New Life Church Weekly Update

October 20, 2023

This Sunday: October 22, 2023

8:00 am Praise in the Park, Gilchrist Park

9:15 am Traditional Worship, Sanctuary

10:45 am Contemporary Worship, Life Center

Message: "Come, Tarry, Go"

Scripture: Acts 1:4-8, 12-14

Pastor Mike Loomis

New This Week

Extraordinary Women, Thank you!
Senior Expo Photos
Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Distribution
Healthy Start Diaper Drive, November 1 Deadline
Cancer Support Group, November 1
Crafts for Christ Ministry
Advent Bible Study, begins November 15
Cuba Mission Update, Upcoming Trip
Pregnancy Solutions Fund Raising Gala, December 12

Faith in Action & Deeds!

A big thank you to the ladies from the Thursday Bible study group, Extraordinary Women! They volunteered to help with serving a meal to our teens each week through the end of this year! This is a huge help, especially to Sheri Anderssen who has been a faithful server every Sunday during youth group mealtime. The teens and their leaders greatly appreciate these ladies volunteering their time and talents to be the hands and feet for Jesus with the church’s ministry to teens.

Pictured volunteers: Sheri Anderssen, Laverne Craig, Ann Taylor, Patty Fox, and Jane Sheppard.

Senior Expo

Thank you to all who came out last weekend for the Senior Expo. Many ministries of the church were represented and it was a great day connecting with the community!

Ready, Set... Pack!

Have you picked up your Operation Christmas Child Shoebox yet? Shoeboxes are available after each service in the sanctuary and lobby of the Life Center now through 11/5. Shoebox Labels have been placed on the outside of each shoebox for your convenience for you to ‘Follow Your Box’. Inside each shoebox is the “How to Pack a Shoebox” brochure with suggestions on what to buy and what items are not allowed. This brochure has a pre-addressed, stamped envelope to MAIL the $10 donation for each shoebox gift for shipping and other processing expenses. You can also donate online. Instructions are in the brochure on using the nine-digit code online to activate ‘Follow Your Box’. If you pack more than 1 shoebox gift, write one check for the combined total. Please remove tags and packaging from items and write a personal note to each child perhaps with a photo. Don’t forget to mark the ‘Boy or Girl’ and the Age Category boxes on the Shoebox Label. PLEASE DO NOT PUT ANY CHECKS OR CASH INSIDE THE SHOEBOXES. Please return your Shoebox Gifts on Sunday, November 12th. Need more time? The last Sunday to turn in Shoebox Gifts is Sunday, November 19th. Can’t make it either Sunday? No problem! The Shoebox Gift Drop-Off Center at the New Life Gazebo will be open from 10 a.m. – Noon, November 13-20th. Thank you for participating in this important ministry to reach children around the world with The Good News!

Build a Shoebox Online

We welcome you to help us reach our goal of packing 50 'GO' Boxes (Gospel Opportunities) shoeboxes before December 31, 2023. You will find quality gifts to choose from and the cost of $25 includes shipping! If you like to let your 'fingers do the shopping' This is for YOU! Enjoy this 'shoebox shopping experience' without leaving home! Children in over 170 countries will receive shoebox gifts this year. Please be a part of blessing them with the Good News of Jesus Christ. Enhance their joy!

Build a Shoebox Online

Thanks to all those who helped the youth group surpass their goal at the shoebox packing party. At the party, volunteers were able to pack 113 shoeboxes to kick off this year’s Operation Christmas Child campaign.

Healthy Start Diaper Drive

Charlotte County Healthy Start Coalition is accepting donations of diapers and wipes to assist young families this fall. A donation box is located in Lenox Hall for wipes and diapers (sizes 3 - 6 and pull-ups are in the most needed sizes). If you would like to help in this tangible way please make your donation by November 1st. Thanks in advance for supporting the children of our community.

Cancer Support Group

Wednesday, November 1, 6:30 pm

The Cancer Support Group will meet on Wednesday, November 1st at 6:30 pm in Room 9. The Cancer Support Group is for patients, survivors, and caregivers. Our special guest for the November meeting will be Briane Olson, a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. She will be addressing some of the mental health issues associated with a cancer diagnosis and how to deal with them. We are open to the community. If you have friends on a Cancer Journey, please invite them to come. You can learn more about Briane HERE.

