NORTHMINSTER NEWS VOLUME 58 ISSUE 09 SEPTEMBER 2012 3235 Pope Avenue Sacramento, CA 95821 Office Hours 9:30 am 4:00 pm Mon Fri Phone (916) 487-5192 Fax (916) 487-8259 Email Address = mailnorthminster@yahoo.com 3235 Pope Ave. Sacramento, CA 95821 (916) 487-5192 E-mail: mailnorthminster@yahoo.com Web Site: northminsteronline.org The Northminster News is published monthly with the assistance of volunteers. Deadlines for articles are due by the 3rd Monday of each month. Articles received past the deadline will be included in the following month s edition. All articles are welcomed and encouraged but may be edited for length and clarity. Pastor: Rev. Jeanie Shaw Sunday Worship Service 9:55 AM ASANTE CHILDREN S CHOIR AT NORTHMINSTER! SEPTEMBER 16, 2012 The Asante Children s Choir, a 25-voice group from Burundi & Rwanda, is touring the US, and on Sept. 16, they will sing in our service and give a concert after worship. This is an amazing group---check our their website www.asantechoir.org/ splash/. As one of the speakers on the video remarks, this is not just a group of children singing. They sing, dance, have incredible costumes, and are inspirational. The group is a non-profit organization with the mission of supporting and educating disadvantaged youth and women in Africa. They do not charge for their performances, but do ask for a love offering to help support their tour. We are fortunate to be one of the few churches in our area to have the opportunity to experience this group. More information will be forthcoming, but in the meantime, check out that website!
UPDATE ON INTERIM PASTOR Jack McNary will begin as Northminster's Interim Pastor on Monday, September 24th. His first Sunday sermon will be on September 30th. Pastor Jack attended Fuller Theological Seminary where he received his Master of Divinity. He was ordained in 1983. Since then he has served churches in Oregon and California. Some of the congregations he served were: Associate Pastor, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Salem OR; 450 member; 7 years 6 months Associate Pastor for Education, Mission and Visitation, Fremont Presbyterian Church, Sacramento CA; 1300 members; 11 years 6 months Interim Associate Pastor, Carmichael Presbyterian Church, Carmichael CA; 700 members; 2 years 4 months Temporary Supply Pastor, River Valley Church, Rancho Cordova CA; October 2010 to present Jack has continued his education through the years. Some of the highlights include: Generation X Conference, Denver, CO; International Congress on Preaching, Edinburgh, Scotland; Interim Pastor's Training I and II; Healthy Congregations Training and Certification. He served on the Committee on Ministry with the Cascades Presbytery from January 1991 through September 1994, and also was on C.O.M. with the Sacramento Presbytery from June 2000 through September 2001. In his pastoral ministries in all the churches he has served, Jack has focused on building a faith community which, through its programs and people, reaches and teaches Christians and non-christians about discipleship and growth. Throughout Jack's 29 years of ordained ministry, he has emphasized the need for biblically relevant, engaging education for all ages. He believes the strength of any children's and youth programs is to build maturing adult disciples in Christ. Jack also believes strongly in focusing beyond ourselves in local and international mission, enabling us to become world-wide Christians. He has traveled to over 30 countries, witnessing first hand the power of the Gospel at work. Ask him about some of these experiences overseas. Jack's leadership style is to work with people, recognizing Christ as our leader, and we as His servants. He believes in working together as a team. His first priority is to know each person, their relationship with Christ, and how he can help strengthen that relationship. Jack's key theological issues are: 1) The Call to be Authentic Witnesses. Hear, respond to, and meet the needs of people, in spirit, justice, and love. A whole gospel for whole people. 