The Poster Boy Visits His Alma Mater

You may have noticed him on the cover of the Christian News Northwest last month that was distributed for Mission Fest Northwest. For those of you who don't know, Pastor Nathan is world famous as the poster boy for Western Seminary. Pastor Tim, Nathan and I went to a Western Seminary breakfast where Nathan was a celebrity because of his visible role in Western promotions. We were pleased to be joined there, too, by Rod Crocker, another New Life Church member who is currently serving as interim pastor at Molalla Conservative Baptist Church.

We met the president, Bert Downs, pictured here and their new pastoral theology professor, Art Azurdia. We are pleased to have such a good relationship with Western Seminary.

She's Back!

Today is Freda's first day back in the office since her stroke. She is doing great. We are so glad she's back! The office looks like the grand opening of a greenhouse with all the flowers and balloons! She'll normally be working Tuesdays through Fridays and Chris Ross will be in the office on Mondays.

Thank you for your prayers. Freda feels great but still gets tired easy. So please continue to pray for her strength.

Thank you, too, to Chris Ross, Lori Elliot, Joanne Weiss and Kim Brandstetter who covered various responsibilities and kept our church running for the past month and a half! What would we have done if they had been unwilling, unable or unavailable. Thank you!

Vision & Venture

Vision is not enough; it must be combined with venture.
It is not enough to stare up the steps; we must step up the stairs.
-- Vaclav Havel

Prayer for Today

Thou Great I AM. . .

I need faith;
Thou who has given it to me -- maintain, strengthen, increase it --
Center it upon the Savior's work,
upon the majesty of the Father,
upon the operations of the Spirit;

Work it in me now that I may never doubt thee

as the truthful, mighty, faithful God.
Then I can bring my heart to thee
full of love, gratitude, hope, joy.
May I lay at thy feet these fruits grown in thy garden,
love thee with a passion that can never cool,
believe in thee with a confidence that never staggers,
hope in thee with an expectation that can never be dim,
delight in thee with a rejoicing that cannot be stifled,
glorify thee with the highest of my powers,
burning, blazing, glowing, radiating, as from thy own glory.

Valley of Vision, p.131.
"The Personal Touch"

Welcome to the New Life Church Bookstore . . . Sort of!

Recently we have been approved as an affiliate with Christian Book Distributors. That means that we can sell books and music by linking to their site. All you have to do is click on links, like the one below to the CBD site and purchase a book. Their pricing should be competitive and when you buy from the church site you will be supporting the church at the same time.

Our intent is one day to develop a book store on our website that includes recommended books. One of my chief pastoral frustrations is when people come to me and report they've started reading some really dumb book because a friend of their cousin-twice-removed had a substitute Sunday school teacher who recommended it. . .I'm hoping we can steer you into some really good reading.

So, as a bit of an experiment and to get started, here is the one book, in addition to the Bible, I would love every Christian to read:

Future Grace By John Piper / Multnomah Publishers Inc. In this book, author John Piper helps readers discover the key to overcoming sin and living a life that honors God. Many men and women attempt to walk upright out of gratitude for what Christ did in the past, but Piper encourages believers to look ahead to the grace God provides for us on a day-to-day, moment-by-moment basis--putting faith into action by laying hold of God's promises for the challenges we face.

One day at a time. . .

I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days attack me at once.
-- Ashley Brilliant

Excellency of Christ

I finished reading my copy of Devotions from the Pen of Jonathan Edwards yesterday. Here is the final gem from that small mine!

But Christ Jesus has true excellency, and so great excellency, that when they come to see it they look no further, but the mind rests there. It sees a transcendent glory and an ineffable sweetness in him; it sees that till now it has been pursuing shadows, but that now it has found the substance; that before it had been seeking happiness in the stream, but that now it has found the ocean. The excellency of Christ is an object adequate to the natural cravings of the soul, and is sufficient to fill the capacity. It is an infinite excellency, such an one as the mind desires, in which it can find no bounds; and the more the mind is used to it, the more excellent it appears. Every new discovery makes this beauty appear more ravishing, and the mind sees no end; here is room enough for the mind to go deeper and deeper, and never come to the bottom. The soul is exceedingly ravished when it first looks on this beauty, and it is never weary of it. The mind never has any satiety, but Christ’s excellency is always fresh and new, and tends as much to delight, after it has been seen a thousand or ten thousand years, as when it was seen the first moment.

The excellency of Christ is an object suited to the superior faculties of man, it is suited to entertain the faculty of reason and understanding, and there is nothing so worthy about which the understanding can be employed as this excellency; no other object is so great, noble, and exalted.
-- p.108, from a sermon entitled, Safety, Fullness, and Sweet Refreshment in Christ.

