Sunday December 22, 2024

This Week's Message is:

"Hope is Worth the Risk"



Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke 1:46-55

ADVENT WORSHIP

As we prepare our hearts for Christ's coming, and especially after the tragedy in our community this week, let's come together for a midweek worship service tonight December 18 at 6:30pm. We will read lovely poems, sing songs, and pray together for our community. (There is no dinner tonight.)

PRAYERS FOR ABUNDANT LIFE CHRSITIAN SCHOOL

Please keep the families, students, staff, and administration of Abundant Life Christian School in your prayers.

Please also pray for the first responders, neighbors and anyone else affected by this tragedy.

For helpful resources to talk to your child about tragic events, please click here . Click Here is a sheet for supporting teens in tragic deaths and Click here is a link to more resources.

Other ways you can help:

• Donate: The United Way of Dane County has established a fund to support the Abundant Life community; you can financially support the community.
• Meals: A connected alum of ALCS is organizing meals for families and faculty; you can offer support in terms of food and other items.

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 15 click here.

YEAR-END GIVING

First of all, thank you for all the ways you already financially support the ministry of St. Matthew's New Life! We pray that you will continue to give in any way that you can, and potentially consider an additional end of the year gift. As we look forward to 2025 and beyond, we hope that you’ll help this vibrant community end the year on a very strong note! There are also other ways to give: from your IRA (if you're over age 70 ½ ), stock appreciation transfer, or living will or trust giving. If you have questions about any of this, please let the office know and we can give you more information. Please remember that all year-end giving needs to be postmarked by Dec. 31! As always, this ministry only happens in and through you! Thank you!

CHRISTMAS EVE WORSHIP

Come join us to celebrate this festive night at two services:

5 pm – a family-friendly worship with an impromptu Christmas Pageant and candlelight (glowsticks also available for young hands)

7 pm – a classic Christmas service with favorite songs and candlelight (glowsticks available for young hands)

Communion offered at both services - all are welcome!

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

SABBATICAL SENDING SERVICE DECEMBER 29 AT 9AM!

Pastor Heather will begin her time of Sabbatical on January 1, 2025. She will return on February 12. During those 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. We will send Pastor Heather and her family with our blessings at one special service on Sunday December 29 at 9am. Please plan to come and wish them well!

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!

NEW LIFE ORNAMENTS

Last year, we had these lovely wooden ornaments (made by Jessica Korrison's dad Brian) available for purchase to benefit the Children & Youth Ministries of our community. They will once again be available if you were unable to get one last year. $20/ornament will once again benefit our youngest community partners. They make wonderful gifts too!

EPIPHANY PARTY!!!

Let’s celebrate with dinner and devotion, a white-elephant gift exchange, and packing away the Christmas decor. Many hands make light work and more fun! More details will come, but save the date—Wednesday January 8, 6-8-ish pm.

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.

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!

CHRISTMAS EVE 5PM SERVICE - PAGEANT

We are getting the kids involved in the 5pm Christmas Eve service! If you know that your family will attend and you think that your kiddo would like to have a role in the service, 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! This week we will be learning about Jesus is Born through Video!

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.

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! 

FUNDRAISER FOR SCHOOL IN ETHIOPIA

Pastor Heather and her family will be traveling to Ethiopia, Emma's birth country, during her sabbatical in January. And as a family, they'd like to give back to the community close to where Emma was born. Roots Ethiopia is a non-profit working in that part of the country and has recently opened a high school that is need of text books. They are only $7/book so let's see how many books we can provide before the Hayward's return in February! Click this link to be taken to a secure site through Roots Ethiopia's website. If you wish to give through New Life instead, please be sure to indicate "Ethiopia fundraiser" with your donation. There is a poster in the entry way to view our progress - over half way there already!

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!

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

Verne Scholl, in the death of his aunt

Abundant Life Christian School and community



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