David Whiting Live

Do You Want Some Free Books?

Want some free books?   

We have removed all the resources from our old library that are going to the new library. The rest are to be given away. So - here are some guidelines:

• If you have any books/resources checked out - please return them asap. There are boxes in which you can place returned resources. We want to go through them and see what we want to keep.
• Anything that is on the shelves - you can have it. Feel free to take it.
• Remember, there are shelves on three walls... don't forget about the shelves with media resources and the shelves above the magazines.
• Feel free to take any magazines in the racks.
• Please don't take anything in a closed cupboard, on the table, or in a box. We still need to go through those places to separate what we keep from what we give away.
• There may be a LOT of books being returned on Sunday. We want to go through those. So please leave those alone until we can go through them.
  

Have a good time. For the next two or three weeks - take any books you find on the shelves, then we will get rid of the rest.

To see a further explanation on the church library - read my blog on that topic by clicking HERE.

EQUIP Classes Start Next Week

Our new EQUIP classes start February 7th (same day as the new building). Every age has two options to choose from. Choose whichever age group you would most enjoy - as the teachers and topics will be rotating, but the class and hosts remain the same.

20's - Hosts: Matt Brady, Kathleen Matthews, Nate Wegman, Sarah Sousa, Josh & Heather Horn
Topic: Our Walk With God - putting faith into action

20's and 30's - Hosts: Adam & Jenn Congdon, Matt & Brie Tomlinson, Andy & Kristin Shugart
Topic: What Every Christian Should Know - essential truths we must embrace

30's and 40's - Hosts: Gary & Kim Gagarinas, Mario & Michel Melidona
Topic: Walk Thru the Old Testament - understanding OT's chronology, major events, and major characters

40's and 50's - Hosts: Paul & Nancy Simmonds, Dave & Debra Frink
Topic: Change Hearts, Changing Lives - A video-based class understanding the process of biblical change

50's and 60's - Hosts: Dave & Jayne Boehm, Len & Nancy Tomkinson, Jud & Andrea Stuart
Topic: James: A Study of His Book - a group interactive study of the book of James

60's + - The Ambassadors (formerly Golden Agers) will continue the format of their class. They are not participating in the rotation of topics and teachers, but it certainly is an encouraged option for anyone 60-plus.

I am praying that you will choose a class and stick with it for the 12 weeks so we can together grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ.

Days of Creation - Artwork

More art work was hung in the nursery on Wednesday that I thought you'd enjoy seeing. These are painted on canvases and hung in the Toddler Nursery.  They are based on Genesis 1 and four of our artists did an amazing job!

 

11 More Days Until the New Building... an Update

The bookstore is getting set up. Many hours have been put in by Kim, Alison, and Chris (and others):

 
 

A couple of weeks ago - we had a pipe burst in the "basement" of the church.  The problem is - we were storing many things down there for the new building.  Eleven brand new 36" TVs got wet, the box holding the new sound board got wet, art work got wet, and many other things.  All those things are drying out to see what can get "rescued." 

 

  

  

The Countdown Begins... 13 Days until first Worship Service in New Building

The countdown has begun. In 13 days we are scheduled to have our first worship services in the new building!  WOW!!  Scary and exciting. So much work has to be done, but we will do our best!!

Here are some things that are happening:

We have had and will have dozens and dozens of volunteers working on final projects. Our builder has allowed us to save money by doing a lot of "extras" ourselves. John R built center stairs for the stage (for weddings and convenience). We will have A LOT of volunteers working in the next two weeks. 

There are many projects that need finished. Wes (Project Manager) is finishing the welcome center

 

New windows and doors have been installed in the old lobby (this is the window near the old main entrance). It now looks into the new bookstore.

 

A lot of carpet, tile, and wood planking will be going down this week.

Jeff M continues to work six days a week getting sound and video ready to be installed next week.

More updates as we countdown the final days.

Some Things for Tomorrow @ Northridge

Some things to be thinking about tomorrow:

• Don't forget to bring your library books/resources that are checked out. We need them back.  Put them in the boxes on the floor of the library.  THANKS! No resources can be checked out for the next two weeks.
• Our picture directories are done! They were delayed until we decided on our new name.  So they've been printed and everyone who had their picture taken can pick up their directory tomorrow. Look for the tables in the back of the gym!
• We still plan to be in the new building on February 7th!  Be praying and be inviting!!

Also - THANK YOU to all of those who turned in suggested logos. We had some great options. We even paid a company to make some recommendations, but we ended up choosing one from an "insider."  Take a look... (Thanks Marty J for the logo!!)

