Sunday, December 23, 2007


Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:10-11


MERRY CHRISTMAS

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Children's Christmas Recital

Despite the weather scare, our children and families gathered for a Christmas recital. Thank you to Joy for coordinating this and to everyone who helped!
Those who performed were:
Ashley Cook - piano
Caleb Bauer - piano
John Bauer - paino
Abby Crump - violin and voice
Paige Brooks - voice
Elaine Ivy - violin and handbells
Lydia Ivy - cello and handbells
Billy Ivy - handbells
Carson White - voice
Joshua Bauer - voice
Cassandra Bauer - voice




Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Training

I am excited to announce that there is a Children's and Youth Ministry Volunteer Training set for January 19th with Guest Presenter Tina Houser! She is a nationally known trainer in the area of Children's Ministry and is a published Sunday School Curriculum writer as well as the author of two books, More Than Cookies and Punch and It's Not Junk It's Resources!

Tina is ordained through the Church of God (Anderson) and has been working in children's ministry for 28 years. We are incredibly blessed to have Tina come lead us in training at New Life!!

Child care WILL BE provided. We just need folks to RSVP their attendance and how many children they are bringing. Breakfast will be served for all in attendance.

A special program is being presented for the kids at 10:00 a.m. Locally owned and operated pet store The Pet Jungle will be bringing in some exotic animals and teaching about pet care and the environment. The kids will also have a game time and be watching a movie during the morning.

EVERYONE from nursery volunteer through high school ministry is invited and encouraged to attend!

Jenni Sprague

Training--January 19, 2008
When: 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Where: NLCC

Family Nights Kick-Off!


HDcv is back and will kick off our next round of family nights on January 9th! It'll start at 7p.m. and is for all ages. There will be no meal or other classes on this evening, but come ready to worship as a family!

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Upcoming Events

A reminder of what's to come for this month -
Christ Birthday Offering, Sunday December 16th, 2007
To Find out more about this offering, follow this link. What does it support?
Blood Drive - Sponsored by the REd Cross of Indiana
Saturday, December 22, 9a.m.-2p.m. Sign up at the Welcome Center if you'd like to donate.
Christmas Service, Sunday Evening, December 23rd - 6:30p.m. Join us for Carols and Communion

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Another Family Tradition!


The Brooks family -
One of our traditions that the kids have really enjoyed is our annual trek to the tree farm. Brett is a stickler for the live tree—I think because of the childhood stories his dad tells of when Santa would bring a live tree on Christmas Eve. Every year, our family goes to the tree farm and the search is on for that “perfect” tree—too fat, too thin, too tall... And every year, our budget dictates more of a Charlie Brown quality tree than a White House one. But that’s part of the beauty of it—the imperfections are what make it perfect. And you can always put the ugly side toward the wall. Anyway, after we agree on a tree, which is never easy, we spend the next half hour playing a game of hide and seek in the tree farm, which is a blast. We have done it every year since Paige was a toddler. We’ve done it in warmer weather, in the rain, and in the flurrying snow. We’ve hidden in tree holes, run across deer grazing, discovered praying mantises, and annoyed lots of other tree shoppers, I’m sure. But it’s a must-do tradition for our family; I think that Brett and I will be out there just the two of us even after the kids are out of the house on their own. :o)

Monday, December 3, 2007

Day of Prayer


Tomorrow, Tuesday, Dec. 4th has been designated as a day of prayer. Let's unite and as one voice go to the Lord, reflecting on His goodness, confessing our sins, interceding for the needs of our church family, and giving thanks to God for all that He has done and will do! The Bible says, "Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." (Eph. 6:18)

Thursday, November 29, 2007

What Are Some of Your Family Traditions?


Kent Hoover -I grew up as the youngest in a family with 5 children. We are all in our forties and fifties now, but a few years ago my sister made us all line up at the top of the stairs (from youngest to oldest) just like we used to on Christmas morning. I was always first in line to run down the stairs, take a quick stop by my stocking (hung on the stair rail) and then dive under the Christmas tree to see what Santa might have dropped off for me. If you can imagine five 'mid-life" grown ups lining up in age order to run down the stairs, thats funny!
The Galema's -Adam's grandmother lights brand new candle sticks at the table for Christmas/Thanksgiving lunch and someone will make a mark on each of them about half way down.... everyone eats and sits around the table talking and laughing and then when the candle burns to the mark-its time to eat again!
Dianne White -A family tradition our family has always enjoyed was that before December 1, I would purchase a long taper candle and score the candle with 25 lines. Every evening at dinner we would burn the candle, anticipating how many days were left before Christmas, the birth of our Savior. As our boys got older, it was always a great privilege to be the one who got to light the candle. Christmas morning was always celebrated with a special breakfast that always included orange Julius, a tradition we continue to keep and enjoy!

