Sunday School and Nursery Care

Teaching and nurturing children is part of who we are at Old North. Our nursery is open for children three months to 4ish year, starting at 9:50, but you may bring your little ones there at any point in the service. There will be no Sunday school this week; children are invited to stay with their families for the 10am Worship Service.

Donations for Hurricane Relief in North Carolina

We all have been shocked and saddened by the destruction and loss of lives, homes, and infrastructure wreaked by Hurricane Helene this past week. Reverend Lindsay Popperson and Lisa Nahatis have been in touch with people in the hardest hit region of western North Carolina, including our former Associate Pastor Karla Miller in Hendersonville. Thankfully, Karla and her spouse are safe, but over 160 others are already known to have died.



The Outreach Ministry Board has voted to donate $500 of your tithes to World Central Kitchen (WCK), which has been distributing emergency food and water including by helicopter to those in need in North Carolina as well as Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee. If you would like to personally donate money to the relief efforts there, the OMB can recommend World Central Kitchen at wck.org or a local Asheville nonprofit, BeLoved Asheville, at https://belovedasheville.com/get-involved.



Rev. Karla Miller's church is accepting donations and will get it to local relief efforts in Henderson County: First Congregational UCC Hendersonville, 1735 5th Ave West, Hendersonville NC 28739. Click here to make an online donation.

Her church will get any donations to Interfaith Assistance Ministries (IAM) which is one of their "boots on the ground" identified by her church and its members as they attempt to recover and rebuild.

 Monthly Bell Ringing Tomorrow to Call Awareness About Climate Change

Listen for the bells tomorrow, Friday, October 11, at 11am for 11 minutes. It’s our monthly event to remind us that we are indeed in the 11th hour of creation care – a reminder that this gift of creation given to us in our lifetime is fragile and mightily impacted by human behavior. It is 11 minutes of a prayer of thanks to God for this precious gift, of confession that we have not attended well, and resolve that we will do our small part to be a part of the solution rather than part of the problem of climate change.

As you listen to the church bells on October 11th, perhaps you can, in your heart, send the tolling out to the world in this time of turmoil and pain to be a blessing and a call to peace and righteousness and good will in all that we do for each other and for our planet home.

Join us in that prayer at home or at the church to take your turn at the bell rope.

Next NSYM Friday Night Hangout will be Tomorrow Night, Friday, October 11

The NSYM will be having Friday Night hangouts for both Middle and High Schoolers. The next one will be a Bonfire at St Andrews! We’ll meet at St. Andrews Friday night, October 11 from 7-9 pm for a bonfire with some s’mores. It’s likely to be chilly so make sure to bring a coat!

We will be having one more Friday Night hangout for both Middle and High Schoolers. October 25 will be a Halloween Celebration! More details to come in the next few weeks.

Upcoming NSYM Sunday Meetings

The NSYM will meet Sundays and will rotate Church host locations. Middle school age youth (6th-8th grades) will be meeting from 3:30-5:30pm and High School (9th-12th grades) from 6-8 pm.

The schedule location is as follows:

• NO YOUTH GROUP this Sunday, October 13
• 10/20: Clifton Lutheran Church 
• 10/27: Special Group! Rev. Lindsay’s installation as senior minister at Old North Church is at 3 pm on the 27th, which everyone is welcome to! The youth will be assisting in the service (more info to come!). After the installation, we’ll have food and games, and we’ll talk about what we saw, heard, and did. Pick up will be at 5:30

Jess Easter (She/Her) has started as the new youth pastor serving the “North Shore Youth Ministry” or NSYM for short. If finding a ride to any youth events is ever an issue, please reach out to Jess as she can make connections between families to make sure our youth have the opportunity to join!

Looking for Volunteer Adults for Youth Group

The North Shore Youth Ministry (the joint youth ministry we have with Clifton Lutheran, St Andrews Episcopal, and First Church Swampscott) is going strong! We have an excellent youth minister (Jess Easter) who plans and leads the weekly events, but each event needs a second adult (to comply with Safe Church policies). Could you be that adult?

Every Sunday, middle school age youth (6th-8th grades) meets from 3:30-5:30pm and High School (9th-12th grades) from 6-8 pm; there are occasional Friday evening events as well. If you'd be open to helping for one youth group once a month, that would be great! Email Betsey at halbertbam@gmail.com to get connected (we will need to run a CORI check on you!) 

Capital Campaign Projects Update

Old North Church put your Capital Campaign dollars to work in 2024! For the first time in over 10 years, and in some cases several decades more, we took on some major property improvements. They have given new life and a fresh look to our nearly 198 year-old church and our other buildings.

