Discipleship

Presbytery Information

Check here for information on our presbytery,

Chicago Metro Presbytery:
http://chicagometropres.blogspot.com

New Summer Times

May 27 we will move to our summer worship schedule, please take a note for your reference. More information can be found here:

Summer Worship Hours:
May 27 - August 12: 8:30 am and 10:15 am

• On June 3rd BLAST! starts the "new year". That means that children entering K through 3rd grade in the fall will attend BLAST! Children finishing 3rd grade will stay in the worship center with their families (and older students). Early childhood classes (infants through 3's) will remain the same for the summer. (No BLAST! on May 27, Memorial Day weekend)

2012 Winter Classes

Check out the new classes starting January 8 at NPC. You can sign up for the class you'd like to take over the phone the next two weeks, or at the Education Table on Sunday, January 1.

New Classes: Click here

Share the Hope Clinic

2010 Share the Hope Clinic
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Hours: 9:30 am - 2:00 pm

Share the Hope Clinic is a one day free medical clinic and so much more...

The goal of the clinic is to provide medical, spiritual and other services to those in need in our immediate area – we call it community care in Christ’s name.

The clinic is part of Share the Hope, the mission’s ministry of Crossroads Community Church. The format is based on a model designed by Touched Twice United. Touched Twice United is a Christ-centered, faith-based organization that strives to bring healing and peace to the community. They act as a catalyst, mobilizing volunteers from local churches to host free clinics that strive to meet the medical, spiritual, and physical needs of their guests.

Click here for more information: www.sharethehopeclinic.com

East Aurora High School
500 Tomcat Lane
Aurora, IL 60505

Ways to Serve

From Lynne Flaugher in the church office: One of the greatest joys of being a Gospel centered church is to be able to show hospitality to others. We will be having such an opportunity on October 8-10 as students from Covenant Theological Seminary once again visit NPC and the Chicago area for a church planting workshop. We have hosted them in the past and have heard many stories about how important this trip has been in the lives of the young men and women who have come.
 
Final numbers are not yet available, but past trips have included 50 students, so I am looking for 20-30 host homes, assuming many can accommodate two guests. Would you be willing to host students from the group? As a host you will be asked to provide lodging on Friday and Saturday nights, (October 8 & 9), as well as feed the students breakfast on Saturday and Sunday mornings. In addition to offering food and lodging, we would also like to see if you would be willing to pick the students up at NPC on Friday night and bring them back here on Saturday and Sunday mornings. If you can’t offer to provide transportation but are willing to host, we would have spots for people who serve as hosts only.
 
If you are interested in helping serve these students by having them in your home for the week-end, please drop me an e-mail containing the following information:
 
Name:
Address:
Phone:
E-Mail:
Pets:
Beds Available (number and size):
Willing to drive?:
Comments:
 
If I could hear back from you before Sept. 17, it would allow me plenty of time to plan their accommodations.

Missional: An Example

The ministry plan you have seen is a bit thin on real-life examples for how to engage in missional living. This in one sense is intentional--we will be providing teaching and encouragement in these areas, but the plan is intentionally not specific in order to give individuals, couples and groups the freedom to create their own ways of extending into their communities/relationships. 

For example, some may make a concerted effort to welcome new people, inviting neighbors into their home, serving their neighbor or co-workers in some way, or sharing the good news of Jesus to a coworker. 

Others might pursue engaging in serving opportunities like Feed my Starving Children, or Rebuild Together Aurora, taking meals to those that need it in the congregation, providing financial assistance for a family that is struggling, or any number of other tangible ways to extend the life-transforming power of the gospel.

Take a look at this example from a friend who chose to open his home to neighbors:

Download Wednesdays at the Wilsons

 

The First Objective: Definitions

Over the next several weeks and months we will be exploring here on the blog what it means to be "missional". The word is one that has a loaded meaning, sort of trendy in Christian circles and might even be understood differently depending on your experience in the church.

As disciples (Christ-followers), we are men and women actively pursuing God and his work in the church, or neighborhood, or workplace, or home, or wherever you understand God's call on your life. That's an exciting prospect, but can be confusing at times to know where to start living "missionally".

We must first think of missionary when we read the word missional. We need to see that the Christian life is one of movement outward. In the same way that Jesus told the disciples to "go" and make disciples, we need to also see the call to extend the ministry outward from the walls of NPC to the world around us. This means that we are essentially ambassadors, workers in a foreign land, establishing outposts of care and provision, encouragement, good news, and redeeming that which is damaged, weak, or wounded.

As you consider your life this week, consider the call to not just be a Christian in your quiet time, around the dinner table, or in the church as you serve, but consider ways that you might bring the gospel into your workplace or neighborhood (as a start). How do you see your participation in this missional work?

From our ministry plan:

The first objective of this year’s emphasis will be to encourage intentional and systematic discipleship in the area of missional Christian living. To be missional is to understand that mission is not an option in the Christian life but an integrated component in the Christian life. Matthew 5:13-16 gives the summary;

You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

This year we want to find more creative methods in every ministry area to aide our people in seeing, understanding, and living out their God given design to be part of His plan to redeem this world. This will necessarily include generating ideas and opportunities for our people to see this part of their faith blossom with the cooperation and support of their church family.

NPC Community Picnic

Join us this Sunday, July 11 after the 10:15 service (about 11:30 am) at the church, for a time together with others. Everyone is invited. Bring a friend. Rain or Shine. 

We will provide the burgers, hotdogs and drinks. Bring your own snacks, slides and games for your family. Also bring a chair or blanket to sit on.

Click here for mroe information

Northern IL Food Bank

At NPC we support myriad ministries in the Chicagoland area. One of the ministries is the Northern IL Food Bank. The next time we are heading to the facility is June 5. Click here for more information and to sign up to help us serve! There are age-restrictions, so please review the information carefully before signing up.

Feed My Starving Children

We are supporting Feed My Starving Children on Wednesday, May 26 at 6:20 pm. 

See here for more details, but we hope that you will consider taking time with your small group, your family, neighbors or friends to serve in this context. You will see several other times on the calendar that you can sign up to support the ministry of FMSC, a partner of NPC in the Aurora area.