Jenni Sprague -We have an advent Christmas tree made by Dept. 56 in the Snowbabies line. It is white and gold. This little tree sits atop a square base which has 6 tiny drawers on each side, giving us 24 days to count down. Each drawer holds a tiny ornament. We gather together as a family each night before tuck-ins to remove an ornament and hang it on the tree. Then we wind up the tree--it's a music box too--and we sing together the song "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." We have done this since the kids were born. I bought this tree before I even had kids!!!

Jenessa Denniston -One of my very favorites is a Danish tradition that my Mom's family has always done and now we do also. We pull the Christmas tree out into the middle of the room and turn out all of the lights except for the tree. Then everyone holds hands around it and sings carols. We start with the youngest family member and move to the oldest. We walk around as we sing, changing directions with each song. Grandma is last and always chooses a peppy Danish song. Grandma also made a wax birthday cake for Jesus and we always sing Happy Birthday to Jesus.


Keep the traditions coming! It's wonderful hearing from everybody! You can email them to nlccblog@yahoo.com.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Music Rehearsals - Time change

While Family nights are on hiatus, choir rehearsal will begin at 7:30p.m. Wednesday evenings, and the handbells will rehearse starting at 6:45p.m.

Another Chance to Serve!!

Dear Men of New Life,

‘Tis the season. No doubt in the next couple of months you will consider giving some clothes away – maybe the sweater you get from Aunt Mildred, or the shirt from Cousin Bill. Or maybe your New Years Resolution will be to shed a few pounds. Whatever the reason, if you are going to give clothes away consider giving them to PREF – the Plainfield Re-entry and Educational Facility.

PREF is a Department of Corrections facility in Plainfield for men who are nearing the end of their prison sentence. At PREF the men can wear street clothes instead of prison uniforms so they can get used to being a person again instead of a number. Donating to the PREF clothes closet will provide clothes to wear in the facility as well as when the men go on work release. At final release they are given a suitcase with several outfits to start them off in their new life.

The clothes closet needs clothes and shoes of any kind in any size. The only restriction is no large logos on the hats or clothing. Donating new underwear and socks is greatly appreciated as well as coats and jackets, especially at this time of year. If you have a duffle bag or suitcase that you can donate, that would be appreciated as well. A list of needs is posted at church on the bulletin board by the Restrooms.

Please call Bob and Donna Watson (873-4709) if you have something to donate of if you have any questions. If you bring something to the church, please let someone know it is there for us to pick up. We will make sure that your donations get to Plainfield . Many of you have donated already and we thank you so very much.

Bob and Donna Watson

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Neff Family

I want to thank the church and the congregation for all the prayers and thoughts during my families loss. All the cards, e-mails, flowers and food are greatly appeciated and meant a lot to my family. God Bless All of you. Trish Neff

Monday, November 26, 2007

Project Angel Tree


In the entryway, you'll see a tree with paper angel ornaments on it. On each ornament is the name of a child whose parent or parents are incarcerated. While we can't bring Mommy and/or Daddy home for them for Christmas, we can still help infuse some joy into their Christmas by providing Christmas gifts for them. There are requests written on each ornament, along with sizes as needed. Some are in need of winter jackets! As we have in the past, let's love these precious children as Christ does. Simply take an ornament with you and bring the gift back to the church. Stay tuned for more information on getting together for the gift wrapping and delivery. See Nancy Murray for more information.
Also, remember to bring canned goods to help CrossWalk feed the hungry. Thank you to everyone helping with these ministries!

