All of Illinois has been given a “Stay at Home Order” or asked to “Shelter In Place.” This means that through April 7 or until otherwise updated, we need to severely restrict our movements outside of our home. Here are frequently asked questions about what this means: https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/sites/covid-19/home/stay-at-home-order-faq.html
We need to restrict non-essential travel to…
This type of restriction is an inconvenience, yet is extremely important in order to stop the unintentional spread of this virus. Regardless of how healthy you may be, this is crucial to protect those who are more at risk, some that you might not even be aware of their health difficulties. During this pandemic, mental health will be an issue for many people. Boredom, stress, fear, irritability are especially likely when people are forced to stay at home and restrict movement. Pay attention to your moods and your behavior. If you are showing the basic signs of stress, do not minimize its impact. Call your mental health provider if your mood or stress impacts your daily activities for several days in a row. Pay close attention to hidden symptoms like…
Here are some guidelines to help cope:
Remember, we are social creatures. As much as we may not acknowledge it, we do need people. Just because we are being asked to keep a distance from others, it doesn’t mean we need to be lonely. It is important to reach out, give assistance, check-in with loved ones, ask for support. Don’t suffer alone! Dave Howser, M.Div., LCPC is a psychotherapist and pastoral counselor at North Shore Baptist Church. To inquire about services, please call Dave at (773)450-3395.
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-A Message from Pastor Kathryn on behalf of the NSBC Pastoral Team
My beloved community, We have entered a difficult and unprecedented time. In just one week, we have seen the COVID-19 Coronavirus labelled a pandemic, with restaurants and schools in the state of Illinois being ordered to close. On Monday, March 16, the federal government issued a recommendation against social gatherings over 10 people for the next 15 days. At NSBC, we will abide by this recommendation by suspending all in-person programming, including all of our traditional, in-person worship, through the end of March. As these two weeks continue, we will continue to monitor recommendations coming from the CDC and local officials, and we will keep you updated about programming. As I preached on Sunday, physical distancing (staying home when possible, maintaining six feet of distance when away from home) is right now one of the best ways we can love our neighbor as we love ourselves. This includes neighbors we may never see or meet, but whose lives and wellbeing are dear to God. While some limited office business will be conducted during the week, the church building will be completely closed on Fridays. If you have a pastoral care need at any time, please reach out to your congregational pastor or fill out this contact form. While we will not be gathering in person, we will continue to connect virtually, even as we are connected in the Holy Spirit. Please continue to check Facebook for regular updates. We plan to make videos of English and Spanish worship available via YouTube on Sundays. The Karen Congregation will be posting videos and blogs, and the Japanese congregation is also discussing virtual gatherings. For questions about any of these services, please contact the pastor of that congregation (e-mail in full bio) or fill out this contact form. We also have two Facebook groups available to remain in communication: NSBC Members and Friends and Congregación Hispana de la Iglesia Bautista de North Shore. Above all, if you know members of the community who do not have Internet access and cannot check Facebook or e-mail, please take extra care to reach out to them, see how they are doing, and make sure your pastor knows who they are and how to contact them. Beloved, we are together in this. We are one in the Spirit, even as we pray that our physical unity may soon be restored. Please do not hesitate to reach out for anything you may need. Grief is a difficult process that everyone experiences at different points in their lives. It is important, when experiencing grief, to know that we are not alone.
During the month of April, Helen Ablan Vocales will facilitate a weekly grief group. It will be an experiential, discussion-based process that will give you resources to take home with you. The group will meet on the five Wednesdays of April (the 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29) at 7:00 pm in the Wilbur Warner Welcome Center. Helen Ablan Vocales has a Master’s degree in Pastoral Counseling fromLoyola University and a Diploma in Nursing from the University of the Philippines. Coming from a Jungian persuasion, Helen brings to the group more than 60 years of experience in nursing, with 35 years of experience in psychiatric nursing By Dr. Peggy Griffin
The newly formed Social Justice Task Force members squared their shoulders with a sense of accomplishment at the conclusion of the six- week workshop series, “Towards Justice and Human Rights” in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. The final workshop on February 23rd drew record attendance for a presentation by WBEZ’s South Side Reporter, Natalie Moore. Ms. Moore sat without notes and intrigued the audience with a synopsis of her book, “A Portrait of Chicago and American Segregation”. She spoke of the segregated pattern in housing and the cost of goods and services. Besides the standard statistics, she gave examples of her own home sale and her own comparison shopping for personal items. Discussions emerged as to how housing is related to schools, businesses, jobs, and politics; during the exchange of questions and answers with Natalie Moore. Smiles remained from the previous session of merriment but yet inflaming thought in the “Economic Justice Simulation Game. The game was facilitated by Jay Larson and Sean Shell of NSBC. Participants planned budgets around small allotments, but they were interrupted by unforeseen incidents dramatized by Madison McClendon and Courtney Feiler. The elements of surprise, hilarity, and brain-teasing produced some gems of wisdom, useful in balancing household budgets and maybe even church budgets. The Task Force broke the weekly sequence of workshops on February 9th for the Agape Feast, which followed our quarterly unity service. The word, ”Agape” means love in Greek. It is related to the fellowship meals in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. One scripture that sums up the meaning of the Agape Feast is Deuteronomy 12:7 “ And you shall eat there in the presence of the Lord your God, you and your households