NEWSLETTER
Thursday, February 17, 2022
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WELCOME REV. SHEILA SHOLES-ROSS
OUR PULPIT GUEST SUNDAY
We welcome Rev. Sheila Sholes-Ross to Northminster as our pulpit guest and worship leader this coming Sunday. Rev. Sholes-Ross currently serves as senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, which was founded in the 1700s. She is only the thirtieth pastor, and the first female and first African American selected pastor. Ordained by the American Baptist Churches, USA, she has a Master of Divinity degree from James Walker Hood Theological Seminary, Salisbury, NC, as well as masters' degrees in public health (UNC-Chapel Hill, NC), and administration and supervision (Xavier University of the South); bachelors' degrees in music (voice) and music therapy (Xavier University and Loyola University of the South, respectively). Sheila is a native of New Orleans.
Rev. Sholes-Ross is founder and co-chairperson of Equity for Women in the Church, Inc., which is an ecumenical national 501(c)(3) organization advocating on behalf of women in ministry; and has written several chapters focusing on the “uphill” battles of women in ministry. Her latest chapter to be published is titled: Empowered by My Promised Inheritance.
Sheila is a good friend of D. H. Clark and Craig Henry. She and D. H. served together on the board of directors of the Alliance of Baptists. When Equity for Women in the Church was a community of the Alliance, Sheila encouraged Craig to become involved. He also helped to found and incorporate Equity for Women in the Church, Inc. and has served as its treasurer from it beginning.
Along with being pastor at First Baptist, Rev. Sholes-Ross serves as board member on the Conference of Baptist Ministers of Massachusetts and is a board member of the Clergy Oversight Council--Ministerial Standing through The American Baptists Churches of Massachusetts. She is Vice-Chair of Pittsfield Area Council of Churches and is a board member of Berkshire Medical Center Patient and Family Advisory Council. She is a former member of Pittsfield Police Advisory and Review Board, along with being a former contributing member of the Berkshire County Collaborative addressing issues and developing strategies as it relates to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion injustices.
With experience as a non-profit administrator, during her tenure as an executive director of a drop-out prevention organization in Chapel Hill, NC, she obtained two U.S. Department of Education grants at $1.3 million each for programs addressing the educational needs of students in two school districts--one urban and the other rural.
Rev. Sholes-Ross is married to Nelson Ross (over thirty years), who after God, is her greatest supporter and friend.
Please plan to be in worship on Sunday to welcome Rev. Sholes-Ross to Northminster.
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Join us for Worship
Sunday February 20, 2022
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Rev. Sheila Sholes-Ross preaches
"Our Purpose Must be Greater Than Our Fears!"
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Click the photo to view our Sunday service |
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February 20, 2022
Opening Hymn: Lead On Eternal Sovereign
At Andover Seminary, fellow students asked Ernest W. Shurtleff to write A hymn for their graduation. This is the result. Shurtleff became a Congregational minister
and in his last years established churches in Europe and did relief work during WWI. The hymn is set to the tune LANCASHIRE, written in 1836 by Henry T. Smart. Many of us grew up with this tune being sung to the words, Lead on, O King Eternal.
Gospel Acclamation:
Using this meaningful text of Micah 6:8, DH Clark, incorporated words from the
Broadway musical, Evan Hanson, “You Will Be Found” for the 30th Covenant Sunday of
our church, September 15, 2019. Our mission is to “Do Justice, Love Mercy and Walk
Humbly with God.
The Anthem: Offertory
Using the same text, Micah 6:8, John Ness Beck wrote this beautiful anthem in
1987, for the First Presbyterian Church Choir of Carrollton, Ohio.
Response to the Sermon: Spirit of Jesus, If I Love My Neighbor
Brian Wren gave this poem the subtitle “Pilgrimage of Confession” when if was
first written, referring in part to the walk made by nine white South Africans in 1972 to
draw other whites’ to the injustice of migrant labor laws. Set to the tune, BENJAMIN,
written in 1994 by Jonathan McNair. The hymn is based on Romans 13:8-14.
Closing Hymn: Let There Be Light, O God of Hosts
William Vories, founder of the vast, interdenominational Omi Mission in Japan,
wrote this hymn as a response to the rising threat of German militarism in 1908. It
exemplifies the vision of world peace and unity Vories strove to promote through his
lifelong missionary work. Set to the tune, PENTECOST, by William Boyd, 1864.
I look forward to sharing worship with you this Sunday,
Debi
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February Mission Emphasis:
Children's Coalition - Early Head Start
Early Head Start provides early, continuous, intensive, and comprehensive child development and family support services to low-income infants and toddlers, children with disabilities, and their families, and pregnant women and their families. The Children’s Coalition Early Head Start (childrenscoalition.org) serves 132 infants and toddlers in Ouachita Parish. We care for children year-round, providing everything they need during their time at the center—including diapers and wipes.
