NorthStar Church Blog

We’re moving closer and closer to our goal of $12,000 for this year’s Come Together Christmas Offering!
As of today we are at $9000!

We still have one (1) more week to reach our goal.

Thanks for your contributions and for keeping this special offering in your prayers!

Have a safe and enjoyable Christmas with your loved ones!

The annual Christmas Offering is an opportunity to give sacrificially above our normal tithes and offerings. This offering will allow us to reach out and show we care for those in our community and to those abroad. Our goal this year was prayerfully set at $12,000.

As of today, the offering totals $5,400! THANK YOU for your generosity! However, it’s not too late to give. You can give through December 31.

For those of you who planned to give this past Sunday but were unable to due to the snow, you can either mail it into the office or hang on to it until our Christmas service this coming Sunday.

Join us as we Come Together for our community, for missions and for worship.

Showing I Care For My Neighbors

“Teacher, of all the commandments, which is the most important? Jesus replied, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the other commandments and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.’” – Matthew 22:36-40 (NLT)

How are you treating your neighbor? Are you actually doing what the Bible requires? Who is your neighbor? Your neighbor is someone whom you cross paths with on a daily basis. It could be the person who sits next to you at work or the person you buy your coffee from in the morning.
Here are four steps to loving your neighbor.

1) See people as Jesus sees them. In the Bible, a man is robbed, beaten and left for dead on the road side. People rush past without seeing him but a Good Samaritan stops to help. He brings the man to a hotel and pays for his room and board until he gets back from his travels. This person stopped to help another even though it was at great cost to himself. How are we supposed to treat our neighbor? Can we see that we’re not any different than they are? It’s easy to block out other people’s pain and just stay focused on ourselves and our lives. But for God’s grace, we could be the ones in pain needing the help. We can choose to look at our neighbor as a person in our way, messing up our life’s plan or we can see them as God intended us to – people that God put in our path for us to help. Who in your life needs to be seen by you? Think about who’s in your path that may need you. God put them there for a reason. We all know the world is broken but it’s easy to block it out and not see it. You have to open your eyes and see. You have to see before you can help.

2) Show genuine interest. We have become expert fakers in society. We never tell each other how we really feel or how things really affect us. Show your neighbor that you care. Get to know them and, as you’re doing it, show interest in them. It honors the other person to give them your attention and interest.

3) Be alert to the needs of others. In today’s society, it seems we don’t care about others very much. We weigh the cost of getting involved versus ignoring the issue and, more often than not, decide it’s not worth the trouble. There are two types of people – givers and takers. Sometimes you can be both depending on the situation or phase in your life. But if you’re always complaining or griping and always doing the taking, then maybe you need to start looking at your life. If no one is giving to you, look at what you’re harvesting. Give and you will get. It’s wrong to do wrong. It’s equally wrong to do nothing if something needs to be done.

“Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.”-Matthew 7:12 (NLT)

4) Respond with action. It’s not enough to just be alert and show interest. You have to do something about the troubling issue. Show your faith by taking action. Show you care by not just praying for the person but by doing tangible things to help. If they need clothes, give them clothes. If they need food, feed them. Will it cost you? Yes, probably. But it’s worth it.

Accept God’s gift to you of forgiveness by asking Jesus to live inside you. Memorize this verse: “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”-John 13:35 (NLT). Respond with compassion to your neighbors who need help. Show you care by giving to the Come Together Offering.

Ornament Exchange

Make plans to attend the Women’s Ornament Exchange on Friday, December 21st at 6:30 p.m. It will be held at Oko Joyce’s home (31 Orchard Park Drive, Clifton Park). Each person will need to bring a wrapped ornament for the game, and an appetizer, dessert or munchie item to share. If you are not familiar with the game, we will explain the rules to you when you get there. This event is always a big hit so be sure to bring a friend! Please RSVP by December 16. Email Aubrey@northstarchurch.com.

Planet NorthStar Christmas Break Party

Saturday, December 15. Celebrate with us! We will meet at the church office parking lot at 6:15 p.m. Parents are invited to come along if they wish. We will be heading to Quick-Response Restoration’s Christmas extravaganza. They will have live reindeer, photos with Santa and his sleigh, winter characters and complimentary refreshments! Afterward, we will return to Bob’s house for pizza, a movie and games. Permission slips are needed if your parents are not going to join us. Parents can pick you up at 10:00 p.m. from Bob’s house (16 Danbury Ct. Clifton Park). rsievers@nycap.rr.com

Christmas Service

On Sunday, December 23, we will have our annual Christmas Service. It will feature songs from our God’s Growing Garden children as well as our Christmas Choir. It will be a wonderful service as we celebrate the birth of our Savior. Be sure to bring a friend or family member that you would like to experience the miracle of Christmas

Ladies Christmas Tea

Don’t miss the Ladies Christmas Tea & Boutique, which will be held at The Gideon Putnam Hotel on Saturday, December 15th at 2:00 p.m. The cost is $20 per person. We are looking for ladies to host boutique tables so if you make or sell crafts, jewelry, gift baskets or other goodies and are interested in hosting a table for this event, please contact Marla Welson at 630-5121 or Marla2socal@yahoo.com. Registration is located at the Information Table.

