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Dear Northminster,
Last Saturday, our Elders and Deacons met for leadership training. As a part of our yearly training, we studied the Book of Order, part 2 of the PCUSA Constitution. Each year we take a look at a different part of our constitution. The idea is that over the years, our leaders gain a fuller understanding of the principles that guide our denomination. At the request of a few leaders last year, this year we looked at the Book of Discipline, the fourth section of the Book of Order. Since not many people willing read the Book of Discipline for fun, I thought I'd share some of its core principles. 1) The Book of Discipline is not a replacement for secular law. One issue that has arisen in recent decades is how churches and denominations have handled allegations of abuse or malpractice within the congregation or church structure. Often, leaders have argued that their system has handled the situation and it's punishment and therefore, the secular State does not need to get involved. We have seen this as a tactic to shelter abusers and preserve public image. The PCUSA condemns this practice. If something illegal has taken place, pastors, Elders, Deacons, Staff, and Volunteers working with children are mandated reporters. Our system of discipline runs alongside the secular system. 2) The cornerstones to our discipline process are the ideas of reconciliation, justice, truth, repentance, and rehabilitation. The judicial system in the United States largely focuses on punitive punishment. When a wrong has been committed, there is a fine to be paid, service to be completed, or time to be served behind bars. The assumption is that if a crime has a big enough punishment, it will deter people from committing it. Moreover, it is believed that there is an exacting price to be paid for every wrongdoing. The PCUSA's system is not about punishment but repairing what has been broken. It asks: - How do we restore relationships? - What would be healing for a community torn in two? - If someone is struggling, how do we help them? - If someone needs to be removed from a community, what would they have to do or change to be restored to that community again? - How do we balance justice and forgiveness? While I agree that the system of discipline in the PCUSA and the United States should remain separate and distinct systems whose aims and goals are distinct, I also believe that our society would be in a better place today if our national conversation implemented more principals of the PCUSA's Book of Discipline. When considering actions of our government, I often ask myself, "Is this repairing what has been broken, is this punishing perceived wrong-doers, or is this causing still more harm?" Like many of you, I am horrified by the news these days. In particular, I am horrified by unarmed civilians being killed by persons employed by our national government. Rhetoric and political commentary has been flying around the internet and news as people take stands on this latest political hot-button issue. And as I see this, I return to the principals that undergird our polity's way of resolving conflicts: does this bring about reconciliation and restoration? - Does rounding up undocumented civilians who have only committed civil infractions promote the reconciliation of the world? - Does shooting and killing unarmed civilians promote the reconciliation of the world? - Does mocking her or her family promote the reconciliation of the world? Most people I know, whether we agree politically or not, agree that our nation needs healing and reconciliation. The difficulty of the reconciliation process is that it requires accountability but also to give up a desire to punish (in a punitive sense) the other side. Jesus came to reconcile the world... and as he was being nailed to the cross of his execution, he said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34). Blessings, Pastor Chris Dear Northminster,
Happy New Year! I hope you all have had a lovely holiday season and that this new year has gotten off to a good start. That said, I also know that this year has a lot in store for us at Northminster (as well as for me personally). So let us take a brief look at what is happening in the short and long term in 2026 at Northminster. This Week:
Happy New Year everyone! There is work to be done and Jesus is asking us to step out in faith. Let us trust that the Spirit will guide us throughout our work this year! Blessings, Pastor Chris In elementary school, we learn that many animals in North America hibernate in the winter. They gorge on food, grow a protective layer of fat, and sleep for days on end. While I recently learned that hibernating animals are not 100% unconscious the whole time (they do wake up occasionally to deal with some bodily needs), winter is a time in the animal kingdom to slow down.
