NSD Community Ministry Opportunities!

CONTENTS:

1. BIG GIVE - SUMMER LUNCH PROGRAM
2. SOULS FOR SOLES – SHOE GIVEAWAY
3. TORNADO RELIEF EFFORT
   

---

1) BIG GIVE - SUMMER LUNCH PROGRAM
The Summer Lunch program is quickly approaching and we are still in need of MANY volunteers to help us out with this and ensure that we have enough lunches to feed all the kids that we will be serving.  I have listed the needs below.  If you are interested in volunteering or have any questions please let me know.  I will also be available after each service this Sunday to answer any questions you have.

Volunteers needed to bring in lunch items each Sunday
10 volunteers to make 20 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (mix PBJ together before putting it on the bread)
10 volunteers to bring 2 packs of juice boxes or Capri sun (unrefrigerated)
10 volunteers to bring 20 snack packs of chips
10 volunteers to bring 20 brownies (individually wrapped)
We would also like to provide a special treat for the kids each Friday so we will also be collecting gently used or new children’s books (ages 2-16)

We will be collecting everything starting this Sunday May 22nd except the sandwiches,  we will collect them starting Sunday June 5th.

 5 Volunteers needed to pack lunches each Sunday
We will be packing 200 lunches every Sunday immediately after the service.  Although we are only having one service during the summer nothing has changed from the original plan of packing during 2nd service.  We will still start around 11:00.

Packers and Checkers
Hope Church on Marietta Hwy from 9am- 12pm Mon-Fri.  This is the where all lunches will be dropped off and delivered from and we need lots of help during the week adding the sandwiches and making sure the lunches are packed properly.

Volunteer Drivers
There are a few driver volunteer spots open for Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.  This is a weekly commitment from @ 10:45-12:30 one day a week throughout the summer.  You will be the one who delivers the lunches to the children.  Each driver has to have a person ride with them and we can easily pair you up if you are interested. Your children are welcome to join you as long as they are over 10.  Every driver does have to have a background check through MUST Ministries ($4.95) and will need to bring me a copy of your license, registration, and insurance this Sunday May 22nd  so that I can get it to MUST and the background check gets back in time.

I look forward to working with all of you during our summer long BIG GIVE and first Paulding County Summer Lunch Program!!

Serving for Him,
Crystal Denman
NorthStar Dallas Community Outreach

---

2) SOULS FOR SOLES – SHOE GIVEAWAY
You will see bins in the worship center to put gently used, discarded shoes that you don’t want. It is hard to believe that there are people who will actually die today that a pair of our discarded shoes would save but the disease that can come from the places people are walking in third world countries is horrible. How would you feel if your child had to walk every day in the dump with no shoes? Some of these shoes will probably go to our neighbors in White or Ringgold as well.

Save one pair to wear on Barefoot Sunday (June 5) when we all take off our shoes and leave barefoot but start bringing in your other shoes this Sunday. This is such a simple way to make a difference, show love and compassion and bring dignity to people who are so much in need.

---

3) TORNADO RELIEF EFFORT
Here is a note from Marsha James (our Missions Director)

Hello,
I am sending you a report of disaster relief that has now begun at NorthStar.

Several of us went today to several churches and community centers today in Flat Rock, Sand Mountain, Trenton and Bryant, Alabama as well as Ringgold and White, Georgia.
The conditions were horrible. Homes were down to the foundations; businesses flattened and destroyed. Buildings painted with symbols of who lived there and how many were alive.
Most in the Sand Mountain area were not insured we were told because it was a choice of food on the table or insurance. They are left with nothing.
YET, there are those with huge hearts helping and loving on people. One piece of wood had scribbled on it: God is good. Another we love God. A sign hung on the steps of a church (the only thing left of the church) If you need help call this number      .

We will be going at least twice a week to help for many weeks. We are meeting at Carl Black at 8:00 this Thursday if you would like to help.

I am putting together a disaster relief trailer and if you have tools or equipment to donate for it, please let me know.
We are looking for donations from businesses as well that can really help in mass. We also need building materials, boxes, square head shovels, heavy rakes ( not leaf rakes)
Builders and roofers that can help would be a huge help.

