Join us this Thursday, April 22 at 5:30 pm as we come together across communities to stand against violence.

Featuring Alderman Osterman of the 48th Ward, the pastoral team of NSBC, Rabbi Craig Marantz of Emanuel Congregation, with musical offerings by LaRob Payton of WFMT and Hearing in Color and Wanda Pabellón of North Shore Baptist Church.

For more information, please e-mail Pastor Juan at jgutierrez@northshorebaptist.org.

  Last updated: March 31, 2021 at 11:50 am

​If you're feeling scared, overwhelmed, or stressed, just know you're not alone!  And your church is here to support you.

Who can get vaccinated right now?  

Most recent update: Starting March 29, all essential workers can get vaccinated.  See a list here. Anyone who needs to be have in-person contact with other people through their job should see if they can get an appointment. 

Starting March 7, people with underlying conditions can also get vaccinated, including individuals with diabetes, cancer, BMI over 30, pulmonary disease, heart condition, chronic kidney conditions, and those with disabilities.

Everyone over 65 is also eligible.


Where can I get vaccinated?

 You can sign up to be on a standby list for leftover vaccines in your area here.
​
I recommend signing up for Cook County's vaccination program here.  

The City of Chicago is conducting its vaccination scheduling in coordination with Zocdoc, and you can check for appointments here.  This is the site where individuals 65 and over can get appoints at the new United Center mass vaccination site. You can also call 312-746-4835, but they are expecting a lot of calls, so the website will be the faster way to schedule.

An Evanston youth also created a website that monitors other websites for vaccine availability, which you can check regularly here.

Some larger employers- including Jewel-Osco and Tyson Foods- are offering vaccinations on-site for employees. 

What if I or my loved one is homebound?

The Department of Public Health is partnering with the Fire Department to do at-home vaccinations for individuals who have trouble leaving their home.  If you or a loved one are in this situation, please fill out this form.  
 
Are you feeling unsure about getting vaccinated?

Getting shots is best inconvenient and at worst downright scary, even in less stressful times than these. It is understandable that you might be worried about how getting vaccinated might affect your body. 

Vaccinations are a vital way that we protect ourselves and those around us. All three COVID-19 vaccinations are extremely effective at preventing serious illness and death.  Getting vaccinated affirms our support of our community and abundant life for everyone, especially the most vulnerable among us.

A very small percentage of people may have a reaction to the vaccine due to allergies and other medical conditions.  If you have any concerns, please speak with a doctor (and if you don't have a doctor, talk to your pastor and we will help connect you). The risk of serious damage and death from the virus is far, far, FAR greater than the risk of a reaction to the virus.

We have multiple members of our church who have been vaccinated already.  If you would like to speak to someone about their experience, please reach out to your pastor!

Do you want to get vaccinated but are just feeling overwhelmed by all the information and don't know what to do?

I have felt the same way!  It's a lot. But your church is here to support you. Please reach out to me or another member of the pastoral team, and we'll do what we can to help!

Are you interested in talking to church members about your vaccination experience OR help other members find a vaccination appointment?

Contact  me. 

Beloved, we're still in this together! And we are going to get through it.

In Christ, 
Pastor Kathryn

By Rev. Juan Ángel Gutiérrez Rodríguez

It does not matter who wins or loses. Our call and our ministry cannot change.  For such a time as this, we have been call to proclaim the good news of the gospel.  For such a time as this, we have been call to work for peace and justice.  For such a time as this, we have been call to stand and fight alongside the poor, the excluded, the widows, the orphans, the immigrant, an all that are victims of sexism, homophobia, racism and xenophobia.  For such a time like this, we have been called to be witnesses of God’s love, peace, justice and liberation.
 
It does not matter who wins or loses. We can go on with our ministry because we have the hope of the Apostle Paul in Romans: 
 
“31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
 
It does not matter who wins or loses. We can go on with our ministry, because we have the certainty of Paul’s words to Timothy “7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”
 
It does not matter who wins or loses. We can go on with our ministry because we have the faith of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn't matter with me now, because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land!”.
 
When I started to think about writing this reflection, the last sermon of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. came to my mind.  In 1968, while in Memphis to support a workers’ strike, he spoke to a crowd about living in a such a time like this.
 
He told the crowd on the evening of April 3: what if God asked him which age he would like to live in? He went over the most important times in human history, but King said that he “would turn to the Almighty, and say ‘if you allow me to live just a few years in the second half of the twentieth century i would be happy.” He continued and said “now that’s a strange statement to make, because the world is all messed up. The nation is sick. Trouble is in the land. Confusion all around.” To that King answers, “but I know, somehow, that only when it is dark enough, can you see the stars.”
 
King is right. The present moment is always is the best time to be alive. It is in the difficult moments that we can experience God’s strength. It is in times of confusion that we can discern God’s wisdom. It is in the midst of violence that we can express God’s love and forgiveness. It is in the midst of sorrow that we can experience God’s hope and promises.
 
