Years ago, author, Kara Powell wrote a book that changed my perspective on ministry with children, youth, and young adults. Her book was called Growing Young, and through research and observation she developed a philosophy to nurture the young people in the congregation. The approach included six steps or features of churches that nurtured young people well, and one of the parts that struck me was a feature called “keychain leadership.”
 
She references the idea that when an adolescent reaches a certain age, they get the keys to the car, the ability to make decisions and drive themselves. We deem them responsible.
 
She made the connection that churches with large groups of Thriving young people are quick to equip them with training and responsibility. Involvement isn’t measured by attendance but by participation and leadership. The church is not in ministry to young people. The church is in ministry with young people, alongside young people as equal and unique members of the body of Christ.
 
I’ve been thinking about this book lately as I reflect on all the wonderful ministries here at Northbrook. I believe our church has been leaning into this model. Reverend Josh has been engaging our youth by giving them more responsibilities and autonomy in creating their own ministry programming. Our children are being equipped to own their faith through the ministry of godly play. Our young adult Bible study is growing and taking ownership of their group. Moreover, I recently led a prayer workshop specifically designed for children who could not yet read fluently. This incident in particular inspired four-year-old Grayson to lead the Lord’s prayer in worship.
 
I’m grateful for the parents who have been eager to mentor their children in leading worship. We have had young people serve as greeters, acolytes, readers, crucifers, liturgists, and in prayer.
 
​Our families are also eager to mentor their children in serving others. Consider the charity work done through Trinity Table, Family Promise and with Starhouse Ministries during VBS. 
 
I believe we need to challenge the misconception that children, youth, and young adults are the future of the church. Jesus reminds us that children are the model for wholehearted faith. Young people are called and equipped for ministry in more significant ways in the church community than any other place in our society. 
 
Young people are not our future; they are our present. They are God’s gift of unique and humble leadership. 
 
Church, please continue to pray with me for the young leaders in our congregation as we remember that, even Jesus’s ministry began when he was just a small child. 
 
Warmly in Christ, 
 
Kena

Herzen and I recently returned from a trip to the Philippines. Most of his family are now United States citizens, having immigrated through his parents’ sponsorship. So, when we travel there, it’s not to visit relatives. Rather, we typically go to preach, to help with a mission, or to learn from our Methodist partners in a place where the church is growing and thriving.

This time, though, we had no professional responsibilities. We went to attend a wedding. In other words, we spent thousands of dollars, flew over 7,000 miles, and traveled for 30 hours one-way to attend an hour-long wedding!

Why? Because of friendship. Our friends’ daughter was getting married, and we had been asked to be the couple’s “sponsors.”

In Filipino wedding tradition, sponsors act as godparents to the couple getting married. The sponsors are practicing Christians who the couple respect and to whom they feel they can look to for guidance in life and marriage. It’s an honor to be asked to be a sponsor. In fact, it’s such an important role that sponsors are considered part of the family.

The day after the wedding, as Herzen and I headed to the airport to fly home, we were on the phone with our friends, the bride’s parents, Glenn and Gem. As we were hanging up, they addressed Herzen and me as “kumpare” and “kumare.” I was touched by the change in address because it indicated a change in relationship, that we are family now, co-parents, if you will, to their daughter and son-in-law.

When a baby or a child is baptized at Northbrook, all members of the church become “kumpare” and “kumare” to the child. We promise to take on the role of godparents and help the parents nurture the child in the Christian faith. Through baptism we are bound together, by the power of the Holy Spirit, as a family with the child and his or her parents.

Bill Gaither wrote these lyrics to a song entitled “The Family of God”:
 I’m so glad I’m a part of the Family of God;
             I’ve been washed in the fountain, cleansed by His blood!
            Joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod,
            for I’m part of the family, the Family of God.

My dear brothers and sisters, it is an honor to be family, and like all family, being a part of one entails benefits as well as responsibilities.

Thank you for being a family that welcomes newcomers, nurtures and cares for one another, and celebrates and supports one another through the ups and downs of life and our journey in faith.
​
We may not be a perfect family, but we are a loving one because we have been formed and are being shaped by the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Thank God for the blessing of being part of the family of God!
 
