Sunday School and Nursery Care

Old North Church welcomes children of all ages on Sunday mornings! Children are welcome in the sanctuary for the the entirety of the service. Our nursery for children 3 months to 4ish opens at 9:50 but you may bring your little ones there at any point in the service. Sunday school (for kids aged four through 12) begins partway through the church service, following the "Moments with Children" during worship.

This week in Sunday School, Rev. Christine will lead the children in an exploration of the story of Martha and Mary from Luke's gospel and Dee Burgett will share her artistic skills, dyeing prayer flags using batik or Japanese printing techniques (itajime and shibori). Please reach out to Rev. Christine with any questions.

Upcoming NSYM Sunday Meetings

The North Shore Youth Ministry (NSYM) meets Sundays and rotates 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 November schedule location is as follows:

·  11/10- Old North Church

·  11/17- NO GROUP

· 11/24- Special Group: Friendsgiving (combined middle and high school) 4-7 pm, at Clifton. A sign-up sheet will be sent closer to the date for folks to bring food and drinks. 

We will also be having special events for both Middle and High Schoolers this month:

Saturday the 23rd is Fair Saturday! Both First Church and Old North Church will be holding Winter Fairs. These are family events and everyone is welcome! Jess will be around at Old North between 9:30-11:30 and at First Church between 12-2 pm to socialize with youth and families (and enjoy the festivities with you all!).

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 (marbleheadyouthcoopministry@gmail.com) as she can make connections between families to make sure our youth have the opportunity

to join!

NSYM Youth Event Tomorrow Evening

The North Shore Youth Ministry's (NSYM) next Friday Night hangout is tomorrow night, November 8th.

We will be having a Nerf Battle Friday evening at St. Andrews! We’ll meet from 6:30-9, have some dinner, and battle it out across the church. If you have nerf guns, please bring them with you! We have a few, but not enough for everyone. Please let me know if you have a problem getting one or if you have extra to share!

NSYM Hosting Craft Fair Food and Beverage Station Saturday

The North Shore Youth Ministry will be hosting the food and beverage station at Made by 01907, a craft artisan fair being held at the First Church in Swampscott on November 9th from 10am to 4pm. All proceeds will go towards the NSYM programs.

If you would like to help support his fundraiser, food and drink donations can be made online here. Or, stop by the fair November 9 and support the NSYM by visiting their Food and Beverage station!

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!) 

Monthly Bell Ringing to Call Awareness About Climate Change

At 11am on Monday, November 11^th, and on the 11th of each month, Old North Church will once again, as it does every month, be joining other churches in Marblehead in ringing their bells for 11 minutes to call attention to the need to take 11th hour action about the climate crisis. This important initiative was started in 2022 by churches in Cambridge and later joined by churches on the North Shore to ring their bells on the 11th of each month. If you would like to be a part of this bell ringing, just come to the church at 11 am. Someone will be there to welcome you.

Recent United Nations Climate Reports have all said that climate change is happening even faster than anticipated and drastic action is needed. Coastal communities such as ours are especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Let the ringing of the bells be a reminder that we are all in this together as care takers of God’s good creation in our time.

ONC Reading Group

The next meeting of the ONC Reading Group on Preserving Our Democracy and Environment will be held on Zoom on November 13th from 9:00 to 10:30 AM (EST). The meeting will open early, by 8:45 AM, for solving technical problems, etc.

To join the meeting, just click on:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82896213028?pwd=n0feMmXa3axBgJknqu1IUD3qTwialx.1 .



To use your telephone for audio, dial +1 929 205 6099 (New York) and follow the operator’s instructions with Meeting ID: 828-9621-3028 and Passcode: 537613. 



This will be the latest of a series of meetings on this subject that have been hosted for all by the ONC Men’s Group. You are invited to participate regardless of the amount of your preparation, or whether you have attended a previous meeting. At this meeting we will continue our discussions of various approaches toward preserving our democracy and environment beyond yesterday’s national elections. We will also continue our discussions of Heather Cox Richardson’s latest book, Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America.  

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.