King is right, the present moment is always the best time to be alive. It is always the best time to be part of God’s project. It is always the best time to be faithful to God’s call for justice, liberation and inclusion. Because it is in the dark times that we can see the stars.
 
As in Esther’s time, we are challenged to live in hope and faith, but also in action. This is the time of resistance to the kings (the names change over time, but they always represent the oppressive system): racism, sexism, poverty, militarism, oppression. In these times, we are called to a life of resistance to those powers that are contrary to God’s project of life, justice, and peace.
 
We are called to resist like Vashti, who resisted an oppressive call from the king with an act of civil disobedience. Yes, in a such a time as this, we need to be brave enough (as ministers, churches, and denominations) to disobey the powers even if it means we lose our privileges and are forgotten.
 
We are called to resist like Mordecai, who responded to a deathly situation with an act of nonviolent action. Mordecai responded with a public demonstration of concern, sadness, repentance, and denunciation. He went to the main gate and stood there, not as a victim, but a sign of defiance.
 
We are call to resist like Esther, who responded to the call for help with an act of self-sacrifice. Yes, this is the time of self-sacrifice. This is the time to walk the talk. We have been living in comfort for too long. We have been part of the system for too long. This is the time to make a decision on which side we are: on the side of God, taking an option for the poor and the oppressed, or on the side of the king (does not matter his or her name).
 
I would like to leave with you Dr. King challenging’s words: “Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.”
 
I would like to end with Dr. King’s words of hope: “The moral arc of the universe bends at the elbow of justice.”
 
For just such a time as this, where are you?
 

We are looking for a full-time Custodian/Maintenance Coordinator to work approximately 40 hours a week and maintain 24 – hour stand-by status.  Housing for the C/MC and family is provided by the church.  This position is responsible for the maintenance of church properties, equipment and building security.  This position is also administrative: supervising, scheduling and evaluating custodial staff.  

The ideal candidate will possess an open, friendly personality and be comfortable interacting with a wide variety of people and situations.  A candidate must have the ability to adjust to a flexible work schedule, must have a valid driver’s license and must be fluent in English.  Bi-lingual in Spanish/and or Karen preferred.  

​Experience in a church or non-profit organization and five years of supervision and building maintenance is also preferred.

See the full job description here.

Interested applicants should e-mail: office@northshorebaptist.org. No phone calls, please.

In September, we will begin a weekly book study in English on Pre-Post Racial America: Spiritual Stories from the Front Lines  by Rev. Sandhya Jha.   As the Chalice Press book review reads:

Those people. Their issues. The day’s news and the ways we treat each other, overtly or subliminally, prove we are not yet living in post-racial America. It’s hard to talk about race and racism in America without everyone very quickly becoming defensive and shutting down.

"What makes talking race even harder is that so few of us actually know each other in the fullness of our stories. A recent Reuters poll found 40% of White people have no friends of other races, and 25% of people of color only have friends of the same race.

Sandhya Jha addresses the hot topic in a way that is grounded in real people’s stories and that offers solid biblical grounding for thinking about race relations in America, reminding us that God calls us to build Beloved Community."

The class will take place on Sundays at 1:00 PM. We will begin on Zoom, and gather in the church courtyard as weather permits.  Please contact Pastor Kathryn (kray@northshorebaptist.org) for more information.

“愛するものよ、見よ、あなたは美しく、まことにりっぱです。”（雅歌１章１６節）
旧約聖書の中で、雅歌においては、男女の愛について歌われていますが、雅歌では男女が相手に対して、あなたは美しい、ということを言い合っていますね。男性から女性にだけでなく、女性から男性にも言われています。雅歌はキリストと教会との愛のメタファーといわれていますが、教会がキリストの花嫁、という比喩が黙示録の中にもあるところを見ると、納得がいきます。ところで、この美しいという言葉の漢字、美は、羊という字の下に大きいという字が書かれています。大きな羊、つまり、捧げものの大きな羊は神の目に麗しい、という意味だそうです。中国から来た漢字は、その成り立ちに、聖書的な意味合いもあり非常に興味深いです。

私たちは何かを美しいというときに、形が整ったきれいなものをさすこともありますが、捧げられた大きな羊、という語源は、形よりも捧げる魂の美しさについて思わされます。主イエスのように神にささげられた人生は美しいのではないでしょうか。

この世の中で美しさは、権力、政治的な力、お金の力がかかわっていることがよくあります。大体豪華絢爛に飾り立てるのには、経済力が必要です。そして、主イエスが白く塗った墓、といわれるように、表面だけ奇麗でも、中身は対照的なものもあります。しかし、神の目線において、美しさはこの世の力や表面のきれいさとは関係ありません。私たちの日々の行い、捧げる心が神の御前で、美しくありますようにお祈りします。（Yuki Scroggins）