Junior high students enjoy the Word and whipped cream on retreat
Posted by: thenorthviewblog on: May 13, 2012
BY JANICE DECARLO
On May 4, 7th- and 8th-grade students from Northview Church left for a spiritual getaway at Country Lake Christian Retreat in Underwood, Ind. This facility has been used for the spring retreat for the past several years.
Students arrived at the retreat on a rainy night. With 31 rambunctious kids and several leaders in attendance, there was only one logical thing to do: transform the largest conference room into a dodgeball marathon room and play for hours.
Kurt Brodbeck, student ministry pastor, and Jon Degler, interim junior high director, co-lead the team along with guest speaker, Todd Holzworth. Holzworth, who works with Love At Work Ministries, also leads teams in Costa Rica. He presented four sessions to the kids with the theme “God in 3D.”
Holzworth did a wonderful job as he spoke each day about God in 3D. These same rambunctious kids listened so well you could hear a pin drop during the talks.
“We welcomed all kids and this year we encouraged students to bring an unchurched friend at no cost — a great way to offer an outreach program to their friends,” Brodbeck said. “The 8th-graders who have gone last year are excited to go for a second time because they enjoyed it so much. The 7th-graders were a little more reticent in signing up, but many of them did.”
Junior high students were not limited to a weekend of total devotion and kneeling on rocks in prayer for three days. There was lots of fun mingled into the retreat. For example, there is a time-honored messy obstacle course of games. One involves kids jumping into water and then rolling in flour. No, there was no giant oven to bake them in!
Somewhere on the retreat, the yolk was on the kids. Seriously, they were inundated with eggs! To continue on, there were whipped cream hairdos, which consisted of girls styling boys’ hair with, you guessed it, whipped cream.
There were also awards on this stellar weekend, including a secret concoction of applesauce–lots of it!–with green food coloring, and then gently dumped on kids who won the coveted slime awards.
Leaving behind the muddy messy obstacles, the kids did have quality time with the Lord.
There were morning devotionals in each cabin. Daily sessions led by Holzworth focused on: 1. the power of God. 2. the holiness of God. 3. the love of God.
Now for the rest of the story: The kids returned to Northview Church intact on May 6.
“A lot of bonding took place, and it won’t stop at the retreat center,” Degler said. “Once the kids got to the retreat, they participated and seeds were planted and surely fruit will be harvested for a long time.”
Jon Degler has been serving as interim jr. high director since March and will continue until he and his wife Amanda, junior high associate, leave to serve in Thailand for ZOE International Ministries, which helps free young boys and girls from sexual slavery. For more information about the ministry, check out the website: www.gozoe.org/.
Junior high students prepare for upcoming mission trip
Posted by: thenorthviewblog on: May 12, 2012
BY SHERRON FRANKLIN
A number of junior high school students who attend Northview Church’s Carmel campus recently participated with Urban Good Neighbor Saturday, along with their parents, in preparation for an upcoming mission trip.
“Urban Saturdays are events that are designed to give people a one-time serving experience of what it is like to serve at different areas within our community,” said Sarah Bensinger, urban ministry coordinator with Northview Church. “It’s a way for us to help people figure out where they would like to start serving on a regular basis, as well as helping out the different organizations in a major way. Good Neighbor Saturdays are typically larger, which in turn benefits the organization by having many people being the hands and feet of Christ.”
Student Ministry Pastor Kurt Brodbeck said the junior high students will be doing urban home repair for the elderly and disabled residents of the Binghamton community in Memphis, Tenn.
“Our goal is simply to show God’s love in a tangible way by making their homes safer, warmer, and drier. We are partnering with an organization called Service Over Self (SOS). Very cool organization.”
Brodbeck said that Senior Pastor Frank Stone of Brookside Community Church commissioned Northview families to go out and serve the Brookside community by sharing the differences in culture through Indianapolis.
