We are excited to break ground on a new community garden.  Thanks to a generous grant from the San Diego Presbytery, the we will be building a community garden in the southwestern corner of our campus. First some significant work will be done by contractors to prepare the site.  Then volunteers will be invited to participate in the planning and building the garden which will most likely be raised beds. These would then be available to neighbors and community members to cultivate.

Would you like to be involved?  If so, please contact the church office at 858- 490-3995 or via email at church@northminstersandiego.com.  You can also contact us via this web site.

Please leave your contact information so we can contact you regarding upcoming planning meetings.  The first meeting for interested participants will be Saturday, May 12th at 1:30 PM. The meeting will be held at Northminster’s Congdon Hall.

You may also download a printable flyer by clicking HERE.

This summer Northminster Presbyterian Church is planning an amazing adventure through God’s Word, and you’re invited! We hope you’ll join us for this year’s Vacation Bible School.

Each day children will take part in a fun, Bible learning experience that they can see, hear, touch, and even taste! Bible point experiments, team-building games, lively Bible songs, video visits from Chadder Chipmunk, and Bible drama adventures are just a few of the fun activities that children will enjoy.

SKY Location:	Northminster Presbyterian Church 4324 Clairemont Mesa Blvd. San Diego, CA 92117 858-490-3995
SKY Dates:	Monday-Friday July 23rd through July 27th, 2012
SKY Times:	9:00 AM – 12:00 Noon
SKY VBS Sunday & Carnival:	Sunday July 29th 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM (Parents accompanying children)
SKY Invitees:	Age 3 (potty trained only) through 6th graders

Registration forms and payments will be accepted on a first come-first served basis beginning April 8th. Enrollment is limited to 140 children (40 total Preschool age), so please register early to avoid being placed on the wait-list or missing out. Every child must have a completed registration form and release form turned into the church office.

We are excited to announce the return of our program for six graders combining volunteer efforts on their part as well as participation in VBS curriculum geared toward their age! Older students (entering 7th grade and above) are invited to apply to be VBS volunteer helpers. Limited volunteer spaces are available. All volunteers under the age of 18 will be required to attend a two hour training session prior to VBS. Two dates will be offered: June 23: 3:00 — 5:00 PM and July 22: 1:00 — 3:00 PM.

Please print out the VBS Registration Form and the Release Form, fill them out and return to the church office. Every volunteer and participant must have both forms returned to the office.

We look forward to seeing you at SKY VBS!

– Korin McCoy, VBS Director

This sermon is from the series titled “Lead Like Jesus”.

Theme – Being a servant leader involves certain behaviors.  That’s what the “hands of a servant leader” refers to.  What does a servant leader actually do?  When it comes down to it, being a servant leader requires us to influence others based on where they are, what’s going on in their lives, and the competence and confidence they currently possess.  A servant leader recognizes that different people need to be led differently.

Believe it or not, preparations are already well under way for this year’s VBS!  The theme this year is SKY:  Everything is Possible With God!

Sky will be filled with incredible Bible-learning experiences children will see, hear, touch and even taste!  Sciency-Fun Gizmos, team-building games, cool Bible songs, and tasty treats are just a few of the Sky activities that will help faith flow into real life. Plus, we will all help children discover how to see evidence of God in everyday life—something we call God Sightings.

The children will also participate in two mission projects this year.  The tie-dyed onesies were such a hit that we have decided to do them again in new colors!  VBS children will also help children in Mali, Africa with mosquito nets!

Mark these dates on your calendar

July 23rd through July 27th.
Registration will begin in April.

As with all things our church does, this year’s VBS will take a village.  We need all of your time, talents and treasures to help spread the word of God’s love!  Keep your eyes and ears open for ways you can help!

Thank you!
— Korin

Kids Night Out is scheduled for Jan.27, Feb. 24, March 30, April 27, May 25,
(no June & July).

Time: 5:30 — 8:30 PM.
Ages: fully potty trained (no pull ups) to 5th grade.
Cost: $15 for 1 child and $25 for 2 or more children from the same family.

Schedule:

Sign In
Outside Play/Inside Puzzles and Card Games
Wash Hands For Dinner
Dinner (cheese pizza, veggie, fresh fruit, water)
Free Choice (Arts & Crafts/Games)
Worship (Bible Story, Songs, or Skits)
Dessert (always varies)
Group Activity or Discussion

To reserve a spot, lease call the church office starting the first week of the month 858 490-3995 or email church@northminstersandiego.com to reserve your child’s spot. Space is limited to 30 children.

As an opportunity to relax and enjoy each other’s presence during the Advent season I have put together 4 lovely evenings for us to worship and to sing songs from the Taize Community.

I have not had the chance to enjoy these relaxing songs with others for quite some time, the more I am excited to share this wonderful experience with you!

For those unfamiliar with the Taize community here is a little bit of background information:

The Taize Community is an ecumenical monastic order in France. It is composed of about 100 Brothers from 30 countries who come from catholic and protestant traditions.

They have a strong devotion to peace and justice through prayer and meditation. One could say that this order that was founded 1937 is among the liveliest places of Christian Mysticism today.