All in all, we:

• Painted the entire exteriors of the Church and Parish Hall as well as the ceiling and front wall panels behind the pulpit in the Sanctuary

• Washed the left and right walls of the Sanctuary
• Put a new roof, trim and gutters on the church building
• Repointed portions of the right exterior side of the church
• Installed all the mechanicals for our old, obsolete elevator
• Removed overgrown trees and bushes, and trimmed extensively in both in front of the church and in the Memorial Garden
• Deep-cleaned the entire church and shampooed all the carpeting in the Church, Parish Hall, and Stacey St.
• Repaired, stripped, and repainted two exterior doors at Stacey St.

Work continues into the Fall to finish installing new trim and copper gutters on the church roof.

Next spring and summer, we will restore our damaged bell tower and repoint the granite facade on the front of the church.

So far we are on schedule and within our Capital Campaign budget! But to Complete our substantial and costly work in 2025 we need everyone to please continue to pay their campaign pledges. We are depending on you!

Two displays with photographs of all this work are located in the glass case in the Narthex, and in the Parish Hall.

Death and Dying/Life and Living Course Continues October 20 & November 17

We are continuing a discussion based on an Addendum I wrote to my story of The Crombie Street Church – Salem Mission, 1976 – 2005. (click Addendum to read). The church housed the first shelter in Salem and was the forerunner of ‘Lifebridge North Shore’. During our September gathering we deliberated on the title: “Charity and Social Consciousness”, as opposite poles in the arc of individual and social responsibilities. Our discussion led, among other things, to the persistent problems of poverty and lack of affordable housing.

The subjects of fluctuating poverty rates in the United States and the social-economic class we are born into as the best predictor of our individual life chances, will be our focus on October 20, a week from this coming Sunday. On November 17, we will be dealing with issues surrounding lack of affordable housing. These subjects relate to profound societal inequities and social inequalities.

As always we meet at 11:30 AM in the Great Room of Old North Church, or on-line via the zoom link below. If you would like to join the discussion and not on the mailing list, email: elsewiersma@comcast.net or contact the church office (781-531-1124), or mail office@onchurch.org

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89664581912?pwd=S2pxa2RUZDRVM1FKeng1NnVvUWdzZz09

Service of Installation for Pastor Lindsay

Sunday October 27, 3pm

Our church will hold a Service of Installation for our new senior minister on October 27 at 3pm. This is a time for us to join with clergy from other area churches to celebrate with our congregation as we embark on our shared ministry. Please plan to attend! Please note, we will hold one morning Worship that Sunday, at 10am (the 8am service will not be held that morning).

See You at the Fair

The Old North Church Holiday Fair will be held on November 23rd from 9:30 - 1:30 in the Parish Hall. This is an ALL CHURCH event and we're hoping that everyone will participate in some way to make this Fair a success!!!!

Food is always an enticement, so to start things off - breakfast will be served starting at 9:30 followed a bit later by our ever popular lobster roll or chicken salad roll lunch. If you desire something to satisfy your sweet tooth, meander over to the Bake Table and select the solution and/or take something home for your Thanksgiving spread. 

Bring your children and grandchildren and their friends as we'll have lots for them to do. In addition to the Children's Book Exchange, there will be opportunities to create Thanksgiving cards for the fire, police and EMTs, and big crafting area with many unique projects to keep them busy.

Ginny von Rueden will be offering crafts and jewelry at the Africa Table the proceeds of which will be going to the Outreach Ministry Board.

The Fair Flyer lists areas where your donations would be appreciated and the person/people to contact with questions and offerings. Since the church has limited storage capability, we would appreciate if you deliver your donations to the Parish Hall on the 21st of November. If that isn't possible, please contact the appropriate person to make arrangements for an earlier drop off.  

Thanks so much to everyone for their help, contributions and support. The ONC Holiday Fair will not succeed without your help!!!!!!

ONC Fair Service Offerings

Access to a pick-up truck – Access to a pick-up truck would be a helpful and valuable fair service offering. Do we have any volunteers with pick-up trucks to make this happen for the coming church fair? The truck owner/volunteer would do the driving and help with any loading and unloading. Time, distance, and contents can be limited to suit the volunteers. If you think this is something you might be able to do for the fair, please contact Dave Hostetter by text to 781-631-3216, or email to daveh.racer@gmail.com.  