“He did this by telling us where he wants to eat in different parts of the city,” Brodbeck said. “It was a great tie into how we are to love each culture differently and he shared how we could love the Brookside culture. Then he sent us out in the name of Brookside Church to clean up and love on their community.”
Pastor Stone said his challenge to the parents and students who were participating in the missionary trip to Memphis was that they should be sure to ‘expand their grace margin’ while preparing for the trip, participating during the trip and most of all after they have returned home upon the completion of the ministry outreach by the youth group.
“We’re commanded to make disciples while we are going into our daily world and we do this through ‘teaching them to observe all things that Jesus has commanded us.’ Unfortunately many natural barriers interfere with us carrying out this command. Acts 1:8 shows some of the natural barriers that exist that often keep us from reaching others, especially those who do not look like, act like, or live where we live,” Stone said.
“In order to be effective in accomplishing our commanded mandate we must learn to expand our grace margin by not letting all of the natural, contrived and cultural barriers from getting in the way of us reaching those who God has placed in our path. Love is the key ingredient that makes all of this possible. Mark 12:30-31 spells out how this comes about. We’re commanded to love the Lord and our neighbors as ourselves. If we are faithful to do this, our God will give us the opportunities to reach others within and without our natural comfort zones through His Son, Jesus Christ. We use the Apostle Paul as an example of how this happened in time and space.
“We also challenged the parents to challenge their children to do this also by sharing with them the opportunities that they have on their everyday journeys in getting the disciple-making process to be a part of their ministry lives. They could share about their own opportunities to expand their grace margin and use them as examples to allow their children who are going on the missionary trip to see how things go when one takes on this command as serious and doable.
“We also challenged the parents to make sure that the Memphis experience is not lost on their children but making sure that they review the victories, defeats that they face while on the Memphis trip. Then they are to challenge and encourage them to continue to be involved in these same types of activities now that they are back at home. They’re to lead them into some of the everyday opportunities that are available here in their local communities as well as places like the Brookside Community.”
Students going on the mission trip will leave June 24 and return June 29.
SOS is a not-for-profit Christian urban repair outreach helping inner city communities. For more information, please go to www.sosemphis.org.
‘Tee It Up For Teens’ fundraiser held for junior high mission trip
Posted by: thenorthviewblog on: May 10, 2012
BY SALLY AMSTUTZ
Students from Northview Church’s Carmel campus will host a golf outing called “Tee It Up For Teens” at River Glen Golf Course in Fishers this Saturday, May 12, from 1 to 7 p.m.
Proceeds from the event will go toward funding a junior high mission trip to Memphis, Tenn. There will be 84 student volunteers on the journey to Memphis, Tenn. from June 24 through June 29. Students will help disadvantaged families repair their homes by painting, roofing, remodeling, etc. The service opportunity also provides students a chance to build relationships with the families in need and with each other as they work together for the greater good.
Junior high students will stay at a camp in Memphis sponsored by Service Over Self (SOS). SOS is a non-profit Christian urban repair outreach helping inner city communities. Through this service His gospel is proclaimed in word and deed.
The opportunity is designed to help students realize that God can use them to work with those who are disadvantaged to live in a very positive way. 1 Peter 4:10 says, “God has given each of you some special abilities; be sure to serve each other, passing on God’s many kinds of blessings.” In preparation for this commitment, the youth will spend the week before they leave studying devotions to prepare their hearts to serve.
Student Ministry Pastor Kurt Brodbeck said that he would like to see every junior high student from Northview who wants to attend the event have the opportunity to go.
“We don’t want any financial concerns to get into the way of students going on the mission trip,” he said. “This is an introduction to missions and poverty for most of the students.”
Brodbeck also said he hopes that students will learn how God can use them to help families stricken by poverty.
“This is a tangible way to show God’s live in a concrete way and how God is the solution in poverty,” he said.
Bob Hope once said, “I don’t say my golf game is bad, but if I grew tomatoes they’d come up sliced!” Whether you slice it, hook it, or hit it down the middle of the fairway, don’t miss the fun opportunity to support our youth as they venture out in the world to serve God.
