Thankful for our Grade School kids!

Thankful for Mount Dora women who study the Word of God!

Thankful for the students of Crew 352

I am thankful for you. The many times we have studied the Word together. . . the lunches at Subway and Chew Chew Express . . . the times we have shared at Gathering 242. . . the variety of ways in which you have invited me to walk through challenging circumstances with you. . . the Helping Hands projects. . . the hugs I receive every Sunday . . . the times of prayer and fellowship and strategy. I am so thankful for these experiences, and for you.Earlier this fall God gave me a dream about you. I dreamt that the back deck of my home was covered with a large number of beautiful potted trees. Each tree was slightly different from the other. Some bore fruit, some beautiful flowers, and some lush, green leaves. Shining upon, around and through every tree was brilliant sunlight. These trees represented each of you. The beauty, variety and fruitfulness of each tree reflected the diversity of backgrounds, gifts and hearts that you have. And I had the privilege of being among you, as the Holy Spirit bathed you in His life-giving Light!

In the month of Thanksgiving, among the many things I am thankful for, you rank right up there at the top. And as 2009 draws to a close and we move into the next year, I KNOW that God has incredible things in store for our Northland Mount Dora family. Mount Adorables, I am thankful for you!

Every Christmas season the City of Mount Dora hosts a beautiful spectacle entitled “Light up Mount Dora”. On Saturday evening November 28th the heart of downtown will be illuminated with over 2,000,000 Christmas lights! This annual event truly enhances the Christmas spirit for those of us who call Lake County our home.

But there is another light that shines in our community, the Light of Jesus Christ. It shines with brilliance through the lives of Northlanders at Mount Dora. One man, a salesman at a local business, touches people time and time again with the light of Jesus. Hundreds of his customers have received encouragement and prayer through this faithful man. Another Northlander lives next to an elderly couple who have difficulty getting out of the house. Each morning she brings their newspaper to their door so they don’t have to walk to the street. A third Northlander is employed in a local business that now buzzes with stories of the work of God in the lives of her clients and co-workers. Another Mount Adorable has such a passion for people to come to Christ that he takes prayer walks in local parks and talks with strangers as the Holy Spirit prompts him to. He has personally led several unbelievers to the Lord in this manner. These are just a few examples of the ways in which Northlanders at Mount Dora are bringing the Light of Christ to their families, neighborhoods and places of work.

How can you be a light in your world? First, nurture your relationship with Christ. Read the Word, pray, confess your sins, and worship Him. Second, ask Him for opportunities to be His light in your world. Third, act when He presents them to you. Visit a sick neighbor. Have lunch with a hurting co-worker. Invite a school buddy to youth group. Help a friend solve a problem. The needs are there and the chances to shine are everywhere. Let there be light, God’s Light, in Lake County, and central Florida, and everywhere that Northlanders gather for worship and service!

Like to know how you can plug in and shine? Check out one of these great ministries where Northlanders are shining the light of Jesus:

Carpenter’s House for Children - Ann South south4@comcast.net or 352-267-3388

Debbie’s Doorstep - Brad and Kelly Verkaik kellyverkaik@mac.com or 352-516-4688

Lake Cares Food Pantry - Bill Chapman bill.chapman@northlandchurch.net or 352-434-4116

Loaves and Fishes of Apopka - Bill Chapman bill.chapman@northlandchurch.net or 352-434-4116

Love Collection Food Drive - Sharlee Hollingsworth shollingsworth2@cfl.rr.com 407-461-6851

An important Parenting Seminar is coming to our area. The International Network of Children’s Ministry and the National Center for Biblical Parenting have teamed up to provide a Start With The Heart Parenting Seminar. This is not your ordinary parenting seminar. 

In one day of high-energy training you’ll learn how simple everyday parenting strategies can actually influence the heart of your child.

Fun, fast, and highly effective, this training will stimulate your thinking, recharge your batteries, and spark your parenting creativity in ways that will change family life dramatically.

Here are the details of the seminar:

Start With The Heart

Presented by Glenn and Melanie Pav

Saturday, October 3

3:00 pm to 7:00 pm

FLEC Gym

1275 Learning Loop

Longwood, FL 32779

A children’s program is provided for children ages 3 to 12 The cost is $10 per adult Register online at www.incm.org or call (407) 869-0680 Sponsored by Apopka Highland, Forest Lake, Markham Woods, Winter Springs, and Altamonte Springs

Go to: http://www.biblicalparenting.org/ to learn more:

Thank you to all of you who participated through time, resources and prayers, making a difference to the children in our community.