Handyman work – Home handyman work used to be a very popular service offering at earlier church fairs. The previous volunteers that offered this have aged-out, but there is still a need for the service. If you can patch walls, paint interior rooms, change smoke detectors, adjust doors, fix running toilets, etc; and, you might be willing to offer your services to do this at the coming ONC fair, please contact Dave Hostetter by text to 781-631-3216 or email to daveh.racer@gmail.com.  

Rehearsals for the 44^th Annual Festival Chorus Holiday Concerts are underway! 

There is still time to join the Festival Chorus – all singers are welcome! Auditions are not required, but previous choral experience is expected. Singers need to purchase their musical scores (provided at rehearsal) and there is a nominal registration fee.

Rehearsals will take place from 7:30pm-9pm every Wednesday and will extend to 9:30pm as the concert dates approach. This year’s program is highlighted by Magnificat in D, by Jan Dismas Zelenka; other choral works include Felix Mendelssohn’s Christmas Cantata, Vom Himmel Hoch (From Heaven on High), and for the colorful, fun, and “pops” portion of the concert, International Carol Suites: Carols of the Americas arranged by Mark Hayes, The Bellringer’s Holiday arranged by Randol Bass, and other seasonal favorites. 

High school students in grades 9-12 are encouraged to join our adult singers of all ages. Each section is led, and encouraged by, our wonderful professional soloist/section leaders from the regular Old North Church music program.



For more information or to download a Registration Form, please visit the Festival Chorus Website at: www.oldnorthfestivalchorus.org or contact Maria vanKalken, Director of the Old North Festival Chorus, at: vankalken@gmail.com.

Other Singing Opportunities!

The UCC Northeast Association Music Festival will take place on Sunday November 3rd at 3pm at First Church Congregational of Swampscott. All interested singers are welcome to join the Festival Choir or simply attend and join in the singing of hymns from the pews. Rehearsals for the choir pieces will take place on Thursday, October 24th at Maple Street Church in Danvers at 7pm, or at First Church Swampscott at 7:30pm. For more information, please reach out to Rev. Holly Brauner at hsbrauner@gmail.com

Please join the Salem State Writers Series on Monday, October 21 at 7:30 pm for a unique event in this year's offerings - a hymn sing! Salem State English professor Jan Lindholm will present hymns from her newly published collection, "Love Astounding: Hymns of Jeannette M. Lindholm". She will share how choices that she makes as a hymn writer relate to her religious traditions, spiritual experience, and commitments as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community. Audience members will be invited to sing along and to offer questions and comments. All are welcome. No reservations (or singing experience) required.

This event takes place in the university's recital hall located on the ground floor of the Classroom Building/Bertolon School of Business located at 71 Loring Avenue. Free parking is available directly across the street.

Green Tip of the Week

This week’s “Green Tip of the Week” comes from Marge Adams:



Buy products made from recycled material. They require much less energy to produce, reduce the need for more mining and refining and processing of raw materials, all of which create substantial air and water pollution.

The Old North Church Green Team has started a new initiative – “Green Tip of the Week”. It is especially apt as we enter the “Season of Creation Care” that some places of worship are signing on to. It’s all about sharing our piece of “creation care” in the time we are each given to walk this walk of life on earth.  

SOULS TO THE POLLS

The ONC Green Team encourages everyone to vote their values and protect God’s creation in the upcoming election. If anyone needs help getting to their polling place on election day and would like a ride, please contact Mark Adams at markadams5486@gmail.com.

Post-Election Prayers -- November 6, 6-7:30pm, Parish Hall



The night following the presidential election, we will hold space in the parish hall to share our prayers for our neighbors, our country, and the world. Following brief spoken prayers and scripture at 6pm, the space will be open for all to quietly pray, meditate, light candles, and add a written prayer to a "prayer wall." We hope this can be a time of respite from all of the rhetoric, a time of community amidst so much division, and a time to seek the guidance of the God who is Love. 

Prayer Shawl Ministry

Knitters! Please join us to make shawls for the ONC community. Basic knit-purl is all you need. The prayer shawl knitters meet on the following dates at Stacey Street, 10:30-12. 

Nov 13 , Dec 11

Yarn and needles are provided for the adult and baptism shawls. For more information contact Alexandra Garfield: Alexandradane@me.com or 781.929.0540.

Scrabble Group



The Scrabble Group meets weekly on Wednesdays from 2-4pm in the Great Room at the Stacey St. office building. Newcomers are always welcome to join in the fun!

Community Connection

We treasure our church's connection with Temple Emanu-El. Rev. Lindsay was able to join Rabbi Jenn Mangold for an event marking Selichot last month, and our hearts are with our Jewish neighbors--in Marblehead and around the world--as they mark the Days of Awe, the ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.  