Crafts for Christ Ministry

We want to thank the Bargain Boutique for their support of our ministry. They have donated

monetarily and almost weekly donations to support our efforts. We have been making “Fidget

Mats” for those with Alzheimer's and for children with developmental disabilities. There

seems to be an unending need for these in Charlotte, Lee, and Collier Counties. If you have any creative bone in your body, we would love to have you join us ANY Wednesday from 12:30-4:00 pm in Room 9.

In the past, we made greeting cards for the church’s Care Ministry. We have all the supplies

needed to continue making them, but do not have the passion for that any longer. If anyone is

interested in heading up a group to make greeting cards, we would like to donate all these

items for that purpose.

Contact: Diane Sheppard 941-740-1016 houstonfla04@yahoo.com or

Janet Downing 774-230-4460 janld25@gmail.com

Halloween Volunteer Sign-up Sheets are available in the Sanctuary, Life Center and Lenox Hall. Help is needed for set-up, clean-up and during the event. If you have any questions on how you can help on Halloween, contact Becca: becca@newlifeforall.church.

Children's Books Donations Needed!

We are collecting new or used children's books (ages 12 and under) to donate to the Literacy Bus which will be on campus for Halloween.

There is an orange bin in Lenox Hall where you can leave your book donations. Thank you!

Advent Study:

"An Unlikely Advent" by Rachel Billups

Led by Pastor Earl Smith

Wednesdays 9:30-11 AM, Lenox Hall

Begins November 15

Rachel Billups is a visionary, leader, speaker, and author. Currently, she serves as pastor at New Albany United Methodist Church. She previously served as Senior Pastor at Ginghamsburg Church's multi-campus ministry in Tipp City/Dayton Ohio. Rachel draws on her love of people and passion to explore new venues for ministry and mission.

This four-week Advent study focuses on the experiences of four sets of often overlooked characters in the Nativity story. During this Advent season, Rachel Billups guides readers through the themes of hope, love, joy, and peace by sharing the stories of Elizabeth and Zechariah, Herod, the Magi, and the shepherds. Each set of unexpected characters has something to teach about living faithfully on the journey to Christmas.

Nativity scenes function as the centerpiece of nearly every Christmas gathering in our homes and in our churches. It’s a holy spot where we attempt to re-create our interpretations of the Gospel stories. So, we gather wise men, Mary and Joseph, a shepherd, and a camel, just to name a few. And then it hit me, what about everyone else in the Christmas story? Why only include Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus? Some Nativities include the frequent extras: a side-angel and a few assorted barnyard animals; but what about Zechariah and Elizabeth there in that inner circle? Where is Herod in the grand scheme of things? How did the magi and the shepherds encounter the Christ child?

These B-players usually emerge as “extras” in God’s story, but I could not help but wonder if they might have more to teach us about the intersection of God’s story with ours. I realized over those years that I somehow relate more closely to shepherds and magi than to Mary and Joseph. And, I am definitely no angel. Could it be that we more readily see ourselves in these unlikely characters surrounding the Advent story?

Surviving the Holidays

Have you or someone you know experienced the death of a loved one? No matter how long it's been, grief can make the holidays a painful time, but there is hope. Our GriefShare program is once again offering an encouraging seminar to help those dealing with grief survive the holidays and discover new reasons to enjoy them again. We want to encourage you to sign up for this 2 hour seminar today, and join us Saturday, November 18 from 10am until Noon. Seating is limited, so reservations are required. For reservations or information, please call or text Melodie Austin at 941-661-0842 or you may email her at melharryaustin@yahoo.com.

Reservations must be made before Monday, November 13th.

Community Thanksgiving Dinner

November 23

Thanksgiving is fast approaching and we are still in need of people who are willing to fully cook any size turkey and deliver the same to Lenox Hall the morning of Thanksgiving to be carved. We also are in need of people who can cook pumpkin pies or purchase same and deliver to the church for Thanksgiving. We still need volunteers for all areas of this event, as well as all the food items.

Please contact Sherri O'Connell via email sherri.oconnell1003@gmail.com or telephone 941-916-4050.

