NewLife Cares
After a lot of work & prayer, we're getting another important ministry launched here at NewLife - a care ministry aptly named "NewLife Cares". With the help of Mike McGuffee, a group of key people has been trained to provide ministry for families & individuals in crisis: illness, grief, job loss, etc. Our dream is that we would provide meaningful care through the love & grace of Jesus that helps people connect not just to our church (NewLife) but to a passionate new life in Christ.
As we get underway, we need three things from you:
- patience - it's going to take us a bit to get all the bugs worked out of the system... and we will need you to show us some grace as we work to fix them. (It would be really great if you'd let us know in the office - either through the connection cards or by giving us a call - about crisis needs when you find out about them.)
- prayer - great ministry doesn't happen because we have a great plan. It happens because of our great God and His power at work among us. Prayer acknowledges that we can't do this without Him.
- take part - there are ways for you to be involved in NewLife Cares w/out taking on a larger responsibility. We need folks who can: write notes/postcards to folks who haven't been to church, help take care of the food pantry, and volunteer to prepare meals for those who are sick & for funeral lunches. (If you can help with any of these things, let us know on the Connection Card today!)
Stained Glass Games
For the last three years, we here at NewLife hosted an invitational boardgaming weekend for the Fresno Gamers (the group I run on a weekly basis) and for folks from across California (as well as a few from farther away.) It has been a huge success: 30+ folks have joined us each year to play games from Friday morning through late Sunday afternoon, with short breaks to eat, sleep and - for a few of them - even join us in worship on Sunday morning.
The reason I'm writing about this is that you guys (the folks of NewLife) have done an amazing job last time of helping provide some extra food & hospitality for the Stained Glass Games event which made a really positive impression on the folks who were here - many of whom do not attend church or even have a belief in God. I'm hoping that you guys will be able to help us out again on January 27th (Friday) and 28th (Saturday) with some food.
I'll be talking more about this next week - please plan ahead to help out & make a difference!
Quote of the Week
If grace is water
Then the church should be an ocean
Cuz it's not a museum for good people
It's a hospital for the broken
Jefferson Bethke
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