Faith@First is a weekly report on the pastor's family news, church and community activities, events, ministries and missions. Click here to sign up to receive it weekly in your email inbox or visit NoblesvilleFirst.com/FaithAtFirstArchive to read the latest issue each week or peruse the archive of issues below.
October 13, 2022
Dear Noblesville First Family,
This week I completed my final “meet and greet”. Over the last two months I’ve met with dozens of you in the Parlor, at coffee shops, restaurants, The Vine, Teter Organic Retreat and Farm, The Prayer Room, on zoom and in your lovely homes. Every meeting has confirmed two absolute truths: “if you feed me I will come” and the power of an invitation. As I listened to many of you share how you came to this congregation it wasn’t by accident. Many of you were invited: by a friend, neighbor, co-worker or received a mailer to join the choir or special event here at the church. There were also several folks whose friends shared our virtual service, and that led them into relationship with Noblesville First.
Hearing those stories of invitation led me to think about John 12:32 where Jesus said ““And I, if I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto me”. This statement seems to suggest a two part process: the lifting and the drawing. Jesus takes responsibility for the drawing but, the lifting, I think that’s where we come in. We lift up Jesus through our worship, our giving, our service and through our invitation. Because it’s in our invitation that we create space for Jesus to do what only Jesus can do---draw all people unto him. And in each of our neighborhoods, workplaces and communities there are people who are just waiting for an invitation.
And so, I challenge you this week to lift up Jesus through the power of invitation. Who do you know that would be blessed by one of our Sunday services? Would grow through one of our classes or groups? Would connect through our Kids or Youth Ministry? Be supported by Griefshare or Alzheimer’s Caregivers groups? I wonder where God may draw them through the power of your invitation.
We are in the midst of the United Methodist Women's annual Rummage Sale! Shop today (Thursday) until 4PM then come tomorrow (Friday) 8AM-noon for $5 bag day and 1/2 price jewelry & large items! Thanks to all who donated items and shopped already! Proceeds benefit the United Methodist Women and their ministries that benefit women, men, children and those with special needs here in Noblesville and around the globe! Also noteworthy … the Methodist Mountain Mission in Jackson, Kentucky, sends a truck each year to collect items that aren’t sold. The Rummage Sale team has visited this mission and has shared that needs there are particularly great this year because of record-setting floods in that area. Many people in the communities served by the mission literally have nothing and they will be working for many months to help the community.
The Missions Team has organized a Food Drive that will continue through the end of the month, benefiting Dinner's On Us guests, the Come to Me Food Pantry, Noblesville Schools & Family Promise of Hamilton County. Donations will be collected on the shelves inside Door 1. Anything non-perishable is appreciated, but a list of items especially needed can be found at ... NoblesvilleFirst.com/FoodDrive.
Get your Christmas shopping done early and help raise money for our Student and Family Ministries! The Gift Card Fundraiser helps support many areas of these ministries, such as youth mission trips, youth outings, family and youth community outreach projects, and family and youth curriculum materials. Pick up an order form at the welcome desk or visit NoblesvilleFirst.com/GiftCardFundraiser for a printable copy.
Noblesville First Kids (birth-5th grade) offers programming from 9:45-10:45 every Sunday morning. They'll continue their series on GRIT with the story of how Joseph’s family, God’s people, were growing in number. Pharaoh enslaved them and made life miserable for them. That’s where Moses came in. Moses was born when Pharaoh went even further and commanded that all Israelite baby boys should be killed. Moses’ mother and sister probably weren’t too sure that putting Moses in a basket in the Nile River would keep him safe, but they were determined to keep Moses alive. Bottom Line: Hold on even when you don’t know what to do.
The 6th-12th grade Sunday School class will meet in Wesley Hall (Door 7) again this week. They have been talking the past couple of weeks about how sin affects their lives and even when they aren’t great, God still finds them where they are. After he finds us, we need to take the next step by accepting his forgiveness and his gift of GRACE!! This week, they'll talk about and attempt to understand God’s Grace and how our Methodist founder, John Wesley, looked at it. He saw Grace as three parts: Prevenient, Justifying and Sanctifying. Understanding how God’s Grace works will help us tie how we go from sinner to sanctified to experience the Freedom God give us.
We've gotten great feedback about holding 11:00 Contemporary Worship in The Vine (Door 5). We're going to continue that this week! The only downside is we might not have the livestreaming equipment in place yet for that space. But stay tuned!
At 8:30 Early Worship and 9:45 Traditional Worship, both in the Sanctuary (Door 1), we'll enjoy music from Don Smith on jazz trumpet as well as the Chancel Ringers on handbells.
Sign up for a one-time $40 Fall Harvest Share of produce from Teter Organic Farm to be picked up on Wednesday, November 16 (the week prior to Thanksgiving) between 3 and 7pm. These shares will go quickly. Order yours today! This purchase provides veggies for your table as well as a donation of produce to the Hamilton Harvest Food Bank. Do good. Eat well. Thank you for your support of Teter Organic Farm and our mission to provide nutrient dense produce to the food insecure in our community! Click here to learn more.
Are you new to the congregation and want to learn more? Are you interested in becoming a member? Or do you just want to get to know the pastors better? Come for Coffee with the Pastors on Sunday, October 23 at noon in the parlor. Questions? Contact Pastor Jill Moffett jmoffett@NoblesvilleFirst.com or call the church office at 317-773-2500.
Noblesville First Kids is bringing back the annual Trunk or Treat event on Sunday, October 30! We are looking for trunk hosts to decorate their cars, hand out candy, and host activity tables.
If you can't attend, you can still support the event by donating non-chocolate candies and small toys, which can be dropped off in the church office between now and October 23. Find more details at NoblesvilleFirst.com/trunk.
Keep the Faith@First,
Pastor Nicole