ORTH EWS THE EIGHTH ANNUAL WOMEN'S RETREAT. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9 and SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10TH, 2018

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1 NORTH CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH W. Twelve Mile Road, Farmington Hills, MI Phone: (248) Fax: (248) Website: northcongregationalchurch.org Address correction requested Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage P.A.I.D. Farmington Hills, MI Permit No. 107 North Congregational Church ORTH EWS July, 2018 Vol. 39 No W. Twelve Mile Road, Farmington Hills, Michigan (248) Fax: (248) Church Website: northcongregationalchurch.org Living Our Vision SAVE THE DATE THE EIGHTH ANNUAL WOMEN'S RETREAT IS ON THE CALENDAR FOR FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9 and SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10TH, 2018 NEW PROGRAM AND FORMAT! FELLOWSHIP AND SURPRISES! More information will be coming, so look for updates in the newsletters and bulletins. We are gathered for worship of God and service to humanity.

2 From the Minister... From the Minister cont d. By the time you are reading this, I will be on Sabbatical, a generous part of my terms of call to North Church! I ll begin in San Diego for the NACCC meeting, along with Delegate Dottie Kendall, NACCC Secretary Judy Campbell, Congregational Foundation Board member Kevin Gromley, and Vitality Council Intern Meghan Webster. You ll hear more on this meeting in Dottie s official report. Then it s off for a week of personal retreat at the Weber Center in Adrian, MI. The wonderful hospitality and spiritual resources of the Adrian Dominican Sisters will be a great setting for me to unplug, disconnect, and do some reading, some praying, some walking, some thinking and some resting. On that retreat, I ll be reading in three books that might interest some of you: The Very Good Gospel: How Everything Wrong can be Made Right by Lisa Sharon Harper. Daring Greatly: How the courage to be vulnerable transforms the way we live, love, parent and lead by Brene Brown. Womanist Midrash: A Reintroduction to the Women of the Torah and the Throne by Wilda C. Gafney. After that, I will have some weeks of family time and beach vacation. I ll be taking along the Book Group summer books, The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, and Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly, both novels set during World War II. Finally, I ll be traveling to Selma and Montgomery, Alabama, to follow part of the Civil Rights Freedom Trail and go to the Museum of Slavery and Lynching Memorial presented by the Equal Justice Initiative. You can learn more at: My reading for this portion will be: Just Mercy by Bryan Stephenson, founder of the EJI, detailing the origins of the Project. So You want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo, on how to initiate and continue conversations about race, racial thinking and discrimination, and solutions. I hope some of you will join in the reading! And while I m missing you all, know you are always in my thoughts and prayers. We ll have lots to talk about when I m back in the office in mid- August! Rev. Mary E. Biedron

