WE HELP PEOPLE FIND & FOLLOW JESUS.

Transcription

1 11 17 NORTHMETRO.ORG // WE HELP PEOPLE FIND & FOLLOW JESUS.

2 A NOTE FROM OUR LEAD PASTOR Hello North Metro Church! As a church family, over the past few months, we ve been learning about how God s grace is greater than any sin we could commit, that we are never too far from His reach, and that He is a sovereign God that redeems! I have been humbled and truly touched by all the goodness God has let me witness in the lives of so many here at NMC specifically within the last two teaching series we have walked through together: Grace is Greater and Ruth. Some of you have reached out to me with your stories on how God has revealed to you that you ve been withholding forgiveness, and now have taken the step to forgive. You ve shared that for possibly the first time or in a long time, you believe that He can and will heal you from your pain and give you freedom from your past. It brings me great joy to hear when you obey and trust Him with your worries, with your fears, with your relationships, and with your future. He makes us brave! He makes us brave so that we can look to Him and walk through the hard things. With that said, our current teaching series, Strong, is a perfect continuation on our journey of learning that God calls and commands His people to be strong and courageous. In the book of Joshua, we ll see how God equips and uses him to lead out the nation of Israel into the Promised Land. Up to this point, God s people have been through the ringer with trials and tribulations. They ve been walking through the wilderness for 40-years awaiting the promise from God to be fulfilled that they would inherit a land of their own. A land of plenty. In other words, just picture that you ve been living in a Motel 6 when you were promised a suite at the Ritz Carlton. God is faithful and what He says, He will do. The tension that we face is that His timing is often very different than our own. During this four-week series, we ll see how God calls Joshua, the nation of Israel, and us, to be obedient, persevere, extend grace, to tell others about Him and to be strong and courageous as we await His Promise. I ve saved some exciting news for the end. I want you to know that we ll be having SIX identical Christmas services this year! Two services on Saturday, December 23, 5:00pm and 7:00pm and four services on Sunday, December 24, 9:30am, 11:30am, 3:00pm, and 5:00pm. Town Square classrooms will be open for infants through 3-year-olds for all six services. May I ask you to start praying for who it is that you could invite? Christmas is the time where the church gets to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. My continued prayer is that it not be lost on me, that it not be lost on you, to share this Good News! We GET to do this North Metro! Lastly, I know I just talked about Christmas, but I do want to wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you have plans to spend time with loved ones and perhaps a lot of yummy food will be incorporated too. I am so grateful for