Why Do We Do "Baby Dedications?"

A baby dedication is more a parent dedication than anything. This ceremony itself makes no spiritual difference in the life of the child, but parents committed to Christ do make a difference.

The Bible records two such ceremonies. When Hannah in the Old Testament had prayed for a child and God answered she took Samuel to the temple to dedicate him to God. When Jesus was young Mary & Joseph publicly dedicated him to God. Each of those events are similar their intent to 'baby dedications' we do as New Life Church.

We will often do baby dedications on Sanctity of Human Life Sunday as a way to highlight and celebrate the value of human life. And more than that, to celebrate the promise of a life lived for Jesus.

Psalms 139:1-18 a paraphrase

New Life Church will be worshipping through and meditating on Psalm 139 this week. Here is a paraphrase of Psalms 139:1-18 (written January 5, 2000 by Bree Watt for Blake, age 5 and Ty age 2).

1 “Jesus…You have watched me and watched me and You know me better than anybody in the whole world knows me.
2 You even know when and where I sit down, and when I get out of bed. You realize what all my thinking is going to be about before I even think it!
3 You know when I go out to play when I snuggle down under my covers to fall asleep at night. You show me your love for me by how much You care about EVERY big and little thing I do.
4 Before I say even one word, You know what that word is and what I am going to mean when I say it. Wow, Jesus!
5 Because You are everywhere at the same time, You are a circle around me. You keep me safe from anything that might be scary in front of me, and anything scary behind me; Your big, strong right-hand is around my shoulders.
6 You are so smart, Jesus, smarter than anybody I know. Even if my head were as big as a mountain and full, full of brains, I still wouldn’t be as smart as You are.
7 Where can I hide from you, Jesus? When I play hide-and-seek you always know right where I’m hiding. I can never run away from you, can I Jesus?
8 Because even if I get on an airplane or fly in a rocket ship way, way up in the sky…..you are there with me in the sky. But what if I dig a deep, deep hole with a big huge tractor and slide way down to the bottom on a rope? It would be so dark down there! Would you be all the way down in the dirt with me, Jesus? You say,”YES!” You are there with me no matter how far down I am.
9 If I wake up right when the sun is peaking over the mountains and it’s still kind-of dark outside, even though everybody else is still asleep…you’re not Jesus. You never sleep. You are awake with me. If I have to pack up all my toys and stuff and move over the ocean to another country where the people look different and talk different and I don’t know anybody and don’t have friends…who is my friend there? YOU are Jesus! Even in that far-away place.
10 Your strong hand will be holding onto mine and you will be walking the right way, showing me where to go and what to do. You will never let go of my hand, Jesus. You are too strong to ever let our hands slide apart; you love me too much to ever let go.
11 What if I turn off all the lights in the whole house and it’s dark outside too and then I go hide in my closet. Will I be hiding from you, Jesus? No, of course not! That’s silly because….
12 You can see perfectly in the dark. You can see everything just as good in the nighttime with out any lights on as you can in the daytime outside when the sun is shining as bright as it can.
13 You made-up my personality, Jesus and gave it to me. My smile, my laugh, how I walk, how I sound when I talk, the color of my hair, the shape of my nose, even the size of my big toe!
14 I want to thank you, Jesus for making me. You did a great job. The truth is, everything you do is great because you never make mistakes!
15 I have never been out of your sight, Jesus. Even when I was still in my mommy’s tummy. You could see me. Nobody else could see me but you could. You made sure that I turned out just right.
16 Every single day of my whole life was already written down by you in a special book before I was even born. You knew what I was going to do today when it was yesterday and right now, you know all about what I am going to do tomorrow.
17 I think all your thoughts are so neat Jesus and you have so many thoughts! If I tried to count how many thoughts you have, I couldn’t, even if I could count to one thousand and more! I might be able to count each little piece of sand if I had a small handful but you have more thoughts than each little piece of sand in my whole sandbox! Jesus, your thoughts are more than all the little pieces of sand next to all the oceans in the whole world! Wow! That’s a lot of thinking that you do.
18 You are all of these things, Jesus. Everything we just learned and more. How safe and happy I feel when I remember that no matter where I go or how long I sleep…when I wake-up, you are still with me.

Missions Fest Northwest

Missions Fest Northwest starts today. Check the schedule to see when you can fit in a visit this weekend.

Treasure Island -- MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Tim Watt's picture was in the Oregonian this morning because Treasure Island is making a difference.

Here is a link to the article. MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Here's the text in case the link disappears:

MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Thursday, January 19, 2006

Seeking to integrate church with community

West Linn's New Life Church started a free after-school program in October to help grade-school students positively influence their community.

