One-on-One with Pastor Jill is a weekly report on family news and church and community activities, events, ministries and missions. Visit this page each week or sign up to receive it weekly in your inbox. Archive issues can be viewed at NoblesvilleFirst.com/one-on-one-archive.
June 23, 2022
It’s been one of those weeks where it feels like everything is happening at once! I sometimes feel like a circus artist trying to juggle 20 balls. Chances are, a few will get dropped. The good thing is that hopefully none will stay on the ground! It has been three weeks since Pastor Jerry’s retirement and since I have stepped in as your interim pastoral leader. I want to thank you all for your support, encouragement, and patience as all of our staff are juggling many things!
And a special thank you to the staff who continually do amazing ministry. This week in our meeting, we lifted up a few celebrations in each of our ministry areas. We acknowledge that we face many challenges, but at the end of the day, we are continuing to be a part of God’s kingdom here in Noblesville as the church. Praise God for this good news.
Change continues to be the norm around here as we spent the week rearranging, moving, taking apart and putting back together furniture as the new carpeting is being installed in the church office. Make sure to stop by sometime soon after this week to check out the changes and see where everyone has landed! Here are a few things to keep in mind as you are thinking about your next few weeks:
This week is your last opportunity to donate to the Pasta Drive, organized by the Missions Committee. Make sure to bring boxes of dry pasta and noodles and jars or cans of sauce to the church to place in the narthex and outside Celebration Hall to benefit Dinners on Us and the Second Helpings ministries.
The Noblesville First Kids program (birth-5th grade) runs from 9:45-10:45 on Sundays. In week four of the Make Waves series, we spend time discovering more about Proverbs 15:18. Waiting can be the worst! But something Solomon wrote in Proverbs can help us remember why patience is so important. A person with a bad temper stirs up conflict. But a person who is patient calms things down, (NIrV). When we have to wait, it’s important not to let impatience get the best of us. We can trust God to give us the strength to have patience and keep our cool. Bottom Line: Be patient with each other. We all face moments where we’ll find it difficult to have patience. From waiting in line to get a seat at your favorite restaurant to sitting in construction traffic on your way to vacation, how can you have patience when you want to get a move on? We pray that kids will start with prayer and ask God for help. God can give us patience in any situation!
Parents and their children under age five are invited to Pop In and Play on the Noblesville First playground every Wednesday from 10AM-12PM beginning June 1 through the end of July. And in the event of rain, we’ll open the indoor play space, so this is a rain or shine event. You can find more details at NoblesvilleFirst.com.
During the school year, Noblesville First Moms meets at the church on Wednesdays at 9:15AM in Wesley Hall. This summer they're meeting monthly at a park. Mark your calendar for July 13, 3:30-5PM at Billericay Park and splash pad, 12690 Promise Road in Fishers. All moms of young children are welcome to attend! Details at NoblesvilleFirst.com/moms. Bring your child’s swimsuit, sunscreen, and a snack!
Youth Group (6th-12th grade) will meet at Teter for outdoor fun on Sunday, June 26, 6-8PM. Questions? Contact David McKenzie at dmckenzie@noblesvillefirst.com or 317-656-0320.
There are also some special summer events designed for the rising 6th graders to get to know the rest of the Youth Group. And mark your calendars for ... June 29: Bowling at Bowl 32, 2-4PM and July 6: Mini Golf at Birdies, 5-7PM. Questions? Contact David McKenzie at dmckenzie@noblesvillefirst.com or 317-656-0320.
Sunshine Friends, the church’s monthly ministry for special needs adults, will embark on their annual outing to Conner Prairie on Saturday, July 9 from 10 am to 1 pm. They'll walk the grounds, including Prairietown, Lenape Village, Animal Encounters, Treetop Outpost and the Civil War Journey. Admission for each friend and their caregiver will be paid and everyone is invited to bring a sack lunch or purchase lunch at Cafe on the Commons. Find more details and a link the liability waiver required for each friend at NoblesvilleFirst.com/SunshineFriends. To reserve your spot, please RSVP by July 1 to Anita Beck at anitajbeck@comcast.net or 317-753-3111.
Our incoming Pastor Nicole Caldwell-Gross and I will be co-hosting a trip to the The Holy Land next April 18-27. The trip will feature all the major sites, such as the Sea of Galilee, Mt. of Beatitudes, Jordan River, Bethlehem, Nazareth, Jerusalem, and more! Details at NoblesvilleFirst.com/HolyLand. Having been to the Holy Land once before back in 2011, I can tell you it was a life changing journey that forever changed the way I read scripture and the stories of Jesus. Please contact me if you’d like to hear more. I’d love to show you my pictures, too!
Mark your calendar for Creation Care Camp at Teter Farm, happening July 25-29, 5:30-8:00 pm. This camp will cultivate a sense of wonder in kids ages 7-11 by exploring the gifts found within God’s creation. We will learn about the value of soil and water, how plants grow, why insects aren’t here to “bug” us, and who our animal neighbors are. Volunteers and participants needed! Sign up today at TeterOrganicFarm.com/camp.
This week in worship, we will continue our series on “Doing a New Thing: A Church in Transition.” This week’s focus will be on the story of Joshua and the Israelites and the crossing of the Jordan River. Joshua has been called to be the new leader of the people after the death of Moses. What can we learn from the new journey that awaits them?
I will be giving the message and leading conversation for Thursday Worship, both in-person in the Vine, and on Zoom, starting at 6:30. Find the Zoom link at NoblesvilleFirst.com/ThursdayWorship. All are welcome!
Pastor Mary Eileen Spence will give the message at all three worship services on Sunday morning this week.
As always, I am so blessed to be in ministry with you here at Noblesville First. Invite a friend to come and see what’s happening here!
In Christ,
Pastor Jill