I want to thank everybody that showed up for the Annual Business Meeting this past Sunday. Your participation is what makes church, church. The theme of the day, indeed for the year, seems to be “Increasing Capacity for Ministry.” The fact is that God wants to build His kingdom and He uses people like us in communities like this to accomplish it. We are a small church in a small community, but through Christ we can do big things. There is a genuine need in our community for people to be set free from the bonds of slavery that sin brings. On our own we have a certain sphere of influence in which to do that. We take opportunities in conversations with our friends and neighbors to talk about God’s love, forgiveness, and power to heal lives. That is not just godly behavior it is the mission that God has called each of us to. It builds His Kingdom. Now when you take the power of individuals doing what God has called and equipped them to do and you multiply that with the body of the church and you have the capacity to see even greater ministry done. That is the gist of what I spoke about Sunday. Our involvement in the ministries and activities of the church increase the capacity for ministry to happen. In giving and finances we have opportunity to increase the capacity for ministry as well. That’s why we have made it our goal to pay off our building loan within the next 20 to 22 months. It means more money for ministries, staff, and church renovations that increase our capacity for ministry. The goal is not a bigger church, that is just a by-product of God’s people doing ministry and working to grow His kingdom. Partner with us at New Life to increase our capacity for ministry in your participation, your giving, and your prayers and God’s promise is that this community will see change like it has not known before.

January 25, 2010

Worship service yesterday was truly a blessing from God. Not only was it an answer to prayer it was a time of prayer. For months now I have been praying to see the Spirit of God move and do something in our midst. Yesterday, for me, was the beginning of God's answer. For those that missed it, I'm sorry you did, but let me give you the gist of it. God moved in our worship time and we never moved on from prayer. On the surface the level of need is very great - there is a lot of healing needed from cancer, cystic fibrosis, uncertainty, and relationships. But we also got to glimpse God's handiwork in the testimonies of others. I hope the experience teaches us the power of prayer and the power of united prayer. When you look at it you realize that prayer is not just a religious activity. God created it for us to open the lines of communication with Him and hear His voice in the answers, like the Sabbath, it is for us. What united prayer does is let each of us in on the fact that we need each other. I know a person more when I've prayed for them and they have made themselves even temporarily vulnerable by sharing their need. It also allows me to stand alongside them and be on their side in the physical realm as well as the spiritual one. This is church and I was glad to be included in it. Remember to keep praying for those requests this week! See You Sunday.

Pastor’s Notes 1/14/10
Life can seem really unfair and unjust sometimes. In Haiti there are thousands suffering from the effects of a natural disaster. An earthquake doesn’t discriminate between good people and bad, adults or children it just happens.
From many of the reports I have been reading or hearing, church organizations are on the ground already and helping as best they can. Church sponsored orphanage, hospitals, and organizations are helping survivors, providing services and care, and becoming clearinghouses for aid that is coming in. In that sense the Church is God’s message that “the world may be touched by sin and seem unfair, but I’m still here and caring for you.” Haiti has a dubious reputation for corruption and spiritual oppression, but this is the opportunity for the love of Christ to be the loudest voice on the island nation as believers pour out mercy and prayer on the situation.
Please be praying for Haiti, the people and the workers that are helping the people. This Sunday we’ll be taking an offering to help where it is needed in the restoration that God is doing through the ashes of disaster.
Pastor David

Created on ... January 14, 2010