Sunday January 5, 2025

This Week's Message is:

"Epiphany"

Matthew 2:1-12

BREAKFAST THIS SUNDAY

Please remember to join us for a lovely first Sunday of the month (and year) breakfast hosted by the Skaar Family. They will be serving biscuits and gravy. Thank you so much for hosting it!

Happy New Year from The New Life staff

SABBATICAL NEWS

Pastor Heather will begin her time of Sabbatical today January 1, 2025. She will return on February 12. During these six weeks she will not be available via phone, text, or email. Should any needs arise, there are people assigned to respond. Please contact the church office, speak with a Council member (names and pictures on the office window) or any member of the Sabbatical Team (Ann Krebs Byrne, Deb Kohlwey, Kathy Michaelis, Dave Mullen, and Gregg Schieve) for any questions.

ACCESS WORSHIP

Join us for our Traditional worship Sundays at 8:00 a.m. and at 9:45 a.m. for Praise worship which is always livestreamed on our Facebook and available on our YouTube any time after. Our most recent worship services are also posted to our website. To view the service from December 29 click here.

POINSETTIAS

Please pick up your poinsettias in the Worship area. They have your name on them if you paid for them. There are some free ones in the Community Room as well that may be taken home. If you want a sleeve for them they are located in the kitchen area.

EPIPHANY PARTY!

Let’s celebrate! Dinner at 6 will be a make your own sandwich affair. If you’d like to bring something, please email Jillene. A short devotion will follow. Bring a white-elephant gift to exchange (separate exchanges for adults and kids—make sure the gift is marked for adult or child). Then we’ll tackle the Christmas decor. Many hands make light work and more fun! More details will come, but save the date—Wednesday, Jan 8, 6-8 pm.

ANNUAL MEETING FEBRUARY 2ND

Come join us for a look back at 2024 and forward to 2025 for our ministry and financial implications of that ministry, plus the election of a new Council member. This is an important conversation about where God is leading us, so make every effort to be present. We will only have one worship service at 9 am, and the meeting will start after that in the community room. A light brunch will be provided. Paper copies of the Annual Report (except financials) will be available on Sunday, Jan. 26 and the 2025 Spending Plan/Treasurer’s report will be available at the meeting. 

Any reports that need to be included in this report need to be turned in to Liz by Wednesday, January 15. Thank you!

ADULT FAITH FORMATION IN JANUARY

Join us on Wednesday evenings beginning January 15th for Practicing The Way, a pathway for apprenticeship to Jesus by John Mark Comer. This will be a six-session course – three sessions in January (15, 22, 29) and then three sessions in February (12, 19, 26) – gathering via Zoom. We will start at 6:30 and end by 7:45pm. Each session will include video, discussion, “practices” for the week (homework!), and concluding in prayer. Please register for this class through the office in order to receive the Zoom link. Kathy Michaelis will be leading this class. If you wish to purchase the Companion Guide or view sessions you might miss, please check their website: ttps://launch.practicingtheway.org/. There is no cost for online access, and this is not a requirement to join the Zoom sessions. 

Click the link for a taste of the course: Practicing the Way Course

SUNDAY ADULT FAITH FORMATION

“What Makes Your Heart Sing?” That is a question you’ll be hearing a lot about in the next month or so. As Pastor Heather is on sabbatical answering that question for herself, we will also be pondering this as a community. CJ Webster, Licensed Therapist and friend of New Life, will be with us throughout Pastor’s first leave to help us in this discussion – preaching on Jan. 5 and Feb. 9, and offering an Adult Faith Formation class on Sundays in January at 11am. We will be talking about our answers to this question, but also things like “what keeps our hearts from singing?” Please come for this vital conversation – we will meet in the Classroom following second service starting on Sunday January 5. All are welcome!

PRAYER TEAM

This team gathers for prayer on Saturdays from 7-8 am. If you are planning on coming please text or call Jean at 608-957-2781 as we will occasionally meet off site or not at all due to weather conditions!

BLOOD DRIVE

On Tuesday, January 28, 2025 from noon to 5, New Life Church is hosting a Red Cross blood drive. There are many ways to help. First, you can publicize the event by word of mouth and by liking the Facebook event. Then you can donate blood by signing up online at redcrossblood.org. If giving blood is not for you, then you could also volunteer at the drive or make a treat or contact Deb Kohlwey at kohlweydeb123@gmail.com or call her at 608-239-9335 for any other questions.

LOST AND FOUND

Please remember to check lost and found for any items left at the church. Lost and Found is location above the coat rack by the front door. All items left will be donated by Jan 31.

PARENTS OF NEW LIFE KIDS

The Youth Team is asking for your opinion! Can you spare 2 minutes to complete this survey? Thank you in advance!

NEW LIFE KIDS needs YOU!

If you would be interested in being a part of the New Life Kids teaching team, please let Ashley know!

