NLC News April 7 2022

April 7th, 2022
by Mark Isaac

WHAT'S HAPPENING AT NLC

FRIDAY, APRIL 8 - Pie baking in the NLC kitchen. Starts at 8 a.m.

Buy a pie at church before they go to Fresno! $15/each (early afternoon or 6-7 p.m.)

SATURDAY, APRIL 9 - Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Sale. Starts at 9 a.m.

Fresno Pacific University, 1717 S Chestnut Ave., Fresno, CA

SUNDAY, APRIL 10 - PALM SUNDAY WORSHIP

Please bring - Empty Easter baskets, Easter candy, small toys for VBS give-away
8:30 a.m. ONLY ONE CLASS MEETING: "Pray & Go" - Room 112 - Nori Naylor teaching
9:30 a.m. Connecting Point coffee, snacks, and meeting new friends - Dining room
10 a.m. Worship - Gym - Tom Regier speaking about his upcoming trip to Uganda, and our youth ministry leader, Pastor Steve Sandoval, preaching from Luke 19 - "Sit on Me"
10 a.m. NLC Kids/Middle School - Check in at Room 101
5:30 p.m. Young Adult Group - "Lifeline" - NLC Dining Room

TUESDAY, APRIL 12 - Men's Bible Study - 6-7 a.m. - Dining room
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13

6:00 p.m. Worship rehearsal, Gym
6:30 p.m. Prayer Gathering, Room 113

THURSDAY, APRIL 14

10 a.m.-12 p.m. IGNITE THE FLAME VBS
6:30 p.m. CELEBRATE RECOVERY leadership training, Rooms 111, 112
7 p.m. Life Skills, Dining room
7 p.m. Stewardship meeting, Zoom

FRIDAY, APRIL 15 - IGNITE THE FLAME VBS, 10 a.m. - noon
SATURDAY, APRIL 16 - IGNITE THE FLAME VBS, 10 a.m. - noon
EASTER SUNDAY, APRIL 17

6:30 a.m. Dinuba Community Sunrise service, Smith Mountain Cemetery - Bring a chair
8:45 a.m. FREE Community/Family Breakfast, Dining Room
10 a.m. - EASTER worship featuring NLC Kids and IGNITE THE FLAME VBS
10:30 a.m. - NLC Kids dismissed for EASTER EGG HUNT and VBS ACTIVITIES

LINK TO NLC CALENDAR

PLEASE TAKE ACTION

1. Bring items for VBS

2. Register your kids OR Serve at VBS

CLICK TO REGISTER

3. Pray

PRAYER

Remember those who have lost loved ones recently: Jackie Elkins, Pete & Kathy Dougherty, and the family of Annie Enns.
Several people are recovering from recent injuries, surgeries, or illnesses: Steve Bryan, Joyce Braun, Bobby & Suzy Stucky, Carol Enns, and Nori Naylor.
Continue to lift those with ongoing health issues to the Lord: Glen & Peggy Zimmerman, Ruth Serrato, JR Southard, Lois Brittel, Brian Smith, Galen Wiest, Kelly Friesen’s sister-in-law, Dana, and Ron Brown’s sister, Bonnie. Kathy Dougherty was able to sing on the worship team this week, praise the Lord!
Pray for those currently living in health/memory care: Olga Brandt, Chris Holmen, Vicky Barkman, Marilyn Chappell, Rosella Isaak, Luella Unruh and Alice White.
John Warkentin is ministering with Multiply in Uganda. Pray he can charge his hearing aid batteries, and that the rented drone will work and aid their video ministry.
Tom Regier leaves for Uganda on April 18th. Thank the Lord his work permit has been handled.
Continue to pray for peace in Ukraine.
Pray for Multiply workers in Central Asia (G & N), who are helping evacuate and resettle Ukrainians displaced by the war. Central Asian believers are also facing persecution.
Remember Erick Parra who is receiving intensive discipleship at Teen Challenge.
Pray for more adult team members to serve the children in NLC Kids as we rejoice over the growing number of families with children coming to church.
Pray for Ignite the Flame VBS coming during Easter week. Pray for Jessica as she leads, for all the preparations, for teachers and helpers, and that children who come would understand and receive the love God has for them through their Savior, Jesus

4. Give to Support NLC Ministries

Received Last Week (4/3):.............$5,500
Benevolence Fund:..............................$14
Received this year to date: .….$249,370
Budget to Date: …………...….....$264,101
Budget Goal: …………..….... ......$443,008
Needed Weekly: ……….…..….....…$9,221

Grow More Like Jesus

from Pastor Mark

The NLC ministry staff have been doing a devotional together that Cece found on the Youversion Bible app. It's called "7 Prayers to Pray Over Your Work". Regardless of your work status this devotional has been spot-on for anyone at New Life Community. I mean that. Just because it says "work" and you're retired, home-based, or unemployed, this devotional has got some amazing things to say about how we use our time and relate to others.

Let me share from Day 5. It begins with this encouragement: "Pray that the way you love others will stir up believers to love and good works and create curiosity about the gospel in the hearts of those who do not know God yet."

WOW! What a great way to pray every day! Our love for others--the way we actually relate to them in loving ways--is the very way God shows himself to the world. It's the way we prove we are Jesus' followers. It's the way people experience the reality of God's power to reconcile, to give hope, to heal, to know the Truth. The devotional asks of God, "Let my love back up my confidence that You are what they need." Yes, our love for others is a sign of God's presence even for ourselves. The more it grows, the more it reveals our own growing faith in God.

Hebrews 10:24-25 are included in the Bible readings for Day 5 - "Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near." If you're one of the 32% of Christians nationally who attended church before the pandemic and are not attending church today, please come back. You'll experience love from others, your own love will grow, and together we'll help others be ready for Jesus' return.

Luke 10:2 was also included in the Bible readings for Day 5 - "These were his instructions to them: 'The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields'." That's impossible to pray, of course, without also being one of those willing workers. Every week there are new people arriving at NLC, some who are seeking what God has provided through Jesus. The job of harvesters is rather simple: to love. The more we love, the more we grow and the more the body of Christ grows more like him.

New Life Community Vision

We envision our church as a diverse family of faith,
continuously transformed by Jesus Christ,
authentically loving God, each other, and our community.

We Transform Lives Through Jesus

We do it by being:
Relational
Responsive
Welcoming
Hopeful
Prayerful
Joyful
Reconciling