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Sunday, November 30, 2025

This Week's Message is:

“Waiting and Watching”

Matthew 24:36-44

THANKSGIVING EVE SERVICE: PRAYERS AND PIE

Please join us for our Thanksgiving Eve service, "Prayers and Pie" TODAY at 6:30 pm. We will have a worship service dedicating our Commitment Sunday promises for the coming year, followed by fellowship with pie! Come celebrate and give thanks for our amazing faith community!

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 livestreamed on our Facebook and available on YouTube any time after. Our most recent worship services are also posted to our website. To view the last Sunday's Service click below.

Here are Word Clouds made with our Commitment Sunday promises to God for this coming year! Here's your commitments in time, talent, and treasure!

NEXT WOMEN'S EVENT

On Thursday, December 11 6:00 to 8:00 pm - Advent by Candlelight, a devotional and fellowship women's event, will be held at New Life Church. This beautiful night of worship and friendship will be all by candle- and Christmas tree light. Each table will be decorated by the hostess of that table, and after a brief worship we will share dessert and time together. If you are interested in hosting a table or attending this event, see the Sign Up Table! There is no cost for this event - start inviting people today! Men's Group: we are looking for a few helpers for this event. Please let Pastor Heather know you'd be willing!

Stay tuned for the 2026 events coming soon! We hope all women and their friends will join us for times together to grow in faith and fellowship! If you’d like to be added to the email list to hear details about these events, please email Janice Newell at buckyshome6@yahoo.com.

POINSETTIA ORDERS

Please help us beautify our Worship Center for Christmas Eve with your order of a poinsettia plant. The deadline to submit your order is THIS SUNDAY, November 30.

Ways to order: 1) Sign up on the hard copy sheet on the Sign Up Table; or, 2) Contact the church office. They can be in honor or memory of a loved one. They'll have a label on the back so that you may take your poinsettia home with you following Christmas Eve services. Options are: Red, White or Variegated Pink plant color, and sizes and prices are 6 1/2" - $17, 7 1/2" - $27, 8" - $38. Please indicate these options with your order and payment before this Sunday! The colors and prices are also listed on the order form. Payment may be made by check to New Life Church or on Vanco/Venmo with Poinsettia in the memo.

ADVENT WORSHIP

Wednesdays at 6pm: Beginning on December 3rd, we will gather for a Taize Advent Worship time with some people sharing faith stories! Come and join us in this time of preparation and anticipation of the Lord's coming.

BREAKFAST WITH SANTA HELPERS!

In order to make this annual event a huge success, we need you! From serving food to crafts and everywhere in between, we have many places for you to serve! Click here to use Sign Up Genius or in person on the sign up table in the entry way. Please also share the Facebook event.

GALLERY PROJECT

You may have previously noticed some bright LED lights down the hallway...this is in preparation for our final Sabbatical project: the St. Matthew's New Life Gallery! We have displayed our Sabbath activity pictures for most of this year, but now that the new lighting is finished, we have our first artist's show featuring none other than our very own Gregg Schieve, who also worked hard on making this project a reality. Go check it out! If there are artists that would like to have a show, please have them contact Gregg.

THURSDAY WOMEN'S BIBLE STUDY - God’s Beloved Daughters

Please join us for our Advent study! We are studying “Waiting Here For You” by Louie Giglio. In this study we will discuss Advent as a season of waiting for Jesus as we prepare our hearts for to greet Christmas 2025. We will approach the holiday with joy and peace and a new promise of the arrival of the newborn king. Let’s come together and talk about how we can make this busy and pressure-filled season one of anticipation of meeting with the Savior. This is a 4-week study and will begin Thursday, Dec 8 at 9:00am in the classroom. If you are interested in attending or would like more information, contact Melanie Stepherson at melanie.stepherson@gmail.com.

NEW LIFE KIDS does not meet this Sunday, November 30th.

