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Sunday, April 12th, 2026

This Week's Message is:

“Jesus Always Shows Up”

John 20:19-31

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.

THANK YOU!

Thank you to so many community partners for the above and beyond you gave during Holy Week - from our decorating, worship, welcome, and communion teams to the Skaar Family for an amazing Easter Sunday breakfast to our Prayer Team for creating a beautiful space to pray to our amazing staff going above and beyond. This truly is an amazingly gifted community of believers! Thanks be to God for all of you!

URGENT NOTE FROM PASTOR HEATHER

PLEASE be aware of email scams pretending to be me! If it doesn't come from my actual email (pastor@newlifelc.com) it's NOT ME!!! And I would never ask you to buy gift cards - via email or in any other fashion. PLEASE do not click on anything in emails of this nature as they are phishing for your information! If there's ever any question, please call the church office.

SPRING CLEAN UP DAY

Come help beautify our space at our Spring Clean Up Day on Saturday, April 11th from 9am-noon. Please contact Micah Zielke or sign up at the Sign Up table if you are able to participate in the work day. Many hands make light work, and these events help build relationships while honoring our property with good stewardship. Thanks for all the ways you help us care for what God has given!

UPDATE TO PRAYER ROOM

Did you know that we have a Prayer Room? We do! Down the hallway just before you go into the ReCreation Center. It exists for your personal prayer, for spiritual directors in the community, but also will be a new space for our Prayer Group to meet. Please come and check out the new spaces our Prayer Team is creating! Thank you!

PRAYER GROUP

Since updating our prayer room, we have new times that our church Prayer Group is meeting, and you're invited! We will be meeting at 12:30 pm on Mondays starting April 13th and 6 pm on Tuesdays starting April 14th. We'll explore a variety of ways to experience God's love through prayer! Come when you can - everyone is welcome!

STAMPING GROUP

On the second Monday of the month, New Life Church hosts a rubber stamping group in the Community Room. We make beautifully designed and crafted greeting cards. The next gathering is Monday, April 13th at 6:30pm in the Community Room. All are welcome to join in the fun. Contact Cheryll Steinke to let her know you'll be participating or with any questions.

COMMON THREADS

Twice a month, our Common Threads ministry meets at Ginny Olson's studio to crochet, knit, or whatever fiber crafting you like! We make blankets to donate to the church, or you can work on your own project! The next gathering is Tuesday, April 14th at 6:30 pm. The studio address is 2454 Gaston Rd, Cottage Grove, WI.

BRAT FEST Volunteer-Sign Up

The Volunteer sign up is live! Sign up by going to: www.Bratfest.com.  This year we will receive $12 for every hour we volunteer. Shifts are available from May 18th to May 25th. Be sure to select St Matthew’s New Life as your charity. This year absolutely everyone has to sign up online with their own email address. If you want to volunteer but do not have an email contact Judy at 608.348.9057 or Sarah in the church office and we can help you. There are information sheets on the Sign Up table describing rules, shifts, parking, etc. This year the money we raise will go towards the Smiley Face Project!

NEXT WOMEN'S EVENT - HOLY HILARITY

TOMORROW at 6 pm

Let's spend the evening laughing!

You have some homework for this one:

1)  Please bring your favorite “clean” joke to share as an icebreaker.

2) Please bring the most unique, unusual, and/or funny item from your home in a bag or box so no one can see it until it’s time to reveal it.

3) Wear something “wacky.” Think goofy socks, bunny ears, mismatched clothes, silly hats, or whatever else you come up with.

We already have a number of people signed up for this event and offers to bring a snack, drink, or dessert. If you’d like to sign up for this event, please either use the signup sheet at church or email Janice Newell.

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.

NEW THURSDAY MORNING WOMEN'S MINISTRY STUDY

The Thursday Morning Women's Bible Study will start a new study Thursday, April 9, at 9:00 am at church. We will begin studying “Don't Give the Enemy at Seat at Your Table.” In this study, we will discuss breaking  free from the chains of negative thinking and experience true freedom from unhealthy thoughts and emotions. In this book, bestselling author and pastor Louie Giglio shares practical ways to overcome the Enemy’s lies and instead find peace and security in any challenging circumstance or situation by drawing from Psalm 23 as a framework. Join us as we learn how to find encouragement, hope, and strength no matter what valleys you face. It’s time to reject the lies and listen to the truth.

A NEW EARTH BOOK STUDY

Continuing this Sunday 4/12 at 11am, Jeff Lennberg will lead us through Eckhart Tolle's book "A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose." Come discover what it means to deny yourself and follow Jesus in a deeper way. If you would like to be on the email list for updates about this class, please contact Jeff. Discover more about following Jesus! If you would like the video of March 22nd's conversation, please reach out to the church office.

There is also an opportunity to discuss this material outside of Sunday mornings at church. This group will be meeting at church on Tuesday evenings at 6 pm. Feel free to bring your dinner with you!

