New Life Church Weekly Update

August 8, 2025

This Sunday: August 10, 2025

9:15 Traditional Worship, Sanctuary

10:45 Contemporary Worship, Life Center

Message: "How to Let Go"

Scripture: James 4:11-17

Pastor Casey

New this Week:

A Note from Pastor Casey
Children's Ministry - Volunteers Needed
Youth Escape Room
Youth Ministry Update
Night of Champions, August 27

Blood Drive, this Sunday!

The Big Red Bus will be on campus this Sunday, August 10th from 8:30 am until 1:30 pm.

Donors receive:

-Top Handle Drinkware

-$25 eGift Card

-Chick-fil-A Coupon

-Wellness Checkup including blood pressure, pulse, temperature, iron count, and cholesterol screening.

Schedule your appointment HERE.

A Note from Pastor Casey

“Our mission is to offer New Life in Jesus Christ, by Seeking, Shaping, and Sending Disciples.” That’s how our church has articulated our mission for several years.

As I preached through our mission statement back in February, I made the case that we should add one word: support. We studied Acts 2:36-47 and concluded, “The gospel grows in us best when it grows in us together.” The first Christians knew they needed each other if they had any hope of faithfully following Jesus. No going alone. I think our need for Christian community has always been implied in our mission but there’s great value in making it explicit and obvious.

With that in mind, our Leadership Team recently made that change. Our updated mission statement is:

To offer new life in Christ as we seek, support, shape, and send disciples.

I recently had the privilege of spending three weeks with people who want to take their next step of faith with New Life Church. The setting was New Life 101, which is our new member class that I plan to offer at least once a quarter.

I explained that these four actions - seek, support, shape, send - are both our ministry strategy and our discipleship pathway. As a church, all of our ministries should primarily focus on or express one of these four areas. But each individual disciple of Jesus at NLC walks the disciple pathway, seeking, supporting, shaping, and being sent.

Our administrative teams - like the Leadership Team, Finance, Staffing, Building and Grounds - exist to help us all walk this path together. By doing so, we believe God will make us a multigenerational church of more and maturing disciples. Eventually, I want to see four distinct ministry teams coordinating ministries and discipleship, one team for each area. I’ll briefly share more in The Bridge about each of the four over the next four weeks.

Youth Ministry Update

A few days ago, we had the privilege of opening our church facilities for two full days of workshops. These workshops were specifically designed for the older boys from Crossroads Hope Academy who are nearing the age to transition out of their program. They are at a crucial point where they need to learn essential life skills to succeed as they move into the next phase of their lives.

We partnered with Advance the Faith from Naples to host these classes on our campus for these at-risk teens. Please take a moment to read the thank-you note we received this week from the Advance the Faith staff.

"Our team wanted to thank your team at New Life Church for your hospitality and generosity in allowing us to use the church campus to host our first Crossroads Workshop this summer! It was a huge success, and much of this we can credit to having the right kind of venue! The boys especially loved the indoor basketball court!

I wanted to share some praise reports with you! Last weekend, we had 3 boys choose to begin following Christ for the first time, 4 boys ask for an Advance the Faith Coach/Mentor to begin walking with them in navigating their next steps in their faith and entering adulthood. It was an incredible weekend, and our team is so thankful for your help in making it possible!

Thank you, again! Your dedication and faithfulness to ministry and impacting the youth in your community is so evident. Our team will be praying for you and your ministry."

Thank You,

Advance the Faith

To volunteer, contact AJ: aj@newlifeforall.church, 941-639-3842 ext. 110

Today Matters - Music Bingo, August 16

Who wants to have some fun?

Join us for Music Bingo on Saturday, August 16th starting at 4pm.

There will be songs sung, sing-a-longs and so much more. There will be prizes, fun and fellowship! Bring a beverage if you would like, and play along with the music.

Hope to see you there to kick off our fall season with Today Matters Mental Health.

Questions, call the church office or 863-244-6289.

Halloween Outreach Planning

Halloween is a big deal in Punta Gorda. This year promises a big celebration since it falls on a Friday! Given our location, we have a unique opportunity to welcome our neighbors as thousands come to downtown.

But this big of an outreach opportunity is a TEAM EFFORT!

If you're interested in planning this event and being part of this year's Halloween Outreach Team, please contact Pastor Casey casey@newlifeforall.church.