See you Sunday where the family gathers every week!
​
Jennie

Young eagles learn to fly from their parents and by practicing near their nest. One of the ways they practice is by spreading their wings and jumping to a nearby branch. Before any attempt is made to take flight, the mother eagle has some surprising and unexpected lessons for the young birds. Remember that the young eagles have been in their nest since they hatched, depending upon the mother for survival. When the mother feels that they are ready to advance, she will begin her training.

When it's the right time, the mother begins to remove the comfort layers from the nest, exposing holes and sticks. She doesn't do it to hurt them, but to prepare them for their destiny. And now the kids are uncomfortable, what does she do next? She throws the eaglets one by one out of the nest repeatedly until they learn to fly. Out of fear the baby birds jump back into the nest. The mother doesn't yield and continues to toss them out of the nest. To others this may seem cruel and heartless, but goodness will prevail. The young birds must make a decision. It learns to fly or hit the ground. I can assure you the mother is watching each bird carefully and will swoop down and rescue the little ones from danger. The process is repeated until eventually the young eaglets start flapping their wings, getting stronger and stronger with each flap. Away it goes into the air flying higher and higher, rising above discomfort and its challenges.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:2-4.
​
The young eaglets faced discomfort, danger, and decisions had to be made. We as Christians face the same in our daily lives. As the baby eaglets have their mother, we have Jesus. It might seem harsh but as the eagle trains its young, the Lord also trains us. Remember that Jesus died on a cross, not a cushion. We as people love the comfortable things in life, but there are times when we must step out of our comfort zone. Let’s make that decision today and learn to fly for God knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope. See you all in flight my friends!
 
In Christ,
​
Jerome Young

​Greetings!

My life has been filled with joy, anticipation, disappointment, fulfillment, and adventure for over six decades. I am a proud native of Atlanta, a Grady baby. I grew up on the westside and was educated in Atlanta Public Schools (APS). It has taken me many twists and turns in life to find out who I really am. But no matter where life has taken me, I have found that I am resilient—strong like the palm tree.

During the early season of my life, I would go into a secret place (within myself) to survive. I was very anxious, insecure, and introverted because of the alcoholism and domestic violence that plagued my family life. This secret place was created for me by God before I really knew him—the secret place helped me to thrive and mature. After attending church as a youth, I found the Lord for myself at the age of 30 years old. That was the best decision I have ever made—it was life-changing.

My father, the source of my childhood distress, was the person who urged me to seek the Lord many years later. By this time, he also had given his life to Christ--I am grateful for his wisdom. I also must pay homage to my mother who was my hero and source of strength. She made so many sacrifices and prayed so many prayers for me and my brothers. Without her influence, I would not be the person I am today. I strive to be my best self to honor my heritage and parents’ legacy.

My journey, past and present, has included reaching educational goals, marriage, children, a career, serving my parents and community, enjoying my grandchildren, divorce, and striving to be my authentic self. I retired from one career in 2019 only to start another. Each day in my life is an adventure and I’m still trying to “get it right” through lifelong learning in the areas of health and wellness, my spiritual walk, and lifestyle enrichment.
​
So, as I begin a new chapter, as office manager, with Northbrook UMC, the Lord is blessing me with another opportunity to serve the church and community. I pray that my presence will enhance the lives of all that I touch. I already feel the love from each person I have met. Together we will fulfill the Great Commission—to go into the world and make disciples of all nations in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Come go with me as I continue this amazing journey.

Your sister in Christ,

Phyllis Baskin

This is my last log as a member of the Northbrook staff. It has been my honor to be of service to this church and its wonderful congregation.

When Rev. Laurie Moeller asked me to apply, I was hesitant. It was an hour’s drive from where I lived at the time and I knew little about Roswell and nothing about this church. It was immediately evident that Northbrook was a warm and welcoming place. So many people came by to just say hello and offer their support. The staff were kind and helpful. I knew I was in the right place.

My role as Financial Administrator had a steep learning curve. The first few months were a blur of new terms, procedures, names, and traditions. Wade Starling, my predecessor, was so patient and willing to answer my questions. His trust and belief in me were fundamental to my success.

I was struck by the tremendous generosity of the congregation both in time and money. Love Serve, Esther Jackson, Trinity Table, Habitat for Humanity, Altar Rail, and the Emergency Assistance Fund reached out to the least, the last and the lost near and far. Northbrook understands what it means to be Jesus to the world. I quickly realized that this was not only where I worked, but this was a faith community I wanted to join. You have celebrated happy times with me, prayed for me and my family during challenging times and always been a source of joy in my life.

