Read more about NAPC's 55th Annual Mission Conference at www.napc.org/missionconference.
See the February edition of the North AveNews
View on your computer at www.napc.org/newsletter or see the pdf here.
Ash Wednesday Services on February 22
Lent, the 40-day period before Easter, begins on Ash Wednesday. In ancient times, people marked times of fasting, prayer, repentance, and remorse by placing ashes on their foreheads, as in 2 Samuel 13:19, Esther 4:1-3, Job 42:6, and Jeremiah 6:26. This scriptural custom entered the church from Judaism, and it is most appropriate on Ash Wednesday, when we begin a period of sober reflection, self-examination, and spiritual redirection.
By observing the 40 days of Lent, an individual imitates Jesus’ withdrawal into the wilderness for 40 days of fasting and preparation for ministry. When counting the 40 days of Lent, Sundays are not included because they are days which commemorate the joyful celebration of the Resurrection. The Lenten Season is one for soul-searching and repentance. It is a season for reflection and taking stock. Lent originated in the very earliest days of the church as a preparatory time for Easter, when the faithful rededicated themselves and converts were prepared for baptism. In ancient times, purple dye was very expensive, so the color purple came to signify wealth, power, and royalty. In most churches, Lenten decorations are purple - to signify great solemnity, with connotations of both penance and royal dignity.
Copyright 1995-2004 by Rev. Kenneth W. Collins.
All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.
Underground Church Simulation
Join us February 24 from 7-8:30 p.m. at the church. Just come. Park in the parking deck, and you'll be given instructions from there. We can't say much, but do know that we'll worship toegether, and you'll have a new perspective on what it means to be a part of the vulnerable church...
Women's Spring Bible Studies
Calling women of all ages and walks of life! Women’s Spring Bible Studies will begin the last week of February/First week of March and run for six weeks. Each week, Dr. April Love-Fordham will be teaching John 15-17 ”What really happened in the Upper Room?” Childcare is provided at both studies. No preparation is required at either study, but more in-depth homework is available for those who desire it. Wednesday Evening Bible Study begins February 29 at 7 p.m. in the United Classroom. This informal Bible study lasts for one hour. Thursday Morning Bible Study will begin on March 1st in the United Classroom. This Bible study includes worship at 9:30 a.m., small groups at 9:45 a.m., and teaching at 10:45 a.m. Both Bible studies are great opportunities to bond with other women while learning more about what God has to say to us!
One Morning Worship Service on Sunday, March 4
ACTS OF WORSHIP SERVICE AT 10:45 AM
Ready to serve your local community? Join us on Sunday, March 4 as the entire congregation is deployed into service projects both on-site and around the Atlanta community. More details coming soon!
9:30 AM Sunday School • 10:45 AM Worship Service • 11:20 AM Prayer Walk
11:45 AM Boxed Lunches • 12:15 PM Service Projects (on and off-site)
7 PM Thomas Rawlings from International Justice Mission Guatemala
Oasis Living Waters Retreat: March 23-24
Do you feel restless or dry in your spirit? Find renewal at the Oasis Retreat, March 23-24 at the Harrington Center at Columbia Theological Center. Then come away for a quiet time with God, and find rest and nourishment for your soul… Led by the men and women of North Avenue, this contemplative prayer retreat will provide time for teaching from Scripture (teachers include Paul Hamalian, Mary Beth Zibilich, and Glenice Johnson), solitude and silence, small group sharing, and community worship.
See details and register online at www.napc.org/oasis.
Come to the 27th Annual NAPC Easter Egg Hunt
Join the fun on Saturday, March 31 at the home of the Handells at 790 Wildwood Road, Atlanta. Bring your Easter basket and a favorite dish to share; the festivities begin at 11 a.m. Fun, food, prizes, and NAPC's littlest ones make for an unforgettable afternoon. Also, we ask families to bring a children's book in Spanish to donate to the Honduras Mission Trip. For more information contact the Handells at (404) 875-5853.
Tools to Help You Stay in God's Word in 2012
In his sermon on Sunday, January 1, 2012, Dr. Scott Weimer challenged the congregation to spend 15-30 minutes each day for the month of January reading and meditating on God's word. Looking for some tools to help you know where to start? Try these:
-
Have a smartphone? Try the free Bible app which holds a huge selection of 200+ free Bible versions and 200+ plans to help you track your progress. Maybe you can challenge yourself to read the whole Bible in 2012?
-
Listen to the Bible with daily readings for free via the Daily Audio Bible Podcast. Download this podcast to your mp3 player and listen to God's Word on your way to work, to drop off the kids at school, or while quietly sitting at home. Daily readings include Old Testament, New Testament, Psalm, and Proverb selections.
-
Robert Murray M'Cheyne calendar of recommended daily readings pursues a one-year reading of the entire Bible. This calendar is available in multiple locations online for both printing and online reading. See printable calendars at www.mcheyne.info/calendar.pdf or www.edginet.org/mcheyne/printables.html. You many also see the recommended chapter online at hippocampusextensions.com/mcheyneplan/
Get Involved in the Music Ministry at NAPC
So, here it is a New Year - January 2012 – the perfect time to try something new!