Come Together Christmas Offering

This annual offering will allow us to reach out and show we care for those in our community and to those abroad. The Christmas Offering is an opportunity to give sacrificially above our normal tithes and offerings. Our goal this year is $12,000. You can give through December 31. Please use the special Christmas Offering envelope in your bulletin and place it with your regular offering in the boxes at the back of the auditorium. If you would like more information about this offering, it is available at the Information Table. Join us as we Come Together for our community, for missions and for worship.

Meo Chiarenza Dec 2

Sabrina Fontenot Dec 3

Laurie Weber Dec 5

Roscoe Lilly Dec 13

Chris Litchfield Dec 17

Kelsey Savage Dec 21

Cheryl Chiarenza Dec 25

Dave White Dec 25

Christmas Choir

Do you love to praise and worship the Lord through song? Then join the fun and sing in our Holiday Praise Choir on Sunday, December 23! Practices are each Sunday, up until Christmas. We will practice from 11:30 – 1:00 right after service in the auditorium.

Helping Children In Need

This year, NorthStar Church is participating in Angel Tree, a group that connects parents in prison with their children through the delivery of Christmas gifts. We are looking for 14 volunteers to purchase gifts ($15 each) for seven children in Clifton Park and Ballston Lake. We also looking for two delivery teams of two to deliver the presents just before Christmas. To volunteer, please sign up at the Information Table in the lobby or contact Kathy Rusch at ruschk@sage.edu.com. More information and a sheet detailing frequently asked questions can be found at the Information Table.

Christmas Service

On Sunday, December 23, we will have our annual Christmas Service. It will feature songs from our God’s Growing Garden children as well as our Christmas Choir. It will be a wonderful service as we celebrate the birth of our Savior. Be sure to bring a friend or family member that you would like to experience the miracle of Christmas

Ladies Christmas Tea

Don’t miss the Ladies Christmas Tea & Boutique, which will be held at The Gideon Putnam Hotel on Saturday, December 15th at 2:00 p.m. The cost is $20 per person. We are looking for ladies to host boutique tables so if you make or sell crafts, jewelry, gift baskets or other goodies and are interested in hosting a table for this event, please contact Marla Welson at 630-5121 or Marla2socal@yahoo.com. Registration is located at the Information Table.

Come Together Christmas Offering

This annual offering will allow us to reach out and show we care for those in our community and to those abroad. The Christmas Offering is an opportunity to give sacrificially above our normal tithes and offerings. Our goal this year is $12,000. You can give through December 31. Please use the special Christmas Offering envelope in your bulletin and place it with your regular offering in the boxes at the back of the auditorium. If you would like more information about this offering, it is available at the Information Table. Join us as we Come Together for our community, for missions and for worship.

Christmas pictures only capture the good memories and fun times of the holidays. A lot of things about Christmas rarely turn out the way we want them to. Christmas, though, isn’t about not getting the presents you want or bad things happening when your family gets together. Christmas is about showing your family you care about them. God says we have to provide love and care for our family. These Five Gifts, better than anything store bought, can be given to your family before Christmas and all year round.

1) Pray For My Family. There are some things that God will do regardless of us – like give us His Son to die on the cross for us and offer us eternal life. There are some things that God will never do no matter what. Then, there are some things that God wants us to ask for. We all need room and grace to grow and God gives us that. God has all of these blessings ready to give to us but we need to ask Him for them. Lots of times, we have not received simply because we haven’t asked. When we’re working and manipulating things, we’re controlling. When we pray, God is working, manipulating and controlling. If a family member comes to you with a worry, pray with them about it. Prayer makes your requests known to God.

2) Spend Time With My Family. You can’t grow in knowledge and understanding of your family unless you spend time with them. Working hard and spending all of your time at work to provide for your family isn’t providing for your family. Work less hours and when you leave work, make a mental list of what you want to do with each family member when you get home – and then do it! Don’t let work interfere with your family life. Time is one of the greatest expressions of love we can give to others. Give your time to your family.

3) Honor My Parents. By honoring your parents, you will have the full extent of God’s blessings all of your life. We focus on living longer, exercising and eating right. We don’t always focus on our family. Staying in touch with mom and dad, listening to them and allowing them to have input in your lives blesses not only them but you as well. God commands that we do this.

4) Forgive My Family. Forgiveness starts with Christ being in your life. When you forgive, it doesn’t mean that the wrong never happened or that it didn’t mean a great deal to you. Forgiveness is a gift you give to the other person. If you’re filled with anger at the other person, you can’t ever find the tenderness in your heart towards them. Forgiven people forgive. When you give this gift of forgiveness, it frees you to be kind.

5) Express Love To My Family. Why is it easier to love others in your community more so than it is to love your own family? Keeping score of who is doing what chore is not expressing your love. That’s not the way God designed us to show our love. We shouldn’t be afraid to be taken advantage of. When you give, it multiplies and comes back to you tenfold. Giving freely of your love, time, money means that you will get back what you gave and more. Take the first step forward and keep moving ahead. Take that step to reconnect with your family.

Accept God’s gift to you of forgiveness by asking Jesus to live inside of you. Memorize Ephesians 4:32. Pray for your family every day this week. Show you care by giving to the Come Together Offering.