Lighthouse Worship, Coffee Hour, Kindle Ministry, and more!

We continue to worship God in Marblehead (and beyond!) in these strange pandemic times. We will worship together at the Lighthouse for 2 more weeks - this Sunday and next Sunday -weather permitting, unless state and/or local COVID-19 mitigation efforts restrict us from doing so. 

Sunday, November 8th will be our final Lighthouse service this year.

Meanwhile, our weekly virtual worship services will continue to be produced and posted on our YouTube channel (Old North Church, Marblehead.) See below for more info, and to RSVP for contact-tracing purposes.

Our Coffee Hour fellowship time has resumed--join us on Zoom each Sunday at 11am for conversation and community! The link is below. 

We continue offering our worship service for people who don't have access to the internet on Kindle Fire tablets. They're easy to use (just press one button!) and delivered weekly to the doors of those who need them! If you know of someone who might benefit, let Karen Kilty know at kwkilty@gmail.com or 978-335-6244. If you're interested in volunteering to deliver a tablet to someone nearby, let Karen know that, too!


Additional Information for Lighthouse Worship:

Facial covering and social distancing (6 feet minimum) will be observed throughout the service, and contact information for those attending will be collected to facilitate contact tracing, should that be necessary. (Please let us know if you plan to attend by clicking the link below. Deacons will also be recording attendance on Sunday morning.) The number of worshipers we can accommodate will be limited by the space available at the Lighthouse. Shade may be in short supply, so we encourage you to wear a hat and sunscreen in addition to your Sunday-best face mask. And bring water to drink!

Since we will continue to make our video service available, we strongly advise those at high risk due to age or underlying medical conditions NOT to attend. Our first priority is to safeguard the health and well-being of every friend and member of Old North Church. We look forward to worshiping together on Sunday, whether in person or virtually!


*****In case of rain on Sunday morning, we will not worship at the Lighthouse--join us online for our Youtube service. If you're not sure, look for the sandwich board sign at the Devereaux Beach entrance.

If it is green, go to the Lighthouse; if it is red, the service will be online only.
 
Are you coming to the Lighthouse service this Sunday?
LOCATION
Chandler Hovey Park

DATE AND TIME
11/01/20 8:00am - 11/01/20 9:00am

Facial covering and social distancing (6 feet minimum) will be observed throughout the service, and contact information for those attending
I'll be there!
Maybe
Sorry, not this week.
Remembrance Sunday

Readings:
      Proverbs 16:1-12
and
Matthew 20:25-28
                                                              
 Rev. Dr. Dennis Calhoun's sermon :
"Established by Righteousness?"

This week's worship video will be posted by 8am this Sunday.
Please click here on Sunday morning to view the service.

Please click here for a copy of Sunday's bulletin.
Our Latest News and Activities
Coffee Hour Zoom is Back!

Coffee Hour is BACK! Join members of the ONC community for conversation and fellowship on Zoom at 11am every Sunday.

Either click here or enter this link: https://zoom.us/j/566308766
Or call this number: 
    +1 312 626 6799 (Meeting ID: 566 308 766)


Daylight Savings Time Ends - Turn Clocks Back

On Sunday, November 1st at 2 am Daylight Savings Time Ends. We will turn our clocks back 1 hour.



Outreach Ministry Board News

The Outreach Ministry Board met via ZOOM on October 19th. We are continuing to check in with organizations we have funded to hear how they are faring during the pandemic. Further funding will be allocated at our December meeting and as always, we welcome suggestions for opportunities to work with organizations in our community or elsewhere.

At our recent meeting we had an interesting briefing from Bobby Nasson of More Than Words. This organization collects books, CDs and clothing items which are currently sold on line by a team of young people who have been in foster care or are homeless. They receive job training and help to pursue studies. We will be discussing with our youth group how we might arrange a collection of items for this enterprising group.

Putting your generous donations to good use, In September the Outreach Ministry sent a $1000 donation to the UCC Ministry Disaster Fund towards relief work for the west coast wildfires.



Marblehead Food Pantry
 
November is the month when traditionally Old North helps stock the shelves at the Marblehead Food Pantry but, due to COVID 19, the process, as in April when we last helped, is a little different than normal.    Back in April, our appeal for monetary donations was overwhelmingly successful, with so many of you chipping in to make a donation that reached in excess of $11,000.   That gift has kept the Food Pantry well stocked ever since.  

The status of the Food Pantry today is that clients are no longer able to browse the shelves but they can submit a wish list of produce which is then prepacked for their pickup.  The list is compiled by the organizers of the Food Pantry and this is where we can make a big difference.   Your monetary donation will be received by Old North, who will then provide a team of shoppers who will purchase very specific needs of the Food Pantry each week.   These include non-perishable goods, toiletries and personal items.

