New Life Church Weekly Update

December 26, 2025

This Sunday: December 28, 2025
One Service

10:00 Family Worship, Life Center

Message: "Everyday Hope"

Scripture: Luke 2:21-35

Pastor Jorge Acevedo

New this Week:

Love Offering, Thank you
Theater Ministry Meeting, January 11
Thank you Barbara and Bob Vierday
Thank you, from Port Charlotte Sunrise Kiwanis
Dubin Center Memory Screenings, January 13/22
2026 Bible Reading Plan
2026 Apostles Build
Wednesday Night Bible Study

Thank you, Barbara & Bob Vierday

A very special thanks to Barbara and Bob Vierday for their skills and talents in hand-making the new drapes on the doors in Lenox Hall!

Thank you from the Port Charlotte Sunrise Kiwanis - Shoes for Kids

Dear friends,

Your generosity and heart for those who need the basic needs - like shoes - has our sincere appreciation and gratitude. We wish you many blessings. Enjoy this sweet treat on behalf of the thousands of kids you have touched over the years.

Port Charlotte Sunrise Kiwanis

(The giant cookie delivery for the church office was VERY yummy!)

Apostles Build 2026

New Life Church is one of 10 churches working with Habitat for Humanity to build a home in Port Charlotte. Our commitment is to provide volunteers and to raise $5,000 to help with costs. On Sunday, January 4th and 11th, please stop by between services at our table by Lenox Hall and write a blessing on 2x4s which will be used for the interior walls. New life Church volunteers will be working on the home Saturday, January17th . Donations are welcome. Please indicate ‘Apostles Build’ on your offering. For more information, email Wayne Sharp at sharpww@me.com.

Making Room for More!

Introducing Our New 8 AM Classic Service

We are excited to announce the launch of a new 8 AM Classic Service! The 9:15 service can get quite tight during the busy snowbird season. This extra service will help create more space for more people in our historic sanctuary. The 8 AM service will run seasonally, from January through March.

What to Expect:

Style and Culture: This will be a laid-back traditional service. Donuts and coffee will be available after the service in Lenox Hall.

Music: We will be singing straight from the hymnal.

Time: The service will be shorter but feature a full sermon.

Note for Families: Please be aware that no childcare or programming will be offered for the 8 AM service.

We look forward to worshiping with you in the New Year!

Are you new to New Life Church?

Pastor Casey would love to meet you!

Pizza with the Pastor, a casual lunch and time for conversation, will be held right after the 10:45 service (12pm) on the first Sunday of each month in Room 9. Childcare is available upon request.

The deadline to register is Wednesday, Dec. 31. Sign up HERE!

GriefShare, begins January 6

Help and encouragement after the death of a loved one.

Tuesdays 6:30 – 8:30 pm or Wednesdays 10:00 am – Noon in Room 13

A GriefShare support group is a safe, welcoming place where people understand the difficult emotions of grief. At this 13-week group, you’ll receive valuable guidance and tips, leading you to relief, comfort, and piece of mind.

For more information or to sign up, please contact: Melodie Austin, 941-661-0842 or email melharryaustin@yahoo.com

Cancer Support Group, January 7

The Cancer Support Group will meet on Wednesday, January 7th at 6:30 in Room

9. Our guest speaker will be Dr. Ivor Percent from Florida Cancer Specialists in

Port Charlotte. Dr. Percent will talk about the latest clinical trials as well as answer

questions that the group has.

The Cancer Support Group is open to all patients, survivors, and caregivers. We are open to the community. If you have friends on a Cancer Journey, please invite them to join us. We welcome all new members. Our goal is to bring “Hope for Your Journey: Coping with Cancer Through Faith.”

Men's Breakfast, January 10

8 am, Lenox Hall

All men are invited to join us for breakfast the 2nd Saturday of each month in Lenox Hall. Bring a friend! A continental breakfast is provided.

RSVP by Friday, the week of the breakfast, to Wayne Sharp: sharpww@me.com.

Theater Ministry Meeting, January 11

If you have been interested in the Theater Ministry, or just want to learn more, you're invited to our meeting on Sunday, January 11 at 1 pm in Lenox Hall. ALL are welcome!!

Intentional Christian Grandparenting, January 12

“Unleashing the Power of the Blessing”

Monday, January 12, 1:30-3:00 pm, in Room 9

For our monthly meeting in January, the Intentional Christian Grandparenting group will explore the power of the spoken and written “blessing.” We will learn the importance of the Biblical blessing—a timeless gift that imparts five foundational elements, with the power to nurture self-worth and emotional well-being in our children and grandchildren of all ages.