3 CONNECT CONNECTIONS CENTER Being engaged in the life of the church is more than attending Sunday services, but at times it can be difficult to find ways to get connected or feel a sense of belonging. The NMC Connections Center can help you take that next step in connecting with the NMC family. Whether you re new to our church or attend regularly, our Tablesetters (volunteers), can assist you in everything from navigating Sunday morning and joining a LifeGroup to getting involved through serving. Visit us in the lobby between the Auditorium and Cafe on Sunday mornings, and we ll help get you connected! WELCOME HOME Some people look at church as just something that they attend once a week, but our hope is that North Metro Church is not just A church, but it s YOUR church; a place where you can connect and be involved in the life-changing ministry that s happening here every week. God has an incredible purpose for your life, and our Welcome Home class is designed to help you better understand that purpose. During this four-week session, you ll dive into what it looks like to find and follow Jesus, connect to the CARE PRAYER Prayer is powerful. It s one of the most important things we can do as a church. Our staff and prayer team would love to come alongside you and fight for you in whatever difficulty or tragedy you may be experiencing and also celebrate any praises. To share your prayer requests, you can fill out the prayer request section on Sunday morning s connection card or online anytime by visiting the Contact Us page at northmetro.org. STEPHEN MINISTRY Stephen Ministry is a one-on-one care ministry that takes place in over a hundred Christian denominations, 24 countries and has provided care for over half a million people. Stephen Ministers are right here at NMC too. They re members of our faith community who provide care to those experiencing grief, divorce, loneliness, job loss, illness, or any other life difficulties. If you think God is calling you to participate in the Stephen Ministry program, please contact Virginia church, discover your purpose, and serve with your God-given spiritual gifts. Visit northmetro. org or visit the Connections Center to learn more and to sign up for our next Welcome Home beginning January 7. NMC GROUPS Getting connected at North Metro Church means participating in some expression of NMC Groups. NMC Groups provides a setting for building dynamic relationships and applying biblical principles to daily life. We have a small group setting for everyone: LifeGroups, Men s Groups, Women s Groups, Young Adult Groups, Young Marrieds, Group Connect, and Equipping Classes. Visit the NMC Groups page at northmetro.org for more information on these groups or stop by the Connections Center on Sunday mornings. BAPTISM AT NMC One of our favorite things to do here at NMC is celebrating life change through water baptism. If you re ready to take this step in your faith journey, we invite you to attend the next adult baptism class. For more information about our beliefs on baptism and to sign up for the class, Blackwell ( ) or Jim Pearson ( ). FRESH START If you ve been hurt or wounded by someone close to you or have tried to forgive someone but feelings of resentment, bitterness, and hurt still crop up in your life; maybe you need a Fresh Start. Fresh Start is an interactive process with a small group of women or men and facilitators utilizing biblical principles to help you become Forgiven, Forgiving and Free. For more information, contact Brad Thomas ( ) or Susan Thomas ( ). DIVORCE CARE Divorce Care is a series of support groups and seminars for people who are going through separation or divorce, led by individuals who understand what you re experiencing. You will learn how to deal with the pain of the past and look forward to rebuilding your life. For visit the Baptism page at northmetro.org. NMC CONNECT NMC Connect is our online community created to connect the North Metro Church family. If you re not registered, visit northmetro.org. There, you ll see an NMC Connect link on the main page. Create log-in credentials and enjoy access to church calendars, giving statements, church-wide communication, your serving schedule, group events, and more. SERVING AT NMC When we serve others, we set the table for them to experience the grace of God. That s why around here we call our volunteers Tablesetters. Our goal is for everyone to experience the joy of serving others as a Tablesetter and serve somewhere within our church. Regardless of your schedule, experience, or gifting, there s a fulfilling place for you to serve here! Visit the NMC Serve page at northmetro.org today to see all the awesome opportunities and ways to connect with a serve team or stop by the Connections Center on Sunday. more information, visit the NMC Care page at northmetro.org. PURE DESIRE / BETRAYAL & BEYOND Pure Desire and Betrayal & Beyond exist to help the church address the heartbreak of sexual addiction. Evidence-based understanding shows sexual addiction is not just an individual problem; it brings struggles to the entire family. We offer two programs: Pure Desire, for men struggling with sexual sin and Betrayal & Beyond, for wives whose husbands struggle with sexual sin. Husbands will find a new appreciation for Christ s healing power and presence as they begin to walk toward freedom. Wives who suddenly discover their husbands have been living a secret life desperately need a ministry to support them so they can experience healing and the marriage can be restored. For more information visit the NMC Care page at northmetro.org or contact Bill Brown (billbrown31578@gmail.com) or Leslee Chafee (lhchafee15@gmail.com).

4 Help provide Christmas for families in need right here in our community. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9 10:00am-2:00pm GIVE Pick up a tag today! We ll be collecting toys for hundreds of children that will visit our Hope for Christmas location. Choose a tag(s) in the lobby to buy a gift for a specific aged child. Gifts can be dropped off in the church lobby on Sunday mornings or during church office hours before Sunday, November 26. Look for the kiosk in the Auditorium lobby during the month of November to sign up and learn more about how you can be involved in Hope For Christmas. Hope For Christmas is a unique experience for families all over Northwest Atlanta; designed to provide fun, toys and food this Christmas season. This year, NMC is hosting our own Hope For Christmas, in a massive local outreach effort to give hundreds of families in our area an unforgettable Christmas! You get to be a part of this effort by donating Christmas gifts and helping us throw one awesome party, that will even include a visit from Santa! SERVE Registration now open! We need nearly 300 Tablesetters to serve in overseeing our family fun zone, serving refreshments, helping parents get gifts for their kids, handing out Christmas meals to families, and much, much more. You can view all of the positions and sign up over at northmetro.org. Registration closes to serve on Sunday, November 26. Please note there will be a mandatory volunteer training event Sunday, December 3 from 2:00-3:00pm for all positions.

