New Beginnings. New Life Community Church. APRIL Highlights. Where new life is found in Christ

Transcription

1 1 Volume 18 Issue 4 April 2017 New Beginnings New Life Community Church A Christ Centered, Bible Based, Spirit Empowered, Prayer Dependent, Ministry Minded Church Where new life is found in Christ APRIL Highlights WEDNESDAY, April 5 Last Mid-week Bible Study FRIDAY, April 14 Good Friday Service SUNDAY, April 16 Resurrection Day (by John Motz, pastor) Easter: God s Mulligan for Humanity They say there are only two things certain in life: Death and Taxes. But there is another: we screw up! Even our best efforts are prone to fail. Why? Because we are human. We know the truth of Romans 3:23, that for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God even before we read it. This reality doesn t mean we stop striving to do better, but it does mean that we ought not base our hope in our performance. So does failure mean we are without hope? For all who fail, Easter is God s mulligan. By definition a Mulligan, in a game, happens when a player gets a second chance to perform a certain move or action; usually due to lack of ability or bad luck. Sometimes called a Do-Over. That is at the heart of Easter: both the Cross and the Empty Tomb declare that it s not about us and our missteps, but it is all about Him and His Grace! Our failures, our wounds, our disappointments, and our mistakes can all be balled up, hung on the Cross with Jesus and be raise to New Life through Him. The Cross reveals that all our coming up short does not nullify God s love and hope for us. The Empty Tomb asserts that all our fears and limitations do not negate God s power at work in us. Continued next page

2 2 (John Motz, pastor cont.) This is where our hope lies, not in our performance but in His provision. It s not our perfection, but His forgiveness we require. Yes, eternity is opened, not based on our goodness or our ability, but on His grace and His power. This is the Grace we celebrate at Easter. This is the Hope we share at Easter. This is the Life we live because of Easter! See you at church on Easter Sunday (April 16) to rejoice together in God s mulligan for us. CLASSY LADIES BOOK CLUB We will be meeting May 6th!! 8:30 10:30 We like the Saturday breakfast format. Let s meet at Jantz Café & Bakery Circle of Faith Circle of Faith will gather on Wednesday, April 19, 2017 at 10 AM at Sheryl Arnold s (8410 Fruitland Ave., Winton). Bring your Bible and an open heart. Sewing Ministry The Sewing Ministry will be meeting again next month on Saturday, May 20th. Be watching your bulletin for more information! Please plan on joining us for a time of fellowship, encouragement and discussion. Hats Off to Mom! Right Now Media! We just finished (well, we will on April 5th) our Winter mid-week study of the Book of Daniel utilizing the online video teaching called Thriving in Babylon. And it was awesome!! Everyone who came to the study and many more have already signed up to have access to all the material available there for groups, personal growth, devotional helps, children s resources and entertainment that are free and available to you. If you have not yet accessed this treasure, simply contact the office or fill out the card at church. We just need your address and we ll send you a link that opens all of this for you. Get signed up today.! Calling all moms and daughters! You are invited to a fun-filled afternoon Mother s Day Luncheon, Saturday May 13th at 12 noon in rooms 7&8. Please bring a salad to share. Drinks and dessert will be provided. Everyone is invited to wear a hat for the event. Please sign up at the mission s table so ABC will have a count for the tables.

3 3 Sunday School If you re looking for a place that is safe and teaches the biblical stories of the bible, New Life Kids is the place for your child. Here at New life our goal is to come along side you to help sprout the seed that has already been planted. Our concept is easy, with commitment it develops a relationship with your child and us, as we together watch the Lord move and impact young lives. Everyone has a place in the Kingdom of God. Our new Sunday School room gives every child an opportunity to be rewarded for their great effort to grow closer to God. Who said Sunday School isn t cool? So, if you have children from the ages of kinder to 6 th grade you are welcomed. It s definitely a safe haven filled with the adventure of God. God is impacting our kids with Miss Kelly and Miss Joanna who are embracing all the lives that walk into the doors. They are allowing God to use them to show kids how to grow in Jesus. Through our curriculum, children are learning the days of Jesus from the New Testament. They are encouraged and taught how to pray; teaching the miracles of Jesus, and showing how through Him eternal life is everlasting. This all done through lesson, songs of praise, crafts and lots of Jesus. This summer we are in the midst of putting together a Kids Summer Camp. It will be hosted by Sugar Pines Christian Camps, late June to July. This year s theme will be Serving a Big God in Big Ways. So, start planning to send your child to camp this year and see what God has in store for them. For further info please see Jose Fuentes or , pastorjfuentes@gmail.com or go to Looking forward to seeing your children in Sunday School; don t forget to invite a friend! Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it. Jose Fuentes

