Our Latest News and Activities
Adult Faith Formation:
Manna and Mercy -
Lindsay is leading a group studying the book Manna and Mercy, which presents the history and storyline of the Bible. Books are available for purchase. Join us in Parish Hall at 9am or at 11:15am in the upstairs parlor . Drop in anytime, even if you haven’t come before! If you have any questions, please contact Lindsay lindsaypopper@gmail.com

***On February 23 we’ll be discussing Chapter 14– The Danger of Pharoah's Egypt Way .
Children's Faith Formation
Karen Kilty, Director of Children's Ministries
There is no Children’s Faith Formation (Sunday School) this Sunday Feb 16th. Laura will provide childcare in the Infant and Toddler room.
There will be many of you that will be traveling for school vacation or for the long weekend, some south, some north; whereever you will be
I wish you safe travels and lots of fun together.

Let us take time to remember those that we will be missing while we are
apart, remembering that there is a great warmth in knowing that there are faithful friends thinking of us, loving us, praying for us while we are doing the same.
Mardi Gras Celebration -
February 22 - 7 pm
Come join the fun and help celebrate Mardi Gras in the Parish Hall on February 22nd at 7:00 pm. There will be food, beads, music, jambalaya, salad, chocolate caramel bread pudding and the mandatory King Cake. Come in costume if you'd like (many are) or just as you want.

Adults are $20.00 per person. Reservations can be purchased online by clicking here. Reservations can also be made at Coffee Hour in February, or by calling the church office or Linda Duvel at 781-631-1703 or linda.bill.duvel@gmail.com . Hope to see you there!!!!
Wednesdays in Lent: Feeding Our Bodies and Our Spirits
Starting February 19th, each Wednesday night from 6–7:30pm a group of us will gather to eat a simple meal of bread and soup, and to engage in some spiritual practices together. “Spiritual practices” are those things—old and new—that help us connect to God, to ourselves, and to a sense of wonder and calm. Each week, we’ll try something new: from prayers to walking meditations, from looking at art to meditating on sacred writings, and more. The sessions will be led by (and soup provided by!) Dennis, Karen, and Lindsay. Come for one night, or come for all of them!
Missing Stoles
Two of Lindsay’s stoles (the long scarf things pastors wear over their robes) are missing from the upstairs parlor. One is white with rainbows down the middle, the other is silky with a brush-stroke pattern in rainbow colors. They’re both quite sentimental to Lindsay; please return them if you know where they are!
Stewardship Update
As you are aware, we are trying to close out our Stewardship campaign for the 2020 fiscal year. Please return your card in the mail or offertory plate as soon as possible. Pledge cards are available in the pew racks and in the narthex.

As of February 13, we have received 238 pledges totaling $422,400.
Supper Church
Friday, March 27 at 6pm
I am part of the newly formed Children’s Faith Formation Committee. We began our work together just as the new organizational structure intended- people with talents to share and passion to share them gathered and made plans. It was that simple; yet that sacred. In the classroom above the sanctuary we brought kids in tow and while they played and did homework we shared stories of our faith journeys and what brought us to this point. This point of knowing we want to create community as much as we want to generate knowledge of faith. Because we remember how our journeys as kids shaped us. And we want to be at the helm of shaping the journeys for our children. 
Under Karen Kilty’s wonderful guidance we focused much of our conversation on the importance of our children’s experience being inter-generational. We also spoke of other ways to create church. 
Please save the date of Friday,
March 27th at 6pm in parish hall for our first supper church. All are welcome. We will gather, break bread together, and build connections of faith through being together. More details to come. For now- we look forward to you joining us and hope you’ll carve out time to be with us. 
- Nicole Guerin 

Click on the picture to view a video of the trip!
ONC Winter Trip
There was so much goodness shared this past weekend at the 5th annual ONC family ski weekend in Jackson NH. Folks of all ages began our weekend in North Conway at a spaghetti dinner hosted by the Youth Leaders at Heather and Roy Martin’s Ski club. Thank you to Heather, Roy, Maureen and Dave Kay and family. The warm welcome and opportunity for fellowship set the tone for the weekend ahead.

On Saturday morning our time together included blessings around the breakfast table at Whitney's Inn, then off to the mountain. Some skied downhill, some cross country, some did homework, some held space at the tables for conversations and deepening relationships as folks stopped in for warming, a rest or lunch. Before dinner we shared our prayers of our time and then stirred them into being our one prayer together - it was so moving to hear hopes, and visions from all. Dinner was followed by an evening of games, conversations, s'mores around the fire, sharing of stories and lots of laughter too.

After breakfast on Sunday, we made our way out to the worship space. Many hands made light work as the snow was shoveled out for what has been called “Church in the Snow” by one of our youngest children. Becca and Ila led us in song and voices of our young people read words of inspiration. The temperature was 7 degrees, but there was a wonderful warmth that filled this beautiful place snugged into the woods, such a blessing to behold.

Most of all, thank you to Mark Roberge for his amazing insight for what ONC can be. Whether we are near or far from one another, we are one, we are Old North Church, we are blessed.
Welcome the Stranger Partnership
The Welcome the Stranger partnership has assisted a third family in our current focus of helping to furnish apartments for newly arrived refugees from abroad or, as in this case, one of our neighbors transitioning out of homelessness into permanent housing.