Tim Watt, associate pastor at the church's Robinwood location, says the goal is to integrate the church with the community. "We wanted to do something for the kids. A lot of churches have evening activities, but we wanted to fill the after-school niche."

The program is called Treasure Island, from the church's mission to treasure God above all else. Treasure Island is 3:30 to 5 p.m. Wednesdays during the school year.

Ten adult volunteers lead the kids in songs, games, crafts and other activities that revolve around the day's theme, usually derived from a biblical story. The day ends with a snack and a discussion of what the participants learned.

"We had about 20 kids in the program this fall," Watt said, "and we would like to attract more from surrounding areas in the spring when we have more outdoor activities."

Marcia Shares Her Personal Story of Suffering

Last Thursday morning Marcia Reavely spoke to the Women’s Bible study group as they began their study of Job. Marcia talked about the suffering she experienced with the loss of her two babies, Lindsey and Thomas. She shared her personal story along with the lessons she learned. Here is a summary of some of the things she shared.

Lessons about suffering:

1. Suffering comes.
We shouldn’t be surprised by it.
2. Suffering is no respecter of persons.
Many expect life to go smoothly if they are living right, but not all suffering is discipline for sin. We all face it and at least we will all go through the valley of the shadow of death. You can’t look at Jesus on the cross and think that you will be spared.
3. Suffering hurts.
Being a Christian doesn’t take the suffering out of life and it doesn’t take the pain out of suffering. Some cultures try not to show suffering. But Jesus cried. David made his bed swim with tears. God takes account of our tears, so it must be okay to feel sad.
4. Suffering can be prepared for.
First, know where you are going when your heart beats its last beat. It is like being prepared for unannounced guests. You can keep the house in order and have some extra food on hand, but you can only interact with them when they actually arrive. Prepare for suffering by being in the Word daily. Get rid of sin. Pray that God will preserve you when your day of suffering comes. And then trust him for the grace when you need it.
Elisabeth Elliot said, “Faithfulness today is the best preparation for the demands of tomorrow.”
5. Suffering doesn’t need to be feared.
Americans try to avoid discomfort and suffering at all costs. Some of us even go so far as to say we don’t want to get too close to God because we’re afraid of what he might do to us, like he did to Job. We have it backwards: staying away doesn’t spare us; it just makes it harder when it comes.
Suffering has benefits: purifies and humbles us, gives us endurance and maturity, we learn God’s Word and it glorifies God.
Psalm 112:7: “The righteous will not fear evil tidings; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.”

Lessons about God:

1. God’s Word is indispensable.
It becomes more sweet and precious. It comes alive. It comforts us. It shows us God’s character and how He works. It gives us something to focus our thoughts on. It gives words to our prayers.
Psalm 110:71: “It is good that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes.”
2. God’s grace IS sufficient.
No hurt is too deep for him to see us through. He is faithful; he loves us. We all can think of suffering that we think we can’t endure. On our own we’d probably give up. But God’s grace is there when we need it.
Corrie ten Boom was afraid of death as a child. She asked her father what they would do if something happened to one of them. He said, “When we go on a trip, when do I give you your train ticket?”
“Right when I get on the train,” she said. God does the same, he give you the grace right when you need it.
3. God is sovereign.
I knew this, but it didn’t mean much to me before I suffered some. Read through the Bible with two colored markers in hand. Mark all the suffering you see with one and all the verses on God’s sovereignty and power with the other. You’ll find there is much on both topics and they often overlap.
When I see all of God’s attributes, love, goodness, faithfulness, alongside his sovereignty, I know I can completely trust Him.
4. God hears my cry.
Even when He is silent and it feels like He must not hear, He hears in His time. Over and over He answered me when I needed reassurance. And He didn’t just hear my cry for help, He heard your cries for help on my behalf, and He answered. I hope you are encouraged today that He hears and He answers.
5. God satisfies.
There is rich fellowship with the Lord in suffering and it is worth the cost. I couldn’t have chosen this road for myself, but I am thankful for it.

Our sufferings are not over yet. There is more to come. I have children; I have aging parents; I have yet to face my own valley of death. You will have your own suffering. Our stories vary; our circumstances will be different. But one thing will never change, and that is God. He took me through these past ten difficult years. He has seen many of you through very painful suffering. He will see us through again. Draw close to Him every day and when the suffering comes, have hope. The sovereign God of the universe is with you.

Tressie Staehely 1/24/1907-1/14/2006

A memorial service will be held at New Life Church Riverfalls on Saturday, January 21, at 2:00 p.m. for Tressie Staehely. Tressie was part of West Linn Baptist Church (now New Life Church) since the very beginning days.

