|
|
Northside Associated Ministries
|
|
Northside Associated Ministries St. Aidan's Officers Northside Officers NAM Officers
Download the Adobe pdf reader free! Download Open Office Download Firefox Subscribe to the GoodNewsLetter
Submit an article to the
|
Pastor's Corner: Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ:The month of November brings things to mind: Election Day, Veterans' Day, Thanksgiving, and of course - Stewardship! Unless you are part of a congregation that has a different fiscal year, November is usually the month when the ingathering of pledges for church support occurs. Part of God's charge to God's people is that we care for God's gifts as stewards (1 Peter 4:1). It is from this that the concept of stewardship grows into a comprehensive trusteeship for all of creation. Applying this to the stories of creation in Genesis, we can understand that God's commands to humankind to subdue and have dominion over creation are not permissions to rape and plunder the resources we have been given, but indications that we must treat God's gifts in sustainable ways or we will not be faithful to the generations that follow us. Caring for others as we do for ourselves, and using the gifts we have been given, whether they are spiritual or material in nature, is the practice of good stewardship. The rabbis referred to Moses as God's steward, and in the letter to Titus the bishop is referred to as a steward (Titus 1:7), but we are all called to be good stewards. A most important characteristic for good stewards is that they be trustworthy (1 Corinthians 4:2). When we put our financial futures into the hands of others, we expect them to be trustworthy, but sometimes discover that our trust has been misplaced, as in the case of Bernie Madoff and others. God does not want us to take Madoff as our example, but rather to look to the saints who have sustained and preserved God's gifts so that we can avail ourselves of them now. November begins with All Saints' Day, when we take time to remember the brothers and sisters who have passed the faith on to us, the gospel writers, the copyists, the hymn writers, the musicians, the teachers, the preachers, our mothers & fathers, our grandparents, our friends, the builders of our churches and denominations. While not everything that is passed on is of equal value, it is up to us to decide what is worth preserving and passing on to coming generations. That is true for the church and for the world. Stewardship encompasses all of life really, not just the decision about whether or not to tithe and how much to give to the church budget. God wants us to be good stewards in all that we do.
Peace to you in Christ, In the News this month:
The GoodNewsLetter now has the Konami Code! This could be big (but not as big as "Silver Blaze".) More details below the drop. If you suddenly recall something useful in a previous issue (and I do hope that sometimes I publish something worth recalling) there now is sort of an archive of past issues. Just follow the new link on the sidebar. Question of the Month: Answer to Last Month's Question: What is the difference between a paranoid schizophreniac and someone walking down the street talking to his Bluetooth earpiece? Well, let's look at what the DMS-IV says:A. Characteristic symptoms: Two (or more) of the following, each present for a significant portion of time during a 1-month period (or less if successfully treated):It seems that anyone wandering the street talking to their ear exhibits behaviors (3), (4), (5), and either (1) or (2). So, it appears that there is less difference than one might thing. Now back to the news. Games for God and Good: Celebrating 30 Years of Susan McGarry's Ministry Games currently planned include Scrabble, Uno, gin rummy, poker, Mancala, Spoons (lively), Catch-Phrase (group), games for the kids, and Boggle, chess, checkers and puzzles for contemplative types. Purists will rejoice in noticing that Texas Hold-em is not part of the list. For those who recognize the futility of beating Stephen Uche as Scrabble, there will also be a talent show and a "Roast". We hope to see you all there. Retreat Planned And now Something From Susan Gratitude, for me and for all of us, ought to be the first thought we rise with in the morning and the last we think as we lie down at night. Sometimes and some seasons of our lives this is particularly hard to do. Thanksgiving reminds us that we can do this and ought to do it all the time. We have had losses at St. Aidan's and Northside, we have had deaths of people we love, some have recently moved away, others among have experienced job loss, Northside said farewell to their pastor of 10 years. I have no desire to minimize the challenge of these losses on us personally or corporately. Yet, there are also great reasons for happiness, new births, children graduating and moving on to adult life, and jobs found. Love and life keep breaking in to remind us of how much we have to be thankful for. At Northside and St. Aidan's we have two new dedicated outreach ministries. Northside will serve others through SOS crises center. St. Aidan's will serve by offering the peace and support of our wonderful natural setting to others through retreats and accessibility. Northside has a new interim pastor. St. Aidan's is celebrating 30 years of ministry (Nov. 14th) of its old pastor. Neighbors daily partake of the offering we make through our wildlife habitat and sometimes they come to use the labyrinth as well. Finally as we move into our winter months we can give thanks for community, for warmth, for the possibilities that God has in store for us with each new day. So come and worship on Thanksgiving, share your family meal with others whenever possible, and remember that this is a holiday that truly should stay in our hearts each day throughout the year.
Faithfully, Jewelry Sale In Memorium If you would like to send a condolence card, please send it to: 427 Colin Circle , AA 48103. New Baby! A Thank You from Pardes Hannah Book Group Nancy Renner Wild and Wacky Videos The Usual Suspects |
GoodNewsLetter
In keeping with NAM tradition, this event will somewhat complicated. In lieu of a cover charge, each attendee will
upon arriving put $10 (or more if desired) into The Pot. They can then play the game or games of choice. However,
the winners of The Pot do not Keep The Pot; instead The Pot goes to the winner's charity; non-game players can
still contribute to The Pot