Death and Dying/Life and Living Course Continues November 17

During our November 17 session we will have our third and final discussion of topics related to my story of the Crombie Street Church Salem Mission, 1976 – 2005. The church housed the first shelter in Salem and was the forerunner of ‘Lifebridge North Shore’. I have asked my friend Ann Arata and participant in our course, to introduce the topic: “Crisis of Finding Affordable Housing in exceptional times of inequity nationally and globally”. Ann worked for almost 15 years for the Cambridge Housing Authority, and prior to that with a private firm which developed affordable elderly housing. She is quite informed about Federal, State, and Municipal subsidized housing programs. And, the growing number of homeless people is directly related to the longstanding stark disparities in wealth and access to housing in the Unites States.

Our future topics, starting in January 2025, will return to essential questions dealing with ‘Being’ – life’s meaning as beings with consciousness of self. For example: what do we mean by Spirituality, the Role of Religion in Society, and other related subjects.

As always we start 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

Now Accepting Fair Donations

We now have storage available! You may bring your fair donations to the Parish Hall beginning this Sunday after the 10am service. We will be accepting donations every Sunday after the 10am service through November 17 . If this is not convenient, please contact Linda Duvel, linda.bill.duvel@gmail.com or 781-631-1703 or Marcia Hostetter, hostetter.marcia@gmail.com or 781-639-1942 to make other arrangements for delivery of your items.

Fair Preview Party Friday Nov 22^nd at 7-9 pm

The Preview Party before the Fair is a chance to gather and enjoy a first look at all the offerings while enjoying food, drinks, and community. We of course need many volunteers to bring finger food hors d'oeuvres for that evening. And we will be looking for some help in the kitchen. 



Tickets will be sold during coffee hour on Nov 3rd, 10th, and 17th.  $25 per person includes 2 drink tickets. $20 tickets without beer or wine. You may also reserve online here.



If you can make hors d'oeuvres, please let us know asap.

Call or email Flory Denhard 781-724-6239, fpdenhard@gmail.com or Marcia Hostetter 781-639-1942, hostetter.marcia@gmail.com

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. 

The Fair Flyer lists areas where your donations would be appreciated and the person/people to contact with questions and offerings. 

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.

Holiday Hostess Gifts were created during this week's Fair Workshop. Taper candles were wrapped with holiday dish towels and embellished with decorations - including Thanksgiving themed assortments. They make wonderful hostess and teacher gifts.

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.

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

Christmas at the Fair

Starting November 3, the stage in the Parish Hall will be available to leave your donated items for the Fair. We would like to offer a great selection of Christmas items such as ornaments, figurines, decorative items, stockings, linens, etc. so please bring your selections for our Christmas tables and leave them on the stage. Contact: Ginny von Rueden at rvonrueden@comcast.net.

Thank you from the Merry Elves

Calling All Bakers!

We need homemade treats for the Bakery Table at the Church Fair on Saturday, November 23. Pies are our top sellers, and we greatly appreciate all types of breads, cookies, and other family favorites. (Please note that we are not able to accept items which require refrigeration, such as pumpkin pies, pecan pies, cream pies, or cream-filled pastries). Drop off between 3 and 5 on Friday, November 22. Please email Bonnie MacDonald at bonnietim@comcast.net to let us know what you would like to make!

Gift Baskets

We will be offering a variety of small gift baskets at the fair selling for $20 - $40. Unlike previous fairs, these will not be auctioned, rather they may be purchased. The themes of these baskets may include hostess gifts, housewarming, pet themed, children’s items, pampering spa, boats, foods, travel, gardens, etc. We are asking that people donate items that would fit into these categories, and we will put them together in attractive containers/baskets.

Items may include, but are not limited to small soaps, candles, tea towels, tea, sweets or candy, small household utensils, games, art supplies, wine, crackers, cheese spreader, snacks, nuts, biscuits, note cards, recipe and dry ingredients, olive oil, herbs, potholders, fancy salts, salt and pepper shakers, napkins, small garden items and coasters. If you have any questions, please contact Marcia Hostetter at 781 639-1942 or by email at Hostetter.marcia@gmail.com.

The Old North Church Holiday Fair will be offering good-quality, fine and fashion jewelry for sale within its boutique.

