New Life Church Weekly Update

June 21, 2024

This Sunday: June 23, 2024

8:00 am Praise Service, Sanctuary

9:15 am Traditional Worship, Sanctuary

10:45 am Contemporary Worship, Life Center

Message: "By Faith"

Scripture: Genesis 12:1-4; Hebrews 11:8-12

Pastor Casey Taylor

Fill Out a Comment Card!

Comment cards will be available from the ushers at all 3 services this Sunday. If you have feedback after Pastor Casey's message, please fill out a card and leave it in the Giving Box. If you worship with us online, you can email your comments to admin@newlifeforall.church.

New This Week

Cuba Mission Begins
Fifth Sunday, June 30
Cancer Support Group, Resuming in October
Larry Keller Bible Study, Resumes July 17
Father/Daughter Dance, June 14
Pizza with the Pastor, July 21

Cuba Mission Begins

On Thursday our mission team of Shirley Stewart, Becky Van Pelt, and John Bielecki left for Cuba. They took three large suitcases filled with medicines, bandages, and children's ministry materials along with ten water filters. Some of the filters for our Guaro sister church were

steel cylinders. We were blessed by our members who provided children's Bibles and coloring books along with other teaching materials. It is against the law to bring Bibles into Cuba. When they arrived at Customs inspection at the Holguin airport, the bags were set aside for

inspection because the agents were afraid that the filters were bombs. They plowed through the bags looking for the "bombs" pushing aside the children's materials. When they were satisfied that the filters were really water filters, the bags were cleared and our team left the terminal.

Last night they had dinner with the District Superintendent and family. Today they will be at our Guaro Sister Church with Pastor Ron and his wife Marybelle. If there is time they will visit other churches nearby. Tomorrow they will drive 240 miles to visit and stay with our Sister Church in Taguasco. God is in control and really blesses our support of the churches in Cuba.

Fifth Sunday, June 30

We will receive a special Fifth Sunday offering for our mission partner, Residing Hope (formerly known as the Florida Children's Home) on Sunday, June 30. Envelopes will be available in the Sanctuary and Life Center.

Volunteers Needed, June 30

We will need help with set-up, clean-up and serving on Sunday, June 30. If you are able to serve, please contact Joey DePetro: joey@newlifeforall.church, 941-681-6718.

Thank you to all the Daddies and Daughters who came out to dance the night away

at our "Under the Sea" Dance on June 14. We had a mer-mazing time!

Pizza with the Pastor

If you are new to New Life Church, you're invited to join Pastor Mike for lunch on Sunday, July 21 after the 10:45 service.

To sign up for "Pizza with the Pastor" please call Gail in the church office: 941-639-3842. Childcare is available by reservation.

We look forward to getting to know you better!

Cancer Support Group

Our Cancer Support Group which meets the first Wednesday of each month will be taking a break for the summer. Our monthly meetings will resume October 2nd.

Larry Keller Bible Study

Wednesdays at 6:30pm, Room 13

Larry Keller's Bible Study will be taking a short break and plans to resume on Wednesday, July 17. They will be studying "30 Amazing People in the Bible" by David Jeremiah, Volume 2. All are welcome! The study guide can be purchased HERE.

Church Projects Update

With the summer approaching, we thought we would update everyone on some of the major projects going on at our church.

Lead Pastoral Search

We have had several great candidates for our search to replace Pastor Mike. As we know this is in God’s hand, and he has been active in using our church as a tool for those that have applied, to consider and reconsider their present place in God’s church. Many of the good candidates, after interviewing and praying, felt that in the end they needed to stay where they currently serve the Lord. That is good for them, but stretching out the timetable for our search. Remembering that this is God’s plan, not necessarily ours! Patience for us is the key word!!

We have a new candidate that will be on our campus the weekend of June 23^rd, and will be preaching at all 3 services on that Sunday. This candidate is presently a United Methodist Minister with a church that has stayed within the United Methodist denomination. We need to keep this as confidential as we can in order to protect his current employment. The following is his background:

25 years of ministry and 16 years pastoring multigenerational congregations, in both traditional and contemporary services. He is deeply Wesleyan in his approach to the Lord. He has a Master’s Degree in Divinity from Duke University; a Philosophy/Religion Bachelor’s Degree from Greenville University; and currently working on a Project Management Professional degree. He has also served on the Board of Ordained Ministry for the UMC since 2015, and has coached over 50 pastors through the ordination process.

He and his wife have been married since 2001, and they have 3 children.

Playground Project

We have run into several delays and rewrites due to the permitting process with the City of Punta Gorda. The rewrites have increased the cost of this project. We are now in the process of updating the estimated cost before we can move forward. We hope to have something completed by the end of the summer.

