Welcome to Northminster
We are a biblically-based Presbyterian church seeking to experience and share God’s love to transform our homes, community and the world. We hope you will join us.
Join us this Sunday!
We have Sunday school for all ages at 9:00, and the worship service is at 10:30am. We look forward to seeing you!
The Latest from our blogs…
03
Nov '20
November 2020 Pastor’s Corner – Being, Having, Giving Thanks
03
Nov '20
And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. — Colossians 3:17
As I’m sitting down to write this article, I’m also preparing a sermon on Colossians 3:12-17, which I’ve probably already preached before you’ve read this (if you missed it, you can find it here). But it’s worth taking a bit of extra time in this space on it, particularly as we begin the month of November. Three times in three verses Paul stresses thankfulness. “Be thankful” (v.15), have “thankfulness in your hearts to God” (v.16), “give thanks to God” (v.17). Paul uses three different Greek words, which our English translations capture pretty well. Being, having, giving. As we begin this month in which we are intentional in giving thanks, I find myself particularly doing those very things: being thankful, having thankfulness, and giving thanks.
Being Thankful
Whenever I have opportunity to talk with the Presbytery leadership about Northminster, I am always quick to talk about how loving and supportive you are of my family and me. Over the past month, we have been overwhelmed with the cards and gifts you have sent for Pastor Appreciation Month. What I appreciate even more is that you share your appreciation throughout the entire year. I am so grateful and thankful to have the opportunity to serve alongside you in service to our Lord and Savior. It is easy to “be thankful” when one gets to serve a congregation as wonderful as you are.
Having Thankfulness
This has been a very challenging year, to say it lightly. We have all faced difficulties we never would have expected or anticipated, both individually and as a society. But even in the midst of the hardship, God is still good and His blessings abound. Each day, the sun continues to shine, our lungs fill with air, we have clothes on our backs, food on our tables, and a roof over our heads. While we all wish and yearn for this pandemic to come to an end, there are countless blessings for which we can have thankfulness in our hearts to God. If “being thankful” is something we do in a moment, “having thankfulness” is more of a continuous state of being. I invite you to think about ways you can cultivate an “attitude of gratitude,” even in these difficult times.
Giving Thanks
An important part of that “attitude of gratitude” is to express it by giving thanks. On behalf of the Session, I’d like to give thanks to God the Father for each of you. Throughout the difficulties and challenges of this year, you have faithfully continued to support the work and ministry of this church. Your monthly giving has exceeded last year’s every month except for two, and our income has exceeded our expenses each month except for two. Where last year at this time we were facing an uncertain financial situation, because of your generosity we are much more stable this year. We do not know what the future holds, but we know the One who holds the future. We are excited, even in the midst of the uncertainty, about what God has done, is doing and even more for what God has yet to do through you and this church in the months and years to come.
Blessings,
Rev. David Garrison
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01
Oct '20
October 2020 Pastor’s Corner – Pulling Together — For The Kingdom
01
Oct '20
He handed out gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, and pastor-teacher to train Christians in skilled servant work, working within Christ’s body, the church, until we’re all moving rhythmically and easily with each other, efficient and graceful in response to God’s Son, fully mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive like Christ.— Eph. 4:11–13 THE MESSAGE)
I’ve been watching a trend recently that has me concerned. It has become increasingly difficult to find people who are able and willing to serve in the various ministries and missions of the church. Our committees have been shrinking and appeals for folks to get involved and help out have gone unanswered. As a pastor, I am concerned about this trend and spend much of my time praying about why this is and what we might do about it.
Perhaps you might be thinking, well, we are in a pandemic. We are discouraged from participating in the very things that are part-and-parcel of church ministry. This is true. But what the pandemic has done is accelerate what was already happening. Even in my short three years at Northminster, I’ve noticed a very steady decrease in volunteer activity in the church. The pandemic creates problems with solving this issue; it doesn’t explain the cause.
A better diagnosis might be found in the reality that we are an aging congregation. Many of you have served the Kingdom of God and this congregation faithfully for decades. You have tirelessly poured yourselves out for the sake of Northminster, and have done so willingly and gladly. There are not enough words to express the gratitude I, and everyone else, feels, for your service. You have earned a rest, and you deserve a rest.
The hard truth is that aging congregation or not, global pandemic or not, the work, ministry and mission of the church goes forward. No church can function without its volunteers — for small churches like ours, though, it’s more than essential. God has gathered this congregation together, and He has given each of us gifts and abilities meant to be used for the building up of the Body of Christ. An essential part of our growth as disciples, of our maturing as Christians, is putting into practice “skilled servant work” as we read above. In order for the church to be healthy, we all need to participate. How we go about that work might look a little bit different in the midst of a pandemic, but nevertheless the work goes on.
Why do I bring this up? For several reasons. While some ministries are still on hold due to the pandemic, others are still moving forward and we need folks to serve in those areas. One such example is the youth ministry — we have enough students and a broad enough age range that we need to have separate high school and middle school groups. But more than that, it’s time to find our next class of elders to begin serving in 2021. We have two or three elder positions to fill. One of those positions has remained empty since I arrived in 2017. Each year, the challenge before the nominating committee to fill the open seats has increased. This year, we go about this work in the midst of a pandemic.
I invite you to search your heart humbly and prayerfully to see if the Holy Spirit is prompting you to step into one of those positions. Under normal circumstances, that can be an intimidating nudge. I know that under these circumstances it’s even moreso. I leave you with these verses to guide your prayers:
For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. — 2 Tim. 1:6–7The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. — 1 Tim. 3:1
Blessings,
Rev. David Garrison
Rev. David Garrison
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14
Sep '20
Pastor’s Mid-Week Bible Study Begins This Week!
