This Week at Old North Church

Our Latest News and Activities

Sunday, July 24, 2022

Seventh Sunday After Pentecost

Please join us for worship at 8am at Chandler Hovey Park

Note: there is ONE weekly worship service this summer.

Scripture and Poetry Lessons:

Luke 11:1-14

and

“Our Father” by Malcolm Guite

The use of this poem in our worship service is permissible under US copyright law (17 U.S.C. § 110(3))

Karen Kilty's Sermon:

"Lord, Teach Us to Pray"

Summer Worship at Chandler Hovey Park Sundays at 8am

We are now gathering for worship at the Marblehead Light at Chandler Hovey Park at 8am every Sunday morning, as long as it’s not raining. If it is raining, our service will be held in the Sanctuary.

We are very grateful to members of our Community Life Ministry Board for providing Coffee Hour refreshments after our summer services.

Online worship: We are unable to livestream from the Lighthouse, so each Sunday's worship service will be recorded and posted on the website, YouTube, and Facebook by 5pm each Sunday.

Capital Campaign

Discussion Meeting this Sunday

We will be holding several discussion groups to get feedback and alternative ideas from parishioners about raising the capital funds needed to repair and maintain our church property. In addition, we will discuss the current status and proposed plans for mounting a church campaign. The first discussion group will take place after church at the lighthouse on this Sunday, July 24. Grab a coffee and snack from coffee hour and join Betsey, Sally, Stow, and Mark to talk. If you can't make it this Sunday, we will be arranging a few additional discussion groups - 1 on Zoom and 1 in person at Stacey St. some time this summer. If you want to be sure to be included, feel free to send your name to Betsey Halbert at [email protected]. We are looking forward to hearing from you!

Confirmation Summer School

Following the success of last year's summer confirmation program, the church invites its middle schoolers to join Dee Burgett and Rhod Sharp after the lighthouse service at Chandler Hovey Park for an 8-week open air confirmation summer school that began Sunday, July 10. Everyone from rising 7th graders to rising 9th graders is invited to join in.

In a relaxed atmosphere students will meditate and then tour one of the best known if least understood books of the Bible, Genesis. We remind students that it could be hot! Bring a cooling drink, something to sit on like a chair or a pillow and perhaps a hat.

There is no minimum attendance requirement, but we hope it opens the door to a more normal two-term year of confirmation classes starting, God willing, in the fall and concluding with a confirmation service in the spring. No registration needed. Questions to [email protected] or [email protected].

Leadership Board

The Leadership Board met on Thursday evening, July 14 at 7pm. New members Stephen Ainlay, Flory Denhard and Gary Eisenhower were welcomed to the board. Minutes of the June meeting were approved. The next Leadership Board meeting will be held on Thursday, September 8 at 6pm in person in the Great Room at the Stacey Street Office Building.

Approved minutes of the May meeting are available here.

June meeting may be viewed here and minutes of the annual meeting of the church on June 16 are available here.

Please Share Your Photo Glimpses of Grace This Summer

A great gift of summertime is the chance to break our routines and for time to relax and recharge our spiritual batteries. Whether we get away or enjoy a "stay-cation" at home, hopefully we get a chance to breathe deeply, enjoy life at a slower pace, and notice things we don't usually notice. We get glimpses of grace we're often too busy to see.

This summer let's share some of those glimpses of grace. While you enjoy the season's beauty, take a picture of an inspiring place or a person or thing, and email it to the church office ([email protected]) with "Glimpses of Grace" in the subject line. We'll share as many as we can in this space each each week.

This beautiful image of a hummingbird in flight was taken by our office manager, Lisa Nahatis a few years ago at her lake home in Stockholm, Maine. It never ceases to be an inspiration of nature's beauty.

Welcome the Stranger

A Partnership of Old North Church, St. Andrews Episcopal Church

and Temple Emanu-El - Update July 2022

Danie, Virgil, Annie and Djahimara

In September 2017, Danie and her daughter Annie arrived in Marblehead after an ardous journey from Haiti. Parishioners of Old North Church, St. Andrews and Temple Emanu-EL, along with fellow travelers from Marblehead, Salem and Swampscott worked together to support and help Danie and her family settle and thrive in this country.

Since that date Danie’s husband and oldest daughter Djahimara have been able to legally join them. They live on Cressy Street in Marblehead. Annie has finished her third year at Tower and Djahimara just recently graduated from Marblehead Middle School. Danie works as a Certified Nurse’s Aide and Virgil works at North Shore Hospital.

Recently Danie and Virgil’s relatives, colleagues from their work environment, their immigration attorney and first host family, WTS volunteers and Djahimara classmates gathered to celebrate Djahimara’s birthday and graduation and enjoy most delicious Haitian cuisine.

Afghan Refugees

Welcome The Stranger is helping several Afghan families in both Lynn and Salem, some of whom helped the US forces in different capacities and all of whom escaped the country in harrowing circumstances last August. Assistance includes furnishing their apartments, ESL instruction and enrollment in schools, transportation to grocery stores, banks and medical appointments, job searches, help with driving licenses and even sitting in on doctor’s visits.

While we constantly receive offers of furniture and household goods, finding suitable low cost housing on the North Shore remains a challenge.

Welcome The Stranger sends love and gratitude to all who help support this effort. Old North worker bees include Judy Conner, Linda Duvel, Lynda Hare and Richard Thibedeau.

Give to Old North While Shopping

Use smile.amazon.com when shopping at Amazon and 0.5% of your spending amount will be donated to our church (subscription and digital purchases are excluded). Instead of going directly to www.amazon.com, go to smile.amazon.com and login with your normal User Name and Password. Make sure that you confirm First Church of Christ in Marblehead as your selected charity. If not, enter “First Church of Christ in Marblehead” in the text box and click “search” then confirm your selection. You will only have to do this once – your selection will be saved with your account. Easy!

To use Amazon Smile on your iOS or Android Amazon app, open the app and then open the Main Menu. Scroll down to Settings and tap on Amazon Smile. Follow the onscreen instructions to turn on donations from orders placed on your phone.

Church Building Access and Summer Office Hours

The church office is now on summer hours. The office will be staffed Tuesday morning from 10-noon and on Wednesday and-Thursday from 9am-noon. If you have an emergency outside of office hours, please send an email to [email protected]

Email: [email protected]

Church Address: 35 Washington St., Marblehead, MA 01945

Mailing Address: 8 Stacey St. Marblehead, MA 01945