The last four years have been rewarding and fulfilling, but it’s time to move on. I will still be active in the church and will keep you informed about what I’m doing. I might surprise you. The finance office will be in the capable hands of Lori Fain. She is a kind, talented and efficient person who will serve Northbrook well. Please stop by and say hello, her door is always open.

There is a song by Drew Holcomb that expresses how I feel about Northbrook UMC. These lyrics say it best:

You gotta find your people
The ones that make you feel alright
The ones you want to stay up with all night
The ones that make you feel whole
​The ones that don’t let you lose your soul
You gotta find your people
The ones that understand you
The ones that lend a hand to you
When you’re together you got nothing to prove
When you’re together you got nothing to lose
You gotta find your people, then you’ll find yourself

Northbrook, you are my people and I thank God that we found each other.

Peace and blessings.
​
Sara Armstrong

Greetings!
​
While many of you were here at home, packing away your Christmas trees and lights, members of the Northbrook UMC Chancel Choir and friends were strolling the historic streets of Munich, Salzburg, and Vienna! We shopped at the Christkindl Markets where they served warm pretzels and mulled wine, and drove through the countryside to Neuschwanstein castle where the farmland was blanketed in the whitest snow I’ve ever seen. We got our fill of pork knuckle and dumplings and enjoyed good German potato salad. Oh, and while we were there, we sang!!  

We were honored to perform in some of the most amazing cathedrals in Germany and Austria! Some of the highlights included singing for Mass at St. Michael’s Jesuit Church in Munich, the Salzburg Dom where Mozart was baptized, Melk Abbey, the Palace Chapel at Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna, and St. Michael Basilica in Mondsee where Maria and Georg von Trapp’s wedding was filmed in The Sound of Music.  

Anyone who has traveled abroad knows the benefits and this trip was no exception. The people in our group were able to mix and mingle as they shared meals with one another. I enjoyed seeing the younger folks mesh with the older ones and those relationships will only continue to grow here at home. There was a lot of fun and laughter, but it never took long to see the reverence and sincerity in the faces of the singers when they gathered to sing.

Representing Northbrook UMC by sharing music that conveys the love of God was certainly a unique ministry opportunity. Quite often, the ancient wooden pews were filled with tourists as well as locals who either made plans to attend or simply took a quick rest to hear choral music in a great acoustical space. I continue to be in awe at the power of sacred music to captivate people from all over the world.  

To those of you who contributed to our trip through your financial gifts and prayers, know that we are humbled and extremely grateful. 2025 has just begun and we have a lot of powerful music awaiting Northbrook in the months to come!  
With Joy,
Chad

One of my first years at Northbrook, in worship one day, I was sitting in the back pew and my attention kept being drawn to whispering. Someone was talking constantly. My eyes began searching for the whisperer and landed pretty quickly on a man and wife that I knew. It’s important to note that Spanish was their first and main language. And there they sat with the husband translating every word of the service into Spanish for his precious wife – creeds, announcements, prayers, scripture, and the sermon in its entirety. They were lovingly leaning into one another and he whispered the whole service to her in Spanish. 

It was one of the more beautiful things I’ve ever seen happen in our Sanctuary. He took what was literally a foreign language and translated it so she could understand it. He did it with love and patience, making sure that this person he cared for so deeply was able to understand God and our worship of Him.

It got me thinking that THAT is the crux of what we are called to do as Christians. We are supposed to take this Word of God that is complicated and so difficult to understand and translate it to those God cares for so deeply. We are to take this language that is foreign to so many and lovingly lean into one another and help them understand. We are to tell them through words, example, actions, and our treatment of others that they are valued by God, they are loved beyond their imagination, and there is so much power and wonder to be found in our Lord. WE are called to translate God to those who find God foreign and difficult to understand.

And as parents, we are called to do this same work for our children. We are to take the lessons of God that seem complicated or hard and show them daily life lived with God’s love, joy, understanding, compassion, forgiveness, and service. We are to show them the love of the Father through OUR love as their parents. We are to be the translators of God into the hearts of our children, our Mom friends, our work friends, random people in the park who are struggling, and even the person in your life who you do NOT “get” as a person (haha). 