UPCOMING ADULT FAITH FORMATION

Pastor Heather will offer a couple of Adult Education opportunities as we finish out the program year, so put these on your calendars:

Wednesdays April 22, 29, May 6 and 13 at 6:30pm

HEALTHY HABITS

"Health" is our word for 2026, so we'd like to talk more about what that looks and feels like. Pastor Heather along with life coach Heather Strand will lead this open conversation about physical, emotional, and spiritual health and how to create come healthier habits in the future.

Sundays April 26 and May 3 at 11am

THE BIBLE SIMPLIFIED

Pastor Heather will offer a two-week class on Bible basics. If the Bible feels overwhelming to you and/or you feel like you just don't know enough about the Bible, come for this Bible 101 class!

WELCOME SUNDAY

At both services this Sunday May 3rd, we will be welcoming new community partners. If you would like to know more about New Life and being a part of this community, please contact Pastor Heather. She will also host two information sessions about this community and our ministries on Thursday April 30th at 6:30pm or Saturday May 2nd at 10:30am. You can come to either session. Please let us know your interest!

MAY WOMEN'S EVENT - SUN CATCHERS CRAFT

We will be making resin sun catchers containing dried flowers with Hearts on Fire Design on May 14th at 6 pm. The cost will be $35 dollars and you can sign up with this link: Private Party New Life Church - Hearts on Fire Designs. Cutoff for signup is April 24th so supplies can be ordered.

NEW LIFE KIDS - Sunday school meets at 8:50a. ages 3-grade 4 meet in the Recreation Center and Grades 5+ meet in the tween/teen room! This week, we will learn about sharing the message of Jesus!

YOUTH TEAM MEETING - Our next meeting is on Monday, April 27th at 6:30p on Zoom. Curious about joining the NLC Youth Team? Come to our meeting to get a feel for things- You don't need to have kids to be a part of the Youth Team!

Easter Egg Hunt 2026 was a complete success, with over 65 families in attendance! Thank you to all the volunteers who made the event possible!

SUMMER 2026 MISSION TRIP to Paducah, Kentucky

There is still space in the van to join us on our mission trip! We have 9 people already signed up to go! Come join us!

June 27-July 2

$300/person (transportation, lodging, and food included)

WILD CHURCH - ALL NATURE SINGS! 

Saturday, April 25, 10:30am – noon

New Life Church

Liz Rog, song leader and founder of the Center for Belonging Folk School in Decorah, IA, will lift our spirits as we lift our voices to God with praise and thanks for all creation at the SCSW’s Wild Church event. We gather outside and raise up songs together in praise of all life from 10:30 to 11 am, wander and wonder in New Life’s prairie or walk the labyrinth from 11 to 11:30 am, and conclude with songs, sharing and communion at the fire pit from 11:30 to noon. Bring your own lunch to share at noon. Beverages and snacks will be provided.

Please RSVP to synod C4C Ministry Team chair, Meg Nielsen. Free will offerings in support of this event are appreciated on the day of the event or by sending checks payable to South-Central Synod of Wisconsin, Memo: Wild Church, South-Central Synod of Wisconsin, 4001 Mandrake Rd 1st Floor, Madison, WI 53704.

CarePortal UPDATE

New Life Church continues to support families in our community through the CarePortal ministry. Last week, we were able to fund gas and grocery gift cards in response to a request from Lighthouse Christian School. This support will make a meaningful difference for a single mother of four as she works hard to provide a stable home and care for her children.

If you’d like to learn more about CarePortal or are interested in joining the CarePortal team, please contact Nicole Hines at nicole.j.hines@gmail.com.

ST MARK'S FOOD PANTRY

Thanks to all who bring in donations for St Mark’s food pantry. Your continued generosity means another delivery will be made March 26th. This small pantry is utilized by 20+ shoppers each week. Any shelf stable food is welcome, but Cheryll Steinke, who volunteers at the pantry, says canned fruit (favorites are peaches and pineapple), condiments (ketchup, mustard, hot sauce or salad dressing/mayonnaise) and boxed meals (Hamburger Helper or Tuna Helper) are in short supply. Currently meats (beef, chicken and tuna) are available from the pantry to prepare the boxed meals. Reusable, plastic and paper bags are also a continuing need. All donations can be placed on the table in the community room. If you have any questions, please contact Louise Miller. 

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

Pam St. John

Cindy Cary

Lindsey Weber

Russ Theel

Shawn Peters

Micah Zielke

Don Skaar

Rebeca (close friend of Ally Fisch)

Kaia Gassner

Terry Phillips

Every Day Prayers

Shane Peters

Ken Wundrow

Barb Zimmerman

Dawn & Jim Melka

Congratulations to Shane Peters and partner Kailyn on birth of Baby Girl Kyrie!

Condolences



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

Uriah Reppert, Secretary

Ken Wundrow, Treasurer

Iris Christenson

Shannon Erb

Jackie Jensen

Jeff Meicher

Louise Miller

Tom Olson

Shawn Peters

Derek Schuette