January 10, 2012, at 11 AM, in the Fellowship Hall

Charity Scott, Georgia State University College of Law Professor, was recognized in 2010 by the Health Care Ethics Consortium of Georgia with its Heroes in Health Care Award, the only lawyer to ever receive this award (normally given to medical professionals). Charity is a nationally known speaker on Health Care Law and Ethics and incredibly knowledgeable about our healthcare system, its problems, and what might help fix it. We will learn how her Center for Law, Health & Society prepares future leaders in the legal and health professions to address society's many health challenges in the 21st century. This is a unique opportunity to hear her speak in an intimate setting. Please come and bring your friends; it will be a very enlightening meeting.

TRIPLE E meets on the second Tuesday of each month, September-May from 11 AM-1 PM in the Fellowship Hall of Northside Drive Baptist Church. Bring a friend and $5 for a light lunch.

A book review of The Flannery: A Life of Flannery O'Connor by Brad Gooch will be Wednesday, January 11, at 1 PM in the Fellowship Hall. There will be a group discussion of this book with hostess Billie Davis. Bring your lunch; dessert and beverages will be furnished. 

Quick facts:

• Begins Sunday, January 8, 2012, at 6 PM (time may change, as suits the class members).
• Meets at the church. Each class lasts 2-3 hours
• Twelve-week course
• Follows the steps of The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron
• Limited to 12 participants
• Cost is $250
• Led by artist Ellen Phillips; facilitated by Susan Harlan & Cindy Bell
• For all ages, whether you consider yourself creative or not! more below...

A twelve-week program that explores creativity, using The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron, the class is designed to help you "get touch with your creative inner self, your God, your gifts, and your community."

What is the Class for?

The class will help its community members unlock their right-side brains. One of the course principles states, "#7: When we open ourselves to exploring our creativity, we open ourselves to God." Formatted after traditional 12-step programs, the experience has been taught in hospitals, prisons, churches, creative groups, and business settings around the world to get people to "recover a part of their brains they have lost the ability to access." The idea is that as God has given gifts to us, it is our responsibility to find them and use them. In finding our creative selves, we find an avenue to God.

"It is the creative potential itself in human beings

that is the image of God." ~ Mary Daly

Who Is It Designed For?

From CEOs who want new ways to problem-solve, to grandmothers who want to start cross-stitching again, the program is designed for anyone who is curious about what's keeping them from doing what they long to do. People who have benefited from it include cancer survivors who want to expand their life, retirees who wonder "What's next?", students who feel like there is something beyond traditional education, the unchurched who still long for a connection with the holy, writers who are blocked, artists who seek inspiration, worshippers who want new ways to express themselves, people whose "inner child" is longing to play, and people who say, "I'm not an artist or creative, I'm just interested."

"Every blade of grass has its Angel that bends over it

and whispers," 'Grow, grow.'"

For this NDBC Unblocked class in particular, its community will be made up of 12 people, old enough to read the book and respond, willing to try new things, and committed to twelve weeks of study. They do not need to consider themselves "artists" or "creative!"

"The experience will make you excited, depressed, angry, afraid, joyous, hopeful, and, ultimately, more free." (pg. 7)

Who Is Offering the Class?

Facilitated by Cindy Bell and Susan Harlan, with leadership from Ellen Phillips. Ellen is a local sculptor, specializes in liturgical art, teaches courses at Columbia, and has offered many years of classes on The Artist's Way. A little more about her at: www.ellenphillipsart.com.  

How Does the Class Work?

     Members will read a chapter a week, and perform the activities suggested for that week, to the best of their abilities.

     Convening time is set right now at Sundays between 6-9 PM (but participants may decide to alter it, based on what's most convenient for the majority).

     Members would need to make a commitment to all twelve sessions. Of course, there are unforeseen emergencies or planned, unchangeable events that you may have to miss a class for, but otherwise you commit to making it each week (whether you've done your "homework" or not!).