Miles for Mary Continues Mission to Increase Brain Cancer Awareness

Two upcoming events will support innovative brain cancer treatment research and Honor a Longtime Member and Trustee of Old North.

Miles for Mary is dedicated to increasing awareness around brain cancer, advancing research for treatment options, and providing hope for patients and families facing devastating diagnoses.

Two events, a 5K Run/Walk and Research Seminar, seek to honor the memory of Mary Park of Marblehead, who died from glioblastoma in 2012 only a few weeks after her initial diagnosis. Mary was a long-time member and Trustee of Old North Church. Donations benefit brain cancer treatment research at Mass General Cancer Center.

Supporting Innovative Brain Cancer Research

Miles for Mary directly supports the study of innovative treatments for brain tumors, with a particular focus on glioblastoma. 100% of the funds raised are directed to the work of neuro-oncologist Dr. Elizabeth Gerstner at the Mass General Cancer Center. Dr. Gerstner and her team recently completed Phase I of a clinical trial, named INCIPIENT, for treating glioblastoma through an advanced use of CAR T-cell technology. In March, the New England Journal of Medicine published a report outlining how this trial produced a rapid shrinkage of brain tumors in all three patients. Patients are now being enrolled for an ongoing trial. 

Since 2013, Miles for Mary has raised $700,000 for brain cancer treatment research at Mass General Cancer Center. The funds raised this year will continue to support innovative research in brain cancer treatment such as INCIPIENT.

• The 5K Road Race will be held Saturday, October 19, 2024
• The Related Research Seminar will be held Monday, November 4, 2024
• Registration for both via www.milesformary.com

UCC Nationwide Attender Survey

Our congregation, along with other congregations in the United Church of Christ, has been selected to participate in a national study of church attenders in the United States. To watch a short informational video about this survey, please click here. 

This Attender Survey is a part of the Exploring the Pandemic Impact on Congregations (EPIC) project and Faith Communities Today (FACT) research initiative in which the United Church of Christ participates. Since 2000, FACT has conducted research that provides religious leaders of all traditions with critical information about the changing nature of congregational life and how to respond effectively. EPIC is a 5-year research project studying changes in the religious landscape since the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Unlike previous studies from these projects which gather information from one representative of each congregation, this survey aims to capture the experiences of all the attenders within a congregation. This approach is not done often, making this survey a valuable opportunity to gain insights from attenders of religious communities across the country. 

We encourage all regular participants of our congregation (age 18 or older) to respond, the survey itself will take a participant about 10-15 minutes to complete. Click here to begin the survey.

The Pumpkins are Here!

You are invited to visit the Clifton Pumpkin Patch located at Clifton Lutheran Church, 150 Humphrey Street, Marblehead, MA.

September 21 through October 31:

Saturday 10am-6pm, Sunday noon-5pm and M-F 1pm-5pm.

Self-serve option for safety and convenience during daytime hours. This year will be the 8th year that the Clifton Pumpkin Patch has been in operation and is the Church's major fundraiser.

Garden Volunteers

We appreciate the help of garden volunteers who have worked in the hot summer months. Garden maintenance will continue through the fall in the Memorial Garden , front of the church and around the parking lot. Our new Pollinator Garden is flourishing with lovely blooms. If you can help for an hour or two to keep our gardens looking healthy and beautiful, please contact Ginny von Rueden: rvonrueden@comcast.net or 781-631-7898.

Gifts of Cheer



If you know of anyone, either here at Old North or in the wider Marblehead community who is going through a difficult time, the Community Life Board would like to reach out with a little plant and a friendly note. Please contact Lynda Hare at hares8carrots@hotmail.com or 781-639-0107 if you know someone who would appreciate a little extra cheer.

Lectio Divina

A monastic practice of scripture, reflection and prayer dating back to the 4^th century, at Old North lectio divina has been adapted and practiced for more than ten years on every Tuesday morning from 9 to about 10:30 am. When Dennis was here, he led the practice. Since his leaving, we all take turns being the leader to select the readings. We have welcomed newcomers, some not from Old North, who seem to find soul food in the practice and the shared reflections that are part of it. We meet at 9 am both in person in the “Great Room” on Stacey St. and on Zoom.

We begin each meeting with a context-setting call to worship. Then we pair a scripture reading with a poem, chosen by the leader for the day and read aloud. We then move into 21 minutes of silent meditation, marked by chimes, and finally we share in “safe space” our responses – personal and intellectual. We end each session with prayers for healing and the Lord’s Prayer.



It is a rich time of being together in community and quite like no other. We invite you to give it a try.