North St. News: March 2012

March 29, 2012

March 29, 2012

This Sunday

This is the last Sunday in Lent! It's Palm and Passion Sunday. Our focus text will be Philippians 2:5-11. We want to give you a heads up about being sure to be on time this week as the order of service will be slightly different, with communion almost at the very beginning. I'm excited as we wind up to Resurrection Sunday next week! - Pastor Jeremy

We will also be hearing reports from Herb Newell about Friends of the Homeless and from Dawn Haskell about our Children's programs. These are in anticipation of our annual meeting, which is scheduled for after our Discussion time on Sunday April 15th. - Ed DiSante

After service and Sunday School continue to fellowship with us by joining us in our monthly potluck!

Lastly, I want to remind you that next week is Holy Week, the pinnacle of the year for Christians. I'd encourage you to seriously consider the weight of this week and how meaningful it is for our lives as those who follow Christ, the Crucified One. Of course, it all builds up to Resurrection Sunday, the beginning of the season of Easter. Celebrating Easter tends to be "easier" and very popular. But before there were colored eggs, fluffy bunnies, and cute marshmallow animals, there was an empty tomb. And before the empty tomb, there was the bloody cross. I challenge you to make this week different than the rest of your year. There are plenty of opportunities below. See me for more. - Pastor Jeremy

Holy Week "Way of the Cross"
Our sister church, Bethel Church of the Nazarene, has again invited any from our church community to join in walking a stations of the cross prayer vigil. From their invitation:
"We are basing the experience on the events of holy week as found in the book of Luke. This event is particularly suitable for families, who are encouraged to participate together. It can be challenging to engage children in the observance of Holy Week. We have found this opportunity to be very meaningful. We would like to share our experience with you and your congregation."
Members of North Street are invited to participate on Monday, Wednesday, or Friday of Holy Week. It will be open from 6-8 PM each of those evenings.

Good Friday
Once again, we will gather on Good Friday for a Service of Shadows, reflecting upon Jesus' death 2000 years ago and what it means for us today. Come at 7:00 PM and we'll begin shortly after. Also this year, you are invited to stay after the gathering to view the movie, Romero. An appropriate movie to watch on Good Friday, it follows the life and ministry of Oscar Romero who served the Church in El Salvador. The movie is rated PG-13 and I would forewarn all that it deals with difficult themes of violence and poverty and recommend it only for the mature. Some images in the movie are actual photos from the violence in El Salvador in the late 1970s.

In addition, El Salvador borders Guatemala, where we are sending a team in May to scope out a possible partnership with a ministry there. While they are two distinct countries with various differences, some of the themes in the movie will help shed light on life, culture, and historical aspects of Central America. I hope you can come. - Pastor Jeremy

Easter Flowers

On Easter Sunday (April 8) we want to make our sanctuary look beautiful! As part of this, we are offering the purchase of tulip pots for $7 a piece. If you can help out with this or would like to purchase one or more in memory of loved ones, please email Christina. Include your desired number of plants and preferred colors. Payment can be placed in the offering boxes (but be sure to specifically mark it - checks can be made out to the church). Please feel free to take the plants with you after we worship that day. All orders need to placed by this Sunday, April 1.

Easter Sunday
Our annual Easter sunrise service will be at 6:10 AM followed by breakfast and an egg hunt for the kids. We will continue with our 9:30 worship gathering time with discussion after.

Clothing Donations - There is now a 24-hour outdoor donation bin for the Salvation Army at the Friends of the Homeless of the South Shore, Rehoboth location. While recycling/donating clothes is always better than putting them in the trash, supporting the Salvation Army (a sister holiness denomination) is better than the for-profit boxes that have cropped up all over the place these days.
Prayer is requested for Mary Ziegler, a long-time shelter staff member, who is still in South Shore Hospital with a specialized case of pneumonia.
Prayer is requested for Helen Van Praet who is waiting the results of a biopsy and is then possibly headed for surgery on April 10th.

Other Reminders:
Nursery this week: Dorothy Newell and Emily Poutre

Sunday, April 1st
9:30 AM - Worship Gathering
10:30 AM - Sunday School
12:00 PM - Potluck

Tuesday, April 3rd
7:00 PM - Ladies' Night

Wednesday, April 4th
6:00 PM - Community Dinner
7:00 PM - Bible Study Discussion

Friday, April 6th
7:00 PM - Good Friday Service of Shadows
8:00 PM - Romero

Use our online calendar for these and other dates/events as well as our other online sites below! (If you would like to add the church calendar to your Google Calendar, just search for "communication@northst.org" where it says "Add a friend's calendar".)

March 22, 2012

Easter Flowers - Stay tuned for more details on ordering Easter flowers this week and next. You will be able to purchase flowers in honor or memoriam of a loved one.

Potluck- Next Sunday, April 1st, is our Spring potluck. Bring various types of salads to share (regular, fruit, pasta, etc.) There is a sign-up sheet in the foyer.

Other Reminders:

Sunday, March 25th

9:30 AM - Worship Gathering

10:30 AM - Sunday School

Wednesday, March 28th
6:00 PM - Community Dinner
7:00 PM - Bible Study Discussion

Use our online calendar for these and other dates & events as well as our other online sites below! (If you would like to add the church calendar to your Google Calendar, just search for "communication@northst.org" where it says "Add a friend's calendar".)

