1 Volume 20 Issue 1 January 2019 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 January Highlights WEDNESDAY, January 9 SUNDAY, January 13 Mexico Outreach Meeting FRIDAY MONDAY January 18-21 Camp Facebookers!! Join the Friends and Family (by John Motz, pastor) Wise people still seek Him Each New Year opens with hope; hope for a fresh start, hope for something new or hope for something to change. This is what makes the New Year a time connected with resolutions to make this new year somehow different from the last. Many have given up on making resolutions because we ve experienced the breaking of resolutions too many times before. So rather than calling it a resolution, perhaps we simply commit to making this year different. I d suggest a commitment to seeking to grow closer to God n this new year. The sermons in the coming month will focus on this search; looking at Biblical accounts of those who sought out Jesus and applying those truths to our journey. Much like how the Magi in the Christmas story who came seeking the newborn king of the Jews (Matthew 2:2) were transformed by what/who they found. We too are invited to seek; to draw close, and the New Year gives us the opportunity to intentionally take a new step. Here are a couple of next steps that might be right for you: Daily time reading your Bible Now is a great time to start a new Bible study pattern. One easy way is via the Bible App on your smart which offers many daily reading patterns, including ones like Let s read the
2 John Motz, Pastor continued...bible together which will walk you through the Bible in the next year. Open your home to invite friends to a weekly Bible study with you (we have many great video resources available with our connection to Right Now Media). This is great with church friends but also with friends who don t currently go to church (but like you!). Spiritual Retreats/get-aways: for example, now is a great time for the guys to commit to/block out the calendar/sign up for the Men on the Mountain men s retreat (at Redwood Christian Park) the first weekend of March. (Women s retreat options will be available later in the year) These could all be good steps, but rather than make a resolution, just get started and one day at a time keep it up. That will transform your 2019! NLCC Building Fund At the All Church Meeting held December 2, Pastor John talked about the possibility of someday purchasing property, giving NLCC a permanent home. At this time, we rent and share space with Atwater Baptist Church. While the arrangement has worked well for both congregations, there is sometimes a longing for land and a building we could call our own. A Building Fund was set up back in 2000, when the church was first formed. Money that was donated toward a permanent home has been kept separate from money used for the general operation of the church. At this time, the Building Fund balance is $127,138. If you would like to donate to the Building Fund, please mark the memo line of your check accordingly. The more we ve been able to save when the right property becomes available, the better off we will be. will be meeting this Wednesday, January 9, 10:00am at Sheryl Arnold s. Do you feel a tug? There are many areas you can volunteer for here at New Life. If you are interesting in volunteering, here are some of our New Lifers names and phone numbers to get in contact with. Sunday School Jose Fuentes 819-1805 Nursery Mary Herbert 358-4643 Greeting Sandy Rentfrow 358-6371 Refreshments Joyce Robinson 626-5121 or Carolyn Stimson 358-1089 Ushering Fred Pillsbury 358-0893 Worship Mary Monaghan 761-9498 Sound George Gallaher 358-3811 D Street Shelter Maggie Fuentes 445-0549 RightNow Media If you have not signed up for RightNow Media (free electronic library with New Life s account), do it today! Use the barcode below for your smart phone or notify us with a response card or call to the office (we need your email address), and we ll make sure you get an invitation. Follow the directions to set up an accout and then explore all that RightNow Media has!! Mary Herbert, Treasurer, New Life Community Church
3 There is something refreshing about the month of January. The New Year is like a built-in do-over that we get to enjoy annually. It s also a fitting likeness for the spiritual life in that one of God s favorite things to do is make things new. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (2 Cor. 5:17, NIV). Therefore OK, so this is a word and not a phrase. Believe it or not, the word therefore is one of the most powerful words in Scripture. If anyone is in Christ Key word: in. When we say yes to Jesus, we are doing more than acknowledging His existence. We are embracing His message and accepting the sacrifice He made for us. We are not simply bringing Jesus into our world. We are jumping into His. Have you said yes to Jesus? Which best describes your relationship with Jesus: Him in parts of your world or you in His? The new creation has come Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3 that belief in Him is so transforming that it is best described as being born again. Our entire existence gets a new start. Take a few minutes to think about nothing but the idea of being a new creation. The old has gone We are born with things that are opposite of Jesus, things that are part of our sinful nature. When we say yes to Jesus, these things no longer define us. They are gone! The new is here! Let the celebration begin! Have your own New Year s party! Create something that expresses this idea that you are a new creation: Draw it, write it, compose it, get crafty with it, build it. Then send it, snap it, post it, or tweet it. Let the world know your excited about the new year. We have so much planned this year, for the student ministry. I have been praying for a 2019 Vision for sometime now. God will definitely be using all of us in a major way. We have talked about owning our faith for the last year. Each year we are challenged to mature even more in our walk. Be in prayer for us, that God may give our students a new vision of there calling to Him. As we experience what God has planned for us at Winter Camp @ Sugar Pines Christian Camps. For more information on Student Ministry please contact me at 209 819 1805 or pastorjfuentes@gmail.com. Blessings, Jose Fuentes
4 TREASURER S REPORT 2018 General Fund Giving January $13,135 February $13,465 March $19,681 April $20,862 May $13,768 June $14,478 July $15,783 August $12,264 September $20,402 October $13,757 November $10,149 December $28,690 The total General Fund giving for 2018 was $199,835. Thank you all for your faithful giving to support the ministry of this church and the spreading of God s word to our community and world! 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 donations are used to help support our monthly Missions commitments. Our current obligation is $2,050 each month. 2018 Faith Promise giving to date: $8,650 We Are Family! Help celebrate these special occasions! JANUARY Birthdays 1/01 Fred Johnson 1/04 Gwynette Ballesil 1/05 Daron McDaniel 1/06 Joe Beck 1/10 Dorothy Beck 1/10 Lacee Yokley 1/11 Julie Coate 1/12 Joy Rolfe 1/13 Ronn Slay 1/14 Dale Craft 1/14 Jim Rentfrow 1/16 Nick Duran 1/16 Fred Pillsbury 1/18 Joyce Robinson 1/18 Andrew Lamarr 1/19 Tammy Gordon 1/22 Michael Walsh 1/22 Jessica Anderson 1/22 Derrick Hill 1/24 Samantha Wey 1/25 Jenna Boesch 1/26 George Gallaher 1/28 Charlotte Mae Valladao 1/28 Stefanie Getz 1/28 Diana Spangler 1/30 Melissa Kendrick 1/31 Michelle Carter JANUARY Anniversaries 1/27 Carden & Dee Kalcevich
5 January 2019 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 5 D Street Shelter 5pm 6 7 8 9 10am 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Mexico Outreach Meeting 5pm Camp thru 21st @ Sugar Pine Christian Camp Camp 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Camp Youth Return! Martin Luther King. Jr. Day 27 28 29 30 31 New Life Community Church 2124 First St., Atwater, CA 95301 209-358-8885