A Word from Worship

Greetings New Life Church family and friends,

Happy Fall! It's a very comfortable 72 degrees outside! Finally! I bet I'm not alone in giving prayers of thanks today. As this thought entered my mind, I paused to realize that a few short years ago I took even small situations like this for granted- never really giving it a thought. Then my health took a seriously bad turn as I faced a 12-hour spine reconstruction surgery and even though we weren't attending church, God introduced us to a wonderful pastor who prayed with me in those frightening pre-dawn hours before I went to the operating room. I remember saying "I don't know how to pray" as he calmly, lovingly assured me that he knew I would be a great Prayer warrior and would someday help others to pray. Of course, life was difficult for several years, with several additional lengthy surgeries, recoveries, infections, and more complications than I can count. A few years later, after moving here and becoming members, God urged me to serve. I was so grateful for the blessings I was receiving that I realized that my struggles were actually serving a purpose in my life. I began to see my pain and struggles not as an interruption to my life but as a preparation for life. Problems are not punishment but times of growth and training for us to grow in faith. Getting involved in Bible studies and small groups were life-saving lessons for me. Then Pastor Mike began to teach me about the power of prayer and it changed my life. God takes no pleasure in throwing roadblocks in our way and making life hard, but when our faith is tested, our endurance grows. I believe God is at work in each of us, whether we know it or not, and whether we want it or not. Every challenge, either large or small, can prepare us for a future opportunity to share with others. God has shared so many opportunities for me to share prayer with people who were in a variety of situations; people who were in doctor waiting rooms, or patients sitting near me receiving infusions or other treatments, as well as staff members. I've had two different physicians who have asked me to pray. I continue to be amazed when God puts these situations in my path. I was always the quiet, shy one who didn't speak out for fear of saying the wrong thing. But He has given me a hunger to learn His word and to reach out to others. Whatever you might be going through, I know that God will absolutely get you through it. Through praise and thanksgiving to God, I am so thankful for the blessings I've been given: sharing prayer opportunities with others, both in church and the community, writing this weekly article in the Bridge, and leading the weekly prayer group on Thursdays at noon in the sanctuary (RPM) and most recently, recording devotionals and prayer on the radio weekly. For a quiet, shy gal this is clearly a gift from God. Am I problem-free? No... but I am filled with gratitude, not dread. Romans 12:2 says - "Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think". I know I'm still a work in progress, but I'm hopeful to see what's to come.

I'd like to invite you to join me and other prayer warriors on Thursdays at noon in the sanctuary and learn about their prayer journeys.

I am praying for you!

Rosie Young

Worship Coordinator

rosie@newlifeforall.church

Cuba Success

Our Sister Church in Taguasco Cuba has grown from 21 worshipers at the first service last September to more than 100 worshiping this week. It took 5 years to rebuild the 1890s mansion which had been converted into apartments into a sanctuary. In January we funded the addition of a balcony, which has nearly been completed. But there is no classroom space and no place for the pastor to live. The house next door which shares some common walls is for sale. We have agreed to help with the purchase. It will provide better access to the balcony, an apartment for the pastor and family, many classrooms, and a large area for group meetings and fellowship. If you are led to help with the purchase, give a portion of your church offering and mark it “for Cuba.”

December Mission Trip to CUBA

We will go to Sancti Spiritus to visit our churches and missions on December 8 for four days. If you would like some information contact Tom Little, 941-769-0002, kalani@comcast.net. We need some large luggage bags to carry medical supplies. Please bring them to the Bargain Boutique.

Photo: Taguasco Church on the left, planned purchase of the house on the right which is twice as big.

Pregnancy Solutions Annual Fund Raising Gala

On December 12, Pregnancy Solutions will hold its Annual GALA at the Punta Gorda Events Center. It will start at 6 pm and will conclude at 8 pm. The dress code is business to semi-formal. You will have an opportunity to hear from some of the young parents as well as from the dynamic staff. Good food and stimulating music will make the evening worthwhile. Debbie Harrington is our table host and she can answer any questions you may have.

A Night with Jimmy Wayne!

Jimmy Wayne, the former foster kid turned award-winning Nashville recording artist, author,

and inspiring speaker will share his music and passion for foster care reform. Proceeds benefit Crossroads Hope Academy.

Tickets are $40 and are available at Burnt Store Presbyterian Church, Mondays and Wednesdays 10am-noon. as well as Deep Creek Community Church (DC3), and First Presbyterian PG.

For more information, please contact Kathy at KBrownMayes@gmail.com

Dates to Remember - Mark your Calendars!

October 31, Halloween Food Truck Festival

November 1, Cancer Support Group

November 4, UCW "Portrait of a Bride"

November 15, Advent Study Begins

November 18, Surviving the Holidays

November 18, Today Matters

November 19, Blood Drive

November 23, Community Thanksgiving Dinner

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.