together, rejoicing in all the undertakings in which the Lord your God has blessed you.” Love was put in action when Pastor Michael Ware explained that there was no order in how the food would be served. He asked everyone to create their own order. Everyone did, including small children and babies. One two-year-old showed the spirit of it all when he sat alone at a table as his family members gathered food. Differing from his usual vocal style, he smiled and waved his arms, entertaining himself peacefully until his seat mates returned. Continuing the retrospective tour of the workshops, on February 2nd , we gathered information that will enable us to use greater wisdom in the voting process. Anna Gaebler of ONE Northside explained the Progressive Income Tax to us. We learned how the proposed tax will be income based, rather than tax with the same percentage for all. The progressive tax will increase budgets for schools and social services as well as decrease taxes for the working poor. After the workshop, many expressed interest in following up on this concept, and made oral commitments to inform others and prepare for the coming elections. Martin Luther King Jr. was in Puerto Rico. Most of us were astounded to learn of the travels of the civil rights leader to this U.S. Territory. On January 26th, Pastor Juan Angel Gutierrez Rodriguez unveiled the little- known facts to us in his discourse on “Martin Luther King, Jr., Puerto Rico, and Colonialism”. He contends that King’s first public announcement about his position on the Viet Nam war was in Puerto Rico. We are grateful that he shared this valuable research with us and look forward to his soon to be published book on the topic. In Steeple Stories Volume 22, Issue 1, there is a reflection on the first of our workshop series. On January 19th, Pastor Michael Ware gave a first- hand account of his civil rights pilgrimage. From this first workshop to the last on Feb. 23rd, the enthusiasm has remained high. The Social Justice Task Force is contemplating future actions. By Rev. Kathryn Ray
He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” (Matthew 13:31-32) The familiarity of the images in this well-known piece of Scripture perhaps obscure the fact that this parable is odd. Mustard seeds do not grow into trees. Mustard seeds grow into small herb bushes. “The greatest of shrubs” (or perhaps a better translation, “the greatest of vegetables”) is perhaps closer to what one might expect could grow out of a mustard seed, but it is still a rather bizarre distinction to achieve. So what is going on here? On Wednesday, February 26 at 5:30 pm, the English congregation is hosting a family-friendly, dinner-church style Ash Wednesday service in the Warner Welcome Center. It will include a light meal and the imposition of ashes. All are welcome -- and given the starting time, latecomers are welcome too if it takes you a bit to get there from work or school! You are invited to bring a side dish or dessert to share.
We will have our annual Healing Service on Sunday, February 9, at 10:00 am. The service will take place in the sanctuary. Pastor Kathryn will be preaching.
The Healing Service is a combined worship with all of the congregations, in which we pray for healing of all kinds and perform the ritual of anointing with oil for those who desire it. Towards Justice and Human Rights: A Workshop Series in Honor of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.1/8/2020 To commemorate and continue the legacy of the civil rights movement, NSBC is hosting its fourth annual educational event in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. We are excited to offer the following series of workshops. We will tell and re-tell stories of the life and work of Rev. Martin Luther, King, Jr. and delve deeper into what economic justice can look like in our own context. January 19, 11:30 am: A Pastor’s Civil Rights Pilgrimage A reflection by Rev. Michael Ware, English Language Pastor of NSBC Pastor Michael will speak about his recent trip to Montgomery, Selma, and Tuskegee on a personal pilgrimage and fulfillment of a life-long dream to visit civil rights venues. January 26, 11:30 am: “Martin Luther King, Jr, Puerto Rico, and Colonialism” A presentation by Rev. Juan Ángel Gutiérrez Rodríguez, Spanish Language Pastor of NSBC Pastor Juan will speak about his research on MLK’s work during his visits to Pastor Juan’s home country of Puerto Rico. February 2, 11:30 am: “Towards a Fair Tax” A presentation by Anna Gaebler, Economic Justice Organizer at ONE Northside A progressive income tax could create new revenue each year that could be used for public education, social services, and homelessness prevention. Come learn about the Fair Tax and how you can play a role in your community in winning this crucial change for Illinois. February 16, 11:30 am: “Economic Justice Simulation Game” An interactive learning experience facilitated by Jay Larson and Sean Shell of NSBC Managing money means making choices. There is seldom enough money available for all of the things we would like to have or do. This game will help you decide what is most important to you, with implications for resource management in churches and organizations. February 23, 11:30 am: “Housing in Chicago: A City Divided” A presentation by Natalie Moore, WBEZ's South Side Reporter, whose enterprise reporting has tackled race, housing, economic development, food injustice and violence. In her 2016 book, The South Side: A Portrait of Chicago and American Segregation, Natalie Moore shines a light on contemporary segregation, using her own personal knowledge and experience in the city's South Side. Drawing on the lives of these communities, Natalie will help us explore the impact of Chicago's historic segregation, and the ongoing policies that keep the system intact. By Rev. Saw Eh Plo Soe
We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete. - 1 John 1:3 Christmas is about the word 'incarnation.' We sing it every year in our Christmas carols, especially in “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.” Charles Wesley wrote that, and one line you’ve sung says, “Veiled in flesh, the Godhead see; Hail the incarnate Deity.” If you understand the incarnation, you’ll understand what Christmas is about. The Apostles’ Creed doesn’t use the word incarnation, but it teaches the doctrine of the Incarnation when it says, “conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary.” Let’s take a look at the first two verses. It’s frankly doctrinal, and it’s boldly historical. On Sunday, December 8 at 4:00 pm, the Lincoln Park High School Chamber Singers will join us at NSBC for a concert of Christmas and other holiday favorites, followed by hot cocoa, cookies, and carol singing.
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