Northminster News

NEWSLETTER

Thursday, October 14, 2021

Join us for Worship

Sunday October 17, 2021

A Special Day

I am always thrilled when something is going to happen that will bring the people of our church together. Our jobs, civic activities, and other responsibilities keep all of us in different places through the week. Well, this Sunday I hope the worship hour will bring our fellow worshipers together. It will be a special day.

Recently the Coordinating Council of Northminster followed by a church business meeting voted for the church to ordain Dr. DH Clark as a minister of the gospel with his special ministry in music. The ordination service will take place during the worship hour this coming Sunday.

The numerous ways in which DH has served this church involve a diversity of ministries and consequently great gratitude in the hearts of numerous members of this church because of his contributions to their lives.

A Free Church Tradition ordination service in Northminster Church is rich in spiritual moments that unite church members in a unique way, give members an opportunity to give thanks to a minister in the church, and hopefully inspire worshipers to rethink what kind of contributions that can make in the life of the church and the community.

It is a unique service that can bring us closer together and remind us of the ministries and ministers (of which every member is one) in this church. I hope to see you and be alongside of you in this week’s special service.

C. Welton Gaddy

Guest Speaker: Dr. C. Welton Gaddy preaching

"Ministry: One and All"

Click photo below for a link to the live stream on YouTube which will begin

around 10:45 AM on Sunday morning October 10.

Click HERE for last Sunday's Service, October 10

Our Worship in Song

October 17

Opening Hymn: When in Our Music God is Glorified

Fred Pratt Green wrote this text at the request of British editor and composer John Wilson, who asked for a “festival” hymn to be set with ENGELBERG. Charles Villiers Stanford originally composed the for to tune for the text “ For All The Saints” in Hymns Ancient and Modern of 1904.

Voluntary: Only In Sleep

Written as an eight part choral work by Erik Esenvalds, DH Clark arranged this beautiful piece for duet sung by soprano and mezzo soprano for today’s service. Looking back on our life as a child….only in our sleep. We are blessed to hear this sung by two of our choral scholars, Sarah Talmage and Naomi Kilpatrick.

Anthem: The Spirit of God is Upon Me

The text and melody were written by Dh Clark and arranged for Northminster choir for today’s service. As the text says to us….as the earth brings forth its bud, and God causes things to grow….God causes us all to spring forth, and the Lord is with us.

Communion Anthem: Here I Am, Lord

A hymn written by Daniel Schutte, DH arranged this for our choir and offers up the message that we are all here to be God’s voice and heart in this world. We are to hold all people in our heart and to be Christ in our broken world.

Closing Hymn: Give Thanks for Music-making Art

Brian Wren wrote this hymn in 1993. DH set this amazing text to music in 2009 for our beloved Norma Hickman. This was in celebration of 70 years of her dedication to church music. He named the tune “NORMA”, based on “Casta Diva” from Norma by Bellini.

I hope to worship with all of you this Sunday. Grace and Peace to all,

Debi

Click HERE for this Sunday's Order of Worship

A Special Opportunity

Saturday, October 25

"FIRE SHUT UP IN MY BONES"

An Opera

Please plan to join other Northminster members and friends at Tinseltown in West Monroe on Saturday, October 23 at 11:55 am for the Metropolitan Opera’s Fire Shut Up In My Bones live in HD. Based on the harrowing memoir of New York Times columnist and Gibsland, Louisiana native Charles M. Blow, the music for the opera was written by New Orleans native and Grammy-award winning trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard. The opera makes history this season as the first opera by a Black composer to be performed by the Met.

The work itself takes the audiences on a profound, often painful, musical and dramatic journey. Set in Gibsland and at Grambling State University where Charles was a student, the opera follows Charles through a series of formative points in his adolescence. After struggling to break free from a childhood of trauma and abuse, he must decide whether he is ready to leave it in the past and begin to rebuild his life. To tell this story, Blanchard conjures a sound world that weaves together jazz and gospel idioms, probing and incisive melodies, and an intricate orchestral palette.

The opera runs about two hours and forty-five minutes with a thirty-minute intermission. Reserved seat tickets are available on the Met’s website (metopera.org)—search for “Live in HD”, or at fandango.com. Typically Met operas live in HD at Tinseltown are not well-attended. However, with this opera set in Gibsland and at Grambling hopefully there will be a good audience. So, reserve your tickets early. If you need help or want more information or need a ride or want to car-pool, please check with DH Clark or Craig Henry. You can find more information about the opera on the Met’s website.

The Prayers of the People

An opportunity to celebrate and pray alongside siblings in our community.

We pray alongside.....

Those with unspoken prayer requests.

Matthew Stewart, former choir scholar and member, dealing with a serious illness.

Ray Roberson's Grandmother dealing with a serious illness.

Miranda Seal's cousin's 11 yr. old son dealing with a serious illness.

