From the Pastor – April

I am sitting in my four-windowed office at which time I am enjoying the sun streaming. I love the change of seasons. While you may or may not agree with me, I would have a hard time living in a place where there are no discernible seasons. The buds are just visible. The crocuses are just protruding. Color is returning to God’s creation.

Now while you and I may especially enjoy the seasonal change from winter to spring, I have to admit that I enjoy fall to winter as well. Seasonal change is good. Having said that I want to acknowledge those
who struggle more at the change of seasons.

So whether you enjoy seasonal change like me, or struggle with it like my mother, we all have to admit that God has ordained nature so. In the same way God has ordained the nature of life so. In our church life seasons are changing with: the expected purchase of the Lawrence House for some service mission; the church plant as they move from one to four cell groups and launch their biggest outreach event on Saturday, April 19 (cf. later advertisement:, and the music ministry changes.

Seasonal changes like these bring struggle, sadness and excitement. And, they are part of the way the Creator has made life to be. So let us live them together with the God who promised Noah:

Peace and joy,
Pastor Todd Buurstra

The Messenger April 2008

Click to read North Branch Reformed Church’s monthly newsletter:
The Messenger April 2008

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The Shepherd’s Kids and Young Adult News April 2008

Click to read the latest issue of North Branch Reformed Church’s monthly newsletter for children, teens and college students:
The Shepherd’s Kids and Young Adult News April 2008

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Event Calendar April 2008

Click here to see our scheduled events for April 2008.

Available Advertising Placements in “Traveling Light” Program

Are you looking to reach like-minded individuals with your product or service? Why not advertise in the Program for our upcoming play, “Traveling Light?” It’s inexpensive and you could help make Ignite! Church’s first production a great success!

Simply download this flier (PDF) for available ad sizes, contact information and pricing. The deadline has been extended to Friday, April 4th, 2008.

If you don’t have anything to advertise, perhaps purchase tickets to the play. You could bring a friend or give them away.

Thank you again for your consideration.

Sermon 03/23/2008 – Happy Easter

Jesus? Yes! The Church? No! Acts 10:34-43; Matt.
28:1-6

There you were stopped last night at a Manhattan red light on the way back from a show. Peering through the cab’s window you were taking in the architecture. Look! There’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral! one of you exclaimed. Isn’t it majestic? But wait, what’s going on down front? I don’t know. You heard an angry chant and saw signs wa-ving as the faithful climbed the steps for the Holy Saturday Vigil. Can you read a sign? I can just make one out: Jesus? Yes! The Church No! Whoa! NS What do you think they’re mad about: clergy scandals? DaVinci Code stuff? I don’t know but that’s what I don’t like about organized religion. Yeah, I mean Jesus’ words like forgive your debtors, and his actions to heal, and even the power of his resurrection is wonderful. It’s the church that screws it up with the Crusades, the 100 Year War, or the 10-year war be-tween my Protestant mother and her Catholic son-in-law. Do you believe that last Easter dinner my mother actually asked Andy: So, do crucifix- wearing Catholics believe in the resurrection? Jesus could have appeared and we wouldn’t have noticed for the argument.

Is your story at all like that? Read more

Join Us Saturday April 19 To See “Traveling Light”

Ignite! Church proudly presents:

Traveling Light

A contemporary play of Mark’s Gospel in two acts
by Lawrence G. Enscoe

Date: Saturday, April 19th, 2008

Time: Performance starts at 7:30pm.

Location: Bridgewater-Raritan High School Auditorium

Reserve your seats today. Click here for complete details and order information.

Proceeds to benefit Samaritan Homeless Interim Program (SHIP).

If you can’t attend, could you help by forwarding this to a friend? Thank you.

About Us: Ignite! Church is supported by North Branch Reformed Church. Ignite! is a contemporary church seeking to build meaningful relationships among it’s members and Jesus Christ. Are you in your twenties or thirties and desire a spiritual connection? Do you want to influence change in a broken world? Learn more at Jerseyignite.com

Holy Week Worship

MAUNDY THURSDAY, March 20th:
Worship service at 7:00 PM where we will focus on the beautiful hand of Christ into which we will place our own. Communion will be served.

GOOD FRIDAY, March 21st:
The Sanctuary of NBRC will be open all day for prayer and meditation.

Cross processional starting at 1:15 PM. Please arrange carpools to help you get back as we process behind the cross from NBRC to St. Bernards.

The choirs will present “Song of the Shadows” at 7:30 PM. Let’s walk together for a while in the shadow of the cross. It is not an easy sojourn, but we will not walk alone. As we confront the “dark night of the soul”, we can always find comfort in that wherever there are shadows, there is also light!

EASTER SUNDAY, March 23rd:
Worship services at 9:00 and 10:15 AM. Bring cut flowers to decorate the cross before the service begins.

Sermon 03/16/2008

Cross Orientation
Matthew 21:6-17

If you were Jesus’ campaign manager what advice would you give? After all, things were going really well! You had expertly choreographed his entrance into Jerusalem surrounded by the pilgrim crowds of Passover. News of his healings and prophetic words had spread like wildfire so that people were spreading their cloaks like a red carpet, tearing palms off the trees, waving them feverishly at him while yelling Hosanna in the highest! His poll numbers were in the Obamasphere. I mean the yahoo and msn homepages and the Jerusalem Times all carried a version of the headline: COULD THIS MAN BE THE KING OF THE JEWS?! The historical memory of the event in Matthew 21:10 records the whole city was in an uproar.

How would you have advised Jesus to ride this wave? Read more

From the Pastor – March

Change and decay in all around I see,
O Thou who changest not, abide with me.

I often think of those lines in the classic hymn Abide With Me when I go through change. As a matter of fact, my sister-in-law needlepointed the lyrics from the entire hymn on to a wall hanging with a North Branch looking church steeple in the background. It’s framed and hangs above our television so that we can look at it often.

Change and decay in all around I see. You may feel as destabilized by much change as I feel. Our moorings get lost. We can’t tell if we’re going north or south. To change the metaphor, we don’t know where change’s sweeping wave will eventually wash us ashore.

And the older we get the more that change feels like decay. At 48 I am surprised to find myself a little more skeptical about new things and fonder of the old. Not only that, I become more and more convinced that the new is throwing the baby out with the bathwater! Some of that may be true; a lot of it may simply be the difference between 28, 38, and 48.

O Thou who changest not, abide with me. The greatest stabilizing factor in a world that changes at increasing speed is the abiding presence of the Changeless One. Someone said to me recently, why does the church need to change at all?! Can’t anything stay the same? Yes, God stays the same. While the church may need to change her methods to stay relevant to the culture in order to remain vital, our LORD never changes. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

So the trick in change management is twofold:

1. acknowledge the disorientation that you feel; and
2. find your security in the Changeless One.

I pray that for you and I as we go through the changes in life.

Peace and joy,
Pastor Todd Buurstra

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