Exchanging ordinary living… for an extraordinary life… through the transforming power of Jesus Christ.
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Have you seen our new billboard on Rt. 9? Right now it is right beside Wal-mart and will be there throughout October. It will then be moved to another location in Clifton Park for the month of November.
Help us get the word out about our great church. Who can you bring with you this week to NorthStar?
By now you’re all aware that Baby Adeline is here! O.K. this post is a bit late but, better late than never!
Congratulations to Pastor Roscoe, Maryanna and Annabelle as they add another to the Lillypad! Sweet Adeline Jane was born at 8:11 am via C-Section on Tuesday, August 21. She weighed 6lbs 15oz. and was 19 inches long.
Our love to the family! We look forward to filling God’s Growing Garden with lots of little Lillies in the future!
Ignoring something doesn’t help it get better. People today feel that they need to mind their own business and they shouldn’t get involved in other people’s problems. It’s not loving to not confront and working for peace doesn’t mean don’t rock the boat. There are two negative outcomes when we don’t confront. 1) The behavior won’t stop and; 2) there will be consequences (such as blowing up over something small because the conflict hasn’t been resolved). How do we confront someone we love in a safe way? You have to ask yourself if you care more about the other person’s spiritual growth or more about yourself and your own comfort. Love without truth is hypocrisy but truth without love is brutality. So you must confront in the spirit of love. Either the other person doesn’t know what they are doing or they do know it and need to be corrected.
Pastor Roscoe gives us three ways to lovingly confront:
1) Check your Motives. Ask yourself why you want to talk to this person. Why are you the one to do it? If you get enjoyment out of confronting, you shouldn’t be the one to do it. You should always want to bring about healing, not hurting. You should struggle with the confrontation. You should only confront people you care about. A true friend tells you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear.
2) Plan your Presentation. Don’t confront anonymously. Plan a time to talk. Plan a place to confront. Say what you have to gently. Start with affirmation, confront and end with affirmation. Never use the word “but†because that negates everything you said previously. Instead, use the word “andâ€.
3) Risk their Rejection. Don’t ever let fear of rejection or anger be greater than your love of this person. Don’t not confront because the person may leave you. Risk it. You may be the last stop in the way of this person and their destruction.
Don’t let fear become greater than love. Care enough to have that tough, honest conversation.
PALS
On Friday Sept 28, PALS (Parents and Little Stars) are having an apple picking event at Bowman’s Orchard at 11 a.m. on Sugar Hill Road in Rexford. Call Toni at 638-2330 or email at mamalyng@aol.com for more info on this event. PALS is open to parents with children four years of age and under and is a great way to meet people at NorthStar.
Family Hike
Join us on Saturday, September 29 for Northstar’s 3rd annual family hike. Led by the Burkes and Mostollers, hike Black Mountain in the beautiful Adirondacks. The hike is considered moderate and not for children under 10. Meet at 10:30 a.m. in the church office parking lot (1741 Rt. 9) and caravan up to the trailhead. Bring a picnic lunch to eat at the summit. Contact Chris Litchfield at litchfield30@aol.com with questions. Sign up at the information table.
Discovering NorthStar 101: Membership Class
If you’ve been attending NorthStar for at least 2 months and want to take your commitment to the next level, attend this class on Saturday, September 29, from 10 a.m. – noon in our church offices located at 1741 Rt. 9. Lunch is provided. Sign up on the back of your Connection Card. Space is limited.
Planet NorthStar Graduation
Come and celebrate the graduation of our Planet NorthStar children as they move up to 7th grade and the Add1 Youth Group on Sunday, September 30 at 11:10 a.m. in the Planet NorthStar room.
Spirit Park Clean Up
Our church-sponsored park on the corner of Moe Road and Clifton Park Center Road needs some fall cleaning. Feel free to stop by anytime and make it shine by pulling weeds and picking up debris.
Fall Growth Group Sign-ups
Starting the week of September 23 and lasting for twelve weeks, make plans to attend a Growth Group to get connected to others at NorthStar. Sign up by using the Growth Group Card in your bulletin and placing it in the offering box. Growth Groups are key in your own personal and spiritual growth! For more information, check out www.northstarchurch.com/gg
Top Soccer
Add1 Youth Group will be working with Top Soccer for the next seven weeks, Saturdays at the Clifton Commons Soccer Field, from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. teaching boys and girls who have mental and physical disability how to play soccer. For more information or to get involved, contact grantley@northstarchurch.com
When God gives us His love, He doesn’t put qualifiers on it. He says “I love you unconditionally.†We put conditions on our love, saying “I’ll love you if you make me feel better or if you do this for me.†God says that’s not acceptable. We should give unconditional love to everyone. The Bible has four ways that should guide us on our path to giving unconditional love.
1) Unconditional love is:
“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. “
-1 Corinthians 13:4-7(NLT)
2) Unconditional love is a Command. It is not a contract that you give in order to get something. Love is just something you do and a vow you make to others. Love is when you vow to love no matter what another person does.
