Old North Church is an Open and Affirming congregation of the
 United Church of Christ.

 

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This Week's 
Worship Service Times
8am and 10am 
in the Sanctuary
The Infant/Toddler Room is Open
In This Issue

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Contact Us

 781-631-1244 

  

Rev. Dr. Dennis Calhoun

Rev. Karla Miller

Lisa Nahatis or Meg Arbo
  
Maria vanKalken
[email protected]

Rebecca Kenneally
  
Sandy Barrett
  
Betsey Halbert
  
Office Hours:
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9-1

 

 

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Marblehead's Little Harbor
 from the Old North Church Tower 
    
 Sunday, January 22
Third Sunday After Epiphany
Scripture Lessons:
I Corinthians 1:10-18 and Matthew 4:12-23 
The Rev. Karla Miller's Sermon:
"Who Do You Belong To?"
   
Old North Women's Christmas!
Tonight (Thursday, January 19 at 7pm)
Great Room
Did you know that in Ireland, there is a long tradition of  Nollaig na mBan, "Women's Christmas" which is celebrated on Epiphany, January 6?  On the last day of Christmas women would get a much needed rest after catering to everyone during the holidays?  They would gather in each other's homes and local pubs for a few hours of gaiety!  Well, Epiphany has passed, and many of us are not Irish, but in that spirit, all Old North women and friends are invited to enjoy a glass of wine or seltzer and small plates while we enjoy each other's company and socialize.Please drop by!  Contact Marcia Hostetter ([email protected]) or Karla Miller ([email protected]) for more information.  

ONC House of Blues 

Saturday, January 21 at 8pm

Tickets for the ONC "House of Blues" featuring the Chris Fitz Band and Old North's soprano, Holly Cameron as guest vocalist, will be available at coffee hour today as well as online at www.onchurch.org and at the door. This special event, sponsored by the Music Committee and the Men's Beer Group will take place on Saturday, January 21 in the Parish Hall at 8pm. Tickets are $20,including craft beer, wine and finger food. All proceeds will benefit Old North Church.

Women's March in Boston - January 21

 
Some Old North Church folk are going to the Boston Women's March. http://bostonwomensmarchforamerica.org   If you would like to join in and meet up with other ONC-ers and UCC-ers, the Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ are gathering together to march as a contingent.  Karla will be there and will welcome your company!  (let me know so I can look out for you, [email protected])

Where: Meet at the "Make Way for Ducklings" statue in the Public Garden in Boston at the corner of Beacon and Charles Streets, across from the staging area for the start of the March. Using public transportation is strongly urged for this event!

When: We will gather at 10:30 AM on Saturday, January 21 and join the rally that proceeds the March at 11:00 AM. The whole event is scheduled between 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM.  The UCC group is committing to be together from our gathering spot at 10:30 AM until the finish of the March at 2:00 PM.
 
Budget Q&A Session
The Trustees will hold a question & answer session on Sunday, January 22nd on the Old North Church 2017 budget immediately following the 10am service. The meeting will be held in the sanctuary.
Children's Church Schedule
Children's Church classes resume this Sunday, January 22nd. 
Seventh Grade Class Resumes              
Seventh Grade class meets again on Sunday, January 22 in the Great Room at Stacey Street at the new winter time of 5pm. This term, we take a look at some of the big figures of the Old Testament, starting with Esther who stepped in to protect her people from a poorly-advised king. It's open enrollment; if anyone who has not taken part previously would like to give it a go. Rhod Sharp and Dee Burgett can tell you more.
Career Transitions Group to Meet on Sundays, Beginning This Week
Beginning on Sunday, January 22 and continuing through the end of March, the group will meet on Sunday mornings at 11:30am in the Beals Room in the Stacey St office building. The Thursday meetings have been discontinued.
Welcoming the Stranger
January 22 at 10am
St. Andrews Church
Save the Date! St. Andrews Episcopal Church has extended an invitation to Old North Church and Temple Emanu-el congregations to join them on Sunday, January 22 at 10:00 a.m.-11:15 a.m. for their Sunday morning service.  It will be an opportunity to worship together as well as support our collaborative efforts on behalf of the Welcoming The Stranger Project. A light brunch will be served following the service. Our three houses of worship have joined together to support RIM (Refugee Immigration Ministry) through the  Marblehead Cluster which has been responsible for helping a Haitian mother and her toddler, who have sought asylum, to find housing in Salem as well as legal services, medical care, English lessons, hugs, transportation, and many other forms of support. This is not only a wonderful way to support the Welcoming the Stranger Project but to meet members of other congregations in Marblehead.   For more information, please contact Richard Thibedeau ([email protected]) or Linda Duvel ([email protected] ).
Burns Supper-January 27 at 6:30pm
The Burns Supper happens on Friday, January 27 in the Parish Hall at 6:30pm. An Old North tradition continues with a full Scottish-themed dinner prepared by Chef Stephen Lancaster of Hawthorne by the Sea and music from internationally known piper and fiddler Elias Alexander. Elias is much anticipated, as his flight from Glasgow's Celtic Connections festival was cancelled on the day of our 2016 gathering, depriving us of his company. A new addition this year is pianist Neil Pearlman. Join Elias, Neil and the company to follow the short and brilliant life of Robert Burns in verse and have a go at singing some familiar Burns songs, with a Scottish country dance to round out the night. Tickets are priced at $55 and reservations can be made with Rhod Sharp or Vicki Staveacre after church on the 15th and 22nd or by emailing [email protected].

