NEWSLETTER

Thursday, September 29, 2022

Baptism in the Bayou

Baptisms might be my favorite pastoral responsibility. Other elements of this work such as communion, funerals, and weddings have their place, and I enjoy them too, but baptism is special. There’s nothing in our life as a community quite like it, particularly the Baptist tradition of full immersion.

Theologically I don’t see one “right” way for someone to be baptized. I would never invalidate anyone’s baptism - one and done is a good rule of thumb! - but I do like full immersion the most. I do prefer Believer’s Baptism. I do think gettin’ dunked is the most representative version of what Jesus did at the beginning of his ministry, and we know from historical records that the early church felt the same way, although they did baptisms completely naked!

Here’s what I do not believe about baptism: it doesn’t automatically make you a new person, though hopefully you feel something when it’s over. The waters of baptism, whether they’re in a baptistry or the bayou aren’t magical. Full immersion isn’t the only option for baptism, and if I’d grown up in a different tradition, it likely wouldn’t even be my preference. Baptism isn’t a requirement of salvation, nor is it some kind of safeguard against future suffering, challenges, or doubts.

Here’s what I know about baptism: though the water isn’t magical, it is sacred. Water is a connection that reaches to the very beginning of our faith. From God in creation, the great flood, and Moses parting the sea, water is a constant theme that secures us in place. Something - and I don’t know what that something is - mysterious happens during a baptism. Maybe it’s the holiness of the practice. Perhaps it’s the historical connection. Maybe baptisms are a thin place. Whatever the reason, being part of a baptism always leaves me feeling humbled and close to the Eternal. And lastly, baptisms are just fun. Where else in life do you see people being intentionally pushed under water by someone who cares about them, only to be shoved back up again seconds later and have it not be considered some sort of attack? No matter how prepared someone might feel, baptism, particularly full immersion, is a shock to the system and perhaps that’s the point. 

I hope as many of you as possible will attend Sunday’s baptism to support those being baptized, to be part of this sacred time and to remember your own baptism. 

Jillian

Join us for Worship

Sunday, October 2, 2022

Rev. Jillian Hankamer preaches:

Joseph in Prison

Click the photo to view our Sunday service

Sunday, October 4, 2022

Opening Hymn: When Morning Gilds the Skies

This anonymous German Catholic hymn was translated to English by Edward Caswall, an Anglican - and later, Roman Catholic priest. Among the scripture references is Psalm 3:5, “O God, in the morning you hear my voice…” Set to the tune LAUDES DOMINI by Joseph Barnby, 1886.

The Gospel Acclamation:  This is the Good News

D.H. Clark sets the words that announces and responds to the scripture from St. Matthew. 

Middle Hymn: Child of Blessing, Child of Promise

Ronald Cole-Turner, a teacher of theology, is an ordained minister of the United Church of Christ. He is an award-winning author on the interface of science and religion. Set to the tune STUTTGART attributed to Christian F. Willis, 1660-1716.

The Anthem: The Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi

American composer/conductor Rene Clausen set this famous Prayer Of Saint Francis of Assisi for choir in 1992. Clausen was the Director of Choirs at Concordia College for over 30 years, retiring in 2019.

The Communion Anthem: Hellig (Holy, Holy)

Austrian composer Franz Schubert (1797-1828) wrote the Deutsche Mass in 1827. This is a movement from that mass.

The Closing Hymn: Thank our God for Sisters, Brothers

This prayer was written for a Union Thanksgiving service in 1948 by the Rev. Roger Powell of Camillus, New York. It served as a rallying song for the first meeting of the National Council of Churches in 1932. Set to the tune PLEADING SAVIOR, 1831.

I hope we share worship together this Sunday, Debi

We pray alongside.....

COVID SUFFERERS - PLEASE, if you are experiencing any signs or symptoms of cold, fever, coughing, sneezing, etc., stay home, do not come to church and do not go out in public!

All those enduring the effects of Hurricane Ian.

Darrell Cluck, dealing with a serious illness.

Jamie Crockett, friend of Renee Decker, kidney cancer, surgery October 12.

Kay Southern moved to Ridgecrest Nursing Home for rehab.

Bill Krutzer recovering from surgery.