Monday, November 19, 2007

Indiana State Youth Convention

This update may be a little late in coming, but it's never too late to celebrate an area in which God is working in our family! Several of our youth, adults, and Crosswalk group took part in all or parts of the Indiana State Youth Convention a couple of weeks ago. The theme was , "Expect the Unexpected." Mix God and the energy of our youth, and that theme seems to sum it up perfectly! Kaitlin Klotz said, "I had a ton of fun on the trip! The band and speaker were awesome and it was fun going to down town indy because it was my first time. I also got to become better friends with people which was fun. :]" Mimi, who worked so hard behind the scenes to pull everything together, despite her fatigue afterwards, noted in her blog that she'd do it again next weekend, "What a weekend....it was so much fun! I haven't got the final count but I know it was over 1400 peeps gathered at the convention center this weekend to praise God and learn more about Him. I had such a great time and have already started thinking about next year." God spoke specifically to our own Collin Smith, ask him about it! We love you Collin! The group even handed out pamphlets with Colts players testimonies in it, and they wisely hit the Colts gift shop.
God is moving in our young adults, and we're so thankful for them and for those who help with the youth ministry/crosswalk ministry!

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Music Ministry

Anyone who would like to take part in our music ministry, please see Janelle Daniels, Mimi Klotz, or Donna Watson. They can answer your questions and help you know which area will best fit your gifts/interests. Donna will be leading the New Life Singers, who will rehearse briefly this coming Wednesday evening, 8-9p.m. All are welcome, whether you've sung with the Singers in the past or not! Those interested in joining the handbell choir, let Donna or Bob Watson know. They will be rehearsing Wednesday at 6:15 p.m. Other areas and corners of the music ministry for you to consider include instrumentation, worship team, solos, ensembles, and a worship choir. The worship choir, depending on what the commitment and interest level is, will work with or replace the worship team, singing on Sunday mornings. Rehearsals will be Thursday evenings. The New Life Singers will continue as they have, singing possibly monthly, and/or for special events. This week they will be starting the Christmas music.
Much is to be determined as we move forward, but all are welcome to take part!

Monday, November 5, 2007

Wednesday Nights, How You can Help!

Wednesday nights are family nights at New Life. Where there's family, there's kids! And where there's kids, there's parents who desperately need a break. Leslie Galema is now in charge of organizing our Wednesday night children's ministry, thank you Leslie! You may know her better as, "Cassity and Jared's Mom." Leslie needs six volunteers, minimum, to commit through the winter and spring, to help with the nursery-4th graders. It's only a one hour time slot, and it requires simply finding that child within you and playing! Please contact Leslie if you are willing to help or if you'd like to be on her substitute list. You can call the church at 867-4717 or email Leslie at galemas@yahoo.com. You can also mark on your welcome card at church and Leslie will be in contact with you. Thank you, thank you, thank you to those who help. It has been said before, but there's no ministry more important; the parents are blessed just as much as the children.

Friday, November 2, 2007

Our Children and Youth

Exciting, exciting things are happening in our children's ministry and youth ministry! The more happy baby feet and chattering youth we have, the better. These are a few reminders, updates, and areas you can pray for. For information on any of the areas, or to be routed to the people mentioned, please call the church office, 867-4717.
Please contact Jenni Sprague if you can provide any of the following for our kids.
  • 1 or 2 sheets of Star shaped stickers.
  • 4 snow cone cups. Does anyone have a snow cone machine?
  • 4 large paper boxes - that hold reams of paper.
  • 3 dozen plain star shaped cookies for November 25th.

There's no better way to celebrate the birth of Christ than through the voices, hearts, and lives of children. Mark December 15th down on your calendar and plan to come to the New Life's Chilren's Christmas recital at 6:30p.m. Kids 18 and under are invited to participate and volunteers are needed to pull everything together. Please contact Joy Bauer for more information.


One of our ministries busting at the seams with happy, growing kids is Crosswalk! Our 5th-7th graders will continue to meet every Wednesday evening, now starting at 6:30 with games. So eat and be ready! For more information, you can contact Brett Brooks or Mark Henry.

The youth are off to State Youth Convention November 9-11th! "Expect the Unexpected" is the theme this year. Let's all pray that every single person present will be blessed, God would be glorified, and that downtown Indianapolis would become holy grounds. Contact Pastor John Crump (867-4717) for more information on our youth ministry, "Elevate."

Thursday, November 1, 2007

Calling All Scrapbookers!

Everyone who loves to scrapbook, and everyone who is better at watching, are invited to come to the church for a scrapbooking night. Friday November 9th, Friday December 14th, and Friday January 18th, the church will be open from 6-10p.m. for anyone who wants to come. Just think how nice it will be to spread everything out, people to chat with, and no kids to interrupt. For more information, contact Joy Bauer, or call the church at 867-4717.

