Northminster Family,
I'm writing this the day before we leave for Cuba, and it seems appropriate to share some reflection on my understanding of "mission" as it has shifted over the last decade.
In seminary, I encountered the works of David Bosch for the first time, a brilliant missiologist and author of
Transforming Mission
who
once wrote:
"Mission [is] understood as being derived from the very nature of God. It [is] thus put in the context of the Trinity, not of ecclesiology or soteriology.
The classical doctrine of the
missio dei
as God the Father sending the Son, and God the Father and the Son sending the Spirit [is] expanded to include yet another 'movement':
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit sending the church into the world."
In other words, mission is not a part of the ministry of the church, It is not the act of going to serve others or going to "convert the heathen." To reduce it to such would be to pervert and deform it.
Mission is, rather, the very work of the church, a natural result of our just being. As the Body of Christ, the embodiment of God's love on earth, all we do is mission, for it is all fruit of the mission of God, the
missio
dei
- to reveal to the world that it is loved and capable of love.
As another influential theological thinker, Emil Brunner, once wrote:
"The Church exists by mission, just as a fire exists by burning. Where there is no mission, there is no Church; and where there is neither Church nor mission, there is no faith."
As we are in Cuba this week, we are mindful of the distorted, colonial, dominating ideas of mission that has characterized the church for far too long. We are mindful of the damage it has done to cultures and nations in the name of Christ, and reminded of the urgent need for a paradigm shift in missional thinking. We are grateful to be a part of a congregation that sends us to learn from our sisters and brothers, not "fix" them by making them more like us. We are grateful to be a part of a work meant to expand the boundaries of our imagination for what it looks like to be human, what it looks like to be a child of God, not to re-make the world into our image.
May we continue to be a people rooted in the mission of God to love the world.
See you all soon,
Zach and Claire
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An opportunity to celebrate or pray alongside siblings in our community.
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We celebrate alongside...
Mel Mobley (14th),
Peter Helton (14th),
Carol Ann Tubbs (17th),
Amy Higginbotham (19th), and
Marianne Wilcox (19th) as
they celebrates their birthdays.
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We pray alongside...
Craig,
DH,
Zach, and
Claire as they are traveling home from Cuba this week after spending time with our partner church, Enmanuel Iglesia.
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If you have concerns and celebrations you would like us to add to the newsletter, please call the church office or email
office@northmin.org.
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The Work of the People
How we are responding to the Spirit of Love
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Business Meeting Sunday at 6pm
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This
Sunday, November 17 at 6pm
is the bi-monthly business meeting. This particular meeting is most important as the membership votes on three of six nominees to fill the open vacancies on the Coordinating Council for the next three years as well as approve new commission members.
Due to the Agape meal the following Sunday, there will be NO POTLUCK and the meeting will begin promptly at 6pm.
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Mission Trunk: CASA Children's Christmas Project
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Each November Northminster supports the CASA Christmas Project by sponsoring a group of children from which you can choose to donate to for Christmas. The gifts and clothing will provide hope and joy to a child this Christmas.
All the children have been spoken for! The gifts must be brought to the Monroe office of CASA at 622 Riverside Drive no later than
Monday, December 2. Please do not bring items to the church. You must deliver them yourself.
For questions or concerns call Jessica Bryant or Liz Gaught at 318-398-0945.
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Daughters of Eve Workshop #2
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Don't forget! The second workshop for those working on story drafts in our
Daughters of Eve project will be on
Saturday morning, November 16, from 10am to noon. Cathy Webb will help us with the transition from drafting a story to crafting a dramatic monologue/dialogue.
The ultimate goal of the Daughters of Eve project is to create a drama that will elevate both the voices of strong women in scripture and the voices of women who have been silenced by the text or the church throughout the centuries, that in turn we might empower all women to speak - and to be heard.
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Debriefing about ICE Detention
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On
Sunday evening, 11/17 at 5pm we will create a space for those who attended the training in Ruston on visitation for ICE detainees and those who attended the prayer vigil/protest outside of Richwood to debrief with each other and with others who could not attend either event, to share their experiences, and to look ahead to how we might move forward. There is a church-wide business meeting immediately following at 6pm so we will begin promptly at 5pm to make the most of our time together.
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Agape Meal:
Celebrating 30 Years of Stories
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In order to celebrate thirty years of ministry, on
Sunday, November 24th at 6pm
, the Northminster community will gather over a meal to hear ten community members each tell a five-minute story about an experience they’ve had with or at Northminster. The theme, “What makes us who we are,” is meant to draw out stories that embody the values we have held and currently hold as most important in this time and place.
We hope you'll plan to join us as we practice gratitude for all that has been and all that will be in this place.
PLEASE SEE THE SIGN-UP SHEET FOR THE AGAPE MEAL.
The cost is $7 per person with a limit of $25 for a family.
Payment is due when you sign up in c
ash or make checks payable to “Northminster Church” and memo note the check is for the “Agape Meal”. Leave in offering plate or place on Renee’s desk or give to Renee during office hours. Envelopes are provided near the sign-up sheet for cash payments. Be sure and put your name on the envelope so we will know you paid! Thanks!
