Men’s Group Breakfast - tomorrow

January 31 7:30am

The Men’s Group will meet for breakfast tomorrow, January 31, in the Stacey Street Great Room starting at 7:30 am.

Please contact Dave Hostetter at davehracer@gmail.com for more information and to get on the group’s email list. Please let Dave know if you plan to attend the breakfast and if you can bring something to share. Newcomers are always welcome.

Church Budget Meeting this Sunday

Our Annual Church Budget Meeting will be held this Sunday, February 2 in the sanctuary at the close of the 10 o’clock service. All members of Old North should plan to attend as this meeting has a quorum requirement.

Immediately following the meeting please join us in the Parish Hall for the 2^nd Annual Chili Bake Off and no charge Friend Raiser Chili lunch.

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OLD NORTH CHURCH

THE FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST IN MARBLEHEAD

Agenda for Annual Budget Meeting of the Church Membership

February 2, 2025

Call to Order – Betsey Halbert, Moderator

Opening Prayer – Rev. Lindsay Popperson 

Approval of the Minutes of the 340th Annual Meeting of the Church on June 5, 2024- Betsey Halbert

Leadership Board Update – Betsey Halbert

Bylaw Change - Betsey Halbert 

Prudential Board – Scott Fillenworth

Stewardship – Rick Settelmeyer

2024 Financial Report / 2025 Budget Proposal – Blair Lord, Treasurer

Comments from the Floor

Closing Prayer – Rev. Christine Hribar

Bylaw Change Proposal

After listening to input at last year's annual meeting, talking extensively at Leadership Board meetings, educating the congregation about our financial relationship to the wider denomination, and holding three listening sessions, the Leadership Board has a draft proposal of a bylaw change.

Join Us For Lunch

Following the Annual Budget Meeting this Sunday, join us in the Parish Hall to judge different chilis and then treat yourself to your favorite along with some corn bread. Who doesn’t love a free lunch?!

Sunday School and Nursery Care

Old North Church welcomes children of all ages on Sunday mornings! Children are welcome in the sanctuary for 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.

Faith Formation

All this month in church school we've been exploring great water stories in the Bible as we explore baptism and what it means. Along with Bible stories, we've been exploring water play: we've re-used paper to make seed paper, we've played with water beads and wet-on-wet watercolors. 

This week, Rev. Christine and Holly Jannell will explore sacraments with the children getting their hands on some bread and water then they'll consider the UCC Climate Hope Art Contest before returning to the sanctuary to share communion together. 

We're also thinking about how we're baptized into the church universal and are held by a particular church: Old North. We're exploring what questions and desires we have about the church (Ex: what's the trapdoor behind the pulpit? Can I use the microphone? What's the big door in the front of the church? May I play the organ?) The children have many wonders about this community and the building that holds us!   

Stewardship

This past Sunday, an informational 2025 budget review meeting was held immediately after the 10 o’clock service. The Annual Budget Meeting of the church is scheduled for this Sunday, February 2 in the Sanctuary following the 10 o’clock service with approval of the church’s 2025 budget being a desired goal. Pledge revenue is anticipated to be slightly higher than 2024 or approximately $475,000 which, although modestly below our desired goal of $500,000, will, when combined with other income sources, enable Old North Church to sustain its desire to fund both ongoing church programs and our outreach mission support. And yes, we are still reaching out to make sure that all who wish to donate can and do.

That said, Stewardship should and will be an ongoing commitment. Looking beyond 2025, Old North will remain strong — both as our home and as a good and caring neighbor — only if we stay committed to our financial as well as spiritual health. We look forward to continuing to work with our congregation to build an ever firmer financial foundation.

Your Stewardship Committee 

If you have not yet made your pledge for 2025, pledge cards are available in the pew racks or you may pledge online at www.onchurch.org/pledge.  You may also contact Lisa Nahatis in the church office to record your pledge, at 781-631-1244 or office@onchurch.org

SINGERS!

Rehearsals for the annual Palm Sunday Lenten Choral Concert – featuring the Old North Senior Choir & Soloists and members of the Old North Festival Chorus and Orchestra – will begin on Wednesday, February 26, 2025. Our Lenten Concert will feature Dan Forrest’s stunningly beautiful Requiem For the Living, which was originally programmed in 2020, but abruptly halted due to the Covid-19 pandemic. All interested singers – from high-school-aged students to adults – are welcome to join this special choral performance. There are no auditions, and it is not necessary to be a member of Old North Church or the Festival Chorus to join, but previous choral experience is required. Please help spread the word! Singers are asked to purchase their scores at the first rehearsal unless they already own one. Please contact Maria at vankalken@gmail.com with questions and/or to reserve a score to be picked up at Registration on February 26.

Registration & First Rehearsal:      

Wednesday, February 26 at 7:30pm in the Parish Hall

(subsequent rehearsals: Wednesdays from 7:30 – 9pm)

Dress Rehearsal (mandatory):            

Saturday, April 12, 10am – 1pm

Concert: Sunday, April 13 at 7:30pm

Upcoming North Shore Youth Ministry (NSYM) Meetings

The NSYM typically 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 Winter schedule location is as follows:

• Sunday, February 2 - Old North Church
•  Saturday, February 8 – Sunday, February 9 - Church Lock-In
• Winter Walk! We will meet at First Church Saturday 2/8 at 4 pm to play games, watch movies, do devotions & eat. Sunday morning, we will take the train down into Boston for the Winter Walk, exploring the city.
• Sunday, February 16 - No Group!
• Sunday, February 23 - Clifton Lutheran Church (combined group 4-6:30)
• Friday, February 28 - St. Andrews

For the month of March, we will be learning about each others’ churches, so we will be following Jess to a different church’s service each week. Formal Youth Group (combined) will be 12-2 pm after church each of these days at the church we are visiting. Look for more details on this as we approach March. 

Please click here to view the NSYM's Winter Newsletter

Family Winter Camp Weekend 

Clifton Lutheran Church welcomes all NSYM partners for a weekend of fun, faith, and fellowship at Camp Calument in NH. The Winter Weekend flyer contains the basic information on the weekend. The registration form provides cost breakdown and cabin information.

Registration is first come, first served. If you would like to register for your family please do so as soon as possible. For more information on costs, lodging, and activities, or to submit a completed registration form, email Jess at Jess@thensym.org and Karin at Karin17e@gmail.com.

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 Knitters

Prayer Shawl continues to meet the second Wednesday of each month in 2025, 10:30-12 in the Great Room at Stacey Street. Dates are:

February 12, March 12, April 9, May 14

Please join us — we have yarn, pattern + needles.

Green Tip of the Week

This week’s “Green Tip of the Week” – Get a wheely cart for groceries and walk to the store, especially if you live near Crosby’s.

Responding to the CA Wildfires

You can support the United Church of Christ's disaster relief efforts in the Los Angeles area by making a donation online at https://support.ucc.org/california-wildfires-2025 

Our Outreach Ministry Board will continue to be in touch about local organizations on the ground in LA that we can support! 

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.