The Bargain Boutique Renovation

We have started the permitting process. This renovation will enclose the front porch to make more room inside for merchandise display and sales. The garage will be extended about 12 feet to increase our storage and sorting capacity. And the main entrance from the parking lot will include a new ramp for access. The estimated finish date will be in early September. Again, depending on how we fare with the permitting process. This house is on the historic district plat, so there are several permitting processes that we must go through to get a final decision with the City of Punta Gorda.

Hurricane Ian Damage Costs and Insurance Adjustments

Yes, we are still in the process of completing the reconstruction of the damages that were caused by Hurricane Ian. We are now at the point that we can begin our meetings with the insurance company’s adjuster, to begin to obtain reimbursement for some of our reconstruction costs. Our insurance coverage covered each of our building separately. Therefore, we have a deductible to meet on each building before we have a dollar amount agreed to for the reimbursement from the insurance company.

We have our first sit down meeting with the insurance adjuster this month. We know that this will become a negotiating process as we proceed through the summer.

We thank all of our Servants of God who are working these projects to make them successful for our future!

May God Bless Us All,

The Leadership Council

Shoes for Kids

We are partnering again this summer with the Kiwanis “Shoes for Kids” project. The purpose of “Shoes for Kids” is to provide new tennis shoes to any student in Charlotte County which needs them to begin the new school year, or throughout the academic year. Approximately 75% of the shoes are delivered to the Elementary Schools. You can drop off your donations of new shoes to the collection box located in Lenox Hall. The collection will run through July 21st.

Jesus Loves You Ministry Need

The Jesus Loves You Ministry is in need of a 1/2 ton pickup truck. If anyone can donate a truck or finance a used truck please contact Ashley Brantley, Executive Director at: 941-979-5232

Will you pray for one of our youth as they serve as missionaries this summer?

Okay, thanks! Now that you have said "yes," you can select the name of a teen missionary to pray for specifically. Students have printed their names on key chain tags which are available for you to take home. These colorful tags have the name of one student or adult volunteer who is part of our youth summer missions team. So, the next time you are at church, you can grab a key tag and add it to your set of keys. Then each time you see the key tag remember to say a short prayer for the individual who will be serving in Mescalero, New Mexico this July 12-20.

Key Tags are available in the Life Center Foyer and on the Missions table in Lenox Hall.

"The earnest prayer of a righteous person has power and produces wonderful results."

James 5:16 NLT

Mescalero, New Mexico Youth Mission Trip July 12th - 20th

Tim Buck

Have you heard? Our Teens will be serving on a mission trip to New Mexico to work on the Apache Indian Reservation. Preparations are almost complete for this 9-day trip. Students and their adult chaperones have been meeting together for training sessions and doing "homework" to prepare for the trip.

If you want to help our mission team in a specific and meaningful way, we have a unique opportunity you may want to invest in. While on our mission trip, we will be sleeping on air mattresses in classrooms at the Mescalero Apache School just down the road from the reservation. While there, the team will purchase mattresses, pillows, and some blankets to use during their stay at the church. Then at the end of the mission trip, the teens plan to continue their long-standing tradition of donating these items along with many other ministry supplies and tools to a local shelter or non-profit partner.

Check out the following list of items needed with the corresponding cost to see if you might be able to help.

We suggest the following donation amounts:

~~$2.50 Paint Tray Liner (15)~~
~~$6 Paint Tray (5 needed)~~
$9 for a pillow (10 4 needed)
~~$12 for a blanket. (10 needed)~~
~~$27 5-Gallon Water Cooler (2)~~
$59 Coleman Lunch Cooler with wheels (2 1 needed)
$69 donation will purchase a raised twin mattress that comes with its own internal electric plug making it so much easier for a shelter to keep them inflated. (10 4 needed)
$84 Cordless Drill with battery, charger, and supplies (2 1 needed)
Other - Ministry supplies as needed, like shovels, extension cords, a jigsaw etc. (approx. ~~$500~~ $200 still needed)

Please prayerfully consider helping in this tangible way by making a donation towards the purchase of one or more of these items (please do not purchase any of these items as we cannot pack these items but will purchase them upon arrival in New Mexico). Donations can be made by writing “youth mission trip” in the memo of your check and placing it in an offering box or dropping it at the church office by July 3rd.

Thanks again for investing in our teens and helping them fulfill the great commission.

Matthew 28:19 & 20

Summer Story Time for Kids!

Kid Zone will be hosting Story Time every Tuesday from July 2 - August 6 from 10 am -12 pm upstairs in Lenox Hall. It is for children ages 3-8. We will be reading the 5 non-holiday Adventures of Sea Kids by Lee Ann Mancini and completing a craft to go with it.