3) Unconditional love is a Choice. Love is not an emotion. God says “You get to choose whether or not you’re going to obey my command. You get to choose how you’re going to act towards other people.â€
4) Unconditional love is an Action. It’s something that you have to show others. Pastor Roscoe tells us the story of the prodigal son who was given his trust fund by his father, went out into the world and spent all of his wealth, returned home in shame only to be welcomed with open arms by his father. His brother couldn’t understand the unconditional love that his father gave. -Luke 15:11-32 (NLT)
We have to know Jesus in order to love other people. Our well of love isn’t deep enough on our own. That’s why we need Jesus to find the love to fill up our well. We learn how to love other people by God putting unlovable people in our path. It’s easy to love our friends and hard to love our enemies. Jesus gives us the strength to do both.
Pastor Roscoe asks us to take these next steps today:
Experience the greatest love ever by asking Jesus to take control of our lives.
To love despite how we feel.
To begin demonstrating our love for others.
To embrace the “unlovable†people in our lives.
Joyce Barylski September 7
Claudia Braymer September 8
Martha Lyng September 19
Melissa Borgel September 30
Drama Team
If you’d like to join the team, let us know on the back of your Connection Card. There are speaking and non-speaking roles.
Spirit Park Clean Up
Our church-sponsored park on the corner of Moe Road and Clifton Park Center Road needs some fall cleaning. Feel free to stop by anytime and make it shine by pulling weeds and picking up debris.
Fall Growth Group Sign-ups
Starting the week of September 23 and lasting for twelve weeks, make plans to attend a Growth Group to get connected to others at NorthStar. Sign up by using the Growth Group Card in your bulletin and placing it in the offering box. Growth Groups are key in your own personal and spiritual growth! For more information, check out www.northstarchurch.com/gg
Top Soccer
Add1 Youth Group will be working with Top Soccer for the next seven weeks, Saturdays at the Clifton Commons Soccer Field, from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. teaching boys and girls who have mental and physical disability how to play soccer. For more information or to get involved, contact grantley@northstarchurch.com
Commitment means loving something so much that you would die for it. We’re afraid to commit because we think that something better may come along in the future. How do we know if our heart is fully committed to God? Pastor Roscoe discusses five ways that are starting points to show our commitment.
1) By committing to Gods family. God wants us to be a contributor. You can contribute by joining a local group of believers. Church is a family where we are loved and where we love. Without a local church family, we are spiritual orphans. We need to find a place to put down deep roots.
2) By committing the first ten percent of our income back to God. Tithing isn’t easy or natural but it’s a discipline that we have to practice. It teaches us to trust God and to have faith. Tithing isn’t the same as giving to charity. Tithing happens as an act of worship in a house of worship.
3) By committing our friends to come to church. You don’t need to be able to answer all their questions about faith. Tell them your story and bring them to church. Warmly welcome them when they come. Come to church early. Come into the sanctuary when the band starts playing so that newcomers know where they should go to worship.
4) By committing to join a Growth Group. When others walk out, people in your growth group walk in. Growth Groups balance out negative things in your life by giving positive back to you.
5) By committing to a serving rotation. Volunteer for God’s Growing Garden, Planet NorthStar, setup or tear down or anywhere else you see the church needs help. Even fifteen minutes will help.
Pastor Roscoe encourages us to commit our life to Jesus and ask Him to take control of our lives, to sign up for Membership Class, to commit to tithing, to invite our friends to NorthStar on October 7, to join a Growth Group and to sign up for a serving rotation.
New Check-In Location/Entrance
Starting Sunday, September 9, Planet NorthStar children will need to be checked in and enter on the same side as God’s Growing Garden check-in. After the service, don’t forget to sign them out. The PNS room will still be open after the service for your children to use.
Drama Team
If you’d like to join the team, let us know on the back of your Connection Card. There are speaking and non-speaking roles.
Spirit Park Clean Up
Our church-sponsored park on the corner of Moe Road and Clifton Park Center Road needs some fall cleaning. Feel free to stop by anytime and make it shine by pulling weeds and picking up debris.
Visiting Brad
A sign-up schedule has been created for visiting Brad. Only two persons per day are allowed during regular visiting hours so sign up to claim your time slot.
Remember GoodSearch.com, the site that donates money to the charity of your choice each time you search the web? The good folks at GoodSearch have come up with a new concept similar to that of GoodSearch.com. More than 100 stores including Target, Macy’s, The Gap, Best Buy, Nordstrom, PetSmart, Staples and WalMart have teamed up with GoodSearch to launch GoodShop. As with GoodSearch, GoodShop is aimed at generating even more money for participating organizations such as NorthStar Church!
At the GoodShop site, simply designate your favorite charity (i.e. NorthStar Church) or school, click on a store’s logo and then shop as you normally would.
You’ll get the same great prices, but every time you place an order, you’ll be supporting your favorite cause with donations that average around 3% of the sale but can exceed 20%!
The next time you’re shopping online, go to GoodShop first!