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Weekend Worship & Classes—Saturday 5:00pm and Sunday 9:00 & 10:30 a.m. at 12522 Main Street, Rogers, MN 55374
Office Hours 9:30 a.m.—5:00 p.m. Tuesday—Friday, (763) 428-5115, www.northridgefellowship.org
March—April 2016
12522 Main Street
Rogers, MN 55374
Sermon Series by Pastor Ben McEachern
February 28-March 6: Great River Family Promise
March 4-6: Women’s Retreat
March 4-6 or 11-13: Weekend to Remember
March 5-20: Easter Basket Collection for CROSS
March 12: Men’s Breakfast
March 12: IMPACT Parent Prayer Night
March 12-13: Nett Lake Trip
March 24: Last Supper Service
March 25: Good Friday Services
March 26-27: Easter Services (see back page for times)
April 2-3: NRF Photo Sessions
April 9: Men’s Breakfast
April 9-10: Hutchcraft Visit
April 10: Connections Café
April 16: Women’s Spring Brunch
April 22-24: IMPACT Retreat
April 30: Saturday Night Supper
Log into our online community via our
website at www.northridgefellowship.org
to see details with times and locations for
these upcoming events.
MARCH – Do You Know Me?
It really is all
about Jesus.
IT is not a his-
torical curiosity.
IT is not reli-
gious fantasy.
Mere curiosity
is not enough,
and fantasies are only wishful thinking. "IT" is knowing
God. "IT" is a personal interaction, conversation, relation-
ship. And “IT” calls for a personal response. This very direct
question from God comes to us in the person of Jesus of
Nazareth: "Do you know me?" Join us as we prepare for
Easter by letting Jesus tell us who he is. And maybe, in the
process, we can meet God.
5/6: I am the Voice of God (John 1:14-18)
12/13: I am the Truth Teller (Matthew 7:21-27)
19/20: I am Your Savior (Romans 3:9-28 (with Isaiah 53))
EASTER SERVICES:
24: I am Your Hope (Luke 22:7-38 (with Isaiah 53))
25: I am Your Redemption (Romans 3:21-26)
26/27: I am the Risen King (Acts 2:14-41)
APRIL - Dawn of a New Day
Today is a brand new day… unless you choose to make it
the same as yesterday. A few years ago there was a movie
called Ground Hog's Day in which the main character re-
lived that one day, over and over, until he got it right. Many
of us are living our own personal "Ground Hog's Day,"
wondering when, or if we’ll ever get it right. Maybe that's
you. If so, the resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the
best news you could ever hear. His resurrection broke the
cycle.
Through faith in
him, we can live a
new life – an eter-
nal life. For those
who receive him,
Jesus really is the
dawn of a brand
new day!
2/3: Living Forgiven (Eph. 4:31-5:2; Romans 12:17-21)
9/10: Living at Peace (1 Peter 5:6-11)
16/17: Living with Hope (La. 3:22-23, Romans 5: 1-5)
23/24: Living with Love (1 John 3:11-24)
Pastors Page, by Ben McEachern, Lead Pastor [email protected], 763-428-5115
Page 2 March /Apr i l News le t te r
The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” Philip,
like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We
have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus
of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael
asked. “Come and see,” said Philip. (John 1:43-46)
I always love that one.
Nathanael’s question about Jesus isn’t really any different than what many of our friends, neighbors, co-
workers and family members might say. We might phrase it differently, but the heart of the question endures
through the ages. “What does your Jesus have to do with me?” Or we all might ask, “How can someone who
lived 2,000 years ago understand my life, let alone have anything for me?”
I also love the way Philip is not intimidated by his friend’s response. “Come and see,” he says. I wish I was as
apt with an answer. He doesn’t get defensive. He doesn’t back down. He just holds out his hand to help his
friend up from the tree he is sitting against (see v. 48) and looks expectantly. The invitation was clear. And it
wasn’t “Go and see.” It was “Come and see.” The difference is the invitation to join him in meeting Jesus. You
see, Philip was still a seeker, still learning, still excited to learn who Jesus was. He was inviting his friend to join
him in a quest of the heart. Philip made the invitation. The rest he left up to Jesus.
