The Good News. The Pastor s Pen. Northfield Presbyterian Church February 2011

Transcription

1 Northfield Presbyterian Church February 2011 The Good News The Pastor s Pen Dear Friends and Church Family, Since we are a week away from another Super Bowl I am reminded of the late Vince Lombardi who was famous for beginning each season with the Green Bay Packers with a profound word for seasoned veterans down to the rookies, Gentlemen, this is a football. And then he drilled the team on performing the basics well, both on and off the field. Get back to the little things in order to do great things. On a similar note I want to share three ways I believe God is calling me, and I hope you, to do little things well for the next 11 months. First, I want to do the basics of not only reading my Bible daily, but taking time to jot down some thoughts about what I am reading, then asking the Lord to help me apply and live out that word in my daily life. It isn t just the reading but, more importantly, applying of the Biblical principles and lessons that will transform my life. If I want to grow and change and become a better servant for God here, then I need to regularly study and practice what I read in the playbook. Second, while worship is the place where we honor God for who He is, praise Him for what He does, and we give back to God what is His, worship is the time when we are gathered corporately to encounter Him individually. Worship is the time when unashamedly I gather with fellow believers, but my focus is on Him and not them. I grow inwardly when I come into His presence in this way. The more I give Him the more I receive from Him. But God expects me to meet in a smaller setting with a smaller group where iron can sharpen iron. I meet with a group of eight to twelve men every other Saturday morning. We have a curriculum, but what happens beyond that curriculum is where I am challenged and sharpened in my own understanding of what it means for me to be a man who lives the Christian life. It is often here where the little things become a tool for God to continue to mold me into his image. Is there a small group of men or women you gather with to challenge, encourage, and care for one another? Third, I believe God is calling me to look to the little people. In 2010 we began a weekly chapel service in the Day Care. Talk about a challenge! I am having to rethink communication and how to bring God s love in words down to 2, 3, 4, and some 5 year olds. Jesus said, Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. (Mk: 10:14) And Mark 9:37 we are told, Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me. The little people are not just the church of tomorrow. Jesus said, of such are the kingdom of God. I need to think smaller for my sake and the sake of the children and for the sake of the future of this church. How about you? I believe it s a matter of getting back to the basics so that at the end of this year we might be competing in God s Super Bowl of faithfulness. In His Grip, Art Helin

2 Women s Association Meeting The next meeting of the Women s Association will be Monday, February 14th at 10:00 a.m. in the Family Area. The book discussion will be the chapter on Bad Words. The discussion will be followed with a business meeting and lunch at a local restaurant. All women of the church are invited to attend. Moderator: Debbie Brooks COLLEGE/MILITARY CARE PACKAGES Do you have a college student away from home or a young person in the military? NPC would like to let them know we re thinking about them. In early February, the Deacons will send a care package to all NPC young people in these two categories, and would like your help. Please check any of the following ways that you can help. Also, please supply us with names and addresses of your college students/armed forces personnel. (IMMEDIATE FAMILY ONLY PLEASE) Please write it on the back of this form. Bake cookies or make candy (must be type that travels well). Purchase individually packaged snacks such as M&Ms, Life Savers, nuts, raisins, dried fruit mixes, gum or cookies. (More healthy options have been suggested) Donate money to purchase supplies, postage, etc. Attach it to this form and put in the offering plate. Please make checks out to NPC and note for Deacons. Write a letter(s) to encourage student(s)/military person(s). Name Phone Number Please put form in the offering plate or send it to the office. If you have any questions, you may call Randy Reinke at Please bring donated items to church by Sunday, Feb. 6, 2011 Thank you, The Deacons Stewardship Report Envelope boxes for 2011 are available in the narthex if you haven t picked yours up yet. Using these helps the counters and recorders give you an accurate year end report. Please contact a member of the committee if you have any questions. January 2011 INCOME: $ 12,887 EXPENSES: $ 18, (does not include 1/30/11 data) PANTRY ITEMS CONTINUE TO BE COLLECTED The Women s Association will continue to collect food items for the Macedonia Emergency Center. They need dry, boxed nonperishable food items such as: Spaghetti noodles and all other types of pasta either in a box or bags as well as rice, instant potatoes, cereal, hamburger or tuna helper, crackers jellies and Jams. There is a container in the narthex where church families can drop off their donations on Sundays or any other day they are in the building. We will continue to collect them as long as they are being donated. Thank You!

