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NORTHSIDE NOTES - May 19, 2010
Pastoral Reflections james 3
By James Lamkin
"Jesus Loaves Me?"
 
     "Ten dollar!  Ten dollar!"  That's what the street vender shouted as he walked up the aisle on our bus in Bethlehem.  Over his arm hung a bundle of woven tote bags embroidered with the ancient Christian mosaic of bread, plate, and two fish.  Plus, there were words in a cryptic font, Loaves and Fishes.  Only ten dollars.
     This memory came back to me when I helped lead the inter-faith pilgrimage to Turkey three weeks ago with Jews, Christians, and Muslims.  With one another, we shared our faith by sharing our stories.
     As the group bused between mosques, synagogues, and churches around Istanbul and Izmir, we took turns "giving our testimonies."  We laughed.  We sang.  We prayed.  We told of life's stumbles and successes.
     I told a story.  The aggressive sidewalk salesmen in Istanbul reminded me of the Bethlehem bag guy from years ago with the Loaves and Fishes purses.  I couldn't pay the "ten dollar," I told the group, but the guy dropped the price to  "Five dollar."
     Just as the bus was pulling-off, he yelled, "Two dollar!"  "Sold," I said.
     Liz is not easy to buy for.  She is not a collector; and stuff can be a burden to any household.  But here was a genuine bird-in-the-hand bargain: a practical purse with a Christian symbol that witnessed of faith at the right price.
     Clark Howard could not have done better.
     Upon returning to Atlanta, I proudly presented it to Liz.  "Honey, I saw this and thought of you."
     But she looked puzzled.
     "I mean...I thought of your faith, your sensibility, your vocation," I said.
     By then, her puzzled look morphed into chagrin.
     "How much did you pay for this," she asked?
     "Oh...well...uh...exactly what it was worth!" (I thought that was a good line.)
     "I figured that," she said.  Then she pointed to the word Loaves.  For the first time I noticed---it didn't say Loaves.  It was misspelled.  It said LOVES!  Loves and Fishes!
     You'd be surprised how angry some people can get over loves.
     Strangely, Liz didn't want it.  Go figure.  So, I re-gifted it to Barry and Debbie Love, former Northside Drivers who moved to Charlotte.  "When I saw your name on this, I thought of you," I said.  (They didn't believe it either; but they were more gracious.)
     There are more stories to come; and the good news is, we are all included in God's story.  Amen.

Handbell Festival at NDBC! 

Join us for the first annual Handbell Festival
featuring adult handbell choirs from:
 
Oglethorpe Presbyterian Church
St. James United Methodist Church
Central Presbyterian Church
Northside Drive Baptist Church
 
Sunday, May 23 at 4 PM, in the Sanctuary 
 

DTBD

Young Adults
 
"Think" (volume 2)
 
May 23 - Violence
June 13 - Rapture & Revelation
 
"It's not about projecting someone else's 'truth'. It's a springboard for conversation about what's next for those who follow Jesus." Come engage your mind in what it's all about. Meeting at 7 PM in the church Undercroft and Youth area.
 
Email Mike Gregg at mike@northsidedrive.org to sign up.
Pastor's Wednesday Morning Bible Study 
 
The Letter to the Colossians
 
May 12-June 16, 2010, 10:30-11:30 AM
In the Fellowship Hall
 
   May 12 -- Introduction; Colossians 1:1-1:8
   May 19 -- Colossians 1:9-1:29
   May 26 -- Colossians 2:1-2:223
    June 2 -- not meeting - James visiting his mother
    June 9 -- Colossians 3:1-3:25
  June 16 -- Conclusion; Colossians 4:1-4:18 
 
Summer Adult Church School 2010EE Summer

Join preeminent New Testament scholars Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan on location in Turkey as they trace the Apostle Paul's footsteps throughout the Roman Empire. This 12-session DVD and web-based study explores fresh insights into Paul's message of the Kingdom of God, its challenge to Roman imperial theology, and the apostle's radical relevance for today. Filmed in High-Definition across Turkey, Greece, and Italy. Participant Guide written by John Dominic Crossan.
 
When: Sundays, June 6-August 29, 9:30-10:45AM
 
Where: Fellowship Hall
 
Facilitated by: Adult Church School Leaders
Celebrations! Jeff Harbin 09

We have a wonderfully accomplished staff at Northside Drive Baptist Church and Jeff Harbin, our organist, has added yet another accomplishment.
 
Jeff was recently installed as the Dean of the Atlanta Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. The Atlanta Chapter, founded in 1914, is the oldest association of professional musicians in the city and is currently the third largest of 348 chapters throughout the United States, Europe, Korea and Argentina (approximately 20,000 total members). He will be following in the footsteps of many distinguished church music leaders, including former Northside Drive musicians Greg Colson and Sue Goddard. It is quite an honor for Jeff to be chosen by his peers and be included in such esteemed company. Jeff asks for your prayerful support as he takes on this new role.
 