Earlier today, I was chatting with someone about how difficult it can be to get up on these cold mornings. The sun comes up so late, and we agreed that we are groggy even when it does. Then I made the comment about how humans are still animals and most animals hibernate at this time of year. They agreed that this makes sense… though I fully admit that I love any excuse to sleep in and move more slowly. Now that we are past the frenetic rush of the holidays, I hope you get to enjoy the slowness of the season. Now is the time when we get to slow down and enjoy the simple comforts and the coziness of our homes. The Northminster building will be closed this week. Hopefully, business can wait until the new year. See you all on January 4th at 7:00 p.m. as we celebrate Epiphany Sunday. Blessings, Pastor Chris It doesn’t take much for a song to get stuck playing on repeat in my head. For those who don’t experience the phenomenon, this is what it feels like: my brain is a radio and I don’t have control over the station (for those who are curious, not having a running inner dialogue where your brain interprets your thoughts as actual sound is called anauralia, a term coined in 2021 by Australian researchers). When a song is stuck in my head, it feels like I can hear it as if it is playing in the room. Trouble is, sometimes my brain acts like a scratched record repeating one line or verse of a song. The other day, I had Santa Claus is Coming to Town playing on repeat in my brain against my will. Unfortunately, after some time, my brain got stuck on the first line and the song sounded like this: “You better watch out, you better watch out! You better watch out, yoooouuu better watch out! Santa Claus is coming to town!” Needless to say, my brain’s changes to that song make it much more ominous and foreboding. Why do we need so many warnings to watch out? Why is my brain repeating this ONE line?! At the same time, this is what the holidays can feel like: a foreboding sense of needing to get things done that grows with every day that brings us closer to the holidays. To give us all peace of mind, here is my semi-annual holiday reminder:
So - let us all relax into the human, messy, and joyful parts of this season. And in case you forget, Christmas Eve Candlelight Service is at 7:00 p.m. If you want to come at 4:00 p.m., Congregational Church of Birmingham, UCC is having a family pageant service in our sanctuary, and we are invited! December 28th Sunday Hymn Sing Service is at 10:00 a.m. with Congregational Church of Birmingham, UCC, Central Woodward, and Troy First Presbyterian. Come in your Christmas casual attire! Merry Christmas everyone!
Pastor Chris As many of you may have heard, Suzanne Joy’s time with us at Northminster is coming to a close. I am extremely grateful for her work and all that we have done together.
So let me brag about her for a moment. Since I joined you all in 2020, Suzanne has been instrumental in our ability to weather the storm of unprecedented times and adapt to a new landscape. When we went all online overnight, Suzanne was our support, making sure communications went out and learning new technologies to make sure we stayed connected. She took it upon herself to learn how to update and edit our website so everyone could find updated information as things changed. Later on, she brought to my attention that when you googled “Churches in Troy Michigan,” Northminster was pretty low on the list. So - she learned how SCO (Search Channel Optimization) affected our ranking on Google. She worked on our internet presence to improve our SCO and raised our rankings. When it became clear that social media had become a vital tool for communication in or modern world, Suzanne and I worked to create a social media calendar so that we were consistently posting congregational updates, prayers, the Pastor’s letter blog, and relevant news articles. This often means that she takes my words, uses her graphic design skills to format them to be pretty and social-media friendly, and posts them. I know that many of you are on Facebook. Did you know that she has been running our Instagram account as well? You can find that HERE. Suzanne has also jumped in to learn the "ins" and "outs" of running our YouTube channel. She schedules our livestreams, creates beautiful thumbnails for videos, and organizes our videos into neat playlists. All of this she has done over the years, taking on the responsibility to learn more and help us more effectively reach out online and in person. She does so much behind the scenes in the office as well just to make sure things go smoothly. So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for all that you have done. It has been a joy to work alongside you for these five years. So, Northminster, what is next? The Operations Committee has put together a personnel team. That team has created a job description and is in the process of posting that online on various job search websites. If you know someone who may be interested in this kind of work, feel free to forward them THIS job description and have them email a cover letter and their resume to [email protected] by January 5, 2026. In order to do this job search well, it will take us into the new year. I feel that it is better to take our time, do this search calmly, and find a good fit for our congregation. However, that means that there will be a few weeks where we will not have an office administrator. I am working with the personnel team to create a plan.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out and ask. And again, Suzanne, we are so grateful for your time, energy, and imagination that you have poured into your work here at Northminster. We give you our blessings and prayers as your journey continues. Blessings, Pastor Chris “And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn (guestroom).” – Luke 2:7 What would you think if I told you that our typical depiction of the scene above is wrong/historically inaccurate? Most of the time, the assumption is that Mary and Joseph had to lay down in a faraway barn because there was no room in the tavern-style guest house. If Jesus was a Medieval European peasant, this likely would be true. Europeans typically kept their animals in their own separate building or in a lower level of the house (think walkout basement). When people traveled from town to town, the travelers would find an establishment where someone ran a business renting out rooms to strangers and serving them food in the tavern. But Jesus was a first-century Palestinian, not a Medieval peasant.In ancient Judea, families would not keep their animals in a separate building. Rather, families would build one big room that included a kitchen, eating area, sleeping area, and animal pen. A short wall would subdivide the room to keep animals like sheep or goats out of the humans' living area. Built into this low wall was the manger for food and a trough for water. “But what about the guest room?!” The term in Greek that is used implies a spare bedroom built on top of the flat roof of the house. Ancient Judean custom would hold that Joseph would be welcomed into any home as family as long as he could recite his family heritage. Only true outsiders with no shared family lineage would be forced to rent a room from a businessperson.