     The first part each week will be discussion of that week's chapter and how members responded to it. The second half will be physically performing together a creative activity led by the facilitators and guest leaders.

Start date is Sunday, January 8. Ideally, the class roster would be locked down by December 18, and class members would have gotten The Artist's Way and read the first section before the first class.

* * * * *

From Cindy: I felt a call to lead a group like this, after having taken a similar class last year. But I have been waiting till I feel well enough to commit to it-not wanting to start something my body couldn't finish! Miraculously, Ellen Phillips became available to teach it this spring and Susan Harlan, who is familiar with the book, agreed to help and facilitate when I fall down. We were able to get a great rate for Ellen, since there will be times when she does not attend and Susan and I lead the group instead. I feel so fortunate that everything has fallen into place and happy that I get to do this. Like the book says, "As we open our creative channel to the Creator, many gentle but powerful changes are to be expected."

www.northsidedrive.org

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Join us in morning worship on Sunday, January 22, 2012, when we will dedicate our new hymnal, The Worshiping Church. This will indeed be a morning of festive celebration involving many participants* as we celebrate our faith in song. Please mark it on your calendar, and bring a friend!

• The Northside Drive Ringers
• The Sanctuary Choir
• A Guest Brass Quartet
• Our Children's Choir

Do you know how our beautiful altar flowers get to our sanctuary each week? By agreement with a local florist, each week's arrangement is delivered to the church for a very reasonable fee of $100. Ideally, we'd like the altar flowers to be a self-sustaining ministry, and thus avoid requiring financial support from the church's operating budget. To do so, we are dependent upon continuous, sustaining flower memorials from NDBC members. These floral tributes are recognized in the bulletin as a gift to God in memory of a loved one(s), or in thanksgiving for someone or a special life event (or gifted anonymously). You can also choose to share the cost with other friends or family members, say to celebrate a birth or graduation, for example. The 2012 Flower Calendar is open now, and any Flower Ministry member will be glad to help you sign up for any Sunday throughout the year. You can also simply send a note or email to Renee at the Church office with the date you wish and memorial details.

Religious Liberty & Church-State Separation

A Workshop with J. Brent Walker of the Baptist Joint Committee

March 10 and 11, 2012

Northside Drive Baptist Churchwill host a weekend workshop with J. Brent Walker, Executive Director of the Baptist Joint Committee (BJC) for Religious Liberty. The primary focus of the weekend will be the Baptist heritage of religious liberty and issues surrounding church-state separation. Further information regarding registration and fees will be provided at a later date.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE:

Saturday (3/10), 12 PM

     Luncheon followed by an educational presentation by Brent Walker. The luncheon will focus on First Amendment legal issues and will be especially informative to attorneys or others who work closely with the law or politics. A light lunch will be provided for a small fee.

Saturday (3/10), 6 PM

     Gathering at an NDBC member's home with hors d'oeuvres and a short presentation by Brent Walker. 

Sunday (3/11) Church School at 9:30 AM and Worship at 11 AM

     Brent Walker will be presenting to the combined Church School classes and will be the guest preacher in morning worship.

January 8: Church School Begins Again

January 8: ENCORE!

Let's get together after church in the narthex and eat. La Parilla Mexican sounds good to me, but it could be somewhere else.

January 21: Artists and Critics Party at the Younger Home

This is an afternoon get-together at 1 PM. Bring your creative energies or your critical eyes and be ready to design a new youth logo for 2012!

January 29: Agape Meal at UMCH

The New Year marks a new focus on missions for our youth program. We will be helping serve a meal at the United Methodist Children's Home on this day starting at 3:30 PM.

February 10-12: Ski Retreat

Don't forget...this is getting closer now! We are going to Sugar Mountain again this year.

March 10-12: March Mission Madness at St. Simon's Island

Remember...we will need to leave before the typical school day ends. Please keep this in mind and make arrangements with your teachers!