After the fundraiser, dinner will be served by Northview Students at North Beach, where prizes will be given.
Shotgun for the event begins at 2:30 p.m. Cost is $75 per player with scholarships available starting at $75. For more information please visit www.northbeachonline.org or contact Judy Golden at judy.golden@northviewchurch.us.
To register go to http://www.nvcl.org/nbopen.
Wordless Wednesday
Posted by: thenorthviewblog on: May 9, 2012
Leave us a comment! What comes to mind when you see this picture?
Baby dedications are coming up this weekend during services!
Tuesday Spiritual Column: A hand that will never let go
Posted by: thenorthviewblog on: May 8, 2012
BY NELLIE HARDEN
A casual, spring day last month was interrupted with the familiar ring of my phone. I was sure it was my husband or a friend, calling to remind me about something as usual. However, there was nothing familiar about this call. It was my sister. She was gasping for air and out of control. After a few minutes of asking, “What?” she answered by bellowing out that my dad had died. The disbelief was immediate and the shock came next. I was left in the same quiet house, on that casual spring day, but nothing was the same.
I was surprised, but so thankful, that my instinctual reaction was to go and grab the small cross on our mantel that I just received from a dear friend at my baptism. I held onto it, dropped to my knees and prayed. I prayed for mercy on his soul and I prayed he was ascending to find a home with our Heavenly Father. I prayed desperately for my mom – who had now lost two husbands. I prayed for my sister who found him at home after his massive heart attack and my brother who idolized him. The tears mixed with words and I have no idea how long it had been. I stayed there praying until I felt the nudge that I had to go. I had so many things I had to organize and figure out in order to get up to Michigan and help my family in any way I could.
I was alone in the car for nearly five hours that day in order to get to my parents house. In that car ride, I listened to the Bible to gain clarity and focus to the world around me again. I talked with my husband for comfort and reassurances. I talked with those from my Life Group for support and scripture readings and I spoke with my accountability partner for guidance and prayer. God’s love and word surrounded me through every step and He held my hand and wasn’t letting go. I felt a comfort knowing He was right there with me. It isn’t something that can be explained really with words. It was as though the world around me passed by without acknowledgement. I was numb, but then I was bathed in the warm light of His truth, comfort and acceptance during the hardest times.
The days to come passed, sometimes eagerly and sometimes sluggishly. It was difficult to see so much hurt, confusion and frustration from my family. I wanted to heal their hearts and take away that hurt, but I knew I couldn’t do it alone. Only He can do that for them.
I miss my dad, I really do. His passing has stirred up a plethora of emotions I didn’t even know existed. But, cemented under those emotions is the truth. One day we may all be together again, in a place without hurt, blame and injustices. Life here is only one small part of our existence. There is so much more and though we yearn for those that have passed on, we can pray their eternity is more incredible and beautiful than even earthly imaginations can extend.
The Tuesday Spiritual Column is entirely the opinion of this week’s writer and does not necessarily reflect the view of Northview Church as a whole.
Families learn discipline during food challenge
Posted by: thenorthviewblog on: May 6, 2012
BY NANCY EDWARDS
Leftover turkey is common after a Thanksgiving dinner. Many of us have reluctantly eaten turkey sandwiches for a few meals after the holiday and rejoiced when the leftovers were finally gone.
Recently, some families from Northview Church’s West Lafayette campus actually volunteered to eat only one type of food for an entire weekend: rice and beans. The purpose of the challenge was in preparation for packing meals for Kids Against Hunger, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to significantly reduce the number of hungry children in the USA and to feed starving children throughout the world.
Volunteers from Northview’s West Lafayette campus packed meals consisting of rice and beans in lieu of having a regular worship service. In order to prepare their hearts for the food pack, the church asked attendees to eat nothing but rice and beans for the entire weekend leading up to the Sunday service project.