Operation Christmas Child

Operation Christmas Child donations continue August/September with school supplies! Take advantage of Florida’s ‘tax-free days’ from August 1 – 31st! Walmart has great deals and plenty of these items in stock. Items Needed: crayons (24 pack); wide rule notebook paper (spiral or composition books; no three-ring binders!); glue sticks (no liquid glue); nylon stringed backpacks (Dollar Tree); kids school scissors (round tip); colored pencils; wooden or plastic rulers (not larger than 12”); colored markers; ink pens; index cards. Please leave your donations in the Operation Christmas Child box in Lenox Hall. Thank you for your continued support of this mission!

Each week in The Bridge, we’ll be sharing a few Glory on the Go submissions. Keep them coming! It’s such a blessing to celebrate these stories and stay connected throughout the summer.

In addition to sending them to us, consider posting your story on your personal Facebook or Instagram. Be sure to tag the church and include #gloryonthego.

It’s one more way to show how God is moving through New Life Church—on the go!

Laurie Betting

Before I left in May I was in significant pain due to rotator cuff muscle and biceps tendon rupture. The pain was primarily at night as I was too busy during the day to pay attention. Michele Sharp prayed for healing and I am sleeping well and busy trying to be of service to those around me. Praise God.

Mike Rohr

My glory sighting was on my friend’s boat. We just took it out for a spin and were running around the harbor just to exercise the boat. We were over by the west side of the harbor still in the deep part (kinda…) and we decided it was a great spot for a lunch break, so we cut the engine and just gently drifted. It was calm that day with hardly any wind and the waves were minimal.

About halfway through my delicious peanut butter and jelly sandwich, I heard a dolphin “poof” about 50 feet away off the starboard side. Sure enough, one had come to the surface to catch a new breath. That by itself is plenty to make me appreciate God’s beauty, but then, about 3 minutes later, I heard a second “poof” and looked to see the dolphin breaching the surface with her newly born baby across her back for the baby’s first breath. That sight affected me as if God had spoken to me from the clouds. This sighting will stay with me as long as I live.

I had to say a quick prayer for the mom and her new baby and at that point, I KNEW God was in charge.

Bonnie Fowler

Earlier in the month of July during a family reunion in Charleston, S.C., the grandparents among the family, hosted a “Grandkids VBS” each morning before heading to the beach. At the end of the week, three of the grandkids prayed to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior! Glory to God!

A Word from Worship

Greetings New Life Church family and friends,

I must confess that I feel as if I've let the heat be an excuse for feeling sluggish at times which turns into complaints about those little things in life that shouldn't even warrant attention. Thankfully, I am so grateful that God puts something in my path to remind me how blessed we are. Before I had a life filled with prayer, I thought I needed big things

(more money, more attention, etc) to feel satisfied. It's so wonderful to listen to God's word and realize we can look around us and be filled with gratitude for all the things around us. Psalm 90:17 tells us- "Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us." This makes me think that that when I want to complain about a headache, someone I know might be hiding heartache; or when I complain about food, there are many others who have nothing to eat. I am reminded of these things every time I have a bad pain day or someone says something to hurt me or it is just one of those tiresome days - and then they bring my great grandbaby over for a surprise visit and I experience His love in action.

Our prayers can definitely make a difference. Like anything in life I've learned it's important to be sincere and consistent. When I first got serious about prayer I wondered if my prayers would really make a difference. I thought why on earth would God want to talk to me! Our prayers might be awkward at times or what I thought were feeble. How grateful I am that I know that He hears our prayers all the time. Our prayers do make a difference.

A special thank you to each of the volunteers who helped with communion this past week. Please pray this week for the students returning to school and the teachers and staff who have such an important role in their lives.

I'm praying for you!

Rosie Young

Worship Coordinator

rosie@newlifeforall.church

Dates to Remember - Mark your Calendars!

AUGUST

Blood Drive, August 10

Today Matters - Music Bingo, August 16

Hospital Visitation, Prayer Available

We want to know when you are having surgery or are in the hospital! We are available to pray with you before surgery and visit you in the hospital, rehab, etc.

Contact us through email: prayerteam@newlifeforall.church or call/text Pastor Bob, Minister of Pastoral Care (941) 585-9576.

New Life Name Tags

If you would like a name tag (magnetic or pin style), you can request one HERE or by calling Katherine in the church office 941-639-3842 ext 106. Suggested donation, $6 per nametag.