The staff of Northside Drive celebrates with Jeff in this wonderful opportunity.
 
James Lamkin, Mike Gregg, Paul Fletcher, Carolyn Scott, Renee Gamache, Vanessa Johnson & Richard Willingham
 
Aid for Africa Laura Seay
By Laura Seay
 
Laura Seay is new member of Northside Drive and active in the Young Adult Ministry.  She has a passion for social and political ethics in Africa and has a successful blog discussing current African issues.  If you have not met her at church yet, introduce yourself.  She is a good person to know.  Here is an article she wrote for Ethics Daily.
 
~Mike Gregg
 
"If we are to move away from the savior mode into an empowerment paradigm when it comes to assistance to Africa and elsewhere in the developing world, what needs to happen?"
 
NDBC Fall Women's Spiritual Retreat 2010 
 
In-spa-ration...

 
Would you like to spend time with other women who want to grow in their faith, strengthen old friendships and create new ones?  Do you want to simplify your life, find more peace, and become more aware of God's abundance all around you?  Are you looking for break from your hectic life and new ways to energize your spiritual life? 
 
If so, NDBC invites you to attend a special weekend focusing on Simplicity, Peace and Abundance, a SPA retreat, September 17-19, 2010 at The Lodges at Historic Banning Mills in Whitesburg, GA.  Our weekend facilitator will be Ellen Shepard, minister of religious life at the United Methodist Children's Home in Decatur, GA and experienced women's retreat leader.
 
Rooms will be mostly triples with three beds and a bath.  The weekend will begin with dinner on Friday evening, followed by a program.  Saturday will include a morning session, a free afternoon for rest or adventure, and an evening program.  We will wrap up with a session and worship on Sunday morning followed by lunch.  Total cost for the weekend will be approximately $250/person for lodging, meals and programs. 
 
IT IS TIME TO RESERVE YOUR PLACE.  
Please write a check for $100 made out to Northside Drive Baptist Church, and mail it to Patti Clark, 3000 Rivermeade Drive, Atlanta 30327.  If you have any questions, please call Patti Clark 678-428-7898 or email patticlark@bellsouth.net
 
Summer Theology Workshop 

20thCentury Theology and Ethics:
Christianity and Crisis

 
Tuesdays, 7:00pm:  (You are welcome to participate in all, a few, or even just one workshop!)
 
May 25       Dietrich Bonhoeffer & Marcus Borg - Crisis of Belief & Biblical Interpretation
June 1        Walter Rauschenbusch - Crisis of Society
June 8        Reinhold Niebuhr - Crisis of Sin and Biblical Interpretation
June 15      James Cone - Crisis of Racism
June 22      Katie Cannon - Crisis of Racism and Sexism
June 29      Sallie McFague - Crisis of Sustainability (Ecology and Economy)
July 6         Crisis of Thinking it All Over
 
Through the 20thcentury to present, Christianity has undergone vast changes. It is in fact probably more accurate to speak ofchristianitiesthan Christianity. Scientific knowledge, globalization, industrialization, and oppression have catalyzed this splintering as Christianity reacts to the varying crises of history. Our main question for the workshop will be:
 
How has the U.S. progressive Christian tradition responded to crises, i.e. of belief or social turmoil?
 
This summer's workshops will highlight several progressive Christian voices of the 20thcentury as they respond to varying crises. Workshops will include readings and discussions of the following areas: belief, biblical interpretation, oppression, racism, sexism, economy and ecology. We will examine these varying crisis through the following theologian-ethicists: Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Walter Rauschenbusch, Reinhold Niebuhr, James Cone, Katie Cannon and Sallie McFague. These voices, moreover, tell the arching narrative of progressive Christianity in the U.S. - which is formed out of another question:
 
How does Christianity respond to modernity?
 
Discussions will be flexible, fun, and open to ideas. Participants are encouraged to speak from their own experience and to think about how these voices speak (or don't) to their faith and journey as a Christian. 
 
Materials & Meetings:
 
Participants will be given short, accessible readings for discussion. Meeting time will predominantly be discussion of material, but will also include introductions to each theologian-ethicist, context to their writing and potentially other media, i.e. video or audio of the theologian-ethicist.
 
Instructor Biography:
 
Preston Davis is the Summer Fellow at Glenn Memorial United MethodistChurch. He is currently a Masters of Divinity candidate in the fields of constructive theology and social ethics at Union Theological Seminary in New York City. In 2006 Preston graduated from Davidson College, where he was a religion major and four-year varsity soccer player. He is now a candidate for ordination as an Elder in the UMC Western Conference of N.C.
 
Sign up below to receive more information and we'll see you soon!
 