If interested:
Here are small items we need brought to the church. Please drop them off at True North at the front desk to go to me.
·         cleaners, dishwashing liquid, detergent,
·         Ziploc bags, garbage bags, heavy duty garbage bags or mulch bags
·         Pop tarts, sugar, salt and pepper, flour, jelly, artificial sweetener, canned fruit, fruit cups, saltine crackers
                Little Debbie’s, Beanie Weenies, Tuna, Canned meat, Vienna Sausages
·         Roofing nails with rubber cap on top for nailing tarp paper, batteries, duct tape, large work gloves
·         Shampoo, conditioner, hand soap, lotion, hair brushes, sunscreen, Neosporin, eye drops, chapstick, Q-tips, Peroxide, alcohol
 ·         new pillows, bedding
·         The only clothes they needed were new socks, underwear and men’s jeans and boots.

 I will keep you updated on needs as they come.
Thanks for all you have done already and for the prayers for these people.
In His Hands,
Marsha (Marsha.James@northstarchurch.org)

---

Hope you can find some way to get plugged in!

Brad Parkhurst
Campus Pastor
NorthStar Church, Dallas, GA
www.northstarchurch.org
Twitter: @BradParkhurst, @NSCDallas

NSD UPDATE 5.12.11

Hey everyone – this one will be a tad lengthy, but please peruse to the end.  There is a lot of important info.

THIS SUNDAY
Our first-ever membership class!  The class is coming up this Sunday, May 15, 2011 from 9:30 am - 10:45 am in Room 112, NHEC. We want to be able to share with you what we believe and the direction that we are heading.  It is our basic introductory class that covers the following areas: Our Salvation, Our Statements, Our Strategy and Our Structure. It gives us the opportunity to explain what we believe, how we operate, and the history of NorthStar Church. We will not put any pressure on you to become a member of the NorthStar family, but if you would like to join, we will give you the opportunity to do so at this class. If you have children, they will be fine to stay in their classes during all of the Membership Class as our workers are aware there is a class and are prepared for them to stay on thru the 11:00 service if needed.
To Register: www.northstarchurch.org/firststeps

Sunday afternoon – we’re going to a Rome Braves baseball game!  We will be leaving from the school parking lot at 1:00 in order to caravan out and make a 2:00 game.  So, stick around after the service to help us tear down, then load the fam up and join us for a fun afternoon at a family-friendly ballpark!  Tickets will be $6 at the gate.  Wear your “I Heart” shirts!

SUMMER SCHEDULE
Beginning Sunday, May 29th, we will go to ONE SERVICE at 10:00AM for the summer!  This will give us an opportunity to all worship together, as we continue working toward our move and re-launch at Abney Elementary on August 7th!
Would you consider serving in one of preschool/children/youth or hospitality ministries 2 weeks this summer?  Even if you’re not involved year-round, we’d love some extra hands in those areas!
For more info:
Preschool: Rachel.Adair@northstarchurch.org
Elementary: Jason.Thompson@northstarchurch.org
MS and HS Students: Clay.Davis@northstarchurch.org
Setup and Teardown: Brad.Parkhurst@northstarchurch.org
Hospitality and Parking: Reggie.Abercrombie@tiptoppoultry.com

ANOTHER NSD BABY!
Congrats to Teri and Kayla Durden, who welcomed baby Kalliann on May 5!  Congrats also to big sis Ashlynn and grandparents Scott and Leah Durden!

COMMUNITY MINISTRY:
WOW!!! You did it again!  We collected around 100 packs of underwear, socks, and shirts for Shepherds Rest during our Undie Sunday Big Give!!!!  That is going to go a long way to help the families who are staying at the safe house, many of who showed up with nothing except the clothes on their back and their children’s back!  So THANK YOU for making Undie Sunday such a huge success!

 June 4th-Habitat for Humanity
NorthStar Dallas is helping to sponsor the Paulding County Habitat for Humanity House this year.  Our day to work on the house will be June 4th.  This is going to be an awesome day of service to work side by side other NSD members, others in our community and get to meet the family we are building the house for!  We do have to let them know how many volunteers we will have that day so please let us know ASAP if this is something you and your family (teens and older) would be interested in helping with.