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Needs: Diapers sizes 3,4,5,6; Wipes, Training underwear 2T, 3T, Socks, infant, small and toddler, Board books. |
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The Prayers of the People |
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We pray alongside.....
Our Pastor Search Committee as they continue our search for our next pastor
Those with unspoken prayer requests
Lola Wheeler recovering from an ankle replacement surgery on Monday.
Gail Blackman's sister, Debbie, receiving new treatment for a critical illness.
Rodney Thomas, serious eye issue.
DH Clark's cousin's wife - acute illness.
Our Brothers and Sisters in Cuba experiencing severe economic hardships, food shortages, and lack of medical equipment to administer Covid-19 vaccines.
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The Celebrations of the People |
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We celebrate alongside.....
Marsha McGee (17th), Conrad Rispoli (19th), Steve Davidson (22nd), and Zach Ingram (23rd) as they celebrate their birthdays.
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We're 35 and It's Our Time to Thrive!
Make plans to join us on February 25 at noon ET as we celebrate 35 years of the Alliance of Baptists!
For 35 years, the Alliance has been at the forefront of what it means to be a progressive voice of faith in our world. And at 35, we are ready for the next chapter of our shared life together.
Join us for a time to reflect on who we've been (as we continue to excavate our roots), celebrate who we are, and envision who we are becoming as a people, a body, and a movement!
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We will be joined by:
- co-directors Elijah Zehyoue
- co-director Carole Collins
- board president Michael-Ray Mathews
- board vice president Lisa Dunson
- founder Nancy Hastings Sehested
- founder Jim Strickland
- founder Mahan Siler
We look forward to seeing you there as we engage our theme together: We're 35 and It's Our Time to Thrive!
Registration is now open and more information will be available soon!
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If you have joys or concerns you would like us to add to the newsletter, please call the church office or email office@northmin.org.
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Northminster Church COVID Guidelines
COVID cases continue to surge due to the omicron variant. According to state officials we are on the verge of returning to the days of mask mandates, restricted gathering sizes, and overwhelmed hospitals and health care systems.
MASK WEARING AT ALL TIMES, WHEN IN PUBLIC VENUES, IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED AT NORTHMINSTER CHURCH. We all are at risk for not only Covid, but colds, flu and pneumonias. PLEASE MASK UP WHEN YOU COME TO CHURCH. Let's do our part in respecting and caring for each other and for our community. PLEASE stay home if you are sick and wear a mask when you go out in public until we get through this surge. PLEASE, consider getting vaccinated and boosted if you have not done so. There is a chance that you may be saving your own or someone else's life by following these recommendations.
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Northminster 2022 Family Care Directories Available Now!
PLEASE PICK UP YOUR BOOK TO SAVE US POSTAGE! Books are located on the Narthex table and on the hall table. PLEASE sign your name on the sheet provided so Renee can mark your name off the list, as all other books will be distributed by care group leaders or by mail.
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The 2022 Alliance Annual Gathering
A Virtual Experience
April 22-24, 2022
On Jan. 31, the Alliance announced that the 2022 Annual Gathering will be held 100% virtually. To read more about this decision, click here.
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About the Gathering Theme
For a thousand years, western Christianity has seen the cross through the lens of substitutionary atonement—that Jesus died in our place and reconciled sinful humanity to God. The Annual Gathering seeks to re-examine this theology and explore new atonement ideas through panels, workshops, and worship. The gathering is also an opportunity to enjoy a weekend of rejuvenating fellowship with like-minded followers of the way of Christ.
The planning team is still finalizing changes to the schedule which will be made public soon. Continue to check the website for the most up-to-date information.
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About the One-Day Theological Retreat
Kick off the gathering by joining us one day prior to the Annual Gathering, Thursday, April 21.
The Theological Retreat will be a day of diving deeply into a conversation about the theology of atonement and the meaning of the cross with Rita Nakashima Brock and Graham Walker offering keynote addresses followed by workshops and facilitated small group discussions.
More information about the retreat's schedule will be made available soon. Continue to check the Alliance website for the most up-to-date information. Registration for the One-Day Theological Retreat is included on the Annual Gathering registration page.
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Dr. Rita Nakashima Brock is the Director of the Shay Moral Injury Center at Volunteers of America and the former Director of the Soul Repair Center at Brite Divinity School, Texas Christian University. A Disciples of Christ minister, Dr. Brock’s deeply personal Proverbs of Ashes: Violence, Redemptive Suffering, and the Search for What Saves Us (co-authored with Rebecca Parker) expressed an incisive feminist critique of Christian theories of atonement. She followed it up in 2008 with Saving Paradise: How Christianity Traded Love of This World for Crucifixion and Empire (also with Rebecca Parker), where her research charted the Church’s shift from resurrection paradise to crucified atonement.