14
Sep '20
These are strange and unusual times. Last week, the students of Amherst County went back to school – some are going in person, but only two days a week, some are 4 days a week; and others are returning to school virtually. And the life of the church is beginning to adapt to this “new normal” as well. Other than worship and a few circle meetings, for the past 6 months the ministry and life of Northminster has been on pause. It’s time to start some things back up.
One of the primary purposes of the church is discipling its members, helping us all grow in the grace and truth of our Lord Jesus Christ. To that end, we are beginning a mid-week pastor’s bible study, starting Wednesday, September 16 from 10:30-11:30am. This bible study will meet in-person and online, at the same time. If you would like to join us in person, we’ll be appropriately socially distanced in the fellowship hall. If you’d prefer to join us online, you can do so through Zoom.
We do ask that you please sign up for one of the two groups – you can change between the two at any time, or just sign up for both if you’re feeling indecisive. Signing up will enable us to set up the Fellowship Hall appropriately, and also let us know how many to expect in-person and online. Click on this link to sign up.
If you have any questions, please let me know.
I look forward to exploring God’s Word with you, beginning this Wednesday.
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14
Sep '20
Weekly Youth Group Meetings Resume September 27, 2020!
14
Sep '20
Youth Group met for the first time in 6 months last night – it was so good seeing all of the students after so long, although we missed those who weren’t able to attend.
We are planning to resume in two weeks on Sunday, September 27. We’ll meet at Northminster at the usual time, 6:00-7:15pm. We’ll do our best to practice appropriate distancing and mask-wearing, and try to keep either outside or to the largest rooms available.
We are also looking at having separate High School and Middle School groups, either for part of the time or all of it. We have quite an age spread now, 6th grade is our youngest, all the way up to 11th grade, and we think we have enough participants to warrant two groups.
BUT! If we’re going to do that, we need help. Right now, it’s just me and Karey, and if we’re going to have two separate groups, we need at least two others to help out. If you are interested, or know someone who might be, please let me know.
You can learn more about our youth ministry and what we’ll be talking about by clicking here.
We look forward to seeing everyone in two weeks!
Rev. David Garrison
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31
Aug '20
September 2020 Pastor’s Corner – How to Vote in November
31
Aug '20
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matt. 6:33)
In a couple of months we will vote for who will serve as President of the United States of America for the next four years. We now know definitively that it will either be Joe Biden or Donald Trump. Many Christians are wondering how they should vote in the upcoming election. Some Christians have already declared that the only “true” Christian vote is for the candidate they support. Well, let this article serve as the definitive guidance on how Christians should vote in November.
There’s More Than Just the Presidency
It is important to remember that there is more happening this November than just the presidency, and it is quite possible that the various local governing offices and the issues on the ballot could well have a greater impact on your day-to-day living than who is elected President. So often, we are so focused on the one office that we don’t pay as much attention to the other issues or political offices that are more local to us and therefore have greater impact on our lives. The presidency is important, and certainly grabs all of the headlines and news, but don’t miss the rest of the electoral forest for this one, admittedly big, tree.
Vote for the Kingdom of God
The most foundational objective for every Christian is to work to bring about the Kingdom of God on earth. In addition to the verse at the beginning of this article, most all of us pray for this every Sunday in the Lord’s Prayer: “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matt. 6:10). As you look at the candidates for office (including but not limited to the presidency) and the issues on the ballot, how can your vote contribute to bringing the Kingdom of God here on earth? Perhaps the first question to ask is, what are the values and character of the Kingdom of God? Jesus lays out his most succinct and thorough vision for the Kingdom of God in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). Over the next weeks and months, take time to read through the Sermon on the Mount prayerfully and intentionally and ask the Holy Spirit to guide your discernment as you look at the candidates and issues on the ballot.
Vote Your Conscience
One of the most beautiful hallmarks of both our faith and our democratic process is that we are all free to vote our conscience. I’ve seen a lot of folks make comments to the effect of, “if you don’t vote for _________, then you aren’t really a Christian.” That statement is, to quote one of my seminary professors, ‘straight from the pit of hell and smells like smoke.’ People will want to know who and how you are voting, but you are under no obligation to answer those questions — and, to be honest, I encourage you not to answer them. How you vote is between you, your ballot, and God. The beauty of our process is that the only vote that is “thrown away” is a vote not cast.
Disagree with Grace
This election seems to be more emotionally charged than any I can remember before, which amazes me because I didn’t think things could get more charged than the last one. It is more important than ever before that we learn to disagree with grace. Faithful, God-honoring and -loving Christians are going to discern how to vote for the Kingdom of God and their conscience in very different, and opposing ways. As Augustine once said (and is the motto of our denomination), “Unity in the essentials, liberty in the non-essentials, and in all things charity (love).” How we vote is not an essential of our faith, and we need to be able to dialogue and disagree with love and grace.
Accept the Results with Humility and Submission
The person and issues you vote for won’t win every time. It’s entirely possible that the issues you care about most end up with the result you would least like to see. No matter how things go, accept the results with humility and submission. If your candidate wins, be excited, but don’t gloat. As Paul reminds us in Romans 13, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.” (Rom. 13:1–2) Keep in mind that Paul wrote this when Nero was emperor of the Roman Empire, one of the most tyrannical emperors ever seen. If Paul could encourage the Christians of his day to submit to Nero, we can submit to the candidate that wins the election.
So there you have it. The definitive guide to how a true Christian should vote in November. May God bless you as you seek to discern how to vote in November, and may His Kingdom come.
Blessings,
Rev. David Garrison
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