General Archives - Northminster Evangelical Presbyterian Church

News & Announcements for Sunday, October 5, 2025

Posted on Oct 1, 2025 by David Garrison in Announcements, General, HomePage, News, Spiritual Growth | 1

3 CIRCLES EVANGELISM TRAINING – CONTINUES TODAY

You are encouraged to sign up for the 3 Circles: Turning Everyday Conversations into Gospel Conversations training class. 3 Circles is a simple way to have gospel conversations. This began last Sunday but will meet weekly for 6 weeks at 9:30 am. Even if you missed it today, plan to join us next week!

COLLEGE & CAREER BIBLE STUDY –SUNDAYS, 6PM

Join us for a weekly(ish) bible study for College & Career Young Adults this summer. We meet at the Garrisons for dinner (probably something fancy, like pizza) and then spend some time digging into God’s Word. This is a place and time you can bring your questions and whatnot as well. All young adults, ages 18-29(ish) are welcome.

WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY – MONDAY, OCTOBER 6, 7PM

The Women’s Bible Study will meet next Monday, October 6 at 7:00 p.m. at the church. We will be starting a new study that we’re excited to tell you about Monday evening! If you haven’t come in a while or been wanting to join, this is a great time to do so. We look forward to seeing you next Monday!

WOMEN’S BOOK CLUB – THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, 10AM

The Women’s Bible Study will meet Thursday, October 9 at 10:00 a.m. at the church. We will be reading, You Have a Calling, by our friend, Karen Swallow Prior. Karen will be at our meeting on October 9 to read parts of her book and share her motivation for writing this book. She will also answer your questions. (And if you don’t get a chance to read it, come anyway!)

MEN’S BREAKFAST – WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 8AM

All Northminster men are invited to breakfast at Pastor Dave’s house on Wednesday, October 22 at 8 AM! There will be food, fellowship, and a topical discussion. Pastor Dave will be cooking, so you can count on plenty of bacon and coffee. Feel free to invite friends who are not affiliated with our church.

MISSION FOCUS FOR OCTOBER – CHRISTMAS BASKETS

The October Mission Focus is the Christmas Baskets. Please bring items to help bring a little joy to needy families in our area. Details can be found in the October newsletter.

Oct '25

September 2025 Pastor’s Corner — Picking Sides

Posted on Oct 1, 2025 by David Garrison in Christian Living, General, HomePage, Pastor's Corner, Spiritual Growth | 8

Oct '25

When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the LORD. Now I have come.” — Joshua 5:13-14

It has been a trying month, at the end of a trying summer. Two politically-motivated assassinations, multiple attacks on churches, several shootings at schools and workplaces, and an awful lot of finger pointing has us all in a state of constant anxiety and tension. It seems as if every word spoken, every statement made on social media, every speech (or sermon) given is parsed to try and determine who is with us and who is against us. We know (well, presume actually) that God is on our side and want to know whether the people we read or talk to are our friends or our enemies. Perhaps God doesn’t pick sides the same way we do.

The verses above come in the middle of a very tense moment for Joshua and the people of Israel. Moses has died and Joshua was appointed to take his place. Chapter 1 of the book of Joshua recounts God’s commissioning of Joshua (God tells Joshua to “be strong and courageous” no less than three times in the first nine verses) and how he took command of the people. Chapter 2 is the famous story of Rahab and the spies in Jericho. In chapters 3 and 4, Israel crosses into the Promised Land through the River Jordan, in a scene reminiscent of the crossing of the Red Sea during the Exodus. At the beginning of chapter 5, as they prepare to begin the conquest of the Promised Land, the people of God are re-consecrated to the Lord. Just after the verses above, in chapter 6 we have the fall of Jericho. Squeezed in at the end of chapter 5 we have this very short scene with Joshua and and angel, the Commander of the Army of the Lord.

Joshua, pacing in the desert with anxiety and worry about what lies ahead (the impenetrable and impassable walls of Jericho), comes across a stranger with a sword. It’s a perfectly reasonable question to ask: “Are you friend or foe? Are you for us or our adversaries?” What stands out most about this is how the angel answers Joshua’s question. Of course the answer is, “I am for you.” Everything up to this point has shown just how thoroughly God is “for them.” They are the people of Israel, God’s chosen ones. God, himself, commissioned Joshua and directed his steps to this point. God, himself, stopped the waters of Jericho so the people could cross. God, himself, directed their re-consecration to Him. But the answer wasn’t, “I am for you.” The answer is as blunt as it is curt: “No.”

God is only ever on one side: His own. This is made most clear in Isaiah 48:9-11: “For my name’s sake I defer my anger; for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you, that I may not cut you off. Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction. For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another.” (Is. 48:9-11) What God does, or does not, is based solely on what furthers His plans and increases His own glory. We get so wrapped up in presuming that God is on our side that we rarely stop to ask whether we are on His.