Name:  _______________________
E-mail:  _______________________
Phone:  _______________________
Comments:  ____________________
 
[SEND WEB REGISTRATIONS TO:  predavis@gmail.com]
Church Calendar
 
SUNDAY, May 23 - Pentecost Sunday
  9:30 AM - Church School
11:00 AM - Morning Worship
  1:30 PM - Handbell Festival
  7:00 PM - Dream.Think.Be.Do.
TUESDAY, May 25 
  1:00 PM - Staff Meeting
  6:00 PM - Northside Yoga
WEDNESDAY, May 26
10:30 AM - Pastor's Bible Study
  1:00 PM - Young Adult Planning
  1:00 PM - NDBC Book Club
  7:00 PM - Sanctuary Choir Rehearsal
THURSDAY, May 27 
  7:00 PM - TNT
Volume 2 - Issue 20
PLEASE NOTE:
 
There will be no Church School on Sunday, May 30 and the Church & Preschool offices will be closed on Monday, May 31 in honor of the Memorial Weekend.
In This Issue
Handbell Festival
Pastor's Bible Study
Summer Adult Church School
Fall Women's Retreat
CHURCH FAMILY CONCERNS
 
Helen Callaway
Mary Dutton
PASTOR'S CHURCH GROWTH TIP OF THE WEEK 

Have a "Something wonderful happened in our church the other day...," sentence ready for the next cocktail party if  someone asks you, "Where do you go to church?"
UNPLUGGED FRIDAY DINNERS 
ttwl

May 21 @ the Meek's
 
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 7 PM. If you are interested in attending an Unplugged event contact Mike Gregg for more details.

TNT

TNT 

Thursday Nights Together

People of all ages from NDBC meet at 7 PM every Thursday night for dinner.
 
Contact
or 
for details.
 
ROMEOS
(Retired Older Men
Eating Out) 
 
Every 3rd Tuesday of the month (bring your lunch money).
 
11:30 AM-1 PM
 
Piccadilly Cafeteria 
 1715 Howell Mill Rd.
 
A time to visit with friends, tell stories and eat good food!  
 
 NORTHSIDE YOGA 
 
Yoga logo

Northside Yoga meets on Tuesdays at 6 PM in the Fellowship Hall with registered Yoga Teacher, Amanda Gregg.  Bring a mat, water, and the $10 fee. To make a reservation for Tuesday's class, email mandayoga@gmail.com or for more information, visit www.northsidedrive.org.
NACL SUMMER SOFTBALL 

Visit the NACL website for the summer schedule and come out to support our very own Northside-Line Drivers!
 
We won our first game!!! 10-6
stained glass book 
THE STAINED GLASS WINDOWS BOOK
 
The cost is $30.  To get your copy, call us at 404-237-8621 or email the church. A copy of the book is in the Narthex for previewing.
Youth logo

The youth café, UNDERGROUNDS, will be open for a light breakfast at 9:30AM each Sunday.  Youth Church School will meet in the newly renovated youth space and will begin at 9:45AM.
SYD'S SYNOPSIS
 
Do you receive the Sunday email update from Syd Janney?  Want to receive a Sunday morning church email update on Sunday afternoons?  Syd Janney's Synopsis is a beautiful description of the "special experience of Church School and Worship at NDBC."  To receive it, notify the church office (404-237-8621).

THE PAPERLESS PINNACLE

The Pinnacle is emailed as an attachment to the congregation and is available on the church website at www.northsidedrive.org.
 
If you would prefer not to receive the Pinnacle by U.S. mail, please call 404-237-8621 or email us at info@northsidedrive.org to let us know.
MAY BIRTHDAYS

Renee Gamache - 1
Katie Pearson - 1
John Powell - 1
Laura Seay - 1
Barry Ervin - 2
Lindsey McCrea - 2
Caroline Singleton - 2
Don Hall - 3
Nicole Harbin - 4
Frank Vernon - 4
Aidan Collins - 5
Sienna Jerden - 5
Irwin Ray - 5
Gene Ledbetter - 6
Susie Smith - 6
Melissa Lester - 7
Nathan Hermance - 9
Gigi Collins - 10
Garrett Ray - 11
Turner Warmack - 11
Randy Korando - 14
Fulgencio Ferrer - 16
Sam Egan - 18
Wilma Underwood - 18
Judy Schneider - 19
Amy Hurst - 23
Beth Singleton - 23
Colleen Minton - 25
Melissa Bryson - 26
Valerie Hardy - 26
Cameron Sardone - 27
Eddie Jerden - 30
Jerry Poole - 30
Sandra Prince - 30
Kristofer Schleicher - 30
Amy Taylor - 30
Rob Cochran - 31
Josh Davis - 31
Shannon Lee Moore - 31


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CBF logo 2
wifi
 
Wi-Fi is now available in the Educational building as well as the Fellowship Hall and Youth Area. 
  
The network is:
ndbcwireless
The password is:
northsidedrive.
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Renee Gamache
Northside Drive Baptist Church
404-237-8621