Female Advisors to the Elders

New Life is pleased to announce that Karen Bouw and Jill Parkison have agreed to serve as our first two female advisors to the session for the remainder of the 2022 calendar year. As indicated at our Annual Meeting in January, female advisors are not being ordained as elders, officers, or as voting members of the session, but will serve one-year terms in an advisory capacity by attending session meetings monthly.

The Bible persistently champions the value, worth, dignity, and giftedness of women. Adding the role of female advisors to other current roles filled by women (numerous team chairs, nursery coordinator, children’s director, diaconal assistants, co-leader of Equip Groups, and music director) enables us to be intentional and consistent in securing female wisdom, insight, and perspectives in making decisions and leading the church well.

Please pray for Karen and Jill as they begin this role, and for the session as they continue their work. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact one of our elders.

New Way to Give: Download the Church Center App

New Life,

For the past two years, we have slowly been transitioning from Church Community Builder (CCB, or sometimes known as My.NewLife) to a different church management software called Planning Center Operations. We are pleased to say we are ready for the final part of the transition!

We would like to introduce you to Church Center, which is a mobile app provided by Planning Center. Church Center is designed for congregations and allows you to explore, engage, and get involved in the church. Through Church Center you can find information about our church and also view the "Calendar" for upcoming church events and sign up for "Groups" (ex: Life Groups, Ministry Teams, Book Studies, and more).

Some of you might also remember that Church Center houses our church-wide "Directory." The directory is a private place for the people in our church to share their contact information with one another. Only people who have been invited to the directory will be able to view its contents and add themselves and their household members. (If you are a member who is not apart of the directory, and would like to be, please email me at office@newlifepca.org).

The last page I would like to direct your attention to is called "Give." Now that we are beginning the final stage of migration to Planning Center, PushPay will no longer be the service through which we give tithes and offerings. The service we will now be using, Stripe, is a third party service that better integrates with Planning Center.

Similarly to PushPay, Stripe has flexible giving options:

• Mobile App: Church Center app where you can give via card, ACH bank transfer, or Apple Pay.

• Online: Church Center website where you can give via card or ACH bank transfer.

• Text-to-Give: text "84321" with the dollar amount you want to give to receive the giving prompt.

• Cash or Check: can be dropped in the basket outside the sanctuary or mailed to New Life.

Because Church Center uses two-factor authentication for every login, your information will be completely secure. 

So that you can take full advantage of Planning Center features, we encourage everyone to download the Church Center app, whether or not you plan to give online. You can download the app by clicking HERE. Please call the office at 765-759-9189 or email office@newlifepca.org if you have any questions. 


Warmly,
Madison Stevens
New Life Office Admin

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Pastor Bob Returns from Sabbatical

Greetings New Life!

It’s good to be back! After a two-month sabbatical that was graciously granted to me by the New Life session, I am now back in the office and re-engaging with ministry here at the church. In God’s wise providence, Mary and I did face some challenges during our time away, but God was gracious in the midst of it and overall we were abundantly blessed and greatly enjoyed the extended break. We are looking forward to reconnecting with our church family in the coming weeks.

Mary and I enjoyed worshiping with you this past Sunday, but this coming Sunday I will be absent again because I have been asked to perform a wedding over the weekend in Colorado Springs. My flight returns to Indiana on Tuesday, so I am in the office this week and next week, and will resume our sermon series on Genesis (we will pick up in chapter 12 with the life of Abraham) on Sunday Aug. 15. This Sunday we were originally planning to hear from Josh Holowell, pastor of our daughter church, City Hope Fellowship, but schedule conflicts arose so Pastor Brian will be bringing the word to us again this coming Sunday.

With sincere appreciation and affection in Christ,

Pastor Bob

Continuing One Service Schedule

New Life will be continuing with our one service schedule moving forward unless compelling reasons develop for going back to two. Guidelines issued by the Indiana State Department of Health and the CDC, along with counsel from our own health professionals, will be weighed as we continue to assess the situation.

Our worship service will start at 10:30 am and will be mask-optional. We will continue to have a mask-required area in the fellowship hall at least through the end of July where the service will be livestreamed. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact any of the members of the New Life session.

-The New Life Session

Mask Policy Update + One Service Schedule on July 4 and July 11

In light of changing recommendations related to Covid restrictions, beginning next Sunday, June 27, first service will be mask optional for those who are fully vaccinated. The second service will remain mask optional for everyone. For anyone wishing to worship in a mask required area, first service will be livestreamed in the fellowship hall where masks will be required. As a reminder, if you or a loved one you care for is in a high-risk category for severe Covid complications, please take proper steps of precaution, and if you are feeling ill, please stay home and rest.