COAT DRIVE THANK YOU

Thank you to all who donated to the recent Coat Drive! The drive was a huge success! Our final totals are listed below:

35 coats

80 hats

10 pairs gloves/mittens

10 pairs socks

7 scarves

Here's a portion of the Thank You Letter we received from the Madison Area Jail Ministry:

"Dear Pastor Heather, Kathy, and Everyone at the New Life Church,

On behalf of the Dane County Jail re-entry coordinator and the Madison Are Jail Ministry, a very large thank you to everyone at New Church who contributed winter apparel. Thank you for your generosity and sharing God's love by responding this fall to the request for the need for winter jackets and clothing for those being released from the Dane County Jail during the late fall and winter weather.

The gift of this donation helps those being released from incarceration who are in need, know that God is with them even in the most challenging circumstances and that he loves and forgives unconditionally."

TEEN GIFT DRIVE

Once again we will be working with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Dane County providing gifts for their "Littles" at their Holiday Party.  

The box for collecting items is out in the entryway! Our deadline for delivering the gifts to them is Dec 9th. We ask that you bring items to fill the box (unwrapped please) OR you may opt to purchase from the Amazon wish list linked HERE and items will be delivered directly to BBBS.

CarePortal UPDATE

Here is an update from Nicole Hines:

I’m excited to share a recent CarePortal update! New Life was able to fully fund and take the lead on a request for a young mother in need of a car seat and an umbrella. I had the privilege of personally delivering the items and was honored to meet her—as well as several others—during my visit to Shelter from the Storm.

The experience was incredibly moving and has only deepened my desire to continue partnering with CarePortal. I’m grateful for this ministry and hopeful that we can keep responding generously to future requests. I look forward to engaging our team even more as new opportunities arise. As always, please let me know what questions you have about CarePortal. 

ST MARK'S FOOD PANTRY

Mark Taylor, coordinator of St Mark’s food pantry, sends a BIG thank you to our congregation for not only the food and personal care products we donate, but also the monetary donation our Social Purpose Fund gave. It had been only 2 weeks since the last delivery and the back of my SUV was packed! Mark is planning to use much of our $1000 monetary donation to purchase perishable items - meat, milk and eggs. Their supplies of these items are extremely limited. Food insecurity in Dane County is real as they are seeing new individuals and families utilizing the pantry. This year, during Christmas, we are again doing a reverse Advent food drive - more information on this below!

I also want to recognize a sizable donation made by Russ Theel, in memory of his wife Shirley, to the food pantry. Shirley was a past volunteer at the pantry. Per Mark, the money is very much appreciated and will be put to good use. 

Donations can be placed on the table in the community room. Any paper, plastic and reusable bags can also be donated as that is an ongoing need of the pantry.

REVERSE ADVENT CALENDAR

Starting Monday, December 1st, please be collecting items for our Reverse Advent Calendar! This is a fun and special way to celebrate the coming holiday season and help those in need at the same time. Donations can be placed on the St. Mark's Table in the Community room. See the list here, printed copies are available in the Community Room!

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 kept confidential to her and our financial officers (treasurer and bookkeeper).

Prayers needed for

Hospitalized, Injured, Ill or Medical Prayers



Barb Zimmerman

Ginny Qualmann

Joan Cleary (Maggie Andres's Mother)

Mary Roberts

Every Day Prayers

Vickey and Jean Hoover

Shane Peters

Condolences

Russ Theel

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.

Office hours are Monday through Thursday. Please feel free to contact staff members of New Life by email at newlifelc@newlifelc.com or by calling 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

Sarah Sheffer, Office Manager/Newsletter

newlifelc@newlifelc.com

Jim Manos, Bookkeeper

bookkeeper@newlifelc.com

Shakia “Queen” Turner, Property Manager

shakiamturner@yahoo.com

New Life Church Council:

Jillene Fisch, President

Linda Sime, Vice President

Tom Olson, Secretary

Ken Wundrow, Treasurer

Iris Christenson

Brian Coel

Shannon Erb

Deb Kohlwey

Louise Miller

Shawn Peters

Uriah Reppert

Derek Schuette