Holly Jannell and Chris Arren will be organizing and pricing these items. Please search your jewelry boxes for any pieces (necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings, etc.) that you no longer wear, but will be new to others. Your hints regarding pricing are appreciated. Jewelry makes a great holiday gift and a refresher to someone else’s personal style. Please contact Chris Arren (c_arren@yahoo.com) or Holly Jannell (hjannel@verizon.net) for drop off or pick up information. Jewelry can be dropped off at the ONC Welcome Table at the 10:00 a.m. service now through November 17.

ONC Fair Services

A diverse collection of service offerings are available for sale at the coming church fair. A preliminary list is shown below. We are still looking for a few volunteers so we can fill-in the "tbd" shown on the list.  If we are fortunate enough to sell out our service offerings, we will add over $4000 to ONC's income. Please contact Dave Hostetter via phone or text message at 781-631-3216, or email daveh.racer@gmail.com, if you have any questions or want to volunteer.

News from the Festival Chorus Committee! 

The Festival Chorus Committee wishes to remind you of a wonderful opportunity to support our Christmas concerts by advertising in the upcoming Forty-Fourth (44th) Annual Old North Festival Chorus Program Book. This season, Festival Chorus Christmas Concerts—presented as part of the annual Marblehead Christmas Walk—will take place on Saturday and Sunday evenings, December 7 and 8, in the sanctuary at Old North Church. The Festival Orchestra, Soloists and over seventy (70+) members of the Chorus will be led by Maria van Kalken, Minister of Music, who is celebrating her 36^th season as Director of the Festival Chorus. 

Festival Chorus Programs serve as an important guide for nearly 1,000 distinctive holiday enthusiasts and potential customers, as well as an informative resource thereafter. Ad rates are very reasonable; the deadline for advertising space reservations and electronic artwork submission is Friday, November 15, 2024. For choice placement, please e-mail your space reservation and/or any questions, to Festival Chorus Committee member Kathy Fay (kathy@bemf.org). If you’d like to support our concerts as a Festival Angel, Guarantor, Benefactor, Patron, or Friend, kindly list your name/business—as you’d like it to appear in our printed programs—on the Advertising Contract and Contribution Form, which can be found on our website (www.oldnorthfestivalchorus.org).  Thank you for your support!  

Make a Joyful Noise!

 Children of all ages (including adults!) are invited to Make a Joyful Noise! with Liz Smith, Bell Choir Director, on Sunday, November 17, directly following the 10am Service. Children will have an opportunity to learn about our remarkable collection of Hand Bells and explore making their own sounds with hand bells and other percussive instruments.  Make a Joyful Noise! will take place in the Old North Sanctuary. All are welcome to participate in this very special event.

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!

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.

Please click HERE or on the image above to view a slideshow of the projects that were completed this year. You will be impressed!

Marblehead Food Pantry 

November is the month when traditionally Old North help stock the shelves at the Marblehead Food Pantry. The number of food insecure households visiting the Pantry continue to rise at a pace, making Old North’s donations all the more urgent. If you are able to help, please, once again, consider writing a check to Old North Church, 8 Stacey Street, Marblehead MA 01945 and putting Marblehead Food Pantry in the memo line. Alternatively you may make an on line donation, with the same specification.   Our Old North shopping team will use your kind donation to purchase the very specific needs of the Food Pantry each week. These include non-perishable goods, toiletries and personal items. Your generosity will make such a difference to the dozens of people using the food pantry.

Thank you for your consideration,

Lynda Hare on behalf of the Outreach Ministry Board.

Sunday School Artwork

In Sunday School, the children have been creating artwork for a mural. One Communion Sunday we were thinking of some of our favorite meals and many remembered campfire meals as favorites.  

Green Tip of the Week

This week’s “Green Tip of the Week”: Use paper towels and toilet paper and tissues made from recycled paper. Seventh Generation is one product carried at Crosby’s and CVS and Whole Foods. Use recycled paper for your computer – available at Staples. Shop at MacCrae’s on Washington St. for all sorts of green products.

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.  

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 Hurricanes Helene and Milton this past month. 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.

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.

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.