Storytime is open to the community, please share!

Revelation Study

Facilitated by Cathy Smith

Begins August 12, 9:30 am in Room 13

To sign up for this class, email Cathy Smith: cmsmith8@msn.com.

You will need the following book for the class: END TIMES IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER by Ron Rhodes. It can be found at Amazon, Christian Book Stores, and Thrift Books all online. If you have any questions, just contact Cathy at the email above.

A Word from Worship

Greetings New Life Church family and friends,

It's amazing when I pause for a moment and realize that June is over half over. I feel as if we've been in a time tunnel of some kind since April, beginning with the start of influenza which both Don and I had. I have said many times since we discovered we were in crisis mode that I can't even imagine how people are able to manage without God leading them, and a strong Church family for support. I confess, while I thought I was pretty stable, at times I'm truly a mess. While I try to be positive, there are moments or even days when my physical challenges flare up and my first thought is to go to bed with the covers over my head. Very mature and helpful for Don! Right? So, back to my Bible and devotionals- and there is my reminder: when we strengthen our prayer life, we can replace anxiety with joy, peace, and trust while encountering Bible truths about the ultimate Source of hope. And when you're in a battle like cancer, you live for moments of hope. He reminds me that wherever you are today and whatever your situation is tomorrow, please know on a whole new level that God is with you. He is for you, and He will never fail you. Will we never have panicky, overwhelming times again? Of course not. That's why you all, a strong family of brothers and sisters in Christ are a huge blessing to those of us going through these trials. We feel your prayers lift us up, especially during those unexpected dark moments. Your notes and calls of encouragement, or gifts of food or needed rides fill my heart with love and gratitude.

Update: Don had his PET scan late last week and his second iron infusion last Friday. The first iron infusion caused his blood work to improve pretty dramatically - so that was another little miracle for us. So right now we're waiting to hear what is next and what treatment will consist of. I will let you know so we can direct prayer. We both appreciate the prayer effort on his behalf. We will continue to pray for all of you! We are so grateful for your love and love you back!

Psalm 62:5 "Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in Him."

I'm praying for you!

Rosie Young

Worship Coordinator

rosie@newlifeforall.church

Meal Train for Don & Rosie Young

As Don & Rosie Young focus on some new health challenges, we want to bless them with meals a few days a week. If you are able to participate, please use the link below to sign up for a date to provide dinner. Continue to keep them in your prayers.

Dates to deliver a meal in July are still available!

Greetings from the Music Ministry

Hello New Life Church!

This week I wanted to talk about the Christian Faith and Community. This is inspired by the fact that Pastor Mike and I talked about the importance of community this week, in the hours prior to my dad’s heart procedure. I have experienced the body of Christ, our New Life Church community, and others, coming around me and my dad in a very special way this week. I am deeply grateful for this and I know many of you have experienced this as well.

If you are not experiencing the Body of Christ in your life, you really are missing something wonderful, important, and essential to your faith and growth.

What is Christian community? In the New Testament Church, Christians actually lived in community together for the purpose of strengthening their faith and supporting one another during a time of severe persecution. This is so countercultural for us. Imagine sharing everything you own and bringing in everyone who came to faith as a member of your “immediate” family. Imagine selling your possessions to make sure others had what they needed. Imagine living alongside each other and sharing in all matters in life, for the sake of the Gospel.

We are so independent in our culture that it is difficult to wrap our heads around. I believe we oftentimes are missing an essential part of being a Christian because of our cultural approach to “church” and how we look at the role of community in our faith. But being deeply involved in Christian community is vital for our spiritual growth and the strengthening of the local church and the church of Christ as a whole.

In the Christian faith, community is more than just a gathering of individuals for worship once a week. We should be living our lives in a way that we together, with our brothers and sisters in Christ, are deeply sharing our journeys of faith. In addition to Sunday, we should be connecting to the church (fellow believers) through other means. We should be in prayer together, sharing meals together, joining in Bible studies or Sunday School to learn more deeply from God’s word together, singing together, joining one another in outreach to our community and evangelism, and much more.

When we are “doing life” with our brothers and sisters in Christ, we are able to do more for the Kingdom of God than we could ever do alone. It helps us to grow in accepting all people regardless of background, socio-economic status, race, or other. It helps us to accept that people may be in different places in their walk with Christ. New Christians should feel like they have space and grace to grow. Mature Christians should nurture those coming along in the faith. We should all bear one another’s burdens, help each other, and support each other. This is growth.

The Christian community is a place to celebrate together, mourn and weep together, rejoice together and simply be one in Spirit in this life. It is a place where we can find accountability and encouragement if we stumble and don’t get it right. In Christian community we should be deepening our lives and walks together for the purpose of the Gospel, bringing others to a relationship with Christ, and edifying one another, the saints of God.

