week – We are so close to completing the work on the playground! Mulch will be coming in; swings are here and ready to be installed… there are just a few more things to do and we hope to finish most of that this next week. We’re scheduling another work week next week, Monday through Friday. The work starts around nine and goes until lunchtime (lunch is provided). If you’ve been wanting to help out this is your opportunity, and if you have been helping, thank you! And if you need more information on any of this contact Mark at mark@northgatefmc.com.
2. Prime Timers – It’s a Prime Timers picnic, next Thursday, June 13, at noon in the North Campus café. Hot dogs, hamburgers and ice cream are on the menu, and people are invited to bring a picnic dish to pass. Kendra Lamb will be speaking about farming in 2024 – she’s a wonderful and very knowledgeable speaker and this will be very informative. We hope to see you there!
3. Northgate Elections – Thank you to everyone who participated in our elections for Administrative Team (A-Team) and Nominating Team members a couple of weeks ago. Stephanie Debo and Jeremy McClellan were elected to the A-Team and will also serve as Delegates for the church. Keith Keberle was elected to the A-Team and Marlin Salmon was elected as a Reserve Delegate. Mark Logan and Julie Varland were elected to the Nominating Team. Also, thank you to those of you who were on the ballots but not elected this time around. We appreciate your willingness to serve the church. Please, everyone, pray for our church leaders, that God will help them to carry out their responsibilities with wisdom and grace.
4. St. Paul Lutheran School – St. Paul’s is a Christian elementary school in Batavia that a number of Northgate people have utilized for the education of their children, and which several Northgate people serve at as education leaders. St. Paul’s is now registering PreK-6th grade students for the 2024-2025 school year. If you’d like to know more about the school you can contact them at 585-343-0488.
5. Baseball Night in Batavia – On Wednesday, June 19 we are inviting everyone to come out to the ballpark in Batavia and enjoy a baseball game. What makes this a special night is that one of our young people will be singing the National Anthem and our K-4 kids will be singing God Bless America. Tickets are $8 a piece and you’ll be able to register for this soon on our website or our app.
6. Thank You Veterans! – All veterans and active service members are invited to our Veteran's Open House Brunch. It will be a chance to connect and chat with fellow veteran’s and people in active service. We will be serving a brunch on June 15 in the cafe at the North Campus from 9 AM to noon. Feel free to come as you can and leave as you need. Your presence, whether brief or extended, is what truly matters. Please RSVP to Northgate Office at 585-343-4011 or email Angelique at angelique@northgatefmc.com. We look forward to seeing you there.
7. Northgate Missions Group – Pastor Chris is organizing a Northgate Missions Group. This group will be involved in planning and supporting events that are a part of Northgate's involvement in local and global missions. For example, this group will help organize special events when we host missionaries from Free Methodist World Missions and work with our local partners to participate in events such as the Salvation Army's Christmas Program. This group will also work on coming up with new ideas for how we can serve those who are in need in our community and in the world. If you are interested in being a part of this group there will be a meeting after the second service at the North Campus on June 23rd. If you have any questions email Pastor Chris at chris@northgatefmc.com.
8. Father’s Day Ice Cream – Father’s Day this year comes on Sunday, June 16. We know dads like ice cream, so that weekend we will be providing it. Saturday night we’ll have ice cream treats available, and Sunday there will be an ice cream truck. This is an opportunity to invite dads that you know to come and worship with us and have an ice cream on us too.
9. Kid’s Camp! – Registration is open for the Northgate Kid’s Camp – “Set Sail” – which is taking place this July, from the 15th through the 19th. Kid’s Camp is open to all children from the age of 4 through those who will be entering 4th grade in September. Camp runs from 9-3pm Monday through Thursday and 9-1pm on Friday and lunch is included. To register for camp, visit the “Register” page at northgatefmc.com.
10. Foster Care Informational Meeting – The Genesee County Permanency Planning Unit is currently seeking potential foster and adoptive parents to show love and care for the children in the Genesee County region. This is a great need in our area, and a wonderful way to share our love with children who need a temporary or forever family. The informational meeting is taking place at Grace Baptist Church on July 9 from 5:30-7pm. If you have any questions, please reach out to Danielle at 585-344-2580 extension 6446 or email her at Danielle.wojtaszczyk@dfa.state.ny.us
You Can Count on This – James 5:9 – Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! (Read James 5:1-20)
Here’s a straightforward, clear word from James… “Don’t grumble against one another!” Notice that James addresses this word to the “brothers and sisters.” He’s speaking to the people of the church and warning them against complaining about each other or finding fault with each other. We do have an obligation and responsibility to help one another stay faithful to Christ and to call out (in a loving and helpful manner) those things we see in each other that might be leading us astray from Jesus (see James 5:19-20, e.g.), but that’s not what James is talking about here. Here he’s speaking to that thing that is so easy for us to do… get irritated and annoyed with one another, even in the church.
It’s especially easy to grumble and complain when we are going through a difficult, stressful time. Just before issuing this warning, James talks about being patient while we wait for Jesus to return, and just after he presents an example of those who waited patiently while suffering. So James seems to be encouraging us to be careful to be kind, considerate, understanding and thoughtful towards each other, especially when we are hurting or going through something hard. We need to help each remain strong, not pick at each other and cause division or cracks to develop in our relationships.
This verse reminds me of another verse that I memorized a while back and think of whenever I am tempted to get a negative attitude… Do everything without complaining or arguing (Philippians 2:14/NIV 1984). One of the things that helped me memorize this was to assign “ca” to complaining or arguing. In medical notes “ca” can stand for “cancer.” Complaining and arguing can serve as a cancer that destroys fellowship and unity in a church. Let’s not let it get a foothold here!