 

Nursery Art in New Building

Once again - our talented artists at church are up to amazing things!  Check out the work on the walls of the infant nursery!!

 

  

Thanks, Erin and Alyssa! You guys are amazing. 
 
 

Thinking Biblically about Haiti

I would guess that I've received an average of five emails every day about Haiti since the earthquake. The primary request is concerning missionaries or pastors who are in Haiti, asking for their safety. The second common request is for the rescue/safety of the Haitian people.

And both of those requests are appropriate, I'm sure. But I keep finding myself bothered by many of the email requests... not that they are bad... but that they aren't enough.

I wish I were seeing requests like this:

• "PRAISE God that Haiti has one of the highest rates of missionaries per capita in the world!" I just read an article that said that it seems there are missionaries on almost every plane that lands in Haiti. One author said, "It seems that half of every plane is missionaries headed to Haiti." Maybe this earthquake is the very reason there are SO many missionaries in Haiti!
• PRAISE God that 1) as creation is "groaning as in the pains of childbirth" and 2) as creation is longing to be "liberated from its bondage to decay" (Romans 1:29-22) - YET God is still in control!
• Here was a prayer request I received this morning that made my heart rejoice:
  

  "Many of you have likely heard that the US Navy is sending some ships down to Haiti to help in the rescue and relief efforts.  My nephew Tim is on the USS Bataan and they were sent down this week as well.  Their ship is a smaller version of an aircraft carrier.
  

  Please pray that they will be able to help in whatever ways they can as the people of Haiti who survived move beyond this tragedy.  I would also ask you to pray for my nephew that God who enlarge his heart for the broken and hurting in our world and that God's compassion would fill him."

So - let's keep praying for the safety of missionaries, pastors and people. But let's start by praising God that He is in control of creation, and let's praise him that SO MANY pastors and missionaries are there! This may be the VERY REASON that Haiti has so many pastors, missionaries, and ministries! God sent them there!

So let's pray (biblically), let's give (sacrificially), and let's think (theologically)!

What Are We Doing with the Church Library?

One of the issues that we've considered with the new building is what to do about the library. We are planning on a bookstore - so should we have both a bookstore and a library or abandon the library altogether? We decided to have both a bookstore and a library (they will share space in the new bookstore) but to severely reduce the amount of books in the library. Here are some thoughts/reasons:

• We want to encourage people to read, but getting people to read IS NOT OUR GOAL at Northridge. We want to get people to read the right books... the best books... the books that will help us become more like Christ.
• We are taking a "less is more" philosophy. We (pastors) hand-picked all the books that will be carried in the bookstore and we anticipate more people reading by emphasizing the bookstore.
• The location of the library wasn't very conducive to getting people to read. The library has been hard to find (especially for those newer to the church). Having the library inside the new bookstore will be a better location.
• We don't want to take away the option to check out books for those who can't afford to or don't want to buy a copy of a particular book - so we don't want to just get rid of the library completely.
• We have space problems at church. Even with all the new square footage we are adding to the church, we are only adding two classrooms. When we move into the new building, we will be using every classroom in the building. A library makes a room difficult to use as a classroom because it makes the library inaccessible during some church hours.

An extensive study that was done on our library, and here are some surprising things that we learned:

• Out of over 1000 non-fiction books - 70% haven't been checked out ONCE in the last ten years.
• And 82% haven't been checked out in the last five years.
• Fiction, by far, has been the primary use of the library. Only 20% of the fiction books haven't been checked out in the last five years.

Now what?

• We need to get all the library materials back that are currently checked out.
• We are in the process of narrowing down our library to about 25% to 33% of its present size.

So - please drop off the resources this Sunday that you have at home so we can separate them into resources that will be carried in the new library and those that will be given away.

Thanks for your interest in good books!

The Most Neglected Part of the Great Commission

Yesterday I mentioned that the Great Commission was given to all of us - not just missionaries and pastors. Yet most people expect missionaries to "Go" - and pastors to do the rest ("make disciples, baptize, and teach").

It seems to me that in most churches - all are encouraged to go, make disciples, and teach, but only pastors baptize. When the Great Commission has been given to all of us, why do we wrongly assume that only pastors should baptize? We don't believe or practice that here at Northridge. We want a person to be baptized by someone who has had significant spiritual influence in their life.

So - here are some questions for you:

• How about make it a goal to baptize someone this year?
  
• Who are you having a significant impact on that if they choose to get baptized - they might ask you?
• Who do you need to challenge to be baptized?

When we get in the new building, we are looking forward to having a lot of baptisms. So - would you make it a goal this year to baptize someone? I'd love to see as many of you as possible fulfill the most neglected part of the Great Commission.