Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ s1

NORTHSIDE SPIRIT: MAY 2014

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are……” Matthew 5:1-11

These Beatitudes of Jesus are some of the most beloved words in all of scripture. For who doesn’t want to hear that God will bless us, both when we live as God wants us to – “blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy,” as well as when we are going through difficult times – “blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” We want to know that we are blessed by God when we are peacemakers within our family and with our neighbors, when we feel poor in spirit, when we are hungering for righteousness, justice and goodness. But keep in mind, Jesus gives us these beatitudes not only as words of encouragement, but also as words of instruction. For the beatitudes teach us the “attitudes” we are to have in life. How we should think, and what should be in our hearts. For these are attitudes that Jesus knows will help us get through any situation we encounter in life.

And certainly all of us are going through a difficult situation as we have to say good-by to each other and say hello to someone new. So as we think about the upcoming changes and transitions, I want to share with you some different beatitudes, written by Rev. Gilbert Taverner, which I believe are important as you prepare to welcome Pastor Matthew to Northside.

Blessed are those who welcome the new pastor with open-mindedness and expectation, for they make possible continued progress and growth for our church. Blessed are those who realize that each pastor is uniquely different, for they encourage understanding and acceptance. Blessed are those who support the pastor’s family and their well being, allowing them to truly be a family, by contributing to the goodness of life about them. Blessed are those who say to their pastor, “How may I be of help?” for they become co-pastors in the life of the church. Blessed are those who consult with their pastor before taking action, for together they will be in ministry to fulfill the mission of the church Blessed are those who accept that their pastor serves all people, for they make their church an invitation for everyone to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Yes, we are blessed by God when we seek to be open and hospitable and accepting and willing to have the right “attitude.” As you consider all that will happen over the next few months, may you hear Jesus say to you, “Blessed are you!”

~ Pastor Rebecca From Your Assistant to the Pastor “If you think it is wrong to serve the Lord, choose today whom you will serve. Choose the gods your fathers worshiped on the other side of the river, or choose the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.” ~ Joshua 24:15

Dear Sojourners,

Life is filled with choices. We must choose when to go to bed and when to get up. What to eat and what not to eat. What to wear and what not to wear. We choose what to do with our time. Where we will worship and where we will gather with friends and family. How we get around, and who we will include in our lives. In essence, life is filled with a variety of choices. Some choices are easy to make. Some are difficult. You and I are who we are today because of the choices we made yesterday and the choices we make today have an impact on the decisions we will be making tomorrow. They establish a pattern and a foundation for our life. Some of you may say, “But I haven’t always made the right choices or I know I could have made better choices if given another chance.” Well, I have good news for you, who we are tomorrow, is determined by the choices we make today! Every choice we make today impacts our life tomorrow and that includes our finances, health, uses of our time, relationships, spirituality, how we want to spend eternity and so on. We can make better choices starting today. Some of these will be challenging but some we should take some time and really focus on. For example we should choose faith, not fear, we should choose worship, not worry, we should choose forgiveness, not anger, and we should choose to trust God completely! Deuteronomy provides direction to these choices, and as we begin to make changes and go through transitions over the next few months, these words we may want to explore more deeply. They say, “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. I call on heaven and earth to witness the choices you make. Oh, that you would choose life, that you and your descendants might live! Choose to love the LORD your God and to obey him and commit yourself to him, for he is your life. Then you will live long in the land of the LORD” Deuteronomy 30:19-20. If we pray on these words prior to the choices we make, and evaluate our priorities, we may be blessed with the opportunity to see something we may have missed. But remember every decision we make should be based upon the decision to worship and obey God. So I encourage you to pray about the choices you will be making, and remember Jesus prayed all night before many of the biggest choices and decisions in His life. Be assured then that you are not alone and trust God to be there with you on every step of your journey. His encouragement is never ending and He shares His love for us by telling us to “Stop dwelling on past events, for I am about to do something new” Isaiah 43:18. If you take heart and comfort in this and you put your complete trust and faith in God, you may be surprised as to what doors will open for you! In God’s Peace, Kate From Your Director Of Children and Youth Ministries

“Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.” ~ Shel Silverstein

May 2014 Festivities Nauset Bus Stop: Sometimes we need a Friday covered when Evy has her day off, interested in helping? Please see Evy. We are in need of some snacks to serve in our Bus Stop Ministry. If interested in providing a snack for the fabulous young people please see Evy. Snacks should be individually wrapped. Thank you in advance!

