News from Northside Drive Baptist Church

NORTHSIDE NOTES - February 24, 2010

"Spirituality and Spring Cleaning"

       We use the word Lent with great reverence around the church. The language of Lent is spoken with the gravity of an annoyed librarian shushing a noisy teenager. Quiet! Lent is serious business!
       Given its import, you would think the word's etymology meant something spiritual like repentance or confession or at least preparation. However, the word's beginnings are more modest...more secular...and not holy at all. Lent comes from a Germanic word for long. Thus, it was used to reference the lengthening of days. This, of course, happens in the spring of the year. Lenz means springtime.
       There you have it. Lent is a borrowed word. So is Easter; and its background is even odder.
       Nevertheless, Lent is a good word. Christians drafted it into service as one of the oldest of church seasons. By it we mean 40 days of preparation, confession, and repentance that readies us for the celebration of the resurrection of Christ. It is a spiritual process.
       I did something spiritual last week; but it had nothing to do with readying for Jesus' resurrection. I cleaned the basement...and I am calling it spiritual.
       I threw away some stuff. Stacked all of Liz's pots that she plans on putting plants in one day. I labeled a bunch of anonymous boxes, such as, "Liz's Pre-James Pictures," "James's Pre-Liz Pictures," "James AND Liz's Pictures," etc. I can't imagine what I will do with my free time since I no longer will be digging through this formerly unidentified Rubric's Cube stack of boxes.
       I'm not ready to say that the time spent labeling and cleaning and tossing and sorting was equal to the same amount of time spent on one's knees praying; but it's close. I can't explain how they are connected, but somehow Lenten disciplines and spring cleaning are related...maybe even first cousins.
       The rabbis say that an hour of study is equal to an hour of prayer. Perhaps it also true with spring cleaning and Lent.
       We walked out of Northside's chapel on Ash Wednesday night wearing black dust on our foreheads. Who knows, maybe some basement dust on our knees will do a lot of spiritual good, as well?

NDBC 2030

Unplugged Friday Dinners
March 19, April 16 and May 21

Young adult Unplugged evenings. These are casual dinners at our homes where Mike will bring the main course and everyone else brings a side item. They are on Friday nights once a month at 7PM. If you are interested in hosting an Unplugged gathering at your home on one of the dates above, please let Mike know (mike@northsidedrive.org) so it can be put it on the schedule.

DTBD

March 14, April 11, May 2, May 23 and June 13

The second volume of Dream.Think.Be.Do, "Think", is 5 sessions long. Meeting at 7PM in the church Undercroft and Youth area. Email Mike Gregg at mike@northsidedrive.org to sign up.

EASTER LILIES

Our chancel will be decorated with white lilies on Easter Sunday, April 4, 2010. Orders for the lilies will end March 28!

If you would like to purchase a plant, put your name, a check for $20 and your designated message (i.e., in memory of..., in honor of..., in thankfulness, to the glory of God, etc.) in an Easter Lily envelope located in the Narthex at the flower table. To place an order by phone, contact Carolyn Scott at 404-237-8621. Plants can be paid for in person or by mail.

MOTH

Sunday, February 28, 2010 at 3PM in the Chapel

presents

Mendelssohn"s Piano Trio in D minor

Beethoven's Cello Sonata No. 1 in F Major

Manuel de Falla's Suite Populaire Espagnole

Arvo Part's Spiegel im Spiegel

Helen Kim, violin; Charae Drueger, cello; and Robert Henry, piano

Admission is free, although donations are requested.

LOCAL TALENT ART SHOW

Northside Driver Ruth Kramedjian is currently exhibiting some of her art work at the Smyrna Public Library. The show includes a variety of her works such as: acrylic paintings, mixed media drawings, collages, and infrared photos. The exhibit continues through February 28. The Library is located at 100 Village Green Circle, in the heart of Smyrna. The hours are Monday-Friday 9AM to 9PM, Saturday 9AM to 6PM and Sunday 1PM to 6PM.