Thus, Jesus was not born “Away in a Manger,” but on the living room floor. Jesus would have been surrounded by aunties and grandmas in a crowded house. While some derive meaning from Jesus being born far away from the chaos of humanity with only the animals to attend to him, I have always found it much more impactful to imagine a family having to squeeze in tighter to make room for Jesus in the chaos of life. In this spirit of Christmas, I told our neighbors at Oakland University's Music Department that we could squeeze in a bit tighter and make sure that they have a home for some of their end-of-semester music lessons, practices, and recitals. This includes the Oakland University String Department Student Recital at 5:00p.m. in the Sanctuary this Friday. They have extended an invitation to our community to attend this performance for anyone desiring a bit more music in their life. Saying yes to letting OU using our space was a matter of principal and theology for me. Not only are we in a season where we celebrate a story where the world makes room when a family is in need, but this kind of request also brings up the question of, “why have a building at all?” Theoretically, we don’t need a building in order to hold a service and continue our ministry; but the building is a tool for our ministry. It is helpful for our ministry to have a place to gather (and to store our stuff). However, sharing good news with the community implies a willingness to share our resources and tools for the betterment of the wider community. And if we are not willing to make space and share our resources in a time of community need, then we are not stepping up to the calling of sharing the good news. So, let us welcome our neighbors in need and make room in our crowded life for the coming of Jesus. Blessings, Pastor Chris In my kitchen, there is a built-in nook that houses two appliances: 1) our microwave and 2) our toaster. Both toaster and microwave are slightly broken but not broken enough to replace.
The microwave came with the house. It is not a high-end microwave nor is it cheap. What is its main offence? It is stinky. I have tried to clean that little machine in every conceivable way. I have tried all the internet hacks and various cleaning methods. But the only thing that actually works is keeping a coffee mug filled with activated charcoal pellets in the microwave when we aren’t using it. If guests come over and want to heat up their coffee, they discover our charcoal mug waiting for them in the microwave. We quickly explain it away telling them to just set it on the counter and carry on. Do I wish that we didn’t have a stinky microwave? Yes! Do I wish that we didn’t have to constantly take a mug full of charcoal in and out of the microwave to use it? Yes! But I have learned to be content with what we have since the microwave still works in every other way. Then there is the toaster. The toaster was a wedding present. Once again, it is not a fancy toaster nor is it a cheap toaster. It is a good toaster that does exactly as it is intended to do. The one problem it has is that the plastic bit for the lever broke off when we moved into our house. Now one has to push down on a thin metal lever to push the bread down. The toaster works just fine - it is just uncomfortable to use! I have seen other people with our exact toaster and no one else has had this problem. My solution? I have a dowel rod that lives next to the toaster that I use to press the lever down. Do most people need a dowel rod to use their toaster? No. Does the toaster still do what it was designed to do? Yes! Do I wish there was a way to attach a piece of plastic to the metal bit again? YES! But for now, I am content with my "toaster stick". As Thanksgiving Day approaches, followed by a season of consumerist shopping, I am asking myself this year, “What do I need to live a good life?” There are many products that advertisers SWEAR will change my life. Commercials depict people that are happy because of sales, low prices, and abundant gifts. Influencers will explain why the products they are promoting are must-haves for the season if you want your family to have the PERFECT holiday season. When I encounter these things, I think about my stinky microwave and slightly broken toaster. I could replace them – I do have enough money to do so – but they won’t revolutionize my mourning routine, bring me ultimate happiness, or bring joy to my family gatherings. The things that folks shared this past Sunday that they were grateful for were all things that had an ineffable quality to them: family, friends, health, peace, music, & community. These are all things that don’t have a price tag. They are things we value but cannot buy at a store. They are the types of things that Jesus tells us to store up in heaven where thieves cannot break in and steal them. So, as we give thanks this Thanksgiving, let that thanksgiving be our guide for this season, that we might be content with what we have and that we might value the people in our lives more than the things and sales we encounter. Happy Thanksgiving! Pastor Chris Whew! Did I not warn you all that the Gospel of Luke was a doozy?