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Time Change Reminder

Just a reminder that the time change is coming up on November 4th, one week from this Sunday. Don't forget to "fall back" one hour before you go to bed Saturday night, and catch up on a little rest.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Final Reminder

October is wrapping up quickly. Thank you to all of you who have helped shower your love on our Pastors! Let's keep doing so! October 31st marks the end of "Pastor Appreciation Month," but let's be a church body who continues,year-long to uplift and embrace the Klotz's, Crumps, and Mercers in our prayers and show them our signs of appreciation.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Hoover Family Thank you and Update

As many of you know, Jeannine was in auto accident last week. After a long day in the ER we went home sore with minor injuries and are confident she will be fine in time. Betsy (car) was not so lucky. Post crash we seemed to be getting along fine, in our own little way, but as soon as word got out about the accident people from the church started lining up to bring us food. GOOD FOOD! LOTS OF FOOD! FOOD AND CHOCOLATE! Somewhere in between quick visits, interwoven with pastas, salads and Ribs (almost good enough to pull out in front of someone for) we got your message of love…of Jesus.

Things have settled a bit in our household, we are all on the south beach diet, and unfortunately now our children think dessert is an essential part of the meal. Their innocence now spoiled by the taste of forbidden fruit, knowledge of good and evil from the Dairy freezer…The Klondike Bar.

We are good. God is good. We are loved. And you are loved right back! Come to think of it God is Love. We are thankful to have a church family like the one we have with you. Thanks to everyone for your thoughts and prayers. God has truly blessed us in being a part of New Life Community Church .


The Hoovers

Thursday, October 11, 2007

New Life Ministry Transitions

Thanks for taking the time to visit our blog to catch up on what is happening at New Life, especially with how things are transitioning after Pastor Fred's departure. I think the easiest way to do this is to break it down in categories: Worship, Children's Ministry, and Special Events.

Worship:
I have put together a Worship Planning Team to help with the planning and leading of our worship services. At this time we are not going to "hire" a person to be our worship pastor but it will be a group effort in which I will provide specific oversight. Including myself, the planning team currently consists of Janelle Daniels and Mimi Klotz. Andy Denniston was initially on the team but stepped down due to time commitments. We are also considering other individuals with an evident heart for worship to be involved in the near future, especially someone with the skills and heart for leading the choir.

My guess is there are some of you wondering just how this change will affect the style or tenor of the worship services. Our goal is to continue to plan and lead God-honoring worship so people can experience His presence. I won't mislead you, there will be a "younger" spirit to our worship times. By that I mean, we do plan to use guitars, electric bass, piano and even drums (should someone have the skill to play) in our worship services. The organ will have its place in our worship times too. You can't sing "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" with out the unique swell of the organ! Also, I think the "spirit" or feel of our worship times will have a younger character to it. Meaning worship times will be celebratory and participatory. Joy ought to characterize our worship and people should feel a sense of contribution and involvement to our services, not merely be observers watching others leading worship.

As a team we are committed to using any song-style or music form that will aid us in genuinely worshiping God. That means we will use hymns, choruses, and praise & worship songs to accomplish this. I think last Sunday's service is an indication of what our future services will be like. We sang a traditional hymn, a couple of praise & worship songs, and a well known older chorus. We can debate about how many hymns or praises songs ought be included but that would detract from the goal which is to honor God with what we offer in each worship service. I encourage you to prayerfully support our Worship Planning Team. Pray for God's Spirit to guide and inspire each worship leader as they plan and lead our times of worship. Pray that we will be a united congregation as we worship God together each week.

After writing all this I feel like words don't do justice to what I am trying to communicate to you. Jesus used to tell inquisitive people to, "Come and see." if they wanted to know more about Him and what He was up to. I invite you who are wondering what possible good can come from Fred's departure to "Come and See" for yourselves. I believe you'll be pleasantly surprised and delighted with what God will do through the persons He's gifted in our church to lead our worship times.

Children's Ministries:
An area Fred had given recent oversight to was the children's ministry. He and a team of dedicated church members restructured and refocused our Sunday morning children's program. The result is a program that is well tailored to spiritually build up and train our children. Sunday's children's worship center is fun, engaging and biblically based. There are no major changes planned, only the desire to continue the course it's on and modify when necessary.