BIG GIVE for May, June, July
We are partnering with MUST Ministries to help them with the first Paulding County Summer Lunch Program.  This wonderful program takes lunches to children in less fortunate areas every week day from the day school is out until the day it starts back in the fall.  So many children rely on school lunches as their only meal of the day so during school vacations many children go with little or nothing to eat.  MUST has had this program in other counties for many years but this is the first year they have extended it out to Paulding County and I am honored to say that they have asked NorthStar Dallas to work with them to help them start this program in Paulding.

NorthStar’s day is going to be on Monday so every Sunday From May 29th-July 31st we are going to be putting together 200 lunches and we really need your help to get it all done!  Here is where the Big Give comes in. Starting this Sunday we will be collecting items each week to make the lunches (list below) and starting May 29th we are also going to need volunteers to help each Sunday during teardown (at 11:00) to put the lunches together.  This is a great opportunity to meet other people from the church and make new friends.  If you are interested in participating whether its every Sunday or a couple of Sundays during the summer please let us know.  NSDCommunity@northstarchurch.org.

MUST has a set menu every week so that the kids get a different lunch and sandwich each day.  Our menu will always be:
-pretzels (individual size or separated in snack baggies)
-juice box or Capri sun (unrefrigerated)
-Brownies with no nuts due to allergies (may bake your own and bring in wrapped individually)
-Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (do not need until May 29th) These need to be made by mixing the peanut butter and jelly together to keep the jelly from making the bread soggy. Also the easiest thing to do after making the sandwiches is to put them in a sandwich bag and then fill the bread sleeve bag up with the bagged sandwiches.  This would be a great project to do Saturday evening as a family J
We are also going to need paper lunch bags each week to put the lunches in.  Feel free to decorate them or have your kids decorate them or add a little note to make them a little more fun for the kids receiving them.

 As always, contact Crystal at NSDCommunity@northstarchurch.org for more info.


See you Sunday!
Brad Parkhurst
Campus Pastor
NorthStar Church, Dallas, GA
www.northstarchurch.org
Twitter: @BradParkhurst, @NSCDallas

Encouraging words for NSD!

What a fun day last Sunday was!  It was so great to all be on the same campus “being NorthStar”!  I have been flooded with such encouragement this week, and I want to pass some of them on to you:

Brad, it was great today at Northstar....where?????....DALLAS! Saw some people who recently decided to come back to Northstar. Very excited about the Dallas campus, and telling everyone about this great new location!

Praying for you and your staff :) May the Fire of the Holy Spirit hover over the church this Sunday and every Sunday following..Amen!! May the blessings of the Lord pour in and I pray that many accept HIM as their LORD AND SAVIOR.... Expanding the Kingdom that's what it's all about..

After crying all the way to church-then having a blast...CJ told his g-parents on the phone "We got a NEW church. Our old church was old so we got a NEW one. It's awesome!!!"

We are both Christians but grew up in very different churches. He in a more modern worship style and myself in a southern baptist establishment. After we became a couple, and more recently after I rededicated my life to Christ, we decided to find a church we both loved. [Someone] had been trying to get us to come to a North Star service but I was dead set against "that" kind of church. I prayed and asked God to open my heart to a different style of worship and after one Sunday at North Star I was sold! Brock and I felt not only welcome, but at home! We attended the 20th and the whole week after I was ready to be back at the Lord's house, more specifically at North Star! So my reason for emailing you is simple, we are ready and willing to come be a part of what is happening at North Star Dallas! After talking and praying we agreed that we not only want to attend, but also give our time and energy! So, we were wondering where we would be most useful! If you could direct us into where we could serve the best, that would be great! We really are excited for what is going to be happening in our own community! Our prayers are already with you guys!

"If I didn't stress it enough. Great job, team. It felt like a real church on the first. And that had nothing to do with the music or video."

Service this morning was great. Look forward to seeing Northstar – Dallas grow.

We've been praying you through this week. The LORD Himself is planting and establishing His faithful servants out in Dallas "for such a time as this"--for the people who live out there right now to have those seeds of truth cast on their soil. You're bringing truth to their backyard! And how amazing to consider that all of this is for THIS time within the eternal Kingdom of our God.  We are praying for your strength, your encouragement, and also for your GREAT JOY in seeing the collision between all of you doing what you can do, and God showing up to do what He alone can do.  So excited!