In addition to this change, we will be offering just one Sunday morning worship service at 10:30am on both July 4 and July 11. This briefly lessens the workload for our Sunday morning volunteers who have served so faithfully over the past year. For those worshipping in the sanctuary, the service will be mask-optional (our current second service policy). Again, for anyone wishing to worship in a mask required area, the services for both Sundays will be livestreamed in the fellowship hall where masks will be required.

–New Life Session

Pastor Bob's Sabbatical Plans

Hello New Life family!

As most of you know, the session here at New Life has graciously allowed me to take a sabbatical during the months of June and July. I want to thank the elders for granting me this special blessing, as well as thank all of you who have offered your encouragement and support as Mary and I prepare to withdraw from church life for a time.

Just so you know, the session did adopt a policy many years ago that allows our pastors to take a one-month sabbatical for every three years of service. Since it’s been seven years since my last sabbatical, the session allowed me to combine those two three-year periods to equal a two-month sabbatical this year.

I’m also very grateful for committed and skilled elders, deacons, office staff and ministry leaders who I know will handle things with great care and loving devotion in my absence. Pastor Brian will be handling most of the preaching, but from the pulpit you will also hear from ruling elder David Lowry; Josh Holowell, the pastor of our daughter church, City Hope; and Eric Whitley, who leads Reformed University Fellowship at Indiana University.

What do I plan to do while I’m away? Mary and I will do some traveling — we plan to go to Florida, St. Louis and southern Indiana. There are always projects that need attention at home. And of course I relish the time to read, rest and reflect on my own walk with Christ and his calling on my life as a child of God and as a pastor. As Paul commanded Timothy, “Watch your life and your doctrine closely.” (1 Timothy 4:16).

It is also my plan to attend General Assembly, the annual business meeting of our denomination (PCA), which will take place in St. Louis June 29-July 2. This is an especially important meeting because of some controversial issues that will be discussed, and also because covid prevented us from meeting last year. Please pray for our denomination during that time!

If the idea of a pastoral sabbatical is new to you, here are a couple of articles for you to consider:

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/video/duncan-sabbitacals/

https://churchanswers.com/blog/five-reasons-your-pastor-should-take-a-sabbatical/

Thank you again for the time off. My wife and I will treasure it. We will miss you greatly, and will look forward to returning in August with a renewed devotion to Christ and his church.

My love to you in Christ,

Pastor Bob

New Life's Mask Policy Update

Greetings to all of you in the name Jesus, our crucified and risen Savior!

As was mentioned this past Sunday, the elders have decided to slightly adjust our mask policy starting this Sunday. On Easter, we will continue to require masks to be worn during the first service at 8:30 am, but we will resume our mask-optional policy for the second service starting at 11 am. This policy will continue going forward in the coming Sundays, assuming covid conditions continue to improve in our community and do not surge like they did this past fall.

As usual, we are still asking that you take common sense measures: wash your hands regularly, maintain social distancing, and please do not attend worship if you are experiencing any flu-like symptoms, especially if you have recently returned from traveling over spring break. Our worship services will continue to be shown by live stream at 11 am.

Masks will be required for the discipleship hour classes, between 10 and 10:45 am each Sunday. Those classes will be offered on Easter, with the exception of the Exploring New Life class, which will resume next Sunday, April 11.

Masks will also be required for the Good Friday service; however, we will plan to open the multipurpose room for those who would like to watch the service by live stream and without masks. We ask that those taking advantage of this option would still wear their masks while in other parts of the building, both before and after the service.

As we prepare to give special attention this week to the heart of our faith — the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ — we hope these measures will allow all of us to safely and freely enjoy the fellowship of Christ’s church and the blessings of His Gospel.

With love to you all in Christ,
The New Life Session

A Brief Update on New Life's Mask Policy

Greetings New Life!

As you have likely been noticing, the national and local situation regarding the COVID-19 pandemic has been improving substantially in the last several weeks. At New Life, we have been requiring masks at both of our Sunday morning services since December because of the significant spike in cases this past fall.

The elders want you to know that we are monitoring the current developments closely, are encouraged by the improving reports we are seeing, and look forward to easing Sunday morning restrictions soon. Assuming we don’t notice another surge in COVID-19 cases, we hope to offer a mask-optional service soon, and to continue the trend toward normal ministry activity on Sunday mornings.

Thank you for your patience, prayers and continued service to the church during this time. This has been a trying season for all of us, but it is all happening under the sovereign direction of our Lord, who is working all things “according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him” (Ephesians 1:9-10).

With love to you all in Christ,
The New Life Session