The mediocre teacher tells. 

The good teacher explains. 

The superior teacher demonstrates. 

The great teacher inspires. 

                                ~William Arthur Ward

Northside Drive is not only a church that loves to learn, it is a church that desires to teach. The teachers, community leaders and volunteers for Church School reveal that Northside Drive truly has great and inspirational people. The congregation, staff, and leadership thank you for your long hours spent in preparation, prayer, and practice.

Barbara Atchley                   Zach Bay                  Flora Carswell

Mary Kate Christian            Marie Cook                      Billie Davis

Jillian Farmer                      JB Gilbert                   Virginia Gilbert

Amanda Gregg                  Mike Gregg                    Nicole Harbin

Susan Harlan                   Rhonda Harris                   Brian Knight

Mary Lester                 Mary Ann Hickman                Jane Lamkin

Larry McSwain               Shannon Moore                    Dan Oakley

Jackie Poole               Kristofer Schleicher           Gloria Smathers

Pam Wamberg             Cathy Wooten

By Rev. Mike Gregg

Candy, Lipstick, and Diamonds

       I learned a lot from my grandmother. She died this Mother's Day at the impressive age of ninety-six. As an "almost centenarian" she revealed the purpose and power of God through her actions and presence. And I noticed. Here is what I saw:

       Candy. I remember the most important way for my grandmother to be hospitable was to have a bowl of candy sitting on the table beside her easy chair. She would offer a Twix bar, a Hershey's Nugget, or some other chocolatey gift to me every time I visited her. It was a tangible way for her to fill me with her sweetness. She made sure everyone knew they were loved and that they were the sweetest things in her life.

       Jesus said, "I am the Bread of Life and I am the Living Water. If you know me you will never be hungry for regular bread or thirsty for regular water. You will be satisfied; you will be full, full of hope, full of love, full of life!" My grandmother never wanted her visitors to go hungry. She wanted them to know how sweet they were by giving them treats. But the treats and candy were not what ultimately filled my heart when I was with her. It was the sweetness that came from her love for me...filling me...giving me life.

       Lipstick. My grandmother had to look good. Always. I remember she proudly told my mother that she went an entire year once without wearing the same outfit to church. Whether it was her hair, her clothes, her makeup, or her jewelry, she wanted to look and feel her best. What I remember most about her vibrant sense of style was her lipstick. I remember seeing display after display of lipsticks on her dresser, of styles and shades with miniscule differences that only she could truly detect. I think Crayola came up with new colors for their 120 count boxes by taking a peek at my grandmother's lipstick collection. She lived every moment of every day to its fullest, even if that meant putting on a different watch, a different outfit, or a different shade of lipstick. In her diversity of style and glamour, she became lovely to all.

       Jesus said, "I am the alpha and the omega; the beginning and the end. Whatever you are going through, I have a shade of grace just for you. I will make myself new in every situation so that you will know that I am with you." Those who knew her couldn't help but know that my grandmother was present...in all her varieties. She reminded me that Jesus has a word of mercy, a point of presence, and a shade of grace for all of us whenever we need him.

       Diamonds. Not only did my grandmother like to look good, but she also loved to sparkle! She loved to wear diamonds. She wore them all over her body---around her neck, on her wrist, on her finger...well, on every finger, and on her ears. If she caught the light just right she was blindingly glowing! But she was always willing to share her sparkle. The diamonds in my wife's engagement ring and my brother's fiancé's ring came from my grandmother. She passed down the diamonds to family, the best of what she had, so we could know we were loved.

       Jesus said, "It doesn't matter who you are, I love you. I want you to shine bright. I will give you the best of who I am so you can sparkle and show my love to others. I want you to know that I am more precious than silver and gold...and diamonds." My grandmother helped me know the love of God and to be someone who shines bright in the world.

       It is important that I continue to live out the presence of God that my grandmother modeled for me. I think we can all learn from my Mamaw by being people who are sweet and share hospitality with all; by giving life our best while providing shades of grace to everyone we meet; and by loving Jesus more than silver or gold while helping others to shine bright and sparkle in this world. I hope I too can do this until I am ninety-six-years-old.

In the Fellowship Hall

June 2, 2012 at 11 AM 

       Join the Northside Kids families for a picnic in the park and trip to Zoo Atlanta!

       We'll gather for lunch in Grant Park at 11 AM on June 2, and then those who are interested, can walk over to the zoo for more fun.

       Bring a picnic meal, drinks, and blanket for your family. Zoo admission is $20.99 per adult, $15.99 for children ages 3 and up, and free for children 2 and under. Several Northside families have zoo passes and are able to share their additional tickets.

       Please RSVP to Amanda Gregg mandayoga@gmail.com.

June 10-September 2, 2012

A Sabbatical Pilgrimage Quotation:

June 17-22, 2012

"Caring for God's Creation"

The earth is the Lord's,

and everything in it, the world,

and all who live in it.

~ Psalm 24:1

The TTWL Mission Team needs your help! Our theme this summer focuses on caring for all creation-natural resources, animal life and people-so our stories and activities will incorporate the concept of preserving and reusing. We need your help in collecting items to be used for crafts.

There is a box in the Narthex for the following items:

•  two liter soft drink bottles with or without lids
•  pie tins
•  magazines with pictures of plants or animals
•  paper towel tubes
•  small sea shells to border picture frames
•  CD jewel cases

If you want to volunteer to help for one or more days during the week, please contact Rhonda Harris or Susan Harlan.

CHURCH WEEK