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Dr. Eboni Marshall Turman is an Assistant Professor of Theology and African American Religion at Yale Divinity School and formerly taught theological ethics, Black Church studies, and African & African American studies at Duke Divinity School. Her book, Toward a Womanist Ethic of Incarnation: Black Bodies, the Black Church, and the Council of Chalcedon, connects the incarnational experience of Jesus to the oppressed experience of African Americans, which will enrich our conversation about atonement and the cross. A National Baptist minister, Dr. Marshall Turman was ordained at the historic Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem.
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February is Black History Month
Everyday the Arts Council celebrates the artists who help make Region 8 a culturally vibrant place to call home. Everyday this month via our social media platforms, we will be intentionally applifying the voices and messages of Black Artists who enrich our arts community... not just regionally, but globally. You can find us on social media by clicking the buttons below.
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I WISH SOMEONE HAD TOLD ME
EQUITY FOR WOMEN IN THE CHURCH
(Book is provided free at the Church)
You’ve probably heard it said that “there is no such thing as a free lunch”. However, at Northminster there are free books! Several copies of the recently published I Wish Someone Had Told Me: Equity for Women in the Church are available for the taking (and READING). You will find them on the table in the hall outside the pastor’s office. Help yourself, read it and then please share with others.
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Northminster Book Club Tonight!
Our next meeting is tonight at 6pm at the home of Camille Peterson, 3306 Oakleigh Circle, Monroe. Join us for dinner and discussion of Bright Burning Things by Lisa Harding.
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VAPA Presents: "To Kill a Mockingbird"
The University of Louisiana at Monroe’s School of Visual and Performing Arts and a local youth theater, the Strauss Youth Academy for the Arts, join together to present the play “To Kill a Mockingbird” on ULM’s campus. Northminster's Mark Clark is directing.
Performance dates are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, Feb. 17-19 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 20 at 2 p.m. All performances are in Spyker Theatre, located on the west side of Brown Auditorium. Admission is free for ULM students with ID, ULM faculty and staff is $5, and general admission is $10. Tickets are available on Eventbrite (search for ULM).
The play is based on Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” sharing her real-life experiences in Monroeville, Ala.
For more info call 342-3811.
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Northeast LA Quilters' Guild:
2022 Quilt Show
2022 Quilt Show will be held in the West Monroe Convention Center at 901 Ridge Ave on Friday, February 25 from 9-5 and Saturday February 26 from 9-4. You may contact them on Facebook under North Louisiana Quilters Guild and on their website at nlqg.us
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Food Bank of NELA:
Empty Bowls
Our annual Empty Bowls event has been rescheduled to Saturday, March 26th. The event will still be held at the Monroe Civic Center, and we are very excited to have even more great food vendors and ceramics artists this year. We hope that you’ll still be able to join us for this fun event that helps provide thousands of meals to our neighbors facing hunger. If you are unable to attend the new date and would like your ticket purchase refunded, please contact our Director of Development and we will be happy to process the refund.
WHEN: Saturday, March 26th, from 11 AM to 1 PM.
WHERE: Monroe Civic Center Arena - 401 Lea Joyner Memorial Expy, Monroe. Use the main entrance and follow the signs and directions to park.
WHAT TO EXPECT: Attendees will show your email ticket receipt via phone or printout. With your all-inclusive ticket, you can choose a beautiful bowl donated by a local artist.
There will be a delicious tasting from 18 local food and beverage establishments. Click here to see who's participating! Food and beverage vendors will be serving tasting size portions of their tasty offerings for all to enjoy.
Once again talented local artist Leigh Buffingtonwill be painting a landscape live, which will go to one lucky high bidder in the silent auction. There will also be live music from Jeff Hicks and Paul Amy. 100% of your Empty Bowls ticket purchases go to support the Food Bank's hunger relief efforts in Northeast Louisiana. Thank you for helping our neighbors who face hunger!
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Given to the Glory of God
The floral offering on Sunday was given to the Glory of God and arranged by Peggy Caskey.
If you would like to give flowers in memory or in honor of someone, please contact the church office. Approximate cost is $100.
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Upcoming Events
This Sunday
9:00 am - Choir Practice
10:00 am - Sunday School
10:45 am - Preludes
11:00 am - Sunday Morning Liturgy
5:00 pm - Youth
Wednesdays
12:00 pm - Brown Bag Lunch CANCELLED
6:30 pm - Choir practice
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Pulpit Supply Schedule
February
20 - Rev. Shelia Sholes Ross
27 - Rev. Elijah Zehyoue
March
6 - Dr. DH Clark
13 - Rev. Mark Windham
20- Dr. Darrell Cluck
27- Dr. Darrell Cluck
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If you have found a space of community, or healing, or hope at Northminster and believe in the work we are doing, please consider supporting us financially so that we will be able to continue creating spaces like this in all the days to come.
To support Northminster financially, you can click here, or scan the QR code with the camera on your phone.
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Northminster Church is located at:
2701 Lamy Lane
Monroe, LA 71201
318-388-3717
office@northmin.org
Church Office hours:
Mon -Thurs 9-12 noon & 1-4 pm
Friday 9-12 noon
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