Participants will view the video, “Unleashing the Power of Spoken Blessing” and discuss the five key elements of the blessing as presented in the book, The Blessing, Giving the Gift of Unconditional Love and Acceptance, by Dr. John Trent, Gary Smalley, and Kari Trent Stageberg. Afterwards, the group will discuss ideas for preparing and giving a blessing to our grandchildren for Valentine’s Day. It could become a life-changing gift.

Join us Monday, January 12, 1:30-3:00 pm in Room 9.

Contact: grandparentingmatters@newlifeforall.church for more details or to register.

Dubin Center Memory Screenings

Beginning to experience memory loss can become a stressful and uncertain time. When an individual starts to experience memory loss and other forms of cognitive decline, it can be a stressful and uncertain time for everyone, from the patient to their family, friends, and caretakers. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is a brief, 30-question test that helps healthcare professionals detect mild cognitive impairment (MCI) very early on.

The Dubin Center will be on our campus to provide this baseline assessment for free on Tuesday, January 13th and Thursday, January 22nd. You will receive a copy of the results which you may share with your healthcare professional. The test only takes about 15 minutes to administer and is free for everyone.

SAVE THE DATE! January 19, 2026

We are looking forward to a very special event in the new year, the Astralis Chamber Ensemble! They will perform a free concert in the sanctuary on Monday, January 19 at 4pm. We are in need of families to host the musicians for one night (1/19/26) - 2 females and 1 male, with a meal provided.

Interested in being a host family?

Please contact: MaryBeth Khamis, marybeth@newlifeforall.church

January Study Opportunities

2026 Bible Reading Plan

Read the entire Bible or just the New Testament in 2026!

This special Bible reading system allows you to read the entire Bible (or just the New Testament) in one year while only reading five times a week. Five readings a week gives room to catch up or take a day off to focus on other Bible reading or spiritual disciplines, and makes daily Bible reading practical and do-able.

Additional Resources:

How to Stay with Bible Reading for a Year

Large Print Reading Plan

Wednesday Morning Bible Study

Facilitated by Pastor Earl Smith

Wednesdays 10 – 11:30 am, Lenox Hall

In keeping with a tradition that started when he retired ten years ago, Pastor Earl will once again lead a Wednesday morning Bible study during the winter and spring months. The class meets each Wednesday from 10 – 11:30 am. It will meet in Lenox Hall. Classes will begin on January 7. Just come when you can. There is no need to sign up. Everyone is welcome. He seeks to structure the class so that you will feel uniquely involved even if you miss sessions.

This year he wants to introduce us to the writings of Rev. N. T. Wright. His bio follows: N. T. Wright or Tom Wright, is a British New Testament scholar, Pauline theologian and Anglican bishop. He was the bishop of Durham and Lord Spiritual in the UK Parliament from 2003 to 2010. He then became research professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at St Mary's College in the University of St Andrews in Scotland until 2019, when he became a senior research fellow at Wycliffe Hall at the University of Oxford.

Wright writes about theology and Christian life and the relationship between them. He advocates a biblical re-evaluation of theological matters such as justification, women's ordination, and popular Christian views about life after death. The author of over seventy books, Wright is highly regarded in academic and theological circles for his "Christian Origins and the Question of God" series. The third volume, The Resurrection of the Son of God, is considered by many clergy and theologians to be a seminal Christian work on the resurrection of Jesus.

Wednesday Night Bible Study

Facilitated by Larry Keller

Wednesdays, 6:30 - 8:00 pm, Room 13
Zoom link available, email: keller657b@gmail.com

You're invited to join us on January 7th as we begin a study of the Book of Acts. Whether you can be there in person or prefer to join via Zoom, we'd love to have you. For the best prices on the study guide, check out Amazon. Hope to see you there!

Thursday Morning Women's Bible Study

HEAVEN by Jennifer Rothschild

January 15 - February 26, 2026

Thursdays 9:30 -11:00 AM, Life Center

Cost: $20.00 (scholarships available)

Join us and discover the subject of heaven through a biblical perspective. As you walk through this study, you'll not only gain a deeper understanding of what God has prepared for His children, but also learn how to live with confidence today as you look forward to the glorious unending that awaits. Don’t just wonder about Heaven -- embrace it with a faith that turns anticipation into excitement and peace.

If you have any questions contact Debbie Spahn, debraaspahn@yahoo.com or 772-708-6355.