Please consider writing a check to Old North Church, 8 Stacey Street, Marblehead MA 01945 and putting Marblehead Food Pantry in the memo line. Alternatively you may make an on line donation, with the same specification.    Your gift will make a huge difference to so many people.  

Thank you for your consideration, Lynda Hare on behalf of the Outreach Ministry Board.
Virtual Poetry Reading

The first virtual event celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the Festival Chorus is now available on the Old North Church YouTube Channel to view any time. The presentation is 50 minutes filled with original poems, glorious music from past concerts, and stunning visuals of our beautiful town. 


ONC Reading/Discussion Group - Weds. Nov. 11th
 
The next meeting of the Old North Reading and Discussion Group on Preserving our Democracy and Environment will be on Wednesday, November 11th, from 8:30 to 10:00 AM via Zoom. This is the latest of a series of meetings on preservation of our democracy and environment that have been hosted by the ONC Men’s Group. The discussions are supported by background reading assignments. You are invited to participate regardless of the amount of reading you have done. At this meeting we will discuss Steven Pinker’s 2018 book, Enlightenment Now. There will be much discussion of current dangers our democracy is facing and the results of the national elections.

To join the Zoom meeting please click on the URL 
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84387876701?pwd=bUdyd25KR0krU3Z2eDlWbW51MGlnZz09 , call +1-929-205-6099 US (New York), or use the Zoom app with Meeting ID: 843 8787 6701 and Passcode: 070929

Anti-Racism Accountability Group

A group of Old North Church folks are committing to get together regularly to hold ourselves accountable to doing anti-racism work in our own lives. This will be a time for sharing and accountability about how we are participating in the work Jesus calls us to do in unraveling white supremacy--whether that's confronting racist language in our families and friends, supporting Black organizers in the local area, immersing ourselves in learning from people of color, or many other things. We're still figuring this out, and we'd love for you to be on the journey with us.

We'll be meeting every two weeks: Join us Monday, November 2, at 7 pm via Zoom (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84605394239 or dial +1 929 205 6099 and enter meeting ID 846 0539 4239) Contact Lindsay (lindsaypopper@gmail.com) if you have questions!
Support St Andrew's Church in Feeding Our Neighbors

St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Marblehead has been helping feed our neighbors, and they need our help! Starting with one church member working out of his garage, the St. Andrew's Food Project helps the New American Center in Lynn support over 50 families every week by providing staple foods, fresh fruits and vegetables, and home-baked cookies (the children's favorite).

Here are ways we can help:
·  Deliver food to several homes in Lynn on Thursday afternoons. Food is ready around 2 p.m. and it usually takes approximately 2 hours to complete a series of deliveries. This is currently a great need!

-  Bake cookies, bag them (a few per bag), and leave them at St. Andrews before noon on Thursdays (drop them at the church's red doors at 135 Lafayette St. in Marblehead)

Please contact The Rev. Clyde Elledge at the Church of St. Andrew in Marblehead, rector@standrewsmhd.org or 781.631.4951 to offer assistance. Thank you for considering and please pray for the families struggling to provide a basic living for their loved ones.

Ways to Connect With Us During the Week

So that we might stay connected, we've set up several times throughout the week to gather on Zoom. You can join from a computer, iphone, or ipad using the links below, or you can call +1 929 205 6099 and enter the meeting ID (listed with each event). 

Lectio Divina (Tuesdays 9am)
https://zoom.us/j/532654567 (Meeting ID: 532-654-567)
A time of contemplative prayer, with scripture and poetry, led by Dennis. 

Breakfast Group (Fridays 8am)
https://zoom.us/j/568995512 (Meeting ID: 568-995-512)
A time to gather with one another, with your breakfast and coffee. 
Church Building Access and Office Hours

We are limiting access to the church and office buildings to critical business needs only. Our office is closed for normal business but some of our staff are in periodically to ensure that critical operations are maintained. Please reach out to us via email at office@onchurch.org if you have any questions. Thank you for staying home and staying safe!
Do You Need Assistance? Here are some Resources.
 
We are sharing a list of resources which Gordon Lothrop thoughtfully shared with us from the Marblehead Masonic Lodge.

List of Resources
  • Swampscott Council on Aging: click here
  • Marblehead Council on Aging: click here
  • Marblehead Community Support Forum:  click here
  • Nahant Council on Aging: click here
  • Anchor Food Pantry Swampscott: click here
  • The Nahant Veteran’s Food Bank operates the first Wednesday of the month for veterans living in Nahant.
  • Marblehead Food Pantry, 80 Atlantic Ave. (781)631-5335: click here
  • Town of Marblehead:  click here
  • Town of Swampscott: click here 
  • Churches
  • Synagogues
  • Schools
Contact Us: 781-631-1244

Church Address: 35 Washington St., Marblehead, MA 01945
Mailing Address: 8 Stacey St. Marblehead, MA 01945