Two Northview members, Nicole Roswarski and Candace Glaser, discussed the challenges they and their families faced from the experience, along with what they learned about themselves in the process and what God was trying to tell them. Roswarski, who has six children, tried to make the experience reasonable for her family by providing mangos and cashews along with the rice and beans. Yet she confessed that the discipline involved was very challenging.
“I focus too much on food,” she said. “I tend to be a complainer and judge the quality of food. I was really hungry and obsessing for my diet Coke. It was difficult not to cheat.”
Roswarski‘s children also faced temptation and denial during the weekend. After the family arrived at church for Sunday morning’s service, the kids noticed donuts that they would typically grab without a moment’s hesitation.
“Other kids were grabbing them; our kids couldn’t,” she said. “It’s hard when you have little kids.”
Candace and her husband, Marty, who chose to participate in the challenge for four days during the week due to a weekend scheduling conflict, limited themselves to eating only one meal a day. This was especially difficult for Marty, who has a demanding job. In addition, he grew so tired of eating the same meal that he eventually went without food.
“He was malnourished for a few days,” Candace said.
This rude awakening made the Glasers appreciate the variety of foods available to them.
“We don’t realize how much food is like God to us,” she said. “Food is the highlight of our day.”
As Roswarski and the Glasers learned not to take their blessings for granted, they also began to think of children around the world whose everyday reality is what they lived for just a few days.
“At first we were tired of eating the same food, but that’s all they know in Africa,” Candace said. “They don’t look at food as just a pleasure like we do.”
Candace asked God what she was supposed to learn from her experience; Roswarski listened for a message as well. Both women heard God tell them that food is supposed to nourish them and not to be abused.
“The purpose of food is for God to sustain us,” Roswarski said. “I need to be thankful.”
Candace and her husband went to The Journey, a popular Asian buffet restaurant in Indianapolis, after completing the rice and beans challenge. She suddenly saw the available food much differently than she viewed buffets in the past.
“I felt so guilty stuffing my face,” she said. “We are supposed to deny ourselves. We eat too much. It’s the opposite problem in Africa.”
Roswarski’s six-year-old son, Braden, also learned during his experience with limited food that there are children around the world not quite as fortunate.
“Their bellies are hungry,” he said. “I’m grateful for the food we have right here.”
For more information about Kids Against Hunger, please visit www.kidsagainsthunger.org.
Northview Kids’ meal team helps overwhelmed families
Posted by: thenorthviewblog on: May 5, 2012
BY NANCY EDWARDS
After Angelia Quinn had her second baby last summer, she felt an emotion shared by most mothers with newborns at home.
“I was a little overwhelmed,” she admitted.
What Quinn did not anticipate was the kindness of strangers from Northview Church’s Carmel campus; volunteers provided her with home-cooked meals that would last her family for two weeks.
“I couldn’t believe that people I didn’t know helped me,” she said. “There were no other circumstances involved other than a need. This helped me so much.”
Quinn, a member of Northview Church, was so touched by the experience that she decided to assist other families with the same need. She contacted two volunteers from Northview who organized the meals she received: Shanna Banks, early childhood & volunteer director, and Aime McGinnis, wife of former children’s pastor Joe McGinnis.
Banks and McGinnis had been quietly providing meal assistance for new mothers and individuals with medical needs; however, there was no official ministry at the time.
“I wanted to form a team for families who needed help,” Quinn said. “So I put an advertisement in the church bulletin.”
Now 40 members strong, the Northview Kids’ meal team is led by Quinn who maintains a schedule for volunteers. She sends them an email with details about families needing support, including the number of family members, any known food allergies, and a map. After receiving the e-mail, volunteers let Quinn know which days they are available to deliver the meals.
Although the number of volunteers for this ministry has grown dramatically since its inception, Quinn insists that there is always a need for more, especially for individuals who are looking for a way to use their spiritual gifts.