The current Children's Ministries Team consists of: Jenni Sprague, Landi Moore, Joy Bauer, Leslie Galema and Pastor John Crump provides pastoral guidance and input. They also plan to include some more individuals on the team in the future. Jenni has done a stellar job of providing leadership and focus for our children's ministry since Fred's departure. We can be thankful for how God has provided capable leaders for our church. Again, please pray for the Children's Ministry Team members to be led by God's Spirit as they plan and staff our children's programs.

Special Events:
Of the three main areas of ministry Fred gave direction to this one is just in the beginning stages of being accounted for. My plan is to create a team of gifted and motivated persons to take charge of this unique area of ministry. As for now Patty Nicholas has been providing guidance to this area and has indicated she would like to continue to do so on a Special Events Planning Team. This would be a wonderful opportunity for anyone who enjoys planning and providing dinners, hospitality, and special touches to serve our church.

If you have questions or concerns please talk with me, pastor John Crump or the Steering Committee members (Joe Davis, Andy Denniston, Kelli Brooks, Belva Nylander, Gary Murray, Paul Daniels). We will gladly make time to discuss the life, ministry and future of our church with you.

I want to conclude by quoting the words God gave to Moses in which Israel's priests were to bless the people as they ventured into their new life in the Promised Land. May these words be true of New Life Community Church.

May--
"The Lord bless us
and keep us;
May
He make His face shine
upon us
and be gracious to us;
May
the Lord turn His face toward us
and give us peace."

(Numbers 6:24-26)

It's my pleasure to serve you,
John Klotz
Senior Pastor

Elevate Youth Group Hits the Street!

Last night Pastor John Crump took the Senior High youth to Clay Terrace so we could try our hand at street evangelism. On the way there I heard breathless comments in the back of the van, "I'm so nervous." "I'm so afraid - I think I might pass out!" We tried to encourage them and remind them to just be themselves and let Jesus be the One to convince people of their need for Him.

It was a chilly evening so there weren't quite as many people out and about, but we each got a chance to walk up to somebody and try to strike up a conversation about our Savior. What a blessing! To be honest, I was petrified, but I had a little group under my care so that propelled me to just jump in and go for it. I nabbed a couple of junior high boys in hoodies. I wanted to be a good example, and in the process God showed me how easy it was to just talk to someone and share what Jesus means to me. John Crump and Bryant Hunt had a nice, long talk with a couple of guys, one of whom claimed to be agnostic but was open to hear what they said about Jesus.

The high point of the night for me was to see Collin, the newest Christian in the bunch, talking to three friends of his from school that happened to walk by. There they stood: lip piercings, pants sagging, and there Collin stood - sharing about Jesus. We all high-fived him and gave him hugs afterward. We told him he did the hardest job of us all by talking to people he knew! He said to me afterward, "I bet they'll throw those little books away. I bet they'll never come to church." I told him He might be surprised. God works in awesome, unexpected ways and what he did that night could have planted a seed that will sprout later to bring them to God. I reminded him about the member of the rock group, Korn, who became a believer - much to the surprise of his fans. I told him how countless people who proclaimed to be atheists, witches, agnostics, or otherwise when given the opportunity to consider Jesus and the Bible, have realized the truth and given their lives to Him. (Lee Stroebel, for example - we've been learning from his book "The Case for Christ" lately)

It was a joy to spend the evening with these beautiful, teenage people. I love them. I'm so proud of them for giving it a try, in spite of the butterflies in their stomachs and people sometimes turning them away. I'm thankful Pastor John took us out there and prodded us to give it a try.

"God, be glorified in our little effort last night. Be glorified in the lives of these wonderful young people you're teaching to be set apart and to stand for you. Be near to Mike, Collin's friend. Speak to his heart and let Him know that You're real and You love him. To YOU be all the praise!"

For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes... Romans 1:16 NLT
Posted by Mimi K.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Plates for Becky

Join us at the church, Thursday October 11th at 7p.m., to paint and personalize a set of plates for Becky Harting. Feel free to bring a dessert or snack. No cost.

Monday, October 8, 2007

Connect


The framework and foundation is carefully and prayerfully being laid for New Life's brand new women's ministry. Details and opportunities will be released soon, stay tuned! Please pray for clarity and continued guidance for this important ministry.