3 Activities in July... Wednesday Ladies Lunch Group Join us each Wednesday for lunch at 11:30 a.m. Reservations are needed, all women of the church are welcome! Happy 4th of July July 11 - Brass Pointe July 18 - Scrambler Marie s July 25 - Olive Garden GUEST PREACHERS IN JULY July 1, 8, 29: Rev. Gary C. Dawes July 15, 22: Rev. Steve Schafer To all who have completed their terms of office... Over the past year we were blessed with many of you serving on our boards, on committees and in a variety of other capacities. Upon completion of your terms, many of you moved on to other opportunities of service. At this time we would like to say thanks to each of you. I hope you know how much you are appreciated! Join the Flick Chicks We would like to invite the women of the church who enjoy movies (chicks who like flicks) to join us on Thursday, July 5th at Regal Crown Theater, on 14 Mile. After the show we ll have dinner at Applebee s on Haggerty Road. Join us during coffee hour on Sunday, July 1st to help choose the movie and time. July Meeting Trustees July 25 Men s Breakfast CLUB A group of North Congregational Church men meet for breakfast every other Tuesday at Moe s on Ten at 9:00 a.m. You are welcome to join them on July 3rd, 17th and 31st. If you are interested in a little lively conversation with your breakfast, contact Steve Lange at stephenlange@me.com. He will add you to their list so you receive updates on their schedule. Summer Sunday School - Sundays through August 26 We'll be having a One Room Sunday School again this summer, for children presently in Preschool through Grade 6. Lesson materials will include age appropriate activities. Bring your children for these more relaxed summer Sundays! Baby and Toddler care will be available every week. Book Group Class will not meet on Sunday, September 2nd due to Labor Day Weekend. The book group will take a summer break, and reconvene on Wednesday September 12th at 1:00 p.m. in the church library. For our summer reading, we've picked two novels set during World War II. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah and Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly. Information about these books, the group and ideas/suggestions for other reading are found on the "North Congregational Church Book Group" face book page. This is a private group, with a public profile; it's open to North Church members and friends. Click and join this group on the page, and we'll add you! Everyone is welcome, even if you haven t finished the book! Come join the conversation. Samaritan Counseling Center Dining Out Fundraiser California Pizza Kitchen has generously partnered with Samaritan Counseling Center to offer a Dining Out Fundraiser on Saturday, July 28th, from 11 am - 10 p.m. Offer valid at the following location: Twelve Oaks Mall-Novi, Novi Road. Their phone number is 248/ % of all purchases made that day (fundraiser flyer must be presented) will be donated to SCC. Flyers may be found on the Information Table outside Fellowship Hall. Every donation SCC receives helps to continue their mission of providing therapeutic counseling and educational services to all God s People. Please enjoy some delicious pizza and help out SCC at the same time. Required flyers will also be available soon on SCC s website,

4 Congratulations! To Our High School Graduates ~ Zach Harless, who graduated from Harrison High School. He is the son of Leigh and Denny Harless. Kevin Schwartz, who graduated from Harrison High School. He is the son of Celeste and Eric Schwartz. Anne Straith, who graduated from Seaholm High School. She is the daughter of Lisa and Tom Straith. Sam Thornton, who graduated from North Farmington High School. He is the son of Janice and Tom Thornton. Jackson Vails, son of Cynthia & Terrance Vails, brother of Keira and grandson of Paul & Linda Cooper. Graduating from Southfield s University High School class Valedictorian. Attending University of Michigan School of Engineering. To Our College Graduates ~ Tyler Ekizian graduated from Michigan State University, Lyman Briggs, Honors College with a degree in computer science. He is the son of Rachel and Steve Ekizian. Alexandra Schwartz graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor in Economics. She is the daughter of Celeste and Eric Schwartz. August 19 th 26 th (SOS) provides homeless prevention, sustainable housing and career development strategies and programs for homeless and at-risk people seeking stabilization and self-sufficiency. North Congregational church is hosting S.O.S. in partnership with St. Gerald Catholic Church and the Muslim Community Mosque, and Trinity in the Woods Episcopal Church. Sign ups for food and volunteers will be online through SignUpGenius. Beginning Wednesday, July 11th you may go to NorthCongregationalChurch.org and sign up through the links there. You may also Danny Hawkins at NCC.BusinessManager@gmail.com and have him enter your information on SignUpGenius. Opportunities to help will include: Donations of food and supplies (monetary donations for food expenses can also be done at NorthCongregationalChurch.org) Building set up on the first Sunday afternoon Transportation from S.O.S.in Lathrup Village to North Congregational Sunday through Saturday afternoons. Evening transportation to the Farmington YMCA for showers at 8:00 Overnight supervision and box lunch preparation Breakfast preparation, Monday through Sunday all guests are out of the church by 8:00 a.m. Transportation from North Congregational to S.O.S. s Lathrup Village office or to our guests places of work. Most leave at 8:00 a.m., a few may be earlier. Laundering of bed linens a few towels and hand towels each day during the week Tear down/reconfiguring of church rooms on the second Sunday morning A couple of Committee Chairpeople to assist Danny Hawkins are still needed. Please check the North Congregational Church website or contact him at NCC.BusinessManager@gmail.com for more information on these roles.

