Sunday School Begins This Week

Teaching and nurturing children is part of who we are at Old North. There will be Sunday school and nursery care every Sunday during the 10am service. Sunday School begins this Sunday, September 22.

You can register your children for Nursery Care and Sunday School online at bit.ly/ONCkids

Craft Workshop Tomorrow Morning

The first craft workshop of the 2024 ONC Fair season led by Ginny von Rueden and Chris Arren will be held tomorrow, Friday, September 20, at 9:00 AM in the Parish Hall. The projects include creating Snow Globes, Christmas Card Ball ornaments and Christmas Card puzzles for kids. Everyone should bring a glue gun, scissors, xacto knife and glue stick. Hope to see you there!!!!

Introducing Old North's New Associate Pastor Rev. Christine Hribar

It was a unanimous and joyful vote last Sunday to affirm Christine as our new Associate Pastor! She will be leading worship, preaching once a month, and taking leadership over our children and family programming. Rev. Christine is a Designated Term Associate Pastor, which means she has a contract with us that ends in 2 years. You can reach Christine at revcristinehribar@gmail.com or by phone at 781-631-1244 x105. Please join us in welcoming her to the church!

Here is a photo of Rev. Lindsay with Rev Christine following the successful candidating vote!

Pastor Lindsay’s Installation, 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! 



North Shore Youth Ministry (NSYM)

Jess Easter (She/Her) has started as the new youth pastor serving the Marblehead Youth Collaborative Ministry. Based on initial meetings, the youth have chosen to rename the group 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!

Upcoming NSYM 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:

· 9/15: Clifton Lutheran Church 

· 9/22: Old North Church (High Schoolers come prepared for room painting!)

·  9/29: Special Group! We will meet at Clifton’s Fall Fest (1-3 pm) and have one combined group meeting from 3-5:30 pm. Weather permitting, we will walk over to the Forest River Trails for some light hiking. Pick up will be at Clifton.

· 10/6: Old North Church

We will also be having two Friday Night hangouts for both Middle and High Schoolers in the next couple of weeks:

· 9/20: Meet at First Church Swampscott at 6:45 pm and we will walk together to the beach (weather and tide permitting) for games, a picnic, and devotion. Pick up will be at the beach at 9 pm.

· 10/4: Movie Night at First Church Swampscott from 6:30-9 pm! We’ll have pizza and snacks.

Death and Dying/Life and Living Course Continues Sunday

Our first Fall session is scheduled for this coming Sunday, September 22, in the Great Room, at 11:30AM following the 10:00AM service. Additional sessions are planned for October 20 and November 17. You have the option to join on-line by clicking the link below. 

In May I completed writing the history of the Salem Mission at the Crombie Street Congregational Church –the first shelter for homeless people in Salem, which in 2005 became Lifebridge North Shore and relocated to its current location fronted on Riley Plaza. The Mission was the ground Lifebridge North Shore was rooted in.

I added an Addendum: Charity and Social Consciousness, which I wrote with a sociological bend and should give us food for thought during discussions in the Fall. Click Addendum if you'd like to read it.

Among other things to ponder: how government, non-government organizations, private initiatives of volunteerism and fund raising, each play a role in responding to the needs of the destitute without basic necessities of life. Many of us volunteer our service to make a difference in our communities and beyond. Non-government agencies and volunteer efforts are likely no more than bandages to ameliorate profound structural inequities and social inequalities. -- Else Wiersma 

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

Please consider joining the Senior Choir this year!

Singers of all ages (high school and up) and varied levels of experience are welcome and encouraged. Singing is gratifying, fun and in fact, good for your health and well-being!

Regular rehearsals for the Senior Choir take place on Wednesday evenings from 7:30pm -9:00pm, and at 9am on Sunday mornings.

Rehearsals for the 44th annual Festival Chorus concerts will begin on Wednesday, September 25th in the Old North Sanctuary.

Please arrive early to register - doors will be open at 7:00pm and rehearsal will begin at 7:30pm. All singers are welcome! We do not hold auditions, but previous choral experience is expected. Singers are required to purchase their musical scores (which will be provided at registration) and there is a nominal registration fee.

Rehearsals will take place from 7:30pm-9:00pm every Wednesday and will extend to 9:30pm as we get closer to the concert dates. This year’s program will feature Magnificat in D, by Jan Dismas Zelenka, Felix Mendelssohn’s Christmas Cantata, Vom Himmel Hoch (From Heaven on High), International Carols of the Americas arranged by Mark Hayes, The Bellringer’s Holiday arranged by Randol Bass, and other seasonal favorites. 

