August is typically a quiet and low key time, with people traveling, or having out of town guests, but we are busy discussing new projects and ideas for growth. As Pastor Angela mentioned last Sunday, we are asking for help with our Children and Family ministry. So if you have a heart for children and would like to spend a little time each month rocking a baby or reading to little ones, please let Ms. Becca, me, or Pastor Angela know. We're also looking to expand our Welcoming team for all 3 worship services. If we have more team members, the commitment wouldn't need to be so often. Watch for info about an upcoming training meeting and please let me know if you have questions and/or are interested in being part of this rewarding way to serve.

Do you know that New Life Church has a spot on the radio each week? Greg Raymond, who hosts a radio magazine style talk show on a local station each Tuesday, has graciously invited our various ministry leaders and Pastors to share info on our church. I was blessed to talk on prayer the past two weeks, which I must admit is a direct result of prayer.  I was so quiet and shy and God has led me to not only pray out loud but pray with and for people, lead a weekly prayer group and write an article every week. Who would've thought!?  Please tune in on Tuesday mornings to: I Heart Radio 1580 AM @ 11oclock. Our church segment usually comes on around 11:15. This is a great opportunity for our community to learn about New Life Church, so listen and let your friends know too!

A couple I talked with recently about prayer, challenged me about how I know prayer really helps people when they really don't seem to be healed. I did some research (other than the obvious answers) and discovered an article from two British researchers who reviewed many studies on this subject and cross-referenced the results. One fact the found was people of faith had a life expectancy seven years longer than those who didn't have faith. The following are some of the beneficial outcomes they discovered:

* well-being, happiness, and life satisfaction

* hope and optimism

* higher self-esteem

* greater social support and less loneliness

* lower rates of depression and suicide

* less anxiety, less psychosis and fewer psychotic tendencies

* less delinquency and criminal activity

* greater marital stability and satisfaction

This result was the outcome of analyzing 1600 documents over a nine year period. To put it simply, prayer works!

I mentioned last week that I'd like to share some of your prayer experiences and here is one I received this week:

M.N. wrote to say that she too has learned over many years to rely on God through prayer.  One instance she shared was when her grandson suffered an injury and was hospitalized.  Her son texted and said they wanted to remove his spleen. This prayer warrior Grandma said "no-- he's too young" and said she would pray through the night, which she did. About 4am her son called and reported his numbers were rising and to please continue prayers. By morning, her grandson was out of danger and on the mend. Praise God! She shared this as a reminder of God's grace and how blessed we are to rely on His strength in all situations.  Please consider sharing a prayer experience with us! Sometimes we don't see immediate results like this and might question why our prayers aren't answered. Dr Charles Stanley says we must persevere. I have learned to keep on praying whether I see instant results or not. I realize that the longer I pray for a situation, the closer I feel to God. Believe me, the longer we pray, believe, and expect an outcome of our prayer, we can accomplish so much. We serve an extraordinary God and He makes our prayers powerful, even if we don't see the immediate results we expected. Keep on praying!