Almost a thousand years later, the disciples wanted to know the same thing Joshua did. After three years of following Jesus, facing the depths of despair as He was crucified and died, and then the heights of exaltation when He rose from the grave, they still thought He was on their side. Just before Jesus ascended to heaven, they asked, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:6-8) Once again, Jesus doesn’t give the expected answer. Jesus basically says, “You’re asking the wrong question. But I’m going to empower and enable you to be on my side, to be my hands and feet, to carry the good news of the coming of God’s Kingdom to all corners of your neighborhoods and the globe.”

It took a long time for Israel to take possession of the Promised Land. At the end of the book of Joshua, he gathers all the people together. He reminds them of all that God has done for them from the time they left Egypt up to that moment because they were on God’s side. Joshua then issues a challenge, one that echoes through to our day. Fear the Lord, Joshua says, and put away the petty “gods” and divisions that this world tells you matter. Choose for yourself whose side you will be on: God’s, or not God’s. With Joshua I declare, as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. What say you?

Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. — Joshua 24:14-15

Blessings,

Rev. David Garrison

Sep '25

News & Announcements for Sunday, September 28, 2025

Posted on Sep 24, 2025 by David Garrison in Announcements, General, HomePage, News | 2

Sep '25

3 CIRCLES EVANGELISM TRAINING – BEGINS SUNDAY

You are encouraged to sign up for the 3 Circles: Turning Everyday Conversations into Gospel Conversations training class. 3 Circles is a simple way to have gospel conversations. This began this morning but will meet weekly for 6 weeks at 9:30 am. Even if you missed it today, plan to join us next week!

MIDWEEK PRAYER – WEDNESDAYS @ Noon

Please join us on Wednesdays at noon for a time of prayer in the sanctuary as we bring our needs before our loving God.

COLLEGE & CAREER BIBLE STUDY –SUNDAYS, 6PM

WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY – MONDAY, OCTOBER 6, 7PM

WOMEN’S BOOK CLUB – THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, 10AM

MISSION FOCUS FOR SEPTEMBER: HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

Our mission focus for the month of September is Amherst County Habitat for Humanity. We have partnered with Amherst County Habitat for Humanity for many years. Recently, we helped fund three houses in Amherst and provided volunteer support for two new homes off Coolwell Road. Learn more about Amherst County Habitat for Humanity in this month’s newsletter. You may make a donation by specifying Habitat for Humanity on your check memo line.

Sep '25

News & Announcements for Sunday, September 21, 2025

Posted on Sep 17, 2025 by David Garrison in Announcements, General, HomePage, News | 6

Sep '25

CALLED CONGREGATIONAL MEETING – AFTER WORSHIP

The Session has called a congregational meeting for this morning after the worship service for the purpose of electing a Nominating Committee to find a Ruling Elder to begin serving in January, 2026. This meeting will not be livestreamed.

COLLEGE & CAREER BIBLE STUDY –SUNDAYS, 6PM

WOMEN’S BOOK CLUB – THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, 10AM

MISSION FOCUS FOR SEPTEMBER: HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

Coming Soon

3 CIRCLES EVANGELISM TRAINING – BEGINS SUN. SEPT. 28

You are encouraged to sign up for the 3 Circles: Turning Everyday Conversations into Gospel Conversations training class. 3 Circles is a simple way to have gospel conversations. This begins on Sunday, September 28^th and will meet weekly for 6 weeks at 9:30 am. Sign up today by scanning the QR code or going to npcmh.churchcenter.com.

Sep '25

News & Announcements for Sunday, September 14, 2025

Posted on Sep 10, 2025 by David Garrison in Announcements, General, HomePage, News | 2

Sep '25

CALLED CONGREGATIONAL MEETING – NEXT SUNDAY

The Session has called a congregational meeting for next Sunday, September 21, for the purpose of electing a Nominating Committee to find a Ruling Elder to begin serving in January, 2026. This meeting will not be livestreamed.

COLLEGE & CAREER BIBLE STUDY –SUNDAYS, 6PM

WOMEN’S BOOK CLUB – THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, 10AM

MISSION FOCUS FOR SEPTEMBER: HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

Coming Soon

3 CIRCLES EVANGELISM TRAINING – BEGINS SUN. SEPT. 28

You are encouraged to sign up for the 3 Circles: Turning Everyday Conversations into Gospel Conversations training class. 3 Circles is a simple way to have gospel conversations. This begins on Sunday, September 28^th and will meet weekly for 6 weeks at 9:30 am. Sign up today by going to npcmh.churchcenter.com.

Sep '25

News & Announcements for Sunday, September 7, 2025

Posted on Sep 3, 2025 by David Garrison in Announcements, General, HomePage, News | 0

Sep '25

JOIN US FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL

If you’re looking for an opportunity to grow as a disciple of Jesus Christ, we encourage you to join us Sunday mornings for a intergenerational Sunday school class, from 9:30-10:30. We look forward to seeing you!