2) To Understand God's Word. At all levels of our lives, we must interpret it in meaningful and relevant ways, helping people to know God's Word is for them. 3) To be the Grace-filled Community. Seeking to be true to God's Word, we must love and care for each other and our neighbors, so all will feel cared for in their lives. Our job is not to condemn, but to care, remembering Jesus came to love and save, not condemn. Jack's sermons are grounded in Scripture, Reformed doctrine, practical and engaging, and relevant. Please join us in welcoming Pastor Jack McNary to Northminster. Judy Simpson Interim Pastor Nominating Committee A NOTE FROM THE MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE In the spirit of fellowship, our practice at is to provide name tags for all who visit regularly. Call Barbara Brautigam, if you wish to have a name tag. REBECCA CIRCLE TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 11:00-12:30 The women of Northminster are invited to join together for: fellowship, a moment for mission, devotions, Bible study and lunch on the second Tuesday of each month in the social hall. Bring a lunch and a coffee mug. Dessert and drink will be provided. The Bible study will be given by Carol Link. Study books are available for purchase ($8.00) in the Church office. Be sure to mark your calendar! OUR NEIGHBORHOOD MISSION: DYER KELLY supports Dyer Kelly school as one way to serve our Lord in the local neighborhood. Part of that effort is an ongoing collection of backpacks and school supplies. Especially at the beginning of the new school year, all kids love a new back pack. Throughout the year when kids come into school as a new kid it is nice to have a new backpack on hand to help make the transition easier. Our congregation has made a great start in providing these staples already. Thank you all for your wonderful generosity. Lisa Middlekauff s co-workers at the CA State Dept. of Transportation have been collecting school supplies and decided to give them to us to take to Dyer Kelly. They have collected 4 boxes of things. THANK YOU, DOT employees! STEWARDSHIP POT LUNCH AND WELCOMING OF PASTOR JACK MCNARY SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 Join us after worship on Sunday, Sept. 30th as the Stewardship celebrates our time, talents and treasures. The Stewardship Committee along with our Deacons also want to welcome in Pastor Jack McNary. Mark your calendars now!
WORD FROM THE PEW Lots of grandchildren news! Ken and Opal Collins, have their first great grandchild, Colton Bryan Nelson, son of Chris & Rebecca Nelson, grandson of June & Bryan Nelson. Colton looks exactly like his grandfather Bryan! Word has it that Dr. Jeff Welker, son of Bill and Carol Welker, has made it safely to his Island north of the Arctic Circle where he is enjoying his year of study as a Fullbright Scholar. Jeff is one of the world's experts on the Arctic, and he and Molly are spending a year in study. Their eldest son Marcus, grandson of Bill and Carol, is in his second year of his doctoral studies at Dartmouth. Lynda Languasco just returned form Virginia visiting not only her daughter and family but Jack and Judi Raymore. Lynda has photos of the golf cart we helped the Raymores to purchase as well as some great photos of Jack and Judi! Judy Simpson was back visiting her daughter Terri last week in Florida and arrived the day before Hurricane Isaac! Judy and Terri are both fine, but what a storm!!! Now here is an amazing thank God story. The Beals and Cecchettinis moved to Aurora, Colorado, this summer. Johnny and Tylar were all set to see the midnight showing of the new Batman movie at the Aurora Theatre. Johnny's paycheck didn't hit his bank till 3:00 am so they ended up not going. It was the night of the shooting. Thank God. MILITARY NEWS Richard, Camille and Rocco Cable have just returned from a whirlwind week at Hunter Air Field in Georgia, where their son, Ranger Alex Cable, was married. Alex has healed from his wound in Afghanistan and is awaiting redeployment. Captain Jason Kappes, son of Steve Kappes, is an Aide to the General in charge of the Rock Island Arsenal Base. Jason has completed two tours of Iraq and lives off base with his wife Jennifer. They are expecting Steve's first grandson in November! Ranger Gregory Deger, grandson of Lillian Woodward, will be deployed to Louisiana this September for a month and then to Afghanistan. When Gregory is not deployed he serves as Captain Deger, for the Santa Clara SWAT team. Gregory's brother, Brian Daniels, joined the army and is on his way to Fort Benning, Georgia. COLLEGE NEWS 101 Taylor Tague made it safely to the University of Illinois where she is commencing her freshman year in