5 Matt & Dana Morelly Taking The Next Step In A LifeGroup. Better Together: Starting Well This semester we launched something very exciting, our Better Together: Starting Well curriculum booklet for brand-new LifeGroups. We ve created this as a tool to help new groups grow closer to God and closer to the people in their group. Because life really is Better Together! What led you to be in a LifeGroup? [Matt] I ve been in a Men s Group of some sort since the beginning of attending North Metro, for seven years now. They ve all been great in shaping and forming my walk with God but we were always doing groups separately rather than as a couple. I brought up joining a LifeGroup a lot but never jumped in, until now. What kept you from not getting involved earlier? [Dana] I knew Matt wanted to be in a LifeGroup, either leading or attending one for a long time. I guess it was me that held us back. Being in a group forces me out of my comfort zone, I m not one to be transparent. This year though we ve transitioned to a child going to college and I knew this was going to be a difficult time for me. I began to feel that nudge that I needed other people in our lives and agreed to co-lead a LifeGroup together. How s the LifeGroup going so far? [Dana] We knew we wanted couples in different stages of life, so we have just that. We have marrieds couples in there 30 s through 50 s. It s clear already that God brought us all together for a reason. This semester we re doing the Better Together curriculum provided by the church, sharing our stories and really getting to know one another as a new LifeGroup. LifeGroups move us from Sunday morning rows to intimate circles. LifeGroups are an ideal place to grow your relationship with Christ, along with caring for and serving others. Groups consist of adults who meet weekly for Bible study, prayer and community. Visit the NMC Groups page at northmetro.org for more information or stop by the Connections Center on Sunday morning.

6 When a child is diagnosed with cancer, the entire family is impacted: Bringing our outreach partners front & center parents grow weary, siblings take a backseat, finances are stretched, relationships become tense, faith and hope falter. Blue Skies is a ministry that offers week-long beach retreats to lift families above the clouds of childhood cancer. Our mission is to bring the hope of Christ to families living through the challenges of pediatric cancer so that children who are sick will laugh and play and feel normal again; that siblings, who often compete with cancer, will feel cherished and get to have uninterrupted family fun; that moms and dads will grow strong and begin lifelong friendships with others on Kindred Journeys; and, most importantly, that everyone at Blue Skies will experience the love of our Heavenly Father. These domestic mission trips are staffed by compassionate volunteers who share the love of Christ through caring for the families we serve. They take care of daily chores like cooking and cleaning while providing fun activities so that our guests can focus on each other and fun times together. Learn more at: blueskiesministries.org Like so many, we pray for the day when there is no more childhood cancer but until then, there s Blue Skies.

7 Alicia and her son Will volunteered to serve together on a Blue Skies retreat recently, during Cobb County s Fall Break. We asked them a few questions about their time to share with you. How did you hear about Blue Skies? [Alicia] We became acquainted with Blue Skies when our daughter Mary had cancer in The day after she completed treatment in July 2013, we loaded the car and headed to a Blue Skies retreat where we were guests. We were served mightily that week and given respite, care, wonderful food and fun at the beach. It was wonderful having the opportunity to meet other cancer families and talk about our similar journeys. Was this your first time serving on a Blue Skies retreat? [Will] This was my first time serving with Blue Skies. I was a guest family before and I really enjoyed it so I decided to give back now with a couple of friends. There are kids on these retreats who are going through tough times but together we always have a fun time. What would you like to tell someone about Blue Skies? [Alicia] People should know that Blue Skies is led by a woman who loves these kids and their families in a big way. She gets personally involved as much as time allows. On our retreat, she took a terminally ill girl to get the tattoo she d been wanting. She gave a girl a birthday party with special gifts. The volunteers are just following her lead, as she loves so well. If you d like to come alongside this local outreach partner there are volunteer opportunities to serve families during their weekend beach retreats. Visit blueskiesministries.org for more information on their 2018 retreats! During the months of November and December 100% of the offering within our Children s Ministry, Town Square, will go to benefit Blue Skies!