It has been fun to return to the lectionary for a time. While I enjoy putting together sermon series and constructing a larger narrative that flows from one week to the next, I was reminded how important it is to read the gospel stories in sequence to see how Jesus shaped his own narrative (and how the Gospel writers then shaped his message). But for now, we will be taking a break from the lectionary to jump into A Sanctified Art’s Advent series called, “What Do You Fear?” This series focuses on how Mary, Joseph, their family, and their friends lived in uncertain times. Much like today, they had to find hope in a world that felt dark and frightening. And yet, despite their fears, God was able to break into their lives with hope and light that cast out the darkness. As a part of this series, we will have some additional ways to engage with the Advent story (click on them to download):
This series will take us through the end of the year and to Epiphany Sunday on January 6, 2026. After Epiphany, we will be returning to the Lectionary and diving into the Gospel of Matthew until Lent. However - for this week, we have our joint Hanging of the Greens Worship Service at 10:00a.m. with decorating afterward. As a part of this service, we will be inviting in-person attendees to write down on a notecard their answer to the question, “What are your grateful for?” This will be read out loud by the liturgist later in the service If you are worshiping online, we invite you to submit your answer to the question, “What are your grateful for?” in one of the following ways:
Blessings, Pastor Chris When do Christmas decorations go up in your family? When growing up in my family, the Christmas tree and stocking went up on Thanksgiving or the day after. This choice was less about stopping the slow colonization of the calendar by Christmas season and more about who had the knowledge about how to put up the 1990 artificial Christmas tree. My dad was the keeper of the knowledge of how the branches linked into the tree stand and Thanksgiving Friday was a day when we knew he would be home to do it. So, the whole family pitched in after turkey day to decorate the house.
Knowing that my tree won’t be going up for another few weeks, it was humorous for me to read my text messages before service on Sunday after it had snowed. My in-laws had blissfully left us to the snow as they flew to Hawaii. We were sending them pictures of sleet and snow and they sent us pictures of palm trees. My youngest sister-in-law responded by saying, “yeah… mom and dad the Christmas tree might be up when you get home.” Christmas displays are already up in stores. Christmas music is already starting to creep in at the edges. Many of us are breaking out the warm sweaters and winter boots. We are already in the early stages of preparing for Christmas… … but how do you prepare for Advent? It is odd to think about preparing for Advent because Advent is the season when the Christian Community prepares for the coming of the Christ Child. So, preparing for Advent kind of feels like preparing to prepare. It is a little silly. And yet, by the time Advent begins, the Christmas season will be off like Rudolf leading the reindeer. So, it is worth spending some time now to think about what we want out of the Advent season this year. This Advent Season, we will once again be joining in with the A Sanctified Art Curriculum. Their theme for this year is, “What do you fear?” As a part of their curriculum, we will, once again, be making available their Advent Daily Devotions. This Sunday, we will provide a sign-up sheet for those who would like a printed copy. In addition, we will be preparing our space for the season in a slightly different way this year: we have a joint Hanging of the Greens Worship service planned for November 23rd at 10:00 a.m. This service will be a non-traditional service during which we begin to decorate the worshiping space for the season of Advent. Decorating the rest of the building will continue after the service (and some coffee, hot chocolate, and cookies!). So, get ready to be ready! It is time to prepare to be prepared. The seasons are changing, and we change with them. One of the values that I hold very strongly to is, “If you didn’t participate, then you don’t get to complain.” The one caveat to this being if you are not allowed to participate… then you get to complain about being kept out of the process. But, generally speaking, if the process is fair, you have a chance to participate, and you decline to participate, you don’t get to complain about the results.