100 years from now this will all be a distant memory and people will walk up to you in heaven and say thank you for being willing to follow GOD’s lead and starting a church in Dallas. That is where I accepted Christ as my Savior! How awesome will that be!

What an amazing day yesterday was- I could hardly move last evening but the Joy of the day was overwhelming!!!! Glad God did not quit nudging me :) Ok- hitting me over the head!!!  Praying for you and the whole team!!

God's Hand on NSD

What a weekend!  It is so exciting to finally see all the prep work beginning to take shape!  We are so blessed with an outstanding group of volunteers!  Everyone is so hard-working and fun-loving - I can already tell that NSD is going to be a FUN place to be!  I think our TEAM NSD members understand the WHY of what we're doing too.  I think we're beginning to see what planting a NorthStar in our neighborhood will do- give people a safe place and an opportunity to find Christ and bring more meaning to their lives.

I wanted to share some of the cool moments over the last couple of months - many of them financial- that have continued to show that God's hand is on us!

- First, God sent us a staff of winners.  These are people who are pros in their fields  It's wonderful, as the pastor, to be able to relax and know that your staff is highly competent, and will produce a product that we can all be proud of.
- While picking up our kids ministry stage (bought from another church at a very good price), we were GIVEN a speaker cluster that now hangs in TrueNorth, and actually sounds better than what was there!
- God sent us a church member who is beginning a set design company!  He donated all of his time in creating an awesome set for our kids ministry - only paid for materials!
- So much was donated for our preschool area, that we spent around $4500 less than what we had originally projected to outfit the place.
- Our main stage was donated by a church in Warner-Robins.  This happened in response to Daniel Hoover's Facebook post: "Anyone have a stage?"  Saved us around $8,000.
- God continues to provide just the right people at just the right time.  Seems like when we need something done, there is someone there who has just that skill or talent.
- All of our Student Ministry hangout furniture/games/tech was donated by people or other churches.
- A friend who is on staff at another church let us come and dive through their storage unit, and take anything we could use.  We pulled out our gymnasium floor cover, 7 moveable walls (for preschool), 2 great speakers (for children), and several hospitality items.

All this to say, God is in this.  He could have chosen to bless us by allowing all of the money we said we needed to be raised, but then there would have only been that one opportunity to give Him the glory.  Because we were short on the fundraising, we had to get creative and trust Him to get things done. And, this way, He continues to provide over and over.  So much, that we just sit back and say, "What's next?"

What's next is a phenomenal place of worship, grace, and healing.  And it's in our community!

Work hard. Be patient.

I attended a meeting today for young leaders of Georgia churches (love that term, "young").  Craig Groeschel (on video) said "Don't overestimate what God wants to do through you in the short run (and when things don't happen like you think they should right off, you get frustrated), because you just may be underestimating what He wants to do in the long run."

This is a great reminder to me to be patient.  I want so desperately for God to explode NSD right away!  I want to see hundreds of people coming through our doors, and see God changing lives left and right, and we are praying toward that end.  But, more than that, I want what God wants.  I want Him to have complete freedom to do WHATEVER He wants on whatever scale He chooses.  Big or small, I just want to be along for the ride.

We need to work hard, pray harder, and be patient and allow God to do what He wants, when He wants.

Make Room for God

Hi everyone!

38 days remaining til launch!  Who's excited!?!

The devotional is emailed to me every day.  I've been reading it off and on now for about 20 years, and I always get something from it.  Today, this spoke to me directly about NSDallas.  Wanted to share with you...

-/\/\-----------------------------------------------------------------

 \  /  MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST    --     http://www.heartlight.org/

--\/------------------------------------------------------------------

                                                      January 25, 2011

LEAVE ROOM FOR GOD

     But when it pleased God...

     Galatians 1:15

     http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=ga+1:15&sr=1

As workers for God we have to learn to make room for God - to give

God "elbow room." We calculate and estimate, and say that this and

that will happen, and we forget to make room for God to come in as He

chooses. Would we be surprised if God came into our meeting or into

our preaching in a way we had never looked for Him to come? Do not

look for God to come in any particular way, but look for Him. That is

the way to make room for Him. Expect Him to come, but do not expect

Him only in a certain way. However much we may know God, the great

lesson to learn is that at any minute He may break in. We are apt to

over look this element of surprise, yet God never works in any other

way. All of a sudden God meets the life - "When it was the good

pleasure of God. . ."

