This is the first sermon in the series titled “How Christmas Changed the World”.

Theme - As human beings, we walk in a world of darkness.  Is there any hope for us?  Yes!  Our hope is in Jesus, the Light of the World!

The text for the sermon was taken from Isaiah 9:2 with a little humor thrown in via the video below … You’ll just have to listen to the sermon

 

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Join us for creative fun & fellowship while preserving your precious photos & memories! Workshop features ideas, handouts, ideas & prizes. Tools & supplies are available! Bring your photos, whether they are organized or still in shoeboxes - We can help you get organized. No problem if you have never scrapbooked before-it is much easier than it looks & is so rewarding and fun!

Saturday, December 13, 2008 from Noon to 5 p.m.

Childcare will be available from 1 - 5 p.m. sponsored by YoungLife. Call 858-490-3995 to make a reservation.

The sermon this morning was by Clark Cowden.  Clark is the Executive Presbyter of the Presbytery of San Diego.

This is the eighth and last sermon in the series titled “Shift: Learning to Live Missionally”.

Theme - The forgotten art of hospitality to strangers is one of the keys for missional engagement with our world today.

The text for the sermon was taken from Matthew 9:9-13 and Luke 14:12-14.

 

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The sermon for this week from the series “Shift: Learning to Live Missionally” will be titled “Practicing Hospitality”.

It’s never to late to sign up for a small group. You can do it by calling the church office at 858-490-3995 or via this site by clicking HERE.

The small group discussion questions for week 6 of the current sermon series are below. Click HERE if you would like to download and print the questions.

START IT - Connecting with each other

• When was the last time you invited someone into your home? Was it a friend? Church member? Neighbor? Family member?
• When was the last time you were invited into someone else’s home? Whose home was it?

STUDY IT - Matthew 9:9-13, Luke 14:12-14

• Read Matthew 9:9-13 out loud. What stands out for you in this passage? What questions do you have?
• What is surprising about Jesus’ choice of Matthew? Why?
• What’s the irony in Jesus’ response to the Pharisees’ criticism?
• Read Luke 14:12-14 out loud. What stands out for you in this passage? What questions do you have?
• Who does Jesus say we should not invite? Should invite? What reasons does Jesus give for inviting or not inviting these various people?
• What happens when we invite “the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind”? Why?

LIVE IT - Applying the truth of Scripture to life

• What can we learn about Jesus and our faith by opening our homes to people we don’t know at all or don’t know very well?
• How might this help us become more missional?
• Who is someone that you might invite into your home to show hospitality?
• PRAY IT
• Application: Ask God to help you show hospitality to everyone.
• Joys and Challenges: What joys and challenges are you facing this week?
• Here at Northminster: Pray for the Mariners group. Many of them have been faithful members of Northminster for many years. Pray that God would strengthen that group and their ministry.
• Beyond Northminster: Pray for Trinity Life Church a brand new church plant in San Diego affiliated with San Diego Presbytery. Pray for their pastor, Marc Peña, that God would guide him and strengthen him for this new ministry.

It’s Time to Dine at  Northminster on Saturday November 22.   We will be serving dinner from 6:15pm-6:45pm. Once again, Denise and her team are stirring up some fabulous family food for us!  If you’ve never attended, you’re missing great food, fellowship and fun!

The menu for the evening will be:

TURKEY APPLE MEATLOAF WITH 5 SPICE GLAZE: Lean ground turkey blended with savory spices and apple then slow cooked and glazed with a tangy 5 spice tomato sauce topping.

WILD AND BROWN RICE PILAF WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND DRIED CRANBERRIES: A beautiful and healthy blended rice pilaf with organic roasted butternut squash and tangy sweet cranberries.

VEGETABLE DU JOUR

APPLE CRISP WITH ICE CREAM: Tart granny smith apples bathed in brown sugar and orange juice. Topped with crunchy rolled sugary oat topping. Ice cream on the side.

BEVERAGE     Chilled bottled water

(Hot dog, veggies & ranch also served for all ages upon request.)

$5.00 per adult and $4.00 per child
R.S.V.P. A MUST, NO LATER THAN NOV. 20th, through the NPC Office

Denise Crow-A Personal Chef Service “Helping to bring families back to the dinner table”

This is the seventh sermon in the series titled “Shift: Learning to Live Missionally”.

Theme - As missional people, we take steps to be equipped to do works of service in the world. And a missional church is one that equips its people for ministry. As we learn to live missionally, we no longer assume that ministry will be done by those whose “job” it is to do ministry; instead, we begin to understand and live out the reality that every follower of Christ has been given “grace” to live out their own missional calling. The leadership’s job is to help them do that.

The text for the sermon was taken from 1 Peter 2:5,9; Romans 12:4-8; and Ephesians 4:11-16.

 

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This is a month for giving thanks. I would like to give thanks to all of the parents who have worked very hard so far this year for our fundraisers, enrichment, directory and carnival and for those parents who have contributed monetarily, with item donations, and their time. We could not have wonderful enrichment programs, or up-dated playground and classroom items without all of your help!

I have a few calendar reminders for you. The first item is our enrichment program on November 4th and 10th. Kevin Roof, a parent at Northminster Preschool works for the Coronado Fire Department, and he will be speaking to the children about fire safety. He does a very informative program and will dress up in his fire fighter outfit. If your child comes home speaking of a fireman at the preschool, it is because he was invited here! Also, on Wednesday, November 12, 2008 at 10:30 a.m. Eric Runningpath, a Native American, will be here to perform for the children. He has performed here for over 10 years for us and it is an amazing program. He dresses in full regalia and performs dances and does an education show. We normally book him for two dates for both the MWF and TTH classes, but he is so popular this time of year, we were only able to get one date. All of the parents of the
Tues. /Thurs. program are invited to bring their children to this event to be held in Congdon Hall.

