Sunday, September 15, 2024

This Week's Message is:

"The Practice of Silence and Solitude"



1 Kings 19:4-12

SABBATICAL NEWS

Pastor Heather officially shared news of her upcoming Sabbatical last Sunday at worship. There is a handout available on the Welcome Table or linked here with all of the details for you. Pastor Heather, the Sabbatical Team (Ann Krebs Byrne, Deb Kohlwey, Kathy Michaelis, Dave Mullen, and Gregg Schieve) and the Council have been working on this plan since last fall. They submitted a grant to the Lilly Foundation and found out on Sept. 2 that we were awarded the full amount of our grant request! This will enable many wonderful things for Pastor and her family as well as our whole community! Stay tuned for ways that this Sabbatical time will encourage all of us to find delight and make our hearts sing!

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR WELCOME TEAM

We always encourage and appreciate volunteers for the Welcome Team to help out with parts of the worship service, such as greeter, welcome table, usher, tellers, coffee server and Communion helpers.



Here is the September Welcome Team



The sheet is on the welcome table to write your name in while you're here or enter in your name from a computer or laptop or contact the office to sign up.

Here is a link to a sign-up genius form for Communion/Altar Care shifts too. If you would like to set up, serve or clean up Communion, please contact Ann Krebs Byrne.

Anyone is invited to join the Welcome Team at any time!

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 also always livestreamed on our Facebook and available on our YouTube any time after, not just when we're live. Our most recent worship services are also posted to our website and are featured in this weekly newsletters on Wednesdays.

To view the service from September 8th click here

ADULT FAITH FORMATION - AND DINNER!!! STARTS TONIGHT!

We are excited to get back to Wednesday evening Faith Formation! "Christian Life in Difficult Times" will discuss how we're called to stand in the middle of a very polarized society. We will explore the life and writing of Dietrich Bonhoeffer in light of his work in Nazi Germany, bring more awareness to some issues of our day including Christian Nationalism, and have meaningful discussion about being a Christian in today's world. Join us on Wednesdays at 6:15pm beginning September 11. Cindy Crane will be with us for these conversations on the 18th and 25th - not to be missed!



AND we have a community partner who has offered to provide dinner for the group for Sept. 11 and 18! Come for dinner at 6:00pm and we will eat together while we study! Tonight we will be having a taco bar!!

RETREAT DAY WITH THE ENNEAGRAM

Last spring as we discussed Spiritual Gifts, Pastor Heather also mentioned a wonderful spiritual assessment map called the Enneagram. The Enneagram is a system of personality typing that describes patterns in how people interpret the world and manage their emotions. We will look at all of the types, help you assess your type, and discuss how we navigate our emotions and relationships within our type. Pastor Peter Narum, who has led countless retreats on the Enneagram, will lead us along with Pastor Heather. This will take place at the lovely Dottie’s Ranch in Oregon, WI on Saturday September 28 from 9am-3pm. The cost is only $25 and you will be asked to help with a potluck lunch. Register today by calling the church office, clicking this link or signing up on Welcome Table.  

SABBATH MOVIE BEGINS ON SUNDAY

Along with our sermon series on this topic, we will also dive deeper into our understanding of Sabbath through watching a wonderful PBS documentary on the subject. “Sabbath,” a PBS film by Martin Doblmeier, first aired in June 2023 and is an expansive look at the Commandment to “rest” and “keep holy the Lord’s Day” across religions and cultures throughout America. Kathy Michaelis and Pastor Heather will lead us as we watch about 30 minutes of the film and then have time for discussion. Come join us on Sundays September 15, 22, and 29 at 11am in the Classroom.

THURSDAY WOMEN'S BIBLE STUDY

Trade your doubts, disappointments, and misconceptions about prayer for a powerful connection with God! Offering biblical teaching, powerful storytelling, and insights on historic Christian practices, Staton addresses common roadblocks; helps you discover and practice confession, intercession, petition, and other "prayer postures"; and gives you the confidence to come to the Lord just as you are. Come join the Thursday women's bible study group as they read "Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools: An Invitation to the Wonder and Mystery of Prayer" starting Thursday September 12 at 9am!

MINI-MINISTRY FAIR

Last year we had one Sunday where you had the opportunity to see all of the teams and ministries New Life has to offer. We are doing something similar this fall, but it will be spread out over several Sundays with different ministries each week - plus an opportunity to learn more about getting into our church database! Come on Sundays September 15, 22, and 29 to see more about this - and if you lead a ministry that you'd like to highlight, please let the office know!

WELCOME SUNDAY

At both services on Sunday October 6, 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 October 3 at 6:30pm or Saturday October 5 at 10:30am. You can come to either session. Please let us know your interest!

COUPLES MINISTRY

Come join us for the next Couples Ministry event. Dave and Kathy Mullen are inviting us to their home for brunch after church (11:00-ish) on Sunday, October 13 for food and conversation. The football game will be on in another room for those wishing to watch.  5617 Sandpiper Ln, Madison, WI 53716. RSVP to Kathy at kathy.mullen@sbcglobal.net

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 the Creation Story through Bible Skills & Games!

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. There may be a song or a quick video clip, but the main focus is for families to gather together.

NEW LIFE KIDS VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Spark Rotations are back!

This year we will be having one rotation each Sunday and are looking for two volunteers each week. One as the lead teacher and the other as a helper.

Please take a look at the fall sign up!

YOUTH TEAM MEETING

Our next meeting will be on Monday, September 23rd at 6:30pm on Zoom.

UPCOMING SYNOD EVENT: CHURCH IN THE WILD

New Life will be hosting a Synod event on Sunday October 13 from 4:00-6:00pm called Church in the Wild. We will worship together outside in our beautiful spaces, have time to walk the labyrinth and the prayer path, and then come back together for a final blessing, campfire, and s'mores. Watch for more information and a way to RSVP.

ST. MARK'S FOOD PANTRY

Another delivery was made to St Mark’s food pantry this week. The donations were again received with thanks and enthusiasm. During the short time we were there 3-4 shoppers were in the pantry getting food. There is a definite need. Any donations of shelf stable food are always welcome, but they have seen increased requests for cornbread mix and small bottles of dish soap. Their top 5 needs continue to be breakfast cereal, soup, condiments, canned fruit and toilet paper. Donations can be placed on the table in the Community Room.  Thanks for your continued support of this wonderful ministry. 

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 $2,000 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 :



Terry Phillips

Dave Kolmodin

Barb Zimmerman

Michael Kruchten

Hannah Theel

Rick Krueger

Russ and Shirley Theel

Hailey Lennberg

Every Day Prayers

Susan Flippin

Alliette Flippin

Donna Butler's daughter Michelle

Connie Losse

Condolences

Anne O'Kane and family in the death of her mother



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.

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

Jessica Korrison, 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