This Easter we have a wonderful opportunity to invite people to meet Jesus. I want to encourage us to be like
Philip. Every one of us has people around us we would love to have join us on the journey with Christ.
We also know there are many people in our community who are spiritually curious who may drive by our
church building and say, “NorthRidge, can anything good come from there?” And we want to hold out our
hand and say, “Come and see,” because we believe they will meet Jesus.
Wouldn’t it be cool to do it together? Yes!
In preparation for Easter let me suggest a couple things:
Let us be passionate about our pursuit of the relationship Jesus has offered us.
I will be kicking off a series called “Dawn of a New Day,” in which I will talk about the new life we have through
the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. Then through the month of April I will be talking about living with
forgiveness, faith, hope and love. My prayer and goal is that we will learn to live in greater freedom and enjoy
the “life to the full” Christ promised.
Let’s invite our community to “Come and see.”
Please be in prayer and think of one or two people you would like to invite to share Easter weekend services
with you. Pray for them and ask them to “Come and see.” Also, be a part of our invite to the community at
large. This year we will have yard signs to put up at your home if you so desire, but more importantly, to put
up at strategic intersections around our community over the weekends leading up to Easter. They would need
to be put up on Friday and taken down on Sunday evening. If you are willing to help please watch for the
sign-up. Let’s all join in saying, “Come and see!”
Finally, please be in prayer for the Holy Spirit to work among us so that all who come will meet Jesus in a
personal, life-changing way.
Page 3 March /Apr i l News le t te r
Jesus’ teaching about the vine and the branches
15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit,
while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean
because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by
itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are
the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing, 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. (John 15:1-5, 8)
Using the analogy of a vine, Jesus explained what a true Christian is to be like. Let’s explore the parable a little deeper.
Verse 1—Jesus is the true vine. In scripture, the word “true” is often used to describe what is eternal, heavenly and di-
vine. If we are to truly have joy and eternal life, we must completely depend on Jesus so we can become who God creat-
ed us to be and to make a difference in the earthly world where we live. God as our Father wants our life to be full and
wonderful, producing fruit that shows the love of Jesus.
Verses 2 & 3—A Christian, or believer, is a person who, as a result of being joined to Jesus, produces fruit. Fruit
represents our actions, attitudes and words. Galatians 5:22 tells us that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. We can only produce this fruit if we are connected with
Jesus. If we are truly connected in a personal relationship with Jesus, we are already bearing some fruit. However, God is
not satisfied until we are more like Jesus. So, like the gardener who prunes the vine so it might produce more fruit, God
will work in us, cutting off what is displeasing to him. God desires our spiritual growth. Pruning is not done only once – it
is a constant process. Jesus may use our difficulties to prune us and make us more fruitful. While we may not be happy
about trials, we can rejoice that God makes us more fruitful through them. Pruning is necessary in our spiritual life. God
the Father removes sins and the superfluous things that limit our fruitfulness. The effect is to narrow our focus and
strengthen the quality of our fruit.
Verses 4 & 5—To remain in Jesus we must give up the steering wheel of our life to him and allow the Holy Spirit to
direct our directions and decisions in life. We are essentially doing and living as the Holy Spirit says and the Holy Spirit
will empower us to many incredible things for Jesus. It’s awesome to know that everything we do in the name of Jesus
and by his power will be totally successful and fruitful.
Verse 8 – God is glorified when people come into a right relationship with him and begin to “bear much fruit” in
their lives.
How is God pruning you today and what kind of fruit are you producing for our Father’s glory?
Take a moment to ponder how the Lord may want you to grow today…
Dedicate more time to prayer?
Study or memorize scripture?
Share your faith?
Reach out and care for your neighbor?
Increase in patience for certain family members or friends?
