New Life Church Weekly Update

February 7, 2025

This Sunday: February 9, 2025

9:15 Traditional Worship, Sanctuary

10:45 Contemporary Worship, Life Center

Message: "Stick Together"

Scripture: Acts 2:36-47

Pastor Casey Taylor

New this Week:

Apostle's Build 2025
Thank You from Pastor Casey
Culver's / Today Matters Event, February 11
The Youth Group Game Room has Moved!
No Connect February 9 or 16
Feed the Harbor, February 23
Young Life Gala, February 23
Bargain Boutique Re-Opening, February 24
Library News
A Morning of Hope, March 15

Apostles Build 2025

On Saturday, February 1st, several members of New Life Church including Pastor Casey worked on the Apostles Build site in Punta Gorda. New Life Church is one of 9 churches working with Habitat for Humanity to build a home in Port Charlotte for Manuel Baez & Jennifer Hall, and they are overjoyed to have been selected to be our Apostles Build family for 2025! They are engaged to be married, have a 1 year old daughter, and are expecting a boy in February.

We are committed to raise $5,000 to help with costs and are still in need of donations. Once we reach our goal, a generous donor has offered to match the $5,000 for Habitat for Humanity! If you want to help, please indicate ‘Apostles Build’ on your offering to New Life Church. For more information, call Wayne Sharp at 612-867-3017or email

sharpww@me.com.

Thank You

THANK YOU, New Lifers, for your generosity! Many of you blessed me with a gift card upon my arrival in Punta Gorda. Many of you remained anonymous, so I want to make sure I express my gratitude to you all. Thank you again. I'll be shopping at Publix for the foreseeable future!

Pastor Casey

Stop by Culver's on Tuesday for a night out of the kitchen and support Today Matters!

10% of all purchases 4-8pm will be donated to Today Matters.

Thank you for your support!

We've Moved!

The New Life Youth Group's Game Room has relocated to Room 5 to help make space for our new church offices which are now conveniently accessible in Room 7 of the Life Center.

The teens are just beginning to decorate their new space and have decided to hang sports pennants around the room. This addition will help to bring a nice splash of color to this area. The teens are collecting college pennants from all the universities here in the state of Florida as well as professional Football, Basketball and Baseball pennants. Some of you sports fans may have an old sports pennant laying around somewhere from your favorite childhood team and maybe you would even be willing to donate it to be hung in their new room? If you have any pennants you wish to share, you can drop them off during normal church office hours Monday - Thursday 9am - 4pm. We greatly appreciate your help in making our relocated youth game room an inviting place for teens of our church and community to enjoy.

Youth Yard Sale Donations

Collections Begin February 11

You have probably heard that our Youth Yard Sale will be taking place on March 7th & 8th. Many of you have already asked when you can donate items to be sold at our sale. Well, please write down the dates and times listed below and then start collecting all those unique treasures for our sale.

We will begin accepting donations on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays starting Feb. 11th from 10am - 2pm until the week of the sale.

Please drop off items for our sale to Room #5 (former Library) of the Life Center on those specific days and times only. (Carts will be available to help transport items from your vehicle into the building).

If you are able to save your donations until the week of our sale they can be brought straight to the Life Center beginning Monday, March 3rd and throughout our sale week.

*Please note that the teens are not accepting the following items;

Mattresses, large appliances (like refrigerators, washers, dryers or stoves) nor can we accept most large furniture (night stands & coffee tables are ok). We ask that all clothing be given to Bargain Boutique as they will be reopening soon.

Feed the Harbor, February 23

The 15th Annual “FEED THE HARBOR” food drive is on February 23rd from 9-3 pm at the Publix on Airport Road in Punta Gorda. Feed the Harbor's purpose is to help the less fortunate in our community. The food donations help fill the shelves of 25-30 local food pantries. Thankful pantries receive their boxed food at 3pm.