Budget Meeting - January 29              

There will be a budget meeting of the Old North Church on Sunday, January 29, 2017 at 11am following the 10am worship service.Child care will provided for this brief meeting.
Chili & Chowder Cookoff and Silent Auction - Sunday, January 29 at 5pm
Please join us for some delicious chili and chowder as we raise funds for our High School Youth Group Service Trip to New Orleans April 17-22.  Bring your best Chili or Chowder and earn a chance to have your name engraved on the winners plaque!  Bid on silent auction items like snow shoveling, dog walking, baby sitting, tennis lessons, yard work and much more! Doors open at 5:00 p.m.  Tickets are $10 ($40 cap per family) and include chili, cornbread, cookies, and chances to vote for the best chili.  For more information, please contact Margaret Hollister at [email protected]
Thank You For Your Generosity!
The Christmas Eve collection was $7,276 this year. This is the largest amount donated in the past seven years. These funds will be used by your Christian Service Committee this year to provide assistance to organizations helping the needy in Marblehead, neighboring communities and throughout the world.
Lifebridge-River of Life                       
Endicott College, First Baptist Church in Beverly and Old North Church presents a River of Life Benefit Concert celebrating the merger of River House in Beverly and Lifebridge in Salem. It will be an evening of musical entertainment featuring the choral and instrumental groups of Endicott College, the First Baptist Church and Old North Church.
Date: Friday, March 3, 2017
Location: The First Baptist Church in Beverly at 231 Cabot Street
Time: 7:00 -9:00 pm
Price: $25 per ticket
Come to support our choir and our long term association with Lifebridge at a concert not to be missed.
Only 100 tickets left -act fast. Please make your reservation at:
For those interested in advertising in the program booklet, please click here for the guidelines.
The event poster can be viewed here.
Christian Service Committee Update
Our Christian Service Committee is privileged to offer funding and maintain relationships with many worthwhile organizations.

In our continuing efforts to keep the Old North Congregation informed , we present the Hush Little Babies Daycare Center in South Africa which provides daily support of destitute children in a rural area. Founded by Nomsa Khabela, the widow of the former pastor of the Pholela church, the daycare center offers meals, education, mentoring and spiritual connection for the children served.  Many of them have mothers who are HIV positive and don't have the resources to care for their children on their own. Nomsa has truly created a sanctuary for these mothers and children who live their lives in poverty and illness.  The Old North group who travelled to South Africa in 2013 was very happy to visit the Daycare Center to witness the amazing work Nomsa has accomplished. In 2015, she was granted NGO status by the government so she qualifies to receive grants. Our CSC funds allow her to pay for one teacher helper and one garden worker who grows the food which feeds the children. We are committed to helping Nomsa continue her valuable work and efforts to expand the much-needed services in her area.
  
Ginny von Rueden
Christian Service Committee
Old North's 2017 Stewardship Campaign
The Stewardship Committee would like to thank those of you who have contributed to the 233 pledges we have received to date totaling nearly $456,000.  We encourage those of you who have not pledged yet to send in your pledge cards or pledge online at www.onchurch.org/donate. Please remember that every pledge with a 25% increase over last year will be matched by our challenge fund.
Rehearsals for the Palm Sunday Lenten Concert Begin March 1st                       
                        
Rehearsals for the annual Palm Sunday Lenten Concert will begin on Wednesday, March 1st at 7:30pm in the Parish Hall. This year's repertoire will include Requiem in c minor, a stunning work, by Michael Haydn. (last performed at Old North in 2013). The young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart attended the first two performances of Haydn's Requiem twenty years before he composed his own version, which is strikingly similar! Rehearsals will take place every Wednesday evening through Palm Sunday and will include two Saturday rehearsals, April 1, and 8 from 10am-12pm. The performance will take place on the evening of Palm Sunday, April 9, at 7:30pm. All interested singers should contact Maria vanKalken at [email protected] so that we will be sure to have enough scores at the first rehearsal. All singers welcome!
  
Festival Chorus CD's                       
CDS of our most recent Festival Chorus Christmas Concerts, as well as other years, are available. If you'd like to purchase one (or more!), you may do so at coffee hour or contact Jane Kraybill at 781 631 4832 or email: [email protected]. Please help us reach our goal of "break even" on the cost of making these extraordinary recordings! Copies of the revised version of CD2's are now available.

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  Old North Church

35 Washington Street

Marblehead, MA 01945

 

Mailing Address:

8 Stacey St. Marblehead, MA 01945