News from Northside Drive Baptist Church

Summer in the Chapel

June 10-September 2, 2012

NORTHSIDE NOTES - July 11, 2012

Pastoral Reflections James & gsons 2012

By Rev. James E. Lamkin

A Storied Pilgrimage...

"The most powerful words in English are, 'Tell me a story.'" So says novelist Pat Conroy. He goes on: "These words are intimately related to the complexity of history, the origins of language, the continuity of the species, the taproot of our humanity, our singularity and art itself."

Wow. If Conroy said it, I believe it, and that settles it.

An essay from his book, My Reading Life, sits open before me. The wrinkled, coffee-stained page barely clings to my June copy of The Writer magazine. Conroy is a sentence magician. He writes with a slight-of-hand. I smile and I shake my head and wonder, "How did he do that?"

One more quotation: "I do not record the world exactly as it comes to me but transform it by making it pass through a prism of fabulous stories I have collected on the way.... Stories are the vessels I use to interpret the world to myself. I am often called a storyteller by flippant and unadmiring critics. I revel in the title."

I'm no Conroy; but I do wade in the waters of storytelling and find them powerful and playful and buoyant.

God does too. The Rabbis say, "God created persons because God loves stories." If you don't believe it, just read the Bible. Certainly, it has some solid propositional truths (The Ten Commandments, for example). But mostly, the Bible is a storybook. Even the propositional truths, if you scratch and sniff just a bit, will giveup their aroma that contains "the rest of the story."

I returned from The Camino de Santiago with my pockets stuffed with stories. It will take awhile for me to understand what I've been through...if I ever do? It's been said that The Camino is a puzzle. You collect it piece-by-piece; but it can only be put together after the fact, and sometimes long after the fact.

Maybe so; and maybe I need your help with that.

Already I've noticed something. When I tell a story about the unexpected helper, or the unforeseen resource, or the unintended liability...you nod and say, "I've had something like that happen to me. I once was on this journey when suddenly...."

No story is an island. Low tide reveals what we already suspect. Everything is connected to the mainland.

As Christians, we have a sense of every story's spoiler alert: every story is somehow about God. Whether gut-wrenching or belly-laughing, God is in on every punchline. Sometimes we barely survive. Sometimes we miraculously thrive. Perhaps God loves anonymity.

So, let's tell some stories. Let's listen. And let us revel in the revelation of what God might be up to with us at NDBC as we turn 60 this year. As Conroy might say, our history is a prism of fabulous stories.

Missions Ministry Team Collect School Supplies

Northside Drive is participating in Agape Community Center's GREAT BACKPACK GIVEAWAY. Elementary and high school students in the Bolton Road area will be provided with new backpacks and school supplies.

Below is a list of supplies which Agape is requesting. Please bring any donations to the church by July 23.

Packs of 12 #2 pencils

Packs of 12 black or blue pens

1" 3-ring notebooks

Notebook paper

Spiral notebooks

Marble composition books

Glue sticks in a 2-pack

Portfolios with pockets

Scissors

12" Rulers

Pack of 24 Crayons

Backpacks

Thank you for supporting this project.

Missions Ministry Team

NDBC Women's Spiritual Retreat 2012

DATE: Friday, September 21-Sunday, September 23, 2012.
VENUE: Unicoi State Park in Helen, GA. We will have a whole lodge building to ourselves with double rooms and a generous hospitality area. Unicoi is about 2 hours from Atlanta, 2 minutes from downtown Helen, and across the street from Anna Ruby Falls, which has a lovely hike. The park itself includes hiking trails and a beach on a large lake; it is lovely and peaceful.
SCHEDULE: As before, the weekend will begin with Friday dinner. We will have breakfast and a session Saturday morning, followed by lunch and free time Saturday afternoon. Then we will have dinner together and another session Saturday night. We will wrap up after breakfast and worship on Sunday morning. You will be on your own for lunch on Sunday.
LEADER: Dr. Jennie S. Knight, a practical theologian, a religious educator, and an ordained Baptist minister. Most recently, she taught Practical Theology at the Candler School of Theology at Emory University for seven years. She served as Assistant Professor in the Practices of Religious Education and Community Ministries, Director of the Religious Education Program, and Interim Director of the Women in Theology and Ministry Program. She has a Ph. D. in Religion and a Graduate Certificate in Women's Studies from Emory. In addition to her book, Feminist Mysticism and Images of God: A Practical Theology, Dr. Knight has published several journal articles and book chapters about Transformative Religious Education with Youth, Intergenerational, Cross-Cultural Community-Based Religious Education, and Religion and Popular Culture.
TOPIC: Jennie will lead a program for us based on her book, Feminist Mysticism and Images of God: A Practical Theology. As I understand it, we will explore the ways and places women experience the Holy.
COST: The cost will be $300 for a single room or $225/person for a double room, all included, for the weekend. Each car that goes up will have to pay a $5 parking fee. Just one more good reason to carpool!