The Gardener is waiting …
Overseer Letter, by Steve Stensrud—[email protected]
Baptism—January 30
Karen Rust, Patty Hoyle and Maggie Borchardt
declared that they wanted to be "all in" with
Christ by committing their lives through believer's baptism.
”For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed
yourselves with Christ.” (Galatians 3:27)
Child Dedication—February 14
The parents of Riley Tisor, Bennett Walker and Lincoln
Dieter formally called upon God’s blessing for their children
and publicly committed to raise them in accordance to
the scripture.
Love God—Worship & Prayer Ministry Andy Schultz, Worship Pastor, 763-428-5115, [email protected]
A Christian, or
believer, is a person
who, as a result of
being joined to Jesus,
produces fruit.
Page 4 March /Apr i l News le t te r
TreasureLand and TreasureCove
The children
were invited to take part in
two activities this winter.
They were asked to color
placemats for Isaiah Con-
nection’s Military Breakfast.
First to third grade children
also helped create the out-
reach communications for
Easter, and the accompany-
ing sermon series, “Dawn of
a New Day.” These amazing
young artists created beauti-
ful drawings of sunrises to depict the promise of a
“new day” we have
in Christ.
The children have
been read ing
through the book of
Acts which will con-
tinue through May.
Our memory verses
are from Acts and
Paul’s letters. The
children will be able to recite these verses to their teachers
April 24, May 1 and May 8. Children who recite at least five
verses may choose a prize from the memory verse store.
Children who recite eight verses will receive two prizes. The
memory verse store will be available during TreasureLand
classes May 15 and 22. TreasureCove children will receive a
prize for reciting one verse for each year they are old.
Children who recite all ten verses will receive a medal on
Celebration Sunday, June 5.
1. John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his
one and only son that whoever believes in him may not per-
ish but have eternal life.
2. Acts 2:38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every
one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of
your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
3. Acts 4:12 Salvation is found in no one else for there is no
other name under heaven given to men by which we must
be saved.
4. Acts 4:32 All the believers were one in heart and mind.
No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own,
but they shared everything they had.
5. Acts 16:31 Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will
be saved.
6. Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of
God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
7. Ephesians 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved,
through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of
God—not by works, so that no one can boast.
8. 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 Be on your guard; stand firm in
the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.
9. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is
a new creation: The old has gone, the new has come!
10. Philippians 2:14 Do everything without grumbling or
arguing.
TreasureQuest
TreasureQuest is a
place for second to
fifth grade children
to invite their friends
to meet Jesus.
We have been staying
warm this winter on
Wednesday evenings en-
joying game time in the
Great Room. Treasure-
Quest children are memo-
rizing the books of the
New Testament this win-
ter.
Vacation Bible School (VBS): June 20—24
For kids age five through fifth grade. Invite your friends!
Love Each Other—Family Ministry (Adult, Youth & Children) Teri McEachern, Family Pastor, 763-428-5115, [email protected]
Hunter Raymond & Hannah Pfeifer
VBS—Save the Date!
June 20—24, 2016
Placemats for Military Breakfast
Creating “new day” sunrises
Page 5 March /Apr i l News le t te r
Beyond the Bacon—January 9
39 men gathered in the worship center for the second edi-
tion of Beyond the Bacon, an extended experience of fel-
lowship, food, and teaching. This edition's topic: Battle
Plan, based on Ephesians 6. During the first half of the
morning, Blair Wenndt encouraged the men to identify
their personal battles, asking themselves the questions
"What am I fighting for?" and "What am I fighting
against?” With that personal battle in mind, Buck Brodin
led the discussion in the second half of the morning on
putting on the armor of God, and formulating a battle
plan. Fred Mades finished up the morning with a personal
testimony on addressing personal battles. Thanks to the
Spirit's work through many that morning, the men were
equipped and encouraged to address and overcome their
own battles. And fed a little bacon.
