Delaware County’s Poverty Awareness Week March 10-18

Poverty Awareness Week is a community event with 28 different activities to communicate the problems and pervasiveness of poverty in our community. There will be tours of organizations serving the impoverished in our community, speakers that are experts on the relevant topics and story telling of people that have successfully transitioned out of poverty. The hope is that participants might have a better understanding of those struggling in poverty and of some opportunities to volunteer with the different organizations in our community.

For more information check out These links:

WEBSITE

CALENDAR

BROCHURE

2 Elders, 1 Deacon Elected at Annual Meeting

At Monday night’s annual meeting this past week, the congregation of New Life, by overwhelming majority, elected Dave Isaacson and Josh Holowell to the office of ruling elder, and Jim Moore to the office of deacon.

Please extend your congratulations to these men when you have the opportunity, and pray for them as they assume these new roles as leaders of our church. We will officially install them into office before the congregation on Sunday Feb. 12.

Scott Jordan and Wendell Conner were also re-elected to serve second terms as ruling elders. Randy Thompson finished his second term as deacon in 2011, so he is required to step down for at least one year. This means the current session consists of Pastor Bob, Pastor Brian, Scott Jordan, Wendell Conner, Dave Isaacson and Josh Holowell. The deacon board consists of Paul Nagelkirk, Mark Parkison, Larry Harting, Bob Darby and Jim Moore.

One reason these men are serving in these positions is because they were all first nominated by you — members of this congregation. We now find ourselves back at the beginning of this process, which means the nomination period is open again. One of your responsibilities as a member of this church is to discern, based on the leading of God’s Spirit and the qualifications given to us in Scripture, who the Lord might be calling to serve in the office or elder or deacon. So, between now and March 4, the session will be receiving nominations for these offices.

How do you make a nomination? First, you must be a member of New Life. Then, you should read I Tim. 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9 to understand the Biblical qualifications for elder, and I Tim. 3:8-13 and Acts 6:1-6 to understand the Biblical qualifications for deacon. Pray for wisdom and guidance from God’s Spirit as you discern whether the person you have in mind is a good candidate. Then, you must seek permission from the individual before you nominate him (he also must be a member of the church). If he agrees to be nominated, write his name on one of the forms available in the foyer, and drop it in the wood survey box in the foyer by March 4.

After the nomination period is closed, the elders will review them and approve candidates for an officer training class taught by Pastor Bob between April and December. After the class is completed, nominees will be interviewed by the elders again and, if qualified, will then stand for election during our January 2013 congregational meeting.

What is the difference between the office of elder and deacon? The office of deacon is one of “sympathy and service.” Deacons are responsible for maintenance of the church building and grounds, ministering to those in need, and assisting during Sunday morning worship (ushering, collecting tithes and offerings). Elders are responsible for spiritual oversight of the church, including discipleship, shepherding, participating in Sunday morning worship (pastoral prayer and communion) and church discipline.

Responding to the Missions Conference

Growing up I participated in Boy Scouts, and I remember during one of our evening meetings we spent the entire night learning about wilderness survival. We were taught how to build a tent out of sticks and foliage, how to purify water from a stream, and what supplies to have on hand in order to practice basic first aid. After several hours of training we felt well prepared to brave whatever the wilderness could throw at us. Much to our surprise, our troop leader concluded the meeting with the announcement that the next weekend we were going to spend two whole days in the woods practicing the skills we just learned. There were mixed responses to the news: some were excited, others nervous, many were inquisitive, but one of the boys stood up and, stuttering just a little, asked “do you think you could show me all this stuff again, I wasn’t really paying attention ‘cause I didn’t think I’d actually have to use it.”

As many of you know we just concluded our annual missions conference this morning. Many of you have heard a lot about missions through the events on Friday and Saturday and the sermon and testimonies this morning. While all of that information is still fresh in your minds and before the results of the Super Bowl overtake the rest of our thought processes for the next few days, I want to encourage you to think through two practical responses to this year’s missions conference.

First of all, pray! Pray for our missionaries around the world. Be in constant prayer for our missionaries, for the members of our congregation that serve on various long and short-term missions trips each year, and for New Life
to continue growing as a Kingdom minded church that casts a greater vision for missions.

Secondly, participate! There are a variety of ways you can participate and take an active role in answering the prayer requests listed above. Next year we will have another missions conference and we are always looking for more volunteers. We have connections with local, national, and foreign missionaries, and any of them would benefit from more financial and prayer partners. This year we are also sending two short-term missions teams to Mexico and St. Louis, and these teams desperately need financial and prayer support. Not only do these trips serve the spreading of the Kingdom and the Gospel, but they also have an incredible impact on the spiritual growth and lives of our youth. Please consider how you might support these teams financially, in prayer, or by attending.

Each year we are privileged to send a group of senior high students on these trips, but these trips hold profound impact for adults as well. Nothing gives you a greater passion for the Kingdom and serving our Lord than experiencing the vastness of His glory and majesty in another part of our nation or world.

