Weekend Snapshot
Hey Northgate,
This is an amazing church!
There are so many incredible things happening at Northgate right now, and I don't want us to move so quickly from one thing to the next that we forget to stop and celebrate what God is doing. This week, nine more people are being baptized! Nine people publicly declaring that they are following Jesus. That's incredible.
More people are serving. More people are getting connected in groups. Attendance has been great. And perhaps most exciting of all, the Holy Spirit has been at work in our worship services. There have been moments of worship, prayer, teaching, response, and ministry that have been incredibly powerful. I have walked away from several services recently thinking, “Man, God is really doing something here.”
It has been incredible to see. And I believe we have something really special happening at Northgate. Which is why I want us to protect it. There is one thing that has been a growing concern for me: the undertones of gossip that continue to pop up from time to time. Most of the time, I think these things probably start innocently enough. Someone hears something, makes an assumption, adds a little detail, tells someone else, and before long, we have a version of a story that bears very little resemblance to reality.
The Bible takes this seriously. Proverbs 16:28 says, "A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends." Proverbs 18:8 says, "The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts." Paul includes gossip among the behaviors that can damage the life of a church in 2 Corinthians 12:20. And then Ephesians 4:29 gives us a really helpful standard: "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs." In other words, as followers of Jesus, we're not simply called to ask, "Is this true?” We're also called to ask, "Is this helpful? Is this necessary? Is this building people up?" I have heard a few different versions of this: "Northgate is starting a new program that tracks people's tithes and, based on how much they give, gives them access to an exclusive Northgate membership."
I'm pretty sure this is the result of a truly spectacular game of telephone. It couldn't be further from the truth. As a 501(c)(3) Northgate has financial and legal responsibilities for handling giving, and we obviously take that seriously. But personally, I only know what Amy and I give in tithes and offerings. I have never once looked at what someone else gives, and I have never allowed someone's giving to factor into a pastoral or ministry decision. And anyone who knows what the "Free" in Free Methodist means would find the idea of us creating exclusive membership levels based on giving pretty hilarious. B.T. Roberts would probably roll over in his grave. We might as well start charging for seats while we're at it. And unlike my favorite airline, we aren't doing that either.
Here's the point: If you hear something about Northgate that doesn't sound consistent with what you know about Northgate, stop and think before you believe it or repeat it.
Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:21, "Test everything; hold on to what is good."
Test it. Ask questions. And if you're not sure, come ask me or email me. I'm pretty much an open book, except when there are issues of confidentiality. There is no reason to guess about what I'm thinking, why we made a decision, or what is happening at Northgate. Just ask me, and I'll probably tell you exactly what I think. But I'm also going to ask you to do something else. If someone tells you something that turns out not to be true, go back to that person and tell them. "Hey, I asked about that, and that's actually not what happened."
Let's be a church that doesn't allow rumors to become our truth. Let's be a church where we talk to people rather than about people. Let's be a church where we assume the best, ask questions when we're unsure, and refuse to participate in conversations that tear people down. Because I really believe there is something special happening at Northgate. That's what I want us talking about. That's what I want us celebrating. That's what I want us protecting.
I love this church. I love the people of this church. And I am incredibly excited about where we're headed together. So let's keep doing what we do best: Bring, build, and send. And let's make sure that as we move forward, we continue to cultivate a culture where our words reflect the same grace, truth and love that we're experiencing in our worship.
As always, I believe that our best days are still in front of us!
Pastor John
Lead Pastor
This is an amazing church!
There are so many incredible things happening at Northgate right now, and I don't want us to move so quickly from one thing to the next that we forget to stop and celebrate what God is doing. This week, nine more people are being baptized! Nine people publicly declaring that they are following Jesus. That's incredible.
More people are serving. More people are getting connected in groups. Attendance has been great. And perhaps most exciting of all, the Holy Spirit has been at work in our worship services. There have been moments of worship, prayer, teaching, response, and ministry that have been incredibly powerful. I have walked away from several services recently thinking, “Man, God is really doing something here.”
It has been incredible to see. And I believe we have something really special happening at Northgate. Which is why I want us to protect it. There is one thing that has been a growing concern for me: the undertones of gossip that continue to pop up from time to time. Most of the time, I think these things probably start innocently enough. Someone hears something, makes an assumption, adds a little detail, tells someone else, and before long, we have a version of a story that bears very little resemblance to reality.
The Bible takes this seriously. Proverbs 16:28 says, "A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends." Proverbs 18:8 says, "The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts." Paul includes gossip among the behaviors that can damage the life of a church in 2 Corinthians 12:20. And then Ephesians 4:29 gives us a really helpful standard: "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs." In other words, as followers of Jesus, we're not simply called to ask, "Is this true?” We're also called to ask, "Is this helpful? Is this necessary? Is this building people up?" I have heard a few different versions of this: "Northgate is starting a new program that tracks people's tithes and, based on how much they give, gives them access to an exclusive Northgate membership."
I'm pretty sure this is the result of a truly spectacular game of telephone. It couldn't be further from the truth. As a 501(c)(3) Northgate has financial and legal responsibilities for handling giving, and we obviously take that seriously. But personally, I only know what Amy and I give in tithes and offerings. I have never once looked at what someone else gives, and I have never allowed someone's giving to factor into a pastoral or ministry decision. And anyone who knows what the "Free" in Free Methodist means would find the idea of us creating exclusive membership levels based on giving pretty hilarious. B.T. Roberts would probably roll over in his grave. We might as well start charging for seats while we're at it. And unlike my favorite airline, we aren't doing that either.
Here's the point: If you hear something about Northgate that doesn't sound consistent with what you know about Northgate, stop and think before you believe it or repeat it.
Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:21, "Test everything; hold on to what is good."
Test it. Ask questions. And if you're not sure, come ask me or email me. I'm pretty much an open book, except when there are issues of confidentiality. There is no reason to guess about what I'm thinking, why we made a decision, or what is happening at Northgate. Just ask me, and I'll probably tell you exactly what I think. But I'm also going to ask you to do something else. If someone tells you something that turns out not to be true, go back to that person and tell them. "Hey, I asked about that, and that's actually not what happened."
Let's be a church that doesn't allow rumors to become our truth. Let's be a church where we talk to people rather than about people. Let's be a church where we assume the best, ask questions when we're unsure, and refuse to participate in conversations that tear people down. Because I really believe there is something special happening at Northgate. That's what I want us talking about. That's what I want us celebrating. That's what I want us protecting.
I love this church. I love the people of this church. And I am incredibly excited about where we're headed together. So let's keep doing what we do best: Bring, build, and send. And let's make sure that as we move forward, we continue to cultivate a culture where our words reflect the same grace, truth and love that we're experiencing in our worship.
As always, I believe that our best days are still in front of us!
Pastor John
Lead Pastor
NEED TO KNOWS
- Primetimers — Thursday, October 8 | 12:00 PM in the Cafe | A fellowship group for adults ages 50+ that gathers for lunch (is provided) & a short program.
- Pathway to Partnership Class — Sunday, October 25 | 9:30 AM Ready to go all in at Northgate? Pathway to Partnership is your next step to say, “This is my church. These are my people. This is my mission.” Learn more & sign up at northgatefmc.com/events.
- BASE Fall Retreat — November 13–15 at Camp LeTourneau! Throughout the weekend, students in grades 7–12 will unplug, have fun, build friendships, and grow closer to Jesus. Learn more & sign up at northgatefmc.com/events.