General Information

News & Upcoming Events

Bulletin Early Deadlines
Monday, December 17, 12:00 noon is the deadline for the bulletins for Sunday, December 23; Christmas Eve, Monday, December 24; and Sunday, December 30.

New Daily Devotion Booklet Available
Be sure to pick up a copy of our monthly devotional guide - written by members of our own NPC community.  The readings guide us through The One Year Bible reading plan, which is a great resource as we together maintain the discipline of daily Bible reading. 

There is also a special study guide for individuals, families and small groups that correlates with the Bible text of each week’s sermon.  All these are also kept online for you at www.godmorning.org.

Poinsettia Dedications
Northminster will be decorated with poinsettias during the Christmas season. If you would like to give one or more poinsettias, fill out a form in the Narthex and place it in the offering plate on Sunday. Forms are also available in the church office with your payment by December 17. The cost is $12 per plant.

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Christmas Joy Offering
For nearly 70 years, Presbyterians have given generously at Christmas to support unmet needs of families who have given their lives to the mission of the Presbyterian Church (USA). For many years that offering has also supported racial ethnic education, helping students develop their gifts and find their calling.

The Christmas Joy Offering continues to meet the needs of those students and has expanded to help families of active and retired church workers meet unexpected needs. As we seek this Christmas to make straight the path for God’s love into our hearts, let us do so by opening our hearts to others through the Christmas Joy Offering.

One of the deepest joys we celebrate at Christmas is the recognition that God works through us to call forth new life from one another, even from the parts that feel as though the life has been drained out of them. In particular, we celebrate this when we give to the Christmas Joy Offering. May each of our offerings be an announcement and a celebration of that joy to the world.

The Christmas Joy Offering will be received on Sunday, December 23, at all services. Envelopes are available in the Narthex, or you may use the Pew Envelopes and simply mark “Christmas Joy Offering.” If you would like to receive credit on your giving statement - please place your name and giving number on the envelope.

New Sign!
Thanks to the special generosity of several folks in our church, and the hard work of our Planning Committee, we will at last be seeing a new and beautiful monument sign on the corner of our property, out by the intersection of Ft. Lowell and Tucson Blvd.  It has been our hope for years to have a sign that is not only a fitting addition to our church campus and identity, but also an effective invitation to the community to come and join us in serving the Lord.  So, be watching for construction development, and give thanks to God for the dedicated gifts of members of our church, and the dedicated work of the Planning Committee - as we see our new sign go up, to welcome others in!

Blood Drive
The next blood drive is Sunday, December 16, 8:00 A.M. - 12:30 P.M., in the Fellowship Hall.

Please take the time to give the gift of life during this holy season.

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House Of Neighborly Service Toy Drive
Each year the House of Neighborly Service sponsors a gift giving event to provide Christmas presents for those less fortunate. Please join Children’s Ministries in our efforts to collect new toys for those children and students. We will be collecting toys and gifts for children ranging from infant to Sr. High age. If you are able to contribute, please drop off unwrapped gifts in the designated boxes in the Rowley Courtyard on December 2 and 9. Some suggested items to donate are:

Thank you in advance for your support!

Albertsons’ Community Partners Cards
We have just received the Albertson’s Community Partners card.  If you would care to participate, please stop by and pick up one.  Thanks from your Board of Deacons as they receive money from Albertsons for every dollar you spend!

Deacons’ Food Closet Desperately Needs You
Thank you from The Board of Deacons for your generous support of the Food Closet. Our current needs are: Cereal, beans, pasta, soup, canned vegetables and fruit, tomato products, peanut butter, jelly, macaroni and cheese, canned meat and toilet paper. Thank you once again to those who contribute faithfully in Christ’s love and to those who devote time to distributing the food bags.