8 OUTREACH SATURDAY SERVE Saturday, February 3 8:15am Our regularly scheduled Saturday Serve is taking a break to focus on our Christmas outreach project, Hope for Christmas. We will be back in 2018! Save the date because this is a great opportunity for you, your family or those you re in LifeGroup with to serve one of several local outreach partners. KIDS NMC Kids is for infants through 4th-grade students and occurs during all weekend worship services. Our Town Square environment invites kids to apply biblical stories in a fun and relevant atmosphere. Visit the NMC Kids page at northmetro.org for more information on this ministry. DID YOU KNOW Get ready to go NMC! Our 2018 mission trip offerings will all be posted, and ready for applications, on the NMC Outreach page at northmetro.org on Sunday, November 12. This year we re traveling to Guatemala, the Bahamas, Italy, New Orleans and Florida. Begin praying today how God would use you in 2018! If your elementary-aged child has recently come to Christ, we have a free resource we d love to mail them! You can share your child s salvation story with us by visiting northmetro. org; go to the NMC Kids page, under Parent Resources you ll find the link to share your find story under the Presenting The Gospel to Kids page. Got questions? Contact Rebecca at rross@northmetro.org. GOOD NEWS CLUB ELEMENTARY BAPTISM CLASS 2018 MISSION TRIPS Spread the Gospel to children in our community! The Good News Club is back in session at a local Cobb County elementary school. The club meets on Tuesdays during the school year from 2:154:00pm. If you re interested in serving in this outreach opportunity, apply by visiting the Outreach Serve page at northmetro.org. Sunday, January 7 9:30am If your child has taken the step of salvation and is ready to talk about baptism, consider signing them up for our 45-minute Elementary (K-4th) Baptism Class. You can find more information on the steps to baptism and class sign up by visiting the NMC Kids page at northmetro.org YOUNG ADULTS Young Adults is our ministry for college and post-college singles. Through events, large group gatherings and small groups we give young adults a place to belong and build community. YOUNG ADULTS FRIENDSGIVING Tuesday, November 14 7:00pm Join us for Friendsgiving! Here s what you need to know 1. We will be in part three of our fall teaching series Adulting: Surviving the Real World 2. We will eat turkey + pie 3. Bring your friends + your favorite side dish. BABY DEDICATION We want to partner with you on the things that matter most. Our next Baby Dedication Service will be Sunday, March 25 at 3:00pm. The prerequisite Legacy Class will be held Sunday, February 25. This family-friendly service is an intentional environment, with the message and worship focused on the celebration of life and dedication of your child to God s teaching and instruction. If you would like more information on dedicating your child or to sign up, visit the NMC Kids page at northmetro.org. PAJAMA SUNDAY Sunday, November 5 The time is changing soon, And you ll gain an hour of rest, We re super excited, because Pajama Sundays are the best! What are Pajama Sundays? It s a favorite in Town Square! Come to church in your pajamas, Just brush your teeth and hair! So we ll see you on November 5, All snuggly in your jammies! Be sure to set your clocks backward, Before counting sheep and lambies! CREATIVE ARTS PREMARITAL MENTORING To get your marriage off to a great start, we encourage couples to participate in our Premarital Mentoring Program. Preparing for marriage involves much more than planning a beautiful wedding; we desire to help you establish a God-centered marriage that you will enjoy for a lifetime. Couples will walk through the study Preparing for Marriage alongside an established couple. Mentoring is available to those who regularly attend North Metro Church and who are already engaged. Visit the NMC Young Adults page at northmetro.org for more information. CREATIVE VOLUNTOUR Sunday, November 19 7:45am If you re interested in volunteering with our Creative Arts ministry, join us for our next Voluntour; a behind-the-scenes look at all of our Creative Arts Tablesetter positions. You ll meet the Creative Arts staff, hear more about the heart of this ministry, see the different ways to get plugged in, and we ll give you breakfast! To learn more and sign up for our next Voluntour visit the Creative Arts page at northmetro.org.

9 STUDENTS We want to stay connected this school year! For Shift and Sublime updates, make sure you re following us on social and subscribed to our texting service! For Shift updates text SHIFT to For Sublime updates text SUBLIME to MIDDLE SCHOOL Shift is a high-energy environment that helps 5-7th grade students find and follow Jesus through teaching, worship, games, and connection through small groups. We meet during all Sunday morning worship services in the Shift Room at the top of the stairs. WINTER RETREAT February 2-4, 2018 HIGH SCHOOL Sublime is our high school student gathering for 8-12th grade students. Sublime meets weekly on Wednesday nights at 7:00pm during the school year in the NMC Theater. Each night includes teaching, worship, and small group time. If you re interested in joining us for dinner, bring $6 and meet us at 6:30pm in the Cafe. WALKING WISELY January 19-21, 2018 Walking Wisely is a yearly retreat where hundreds of 8-12th grade students will encounter God, grow closer as a community and understand what it truly means to follow Jesus. Registration is now open! To register and learn more visit the Sublime page at northmetro.org. Winter Retreat is a yearly retreat where 5-7th grade students will engage in worship, Biblical teaching, small group time, and awesome community building activities. Registration is now open! To register and learn more visit the Shift page at northmetro.org. THANKSGIVING CLOSURES Sublime will not meet Wednesday, November 23 Shift will not meet Sunday, November 20 or Sunday, November 27 GROUPS YOUNG MARRIEDS GATHERING DATE NIGHT GROUP CONNECT Our Young Marrieds monthly gathering is a fun event for young married couples, those married less than five years, looking to grow in their marriage and connect with other young marrieds. Each month we ll have a guest speaker present on a specific topic such as finances, marital communication, growing careers. Learn more and RSVP by visiting the NMC Groups page at northmetro.org. Save the date! Reconnect with your spouse after the holidays with our first ever NMC Date Night. We ve done all the planning, you just show up and be ready to have some fun, enjoy some delicious treats and hear from an amazing couple, John and Debbie Woodall. Did we mention we ll have childcare too? More information and registration coming soon. If you re looking to join an NMC LifeGroup then Group Connect is the place for you. Group Connect is a two-hour event where you can meet people in a similar stage of life with the goal of forming a LifeGroup. NMC staff and volunteers will be on hand to help you navigate the process of meeting others and joining a group that s right for you. Learn more and sign up by visiting the NMC Groups page at northmetro.org or find the event in the NMC app. Deadline to register is Monday, January 8. Sunday, November 5 6:00-8:00pm Friday, January 5 7:00-9:00pm Friday, January 12 6:30-8:30pm

