Old North Church Response to Devastation from Hurricanes Fiona and Ian

Over 100,000 homes and businesses are still without power in Puerto Rico over 2 weeks after Hurricane Fiona, with at least 25 deaths associated with the storm. Over 300,000 remain without power in Florida one week after Hurricane Ian, with 108 associated deaths in Florida and the Carolinas.

The Outreach Ministry Board has researched the best options for relief funding from Old North Church for those most affected by both hurricanes. We plan to donate funds for Puerto Rico on behalf of church members to a highly regarded human services organization on the island called Comprometidos, which invests in local community development organizations throughout Puerto Rico and has been channeling needed emergency support funds through those organizations post-Fiona. For relief efforts in Florida and the Carolinas, we will donate funds collected to the UCC Disaster Ministry, which has the ability to work directly with churches in the impacted areas without using any relief funds to pay for overhead expenses.

If you would like to contribute to hurricane relief work in Puerto Rico and Florida through the Outreach Ministry Board and these organizations, please send checks made out to “Old North Church” and write “Hurricane relief” in the memo line. You can drop the checks off at the church office, place them in the offering plates at Sunday services, or mail them to Donna Weiner c/o Old North Church Office, 8 Stacey Street, Marblehead, MA 01945. Thank you for your generosity to those in such great need. 

Rev. Lindsay Away Oct 17-Nov 13

Lindsay will be off duty at Old North for four weeks. The church leadership offered her this as compensatory time, in recognition of and gratitude for her work--above and beyond her contracted hours and job description--as Acting Senior Minister in the months between Dennis' retirement and Don's arrival. From Lindsay: "Church, thank you so much for this! It was a delight to helm the ship over the late spring and summer, and I'm grateful for a chance to rest. Thanks, also, for your prayers and concern for me and Ashley as we said goodbye to our foster child. I look forward to seeing you again in mid-November!" 

Children's Faith Formation

Children’s Church - Kindergarten to 5th Grade

This Sunday the Children will go upstairs after Moments with Children

to share and talk about “Why We Tell Stories”.

Childcare for Infants to 4 years old are welcome beginning 9:50 upstairs in the First Church Meeting House room.

Registration Forms can be found on line or will be available on Sunday.

Confirmation

Confirmation, 2023 - Sundays in the Great Room, 11:15AM

This month Dee and Rev. Don continue our study of humankind’s relationship with God as expressed in the awesome, if not occasionally downright scary, book of Genesis. We’ll work through a timeline, exploring the story of scripture as God's dreams for humanity and all of creation unfold from Genesis through to another awesomely scary book at the far end of the Bible, The Revelation of John. (Rhod Sharp is out this month but plans to join in November.)  

Diaper and Formula Appeal

The Lynn Family Forward Resource Center is urgently seeking donations of diapers, baby formula and candy for Halloween.  If you are able to provide any of these in kind, or are able to make a $ donation (check made out to Centerboard/LynnFRC) please inform Lynda Hare at hares8carrots@hotmail.com who will pick up and deliver the items to the center.

Join us for a Walk

Come join the Community Life Ministry Board this Sunday, October 16th for a walk around Ware Pond led by our own Don Morgan. Don has guided us on several walks through the years and is a font of knowledge about the local area, local conservation endeavors and challenges, and the Ware Pond area. We will meet at 1:30 PM at the entrance to Ware Pond. Please park at the intersection of Warren and Marion Road Ext. This walk promises to be a great family adventure so bring everyone along!!!

If you have any questions about the walk or on the 16th, please call Linda Duvel (978-852-2583) or Don Morgan (617-548-3745).

Hope to see you at Ware Pond.

Call for Junior Deacons!

The Deacons of ONC invite members of our community in their high school years to serve as Junior Deacons. Junior Deacons work alongside the Deacons in church services, primarily on Communion Sundays (first Sunday of the month), as well as other services throughout the year. If you are interested in learning more about being a Junior Deacon, please email Rebecca Ehrhardt at rebecca_ehrhardt@yahoo.com or call her at 617-270-9508. She can tell you more about the role. Thank you!  

Festival Chorus

We’re off to a thrilling start! Rehearsals for the 42^nd annual Festival Chorus Concerts have begun and over 65 singers have registered! It’s not too late to join the Festival Chorus; rehearsals take place on Wednesday nights from 7:30pm to 9pm, in the sanctuary at Old North. All singers are welcome, including high school students – grades 9-12. Festival Chorus Holiday Concerts – on Saturday and Sunday, December 3 and 4, 2022 – will feature the stunningly-beautiful Missa in Angustiis (Nelson Mass) by Franz Joseph Haydn, Variations on the Twelve Days of Christmas by Craig Courtney, and seasonal music for chorus and orchestra with audience participation. For more information about Festival Chorus program book advertising, supporting the Festival Chorus with a financial contribution, volunteering to usher at concerts, distributing posters around town, or to purchase tickets, please visit the Old North Festival Chorus website at: www.oldnorthfestivalchorus.org

South Africa 2023

Next summer will be the 20^th anniversary of our first Old North trip to South Africa and the start of our partnership with the Pholela Congregation in KwaZulu Natal province. Although a trip was planned with a large group in 2020, we were unable to go due to Covid. To honor our enduring and thriving relationship with our South African friends, we are proposing a two week trip for next August 2023.

In 2020, we were planning to go Aug. 6-20 so that’s approximately the timeframe for 2023 so children will be home in time to get ready for school. The actual dates will be similar.  We will spend a week with visits and projects among the Pholela Congregation spread out over 25 villages and we’ll probably go to several of them. We are always received with joy and hospitality by the villagers and church members. There’s lots of interaction with school kids which is always fun, from little ones through high school. Other past projects have included planting gardens for the elderly and helping with light construction if houses have been wrecked by storms. The mountainous area is wonderful for hiking so we’ll do some of that to see ancient cave paintings in the cliffs. The main church service is very memorable and festive because everyone sings and dances the whole time. ONC Deacons (and former, like me) serve communion with their elders.

During the second week we will enjoy the scenic beauty of the country.  We’ll spend a night at a nice hotel on the beach in Durban where we love to shop the amazing African markets along the shore front. Then we’ll have an excursion driving through the Drakensburg Mountains’ Sani Pass (UNESCO World Heritage Scenic Site) to the Kingdom of Lesotho. We’ll visit a village nestled in the mountains and have lunch in the highest pub in Africa. After that we’ll go on safari in the oldest game reserve in Africa (home to the Big Five animals ) and stay in luxury bush villa accommodations. In addition to game drives, we’ll have an excursion to lake St. Lucia in a Wetland Park to see hippos, crocodiles and birds. Then we’ll be transferred to the airport in Durban to fly home.

The costs for the last trip were under $4000 per person and that includes airfare. The cost for next summer should be similar, even allowing for price increases. I will start making reservations in the fall so I can confirm accommodations and excursions and pricing. Anyone interested in going with us should let me know in the next few weeks, if possible. rvonrueden@comcast.net Many Old North members, family and friends have benefitted from this experience of a lifetime. Rick and I would love to have you share this adventure with us.    Ginny von Rueden