For me, this will take the form of me delegating a task or responsibility to someone else and that person doing that task/responsibility differently than I would have (or would have liked it to be done). In that case, the price for me not having to do it is that I don’t get to criticize how it gets done. If Logan takes on a chore in our household, does it in a way I deem inefficient (or simply it doesn’t conform to how I do that chore), and I don’t have to take care of that chore, I don’t get to complain about how it gets done. Other times, I delegate tasks to members of Session or to committees. To be honest with you, I can often do those delegated tasks faster if I do them myself. The price I pay for not doing those delegated tasks myself is that it will likely involve more steps, it will take longer, and I am not in control of the results. But then again, I didn’t have to do them. I maintain this opinion when it comes to group decision making. This is why we have had so many town hall discussions over the past few years about the budget, our committee structure, and the ministry focus; so that as many people as possible had an opportunity to learn, understand, and voice their opinions. By not participating in those discussions, it is a cue to me that you have delegated your opinion to the resulting opinion of the majority. In all of this, what will get under my skin faster than anything are people who complain about our government and the decisions it makes but have not participated in the most basic level of choosing who comprises our government leadership. So, if you want to be able to complain about the choices that government officials are making, GO OUT AND VOTE TODAY. I know that many people would not consider this a major election year, but policy begins at a local level. After I wrap up here at church, I will be going to my polling station and voting for one City commissioner and one person to sit on the board of the Library. Just two items, but they are still important. AND I want to maintain my right to complain about the city I live in. Blessings, Pastor Chris On Sunday, we had our Congregational Meeting to choose our Ministry Focus. With around 31 voting members present (quorum is 25 members), we elected to choose the LGBTQIA+ community as our Ministry Focus for the coming years. This was not a unanimous vote: the unofficial paper vote was 21 LGBTQIA+ focus to 10 Young Adults focus and the official vote to affirm the LGBTQIA+ community as our Ministry Focus had 2 "nay" votes.
It might surprise some to hear but I am actually glad that this was not a unanimous vote. Here is why:
Especially when you get larger groups of Presbyterians together, votes are rarely unanimous. But fear not! Our polity is rather explicit about how to proceed.
Translation: every person has a right to their own opinion; good people will, at times, disagree; and the community will be governed by the majority opinion. Discussion and discernment happen before the vote. Once the vote is taken and the majority opinion is expressed, that motion is put into effect. The voice of the minority is VITAL in this process because it is a key piece of discernment. However, once the majority vote is taken, the minority opinion is expected to support and help carry out the plans of the majority until such time that it is up for debate again. This is not a perfect system, but it is the best system the PCUSA has found to lift up voices to be heard but not to be hamstrung into inaction by the dissenting opinion of the few. If you want to know what next steps look like, keep your eyes peeled for the November Newsletter where I will lay out in detail where we go from here. Blessings, Pastor Chris We are finally at our final stage in the process of choosing a ministry focus.
As a quick refresher of this process:
The second-place choice was a close call. Young Adults and Persons with Disabilities went back and forth as the second-place choice. In the end, Young Adults won the second place slot with two more votes.
I am very excited to be at this step in the process and even more excited to hear what you all have to say this Sunday about these ideas. Here is one final promise I will make to you all: while we will have chosen our ministry focus for the next few years, we will not try to implement everything that I have listed on the presentation all at once. We will have to grow this ministry slowly and strategically. This means tackling easy projects first in order to build momentum. Part of Session’s work in 2026 will be creating a strategic plan for the committees and congregation to implement slowly. The journey will be long, but hopefully we will make friends and build relationship along the way that will sustain us. Blessings, Pastor Chris With the leaves finally starting to turn colors and the air having a chilly nip in the air, it is finally starting to feel like fall. I admittedly jumped the gun on fall when we had a cold snap back in August. I brought out my sweaters and started brewing my favorite cinnamon spice tea. But after a few chilly weeks, it returned to the heat of summer throughout September. Now that we are entering into the middle of October and Halloween is right around the corner, it good and truly feels like fall.