Men’s Breakfast—February 20
We asked Pastor Ben to share his testimony at the Febru-
ary breakfast since so many of us are recent additions to
NorthRidge Fellowship and know Ben but haven’t heard
his story. We were told a story of God’s faithfulness to a
younger Ben, how He brought Teri into his life and a
unique focus on the way God used different life experienc-
es and particularly believers (the Church), to shape Ben
and eventually the culture of NorthRidge Fellowship.
Thanks for encouraging us as God’s children and in the
high calling of being His church!
The Big Chill—February 20
We celebrated winter on a 45 degree day with our annual
ice fishing day, now called Big Chill since it’s turned into a
bunch of different fun and usually cold activities. Jim Glenn
and Josh Stankey showed up with a couple of snowmo-
biles and put on their own
version of “Park ’n Fly” as
attendees would park their
cars then FLY around the
lake for three hours. Doug
Whittleff put 34 miles on his
four wheeler in a 400 yard
stretch between the boat
access and our fishing spot
giving people rides to and
from their cars. Ron Schulz
showed up with a giant ice
house on wheels, “OUR”
new command center for
ice fishing. It was full of fish
finders, underwater cameras, a full kitchen, a flat screen and
happy ice anglers. Tim and Linda Kreps showed up with
some type of utility vehicle that was loaded with firewood
and gave us a toasty bonfire on ice. Brad Anderson, Joe and
Alex Reshetar, and Jeff Rodeck helped with the ice fishing
set up and getting people on some fish. What’s becoming a
special tradition is the addition of a YWAM group (Christian
young adults from Central and South America) each year
headed up by Lucio and Vanita Berumen that bring tons of
newness and excitement to our day. It’s always a treat to
give these guys a taste of our Minnesota traditions! Last but
not least, just in case anybody was wondering if this was a
Men’s event, Mark Johnson showed up and cooked 12
pounds of bacon for everybody! We took time on the ice to
give God thanks for the awesome day, the volunteers that
make this happen and for His son Jesus and the special way
He works through his body, the Church. aka- US! Check out
the NRF Facebook page for more photos of this event!
Simply Well—January 16
Storyteller: Pam Mertz
Simply Well was an event that took much of the science of
eating well and boiled it down to an hour of information
that can be applied easily. The 52 adults that attended from
NRF and the community learned more about how our bod-
ies use food for energy, and what it needs to operate fully
for Kingdom purposes. Food was sampled and enjoyed as
we learned about efficient, effective fitness/exercise as well
as focusing our thoughts on truth and what is good! Re-
newing our minds is key to understanding God's will for us.
(Romans 12: 1-2)
Chili Cook-off—January 23
The 2016 Chili Cook-off was an-
other success! We packed the
Great Room full of 25 chili entries,
a variety of desserts and side dish-
es, and 140 eaters! The food was
fantastic, the fellowship was fun,
and in the end it was one of our
talented youngsters, 9-year-old
Kelsey W., that took home the top
prize! Great job, Kelsey!
With the success of this year’s event, this is sure to be an
annual tradition that keeps on growing. The bar has been
set pretty high, as there were many wonderful chili entries
ranging from mild to spicy and including various ingredi-
ents such as beef, chicken, turkey, bacon, and venison. Start
thinking about your recipe for next year!
Men’s Ministry Jeff Ekstrand & Paul Jonason
Adult Ministry Gregg Tisor, Adult Minster
Cook-off Winner—Kelsey W.
Congrats to Alex Reshetar who
caught the biggest fish,
a 24-1/2” northern!
Page 6 March /Apr i l News le t te r
Art of Marriage—February 12 & 13
On Valentine’s weekend, 18 married couples attended the
Art of Marriage conference. It was a wonderful time of re-
ceiving practical tools for strengthening a marriage. Each
participant got a chance to listen and learn with their
spouse, as well as participate in some one-on-one
breakout discussions. On Saturday, they got to have an
extended lunch and discussion time as a couple. Lou and
Pam Mertz emceed the conference, interjecting tips and
thoughts that they have implemented into their own mar-
riage. At the end of the conference, the group was given an
opportunity to renew their marriage vows in a brief cere-
mony that was led by Pastor Doug Whittlef.