New Life Facility Scheduling Process

Joey DePetro, Facilities Manager

joey@newlifeforall.church, 941-639-3842 ext. 108

As our church and campus activities grow, we are implementing a facility usage procedure. All non-staff events must follow these steps to secure a space. Compliance is required for approval.

Here's how to book:

Provide at least TWO WEEKS notice. Requests with less than 14 days will not be approved.
Contact me (Joey DePetro, Facilities Manager) directly. Reservations must go through me only. Email: joey@newlifeforall.church, Cell/text: 941-681-6718, In person: Room 6 in the Life Center, Monday-Friday 6 am - 2 pm
I will review the master calendar and (if needed) confirm availability of custodians and A/V technicians.
If your event requires custodial service, a building-use fee, or an A/V technician, payment is due ONE WEEK before the event.
Complete the Facility Usage Form and schedule a meeting with me. We need to discuss key details (such as insurance and setup requirements). The reservation is tentative until the form is submitted and the meeting occurs-no final approval without this.

If these steps are not followed, the reservation will be released, and we will be unable to

host the event. This process ensures our facilities are properly managed and events run as planned.

Please reach out with questions. Let's work together to keep things organized!

Facility Usage Form

Your Giving Makes a Difference

Denise Holcomb, Finance Manager

denise@newlifeforall.church

Charitable IRA Contributions

Are you 70 ½ or older? Are you taking required minimum distributions from an IRA?

Did you know that you can make contributions or special gifts to the church through this

distribution process, and you will not pay Income Tax for funds directed to the church.

If you are interested, contact your financial advisor or IRA custodian and ask about

Qualified Charitable Distribution.

Deadline for Contributions

Thank you for being such a generous church throughout the year! As we approach the

end of the year, to ensure that your financial donations to New Life in Christ Church are

included in your 2025 Contribution Statement, they must be received in the Finance

Office by noon on Monday, December 29th. Thank you for being so faithful.

Bridge and Communication Requests

Katherine Warden, Communications Director

katherine@newlifeforall.church

If you have made it this far in the Bridge this week, you have realized that New Life Church is BUSY!!! Many events, groups, celebrations, ministries... and in the new year, we will add even more ways to connect and grow together. With that in mind, I am in the process of building a stronger structure for receiving information.

To have your announcement included in The Bridge, please email it to me no later than 10 business days before publication. The Bridge email is sent on Friday mornings at 10 am. Due to the volume of information each week in the Bridge, I can only guarantee that it will run for 2 consecutive weeks. All submissions may be edited for space and content, and inclusion is at the discretion of the Communication Director and Pastor. All past issues of the Bridge are archived and available on our website here.

For items needing more than a short note in the Bridge, you will need to fill out a Communication Request Form. I have physical copies of the form in the church office, or you can download and print the form by using the link below. If you have Acrobat Reader, you can also fill it out online, download and print, then email to me.

Feel free to reach out with any questions about communication, anytime! I strive to do my very best to get the word out to our church family and community regarding all the ways to connect at New Life Church.

Communication Request Form

Dates to Remember - Mark your Calendars!

View the full Church Calendar HERE

JANUARY 2026

Church Offices CLOSED December 25 - January 1, 2026

8 am Classic Worship begins, January 4

Pizza with the Pastor, January 4

Cancer Support Group, January 7

Men's Breakfast, January 10

Theater Ministry Meeting, January 11

Intentional Christian Grandparenting, January 12

Dubin Center Memory Screenings, January 13

Family Night, January 14

Women's Bible Study begins, January 15

Astralis Chamber Ensemble, January 19

Bargain Boutique - Punta Gorda Chamber Ribbon Cutting, January 20

Dubin Center Memory Screenings, January 22

Help Us Keep in Touch!

Can you spare 2 minutes to verify / update your information in our church database?

You can upload a current profile photo, confirm or change contact info, and household details - directly through our Church Center app. Scan the QR code with the camera on your mobile device or click the link below. Thank you!!

UPDATE HERE

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.

Give Now | Find a Group | Find a Place to Serve | Calendar | Sign-up Hub

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

Office Hours: Monday - Thursday, 9 am - 4 pm

(941) 639-3842 | www.newlifeforall.church

Download our app HERE

All past issues of The Bridge are available on our website HERE.

CONTRIBUTE TO THE BRIDGE!

Submissions to the Bridge can be emailed to katherine@newlifeforall.church.

The deadline for submission is 10 business days before publication.

All submissions are subject to editing for space & content, and inclusion is at the discretion of the Communication Director & Pastor. For other ministry or event promotion needs, please complete the Communication Request Form.