Worship and Arts

Join Us for Health and Healing Sunday This Sunday

We will observe Health and Healing Sunday this Sunday during our 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. services. Through worship and special events we will remember that God comforts all who are suffering. You will have the opportunity for anointing and laying on of hands during both worship services. This ritual can be brought to shut-ins' homes in the Indianapolis area upon request.

Indianapolis Children's Choir to Offer Special Music Nov. 25

For over 30 years the beginning level choirs of the Indianapolis Children's Choir have been an integral part of North's Thanksgiving Eve service, bringing new music and energy to an evening of gratitude and thanksgiving. This community service will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 25 at 7 p.m. in North's sanctuary. It will be livestreamed. The offering will go to the Mid-North Food Pantry.

Help Needed to Set Up Our Nativities on Sunday, Nov. 22

Sunday, Nov. 22 has been designated as the day we'll set up our collection of nativity sets from around the world in the sanctuary, chapel, east hallway, and the west entry, and we need as many volunteers as possible to make this task go quickly!

Thank you to the children and youth who brought the nativities out of storage and down several flights of stairs last Sunday, Nov. 8. The nativities will be placed on carts on Nov. 22 in the areas mentioned, and they'll need to be unwrapped and placed in those areas. You can help anytime that morning: before and after the 8:30 a.m. service, and before and after the 11 a.m. service. Many hands do make light work!

Families that want to use this opportunity as a family Christmas tradition, please feel free to allow your children to help with your supervision. Thank you!

Please Spread the World About Our Open Houses

Some holiday events carry admission prices that make them unattainable to those on a budget. In response, North's worship and arts committee is offering three free open houses so the public can see our collection of more than 150 nativities from around the world up close.

The open houses will be held from 10 a.m. until noon on three Thursdays in December: Dec. 3, Dec. 10, and Dec. 17.

Although the open houses are free, reservations must be made in advance so that visitors can enjoy viewing the nativities without being rushed or crowded, and proper staffing can be in place. Photography is permitted.

Please spread the word to clubs, retirement homes, families, scout troops, individuals who can't attend North on Sundays, or any other groups or individuals who might enjoy what could become a new holiday tradition for many!

Discipleship and Formation

"Songs for Joy and Justice" at Castleton UMC This Sunday

North UMC is a co-host of "Songs for Joy and Justice," which will be held this Sunday, Nov. 15, at Castleton United Methodist Church, 7101 N. Shadeland Ave., Indianapolis. The event is part of the Spirit and Place Festival, and it features a potluck dinner at noon followed by the program at 12:30 p.m.

Share a meal, learn songs by ear, and chat together as we strengthen hope, courage, and connection. All ages are welcome and no singing experience is required. All songs will be taught in call-and-echo fashion.

Registration is encouraged at this link, although walk-ins are welcome.

In addition to the two churches, the event is a collaboration between SongSquad Indy and Indy Singing Resistance, with support via the Vital Worship, Vital Preaching Grant from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship with funds provided by Lilly Endowment.

LGBTQ+ Monthly Fellowship Is on Tap This Coming Tuesday

All LGBTQ+ individuals are invited to our monthly dinner gathering at the AMP at 16 Tech at 6 p.m. this coming Tuesday, Nov. 17. We meet on the third Tuesday of each month. Please reach out to T.A. Inskeep if you have questions or need directions to our tables.

Everyone Is Invited to Advent

Book Study That Begins on Nov. 22

For centuries Christians have turned to the story and message of John the Baptist in the weeks leading up to Christmas. In "Prepare the Way for the Lord: Advent and the Message of John the Baptist," Kansas Senator-Elect Adam Hamilton explores the Advent themes of John’s life and ministry, and how John calls all followers of Jesus to prepare their hearts for His coming. Everyone is invited to this Sojourners class study, which meets in room 005 each Sunday at 9:45 a.m. The study will run from Nov. 22 through Jan. 3 (no class on Dec. 27). Books will be available in the classroom.

Stewardship

Please Turn In Your Pledge Card

If You Haven't Already Done So

Last Sunday Peter Chen announced we are at 77 percent of our $1.075 million pledge goal (see his full remarks).

"Freely Given. Faithfully Shared" echoes Jesus’s words in Matthew — “Freely you have received. Freely give.” We are on our way, but the 2027 budget is not yet secure and we’re asking for your help. In fact, as Peter reported, if every person who pledged last year returns their pledge card, we are confident North Church will meet its goal.  

If you haven't pledged yet, pledge cards are found in the pews, and you can also print one from the website. Then either mail your card to the church (attention Nancy Ricketts) or place it in the offering plate.

One of the questions that we have received since Stewardship Sunday is: “Is it possible to adjust my pledge if my financial picture changes down the road?”  

No one wants to break a promise. We understand when things get tough and in those moments, remember the church has made a membership vow to you to lift you up and support you. It’s better for North Church to have an idea of what you plan. We invite you to prayerfully consider God’s will in your life and for North Church, then pledge on faith with an amount that feels comfortable. You can always adjust it up or down if your circumstances change, no questions asked. 

Mission and Outreach

Help Make Christmas Brighter for Coburn Place Families

North Church is preparing for its annual Jubilee Christmas for the families of Coburn Place despite the hike in gas prices and many economic uncertainties.  Let's spread the love of God to 16 families, 35 children and youth, and other Coburn Place residents who are survivors of domestic violence. Please consider the various ways to give.  