On July 7-14 we will be sending out two short term teams, one to St. Louis and the other to Monterrey, Mexico. The St. Louis team will spend the week working with various inner city ministries such as a children and youth tutoring program, construction projects, a community garden, and backyard Bible clubs. The Monterrey, Mexico team will spend the week partnering with our sister church, Bethel Iglesia, as they put on a morning basketball camp and an evening VBS program for their community. These are exciting and life changing opportunities to respond to our missions conference, support the universal church, and grow in your vision and understanding of the God we have the great privilege of worshiping and serving. We will be announcing more details about these trips, so please stay tuned and pray about whether or not God is calling you to participate in one of these opportunities.

As our missions weekend is brought to a close please pray and ask the Lord how He is directing you to respond. We are called throughout scripture to be a church that seeks the growth and prosperity of the Kingdom. We have a responsibility to respond to this calling. Let us be a church that supports and sends the light of the gospel into the darkness of our world.

Join a Life Group for 2012

If you are not part of a Life Group, the start of the New Year is a great time to join. Life Group’s meet at a variety of times and places (see a list of the groups on pg. 3 in the right hand margin) to discuss the sermon, pray, and spend time together. Life Group’s are designed to facilitate fellowship, support, and mutual accountability, along with a sense of belonging, which is one of New Life’s Core Values.

As the body of Christ, we are dependent upon the Holy Spirit working in and through each one of us to grow and mature. To use the imagery of Paul, the hand needs the foot and the eye needs the ear (see 1 Cor. 12:12-21). We need each other. We wither in isolation. The Westminster Confession of Faith, in the chapter on the communion of saints (something we frequently profess in the Apostles’ Creed as an article of our faith), speaks of sharing in each other’s gifts and graces and our obligation to perform the duties conducive to the good of our brothers and sisters. Being part of a Life Group is one way this finds expression. Prayerfully consider joining this year. You will be blessed and you will be a blessing.

For a list of the Life Group currently being offered click HERE.

Support Muncie Mission ‘Walk a Mile’ Feb. 11

“Walk A Mile In My Shoes” is a fundraising event to support Muncie Mission. The walk takes place on Feb. 11 at 9am. If you are interested in supporting this event, please check out www.munciemission.org or pick up a flyer at church.

New Life Missions Conference: Feb. 3-6

Join New Life at our annual Missions Conference as we hear reports from missionaries heading across the globe. We have a number of events happening the weekend of Feb. 3-5.

Friday Night, 6:30pm at the church—Family Dinner. An international meal will be catered and we’ll hear reports from different missionaries. To help cover the cost of food we ask for a donation of $3 a person, max $10 for a family.

Saturday Morning, 10am at the church—Ladies Tea and Coffee. Ladies will hear from female missionaries and students.

Saturday Evening at Pastor Brian Allred’s home, 6pm—Men, Meat and Missions. Men will enjoy meat and hearing updates from male missionaries and students.

Saturday Evening, 6pm at the church—Kids  Secret Church. Children ages 4 years-old through 5th grade are invited to learn about the secret church. The evening includes worshipping in a secret church, smuggling Bibles and trying foods and crafts from countries that are hostile to the Gospel.

All these events include food and supplies, so please RSVP to the church office!

AWANA CANCELLED Tonight (1/25)

Due to the weather conditions AWANA will not meet tonight (1/25). We look forward to seeing all the kids next week, be safe and keep warm!

Kids Hope Still Needs 15 Mentors!

Kids Hope is still in need of 15 mentors. Kids Hope Ministry is an outreach to Yorktown schools to pair up one caring adult with a child. It only requires one hour a week normally around the lunch hour. Mentors don’t have to prepare lessons, just show up and play games, help with school work, listen and love on their child. If you have any interest in helping out with this ministry, please contact the church office.

New Sermon Series: God’s People for God’s World

Pastor Bob will begin a new sermon series on God’s call to His church to be an outreach-minded, missions-oriented body. The series will be called “God’s People for God’s World” and will begin on New Year’s Day. We realize many people will probably be gone that day, but what better time to begin a new sermon series than on the day that celebrates the beginning of a new year?

Here is the schedule for the series:

Jan. 1 – The mission of the church

Jan. 8 – Service to our community

Jan. 15 – Church planting (guest preacher Dan Herron, Central Indiana Presbytery church planter in Bloomington)

Jan. 22 – Evangelism

Jan. 29 – Hospitality

Feb. 5 – Foreign missions

Feb. 12 – Mercy to the poor

You can listen to the previous sermons in the series HERE.

New Life T-shirts For Christmas Gifts

New Life T-shirts are available for purchase in the church office. The shirts cost $10 and all proceeds go toward sending the youth to camp and on mission trips. If you would like a T-shirt, you can stop by the church office and leave your money in the envelope provided. Checks may be made out to New Life. Get them quick before your size is gone! See Jessy or Adam if you have any questions.

« Previous Page — Next Page »