“People use their gifts of hospitality and love of kids as another way to help out,” she said. We’d love to have more volunteers. We need as many as possible.”
Even those unsure about cooking or delivering meals can still be a part of the team. For example, one of the volunteers organizes help for cleaning a house on a regular basis.
“I see this ministry opening up to more than it is right now,” Quinn said.
For questions or more information, please contact Quinn at angeliaquinn@hotmail.com.
Capstone offers a variety of resources for Life Groups
Posted by: thenorthviewblog on: May 3, 2012
BY MARTHA CLANCY
Northview Church’s Carmel campus has 165 Life Groups that now have access to an onsite lending library.
On weekdays, the collection is located on a moving shelf in Capstone Café & Bookstore. On weekends, the collection is moved to the Atrium. There are 212 titles from a variety of speakers that comprise the collection, with 70 currently checked out.
Ron Chambers and Larry Good, two members of a long-standing Bible study group, came up with an action plan that involved resorting materials from a closet and creating an inventory spreadsheet. Chambers and Good, who currently serve as coordinators for the library, noted that others helped set up the library space as well.
Chris Wolf modified a space for DVDs, Gene Gabbard constructed a DVD return box, and Chambers’ wife, Vivian, sent e-mail reminders in an effort to locate materials checked out from the previous system. Most recently, Scott Holt, another member of the same Bible study group, has gotten the program high-tech! Scott generously wrote a software program to interface with a laptop to make the check-out process very simple for Life Group leaders.
“We wanted to provide our Life Group leaders with a variety of sound Biblical teaching items to share with their Life Groups and make these items easily accessible,” said Jennifer Sell, Northview’s director of small groups placement. “The library allows them to share resources available and not have a big cost involved or have pressure put on leaders to feel they needed to purchase and find a study.”
Sell added that Capstone has been very supportive in stocking Life Group study materials.
“Often groups are not sure of what they want to study next,” she said. “Being able to browse through the materials can help them decide on studies. Scott is also working on a system for leaders to “rate” the studies they have done, which should be helpful to other leaders trying to decide on a particular study.”
DVD small group studies on various topics are available along with book studies and leader-training materials; they can be downloaded from www.smallgroups.com.
Wordless Wednesday
Posted by: thenorthviewblog on: May 2, 2012
Leave us a comment! What comes to mind when you see this picture?
The Worship Team performed music from their first CD during Northview's Night of Worship. Photo by Melody Carpenter
Search
- Tuesday Spiritual Column: We're all in this together
- Mother/Son adventure race combines fun with teaching respect
- Jake's Pillow Pet dream expands
- With warm regards
- Heather Bays debut CD: let beautiful be
- Realizing Our Good Neighbor Vision
- Cookies sweeten firefighters' days at the station
- Michele McKay celebrates 10 years on Northview's staff
- Northview Outreach: What comes to mind when you see this picture?
- West Lafayette campus acquires new building
- Diane Leeds: A gentle reminder of how awesome it is to read the Word.
- Diane Leeds: Dedicating babies to God is a beautiful thing! It starts early.
- thenorthviewblog: Sorry, Amanda, we omitted part of her e-mail address. Try the following instead: cmcooper7@aol.com
Categories
- Brookside (35)
- Capstone Cafe (5)
- Carmel Campus News (283)
- Dynamic Marriage (5)
- Free* (16)
- Good Neighbor/Outreach (172)
- Life Groups (35)
- Next Steps (34)
- North Beach (57)
- Northview Kids (6)
- Northview Staff (59)
- Matt Bays (7)
- Stan Killebrew (8)
- Northview Students (6)
- re.IMAGINE (14)
- RESET (4)
- Slideshows (3)
- Studio 6.7 (32)
- The Next Chapter (6)
- Tuesday spiritual column (12)
- Uncategorized (49)
- Videos (5)
- Weekend Services (72)
- West Lafayette Campus News (57)
- Wordless Wednesday (21)