But with fall comes a plethora of things here at Northminster. It is Stewardship Season, Budgeting Season, and Nominations Season. And we need to get this business done before the beginning of Advent. So, to keep us in line, I thought I would share with you all some dates to keep in mind: Stewardship Sunday Oct 26 in Worship – Please bring your pledge cards The question we are asking you to consider this season is, “What will be more vibrant and fruitful with little more time, energy, or resources?” If you want to read my full stewardship letter, CLICK HERE. If you want to print your own pledge card, CLICK HERE. Pre-printed pledge cards will be made available on Sundays for you to use. A 2026 preliminary budget will be made available shortly. Congregational Meeting: Final Round of Choosing a Focus Oct 26 after Worship – In Person and on Zoom This fall, we have gathered in a series of Town Hall meetings to hear a presentation about the work of Session in helping this congregation choose a ministry focus. CLICK HERE to access that presentation. This is the final step in that process: to gather as a congregation to hear the top two choices of the town hall meetings, discuss the merits and drawback of the two ministry focus topics, and then vote upon one to become our official ministry focus for the following years. Non-members can be given voice in the meeting and discussion, but only active members can officially vote. Memorial Service for David Lundquist Nov 2 at 3 p.m. Memorial Service for MaryEllen VanCanneyt Nov 9 at 2 p.m. Congregational Meeting: Electing Elders and Deacons Nov 16 after worship. In Person and on Zoom. The Season of Nominations has begun. This Congregational meeting is our annually scheduled meeting of the congregation to hear the report from Nominations and elect the next round of Elders and Deacons. Memorial Service for Rod Griffard Nov 16 at 2 p.m. – In Person and Live Streamed on YouTube Hanging of the Greens Joint Northminster/CCB Service to prepare for Advent 10 a.m. – In Person and Live Streamed on YouTube Advent is a time of preparations. A Hanging of the Greens Worship Service is a service to prepare ourselves and our space for the season of preparations. After worship, Northminster and CCB will work together in teams to decorate the building for Advent. Projects will be made available for people with limited mobility. . Blessings, Pastor Chris Dear Northminster, Have you all ever realized that I say (nearly) the same thing at the beginning of the Communion liturgy? Even if the Communion liturgy is different, I always begin by saying something along the lines of, “Friends, this is the joyful feast of the people of God! They will come from east and west, and from north and south, and sit at table in the kingdom of God. This isn’t a Northminster table, It isn’t a Presbyterian table, It isn’t an American table. It is God’s table - and God invites everyone who seeks to follow to meet God here. So come, you who have much faith and you who would like to have more. You who have been here often and you who have not been for a while, You who have tried to follow Jesus, and you who have failed. Come, for it is Christ who invites us to meet him here.” I have this more or less memorized, but whether or not I say it exactly the same way every time is anyone’s guess.
This section of the liturgy is called, the "Invitation to the Table.” It isn’t strictly necessary by the standards of our faith; many congregations and pastors don’t include it. But I personally find this section necessary and will always include it. Why? Because I find that the Invitation to the Table does two important things: 1) It reminds us of the breadth of God’s love and 2) It situates us within the story of God’s loving redemption. The Breadth of God’s Love Many denominations and congregation have what they call a “closed table.” Closed table theology dictates that only Christians that meet certain requirements – like baptism, confirmation/catechism, and/or membership in that tradition – can take Communion when it is served. The scriptural reason for this goes back to Paul’s fist letter to the Corinthians where he is scolding them for abusing the Lord’s Supper: “So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord,” (1 Cor 11:27). In order to prevent people from sinning against the body and blood of the Lord, these traditions put restrictions on who can partake in Communion so that no one who approaches the table is unworthy. The social/cultural reason to have a closed table is because some traditions have a certain set of ritual movements or patterns that go along with taking Communion. Traditions such as the Catholic or Orthodox have such rituals and movements that are taught to people and children in the congregation, but which outsiders would not know. By restricting who can come forward, they are ensuring that everyone knows the proper way to partake in the sacrament. The PCUSA is an “Open Table” denomination. That means that we do not restrict who can partake in Communion; we simply ask that people treat the sacrament with respect. This theology comes out of the fact that Jesus, himself, doesn’t put restrictions on who can partake of the Last Supper. Jesus even included Judas in the ritual as he is in the middle of turning Jesus over to the authorities. So, we believe that Communion is a demonstration of the breadth and depth of God’s love, and all are welcome to experience that grace. Our Place in God’s Story of Redeeming Love The first major split in the Christian Church was in 1054 with the Great Schism that broke apart what would become the Orthodox tradition and the Catholic tradition. Martin Luther’s 95 Theses in 1517 created further divisions and factions in the Christian tradition. Protestant Christianity would continue to splinter into smaller and smaller denominations as the United States would grow in population and territory. It is not uncommon to find congregations or traditions that want to claim that only they have the correct and true understanding of the Bible. But Communion reminds us that we are only a one piece of the story. We play a part in God’s story of redeeming love, but we are not the main characters. Our God is a universal God that loves, guides, and protects people all over the world. So, yes, while we might ask God to protect our family, watch over our community, and even guide our nation’s leaders, God does not favor any one country or group of people. We don’t worship a Northminster God, a Presbyterian God, or even an American God. We worship the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end; the God that always was and always will be. We are invited into God’s story, but we play only a part in that story. World Communion Sunday is a reminder of these things. God is so much bigger than us and God’s love surrounds us and the world so fully. Blessings, Pastor Chris On Sunday, we held our final Choosing a Focus Town Hall meeting. Thank you to everyone who has participated in this process so far! The turnout has been good and the discussion around these topics has been wonderful. It has been amazing to share with you something that Session and I have been working on for quite some time. It has been even greater to hear you all get fired up and excited by the ideas we are putting forward.