Pre-Vet Medicine. Keele Shaw Connelly just returned from leading a service trip for high school students in Nicaragua. She is an EMT and President of the Brigadiers Club this year, and will be leading a trip to provide medical assistance to Guyana this spring. Jacob Smith has been working at the Med 7 Clinic in Folsom as a Medical Assistant and has begun his general classes at AR in Nursing. Zac Sergio started at American River as well with an interest in Psychology. Monica Van Regenmorter has transferred to Sac State University as an Education major this month. NURSE'S NOTES FROM THE PARISH NURSE Parkinson's Disease (2 new cases) Parkinson's disease (PD) is an age-related deterioration of certain nerve systems which affect movement, balance & muscle control. PD is one of the most common movement disorders, affecting 1% of people older than 60 years. It is 1.5 times more common in men than in women, & becomes more common with age. The average age of onset is about 60 years, but the diagnosis of actor Michael J. Fox shows that younger people are also vulnerable. In PD, brain cells deteriorate (or degenerate) in an area of the brain where specific nerve cell tracts connect to another part of the brain where the neurotransmitter (a chemical messenger in the brain) called dopamine is released. Dopamine is an important neurotransmitter & alterations in its concentration can lead to different medical problems. The loss of these specific brain cells & decline in dopamine concentration are the cornerstone of signs & symptoms of PD as well as the target for treatment. The cause of the brain cell loss has not been identified. A genetic tendency has been demonstrated in 5-10% of people with PD. (See emedicinehealth.com for technical discussion of free radicals & their impact) Although the cause of Parkinson's disease is not known, some people have symptoms of PD that may have an identifiable cause. In this case, the syndrome is known as Parkinsonism or secondary PD. Parkinson's caused by drugs is probably far more common than reported & accounts for about 4% of all cases of Parkinson's. A number of medications can cause Parkinson's by lowering dopamine levels. Nearly all antipsychotic or neuroleptic medications can induce the symptoms of Parkinson's. A widely used antiseizure med. valproic acid may cause a reversible Parkinson's. Some medications used to treat certain stomach disorders such as peptic ulcer are capable of causing Parkinson's or making it worse. Some antidepressants may cause symptoms similar to Parkinson's. Central to all these medications is their ability to alter the concentration of dopamine in the central nervous system. Therefore, a careful review of a medication list & ruling out of other causes such as brain tumors, stroke, infections, toxins, AIDS, & hydrocephalus must occur before the absolute diagnosis of Parkinson's disease is made. The 3 key signs of Parkinson's disease are tremor at rest, rigidity, & slowness in initiating movements. Two of these features are required to make the diagnosis, but they are not diagnostic in & of themselves. A powerful response to the medication called levodopa can also aid in the diagnosis. In the beginning symptoms are minimal & usually increase slowly. Medications usually provide good control for 4-6 years.
NORTHMINSTER SENIORS SEPTEMBER NEWS SOUPER SENIORS - 12:00 Wednesday, October 3 Join us for a super bowl of soup, a salad and some piping hot fellowship for our first Souper Seniors of the year with our brand new Interim Pastor, the Rev. Jack McNary. Jack has served 6 churches in our Presbytery, so he is known and loved in Sacramento. He has deep roots in the Presbyterian Church and has a love and expertise in John Calvin and our Scottish heritage. Join us as we welcome Jack! MELLO MILERS An ice cream social is in the works at the home of Dorothy and Jim Blodgett! The date will be announced when Jim and Dorothy return from their travels. Call Wagonmaster Liz Moese for details, ideas and dates. WESTMINSTER WOODS I have always enjoyed Westminster Woods but this year meant so much more to me. Now camp is one of my favorite places on earth and having to leave was extremely hard and sad for me. All of the people I met and experiences I gained were so hard to leave. All I kept on thinking was that I wish it could last longer. Usually it s hard for me to meet new people and feel