Gifts on the Amazon 2026 Jubilee Christmas wish list need to be purchased by Tuesday, Dec. 1. The shipment address is: Daphne Chen, 6417 Canak Drive, Avon, IN 46123.

We are also trying to gather 35 $50 grocery gift cards (to Meijer, Kroger, etc.) Please drop off your donations of gift cards at the church office by Monday, Dec. 7. Please ask any office staff member to place your gift card donation in the office safe.

We have already received enough wrapping paper. Thank you!

You can contact Daphne Chen for volunteering opportunities: 

• Friday, Dec. 11, 9-11 a.m., to sort the gifts at North, and
• Saturday, Dec. 12, 9-11 a.m., we will gather at North Church to load up everything and deliver the gifts to Coburn Place.

Thank you for making Christmas brighter for these families!

Last Call for Tickets for Sunday's UP Thanksgiving Dinner

The Umoja Partnership's (UP's) biggest fundraiser of the year is its annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Dinner, which will be held this Sunday, Nov. 15, at the Northside Events and Social Club, 2100 E. 71st St., Indianapolis. Come celebrate the ways our diverse faith traditions are working together to ensure food security and access to education in Western Kenya. You can purchase tickets here. You can access the silent auction here.

A table has been purchased for North Church. If you would like to attend, please email Pastor Jill. First come, first served!

Personal Care Items Needed

For Bread and Bowl Advent Bags

We are collecting personal care items for Advent bags to be distributed to our Bread and bowl guests. They look forward to receiving them each year around Christmas as a reminder that they are seen and loved.

The following items are needed:

• gloves of all sizes;
• socks of all sizes;
• small containers of hand sanitizer;
• toothbrushes;
• toothpaste (travel size);
• hand warmers, and
• lip balm.

Donations can be dropped into a gray bin in the west entry and will be put into bags during the Advent Festival on Nov. 29. Thank you. 

Justice and Advocacy

Update on ICE Detention in Indiana

Join us in Fellowship Hall at 9:45 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 6 for the latest presentation on immigration issues. Stuart Maura, lead organizer for the Indiana Organizing Project, will share an overview and updates about ICE detentions in Indiana.

Care and Nurture

Tonight's Workshop Will Teach How to Stop Bleeding

Did you know that a person can bleed to death in 3 to 5 minutes, but the average response time for EMTs is 7 minutes? Uncontrolled bleeding is the most common cause of preventable death after trauma, accounting for roughly 40 percent of trauma-related deaths worldwide.

Participants in "Stop the Bleed" to be held in North UMC's club room tonight, Wednesday, Nov. 11 from 6-7:30 p.m. will be trained to identify life-threatening bleeding and to act effectively to control it with techniques taught by trainer Nick Hogan, EMPT, CPST. He is the injury prevention coordinator at Riley Hospital.

There is a limit of 10 participants, and RSVPs are required. The class is free of charge.

“Stop the Bleed” training is an initiative of the American College of Surgeons. More info is available here.

United Women in Faith

Women of Lydia Meeting Set

The Women of Lydia circle will meet this coming Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 7 p.m. in North's club room.

A Few Soup Mixes and Pies Will Be Available

Thanks to all for your continued support of our soup mix and pie sales. 

A few soup mixes will be available to purchase at the Advent Festival.

Also, if you didn't preorder your pies, please visit our table in the west entry on Sunday, Nov. 22, because a few extra pies were ordered and will be available to purchase during pie pickup that morning. We expect this to be our last time selling pies because we will no longer have access to a freezer to keep the pies frozen from the day we obtain them until the delivery date.

Green Team

Take the Plastic Water Bottle Pledge

The Hoosier Environmental Council, in collaboration with the Indiana Plastic Reduction Alliance, has dubbed November "Microplastics Month" to call attention to tiny plastic particles that cause big problems.

Microplastics are pieces of plastic that are less than 5 millimeters long. Most come from larger plastic materials that break down into smaller pieces from UV exposure, wind, and waves. They are found in virtually every ecosystem in the world, including Antarctica. And these tiny plastic fragments pose health risks to humans and wildlife. 

The environmental groups are challenging you to stop using single-use, plastic water bottles for the month of November. This would generate less plastic waste, and drinking tap water exposes you to far fewer microplastics. One study demonstrated that bottled water consumers ingest up to 90,000 more particles than tap water consumers.  

Plus, everyone who pledges to stop using single-use plastic water bottles in November will be entered into a drawing to win a three-stage water filter from HEC Green Business reTHink, Inc., a zero-waste store and community hub in Terre Haute. Take the pledge here.

A Word About Christmas Trees

Real Christmas trees are more eco-friendly than artificial trees, but they are still cut down. We send 15 million live Christmas tree to landfills each year. This causes methane emissions, which are harmful to the planet. Consider buying a live tree and planting it in your yard after the holiday season. You might also consider decorating a tree that’s living in your yard or planting a live Christmas tree to decorate outside each year.

Shepherd's Center

Political Polarization Is the Topic on Nov. 18

The Shepherd's Center activities on Wednesday, Nov. 18 will get underway at 10 a.m. when Stephanie York leads devotions and jewelry crafts in room 007 while Bob Kirk moderates a discussion of the news in the youth room. The Great Decisions series continues at 11 a.m. in Fellowship Hall when Dr. Paul Hanson, a retired Butler University history professor, will speak on the "Causes of Political Polarization." Lunch will follow there at noon. At 1 p.m. the Shepherd's Singers will offer entertainment at American Village's Lincoln Lodge.

Please like and follow the Mid-North Shepherd's Center's Facebook page to stay up to date on its news.