Summer Camp Scholarships NOW AVAILABLE: Is your kiddo going to summer camp this year? Make sure to grab a Summer Camp Scholarship from the Mission Bulletin Board in the Narthex! Forms need to be filled out completely and are due Sunday June 1st. Make sure to hand them straight to Kate LaCroix!

Youth Group Hang Out Night: on Friday May 2nd starting at 5pm until 7pm for our 7th-12th graders. We will be playing fun games and having a delightful dinner of Burgers and Hotdogs on the grill! Make sure to sign up on the Sunday School Bulletin Board and let us know what you would like to bring to share.

Sunday School Teachers Meeting: For all of our Sunday School Teachers on Sunday May 4th immediately following our Worship Service. Please meet in the 7th and 8th grade classroom as we discuss and finalize our plans for Children’s Sunday.

May Youth Group Service Project: For our 7th-12th graders! Come and join us for the Cape Abilities 5K Walk/Run on Saturday May 17th starting at 7:30am-11:30am at the Hyannis Village Green. Our team will be going and assisting with set up, registration, handing out t-shirts to the runners and walkers, as well as helping with clean up and supplying water stations along the route. Make sure to sign up on the Sunday School Bulletin Board! Check out their website at www.capeabilities.org!

SAVE THE DATES!  Confirmation Sunday: Pentecost Sunday, June 8th at the 10am Worship Service.  Children’s Sunday: Sunday June 15th at the 10am Worship Service with a Church Family Picnic to follow!  Summer Sunday School starts Sunday June 22nd!  Vacation Bible School: August 11th-15th! VBS Morning Program from 9am-12pm and Afternoon Program from 12-3pm! Opportunities for our College Age Students: See Evy with getting more info!  Volunteer in Worship by participating in the Choir, be an Usher or a Greeter!  Be a Sunday School Teacher or an Assistant for our students Pre-K through 6th Grade!  Help out at the Thrift Shop! Please see Dean Atwood!  Want to join one of our fabulous Committees? We would love to have you!  Join us for our “Crossroads” and/or “Fusion” evenings where we gather once a month for dinner and discussion with other members of our church family! Please see Kate!  Volunteer with our Bus Stop Ministry by taking a day that needs coverage!  Join “Helping Hands”!  Volunteer this summer to be a VBS Leader or a Summer Sunday School Teacher this summer!

Parents and Guardians: Please make sure to pick up your precious cherubs from Sunday School right after worship, before you get your goodies and coffee in the Fellowship Hall. We ask that all students, Nursery-4th grade, get picked up by a parent for their safety. Our volunteer Sunday School Teachers are graciously giving of their time and talents to plan & teach lessons this year. Please do not have them wait for you to come and get your children. Thank you. With peace and love to fill your hearts, EVY

WELCOME

We are pleased to announce that Pastor Matthew Bowles will be the pastor of Northside beginning, July 1, 2014. Pastor Matthew, his wife Aislinn and their children, Nyah age 3, and Simeon, age 1, come from Lyndonville, VT, where he has served the Lyndonville United Methodist Church for three years. Both he and Aislinn have their theology degrees from Duke University, and they both sing and play guitar. Pastor Matthew enjoys helping people grow in their relationship with Christ. He is involved in many service projects, is excited about our beach services, and looks forward to new opportunities to be in ministry with the community. He believes in making the church a place of welcome and belonging, and he is deeply intrigued by our Circle of Faith. Please keep Pastor Matthew, his family, their church and Northside in your prayers. If you would like to send a note or card welcoming him to Northside, please send to: Pastor Matthew Bowles, P.O. Box 543, Lydonville, VT 05851-0543.

New Pictorial Directory Coming! The United Methodist Church believes “that the Mission of the Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” The local churches such as Northside UMC, provide the most significant arena through which disciple-making occurs. With those thoughts in mind, please consider being a part of our new church family directory program later on this Spring. The directory will help to tell the continuing story of Northside United Methodist Church. It is an excellent opportunity to connect members, and welcome new members into the church community. Directories offer a way to associate faces with names. Who doesn’t need some help recalling someone’s name after meeting them in church?