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Start reading now so you'll be able to join us for the first meeting of the newly formed Northminster Book Club - a place to build community by reading good books together with no other agenda.
The first meeting will be
Thursday, Dec. 12
at 6pm. All are welcome! The first book will be
Where the Crawdads Sing
by Delia Owens and everyone will need to find their own copy. We hope you'll come join us for good conversation and a potluck supper at Debi Chandler's house, 205 Stuart. Happy reading!
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Holy Ideas
How might we respond to the Spirit of Love?
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The following are currently on the Holy Ideas board in the hallway. If you'd like to support an idea and help it become reality, be sure to stop by and sign your name to it. If you have questions, email the sponsor of the idea.
If the idea gets the support it needs (3 signatures) by the expiration date, the supporters will meet with the appropriate commission to clarify and refine the idea into a specific, time-limited plan.
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No submissions at this time.
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No submissions at this time.
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No submissions at this time.
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Title: Spirits and Spirituality
Description: Meet at Enoch's weekly to talk about "God" over a pint
Date posted: 10/23/19
Date post expires: 11/13/19
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Carbon Offsetting, from Pat Hayes
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A number of weeks ago, we had a conversation following a sermon on the stewardship of our planet and the environment and several suggestions were made. Zach mentioned a site that the United Nations hosts that enables an individual or organization to estimate its carbon “footprint” and make an
offset
contribution for excessive carbon emissions.
What is offsetting?
Offsetting is a climate action that enables individuals and organizations to compensate for the emissions they cannot avoid, by supporting worthy projects that reduce emissions somewhere else.
The greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduced through offsetting are measured in UN Certified Emission Reductions (CERs). The CERs are generated from
Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)
projects. These projects, which are located in developing countries, earn 1 CER for each metric tonne of GHG emissions they reduce or avoid and are measured in CO
2
equivalent (CO
2
-eq). The CERs can then be bought by people and organizations to offset their own unavoidable emissions or as a contribution to the global climate action.
Offsetting is a part of the 3-step process under the Climate Neutral Now initiative of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat:
- Measure your climate footprint with our easy calculator-
- Reduce your footprint as much as you can-
- Offset the rest with UN’s Certified Emission Reductions (CERs)Climate Neutral Now invites companies, organizations, governments and citizens to work towards climate neutrality
The calculator helps estimate your climate footprint by your answers to questions regarding household, transportation, and lifestyle.
The CDM Projects are designed to:
- Replace the use of dirty fossil fuels with clean renewable energy (wind, hydro, solar, biomass);
- Reduce energy consumption and the use of fossil fuels through energy efficiency measures (clean cooking stoves, energy efficient light bulbs);
- Capture already released carbon in trees and other plants (reforestation and forest regeneration projects).
If you are interested in this project, we could move forward in a couple of directions. We could put a few heads together and see if we can measure our footprint for Northminster Church’s physical plant and determine if we would like to purchase offset. Members and friends of Northminster might be interested in measuring their own household’s footprint and making an offset purchase. The website is interesting and there are videos about the various projects which you will enjoy.
I think this could be a beneficial project for us to undertake both as Northminster and as individuals.
-Pat Hayes
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For more opportunities to get involved, check the hallway table and bulletin boards.
If you'd like information on getting involved in leadership commissions or Sunday School groups, you can
click here
.
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To support Northminster financially, you can
click here.
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Temple B'Nai Israel Kosher Style Hot Dog Lunch Fundraiser
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Temple B'nai Israel Men's Club is having a Kosher Style Hot Dog Lunch fundraiser to benefit the Men's Club and their charities. The fundraiser is
November 19th from 10 am to 2 pm
at Temple B'nai Israel, 2400 Orell Place, Monroe. Tickets are on sale now for $5. Lunch is 1/4 lb. hot dog, chips and a drink. You may pick-up or dine in. Delivery is available for orders of 20 or more. Advanced tickets can be purchased by calling 318-387-0730 or stopping by the Temple office. Our office hours are 9 am to 2 pm Tuesday through Thursday. Challah bread will be available for sale for $10 per loaf.
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Sunday 11/17
9am - Choir rehearsal
10am - Sunday School
10:45am - Musical Preludes
11am - Call to Worship
5pm - Youth
Wednesday 11/20
6:30pm - Choir rehearsal;
Messiah
rehearsal at 7pm
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Worship This Week
The texts for this week are:
Sunday's sermon will be preached by
Claire and Zachary Helton
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November
17th
6pm Business meeting for Coordinating Council elections - no potluck due to upcoming Agape Meal
24th 6pm Agape Meal and Celebration of Northminster's 30th Anniversary at 6pm
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December
1st Advent Begins
6th Parent Dinner at 5:30pm
8th Coordinating Council
12th Northminster Book Club and Potluck at Debi Chandler's 6pm.
16th Choir Dress Rehearsal for Messiah
17th Northminster Choir presents Handel's Messiah at 7pm
24th Christmas Eve
25th Christmas Day
29th 5th Sunday Lunch at Catfish Charlies
31st New Year's Eve
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