Mike Cappel experiencing serious health issues. Paulette Cappel as she navigates his daily care.

Marc Bloch experiencing serious health issues.

Our Brothers and Sisters in Cuba experiencing severe economic hardships, food shortages, and lack of medical equipment to administer Covid-19 vaccines.

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We celebrate alongside...

Al Peterson (16th) and Susan Roberts (16th) as they celebrate their birthdays.

If you have concerns or celebrations you would like us to add to the newsletter, please call the church office or email office@northmin.org.

Children at Northminster

Fall Activity!

Children's Fall Activity Slated!

On Sunday, October 24 at 5pm all children are invited to a Fall Activity evening of supper, crafts and other fun activities. If you need more information, please call Beth Mayfield at 318-348-2529 or email her at beth@mayfieldconstruction.net

A Floral Offering

To the Glory of God.

Last Sunday's Floral Offering

The October 10 floral offering in the Narthex and the Sanctuary was given to the Glory of God and in honor of Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy on the occasion of his birthday by Judy Gaddy and the James Gaddy Family. Arrangement by Robert Crawford and Marilyn Decker.

If you wish to give flowers in honor or in memory of someone, please contact the church office . Approximate cost is $100.

The Work of the People

How we are responding to the Spirit of Love

Help Needed on Northminster Commissions for 2022

All Commissions will be meeting in the next few weeks to plan end-of-the-year activities and discuss nominees for replacement of those who rotate off commissions at the end of the year. Each of our 10 commissions will need to fill 2 vacant positions. If you would like to become more involved and supportive of Northminster Church and its ministries please volunteer to serve on a commission. You don't need any special qualifications, just love for this church and interest in working to keep it alive. Call the Church Office and submit your name and choice of commissions.

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Women's Sunday School Class:

The Time is Now - A Call to Uncommon Courage

The new release from beloved nun and social activist Joan Chittister, The Time is Now: A Call to Uncommon Courage offers a soul-stirring guide for all who feel disillusioned and dissatisfied with the power-hungry institutions and systems of this world.

The book can be purchased for online reading direct to your phone at ibooks and can also be purchased for Kindle, as an audiobook or in hardcover from Amazon.com.

Join us at 10 am this Sunday for this new study!

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October's Mission Trunk:

Asylum Seekers

Needs: Phone cards, Trak phones, Unlocked used smartphones less than five years old (with the name of the last provider AT&T, Verizon, or TMobile noted with the phone). Fast food gift cards that can be given or used to get food for the detainees once they are released. Walmart gift cards, VISA gift cards. Snack food (such as cheese and peanut butte crackers, Chicken salad and crackers, breakfast bars; food items that can be stored and given for snacks on the plane or bus. Toiletry bags that include toothbrush, combs, brushes, toothpaste, deodorant, mouthwash, shaving cream, shaving razors, and women's sanitary products that can be added to a small toiletry bag. Also, universal chargers, and charging cubes.

Released Detainee's Additional Needs: Reusable Grocery Bags

As requested by Mara Loeb: Many detainees are released with their belongings in plastic laundry bags. I have been giving them reusable fabric grocery bags and they are happy to have them. However I am almost out of the medium size and completely out of the larger ones. If anyone has extras that they can contribute I would be grateful! Email Mara at maraloeb@hotmail.com

Keeping You Informed

What you need to know

Church Office Information

While Renee continues recovering and working part-time, phone messages and emails will be checked frequently during the day by other members of the staff. If you are in need immediate assistance, please contact Peggy Burns, Chair of the Coordinating Council at 318-366-4431 or any other member of the staff.

Mask Up For Safety!

Due to a significant country-wide increase in COVID-19 Delta variant cases, the CDC and our state leaders now recommend mask wearing for all people, vaccinated and unvaccinated, while in public areas or in groups. The Coordinating Council recommends we do the same.

Please wear a mask at all times when in the church building.

Around Town

What to do in NELA

VAPA Presents:

"HMS Pinafore"

October 14-17 in Brown at ULM

The ULM School of Visual and Performing Arts debuts “HMS Pinafore: The Lass Who Loved a Sailor” Oct. 14-17 in Brown Auditorium.

Times are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, Oct. 14-16, at 7:30 p.m., and a Sunday matinee, Oct. 17 at 2 p.m. in Brown Auditorium. Tickets are free to ULM students; general admission is $15 and available through Eventbrite.

This production is staged by director Mark Ross Clark, and music director Richard Seiler. Preston Anderson, Northminster's own Choral Scholar, is cast in the production.

Giving to Northminster

Support Northminster

If you have found a space of community, or healing, or hope at Northminster and believe in the work we are doing, please consider supporting us financially so that we will be able to continue creating spaces like this in all the days to come.

To support Northminster financially, you can click here, or scan the QR code with the camera on your phone.