The Community has become one of the world’s most important sites of Christian Pilgrimage as it attracts over 100,000 people annually for Bible study, worship, communal work and – of course, song.

Through the community’s ecumenical outlook, they are encouraged to live the Spirit of kindness, simplicity and reconciliation.

The Community, though Western European in origin, has sought to include people and traditions worldwide. This is demonstrated through the songs that are sung in many languages and have included chants and icons from the Eastern Orthodox tradition. The music features simple phrases, usually lines from Psalms and other pieces of Scripture that are being repeated several times – the simplicity of the songs also lends itself to harmonization and canon.

The music encourages introspection, meditation and worship. Its heart rate lowering, relaxing effect makes it perfect for a season when the holyday hustle and bustle makes it difficult to decompress after a long day.

If you feel like joining us, we will be meeting in the Sanctuary Wednesdays Nov. 30, Dec. 7,14 and 21. From 6-7pm.  Please call the office if interested.

Grace and Peace,
Sonja Wieland

Northminster Preschool, celebrating 40 years in the Clairemont community, will host its annual Wild West Carnival for preschool aged children on Saturday, November 12, 2011 from 10am to 2pm (Rain or Shine).  The Carnival features game booths, pony rides, face painting, jump houses, bake and craft sales, silent auction and raffle drawings.

Inclusive wristbands may be purchased in advance; individual tickets will also be available at the door.  Silent auction and raffle prizes have been generously donated by local businesses, student’s parents and faculty and include many gift certificates from restaurants, spas, arts organizations/shows, sport activities, museums and more.  The silent auction themed gift baskets are a great place to shop for holiday gifts.

The Carnival is Northminster Preschool’s main fundraiser; all monies collected go to child enrichment programs, playground toys and improvements, as well as classroom improvements and manipulatives.

Northminster Preschool’s Carnival is a community event.  School parents, staff and church families all work together to assure a fun, safe event for all.  The 2009-2010 school years’ Carnival netted over $10,500; hopes are to meet or exceed that amount this year.

Northminster Preschool provides a community Christian Preschool program with an enriched curriculum for children ages two through five years old.  The school is located at 4324 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, San Diego, California, 92117, Phone 858-270-3760 or email: preschool@northminstersandiego.com

We now have a new area on this site for photo albums.  It may be accessed from the menu at the top of every page on this site.

Well, we’ve done it.  Another successful Worship SERVICE Sunday under our belts!  And how cool to have moved down a block to the next alley!  What I love most about doing our annual alley clean-up is that this is one of the ways that we participate with God in blessing the world.

I like to think of Northminster as being a church that strives to join Jesus in blessing our neighborhood, our city, and our world.

This past Sunday we blessed our neighborhood in a very practical and tangible way.  The quality of life for people living in this neighborhood of Clairemont has been improved, even if only in a small way.

But we also bless our neighborhood and our city in other ways.  Through Vacation Bible School, through Northminster Preschool, through Young Life and Wyldlife, through our Kids Life programs like Sunday School and Kids’ Night Out, and through our other work projects like the one we’ll be doing at Madison High School later in August.

At the same time, we strive to join Jesus in blessing the world beyond our neighborhood and city.  We heard about Ryan Irmer’s trip to Africa a few weeks ago.  Back in May, we sent a team to Mexico to build a home for a family in Rosarito.

In all of this, we’re not doing it alone.  God is already at work in our neighborhood, our city, and the world.  We’re simply joining God in what God is already doing.  God is already at work in the lives and hearts of people in our neighborhood, our city, and the world.  We’re simply joining God as we invite people to enter into life with God.

I’m really proud of all of you for the work you did last weekend.  God is at work in Clairemont … and so are we!

— Markus

“Youth is when you’re allowed to stay up late on New Year’s Eve.  Middle age is when you’re forced to.”  ~Bill Vaughn (columnist and author)

The question is, did you “get” to stay up late on New Year’s Eve or were you “forced” to?

Speaking of middle-age (how’s that for a transition?)…  It’s hard to believe that this is my fourth New Year’s with Northminster!  I was 34 when I started in 2007.  This year I’ll turn 39 and next year the big FOUR-O!

There’s no question that with age comes change.  And with change comes loss.  The loss of energy.  The loss of wrinkle-free skin.  The loss of hair.  That’s what makes change so hard.  It’s not the change.  It’s the loss.

Northminster has gone through a lot of changes over the last several years.  For some, these changes have involved loss.  Loss of certain traditions.  Loss of a particular style of worship.  Loss of some things that just meant a lot to you.

But with change, we gain something, as well.  With age, we gain wisdom.  We gain knowledge.  We gain experience and expertise.

As a church we’ve gained some things, too.  We’ve gained a lot of new and younger families.  We’ve gained renewed energy as a congregation.  We’ve begun to gain a reputation in the community as a church that cares.

No doubt, change is hard.  In 2011, you will experience change.  We all will.  We will lose some things.  But we will also gain some things.  Some wonderful things!  And that’s the hope we have as God’s people—that no matter how much we change or the world changes around us, we can trust God to get us through the losses and rejoice in the gains!

Happy New Year, Northminster!