NEW LIFE KIDS - Sundays at 8:50am.

Kids in Kindergarten through 5th grade are invited to join us each Sunday morning in the ReCreation Center!

PRE-TEEN & TEEN PROGRAMMING

We are working on building up our pre-teen and teen programming at New Life Church! Stay tuned!

BABY TO 4K FAMILIES - Sunday at 8:50am Families with babies - 4K are invited to meet in the Kidzone to spend time together. This is a time for children to play together and for families to connect.

NEW LIFE KIDS VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Thank you to all who have signed up to help with New Life Kids! If you are interested in helping, please take a look at the sign up sheet.

CONSTANT CONTACT

Please be aware that if you click unsubscribe on any of the emails sent from Constant Contact from the church like prayer request or meal train emails it will unsubscribe you from everything including the newsletter.

WINTER CLOTHING DRIVE FOR JAIL MINISTRY

Last winter, we helped the Madison Area Jail Ministry winter clothing and we'd like to do it again! If you have any gently used winter coats, hats, gloves, sweaters, winter footwear or winter pants to share the love of God with those less fortunate, they are in dire need of donations in women’s and men’s or unisex size L, XL, XXL, 3X, 4X. There will be a large box in the entry way for these donations and they will be accepted beginning in January. Thank you in advance!

AFZALI FAMILY HAS BEEN REUNITED!!

New Life is sponsoring two members of the Afzali family coming from Afghanistan and recently reunited with their son, Wisal, here in Madison. Wisal’s story was included in a newsletter about 3 years ago. We became sponsors early in 2022 so applications could be filed that would allow his entire family to come to the US. Three months ago, Wisal’s parents and his 4 younger siblings were finally able to enter the US as refugees. As sponsors of Wisal’s family members, we have joined other volunteers to help the family adjust to living here. This group of volunteers is providing financial and other forms of support to assure their successful adjustment. Right now the biggest need is a car and Agha, Wisal’s father, is actively searching for employment. Of course, having a car would improve his employment options significantly. If you have any access to a car you'd be able to donate or potential leads on a job, please contact Iris Christenson. Thank you! 

ST. MARK'S FOOD PANTRY

Our food drive for the St Mark’s food pantry was a tremendous success. A few weeks ago was another large drop off of items for a total of 4 deliveries. Awesome! Although the food drive is over, any donations of shelf stable food and personal care items are always needed. Donations can be placed on the table in the Community Room. Stay tuned-in 2025 we will be letting you know about other needs and volunteer opportunities. Please continue to donate paper/plastic bags or 2025 calendars! Unfortunately they can not accept egg cartons.

SOCIAL PURPOSE FUND

We continue to need your help in order to be able to distribute gift cards to those in need - which totals on average about $1,000 every month! Because of the increased need, if you would be able to give to this fund, please submit checks with "Social Purpose Fund" in the memo or give online to that fund. Thank you! Also, please know that if you are experiencing any financial need (rent/mortgage, utilities, groceries, medical, unemployment/furlough, etc.) you only need to let Pastor Heather know. This information will be keep confidential to her and our financial officers (treasurer and bookkeeper).

Prayers needed for

Hospitalized, Injured, Ill or Medical Prayers :



Cheryll Steinke's neighbor, Yoshi

Dave Kolmodin son Paul

Don Skaar

Rick Krueger

Jadon Pruitt

Stan Phillips

Every Day Prayers

Susan Flippin

Alliette Flippin

Donna Butler's daughter Michelle

Connie Losse

Terry Phillips

Dave Kolmodin

Barb Zimmerman

Russ and Shirley Theel

Condolences

Abundant Life Christian School and community

Bobby Spridco's family in the death of her mother, Lorraine Kamps



If you would like to be included on our prayer list, please contact the church office. Permission is required from the individual for us to print their name. Individuals will be on the list for one month unless requested to office.

This list will be reset on Jan 1st unless you let the Office know.

Please click on the calendar to take you to our Google calendar.

Office hours are Monday through Thursday. Please feel free to contact staff members of New Life by email at newlifelc@newlifelc.com or by caling the office at 608-223-9337. Contacts are listed here.

New Life Staff:

Rev. Heather Hayward, Pastor

pastor@newlifelc.com

Ashley Reinke, Children & Youth Ministry Coordinator

youtheducator@newlifelc.com

Liz Rusch, Office Manager/Newsletter

newlifelc@newlifelc.com

Jim Manos, Bookkeeper

bookkeeper@newlifelc.com

Shakia “Queen” Turner, Property Manager

shakiamturner@yahoo.com

New Life Church Council:

Janice Newell, President

Jillene Fisch, Vice-President

Tom Olson, Secretary

Ken Wundrow, Treasurer

Iris Christenson

Brian Coel

Shannon Erb

Deb Kohlwey

Louise Miller

Shawn Peters

Linda Sime

Russell Theel