Volunteers are needed the day of the event to work 2 shifts: 8am - 11:30 am or 11:30 am - 3pm. Volunteers are asked to dress comfortably, wear comfortable shoes and bring water.

Download a SHOPPING LIST.

If you are able to serve on February 23, contact Sherri O'Connell:

sherri.oconnell1003@gmail.com, (941) 916-4050.

Young Life Gala, February 23

Tom Little

Chair, Missions Committee

For the first time, a Young Life GALA will be held in a church building, our Life Center. It will be three Sundays from now on February 23 in the afternoon from 3pm until 5pm. The theme will be western, so dress casually in jeans maybe with a sombrero. Unique hors d'oeuvres along with drinks will be served by kids from Charlotte High School and Punta Gorda Middle School to give us an opportunity to meet and talk with them. More than 300 teens are involved with Young Life in our county. Some will come to the GALA to tell us about their coming to Jesus and what a change it has made in their lives. They need to see a large crowd of Christian adults supporting them. Most of these teens do not go to church. We have a great opportunity to show them what a great welcoming church we have.

You will have opportunity to register for the GALA this Sunday at the Mission Table or you can call for more information or to register: Peter Gillen, 941-661-8367, or Bob Vierday, 941-423-0990.

Bargain Boutique Re-Opening

The Bargain Boutique is now in the process of re-opening its operations.

The Bargain Boutique will be temporarily operating out of Rooms 11 & 12, formerly the Nursery Rooms. They will begin taking donations in the old church office behind the double garage doors on the following schedule:

Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10am – 2 pm beginning Friday, February 7th at the old church office.

We hope to have the Grand Re-opening for business of the Bargain Boutique on Monday, February 24th.

We look forward to again providing our services for those in need of Christ Jesus.

Library News

Shelby DeCapite

As reported in last week's Bridge, the church library room will be converted to much needed office space. Currently the Book Cart Library is located in Lenox Hall near the kitchen area. Our library collection will have a different look to better serve our members and visitors. Two library book carts will become our mobile library. We have simplified the collection and are limited to these book carts. We are now a "sharing" library. We invite you to browse the cart and find a book or two to take home. The book/DVD/study guide etc is yours. If you decide you would like to donate a book at some time, just place it on the book cart shelves and straighten up the books. There will be bookends to use to keep books looking neat and orderly on the shelves.

Please remember our library will now be the book carts and we do not have any other space to accommodate bags of books. Please encourage visitors to help themselves. This is a work in progress & we will monitor our church response to the book carts.

Lent Life Groups

The gospel grows in us best when it grows in us together.

That’s why we all need Christian community! It’s also why we’re offering Life Groups this spring in sync with our Lent sermon series, The Way to the Cross.

Sign-ups for these six week groups will start soon, but we’re now recruiting Group Leaders and Group Hosts. Existing groups and classes can be part of the effort but we also want to create NEW short-term groups! Groups will begin meeting the week of March 9, 2025.

Curious about LEADING or HOSTING a Life Group this spring?

Contact the church office after reading the FAQ

Interested in participating in a Lent Life Group?

Click on the button below to fill out a brief availability survey. You will be contacted as we determine the group meeting times and locations.