It has been five years since our last church directory was created. A new pictorial directory can be a valuable tool to be used to grow Northside by reaching out to the community and to reactivate inactive members. Additionally, a new directory will serve to record historical information through photographs and names. Watch for more information coming in the next few weeks about the opportunity to schedule your portrait session at Northside, which will be held June 10th-14th. Let’s make this directory one that helps us to connect with one another, and to grow as a church by nurturing relationships. Romans 12:5 says, “So we, through many, are one body in Christ, and individually, members one of another.” We are one family in Christ! -Jan and Eileen Urquhart, Coordinators

Spiritual Life Groups

Fusion- Tuesday, May 13th, at 7pm at Northside for fellowship and a potluck dinner. Please sign up in advance so we know what you are bringing! The topic for May is “Transitions.” Crossroads- Thursday, May 29th, at 6pm at Northside for a movie night. Please sign up in advance so we can plan a pot luck beforehand!

All are welcome to attend either group and feel free to bring a friend. There have been some wonderful conversations, great fellowship and new friendships made! Hope you will join us! Please contact Kate LaCroix with any questions.

Are you looking for new ways to connect to God? Try Taize! On Tuesday, May 20th, 2014 at 7pm at Northside United Methodist Church we will gather for a time of prayer, worship, singing, and silence. This service is incredibly moving and powerful and we invite all people of all ages to join us. Taize is a very simple service based on prayer, meditation, and contemplation, with music, rich periods of silence, prayer, praise and intercession. All are welcome to attend this one hour service. This is a wonderful opportunity to bring a friend and take a breath from the busyness and chaos of life. Questions or if you would like more information, please contact Gayle Kerr or Kate LaCroix.

Northside Red T-shirts and sweatshirts are now available. See Joan Anderson—508-385-9155 or [email protected].

From Your Missions Committee

The Missions Committee invites you to get involved in our Food Pantry Ministry. May’s Focus is Spaghetti/Pasta and Sauce. If you are interested in donating please bring these items to the brown box by the church offices!

Alongside this ministry is our Changing the World loose change mission. May’s focus will be Cape Abilities. Cape Abilities is a wonderful program on the Cape that focuses on assisting and serving individuals with disabilities by educating, counseling and providing residential, therapeutic, social support and employment which in turn empowers these individuals to achieve meaningful and valued roles in the community. Founded in 1968 as Nauset Workshop, Cape Abilities has consistently grown and expanded over the years. At Cape Abilities, they believe everyone has abilities, and they strive to help their program participants reach their full potential. Cape Abilities is also a nonprofit organization which covers Cape Cod’s 15 towns, from Bourne to Provincetown, and has its head-quarters in Hyannis. This is a great organization and by bringing your loose change and putting it in the collection plates on Sunday mornings you are making a difference and showing that you care about our local community.

Another way to connect with our community will be happening on May 17th in Hyannis. Cape Abilities will be hosting one of their largest fundraisers of the year which we Northsiders will be participating in. The event is a 5K walk/run which will start at the Hyannis Village Green and we will be assisting with registration, handing out t-shirts, filling and stocking water stations, set up and breakdown. If you are interested in getting involved please see Kate LaCroix. The youth will also be joining us that day, and all are welcome to attend and bring your friends and neighbors! The day begins at 7:30 a.m. and concludes around 11:30 a.m. – it is a wonderful opportunity to serve in mission and our community!

The Missions Committee would also like to invite all Sunday School kids who are interested in attending camps this summer, and are in need of financial assistance, to begin the application process for camp scholarships. Northside promotes the spiritual, mental and physical growth of all of its members and hopes to continue to assist in providing the joy and rewards of supporting our youth. If you are interested please pick up a camp scholarship application from the office or from the Missions bulletin board. Questions, please contact Kate LaCroix or Christine Harrington. Please return to Kate by June 1st.

Parish Wellness

Take steps to remedy cabin fever: Start walking. A longer, healthier life may be closer than you think. The average person takes about 2,500 to 5,000 steps per day. Add more steps daily through a walking program and you can—boost your energy, stamina, and mood; strengthen bones and muscles; burn more calories; control blood pressure and cholesterol; lower your risk of type 2 diabetes; and slow the progression of osteoporosis. Before you begin any exercise routine, talk with your doctor. Walking is a relatively gentle exercise and safe for people with most health conditions, including heart disease, arthritis, and back pain. Plan to walk three to four days each week. Incorporate walks into your daily routine. Get Moving---Add Motion To Your Day

Trustees All-church Spring Clean-Up and lunch, too! - Saturday, May 24th from 9am-12 noon. Everyone, including our kids, are invited to come help make our Northside yard and landscaping look beautiful once again. We will be raking, planting, picking up leaves and sticks, and sharing in fellowship with one another. Please bring any garden tools you can and join in taking care of our church. And stay for food and fellowship!