Thursday, October 4, 2007

Pastor Appreciation Month

Stop what you're doing. Pause for just a minute. Grab that Post-it note that's close to you, and write on there, "Pastor Appreciation." Or better yet, grab two larger pieces of paper, and take a minute to write a thank-you to each pastor, stick it in an envelope before you can think twice and mail it to the church. No paper? E-card! No Hallmark account? Make a quick call and let them hear your voice. How about an airplane with a banner or a messenger pigeon? It doesn't take a lot of time, money, or effort to show someone you appreciate them. And Pastor Klotz and Pastor Crump deserve to hear our appreciation as much as anyone. They've dedicated their lives to serving, and this month is our opportunity to help them refuel. Thank you also to Steve Mercer who God has blessed us with as a ministry partner also.

Monday, October 1, 2007

An Amazing Morning

Sunday morning we recognized the ending of one chapter of ministry for Pastor Fred and Becky and rejoiced over the very beginning of another for baby Nathan Daniels. It was an amazing morning, full of emotions of all kinds. There are so many to thank, but first and foremost, all thanks to our Heavenly Father. The Gaither chorus Pastor Fred quoted sums it up perfectly,

All the Glory belongs to Jesus
All the Praise belongs to Him
All that I am, or ever hope to be
All the Glory belongs to Him.
Thank you Pastor Fred, for a final service that was filled with music just shy of heaven. You, Becky, Ethan, Kirsten, and Nathaniel are a family we love beyond words. Although our paths are separating, we all continue down a very similar path of faith and the unkown. May God guide us all.
Thank you for the planning, the participanting, and the prayers. A special thank you to Kelli Brooks, Donna Watson, Susan Cook, Alan Lucas, Tami Soetenga, and all of the other behind-the-scenes crews who helped us show our love to the Hartings and Daniels.

Big brother Luke stealing the spotlight. Don't worry baby Nate, we saw you too and thank God for your life and what a gift you are
to all of us!











Monday, September 24, 2007

Farewell to Fred and Becky

If you didn't sign up at church and plan on attending the celebration for the Hartings this Sunday, please email patty@nlcc.to. Also let Patty know if you will be able to bring a dessert.
Here is a memory Landi Moore shared of Pastor Fred's time with us.
The Christmas my nephew was 5 he was intrigued with the drummer boy. When Pastor Fred was assigning parts for the Christmas pageant, Nathan asked if he could be the little drummer boy. Pastor Fred said - well we've never had a drummer boy, but sure we can do that. He put an extra light in a little boy's Christmas that year!!When I started attending New Life, the thing that drew me most was the worship. It was so refreshing to be in the presence of the Lord. Thank you, Pastor Fred!!Landi
Fred and Becky are also known for their sense of humors. In honor of that, here are a couple of pictures, courtesy of the Henry's.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

A Farewell to Fred and Becky

On Sunday, September 30th, we will be celebrating the ministry, lives, friendship, and our love for Fred and Becky Harting. The 30th will be their last Sunday with us, after nine years, and plans are underway to try and show our appreciation to them and their family. The truth is, no matter how perfect the plans are, we won't be able to truly express our gratitude. How can we sum up in one morning, nine years of selfless service, of shared laughter, of tears shed, and of warm hospitality. Jenni Sprague summed it up perfectly, "No matter how hard I try, there is no easy one or two line phrase to write to say how much Fred and Becky mean to New Life and how much we will miss them. The laughter, the passion for our Lord, the dedication to our church--words cannot sum up all that Fred and Becky have done to make New Life Community Church the kind and loving place that it is today. The Harting family will be greatly missed and warmly remembered for all they have done at New Life Community Church. I will miss them something fierce!!"
Our first Sunday at New Life, over eight years ago, Fred walked up to Andy and me and said, "You look like you can sing." He spotted us, welcomed us, and from that day we were whole-heartedly a part of the New Life family. His gift for hospitality is simply unmatched. Mimi Klotz says, "It's amazing how quickly you can grow to love two people so dearly."
Everyone is welcome and encouraged to join us in celebrating these two, greatly loved individuals. Help us simply drown them in love, hugs, and prayers. I'll have my Kleenex with me, the same ones I'm grabbing for now. Specific details of the celebration are coming, but it will be after the service and you can count on two things, food and music!

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

New Testament Books


If you ever need a "pick me up," just come visit the 2nd-4th grade class! These kids have ENERGY! It's wonderful. We learned this past week that the Bible is our instruction manual for life. They
looked up solutions to a problem in the Bible and then acted out the solutions in a skit. They did a great job! We're also working on memorizing the books of the New Testament. Many of them are close already and Alec Brooks is there! Way to go Alec!