Consider joining the Chancel Choir: Rehearsals are held Wednesdays from 7-9 p.m. in the Choir Room. Or, join the Handbell Choir: North Avenue has a five-octave set of Schulmeric handbells and three octaves of bell chimes. We rehearse on Wednesdays at 5:50 p.m. in the Sanctuary. Play with Orchestra NAPC: Rehearsals are held Sundays from 1-2:30 p.m. in Room 301. To obtain further information about any of these opportunities, contact Melinda Clark, Director of Music & The Arts and Organist at melinda@napc.org or ext. 208.
If you have a passion for modern worship and sing or play an instrument, please contact Josh Schicker, Worship Leader in Mission. We would love to have you share your gift with NAPC at our 9 a.m. or 7 p.m. services! Contact: josh@napc.org or ext. 236.
Free Harp Concert on February 19
Elisabeth Remy Johnson was appointed principal harpist for the ASO in 1995. Ms. Remy Johnson has performed concertos by Debussy, Handel, Mozart, and Ginastera with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. She is winner of first-place awards in competitions of the American Harp Society and the American String Teachers Association, and is a NFAA/ARTS awardee. She graduated from Harvard University Phi Beta Kappa with a double major in Music and French.
Ms. Remy Johnson teaches harp privately, through the ASO Talent Development Program, and at several universities in the Atlanta area. She coaches the harpists of the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra, and is an artist affiliate at Emory University, Artist in Residence at Kennesaw State University, and Adjunct Instructor at Georgia State University. She is founder and artistic director of the Urban Youth Harp Ensemble, a program serving 55 students from 7 schools in the Atlanta Public School system.
This is Ms. Remy Johnson's second concert here at NAPC. In April of 2010, she performed her Rio de Janeiro program in advance of her trip to Brazil where she was invited to perform at the International Harp Festival. You will not want to miss this Harp concert. Please invite guests to join you on Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 1 p.m. in the Eldridge Room on the fourth floor.
Community Sing of The Seven Last Words of Christ
The Music Ministry of North Avenue Presbyterian Church invites YOU to join our Chancel Choir & Orchestra NAPC and Guest Musicians for a Community-Sing Experience on Sunday afternoon, March 25, 2012 at 2:00 pm in North Avenue’s Sanctuary. For our major work this year we will present Théodore Dubois’ “The Seven Last Words of Christ.” All Choral Singers in the audience will be invited, first, to rehearse the music, then to participate in the singing of this descriptive work, depicting the three final hours of the Crucifixion of Christ.
Théodore Dubois (1837 – 1924) lived in France serving as Choirmaster of two famous French churches: Church of the Madeleine and Church of Sainte-Clotilde. He also taught and was the Director of the Paris Conservatoire, which produced many of the best French musicians and composers of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Dubois influenced and was influenced by famous composers Camille Saint-Saëns, Paul Dukas, Florent Schmitt, and Gabriel Fauré (whose Requiem we sang for our 1st Audience Sing-along last March, 2011). The music of Dubois includes operas, oratorios (including “The Seven Last Words of Christ,” written in 1867), three symphonies, organ compositions, and theoretical works used in teaching.
You do not want to miss this audience- participation singing of “The Seven Last Words of Christ.” Members of the Atlanta’s Choral Community – church and civic communities, metro-wide – are encouraged to come participate in the singing of this dramatic work. In fact, you’ll want to obtain a vocal score of the work, so that you will be able to do some rehearsing, prior to March 25! If you would like to join North Avenue’s Chancel Choir at their weekly rehearsals (Wednesdays from 7 -9 pm) as they begin preparing for this major work, contact Melinda Clark at Melinda@napc.org or [(404) 875-0431 x208] to obtain further information.
Pledge Online
Submit your pledge for giving in 2012 online at www.napc.org/stewardship.
Greeters Needed for Sunday Mornings
Have you been welcomed by a friendly greeter as you entered North Avenue before a service in recent months? Radical Hospitality is one of North Avenue's core values, and we have a need for others with the gift of hospitality. If you are able to serve in this way once a month for about an hour, please contact Guy Hudgins at hudgin_g@bellsouth.net or Janie Hicks at janie@napc.org or ext. 206.
Come Play in the Dirt!
We are the NAPC Greenthumbs, a group of dedicated volunteers who maintain the church grounds throughout the year. Not only do we enjoy our time together serving the church, but we are also saving $10,000 annually in landscape costs which can be re-directed for other programs. We work as teams one day a month, and we are really flexible! Weekday or weekend, we can find a place for you! If you enjoy being outside, serving the church, making new friends and can give a few hours each month, Greenthumbs is calling you (don't worry—use of gas-powered tools is not a requirement). Contact Hal Gersch at hikinghal@yahoo.com for more information.
New Mission Blog
Don't miss the new Mission Blog with video updates of news and volunteer opportunities! Check it out at www.napc.org/missionblog.
Have a Background in Communications?
The NAPC Communications Team is looking for three new members to serve on the team as we endeavor to better communicate internally and to our community. If you have a background in communications, marketing, or public relations, use your experience to help North Avenue! To serve or for more information, contact Whitney Meadows at whitney@napc.org.
Donate Flowers for the Sanctuary
You can donate the flowers that beautify the front of the North Avenue Sanctuary every Sunday. Donate flowers in honor or in memory of a loved one (it's a special way to celebrate birthdays or
anniversaries), or just give to the glory of God! Arrangements are $150 for both. Reserve your date for this summer. Contact Kay Carlson at ext. 213 or by e-mail at kay@napc.org.