DOES THIS SOUND LIKE SOMEONE YOU KNOW?

"I really don't know exactly what will come next for my life, but I want it to be about recognizing the dignity and wonder of people and serving their needs."

Recognizing dignity, serving others, and reflecting on what it means to be a Christian living in community. That's what Summer Communities of Service is all about.

If you know a young person 19-30 years old who may be interested in Summer Communities of Service e-mail them or visit the Alliance of Baptist. You may also contact Eric Cain, Student Minister, at eric@northsidedrive.org for more information on the Alliance and its partnering ministries.

LET'S GET HEALTHY...

with Dr. Caroline von Fluegge!

Friday, March 5 at 9:30AM

Finding balance is challenging for busy people. Are you really as healthy as you'd like to be? With over 20-years experience in the field of mental and physical well being, Dr. Caroline is an expert in teaching practical yet scientifically sound tools for achieving personal fitness, balanced nutrition, and stress management. She places an emphasis on excellence, nurtures the very best in those individuals who are ready to dramatically change their health, and seeks holistic wellness in all areas of life.

Join Dr. Caroline for a talk on stress management in the Fellowship Hall of NDBC at 9:30AM on Friday, March 5. Everyone is invited and the session is free! Please contact Rev. Mike Gregg or Vanessa Johnson for more information. (www.northsidedrive.org)

THE BELMONT UNIVERSITY CHORALE

Sunday, March 7, 2010

The Belmont University Chorale from Nashville, TN, will be participating in and providing special choral music for the 11AM worship service at NDBC in Atlanta on March 7, 2010. Belmont Chorale is one of the earliest performing ensembles in Belmont's musical history and is an audition group. It is a select mixed ensemble of 52 voices that performs diverse literature from all genres. Chorale has toured the U.S. as well as abroad, and has produced several recordings and will be celebrating 40 years of performing in 2011. The Director of Choral Activities is Dr. Jeffery Ames.

LENTEN WEDNESDAYS

"The Art of Pilgrimage"

Feb 24 - Longing - Tiffany Gibson Cox
Mar 3 - Disciplines - Zach Bay
Mar 10 - Pitfalls/Travails - Mike Gregg
Mar 17 - Return - Eric Cain
Mar 24 - Seder Meal - Dr. Nancy DeClasse Walford

(Mar 31 - no meal/program/Apr 1 - Maundy-Thursday meal/program)

*Preceding the Lenten program there will be supper with Chick-fil-A or Jason's Deli served at 6PM. The boxed meals are $5.00 per person. To make a reservation for the boxed meal, you may use the Welcome card in the pew rack, call the church office, register on line at

www.northsidedrive.org (click on the notice in the "What's Happening" section of the homepage) or email your reservation to info@northsidedrive.org no later than the Tuesday before the event.

EUFAULA HERITAGE ASSOCIATION

Home and Garden Pilgrimage Tour

The Flower Committee is sponsoring a day trip to the Eufaula Heritage Association's Home and Garden Pilgrimage Tour (Alabama's Oldest Tour of Homes) on Friday, April 9.

The cost is $69.50 per person. Please make payments to Northside Drive Baptist Church. Cancellations will be accepted prior to March 15. No refunds will be given for reservations made after March 15. Cancellations can only be made if there is a waiting list. The trip will take place regardless of the weather.

The price includes roundtrip luxury travel coach with restroom, reclining seats and audiovisuals, catered cafeteria lunch at First Baptist Church, our own personal tour leader, admittance to the homes and gardens, and an afternoon tea on board the trip home. Tickets are limited to the first 50 paid patrons and the event is open to guests of church members. The deadline is March 15, or when the charter bus is full.

Questions can be addressed to richardbwilson@me.com or by phone at 770-773-3333.

The NDBC Preschool is selling "icare" tote bags. The bags are roomy, reusable, and highly durable. They come in four different designs and are only $6 each. (Samples are on the wall in the Preschool hall.) For more information and to purchase the bags, contact Vanessa Johnson, Preschool Director, at 404-237-9060 or Vanessa@northsidedrive.org.