Keep your life so constant in its contact with God that His

surprising power may break out on the right hand and on the left.

Always be in a state of expectancy, and see that you leave room for

God to come in as He likes.

***With so much ahead of us, it would be really easy to calculate and assume how God will choose to show up.  Let's not do that.  Let's do our due diligence, work hard and pray hard, and let Him bless as He chooses.  He knows better anyway!

Who have you invested in today that will join us on March 6th?

Brad

Jan 24th Update

Hi everyone!  The countdown to the launch of NorthStar Dallas is now just 40 days away!  In these final 40 days, please be praying expectantly that God will do amazing things around and through us!
__________________________________________________________________________________

***There are several events coming up that you need to be aware of:
Feb 13th (all morning) – NSD Meet n Greet (lobby) (Come meet other NSD’ers and chat with our staff)

Feb 19th (9am -12pm) – Setup practice at NHEC (all who can attend)

Feb 20th (9:30 and 11:00) – NSD preview services in Compass
                (all morning) – NSD Meet n Greet (lobby)

Feb 27th (9:30 and 11:00) – NSD preview services at NHEC (full day, but for NorthStar people only)

March 6th – NSD Launch! (9:30 and 11:00)
__________________________________________________________________________________

***We will have invite cards and other promotional material available for you to pick up at the Meet n Greets.  Help us spread the word!
__________________________________________________________________________________

***We need you!  If you have not indicated a place you are willing to serve (or if you haven’t received an email yet), please get in touch ASAP with the leader responsible for that area:

Preschool: rachel.adair@northstarchurch.org
Kids (Elem):  jason.thompson@northstarchurch.org
Students (Middle and High): clay.davis@northstarchurch.org
Worship & Tech: greg.blasche@northstarchurch.org
Hospitality: reggie.abercrombie@tiptoppoultry.com
Setup and Teardown: brad.parkhurst@northstarchurch.org
__________________________________________________________________________________

***I want to pass on a short devotional that was given to me today.  May we never stay in the “baby pool” because we’re scared to take a risk!

Monday January 24th, 2011 – Permalink <http://www.stevenfurtick.com/motivation/dont-drown-in-a-kiddy-pool/>

What if I fail?

That’s one of the most frequent questions I hear when it comes to living a life of risk and audacious faith.

What if it doesn’t work?
What if I take this big step of faith and it doesn’t land?
What if I set a huge goal and I fall short?
What if I take the plunge and drown.

I’m not going to lie to you, it’s possible. Otherwise it wouldn’t be a risk.
I can’t offer you certainty. I can’t tell you that it’s going to work. That your step is going to land. That your goal is going to be met. That you aren’t going to drown in your attempt to launch out in faith.

What I can offer you is the perspective that’s helped me.

Personally, if I’m going to drown, I want to drown in deep water. When taking a risk, if I’m going to go down, and I may, at least I want to be in deep water when I do it.

It’s embarrassing for an adult to drown in a kiddy pool. Or be standing ankle deep in it thinking he’s doing something commendable.

(Resource of the Day: For a related blog post that talks about what gives us the faith to take risks for God, check out Well, What If? <http://www.stevenfurtick.com/motivation/well-what-if/> )

There’s a greater risk than taking a risk and failing. And that’s taking none and failing. And maybe even worse, taking none and succeeding.

The greatest risk you can take in your life is to risk nothing with your life.
To live life in the kiddy pool. To live a safe life.
Because then if you fail, it’s embarrassing.
And if you succeed, it’s insulting to a God who had much bigger things in mind for your life.

Failure is a possibility no matter what you do. So is success.
I just know where I don’t want to be when either one happens…the kiddy pool.

__________________________________________________________________________________
***As usual, I encourage you to:
Join the Facebook group:  http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=147634928608510
Follow the NSD Blog:  http://northstardallas.blogspot.com/

See you soon!
Brad Parkhurst
Campus Pastor
NorthStar Church, Dallas, GA
www.northstarchurch.org
Twitter: @BradParkhurst