10 FOR IT IS IN THE GIVING THAT WE RECEIVE We re getting to the year 2020 by praying our guts out and being fully dependent on the Lord! He has entrusted us with our mission; We Help People Find and Follow Jesus. We don t want just to say our mission statement, we want to live it out! We re following His direction by setting forth two God-sized goals we re running towards as a church. GOAL #1 HELP 1,000 PEOPLE FIND JESUS BY THE YEAR 2020 We re getting to the year 2020 by praying our guts out and being fully dependent on the Lord! He has entrusted us with our mission; We Help People Find and Follow Jesus. We don t want just to say our mission statement, we want to live it out! We invite you to share your story by visiting the 2020 Vision Page at northmetro.org. 277 People Found GOAL #2 SEE 80% OF NMC ATTENDEES IN LIFEGROUPS BY 2020 Before Jesus left his disciples, He said, Go make disciples. A tangible way to see that hope realized is to provide engaging environments for people to get into community and dig deeper into the Bible. We re looking for people to move from Sunday morning rows, to small group circles to experience real spiritual growth and life change. If you re ready to jump into a LifeGroup visit the NMC Groups page at northmetro.org or stop by the Connections Center on Sunday morning. 1,000 people 80% in LifeGroups FINANCIAL SUMMARY NMC observes a July 1 - June 30 financial calendar* YEAR TO DATE* AS OF SEPT Income $ 1,024, Expenses $ 1,013, over (under) $ 11, % In LifeGroups OUR GOALS ARE DRIVEN BY OUR MISSION [ We help people find and follow Jesus ]

11 BIBLICAL ENCOUNTER TOUR IN ISRAEL April 23 - May 3 Main Tour May 3-5 Petra Extension AN EXPRIENCE OF A LIFETIME You have the opportunity to travel with Lead Pastor, Rob McDowell, and his wife Denise to Israel this spring! This is an amazing trip to experience the fullness of Scripture, walking in the physical and spiritual footsteps of our Savior in His homeland. This group will be traveling with Faith Based Expeditions for a Biblical Encounter Tour of Israel and new this year, a Petra extension to take in even more cultural understanding. The final date to register for land and air accommodations is January 10 and the final date to register for land only is March 20. To learn more about the itinerary, lodging, meals and other trip-details, visit the home page at northmetro.org.

12 at a glance NOVEMBER 2017 Saturday November 4 ʭʭ Saturday Serve 8:15am Sunday November 5 ʭʭ Daylight Saving Time Ends ʭʭ Strong Teaching Series 9:30am & 11:30am ʭʭ Hope for Christmas Kickoff All morning in the NMC Lobbies! ʭʭ Pajama Sunday 9:30am & 11:30am Tuesday November 14 ʭʭ Young Adults Friendsgiving 7:00pm Sunday November 19 ʭʭ Strong Teaching Series 9:30am & 11:30am ʭʭ Adult Baptism Class 11:30am Sunday November 26 ʭʭ Strong Teaching Series 9:30am & 11:30am ʭʭ Young Marrieds Gathering 6:00pm Sunday November 12 ʭʭ Strong Teaching Series 9:30am & 11:30am ʭʭ Applications open for 2018 mission trips! Connect with us throughout the week! 2305 Barrett Parkway NW, Marietta GA info@northmetro.org