Many Blessings,

Debbie Blahnik- Director of Children’s Ministries, Longwood

Christmas 2008 at the Carpenter's House for Children

A very special family lives among Northlanders in Lake County. The 20-member family of The Carpenter’s House consists of Pat and Linda Manfredi, Linda’s parents, and 16 former orphans who today are their sons and daughters. Pat and Linda have been following the Lord’s call to take in orphans for 3 decades. To date they have raised over 140 children who have gone on to adulthood (and some have gone home to be with the Lord).

In the same way that the Manfredis have taken these children to become their own, God has taken us in to become His children. Ephesians 1:5 reveals that “He predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will”. Through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, you and I were taken into God’s house to become His family. And it is His pleasure to do so! What is better in life than to be chosen for love by the Living God??

So we who have been adopted by God into His family are called to serve these 16 orphans, their parents and grandparents. In August a group of Northlanders from the Mount Dora and Longwood Sites convened at the Manfredi home to spruce it up with some fresh paint. They were joined by a contingent from a local building company and in just a few hours they gave the house a bright new interior. They also enjoyed some lunch and some time to connect with one another. There are many ways you can serve the Manfredi family, from household projects to finances to gametime with the kids. If God is tugging at your heart, connect with Ann South, a Northlander and Carpenter’s House volunteer, at south4@comcast.net or 352-267-3388. Come, serve and be encouraged by the Carpenters among us.

Meghan and Beth serve at the Carpenter's House for Children

“Days of Elijah” from Northland Media Design on Vimeo.

Watch it on YouTube here.

“Open The Eyes Of My Heart” from Northland Media Design on Vimeo.

Watch it on YouTube here.

“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-6. Strong words from a strong Savior. Words of power that demand a response. Northland Mount Dora exists so that the unincluded can believe in Jesus and never die and that the included can live out His resurrection power.
Come join us on Wednesday September 9th for The Night of Power. World renowned martial arts expert James Sang Lee will perform feats of power, strength and skill on the Mount Dora stage. Mr. Lee brings a thriving faith in Jesus Christ, a God-given prowess in martial arts, and a powerful testimony of the Love of God in his life. He has served on the stunt cast of many a Hollywood film and has won numerous victories in the world of competitive martial arts. He loves the Lord and longs to use his gifts to bring others to know the One who is “the resurrection and the life”.This is a special youth event (but adults are welcome, too!). If you have a grade, middle or high schooler, you need to bring them to the Night of Power. Invite your friends from other churches. Invite your unchurched friends and their kids. They will be entertained, encouraged and challenged to turn to Christ. Folks from all Northland Worship Sites are welcome.

Who: James Sang Lee
What: The Night of Power
When: September 9th, 2009 from 7 to 9pm
Where: Northland Mount Dora Sanctuary
Why: To include those who are not yet included
Sponsored by: Northland Mount Dora Crew 352 Youth group
Contact: Bill Chapman at bill.chapman@northlandchurch.net or 352-434-4116

The cost is free, childcare is not provided. For more information about James Sang Lee and his martial arts group check out www.JamesSangLee.com and www.fortresshill.us

Come and let God speak to you and the ones you love on The Night of Power

Jesus says if we hold to His teaching, we will know the truth and will be set free. But what is Jesus’ teaching? And how can we be free in the truth? We find this Truth in the Word of God. Christians need to pick up their Bibles each day and allow God to speak. He wants to talk to you; He is just waiting for you to listen. We can’t get free unless we know the truth and hold to it. And we can’t do this alone. Holding to Jesus’ teaching involves studying the Bible in the company of friends. At the Mount Dora Site we have several Wednesday venues where you can dive into the Word with other like-minded believers. Here they are, along with details and leader information.

Crew 352 Middle and High School Youth Group 7-8:45 PM, Fellowship Hall & Sanctuary.
This is an ongoing group for Fun, Worship and Bible teaching.
- Lyndsey Coyle - 352-978-7004 or septemberflash@yahoo.com

Beth Moore Bible study 9 AM-11 AM, Grade School Room. Childcare is provided.
This group begins August 26th.
- Deborah Balic - 407-832-9171 or adam_balic@yahoo.com

Women’s Bible study The Search for Significance 7 PM-9PM, Grade School Room.
This is an ongoing group. No childcare is available.
- Christina Ferrito-Dugan - 352-735-1974 or Marilyn Faber - 352-357-0983

Adult Bible study Have You Met My Friend Jesus? 7PM-8:30PM, Early Childhood Room.
This group meets September 16th through October 7th. No childcare is available.
- Bill Chapman, Minister - 352-434-4116 or bill.chapman@northlandchurch.net

“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-aged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). Come, study this living and active Word of God among your friends at Northland Mount Dora! I’ll see you there.