March 15, 2012

Sunday - We'll consider two passages from scripture this week: the ever popular John 3:14-21 and Ephesians 2:1-10. Join us at 9:30 for worship and at 10:30 (or so) right after to wrestle with death, life, and the Word. Also, we'll be asking for your input as to this format and the future, so please prayerfully consider it and let any of the Overseers (Ed, Sarah, Jeremy or Jason) or the church board know what you think. In addition, Sarah and I have put together a playlist of songs that resonate with this series on death/life throughout Lent. It's on YouTube so if you'd like to listen, click here.

Also, plan ahead now for joining your church community to celebrate Life on Resurrection Sunday, the beginning of Easter (April 8th). - Pastor Jeremy

Free Movie Night, this Friday, March 16 at 7pm at the chapel. The movie shown will be "Life is Beautiful", a romantic story set during the Holocaust. The movie is rated PG-13. Feel free to bring your own snacks or drinks, and invite your friends!

Children's Room Painting Day: We are so excited to be creating another space in our chapel for children! Come out this Saturday, March 17th at 10 am to help us paint the stairwell and room downstairs in preparation for our children. Contact Dawn Haskell with questions.

Shared Strength- In anticipation of our partnership with a church ministry in Guatemala, we will have cross cultural training after worship at 1:00pm, on March 18th and 25th. Bring a bag lunch. The training is not just for those going on the 1st trip but is for anyone who might want to go in the future and for anyone who is interested in learning about cross-cultural things and being involved in the partnership in any way. There are still a couple of books available in the Chapel office. The book is meant to be read prior to the trainings.

Global Partnership- As we enter into this partnership, anyone who is interested in helping to finance the first trip could place an offering in a box and designate it for the trip. The cost for lodging, food and transportation in the country will be about $125-$150 per person, which the church is planning to pay. Airfare is $582 per person. Those going on the trip are Pastor Jeremy, Ed, Jen, Nathan, Lauren and Lora Wooster (our Partnership Coordinator). The church is planning to finance Pastor Jeremy's and Lora's airfare, the others to pay for themselves. The dates for the trip are May 17-21.

Potluck- Sometimes change is good! So starting with April potlucks will now take place the first Sunday of every month. For April's potluck think Spring! Various types of salads (regular salad, fruit salad, pasta salad, etc.). Sign-up sheet in the foyer.

Pray that God's peace will overshadow Randy (Charlie's brother) while he and his wife Lori wait the 7 to10 days for results from a procedure.

Other Reminders:

Friday, March 16th
7:00 PM- Movie Night

Saturday, March 17th
10:00 AM- Painting of new children's space

Sunday, March 18th

9:30 AM - Worship Gathering

10:30 AM - Sunday School

Monday, March 19th
6:00 PM- Board Meeting

Tuesday, March 20th
7:00 PM- Ladies' Night

Wednesday, March 21st
6:00 PM - Community Dinner
7:00 PM - Bible Study Discussion

March 8, 2012

Sunday - We had a great start to our series last week. The discussion after the sermon was very valuable! This week our main passage is from 1 Corinthians 1:18-25. Paul tells the church in Corinth that "the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God." And so again we see God's power come through that which is weak. In and through the cross, God brings his powerful life. We'll explore this and more on Sunday.

Along with Church being at 9:30am and Sunday School at 10:30am it is also Daylight Savings Time so don't forget to set your clocks an hour ahead!

Other Reminders:

Sunday, March 11th

9:30 AM - Worship Gathering

10:30 AM - Sunday School

Wednesday, March 14th
6:00 PM - Community Dinner
7:00 PM - Bible Study Discussion

March 1, 2012

Sunday -
It takes away life and yet life does not exist without it. We avoid it and yet none will escape it. It chokes and it hurts. We don't fear it, but we don't invite it. It often acts unfairly and yet every demographic, every family, every individual whether male or female, rich or poor, educated or uneducated, - regardless of status - everyone is affected by it.

...and Jesus calls us to it.

Through it.

It is Death.

For the next several weeks during Lent, we will deal with the topic of death and our response to it as those who follow Christ. This week, we'll see it through the lens of Christ's challenge to "take up one's cross daily" from Mark 8:31-38.

Remember, this is the week that we switch the time for our worship gathering and Sunday School (so come by 9:30). One reason for this is that we want to provide space to discuss the sermon each week, particularly in light of this difficult topic. We need not fear "it." Hope to see you Sunday!

Global Partnership Training- March 18th and 25th at 1pm after church- bring a bag lunch- Copies of the Book to study "Shared Strength" are available in the Chapel Office.

Congratulations to Heidi and Jason Parker (and big brother Evan) on the birth of Anna Lilian Parker born on February 25, 2012!

Other Reminders:

Sunday, March 4th

9:30 AM - Sunday School

10:30 AM - Worship Gathering

Tuesday, March 6th
7:00 PM- Ladies' Craft Night

Wednesday, March 7th
6:00 PM - Community Dinner
7:00 PM - Bible Study Discussion