Duane Crews, nephew of Hannah Clark, serious illness. 



Rodney Thomas, now at home recovering from heart surgery.

Jay Aro Family (Ann, Henry & Maxwell), after Jay's motorcycle accident. If you would like to help this new young Northminster family, you can click the "Go Fund Me" link below. You may also access the link for the most current information on Jay.

Aro Family Fund

Sister-in-"love" of Debbie O'Neal, Pat, who is battling breast cancer.



Judy Eddington, dealing with a serious medical condition.

Tracy and Mary Sandow, dealing with serious medical issues.

Our friends and sister church, Iglesia Bautista Enmanuel in Ciego de Avila, Cuba experiencing many economic hardships.

Those with unspoken prayer requests.

Nominating forms will be available in this Sunday's Order of Worship or you may call the church office and give Renee your nominees.

NOMINATING COMMITTEE TAKING RECOMMENDATIONS

In accordance with our Church By-Laws, a Nominating Committee consisting of the three 2021 retired members of the Coordinating Council (Page Atkins, Bill Kight, Carol Ann Tubbs) and the three members of the Coordinating Council that will rotate off the Council this year (Anita Breen, Patti Pate, Peggy Burns) is to convene to compile a slate of 6 nominees from an eligible, active church member list to fill the 3 positions left vacate on the Council. Recommendations may be submitted from the congregation to the Nominating Committee for consideration through the Church office. Prior to being recommended, the person must have agreed to serve if elected. The deadline for congregation recommendations is Oct. 7. The slate of 6 nominees will be mailed to the Church membership prior to the November Business Meeting, when the vote will take place.  

BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS

The Feast of St. Francis, among other things, patron saint of all creatures great and small, is October 4. On Sunday, Oct. 9 at 5 PM, weather permitting, Northminster will gather for a traditional Blessing of the Animals. You will be invited to bring your pets on leashes or in carriers. We ask that your pet be up-to-date on their vaccinations and able to be around other animals. If they are reactive a blessing can be done while they remain in the car with you. If your furry friend cannot be present, bring a photo. We plan to also memorialize our precious ones who have departed. The service will be informal and short.

CARPOOLING TO MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA IN NOVEMBER

Elsewhere in this newsletter you will find information about the Gathering of the Alliance of Baptists to be held in Montgomery, Alabama November 10 - 12. Several of us are intending to go and hope others will join us. It should be a truly wonderful event. The museums where the Gathering will be held are powerful and moving. We will plan to leave Monroe early on the morning of November 10 and return late in the afternoon of November 12. Space at the Gathering is limited so you should register now! If space is still available, the deadline for registering is October 21. If you are interested in car pooling please see Pastor Jillian, D. H. Clark or Craig Henry. Also perhaps some of us can share hotel rooms together.

CUBA IN JANUARY ANYONE?

We are thinking of trying to plan a visit to our partner church in Cuba in January of next year. The visit will be about a week long. If you have an interest in going please see D. H. Clark or Craig Henry for more information. January is a good time to visit there!

STAGG LECTURES TO BE HELD OCTOBER 22-23

Because of scheduling issues the Stagg Lectures in Prophetic Christianity have been postponed one week until October 22-23. Please SAVE THE DATES! We look forward to having Rev. Michael-Ray Mathews with us for this occasion.

TONIGHT!

NORTHMINSTER BOOK CLUB AT 6PM

This book will be discussed over potluck tonight, Thursday, September 29, at 6pm at the home of Debi Chandler, 2005 Stuart St..

If your are interested in the book club, contact Debi Chandler at chandler@ulm.edu.

UNGODLY UNION:

The Danger of Christian Nationalism

You have the opportunity to participate in a webinar that will be hosted by AWAB member church, the First Baptist Church of Pottstown, Pennsylvania. Read more about their webinar on Christian Nationalism below, which is free for all to attend. To register, click here.

Christian Nationalism, the assertion that the United States is officially a Christian nation and should be governed by explicitly Christian leaders, is not a new movement, but it is receiving increasing attention.

To help the community understand this ideology and what is at stake for democracy, First Baptist Church of Pottstown (FBC) will sponsor a three-part online webinar, “Ungodly Union: The Danger of Christian Nationalism” on October 2, 9, and 16 at 4:30pm via Zoom.