College bound or currently attending college? We have a Scholarship Fund for youth in our church, to help offset college costs. The Trustees are now accepting applications for scholarships for the 2014-2015 school year. Please pick them up in the office or see Evy. Return them to the office by June 1st. Any questions, please contact Trustees Chair Bill Casey at 508-694-6410. COLLEGE CORNER

Hi Everyone! I wanted to share my story as my college experience is a little different from everyone else. Currently, I am serving in the United States Navy. I have always felt extremely blessed and grateful for all of the freedoms that I enjoy and I remember reading all the histories of our nations soldiers from the Revolutionary War to the modern Operations in Iraq and I felt that I had a duty and responsibility to carry on the legacy of the fallen and continue to provide the freedoms I have been blessed with for all of my friends, family, and fellow citizens I have yet to meet. Also I decided to join due to a long family history and of course serving in the best fighting force on the world also inspired me to keep up the family tradition. As of right now I am stationed at Norwich University in Northfield, VT where I am finishing my Bachelors Degree of Art with a Major of History. Upon graduation and commissioning this month-I will be stationed on board the DDG(Destroyer)-89 U.S.S. Mustin based out of Yokosuka, Japan. My job will be as a Surface Warfare Officer, meaning I will be dealing with everything that does not involve flying or nuclear anything. I will drive, maintain, and protect the ship. When I’m serving I enjoy the fact that I am out there protecting my country, my family, my friends, and countless others I have yet to meet. I enjoy the fact that through my actions I help secure the rights of all Americans. I also enjoy the travel opportunities and by choosing to go to Japan I am guaranteed 7 to 17 different port visits a year. However, like anybody else I miss home and being around family and friends. It is nice to be around the same old usual aspects and the comforts at home. While off to new places nothing is really settled, each day brings something new somewhat taking away from the ability to go ahead and relax. As for anything else, I love to get mail, I will supply my grandparents; Bo and Ken Durst with my address to share with everybody. Even if we have yet to meet feel free to send me a letter or anything, always fun to hear from home. Also to the youth, I strongly encourage, even if you have no intentions of joining in the military but if you are looking for something to teach you organizational skills, people skills, time management skills, etc., go ahead and contact me because I am always willing to talk about my times at Norwich University, and always more than willing to help out. Thank you all for your prayers!

~Spencer McCoy

Worship Our Esteemed Panel consisting of Spiritual Director, Gayle Kerr, Rev. Fred Yarger and Rev. Mike Stotts will be available to answer your questions during the worship service on Sunday, May 18th. This has become a very popular time, as you are invited to ask any questions you have about God, faith, the Bible, Christian ethics, living as a Christian, etc. If you would like to submit your questions ahead of time, please email to Pastor Rebecca at [email protected] and we will make sure to answer them. This time together will be for faith-based and theology questions, not questions about the United Methodist system. That can be done another time and place. Consider what questions, doubts, clarifications you would to have, and we will share in learning together.

On Sunday, May 25th, we will welcome our District Superintendent Rev. Seok Hwan Hong to the pulpit. He has requested this time together, and everyone is encouraged to attend and hear his words to us, and share in the fellowship and covenant we hold together as United Methodists. This is a step in our moving forward together, and we hope that we can all be supportive and open to Rev. Hong's words to us.

John Mincieli and John LaCroix are hard at work every Sunday to make sure our worship services are taped, the sound system is functioning, and anything needing to be shown on the screen is ready to go. However, with John Mincieli leaving at the end of June, we are in need of another person or two to step in and help with our audio-visual needs. We require a few people who are familiar with the system, so if you are interested in helping in this vital ministry, please see Pastor Rebecca.

In June: June 8th - Pentecost - We will welcome our new Confirmation Class of fourteen youth. Evy Nickerson will be preaching and we will celebrate and welcome our new members. June 15th - Children's Sunday June 22nd - We welcome Kate LaCroix to the pulpit June 29th - Pastor Rebecca and John's final Sunday.

Our Sunday services can now be seen on Comcast Channel 99 on Sundays at 10:30am, Wednesdays at 9am, and Fridays at 9:30pm, or visit our website www.northside-umc.org and click on “View this past week’s services online.”