Sunday, September 16, 2007

An Evening of Chocolate!


Chocolate ice cream, chocolate eclair, rocky road bars, german chocolate. You name it, it was there. Our women's evening of chocolate and relaxation this past Friday provided enough sweets for a small army. There was good food, cozy couches, manicures, pedicures, and good conversation.

Thank you to the Murrays for letting us crash at their home, and thank you to Sallie Thompson who did our nails! It was a
wonderful evening ladies! Thank you!

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Two Youth Take the Plunge!


Two weeks ago, two of our youth were baptized during the youth meeting held at Patty's house in Sheridan. We're so happy Hannah and Colleen decided to "take the plunge" and declare their love for Jesus.

Take these words of Paul to heart, girls:

Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. I Timothy 4:12

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Let the Children Come to Me.



With the mention of "Children's Ministry," there are two main responses. Either you're officially submerged in that world and tune in, or most likely, you tune out because it doesn't apply to you. Maybe you were in that world but now your kids are grown. Maybe your kids are young and you need a break for church activities. Maybe, "I like kids but they're not so fond of me." Maybe you wouldn't mind helping, but you assume others are taking care of it. Or maybe you're just plain afraid of them, I've been there.
Whatever stage of life children are a part of, Jesus never left it. Luke 18:16 But Jesus called for them, saying, "Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. No matter where you are in life, if you look around you at church, and you see children, that means you are in that stage of life. These children are not "theirs" or "yours." They're "mine," "ours". If your part in our children's ministry is to pray for it, that is as crucial and important as any other role. If, however, you can volunteer for ONE Sunday each month, to help, to snuggle, to laugh, to console, than what's stopping you? Speaking very candidly from a young mom's heart, I can't tell you in words the value of seeing someone else love my children with me and desire to teach them of our Heavenly Father. By the time Sunday rolls around, quite honestly, we're tired parents. There are NO words to fully verbalize our gratitude to those who help. There are so many WONDERFUL, EXCITING things happening! Much hard work and heart is being poured into the frame and structure, they just need hands. Especially as we quickly approach the day of two services again.
Please pray about helping. You can note on your welcome card if you have interest in helping.
Love to you all,
Jenessa

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

I Hide Thy Word in My Heart!

Psalm 23
A psalm of David.
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

What's a verse on your heart today? Let's encourage each other! Post it as a comment (you don't need a blogger account) or email it to nlccblog@yahoo.com.

Sunday, September 9, 2007

Fall Kick-off

Fall is around the corner, and the Heavenly Dog Lunch was the perfect way to welcome it. Thank you to everyone who helped; who knew gaucamole and hot dogs made such a 'heavenly' combo?! Let's all gather again on Wednesday, as our family nights begin. Dinner will be served from 6-7p.m., with classes from 7-8p.m. The following classes will be offered.
Adult Class: Discovering Our Spiritual Gifts, led by Rev. Jeff White.
Student Ministry: See Pastor John Crump for more details.
Elevate, 8-12th grades, The Case for Christ, led by Andy Denniston.
Crosswalk, 5th-7th grades, Grapple Curriculum, led by Brett Brooks & Mark Henry
Children's Ministry: See Pastor Fred Harting for details
Nursery care for infants-2 1/2 year olds.
Classes for Preschool and K-4th.
All are welcome, no registration needed. Let's be contagious!
I Peter 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In His great mercy He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.



Thursday, August 30, 2007

Change in Service Times

Don't forget -starting Sunday, September 9th, we will be moving to one service at 10:30a.m. Also, for those interested, a group will meet at 9a.m. to discuss "Being a Contagious Christian" by John Ortberg. There's a sign-up sheet at the welcome center. The cost is $25.00/couple and $18.00/individual and childcare will be provided.
September 9th is also our fall kick-off! After morning worship, we'll have our second annual "Heavenly Dogs" lunch so everyone come hungry. You've never had a hot dog as gourmet as this before! There are so many exciting, exciting things happening. This will be a chance to hear more and join in.

Monday, August 27, 2007

Hams On Rye!

New Life's annual "talent" show was this past Sunday. Here's a few pictures, courtesy of Susan Cook, proving New Lifers are as talented as ever! Or, at the very least, love to have fun!