It won’t be done by yelling the “right way” at them. It won’t be done by enumerating all the ways we think they are wrong, using this difficult Word as our proof. It won’t be done by sharing the things we already know with people who already know them.  

It will be done by lovingly leaning into people and remembering that they are the ones God cares for so deeply – even if they are different, even if they find God to be ridiculously difficult to understand, even if they are difficult to understand. Lean in lovingly and translate His love.

May it be so,

Leslie Bowers
​Director of Worship Arts

January 17, 2025

On January 20th, we recognize the birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It has become a tradition in The United Methodist Church that on the Sunday before, we sing the song "Lift Every Voice and Sing," written by James Weldon Johnson. Mr. Weldon was the principal of the Edwin M. Stanton School in Jacksonville, Florida, and a member of Zion Episcopal Methodist Church. He originally set out to write a poem for Abraham Lincoln’s birthday.

But with the civil rights struggles of the time weighing heavily on his mind, he shifted focus to create a poem that captured the experiences and resilience of African Americans after Reconstruction, especially with the rise of Jim Crow laws in the South. In 1900, a group of 500 students recited what became "Lift Every Voice and Sing" for the very first time. Later, his brother, J. Rosamond Johnson, set the powerful words to music, giving the poem a lasting and inspiring melody.

Not long after, the Johnson brothers moved to New York City to pursue a career on Broadway. The song continued to spread in popularity across Jacksonville and across the country. In 1919, the NAACP dubbed "Lift Every Voice and Sing" the "Negro national anthem", for its power in voicing a cry for liberation and affirmation for African American people. James Weldon Johnson would be appointed to serve as the NAACP's first executive secretary the following year. It has similarly been referred to as "the Black national anthem."

This hymn has made its way through many avenues of our society. Parts of this hymn were used at President Obama's Inauguration in 2009, and Beyoncé even performed the hymn at Coachella in 2018. The song has been performed by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and at the NFL Super Bowl.

"Lift Every Voice and Sing" is indeed a powerful hymn. It is perhaps the closest that the modern voice has come to capturing the spiritual character of exilic Hebrew scripture. The song is more like Isiah than anything I've ever read. It's more like an original Psalm than anything I've ever sung. Wendell Whalum, the late choral director at Atlanta’s Morehouse College, often spoke of the progression of the three stanzas as that of praise, lament, and prayer.

The poem's mood moves from exuberant joy based on a past wrought with suffering. The text then recounts a past full of terrible hardship and bloody progress to arrive at God's promise. Finally, the song celebrates God's deliverance and assures that God will keep his people on the right path. All this is sung to a tune more likely played by a high school marching band.

The final stanza is often called a prayer in the African-American community. This prayer culminates with the petitions, "Keep us forever in the path, we pray," and "May we forever stand true to our God, true to our native land."

Dr. James Abbington, Associate Professor of Music and Worship at Emory University's Candler School of Theology, Atlanta, Georgia, and a scholar in African American hymnody, has said, "This song isn't just for African-Americans and people from Africa, it belongs to all of us who are 'true to our God and true to our Native land.'"

With music matching the spirit of the inspiring lyrics, the result is a powerful hymn for all Americans, forged in the fires of the struggle for freedom and refined in the flames of hope. On the occasion when we celebrate Dr. King, I think this hymn reminds us that the struggle for social and racial justice is not just a civic duty; it is a spiritual struggle close to the heart of God, who loves all God's children. 

See you Sunday!
Kena

Rev. Kena Newkirk
Associate Pastor

 Lift Every Voice and Sing 

Lift every voice and sing,
'Til earth and heaven ring,
Ring with the harmonies of Liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise
High as the listening skies,
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,
Let us march on 'til victory is won.

Stony the road we trod,
Bitter the chastening rod,
Felt in the days when hope unborn had died;
Yet with a steady beat,
Have not our weary feet
Come to the place For which our fathers died.
We have come, over a way that with tears has been watered,
We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered,
Out from the gloomy past,
'Til now we stand at last
Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.

God of our weary years,
God of our silent tears,
Thou who has brought us thus far on the way;
Thou who has by Thy might
Led us into the light,
Keep us forever in the path, we pray
Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee,
Lest our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee;
Shadowed beneath Thy hand,
May we forever stand,
True to our God,
True to our native land.