I spent 3 years of my life serving as a missionary teacher in Bangkok, Thailand. I stepped off the plane knowing nothing. No matter how savvy you are about life here in the US, when you move to a different country, you have to relearn everything, from the tiniest detail of life to the biggest. It can be extremely overwhelming. I had to learn how to manage without the services that I have here (hot water for one). I had to learn how to drive on the other side of the road. I had to learn enough Thai language to at least order good food! I had to learn their customs and how to act respectfully in their eyes. I had to learn how to buy groceries, register my car, pay Thai taxes, and so much more. I even had surgery there; imagine dealing with medical issues when their first language is not English. All of life’s details are overwhelming when you DO know how to do it and where to go to get it done. But in Bangkok, it’s a whole new level I can assure you!

But guess what? It was amazing because the Body of Christ, my fellow brothers and sisters in the faith came around me and helped me with every detail - every day of my life for 3 years. Instead of feeling like I was in a foreign and difficult place, I felt like I was with family. At first, I felt ridiculous asking the simplest questions, but I had to ask. I needed them. Living alongside my community there was the deepest and most real experience of the Body of Christ in my life. It was not here in the US as one would expect. It was living amongst a group of people from many countries, with many languages, who shared faith in Jesus and lived for Him and served one another daily, literally minute by minute. There is nothing like it. It was really the body of Christ in action. Since I have been back, I have at times felt a deep sense of loneliness for that type of connection again. I am sure some of you understand this if you have experienced something similar.

But I am sure we can be the living church anywhere. We need to put ourselves in places of ministry and service to connect to others in an area of our gifts and talents. Are you good at hospitality, prayer, music, landscaping, understanding the Scriptures, teaching, serving children, serving in the kitchen, reaching out to shut-ins and the elderly, visiting people in the hospital, or fill in the blank? Take the step to connect with other Christians that share these callings and start doing ministry together. This will connect you to people you can love and serve and grow with. Then live your life, day by day, for Christ and others. Find ways to encourage and reach out to those with needs. Most importantly, find people to study God’s Word and pray with on a regular basis, in addition to Sunday morning church services.

The richest blessings of life are found in a community of Christian faith. It is essential for nurturing each other, supporting each other and for empowering believers in their faith. We can better put God’s love into action as a community and live in unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. In Christian Community, we can truly live out our walk with Jesus Christ together in the most fulfilling way.

Bible Verses about how to live in Christian Community

Acts 2:42-47

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Hebrew 10:24-25

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Galations 6:1-2

Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

I Peter 4:8-11

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Colossians 3:11-17

Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Romans 12:9-18

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

This week’s anthem is...

My Savior and My God

Music by Jay Althouse

Words by Ralph E. Hudson

My life, my love, I give to Thee

Thou Lamb of God who died for me

O may I ever faithful be

my Savior and my God

O Thou, who died on Calvary

to save my soul and set me free

I’ll dedicate my life to Thee

My Savior and my God

I’ll live for Him who died for me

how richer then my life will be

I’ll bow to Him on bended knee

My Savior and my God

Invitation to the Music Ministry

Also, If you love to sing, please consider joining the Chancel Choir. We meet on Thursday evenings from 7-9 PM. We sing most Sunday mornings during the 9:15 service and are very flexible with travel plans. We have a wide variety of musicians with various backgrounds and there is a place for you! Please consider coming to a rehearsal to see if you would like to join us in this very fulfilling ministry.

Please e-mail me first if you are planning to come to a rehearsal because the summer schedule is modified a bit.

At New Life Church, everyone in the music ministry is a worship leader.

Our aim is to…

Magnify the Greatness of God in Jesus name,

Through the Power of the Holy Spirit.

Skillfully combining God’s Word with music,

Thereby motivating NEW LIFE church to…

Proclaim the Gospel

Cherish God’s presence and

Live for God’s Glory

Our hymns this Sunday will be...

# 102 - My Hope is Built

# 37 - Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

# 452 - Go, Make of All Disciples

See you Sunday!

MaryBeth Khamis

Interim Director of Music

marybeth@newlifeforall.church

8 am Worship - Join us in the Sanctuary!

Our 8 am service will be held in the Sanctuary this Sunday, June 23. (Our last 8am service until September)

We will not have an 8 am service during the months of July and August, only our 9:15 and 10:45 services. Our 8 am worship service will return to the Sanctuary in September, and to Gilchrist Park in October!

Dates to Remember - Mark your Calendars!

New Life 2nd Anniversary Picnic, June 30

Pizza with the Pastor, July 21

Nursery Job Opening

We have a part-time position available in our nursery. The complete job description is available HERE.

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.

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

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

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