This is our 6th year, and though many of us have attended most or all, we find it especially fun to welcome newcomers each year. So, please join us even if you have never been before, and bring a friend if you wish. There are still double and single rooms available. To register, send a $100 DEPOSIT MADE OUT TO THE CHURCH and mailed to: Patti Clark, 3000 Rivermeade Dr, Atlanta, GA 30327. Please mark the memo line for the Fall Women's Retreat 2012. For more information, email Patti at patricia.phillips.clark@gmail.com or call her cell: 678-428-7898.

2012 Church Pictorial

We are creating an updated pictorial directory in honor of our 60th Anniversary. Myrtie Cope has graciously volunteered to help take photographs of members from 9-10 AM and Noon-1 PM on the following Sundays. July 15, 22, and 29. Photos will be taken outside if weather permits. Please send an email to melissabryson@att.net to reserve a spot on one of the allotted days.

Thanks,

Melissa Bryson

Camino square

Combined Adult Summer Church School

Sundays through-September 2, 2012

9:30 AM-10:30 AM in the Fellowship Hall

July 1 Cindy Bell.........................Sabbath

July 8 Mike Gregg.......................Prayer

July 15 Mike Gregg.......................Lectio Divina

July 22 Zach Bay..........................Meditation

July 29 Zach Bay..........................Prayer

Aug 5 Carol Younger...................Solitude/Silence

Aug 12 Carol Younger...................Solitude/Silence

Aug 19 Brian Knight......................Fasting

Aug 26 Brian Knight......................Fasting

Sept 2 OFF

Sept 9 Church School Kick-Off

Art that Continues Weaving Us into One

Banner to Enhance Worship

In keeping with the theme of Northside Drive's 60th Anniversary, "The Art of Being Northside Drive," the Worship and Music Ministry Team has enlisted liturgical artist Ellen Phillips to create a banner celebrating the liturgical season of Ordinary Time and our anniversary. An important feature of the banner is the participation of members of the church in its creation. Congregation members are strongly encouraged to contribute high quality woven fabrics or textiles, particularly those with special meaning in relation to the life of the church, to be interwoven in creating the banner.

The artist-made banner will be incorporated into the worship service when we celebrate Northside Drive's 60th anniversary on September 30. When not in use in procession, the banner will be placed in the Narthex as an expression of our church's spiritual life together and the season of Ordinary Time. The Memorial Gifts Committee is contributing to this special project.

Contributions of Fabric Requested

+ Examples of material requested to be contributed by church members: wedding dress material of someone married in the church, pastors' stoles from the past, fabric remnants obtained on a church mission trip, fabric from a child's dedication or someone's baptism, self-woven fabric. [please attach a note explaining the significance of the fabric when it is donated]

+ Woven fabrics, as opposed to knitted or stretchy (t-shirt) material, are needed.

+ Fabrics in whites, creams, shades of green (the symbolic color of Ordinary Time) and jewel tones (like the rich colors of the stained glass windows) are desired.

+ Ideal fabric dimensions would be 6-8 inches wide and 36 inches long, but other smaller sized pieces and ribbon can be incorporated.

It should be noted that fabric will not be returnable and the use of specific material will be decided by the artist.

Please contribute material and textiles for Northside Drive's liturgical and 60th Anniversary banner art. Place fabric in the basket placed under the desk in the Narthex-now through July 15.

Contact Sheila Nicol, chair of Worship and Music, at 706-579-1677 or Syd Janney, coordinator of banner art project, at 404-873-4643 with questions or offers of support.

A Knitting Ministry knitted hat kid

Several members of our Church are making hand-knitted or hand-crocheted hats for the Craddock Center. The Craddock Center, which was founded by our friend Dr. Fred Craddock, provides the hats as part of its ministry to poor children in Appalachia. Please contact Susan Harlan or Ann Grant if you are interesting in making some hand-knitted or hand-crocheted hats for the Craddock Center.

NDBC Co-Ed Softball

softball

The Northside Line-Drivers Schedule:

Thursday, Jul 12 @ 6:30 PM

Wednesday, Jul 18 @ 7:40 PM

Thursday, Aug 2 @ 6:30 PM

Wednesday, Aug 8 @ 7:40 PM

Wednesday, Aug 8 @ 8:50 PM

For more information about the NACL website, go to http://www.naclsports.info/pages/schedule.htm.

Praying the Psalms

The congregation is invited to read A-Psalm-A-Day during 2012.

A-Psalm-A-Day Upcoming Schedule:

July 11 - Psalm 108

July 12 - Psalm 109

July 13 - Psalm 110

July 14 - Psalm 111

July 15 - Psalm 112

July 16 - Psalm 113

July 17 - Psalm 114

July 18 - Psalm 115

Young Adults Calendar NDBC 2030

July

13 - Unplugged, 7 PM, Home of Jordan & Patti Clark

22 - Small Group, 6:30 PM, Undercroft

August

10 - Unplugged, 7 PM, Home of Dave & Cathy Wooten

19 - Small Group, 6:30 PM, Undercroft

Deacon Spotlight

Sue McSwain is married to Dr. Larry McSwain

and they have been a members of NDBC since 2004.

