New Life Church Weekly Update

December 29, 2023

New This Week

• Fifth Sunday Offering, December 31
• 2024 Bible Reading Plans
• Jail & Prison Ministry - Volunteer Informational Session, January 17

Fifth Sunday Offering, December 31

We will receive a special offering for the Florida Children's Home this Sunday, December 31.

The Children's Home provides a family environment for children in the foster system, as well as those in dire family situations. Offering a place with house parents, counseling and educational support, the Children's Home allows children to feel some sort of normal in their day to day life. Envelopes will be available by the entrances to the Life Center and Sanctuary this Sunday.

Download a Bible Reading Plan

5 x 5 x 5 Plan: Download HERE

5 Day Plan: Download HERE

Cancer Support Group, January 3

The Cancer Support Group will be holding our regular monthly meeting on Wednesday, January 3rd at 6:30 pm in Room 9. Our topic for January will be caregivers. 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 come. Our goal is to bring “Hope for Your Journey: Coping with Cancer Through Faith.”

Church Library Notes

In our library your will find many different books on the shelves. You will find commentaries and bible study guides, fiction and workbooks samples. You will find three shelves of Bibles. So many Bibles... all with the purpose of “instruction, correction, and for training in righteousness.” 2 Timothy 3:14

If you haven’t had the opportunity to do so, please come visit our church library. Browse the shelves and find a book that might give you some ideas about how to lead in small group. Or maybe a book to give you more inspiration on how to become the best disciple you can be. Come let our library support you in your walk with Christ.

Church history facts from our shelves….

In 1910 the white clapboard church structure was blown off it’s foundation. The church began the work building what is the church we know today. The brick came from an “ill-fated fertilizer plant” and also secured from an abandoned ice house. Beautiful stained glass windows were installed in 1915.

Jail & Prison Ministry, Volunteer Informational Session

January 17, 6pm in Room 9

Charlotte Re-Entry Initiative

 “I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” Matthew 25:36   

Please join us for a 1 hour informational session to learn about the serving opportunities in the Corrections Ministry in our community. 

Service Opportunities - We are seeking volunteers to work in our programs with:

• Male inmates at state prison – Punta Gorda
• Female and Male inmates at county jail – Punta Gorda
• Community follow up and mentoring with released inmates

Requirements:

• No experience necessary, just a caring heart
• You may but need not work inside the corrections facilities
• Volunteers with previous convictions are not excluded

Contact: David Ostrow, Director 847-651-8200, W. Craig Esterly, Director (412) 628-0836

Children's Ministry Updates

Becca Tomasello

We are so excited for a new year of programs! With the New Year approaching, it is time to update children's registration forms. You can find a copy on our website at https://newlifeforall.church/family-ministries/new-life-kid-zone/ or pre-printed copies in our classrooms.

We want a safe and fun experience for all children, so we have some new/updated safety measures in place for the new year. First and foremost, while we are so glad children want to bring their friends to programming, moving forward, no child will be permitted to stay in our children's areas without a registration form completed. We need to know of allergies or special needs and be able to reach parents in the case of an emergency. 

Second, there is a camera AND an intercom at the bottom of the stairs at the gate. This allows us to keep the gate closed as an extra layer of protection. If teachers do not realize service is over, they will be able to page up to the classroom to the teachers.

For nursery children, we have spent time this past year updating the nursery. We are just about done with the transformation. Beginning in January Pre-K kids (3 - 5) will be in room 11 and children 2 and under will be in room 12. All children will be checked in through room 11. We will not be supplying diapers, please bring your child with the necessary diapers and pull-ups. For children in both classrooms, please provide water bottles. We will provide snack.

Lastly, please don't forget to sign your child in prior to dropping off at the back of the life center. Nursery children will be checked in when they arrive at the nursery.

Beth Moore Bible Study, Begins Jan. 4

Women, please join us for the Beth Moore Bible study: "Living Beyond Yourself, Exploring the Fruit of the Spirit." Register HERE or call the church office 941-639-3842. We meet on Thursdays from 9-11:30 am in the Life Center beginning on January 4. The book is $20, payable at the first session. 

Harmony Class, Begins Jan. 7

The Harmony Class will begin a new study on January 7th at 9:15 am in Lenox Hall. This six-week study, “Seeing God as a Perfect Father: and Seeing You as Loved, Pursued, and Secure" is presented by bestselling author and pastor Louie Giglio. In this powerful Bible study, Louie Giglio challenges our perceptions of who God is and points us to know him as a heavenly Father who is not absent or ambivalent but is available and ready to embrace you with his unconditional love and blessing. All are welcome to attend!

Pastor Earl Study, Begins Jan. 10

Beginning on Wednesday, January 10 Pastor Earl will spend the better part of winter and spring leading a study on what it means to be the church of John and Charles Wesley. The United Methodist, Global Methodist, Nazarene, Wesleyan churches, and even the Salvation Army trace their roots back to the founding fathers of the Methodist renewal movement in England and America during the 1700's. We still hold those doctrines and practices to be vital in the modern age of the 21st century. 

Many of us really don't know what all that means, so let's spend some time studying that. Using a myriad of resources such as "The Amazing John Wesley", "Wesley for Armchair Theologians", "Revival: Faith as Wesley Lived It" and "Methodist Doctrine - the Essentials", Earl will seek to lead us into a fuller understanding of what New Life Church hopes to continue teaching in the Wesleyan tradition. 

Don't plan on this being a boring study of theology. John and Charles were way from being boring! 

Class time is from 9:30 - 11:00 A.M. each Wednesday. Come as often as you can. Each lesson will be independent of the previous ones. We will also try to set this up as a ZOOM meeting. More on that later.

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.

Church Name Tags

When you come to the church campus, please wear your New Life Church name tag. If you do not have a church name tag, you can order one HERE.