4 4 He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began. 2 Timothy 1:9 There is something that God has created you to do. He s got a special plan for your life that only you can do. That might seem like a lot of pressure, but it s reality. Have you spent any time thinking about the fact that you ve got a calling? This verse completely shows us that this calling isn t based on our works. We can rely on God s help to achieve the things He s called us to do. It s easy to get discouraged in our day to day lives. We might not be the best at math, or not that great a baseball, but none of that matters to God. God isn t concerned about our abilities in ourselves. When He calls us to do something for Him, he helps us and gives us what we need to do it. This month is a test of our faith as we prepare to do God s work in a foreign country; this is what our teens and church family are called to do. We will prepare our hearts and minds to go be missionaries in Mexico. Some students and adults are answering the call to go, while other students are excepting the call to pray for us on a daily basis. God has been the center point of this trip, and to watch Him do amazing things to encourage His people has been awesome. So today encourage yourself in the fact that God has called you. He s got a plan and a purpose for your life that only you can fulfill. So, choose to spend time getting close to God and asking Him to reveal the next step of the plan for your life. God is setting the steps. There will be plenty of opportunities to serve these few months. Whether it may be in Mexico, Love Atwater, Sunday School, the community, your home or your church, just know God is calling. When God calls us to do something for Him, He gives us the ability to do it. Jose Fuentes

5 5 Treasurer s Report January $15,941 February $14,729 March $14,376 Giving continues to be strong. We re able to fully fund our budget and any other unexpected expenses. Thank you for your continuing support of this church. Mary Herbert Treasurer, New life Community Church Faith Promise Giving Faith Promise: Based on money I do not have but for which I will trust God, giving as He gives to me Faith Promise giving to date: $1,675 Good Friday What is so good about Good Friday? Isn t that the day Jesus died? Don t we mourn the death of those we love? To better prepare to celebrate the resurrection, you are invited to a community Good Friday service to consider God s gift for all of us. The Atwater Church of the Nazarene (1374 Shaffer) will host this annual event and we are invited to gather with the churches of Atwater together to ponder the meaning of the Cross of Christ for us. Love Atwater April 22nd! Loving our city with the Love of Jesus! That is the theme of the Love Atwater movement, which gathers concerned community members committed to making our community better. It is one day of service, serving in many different ways: caring for the elderly, sharing with the needy, and beautifying this place we call home. Join in the growing effort, check out he possible projects at We Are Family! Help celebrate these special occasions!! APRIL Birthdays 4/02 Mary Monaghan 4/03 Katie Koehn 4/04 Christie Johnson 4/04 Robert Santistevan 4/05 Adam Blake 4/07 Michael Geotz 4/08 Sarah Coate 4/12 Sandy Rentfrow 4/13 Debra Frago 4/14 Darlene Davey 4/14 Emily Coate 4/14 Kurt Wetzel 4/16 Joanna Campanario 4/17 Athena Gonzales 4/20 Jason Stephens 4/22 Mallory Bryant 4/24 Gracie Santistevan 4/25 Pam Boesch 4/25 Jeanette Davis 4/26 Sue Peters 4/26 Jeremy Retzlaff 4/26 John Laughlin 4/26 Shawn Conour 4/27 Debra Avila 4/29 David Williams 4/29 Billy Worton APRIL Anniversaries 4/04 Hector & Elizabeth Ayala 4/11 Harold & Terri Kadach 4/28 Bill & Dee Gardner

6 6 April 2017 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat A reminder that we will not be having a Saturday evening service April 15th. Instead we are inviting everyone to join us for Resurrection Day service, April 16th. Hope to see you there! Men s Study 6:30 am pm 6pm Easter Sunday No Student Ministry 23 No Student Ministry Evening Bible Study Potluck 6 Study 7 Men s Study 6:30 am Men s Study 6:30 am Circle of Faith 10 am Men s Study 6:30 am 13 Mexico Team departs 4/14 Good Friday Service 7pm 20 Board Meeting 6:30 pm RCP Women s Retreat 28th-30th No Saturday Service-join us Easter Sunday tomorrow Love Atwater 29 6pm