Participant Availability Survey

A Word from Worship

Greetings New Life Family and Friends,

It is with a sad heart that I'm sharing this with all of you, and yet, at the same time I am happy and blessed to know that my beloved Don is healthy and happy in his eternal home in heaven. And while I am sad for me and our family I want this to be a love letter of thanks to our family and friends and our very special church family whom have all been a part of this journey we've been on. As you know, Don was first diagnosed in early May after an extended bout of influenza A that he and I both had for a couple of weeks. One Saturday morning he became very weak requiring a trip to the ER. A series of tests resulted in the shocking news that he had Stage 4 colon cancer. We were told (quite bluntly) that day, that there was nothing that could be done. Don was blessed from the beginning with no pain of any kind throughout his journey. When it was offered, he chose to go through chemo - not for a "cure" but to have more time. While he didn't have the usual problems with nausea and sickness, the chemo drugs did terrible things to his mind, causing him to be confused and paranoid, which was heartbreaking to watch. After three cycles of that, we made the decision to stop treatment and leave it in God's hands. The amazing beauty of the next several months was not only having him back as his loving self but to watch his prayer life expand and grow. His prayer was always to be able to get back to church and be able to serve in whatever capacity he was able to. God answered his pleas and before long he was able to go to worship each Sunday, help prepare communion when needed, and even take part in Christmas preparations. God continued to bless us with a wonderful time together. When we met in 1975, I was single with two small children and definitely not looking for a mate after a bad marriage. I always said meeting each other was a gift from God because he was a single guy who drove a beautiful little sports car and I had two young children. He gave all those single guy ways of living up and asked us to be a family. To my surprise, I said yes and God blessed us with fifty years of love and happiness. Like any family, we had trials along the way. My health journey with my severe bone disease and multiple spine reconstruction surgeries involved years of lengthy hospitalizations. Don joked that our yearly vacation for several years in a row was spent at a large Minneapolis hospital. Somehow these difficult times brought us closer together and we learned to give thanks to our Lord for even the little things in life. Don was a great dad and was overjoyed when he became a grandpa. He has treasured the time he's had with our three great-grandchildren. He was looking forward to meeting our newest little one due in May.

I want you all to know how we have appreciated your support in too many ways to mention. He loved it when folks stopped by with meals. He also loved all the hugs he got at church. He was a man of strong faith, unwavering devotion to his entire family and deep love from that day we met.

We talked often about death but you are never ready or prepared. He left this life while holding my hand and trying to tell me something. I can guess what it was! He was in great peace as he passed into the arms of our Heavenly Father. It was his final gift. We will celebrate his life on Monday 2/10 at 11:00. Please join us for a light lunch after the service. I love all of you for your support and love. Please take care of each other!

I'm praying for you!

Rosie Young

Worship Coordinator

rosie@newlifeforall.church

Join the Tech Team!

Are you looking for a place to serve in 2025? We are looking for volunteers to run ProPresenter on Sunday Mornings in the Tech Booth (slides, worship lyrics, scripture etc. on the screens). If you are interested in learning more, please contact Kathy in the church office, kathy@newlifeforall.church.

A Morning of Hope, March 15

The Cancer Support Group of New Life Church invites all to a very special program on March 15th, "A Morning of Hope." A Morning of Hope is a day of emotional and spiritual encouragement for those confronting, fighting and winning the battle against cancer.

Saturday, March 15, 2025

Program 9am - 12pm (Doors open at 8:15)

Continental breakfast included.

Tickets: $10

Purchase tickets HERE

If you are a cancer patient, survivor, family member, friend, healthcare or ministry professional or have been touched by cancer in any way, this seminar is for you.

The guest speaker will be Lynn Eib, a renowned best-selling author, cancer patient advocate and cancer survivor. Lynn has written several books and they will be available for purchase at the event. Learn more about Lynn Eib HERE.

Purchase Tickets for A Morning of Hope

Dates to Remember - Mark your Calendars!

FEBRUARY

Men's Breakfast, February 8

No Connect, February 9/16

Today Matters/Culver's Event, February 11

Youth Yard Sale Collections Begin, February 11

Today Matters, February 15

Feed the Harbor, February 23

MARCH

Exodus Workshop with Dr. Brian Russell, March 1

Youth Yard Sale, March 7/8

Men's Breakfast, March 8

Lent Life Groups Begin, March 9

Cancer Support's "A Morning of HOPE," March 15

Today Matters, March 22

Meal Train for Rosie Young

Click HERE to sign up.

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.

Job Opening - Director of Children's Ministries (Part-time)

View the complete job description HERE.

If you are interested, please contact Kathy in the church office, kathy@newlifeforall.church.

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

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Deadline for the Bridge is the prior Wednesday, by noon.