With that said… we only have 67% congregational participating rate at this point! The goal I set was for 80% participation. That means that we need 7 more Northminster people to participate. While we have a clear preference for our #1 idea, two ideas are tied for our #2 spot. In order to complete this step in the process, we need a clear second choice. Therefore, I am asking those who have yet to participate and vote to join in the process! It doesn’t matter if you live close by or far away; it doesn’t matter if you attend frequently or infrequently, it doesn’t matter if you are an official, card-carrying member or just a part of the wider Northminster community: if you are invested in the future of Northminster, we want to hear from you!!! In order to (hopefully) achieve the goal of 80% participation, I am extending the process 2 more weeks. HERE and on our website is the Choosing the Focus Presentation. If you have not yet done so, please read through it. The presentation includes:
Feel free to walk through this process yourself or reach out to me if you want to discuss it with someone. And if I don’t hear back from enough folks, I will begin reaching out directly asking folks what they think. Once this process is done, we will tally the results, share the top two ideas, and schedule a congregational meeting to discuss and vote on which of these two will be our ministry focus moving forward. Again, thank you to all of you who have participated so far. I have added in many of the suggestions that have been discussed in the town hall meetings thus far. Blessings, Pastor Chris Hello fellow heathens, apostates, and sinners!!
If you are reading this, then you have officially missed the Rapture that was predicted on social media to have taken place on Tuesday, September 23rd, 2025. This means that a few things could have happened:
However, repeatedly, throughout scripture, Jesus states that no one knows the time or place of the coming of the Son of Man… not even Jesus himself! The Apostle Paul reiterates that Jesus will return “like a thief in the night.” By the witness of scripture itself, the one way to guarantee that the Rapture won’t happen on a particular day (apart from the fact that the Rapture has no Biblical basis) would be to predict that it would happen on a particular day. As I have stated before, I have stopped wishing for and a believing in the end of the world. I now advocate to look around every day for how Jesus has come again that day. Every time that someone apologizes for the harm that they’ve caused, Jesus has returned! Every time that someone works to repair a relationship that has been broken, Jesus has returned! Every time someone feeds the hungry, shelters the homeless, or gives hope to the hopeless, Jesus has returned! Jesus has returned again and again and again, if we only look around us. With that in mind, we have work to do: The Kingdom of God won’t build itself “on earth as it is in heaven” without us getting our hands dirty. So - what can we do? Well, if you haven’t yet, please attend one of the Town Hall Ministry Focus discussions. We will be discussing various way that we can reach out into the community and make Jesus return to people’s lives yet again. The next one will be THIS THURSDAY, September 25th at 7 pm on Zoom. (Check your email for the link.) The last one will be after church this Sunday, September 28th in the lounge. Even if you haven’t signed up, please come anyway. So, I hope you have a wonderful post-rapture day. And may you see Jesus in the faces of others and in your own actions. Blessings, Pastor Chris As September is the PCUSA's Season of Peace, I thought I would discuss with you all a new term I recently discovered: Stochastic Terrorism.
Britannica.com defines the term thusly: “stochastic terrorism, the repeated use of hate speech or other vilifying, dehumanizing rhetoric by a political leader or other public figure that inspires one or more of the figure’s supporters to commit hate crimes or other acts of violence against a targeted person, group, or community.” source In order to create peace, we must understand all forms that violence takes. So, let’s create a scenario to explore this term further:
We often have kids memorize the singsong saying, “Sticks and stone can break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” However, words can and do hurt people. Words may not break bones and words alone cannot shoot guns. But when people string words together it becomes rhetoric. Rhetoric influences people’s beliefs. Repeated rhetoric changes what is normalized. Norms shape acceptable behavior. What is acceptable influences whose actions we see as violent and whose actions are justified. When politicians and newscasters villainize immigrants, it becomes acceptable to treat migrant workers inhumanely, putting them in camps and cages. When talking heads valorize gun ownership as a sacred right, the 304 mass shooting in 2025 so far becomes acceptable collateral damage, (source). When government officials turn the Palestinian people into a caricature of a terroristic people bent on eliminating the Jewish people, the starvation, bombing of civilians, and genocide of the Palestinian people is seen as necessary. When the rich villainize the poor and the disabled as unworthy leeches on the system, people happily accept the violence of denying assistance and healthcare to the most vulnerable people in our society. When city officials describe homeless individuals as violent drug addicts, the community cheers when the police destroy homeless encampments and imprison the homeless.