Developed in cooperation with Word&Way, an award-winning publishing company in Jefferson City, Missouri, the community conversations will examine what Christian Nationalism is, why it is a threat to democracy, and how it is a distortion of the Christian faith. 

With the leadership of our expert facilitators, we will host small and large group discussions at each session. Each session will include:

~A brief presentation on the week’s topic (see below for details)

~Time for small group discussion of a central question or theme

~Time for discussion with the whole group and

~Concluding remarks

Please register and plan to attend. We want to hear from you!

​Please register in advance.

​You only need to register once to attend, but each person will need to register separately. You will receive a unique link that will allow you to attend any or all of the forum sessions on Zoom. If you miss a session, video of the forum will be available on this website the following week. We hope you’ll encourage others to register and bring their voices to this important community conversation.

We hope you can join FBC Pottstown for this series. If you are an AWAB member church and would like us to promote an event that you're hosting, please contact us at admin@awab.org.

Save the Date!

Alliance Fall Gathering

NOVEMBER 10-12, 2022 in Montgomery, AL

We'll be gathering at The Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration created by the Equal Justice Initiative. EJI works with communities that have been marginalized by poverty and discouraged by unequal treatment. It is committed to changing the narrative about race in the U.S.

October Mission Trunk Emphasis:

Rays of Sonshine

Rays of Sonshine is a Women’s Addiction Recovery Residence specializing in quality, long-term residential care for women who suffer from substance and chemical dependency, who are victims of domestic violence, and who may also have co-occurring mental health disorders. These women generally have no other options. ROS uses abstinence, evidence and holistic based treatment in a relaxed, intimate, home atmosphere. Women can bring their children, and pregnant women are also invited. There is no time limit for staying. There are 4 levels of housing for the clients.

ROS connects the women with community support services and collaborates with other support agencies. There is a food pantry that serves 350 to 500 families. Support for Rays of Sonshine comes from the community, foundations, churches and businesses. They receive very little government money for various reasons, including the high costs of maintaining the contracts.  

Rays of Sonshine is dedicated to seeing women’s lives rebuilt, children reunited with their mothers, and unborn children born drug free.

NEEDS:

Curtains and plastic mattress covers. These may be new or used. Toilet paper, cleaning supplies, soap, toothpaste/brushes, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, socks, new underwear, over the counter medicines and supplies that you would find in any medicine cabinet, especially for families with children. Because there are children, school supplies are needed. Every 2^nd Wednesday is the trip to Walmart for supplies, so Walmart gift cards are appreciated.

We Celebrate alongside...

Peggy Burns (29th), Judy Fellows (29th), Darrell Cluck (30th), Kyle Gregory (30th), Tom Atteberry (3rd), Fred Rushing (3rd), Patti Pate (5th), James Shlosman (7th) as they celebrates their birthdays.

We Celebrate alongside...

William McCandlish as he completes LSU School of Physical Therapy with a White Coat Ceremony.

We Celebrate alongside...

Scott and Amy Higginbotham on the birth of their son, Jonathan Ashley. Jonathan has three siblings at home to keep him entertained, Molly, Owen, and Lilah Kate.

This Sunday

 9:00 am - Choir Practice

10:00 am - Sunday School for Children (K-5),

Youth, and Adults

10:45 am - Preludes

11:00 am - Worship Service

1:00 pm: Baptism in the Bayou at the home of Bill and Vickie Krutzer.

5:00 pm - Youth (Keep up with us on Instagram for any upcoming events or schedule changes!)

Wednesdays

6:30 pm - Choir practice.

Upcoming Events

Sunday, October 9 at 5 pm: Blessing of the Animals.

October 22-23: Stagg Lectures at Northminster. Rev. Michael-Ray Mathews lectures on Prophetic Christianity.

Alliance of Baptist Fall Gathering

Nov. 10-12 in Montgomery, AL

Registration deadline is Oct. 21

Last Sunday's Floral Offering

Given to the Glory of God

and in honor of

Rev. Jillian Hankamer

on her Installation as

Senior Pastor of

Northminster Church



by David Culp and Mark Windham

Arrangements by

Peggy Caskey and Robert Crawford