A big “Thank You” to
Phil and Theresa
Whiteford (and their
amazing kids) for plan-
ning and coordinating
an awesome weekend!
Honduras Mission Trip Reflections
Storyteller: Lelise Miehe
This was my fifth
trip to Honduras
with Isiah Connec-
tion. I have a hard
time explaining
why I keep going
back other than I
don’t have a good
enough reason not
to. Each trip is
unique with differ-
ent highlights. One of my favorite parts of each trip is get-
ting through the airport in Tegucigalpa and being greeted
by the smiles and laughter of Pastor Olman. He loves life
and the work he is doing for the kingdom.
Reconnecting with old friends and meeting new friends is
a great part of any trip. Attending churches of some of
Pastor Olman’s friends is something I look forward to. Each
denomination has a different feel to their service, but we
are all praising the same God. On this trip we were able to
do an outreach clinic at Pastor Edgar’s church. We saw and
prayed for 80 individuals that day. Pastor Edgar was en-
couraged by the turn out. Many of the people seen were
not from his church and for some this was their first expo-
sure to a church.
We had a large group and we were often split up. While
one group was looking for potential buses, the others were
working at the medical
clinics.
On Sunday morning,
one group attended
Pastor Giermo’s church
and later reconnected
with friends. One group
hand mixed and poured concrete at Pastor Raphael’s
church. And another group witnessed 10 baptisms of most-
ly youth from Pastor Olman’s church.
My biggest highlight of this trip was being able to meet
Angel. Angel is the young boy with one leg, and recently
NorthRidge raised money for his surgery. Each time he was
mentioned in a church service, I had a certain image of him
in my head. I imagined him
sitting in his bed all day with-
out a smile and probably with
occasional tears. I am thankful
that God refocused my eyes.
Angel is full of smiles, shy of
girls, and gets around howev-
er he can. I won’t share the
story here, but there was a
moment of fear for Angel
while we were visiting and a short time later he was back to
a cheerful energy-filled child. His smile as well as the mem-
ories of him crawling around and getting around using a
plastic chair as a walker will be the new images I will have of
Angel in my head.
Storyteller: Tim Kreps
Fuente de Vida Church is reaching out to neighboring com-
munities. They are using several small pickups, but many
can't get a ride. Since my visit there in 2011, the church has
really grown and Pastor Olman wanted help with locating a
bus to use to help get people to church. A suitable bus
could not be located there, so we are working on locating a
bus here in the states
and purchasing it for the
church there to use.
In addition to purchas-
ing a bus, I saw a real
opportunity to help
families in the church This bus would enable 75-100
more people to get to church and
hear about Jesus!
Make a Difference—Missions & Benevolent Ministry Dan Monson, Missions Pastor, 763-428-5115, [email protected]
2016 Honduras Team
(cont’d on next page)
who are working to bet-
ter themselves and the
church outreach by
providing some key piec-
es of equipment/tools to
help them in their work.
My prayer is that we as a
body at NRF can be used
to increase the kingdom
impact in San Jeronimo
and surrounding area for
generations to come.
Storyteller: Buck Brodin
This trip to Honduras for me was a reunion, reuniting with
the people and the memories from 2005, when I made the
trip with my daughter, Rachel, and 2011 when I visited with
my son, Eric. To describe the place, the people and God’s
work there is next to impossible; it really must be experi-
enced. This trip was my chance to share those memories
and people with my wife, Judy.