Blessings, Pastor Chris Dear Northminster,
September is "off to the races" and already zooming by! So, let us talk briefly about what is coming up. This Sunday, after service, is our All-Committee Meeting at 12:15 in the Lounge. Lunch will be served and then we will hear the Pastor’s report, Treasurer’s report, and Session’s report before breaking out into individual committee meetings. In the following weeks, we will have a series of town-hall style talks to discuss choosing a ministry focus. These talks will be around 45 minutes and will have time for discussion and voting for your favorite ideas. These town hall meetings are open to everyone in the Northminster community, regardless of membership status. The Town Hall meetings will be on:
We hope that everyone can attend one of these town hall meetings. If you are unable to attend one of these town hall meetings, but you still want to look at the presentation and vote on your favorite idea, please let me know: I am happy to email you the presentation to look at. I also plan to record and upload one of the Zoom meetings to make it available for a limited time on YouTube: youtube.com/@troynorthminster. Thank you to everyone who has already signed up to attend one of these meetings. Blessings, Pastor Chris Welcome Back!
Happy September, everyone! I hope everyone enjoyed their summer months. And what better way to begin the fall than by a "Welcome Back" Barbecue? Well, folks, you are all in luck! As I assume most of you know, this Saturday, September 6th at 5:30, we are lighting up the grill under the pavilion for our Welcome Back" Potluck Barbecue. Hamburgers and Hotdogs will be provided by the Community Connections team. Everything else is provided by YOU! So, bring a side, dessert, or drink to share! And thank you to everyone who has already signed up with what they plan on bringing. While there are picnic tables for everyone to use, feel free to bring a camping chair to sit in. When you arrive, feel free to park along either side of the driveway. Thank you to the Building and Grounds team that ensured that the trees and underbrush were trimmed back to allow for easier parking. Lastly, we encourage everyone to reach out to folks you haven’t seen in a while and make sure they are coming as well! Invite a friend! Call a neighbor! This is an opportunity for the community to gather. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask by emailing or calling myself or Suzanne in the office. Blessings, Pastor Chris The sermon on Sunday was titled, “Setting People Free,” and I discussed what it means to ignore bad rules in order to make people freer in their own lives; but what does it mean to be free? What does freedom look like? American Culture holds up FREEDOM as a cornerstone to its identity. As nation, we use freedom as the reason we pass certain laws and uphold various policies. Freedom is the banner we fly every national holiday including Independence Day, Memorial Day, and Labor Day. We go to war on behalf of freedom, and we are told to be grateful for the freedoms we have in this country. But what does freedom mean? Thinkers smarter than I have put forth that there is a dual nature to the idea of freedom: "freedom from" vs. "freedom to".
“Freedom to” is the easier idea to get our heads around because it is the one that is most often used when American Culture evokes a sense of freedom. "Freedom to" is the freedom to do whatever I want to.
On the other hand, “freedom from” evokes a sense of collective freedom that is present in more collectivist cultures. "Freedom from" evokes a standard of living where citizens are free from the worst outcomes of life.
Part of the divide in our country that has polarized us is a different understanding of freedom. Many people are fighting for more “freedom to,” while others are fighting for more protections in “freedom from.” In my personal opinion, both senses of freedom are necessary. However, American culture has been weighted towards an idea of “freedom to,” and has often forgotten our obligations to protect each other by developing robust freedoms that protect us from the worst outcomes of life. Unlike Cain, we are our brother’s keeper. And if we are to lift the weight off of people’s backs, we need to develop more "freedom from"s. Blessings, Pastor Chris |
AuthorPastor Chris Hallam earned her degree at Princeton Theological Seminary and moved to Michigan to become a pastor. Also trained as a studio artist and graphic designer, with an interest in pop culture and social science, her passion is thinking creatively about the future of the church. Archives
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