Partnering with The Lynn Shelter Association, Welcome the Stranger delivered household items and a gift card to Natasha and her young family at her new apartment in Lynn. She was so effusive in her gratitude. She is very proud of her apartment and was thrilled with everything she received. 

Thank you for your continuing support to enable us to help families in need. 
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Book Discussion on Anti-Semitism with our Jewish Neighbors - Monday, March 16
Anti-semitism is a rising problem globally, nationally, and locally, and it is part of our responsibility as Christians to learn about it and work to combat it. Our Jewish neighbors across the North Shore have invited us to join them in reading Deborah Lipstadt's book Antisemitism: Here and Now. Rabbi David Meyer will facilitate a discussion on the book at Temple Emanu-El on Monday,
March 16 at 7pm , and a group from Old North will be attending; please join us! (The book can be ordered online or found at bookstores). 


Become a Member of Old North Church
Thinking about becoming a member of Old North Church? We'll be receiving new members soon, and we'd love for you to join. Contact Dennis or Lindsay, your pastors, if you're interested. 
All Singers Welcome for Palm Sunday Lenten Concert
Registration and first rehearsal for the annual Palm Sunday Lenten Concert is Wednesday, February 26, 7:30pm-9:30pm; subsequent rehearsals will take place every Wednesday until the performance, which will take place on Sunday, April 5 at 7:30pm. There is a mandatory Dress Rehearsal with full orchestra on Saturday April 4 th from 10am-1pm. The centerpiece of this year’s concert will be the hauntingly beautiful, Requiem For the Living , by Dan Forrest. In addition to other contemplative music of the season, the chorus and orchestra will perform an arrangement of the first movement of the famous "Moonlight Sonata"' by Beethoven. The composer and music director Gottlob Benedict Bierey (1772–1840) orchestrated and added a four-part choral movement to the famous adagio movement, which he underlaid with the text of the Kyrie from the Latin mass. The concert is approximately one hour, free admission, and is considered a musical meditation at the beginning of Holy Week. For more information, please contact Maria vanKalken at vankalken@gmail.com .

UCC Super Saturday Registration
Old North Church is part of the Southern New England Conference of the UCC. On March 14, the Conference will hold a series of workshops at the Minnechaug Regional High School in Wilbraham, MA. All are welcome to attend these workshops, but pre-registration is required. Please click here to view the Super Saturday brochure and registration form.
Clothing Drive for South Africa
Our church group going to South Africa next August will be taking gifts of clothing for the Pholela Congregation to share among their 25 villages. We are looking for donations of good used items that include:
  • shirts ( T’s and button down) for boys/ men, pants for boys /men ONLY
  • sweaters, sweatshirts, skirts, blouses and dresses for girls and women (NO pants for women)
  • warm baby clothing
  • anything fleece like vests and jackets
  • warm hats, gloves, lightweight jackets /coats,
  • shoes for children only
  • NO heavy items please

Bags of donated clothing may be left at the church,
upstairs in the small unused classroom at the end of the corridor.
Contact Ginny von Rueden, rvonrueden@comcast.net  or 781-631-7898 for more information. Siyabonga!! (thank you in Zulu)

Community Life Ministry
Name Tag Update
The Community Life Ministry Board continues to try to ensure everyone has a new magnetic* name tag, but sometimes we miss one, or we may
not get your name the way you'd like it. If you need a name tag, or a new name tag for any reason, please let us know. Thank you. *People with pacemakers should not wear the magnetic nametags. Heart patients might want to check with their doctors.
Lynda Hare: h ares8carrots@hotmail.com , 7 81-639-0107
Linda Duvel, linda.bill.duvel@gmail.com , 781-631-1703
Dara VanRemoortel, dara@musicwithdara.com , 781-910-6157 
Community Life Ministry Board
Are you or a church friend you know experiencing a hardship or extreme stress of some kind? A death in the family? Recent surgery? Something else? The Community Life Ministry Board would like help ease your hardship with a meal, assistance with an errand, a visit, a phone call. Please feel free to reach out to us.
Lynda Hare, hares8carrots@hotmail.com , 781-639-0107
Linda Duvel, linda.bill.duvel@gmail.com , 781-631-1703
Dara VanRemoortel,  dara@musicwithdara.com , 781-910-6157
Kathy Angle, c.angle@comcast.net , 781-584-4283
Judy Conner, jbc2274@yahoo.com , 978-594-5205
Laura Dignam, lhbdignam@gmail.com  
Amy Leveroni, leveroniamy@gmail.com , 781-639-8626
Debby Stockdale , djstock@comcast.net , 781-883- 5115
Janet Doyle, jdoyle@doylesails.com , 781-530-0065
Andrea Gregory, andreagregory@mac.com , 781-639-4427
Chris Arren, c_arren@yahoo.com , 617-823-2471
Contact Us: 781-631-1244

Church Address: 35 Washington St., Marblehead, MA 01945
Mailing Address: 8 Stacey St. Marblehead, MA 01945
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