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

This year’s team of Old North section leader/soloists includes Holly Cameron, soprano; Kevin Hayden, tenor; and Andrew Scoglio, baritone who are all returning from last season. We are currently holding auditions to replace mezzo-soprano, Gabriela Fagen who is moving to Germany this Fall. We wish her the best of luck in her musical endeavors abroad! We are excited to welcome Anne Burgett, soprano, to our team of professional singers while our search to replace Gabi continues.



Please visit the Festival Chorus Website at: www.oldnorthfestivalchorus.org or contact Maria vanKalken at:vankalken@gmail.com for questions about the Music Program at Old North. 

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!!!!!!

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!

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. 

Oct 9 , Nov 13 , Dec 11

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

Green Tip of the Week

Keep vegetable trimmings and meat or poultry bones in the freezer to make broth later. Then compost the cooked vegetables and bones.

The Old North Church Green Team is starting 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 goes from September 1 to October 4.



Here’s how it works: we will have a tip of the week in our weekly church bulletin, both on-line and in print. We would very much welcome church-wide participation. Please send us a “green tip” from your household so we can pass it on to others. Send your suggestion(s) to Mimi: mimi.hollister@aol.com. We will collect them and use them over time. 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.  

Land and Sea Cleanup Saturday

Join SPUR and Sustainable Marblehead for their annual Land & Sea Cleanup this Saturday, September 21. Beach cleanups are being organized from 9am - 10am and park cleanups from 2pm - 3pm.  Signup from the volunteer page on their website at spurnorthshore.org. 

The Pumpkins are Coming

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.

Lifebridge Fundraising Gala

A Night to Remember

September 26, 2024 

7:00 PM 

Peabody Essex Museum, 161 Essex Street, Salem, MA 01970 

Event Link: https://one.bidpal.net/anighttoremember2024/welcome

This annual gala benefits Lifebridge North Shore and its mission of providing shelter, meals, and essential services to vulnerable individuals experiencing homelessness across the North Shore. It promises to be an inspiring evening of philanthropy, complete with live music and refreshments.

Sustainability Fair

Sustainable Marblehead will host a Sustainability Fair on Saturday, September 28 from 10a to 2p at the Brown School. Test drive EVs, learn about bike safety for children, explore green technologies for your home, discover ways to reduce waste and hear from expert speakers on environmental topics. Visit with nonprofits to learn about their efforts to protect the planet and speak to businesses that offer green solutions. Fun and engaging activities for children will also be included. 

High Holy Days Event with Temple Emanu-El

Rabbi Jenn Mangold, the new senior rabbi at Temple Emanu-El, has invited our church to participate in Selichot festivities as part of the fall High Holy Day season. 



On Saturday, Sept 28, there will be dinner (5:30), a prayer service (6:15), and an interfaith conversation led by Rabbi Jenn and Pastor Lindsay on faith and forgiveness (7). 



For more information and to RSVP, visit https://www.emanu-el.org/selichot-dinner-rsvp.html

Babysitting Assistance for Temple Emanu-El

Temple Emanu-El is looking for help with babysitting during their Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services. Because it is the holiday, the teens/young adults that would normally do that are occupied during the service. It’s October 3rd (Thursday) and October 12^th (Saturday), 10am-12:30pm (high schools have off on that Thursday). If you know someone willing to help watch children during services, please contact Jaime F. Meyers of Temple Emanu-El at jmeyers@emanu-el.org.

Coffee Hour in the Parish Hall

Please join us for coffee hour after the 10am service at the Parish Hall. Don't forget to bring your travel cup so we can reduce waste and save trees.

A visit from our past Minister

On Tuesday Lindsay had the opportunity to meet Rev. Ran and Marilyn Niehoff during their brief visit to Marblehead this week. Ran was senior minister here from 1979–1991! Here they are pictured in the Sanctuary.

Chandeliers and Cobwebs

On Saturday, an efficient group met in the sanctuary to clean the chandelier, which was overdue for its annual cleaning and was extra dusty from the work in the sanctuary - Flory Denhard, Janet Doyle, Betsey Halbert, Max Halbert and his friend visiting from China, James Li.

This involved lowering it from the ceiling with a winch in the attic, removing the bulbs and globes, cleaning the globes with ammonia, and replacing them. We replaced 12 of the light bulbs with LED bulbs and will continue to replace the rest over time as they will last longer and save energy as we continue to work on being green. Then the chandelier was raised back to the ceiling by the winch. Max fashioned a VERY long pole with a duster at the end to remove the spider webs from each light fixture (good until the spiders come back and weave new ones!).

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.

Capital Campaign Projects Update

Scaffolding has been erected on the North side of the Sanctuary and portions of the front of the church to provide access to the gutter on the south side of the roof and portions of the roof trim to be repaired. This work will continue for the next two months or so. The scaffolding will not interfere with access to the building. 

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.