Sue's Deacon families are:

Zach & Kristy Bay Cindy Bell

David & Amy Bell (Elliotte & Harper)

Jeff & Fay Brewer Mary Chance

Taylor & Tiffany Gibson Cox Stacy Denton

Andrew Hardin Jeannie Hearn

David & Shannon Moore (Rebecca & Daniel)

Dan & Laurie Nickless Betty Pierce

Brett & Carol Younger (Caleb & Graham)

Dave & Cathy Wooten Kristin Youngquist

Church Week

SUNDAY, July 15, 2012

9:30 AM - Summer Church School

11:00 AM - Morning Worship in the Chapel

TUESDAY, July 17, 2012

11:30 AM - ROMEOS

WEDNESDAY, July 18, 2012

7:00 PM - Prayer Shawl Ministry

7:40 PM - Co-Ed Softball

THURSDAY, July 19, 2012

6:30 PM - Co-Ed Softball

7:00 PM - TNT

Northside Drive Baptist Church is affiliated with the Alliance of Baptists and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.

Volume 4 - Issue 30

HIGHLIGHTS

School Supplies

Women's Spiritual Retreat

2012 Church Pictorial

Summer Sermon Series

Summer Church School

New Banner!

A Knitting Ministry

NDBC Co-Ed Softball

Praying the Psalms

Young Adults Calendar

Deacon Spotlight

CHURCH WEEK

CHURCH FAMILY CONCERNS

Mary Dutton

Don DaLee

JULY BIRTHDAYS

Shylah Rose - 1

Cathy Wooten - 2

Mary Hodges Wamberg - 2

Comella DaLee - 4

Don Singleton - 4

Blanche Roberts - 5

Rowena Clyatt - 7

Mike Gregg - 10

Elijah Rose - 10

Jon Paul Bell - 11

Marsha King - 11

Elaine Smith - 12

Richard Willingham - 12

Cheryl Dewell - 13

Angie Moore - 13

Chuck Stines - 14

Wade Davis - 14

Ray Griner - 15

James Lamkin - 15

Howard Green - 18

Lewis Baumstark - 18

David Moore - 19

Theron McLarty - 20

Kathy Harris - 21

Ramsey Davis - 22

Dean Konenkamp - 23

Jonathan Schroeder - 23

David Cook - 23

Richard Wilson - 24

Athaliah Rose - 24

Mallory Davis - 27

Betty Pierce - 28

Avery Kemp - 28

Elliotte Bell - 29

George Taylor - 31

John Isakson - 31

ROMEOS
(Retired Older Men

Eating Out)

Every third Tuesday

of the month from

11:30 AM-1 PM.

A time to visit with friends, tell stories and

eat good food

(bring your lunch money)!

Piccadilly Cafeteria

1715 Howell Mill Rd

Every 3rd Tuesday

"TNT"

Thursday Nights Together

People of all ages from NDBC meet

at 7 PM every

Thursday night for dinner.

Contact

Mike Gregg

Dianne DaLee

for details.

WEDNESDAY NIGHTS!

The cost: $40 PER CHILD for NDBC members for the whole 10 weeks. Usual cost is $157.

The place: Music Together is on the first floor down from the Preschool hallway near the handicap accessible door (Rm 109).

The days: Wednesday's,

beginning August 22 at 6 PM. Please register ONLINE to confirm your space as soon as possible.

Come join us on the 3rd Wednesday of each month beginning October 19, at 7 PM, in the church Parlor to knit or crochet a prayer shawl. If you are not sure how, no problem, there will be plenty of people to help you get started. This group is open to anyone who would like to join! For more information call Susan Harlan at 770-377-3869.

YOUNG ADULT: SMALL GROUP SUNDAYS

NDBC 2030

The young adult small group reads a book each month on various faith-related issues. We meet on the third Sunday of the month at 6:30 PM for discussion and then go off campus for dinner together. The small group meets in the Undercroft.

July 22

August 19

Email Zach Bay

to sign up.

YOUNG ADULT

UNPLUGGED EVENTS

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.

July 13

August 10

If you are interested in attending an Unplugged event contact Zach Bay

for more details.

youth logo

The youth café, UNDERGROUNDS, will be open for a light breakfast at 9:30 AM each Sunday. Youth Church School will meet in the newly renovated youth space and will begin at 9:45 AM.

YOUTH

Encore! is a once a month youth event on either Sunday afternoon or Sunday evening. We focus this time on fellowship, discussion, and/or mission service.

Contact Zach Bay

with questions.