This trip also held a great significance in that it occurred
exactly 2 years after Eric’s death. In 2014, upon hearing of
Eric’s death, the people of Honduras prayed for us and
grieved alongside us. The two weeks Eric spent in Hondu-
ras was life changing for him; this trip gave me the oppor-
tunity to visit places where Eric left his mark on this earth,
the house which was built with money donated in Eric’s
honor, the addition to Pastor Olman’s house where Eric
helped mix and carry cement, and most of all, the people
Eric got to know. I saw the field where Eric played soccer
and visited with the boys he played soccer with. I was en-
couraged by their memo-
ries of Eric, but even
more by hearing about
their own dreams and
aspirations. Thanks to
some really good friends,
we were able to give
away three soccer balls to
people that were signifi-
cant to Eric in Honduras.
What a joy to share and connect in such a loving memori-
al. Even my phone provided a way to connect with the chil-
dren, by playing the traffic jam game that Eric enjoyed.
God used Judy and my story of grief and just our presence
in Honduras to encourage others.
This trip was also a time to build new relationships and to
work beside the Honduran people to meet the needs of
their community. It was exciting to see the growth in the
church and the many lives being reached through their
ministry. The prayers from Pastor Olman and Pastor Edgar
that were offered up for the team after their church ser-
vices were with such power and passion that they generat-
ed life, hope and energy. Personally, this trip wasn’t about
me, but in a sense God used it as a place of healing for me.
Storyteller: Judy Brodin
I participated in two different medical clinics in San Jeroni-
mo and San Antonio de la Cuesta, serving over 200 people,
mainly women and children, through providing basic medi-
cal care and distributing some simple over-the-counter
medications, which are very limited in the community. Each
family was also provided with a hygiene kit, as well as un-
derwear for the women and girls. The medical clinic team
included RNs, a medical resident, nursing students, and in-
terpreters from Honduras, as well as our team members.
Four of our team members spent a
day mixing and pouring concrete
with four of the local men. One
member, who installs tile for a liv-
ing, worked alongside one of the
men in the community and helped
teach him some of his skills as they
repaired a tile floor. They ended up
creating a tile cross in the middle
of Pastor Olman’s living room floor.
I enjoyed meeting many of the
people I had heard about from
those who had been there in the past, as well as developing
some new relationships of my own. This experience in Hon-
duras was significant for me as I watched our group work
side by side with the people there. We weren’t just serving
the people; we were co-laboring together to serve the com-
munity. It was a very powerful experience for me. Part of my
heart remains connected to the people in Honduras, and I
plan on returning there someday soon to continue to build
on the relationships we started.
Page 7 March /Apr i l News le t te r
Collection Needs—March & April
• Chili & Hand Soap
• Beans (all kinds) & Hand Soap/Body wash
CROSS Santa’s Toy Shop 2015
Thanks NorthRidge family for donating over $400 in gift
cards, 75 toys and 40 stocking stuffers to the Toy Shop!
Over 1000 children were loved upon this Christmas
through these donations!
Easter Basket Collection at NorthRidge—March 5-20
Donate a basket in good condition, full or empty; both are
needed, egg dyeing kits, and Easter books and toys.
Soup ‘R Bowl Challenge—Results
With your help, NorthRidge donated 115 cans of soup/
chili to CROSS!
Dave, Pastor Olman, Isaac & Tim
(Isaac is a commercial driver and
has agreed to drive the bus. He
also graduated from Bible school
while were there!)
Travis & Nicole Isaacson
8101 66th Ave N
Brooklyn Park, MN 55428
NONPROFIT
ORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
PERMIT NO. 19
ROGERS, MN 12522 Main Street
Rogers, MN 55374
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Holy Week Services
Thursday, March 24 at 7:00pm— Last Supper Celebration no childcare provided
Friday, March 25 at 5:30 & 7:00pm—Good Friday Service childcare available for birth—5 year olds
Easter Services
Saturday, March 26 at 5:00pm
Sunday, March 27 at
6:30am—Sunrise Service with continental breakfast
8:00, 9:15 & 10:30am
childcare available for TreasureCove for all services, except the sunrise service
Regular TreasureLand classes will be offered at 9:15 and 10:30am
CELEBRATE THE RESURRECTION!