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2008 Rocky Point Mission Trip
The Rocky Point mission trip scheduled for February 15-18 is fast approaching. Be aware that all participants must have a current U.S. passport to reenter the U.S.! We are presently signed up to construct the equivalent of three 22’x11’ units. The past several years we constructed a single and double. We will call an organizational meeting in early January. Those interested in participating in this experience should sign up in the church office starting October 29. If we don’t have sufficient participants to do 3 units, we must notify AMOR so that they can reassign a unit to another group.

My House Will Be Called A House Of Prayer - Matthew 21:13
Christians are called to be people of prayer. It is our very identity as followers of Jesus that we are to pray for one another. In Paul’s letter to the Colossians, he describes his prayers for his readers (Colossians 1:3) and ends by exhorting them to devote themselves to prayer, including prayer for him and his ministry.

It is sometimes the case that Christians are reluctant to ask for the prayers of others. This is sometimes the result of a feeling that one’s own difficulties or struggles are too insignificant for others to be concerned with. Sometimes it stems from not feeling that it is safe for others to know our own needs or struggles. And sometimes it simply points out how disconnected we feel from others in the Body of Christ.

Northminster seeks to be a community of prayer. In addition to prayer groups in the congregation, there are several means by which prayer concerns and joys can be shared with the Northminster family.

The Prayer Chain is one Northminster group committed to prayer. When one member of the Prayer Chain receives a call for a prayer need, he or she prays for the issue, then calls the next person on the chain to relate the need. Soon, a sizeable group of sisters and brothers are in prayer for the issue. To initiate the Prayer Chain, call Annie Bahnson or Delores Ray or Helen Reynolds or call the church office, 327-7121.

The Prayer List is a means of notifying the church staff of a prayer need or celebration which will be printed in the weekly bulletins. Prayer requests are submitted by contacting us. Requests for prayer may be submitted by either the person for whom prayer is requested, or by an immediate family member.

Prayer Requests are also a part of the Northminster Communication Card inserted in the weekly worship bulletin. Prayer requests made in this way are shared among the staff only.

So I encourage you to submit your prayer requests to one of the above and pray for others in the congregation, and to allow others the blessing of praying for you.

John Charles Cheek
Associate Pastor for Congregational Care

Needed Parking Spaces
Northminster has a delightful problem during the winter months! We know it can be a challenge at times to find a parking space on Sunday mornings therefore we have received permission from Catalina Terrace, Dent Busters, and The Fountains to use their lots for our overflow. The volley ball court is also available. Please, if you are able to walk a little farther than some, use the overflow lots. If you still have a problem finding a space you might try another hour when it isn’t as congested. Parking along Hedrick (south of the church property) is permissible too. Thank you for your consideration.

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Prayer Garden & Columbarium
At your convenience - plan to walk through our beautiful Prayer Garden and Memorial Columbarium located on the northeast corner of our property, which is open daily during regular office hours. Single or double niches are available - you may choose any bank of niches you prefer.  Niche fronts are engraved when the ashes are interned.  Thus far, 40 niches have been reserved. Memorial plaques are also available - call for information for purchasing a single or double memorial plaque for a loved one.  Ten memorial plaques have been mounted on the beautiful granite panels by the fountain.  Contact Judy Morgan if you are interested and she will provide you with an information packet with all the information needed to purchase a plaque or a niche in our beautiful Memorial Prayer Garden and Columbarium.

Birthday Fund
A birthday fund has been established at Northminster Presbyterian Church to give gratitude to God for another year of life that we have been given. A one dollar per year of life gift to Northminster to further the work of Christ’s church is suggested. This fund will be used for special needs that are outside the normal operating budget of the church. This fund is part of the Permanent Funds at Northminster. Please mark your contribution to the Birthday Fund.

Each month a listing of current birthdays will be made in The Vine & The Branches. This will alert us to the opportunity to send birthday greetings to family and friends, and a contribution to the Birthday Fund in thanks to God for their life. Birthday cards are available for a minimum $5 contribution in the church office to send to the birthday person expressing birthday greetings and to acknowledge a contribution to the NPC Birthday Fund to God in their honor.

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