5 Neighborhood House Phone Volunteers The Farmington-Farmington Hills Neighborhood House needs phone volunteers. Neighborhood House provides assistance to those in need with help paying rent and utility bills, food from its food pantry and referrals to counseling and other services. Training will be provided to the phone volunteers, and the volunteer's phone time will be tailored to fit the volunteer's schedule and availability. Volunteering is easy with phone calls forwarded to the volunteer's phone (no personal information about the volunteer is identified) when no one is at the Neighborhood House office to take calls. Phone volunteers take down basic information from the calls they receive and forward the information to the Neighborhood House Client Support Specialist for follow up. Online Giving North Congregational Church has an electronic option for making regular and special offerings. Contributions can be debited automatically from your checking account, savings account or processed using your credit or debit card (with a 2% fee to the church). Our electronic giving program offers convenience for you and donation consistency for our congregation. If you are currently giving on a weekly basis, you will no longer need to write 52 checks a year or prepare 52 envelopes. And, when travel, illness or other circumstances prevent you from attending worship services, this program will allow your weekly offerings to continue on an uninterrupted basis. You may go to the church website - NorthCongregationalChurch.org to sign up in the Member s Corner or you may complete an authorization form, available on the Sign Up Table outside Fellowship Hall, to have Danny Hawkins set up your giving for you. J U L Y LAY READERS July 1 - Jane Windell July 8 - Justin Hornburg July 15 - Miranda Webster July 22 - Mary Voisin July 29 - Sherel Shand COFFEE HOUR HOSTS July 1 Pete Shand, Art Lanier July 8 Sandy Greer, Jack Cooper July 15 Steve Plummer, Donna Nordman July 22 Jane Windell, Lee Poese July 29 Steve Lange, Greg Fernandes Our Heartfelt Sympathy to: Elsie Tune-Erickson, and the family and friends of John Erickson, who died Friday, June 1, His service was held at Chapel of the Lakes Lutheran Church in Mecosta, MI. Diaconate Benevolences for the month of July Farmington/Farmington Hills Meals on Wheels Olivet College General Fund GREETERS Would you like to be a North Church greeter on Sunday morning for the worship service? If so, please call Audrey Poese at 248/ July 1 Steve and Sara Lange July 8 Mary Voisin, Mona Utterback July 15 The Turner Family July 22 Kevin Gromley and Nancy Scott July 29 Pete and Sherel Shand

6 (Current version of our calendar can be found on our web site: northcongregationalchurch.org) July 1, Sunday Guest Preacher: Rev. Gary Dawes; Lay Reader: Jane Windell July 2, Monday July 3, Tuesday 9:00 a.m. Men s Breakfast CLUB Moe s on Ten July 4, Wednesday - Independence Day OFFICE CLOSED July 5, Thursday Flick Chicks - Movie at Regal Crown Theater/Dinner at Applebee s July 6, Friday July 7, Saturday Calendar July 8, Sunday Guest Preacher: Rev. Gary Dawes; Lay Reader: Justin Hornburg July 11, Wednesday 11:30 a.m. Wednesday Ladies Lunch Group - Brass Pointe July 15, Sunday Guest Preacher: Rev. Steve Schafer; Lay Reader: Miranda Webster July 17, Tuesday 9:00 a.m. Men s Breakfast CLUB - Moe s on Ten July 18, Wednesday 11:30 a.m. Wednesday Ladies Lunch Group - Scrambler Marie s July 22, Sunday Guest Preacher: Rev. Steve Schafer; Lay Reader: Mary Voisin July 25, Wednesday 11:30 a.m. Wednesday Ladies Lunch Group - Olive Garden 7:30 p.m. Trustee Meeting - Room 3 July 29, Sunday Guest Preacher: Rev. Gary Dawes; Lay Reader: Sherel Shand July 31, Tuesday 9:00 a.m. Men s Breakfast CLUB - Moe s on Ten August Newsletter Articles are needed by the 15th of each month, in order for everyone to receive their newsletter before the beginning of the new month. I will be happy to include any articles that come in after the 15th in the Bulletin and Church Planner. Please Debbie at ncc.churchoffice@gmail.com. Thank You!