COLLEGE & CAREER BIBLE STUDY –SUNDAYS, 6PM

WOMEN’S BOOK CLUB – THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, 10AM

The Women’s Bible Study will meet next Thursday, October 9 at 10:00 a.m. at the church. We will be reading, You Have a Calling, by our friend, Karen Swallow Prior. Karen will be at our meeting on October 9 to read parts of her book and share her motivation for writing this book. She will also answer your questions. (And if you don’t get a chance to read it, come anyway!)

MISSION FOCUS FOR SEPTEMBER: HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

***Coming* *Soon***

3 CIRCLES EVANGELISM TRAINING – BEGINS SUN. SEPT. 28

You are encouraged to sign up for the 3 Circles: Turning Everyday Conversations into Gospel Conversations training class. 3 Circles is a simple way to have gospel conversations. This begins on Sunday, September 28^th and will meet weekly for 6 weeks at 9:30 am. Sign up today by going to npcmh.churchcenter.com.

Sep '25

News & Announcements for Sunday, September 7, 2025

Posted on Sep 3, 2025 by David Garrison in Announcements, General, HomePage, News | 21

Sep '25

JOIN US FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL

COLLEGE & CAREER BIBLE STUDY –SUNDAYS, 6PM

WOMEN’S BOOK CLUB – THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, 10AM

MISSION FOCUS FOR SEPTEMBER: HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

***Coming* *Soon***

3 CIRCLES EVANGELISM TRAINING – BEGINS SUN. SEPT. 28

You are encouraged to sign up for the 3 Circles: Turning Everyday Conversations into Gospel Conversations training class. 3 Circles is a simple way to have gospel conversations. This begins on Sunday, September 28^th and will meet weekly for 6 weeks at 9:30 am. Sign up today by going to npcmh.churchcenter.com.

Aug '25

September 2025 Pastor’s Corner — 3 Circles

Posted on Aug 27, 2025 by David Garrison in Christian Living, General, HomePage, Ministry, Missions, Pastor's Corner, Sermons, Spiritual Growth | 0

Aug '25

And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.” — Luke 10:2-3

Last fall we had a couple of town hall meetings to discuss the state and future of our church. To recap: like many churches, we have seen a significant decline in worship attendance and engagement in the life of our church. While for the most part our income has remained steady, it is also declining. Up until last fall, we had seen very few visitors to our church, and those who did visit usually did not return. It seemed as if, while we love our church and what we offer, it wasn’t resonating or connecting with others in our community. Our circumstances seemed discouraging, to say the least. One year later, we’ve often been asked about where things stand and if we are as concerned as we were.

When you look at the practical numbers — worship attendance and income — not much has changed. Our average worship attendance is about the same as it was last fall, and our income is just slightly lower. But those numbers only tell one part of the story, and not the most important part. Since last fall we have had a steady increase in visitors to our church, which led to our largest Inquirer’s Class in the past 8 years. One new regular attender commented, “I didn’t know churches like yours existed any more.” Where we often wonder if our church is declining into irrelevance, another visitor sees a community that has deep faith and deep relationships, the very things she has been needing and looking for.

Where did these new visitors come from? In almost every case, the answer is the same: Someone invited me. In fact, when you boil every church growth and evangelism strategy down to its core, it’s always about some form of personal invitation. It’s how the Gospel spread in the very beginning, and it’s how the Church has grown ever since. Telling others about Jesus is something that all believers are called and invited to do. As Jesus and the Holy Spirit change and transform us, we are invited to share that transformation with others.

The most important part of our life of faith is for us to be looking to see how we are growing as disciples of Jesus Christ, paying attention to how the Holy Spirit is making us into new creations, formed in the image of our Savior: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) Think about it this way: when something good happens in our lives or when we have good news to share, we naturally and instinctively want to share that with the people around us. When we see how Jesus has changed us, we want to share that change with others. This change is a process that happens throughout our lives on this side of Glory. Look for how the Holy Spirit has changed you and how you are growing as a disciple. If you aren’t sure how that change is happening in your life, consider asking what the Holy Spirit might be inviting you to change or do differently so you can experience the change He wants to bring about in you.

Sometimes, though, even when we know how we are being changed, we hesitate or aren’t sure how to share that with others. We know Jesus has told us to tell others about the good news of God’s grace, but don’t want to be pushy or offensive. In fact, this is one of the most common questions we’re asked: I know I’m supposed to tell others about Jesus, but I don’t know what to say. To that end, we are going to spend time in September talking about a model for sharing your faith called “The Three Circles.” This is a slightly different model than others you might already know. The emphasis with The Three Circles is helping you learn how to turn everyday conversations into Gospel conversations. We’ll introduce the Three Circles in a three week sermon series, which will be followed by a six week Sunday School class.