The second reminder is our carnival on Saturday, November 15, 2008 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Thank you to everyone who has signed up for a classroom booth time. I think we still have some slots open in some of the classrooms. Your help for even an hour is greatly appreciated! We will also need volunteers to sell raffle tickets and wrist bands the two weeks before the carnival. If you have an extra half an hour in either the morning or at pick-up and want to help out, there will be a sign-up sheet in the office. Thank you!

The third item for your calendar is the San Diego Unified School District Parent information night tentatively set for Wednesday, November 19, 2008 starting at 6:30 p.m. We will have a representative from the SDUSD to talk to the prospective Kindergarten parents about the enrollment process for public schools. We are waiting for confirmation from the office of admissions that the application booklets have been received from the printer. Once we receive that confirmation we will let you know.

On November 4, 2008 you will notice high school students on our site. We have participated in the Regional Occupational Program provided by Clairemont High School and University City High School for many years. The purpose of this program is to provide unpaid internship training experiences in the community. These students receive formal vocational related classroom instruction before they are placed in training stations, such as Northminster Preschool, to further their learning experiences. They are under the supervision of a Regional Occupational Program teacher who is an employee of the San Diego Unified School District. All of these students are supervised by the teachers in our classrooms and wear name tags to identify them as part of the ROP program. Please feel free to ask your teacher about the students assigned to your child’s classroom. If you have any other questions or concerns, please stop by the office.

One of the benefits of extended care is that you can use it on the days your child is not enrolled in our program. For example, if you come normally on a Tues. /Thurs., you can bring your child to extended care on a Monday, Wednesday or Friday from 12:00 – 4:00 or whatever hours you need in that time frame. You just can’t have them in the 9:00 – 12:00 program on those days. The same thing applies with the MWF children on Tues. /Thurs. If you have any questions, please call the office.

School closure dates to mark on your calendar are Tuesday, November 11, 2008 for Veteran’s Day and the week of November 24 – 28, 2008 for the Thanksgiving Holiday.

Starting this month, Pastor Markus will be holding Chapel two days a month in the church sanctuary. He sings songs with the children and reads them a short story.

Northminster Preschool will be collecting extra Halloween candy that you want to get rid of and donating it to Father Joe’s Kitchen. He uses it as an after dinner treat. Your contributions are appreciated!

We will be collecting food for our annual food drive with donations going to CCSA here in Clairemont. There will be boxes outside each classroom for canned goods, pasta, stuffing mix for those in our community who are in need. Thank you in advance for your donations. We are so blessed here at Northminster Preschool; it is nice to be able to reach out to those families in need in our own backyard.

We are very appreciative of all the parents and children here at Northminster Preschool and feel very blessed to be able to be a part of your lives for the short time you are here with us. If you ever have any questions, concerns, or feedback, my door is always open!

Shelli Harder
Director

You may contribute to Northminster Young Life by simply by doing your Christmas shopping on line via the eScrip Online Mall at the link below. A percentage of all purchases made on the eScrip Online Mall will be credited to Northminster Young Life

If you would like to see what online merchants are part of the eScrip family of merchants, please click HERE.

The sermon for this week from the series “Shift: Learning to Live Missionally” will be titled “Making the Most of What We’ve Been Given”.

It’s never to late to sign up for a small group. You can do it by calling the church office at 858-490-3995 or via this site by clicking HERE.

The small group discussion questions for week 6 of the current sermon series are below. Click HERE if you would like to download and print the questions.

START IT – Connecting with each other

• Have you ever gone into something without enough preparation? A test? A job interview? A presentation? A performance? A competition?
• What was that like? How did you feel? How did it turn out?

STUDY IT – 1 Peter 2:5,9; Romans 12:4-8; Ephesians 4:11-16

• Read 1 Peter 2:5 and 2:9 out loud. What do these two verses have in common?
• Which of these do you think best describes a priest’s job: Make sacrifices? Officiate weddings and funerals? Help people connect with God? Why? Is it hard or easy to think of yourself as a priest? Why?
• Read Romans 12:4-8 out loud. What is the church compared to in this passage?
• How is the church like a body? What do you think is your function as a body-part in Christ’s body? If it’s hard to think of one, why?
• Read Ephesians 4:11-16. The gifts in verse 11 refer to spiritual leadership gifts. What is the purpose of these gifts (verse 12)?
• What are the results when the church leadership equips the people (verses 12-16)?

LIVE IT – Applying the truth of Scripture to life

• Share with each person in the group what the others see as their spiritual gifts/abilities/talents. Be sure to include each person in the group.
• How could you use the things that the others mentioned about you to bless others and to honor God? How might you use those gifts here at Northminster? (Have each person share.)

PRAY IT

• Application: Ask God to equip you to do “works of service” by using your spiritual gifts.
• Joys and Challenges: What joys and challenges are you facing this week?
• Here at Northminster: Thank God for all those who volunteered with 2nd Sunday Café last week. Ask God to continue to use that ministry to bless the people of our community.
• Beyond Northminster: We had about 30 guests at 2nd Sunday Café last week. Pray that God would be with them in whatever challenges they may be facing right now.

Throughout Scripture, we are reminded of the importance of giving back a portion of what God has so generously provided. God tells us that giving is an act of worship and it should be done with joy and thanksgiving.

For your convenience, you can now contribute to Northminster and to our Young Life program online via Paypal.