TRINITY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

CAREER NETWORKING MINISTRY

The recession has been creating havoc on our economy for the past 18 months and, as a result, there is over 10% of the work force without jobs.

Trinity Presbyterian Church in Atlanta has begun a new ministry focused on helping people in the community who have recently lost their job or are interested in changing jobs. The new ministry is called Trinity Career Networking Ministry. The goal of this ministry is to provide unemployed people in our community with job search skills and resources including:

    * resume writing
    * interviewing skills
    * internet as a job searching tool
    * networking with other job seekers, human resources professionals, executive recruiters, and business executives

The Trinity Presbyterian Church and the Career Networking Ministry invites anyone who is in a career transition to attend our meetings. Please visit our website at www.trinityatlcareers.com.

WHEN SEVERE WEATHER COMES

ON SUNDAY MORNING

As a rule of thumb, we will not cancel worship services on Sunday morning except under the most extreme weather conditions. Members are urged to use their own good judgment as to whether they should attempt to make the trip. Should inclement winter weather cause the cancellation of a service, here is the plan:

1) The pastor and the moderator will make the decision.
2) The moderator will notify the Chair of the Diaconate.
3) The deacons will use the "phone tree" to notify the congregation.
4) One of the ministers will send an email to all those on the church's email list (electricity permitting) and place a notification on the church's voice mail.
5) One of the ministers will notify the media.

The Stained Glass Windows book

of Northside Drive is back!

The cost is $30. To get your copy, call us at 404-237-8621 or email the church at info@northsidedrive.org. A copy of the book is in the Narthex for previewing.

SANCTUARY FLOWERS

Each Sunday from now through the month of February a representative from the Flower Committee will be stationed in the Narthex. To donate flowers for our worship services the cost is $85, or the cost can be shared for $42.50. For more information or for questions, please contact Nancy Davis at 404-252-9154.

SUMMER COMMUNITIES OF SERVICE

Mark Your Calendars ---

Touching Taliaferro with Love mission trip
Crawfordville, Georgia

June 21-26

Watch for more information in the next Pinnacle.
_______________________________

The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship in Haiti

CBF field personnel Nancy and Steve James are leading the Fellowship's earthquake response in Haiti, where the Jameses have served for years as medical professionals.

The following is an excerpt from their blog:

The stories of suffering are overwhelming here in Haiti. We hear them everyday. It is rare to find someone in Haiti today who has not lost someone in their family in the earthquake. Mme. Lucienne, a retired Haitian nurse, worked faithfully, humbly and lovingly for almost 50 years at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Limbe. We used to lovingly call her our Mother Theresa as she cared for the very sick children in the Pediatric ward saving many lives from dehydration and infection. We heard she lost her daughter and three of her grandchildren in the earthquake. She is one of so many we hear about every day now in our life in Haiti.

We who have been in Haiti many years have lived with hearing and witnessing terrible tragedies to so many. Yet this present disaster has shaken all of us in the scope and breadth of pain for so many. One almost does not want to ask the next person how they are doing, as the stories of grief and pain flow from everyone, when asked. There is little rest for any of us all, as we work to relieve each other's pain in the micro-acts of Christic love, underneath our clouds of sorrow and mourning. We know without even having to ask, that you are keeping Haiti in your prayers for which we are deeply grateful.

Read more about Haiti relief efforts and other CBF news at http://cbfportal.wordpress.com.

PASTOR'S WEDNESDAY MORNING

BIBLE STUDY

By James Lamkin

The eight week series will be May-June 2010. Several years, I've done a spring Bible Study that parallel Lenten themes such as "The Prayer Life of Jesus," or "The Biblical Stations of the Cross." This year we will wait for Lent to pass and do more of an Easter emphasis. Since all of the New Testament books were written in response to Easter; and all emerged out of "Easter Faith Communities," I probably will choose an Epistle and study it through the lens of the meaning of the resurrection of Jesus. More on that later. However, I did want to let all students know that we will begin on May 5.