If we want to see Northminster grow, it simply comes down to telling others about Jesus and inviting them to church to learn more about Him. The elders and I encourage everyone to join us for worship and plan to participate in the Sunday School class. We’re excited about how the Lord will use the Three Circles to help us share the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with our friends, our family, and the community around us. Find more information about the Three Circles Sunday School class on page seven of the newsletter, or by clicking here..

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” — Romans 10:14-15

Blessings,

Rev. David Garrison

Aug '25

MILLS’ MUSINGS – ANOTHER BIRTHDAY?

Posted on Aug 27, 2025 by Robert Mills in Christian Living, General, HomePage, Mills Musings | 1

Aug '25

On January 28, the Roman Catholic Church annually observes the Feast of Saint Thomas Aquinas. This year, that festival celebrated the 800th anniversary of his birth.

I use that admittedly awkward phrasing because no one knows his actual birthday. From existing records, we can tell he was born either in late 1224 or early 1225. However, 13^th-century Italian officials in the city of Aquino weren’t terribly fastidious about the exact dates children were born to minor noblemen. Nonetheless, the providential timing of his birth helped Aquinas become one of the most important theologians in the Christian Church and one of humanity’s most influential philosophers.

Aquinas lived and worked at a hinge point in Western culture. Europe was on the cusp of the Renaissance. Just 25 years before Aquinas’ birth, the University of Paris received its royal charter. Paris was the first university in the sense that we now use that term: an institution that teaches a variety of disciplines to both undergraduate and graduate students. And with the rise of educational institutions not run by the Roman Catholic Church, the relationship between Christian faith and human reason was undergoing its first major reevaluation in nearly a millennia. Aquinas would play a key role in that project.

As a monk in the recently formed Dominican order, Aquinas spent most of his ministry as a teacher, including at the University of Paris. A great deal of his work, in the classroom and his writings, intended to show the Church and the world that the truths of human reason, those demonstrable by the observations of the senses and the exercise of logic, are compatible with the truths of revelation, those that have been divinely disclosed by God to his human creation.

Today, Aquinas is also recognized as the culminating figure of Scholasticism. The primary aim of the late-medieval Scholastics, who were both philosophers and theologians, was to correlate Christian doctrine with human reason. The Scholastics wanted to show the reasonableness of God’s teachings. They also wanted to explain why those doctrines were important to the daily life of every Christian regardless of occupation or level of education. The Scholastics recognized Christian religion and contemporary science aren’t enemies. Rather, they saw them as complementary ways of learning about God and his world.

And yet, from the Renaissance through the Enlightenment and the Modern era, powerful forces have been trying to separate religious faith from human reason. Those forces are now waning and their centuries-old project is in peril. Most notably, the farther back in time scientists are able to see, the more their observations begin to sound like Aquinas’ articulations of his arguments for the existence and nature of God.

In his 1978 book God and the Astronomers, Robert Jastrow, founder of NASA’s Goddard Institute and an atheist, explained:

For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountains of ignorance; he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries.

Aquinas, I suspect, has a seat on the front row. Christians from all traditions, along with those who share his concerns if not our faith, can continue to learn from his work and celebrate his life – even if we’re not quite sure about his birthday.

Aug '25

News & Announcements for Sunday, August 31, 2025

Posted on Aug 27, 2025 by David Garrison in Announcements, General, HomePage, News | 0

Aug '25

WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY – TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 7PM

The Women’s Bible Study will meet this Tuesday, September 2 at 7:00 p.m. at the church. We will be studying the last chapter of our book, “God’s Unconditional Love for Us” in The Love Stories of the Bible Speak by Shannon Bream. Please read the chapter and complete the questions in your workbook. Come prepared to share what you got out of the reading and any questions you might have. (And if you don’t get a chance to read it, come anyway!)

HELPING HANDS OFFERING – THIS MORNING

Each 5th Sunday, any undesignated offerings placed in the collection plates go to Helping Hands, a ministry of churches in the Madison Heights-Elon area of Amherst County to help residents in need. It is administered through Madison Heights Baptist Church. Thank you for helping us meet the needs of those in our community!

MISSION FOCUS FOR SEPTEMBER: HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

COLLEGE & CAREER BIBLE STUDY – NEXT SUNDAY, 6PM

Coming Soon

3 CIRCLES EVANGELISM TRAINING – BEGINS SUN. SEPT. 28

You are encouraged to sign up for the 3 Circles: Turning Everyday Conversations into Gospel Conversations training class. 3 Circles is a simple way to have gospel conversations. This begins on Sunday, September 28^th and will meet weekly for 6 weeks at 9:30 am. Sign up today by going to npcmh.churchcenter.com.