okay to fully act like my self. Since day one of camp I didn t have to worry about what others thought about me. Camp is the one place I can enjoy every moment because I put all of my effort into making it the best experience I can. Everyone felt that the environment was so open that they could share their stories about where they were with God, whether they had lost hope, grown closer, or had felt His presence. They had so many ways to praise God and it was great experiencing each way. We praised in song, sermons, silent reflections, contributing to the camp and through artwork. I truly believe that camp has helped me grow in so many ways toward becoming a better friend, leader, disciple, and overall person. I hope that I can be a part of this camp and the lives of the people I ve met there for as long as possible. I am so grateful that the congregation brought me to this place and gave me the opportunity to experience the love of this camp. Gabby Saraos MY FAVORITE PART OF SUMMER CAMP AT WESTMINSTER WOODS WAS... LECTIONARY BIBLE STUDY - Begins on Tuesday, October 23, 1:00-2:00 PM Northminster has a tradition of Bible study and fellowship following the lectionary. This fall we will be delving into the Gospel of Mark, the Book of Job and the Letter to the Hebrews. Join Pastor Jeanie as we dive into God s amazing Word to us. Going on the challenge course. The reason why is because I could grow closer to God by trusting other people on holding me and by trusting Him so those people who held me can live and go to Westminster Woods. Another thing I liked was the cargo net so we could grow closer to each other at camp. Chris Brown Being able to meet new friends and learn about them and God. Also, doing the challenge courses because I felt like if you were going to do the courses you had to trust God to keep you safe. I loved going on the new high element, THE HIGH DIVE! But overall, I loved when we were all together in a group instead of broken up into tent groups. Morgan Mitchell My favorite part of camp was blindness. During the entire challenge course I was blindfolded. I also enjoyed free time. I spent most of that swimming. I would have to say I enjoyed capture the flag when we played with the entire camp. Ben Couch
Marian Reagor Sept. 2 Peter Brown Sept. 3 Vanessa Evans Sept. 4 Barbara Brautigam Sept. 5 David Mitchell Sept. 5 Marge Parker Sept. 5 Bonnie Simmons Sept. 5 Pat Smith Sept. 5 Margery Brownell Sept. 6 Harriette Gibson Sept 6 Virginia Dunham Sept. 7 Scott Couch Sept. 10 Michelle Van Regenmorter Sept. 11 Nadine Gamet Sept. 12 June Melville Sept 12 Lois Burke Sept 15 Taylor Tague Sept. 15 Josh Masias Sept. 18 John Prior Sept. 20 Bill Welker Sept. 21 Mars Burnside Sept. 24 Ben Couch Sept. 26 Pat Driscoll Sept 26 Ruth Gunn Sept. 26 Frances Cunningham Sept. 27 Rene Burghgrave Sept. 29 Jack Carey Sept. 29 Judith Simpson Sept. 29 Margaret Sheaffer Sept. 30 BLOOD DRIVE Mark your calendars for Sunday, October 28th, for the Blood Drive here at Northminster. THANK YOU! We just want to thank our Church family for all your love and support through my father s passing. We have received cards, calls and many hugs from you all and feel very loved! Thank you. Debbie Smith & Family Dear Church Family, We have rented a nice 2 bedroom house in Westminster, CO. We thank you so much for the love you showed us. We are still checking out churches and have not settled on one yet. Ray is working on the funeral escorts and likes the way they are done here. Tylar had a 1 week temporary job and is still looking for a more permanent job. Chad just started a job this week and likes it. I am still waiting for my Nurses License to come through in Colorado. We would love to hear from our friends and family. Yours in Christ, Wendy, Ray, Tylar & Chad P.S. Please call or stop by Church office for new address. CROP HUNGER WALK The Crop Hunger Walk is October 6, starting from the south side of the State Capital at 12:30 PM when registration begins. 1/4 of the money raised stays local. Our Brown Bag Program here at NPC will be one of the recipients. Please help us to end hunger one step at a time by walking, sponsoring a walker or both. The register for walking is 1 can of food. NOTICE CHANGE IN SCHEDULE Because the Asante Choir will be here to perform after worship on Sept. 16th, the Healing and Wholeness Service has been moved to Sept. 23rd after worship.