Blessings,
Pastor Vern
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. Prime Timers – It’s a Prime Timers picnic, next Thursday, June 13, at noon in the North Campus café. Hot dogs, hamburgers and ice cream are on the menu, and people are invited to bring a picnic dish to pass. Kendra Lamb will be speaking about farming in 2024 – she’s a wonderful and very knowledgeable speaker and this will be very informative. We hope to see you there!
3. Northgate Elections – Thank you to everyone who participated in our elections for Administrative Team (A-Team) and Nominating Team members a couple of weeks ago. Stephanie Debo and Jeremy McClellan were elected to the A-Team and will also serve as Delegates for the church. Keith Keberle was elected to the A-Team and Marlin Salmon was elected as a Reserve Delegate. Mark Logan and Julie Varland were elected to the Nominating Team. Also, thank you to those of you who were on the ballots but not elected this time around. We appreciate your willingness to serve the church. Please, everyone, pray for our church leaders, that God will help them to carry out their responsibilities with wisdom and grace.
4. St. Paul Lutheran School – St. Paul’s is a Christian elementary school in Batavia that a number of Northgate people have utilized for the education of their children, and which several Northgate people serve at as education leaders. St. Paul’s is now registering PreK-6th grade students for the 2024-2025 school year. If you’d like to know more about the school you can contact them at 585-343-0488.
5. Baseball Night in Batavia – On Wednesday, June 19 we are inviting everyone to come out to the ballpark in Batavia and enjoy a baseball game. What makes this a special night is that one of our young people will be singing the National Anthem and our K-4 kids will be singing God Bless America. Tickets are $8 a piece and you’ll be able to register for this soon on our website or our app.
6. Thank You Veterans! – All veterans and active service members are invited to our Veteran's Open House Brunch. It will be a chance to connect and chat with fellow veteran’s and people in active service. We will be serving a brunch on June 15 in the cafe at the North Campus from 9 AM to noon. Feel free to come as you can and leave as you need. Your presence, whether brief or extended, is what truly matters. Please RSVP to Northgate Office at 585-343-4011 or email Angelique at angelique@northgatefmc.com. We look forward to seeing you there.
7. Northgate Missions Group – Pastor Chris is organizing a Northgate Missions Group. This group will be involved in planning and supporting events that are a part of Northgate's involvement in local and global missions. For example, this group will help organize special events when we host missionaries from Free Methodist World Missions and work with our local partners to participate in events such as the Salvation Army's Christmas Program. This group will also work on coming up with new ideas for how we can serve those who are in need in our community and in the world. If you are interested in being a part of this group there will be a meeting after the second service at the North Campus on June 23rd. If you have any questions email Pastor Chris at chris@northgatefmc.com.
8. Father’s Day Ice Cream – Father’s Day this year comes on Sunday, June 16. We know dads like ice cream, so that weekend we will be providing it. Saturday night we’ll have ice cream treats available, and Sunday there will be an ice cream truck. This is an opportunity to invite dads that you know to come and worship with us and have an ice cream on us too.
9. Kid’s Camp! – Registration is open for the Northgate Kid’s Camp – “Set Sail” – which is taking place this July, from the 15th through the 19th. Kid’s Camp is open to all children from the age of 4 through those who will be entering 4th grade in September. Camp runs from 9-3pm Monday through Thursday and 9-1pm on Friday and lunch is included. To register for camp, visit the “Register” page at northgatefmc.com.
10. Foster Care Informational Meeting – The Genesee County Permanency Planning Unit is currently seeking potential foster and adoptive parents to show love and care for the children in the Genesee County region. This is a great need in our area, and a wonderful way to share our love with children who need a temporary or forever family. The informational meeting is taking place at Grace Baptist Church on July 9 from 5:30-7pm. If you have any questions, please reach out to Danielle at 585-344-2580 extension 6446 or email her at Danielle.wojtaszczyk@dfa.state.ny.us
You Can Count on This – James 5:9 – Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! (Read James 5:1-20)
Here’s a straightforward, clear word from James… “Don’t grumble against one another!” Notice that James addresses this word to the “brothers and sisters.” He’s speaking to the people of the church and warning them against complaining about each other or finding fault with each other. We do have an obligation and responsibility to help one another stay faithful to Christ and to call out (in a loving and helpful manner) those things we see in each other that might be leading us astray from Jesus (see James 5:19-20, e.g.), but that’s not what James is talking about here. Here he’s speaking to that thing that is so easy for us to do… get irritated and annoyed with one another, even in the church.
It’s especially easy to grumble and complain when we are going through a difficult, stressful time. Just before issuing this warning, James talks about being patient while we wait for Jesus to return, and just after he presents an example of those who waited patiently while suffering. So James seems to be encouraging us to be careful to be kind, considerate, understanding and thoughtful towards each other, especially when we are hurting or going through something hard. We need to help each remain strong, not pick at each other and cause division or cracks to develop in our relationships.
This verse reminds me of another verse that I memorized a while back and think of whenever I am tempted to get a negative attitude… Do everything without complaining or arguing (Philippians 2:14/NIV 1984). One of the things that helped me memorize this was to assign “ca” to complaining or arguing. In medical notes “ca” can stand for “cancer.” Complaining and arguing can serve as a cancer that destroys fellowship and unity in a church. Let’s not let it get a foothold here!
Blessings,
Pastor Vern
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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