3 Moody Walk Worthy Men s Conference You are invited to join other men from NPC on Saturday, February 26 th at Parkside Church. Registration forms are available in the Narthex or from Jack Stitt. The subsidized Registration fee is $25.00 for the first 10 registrants ($50.00 after). Turn forms in to Jack or the church office by Feb. 6 th. For more information, contact Jack or visit their site online - Adult Sunday School The Adult Sunday School class, which meets at 9:00 a.m. in room 201, is beginning a study of The Praying Life - Connecting with God in a Distracting World by Paul E. Miller. This is a great opportunity to develop a more vibrant prayer life while joining in fellowship with other adults. Books are available in class ($10.00). New faces welcome at any time! Class discussion lead by Keith Miller. Katie Williamson Pauline Enczur Donna Hamed Kathy Moore John Rudin Sarah Hall John Jackson Marie Fiala Joshua Langford Jean Swanson David Verhage Abby Williamson Emily Fenn Zack Miller Loraine Smith 1-Feb 2-Feb 4-Feb 4-Feb 5-Feb 7-Feb 8-Feb 10-Feb 11-Feb 13-Feb 13-Feb 15-Feb 17-Feb 18-Feb 28-Feb Confirmation Sunday - Feb. 13 Join our teens as they complete their confirmation training and make their commitment on Sunday, Feb. 13 at the 10:15 a.m. service. Ten kids have been attending classes since November and have learned and experienced much in these past 3 months. We congratulate all who completed the classes whether they choose to commit to membership in PCUSA or not. The adjoining pictures show the kids at their recent retreat in Beulah Beach Retreat Center on Lake Erie. Many THANKS to Debbie Brooks and Cassie Jackson for dedicating their Sundays and planning time to our confirmants!

4 Wedding Photos Last month we reported on Laurel and Philip Mayeux s wedding and now we have pictures to share! Holiday Photos We recently received photos from many of our holiday events that must be shared! Better late than never. More will be placed on our website! Advent Carols and Lessons Musical Worship Service. Photos by Debbie Ladies Christmas Tea 2010 Photos by Tim Maholm Children s Pageant 2010 Photos by Rachelle Geshke

5 February 2011 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 6:30 am Men s Bible Study at Chick Fil-A 6:30 pm Cub Scouts/ Venture 3 6pm Day Care Staff Meetin 4 5 8am Men s Bible Study at Chick Fil-A 6 COMMUNION 8am Worship 9am Sunday School 10:15am Worship 11:30 Confirmation luncheon with Session 12:30 VBC Worship 7 7pm Boy Scouts 8 7pm Building and Grounds 9 6:30 pm Cub Scouts 10 6:30 pm Simple Supper and Prayer at Helin s am Day Care CPR Training 13 9 am Sunday School 10:15 am Worship/ Confirmation 12:30 pm VBC Worship am PWNPC 7:30 pm Deacons 7pm Boy Scouts 15 7pm Day Care Board 16 6:30 am Men s Bible Study at Chick Fil-A 6:30 pm Cub Scouts/ Venture am Session Prayer 8am Men s Bible Study at Chick Fil-A 20 9 am Sunday School 10:15 am Worship 12:30 pm VBC Worship 1:30 pm Matchcover Club 3pm VBC Couples Bible Study 21 7pm Session 7pm Boy Scouts :30 pm Cub Scouts :30 pm Community Meal am Sunday School 10:15 am Worship 12:30 pm VBC Worship 28 7pm Boy Scouts & Scout Parents

6 From the Director of Music A few weeks ago, Pastor Art preached on God's miraculous ways in our lives. The message really hit home for me and I pondered it some more in the following weeks. Most of the time, like many of us, I find myself anticipating events or looking forward to things, for example: What will choir sing next week? Will we have a drummer by mid-february? Do we have a babysitter lined up? Are we low on mac-n-cheese (heavens forbid!)? What will we do this summer? But it was not until I started looking BACKWARDS in my life that I could really see God's providing hand. Let's go back to the summer of 1997 at the Schleswig Holstein Music Festival Orchestra, northern Germany. There, at the pingpong table of all places, God introduced me to Elayna. Ever since, we have held many different jobs and have lived in various cities/countries/continents. But throughout our journey God always provided us with love, direction, caring friends, musical gifts and two beautiful children. When Elayna had won the Cleveland Orchestra audition back in May 2010, we were thrilled to move here but also sad to leave a community of friends and fellow believers. Having found a new, warm and loving congregation and employment as your Director of Music has been an answer to prayer and yet another sign of God's providence in my life. A line of a song comes to mind: "You are the Potter, I am the clay. Mold me and make me, this is what I pray". How comforting to know we are in good hands! Zeger Verhage Director of Music NPC Northfield Presbyterian Church 7755 S. Boyden Rd. Northfield, OH npc7755@roadrunner.com