Tressie passed away ten days shy of her 99th birthday! Her long life was lived in a sweet relationship with God.

Those who knew her knew a quiet woman of faith who cared very deeply and tenderly for the church. She regularly had people into her home for meals. The radiant smile in the picture is how she will be remembered.

Psalms 4 Life / Gabby's Song

On July 1st, 2005 Gabriela Warner was rushed to Dornbecker Children's Hospital diagnosed with Spinal Meningitis. Gabby was only 4 pounds when she entered our world so there was much concern over the diagnosis. In an attempt to encourage Gabby's parents and to take comfort myself, I open the Bible to Psalms 23 and composed this tune. Bree and I sang and recorded this song on our portable recorder and headed down to Dornbecker to share it with Gabby's parents.

After many days in the hospital, Gabby was released and all tests indicated a healthy recovery, Praise God. "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will not fear for You are with me." Pray for Gabby, she is still very small for her age and needs to gain some weight.

We sang this song at New Life Robinwood two weeks ago when we studied Psalms 23 in our Psalms 4 Life series.

Pray for Gabby.

Chorus
The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want
He makes me lie down in green pastures
He leads me besides the still
waters.... Restores my soul

Verse 1
Even though I walk through the
valley of the shadow of death
I will not fear
For you are with me, Your rod and
Thy staff Comfort me
Thou preparest a table before me
In the presence of my enemies
Thou annointest my head with oil,
my cup....Overflows

Verse 2
Surely goodness and mercy will follow me
All the days, all the days of my life
And I will dwell in the house of
the Lord ....Forever.

Words by King David, Arrangement by Tim Watt
© For HIS Glory Music

Thoughts on Worship

Several of you are thinking more about worship since our church has entered a transition period. I encourage you to read this and think about some of the implications of what one writer calls Karaoke worship

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

Yes, the girls went to the Middle School retreat, too. Look at the picture on the Left. Do you think those two girls were at the same retreat?

Middle School Retreat

Here are some pictures from the Middle School Retreat this weekend at Camp Arrawanna. The theme was "Through the Wardrobe" taking off on themes from "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe."

We had 25 kids go with 7 leaders. Three young people made first time commitments to the Lord while 14 rededicated their lives. Thanks to all those that made a great weekend possible.

CBNW Identity Document

I doubt all of you know that our church is a Conservative Baptist church. That's okay. Over the years that has meant a number of things. Too often now "Conservative Baptist"is misunderstood to be "Republican Southern Fundamentalist." That's simply not reality.

What then does it mean to be Conservative Baptist? The association we are part of, CBNorthwest, has made a noble attempt to define that with what they call an "Identity Document."

I encourage you to follow the link to read about what our association is proposing we approve. The vote will take place for all CBNW in early March. If you have any questions or thoughts, either comment below or ask one of our elders.

.... plans I have for you,

Brian's final lunch with New Life Staff -

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jer 29:11-13

Children’s Ministry Trends Missing the Mark for Long-Lasting Change

Church Business - Children’s Ministry Trends Missing the Mark for Long-Lasting Change

The last sentence whispers a mouthful:

"Rather than loud music and boisterous and active games, the research here suggests stillness and quiet."

Rosemary Lazzaretto, 1922-2005

A memorial service for Rosemary Lazarretto will be held at New Life Church Riverfalls at 3:30, Thursday, January 12. For those of you who do not know her a brief biography is below:

Rose Mary Nelsen was born June 20, 1922 in Seattle, Washington to Beulah and Gustav Nelsen. She was the youngest of 7 children: Genevieve; an older infant sister; Gwen; Bess; Bill and Rhodes. She lost three of her siblings all at very young ages and was most affected by Rhodes’ death when she was only three.

Her family moved between Seattle and Los Angeles as her father, a baker, took many jobs. Times were very difficult and her older brother Bill had to work to help support the family.

In high school, she worked at See’s Candy and enjoyed the benefits of this job – being able to eat as much chocolate as she wanted. Her sweet tooth lasted her whole life.

Rosemary met Joe Lazzaretto in high school and was married at 19. Her first child, Rosemary Dee, was born a year later in 1943, followed by Peter Michael in 1945 and Deborah Anne two years later. Her greatest desire in life was to be a mother and this love has grown into 9 children and 21 great-grandchildren. Rosemary and Joe raised their three children in Los Angeles, California and moved to Oregon in the mid 1980’s to be closer to Dee and and Pete’s families.

One of her favorite pastimes was crocheting and over the course of her life, she crocheted doilies, blankets, booties, hats and jackets. She crocheted afghans for each of her grandchildren as they got married and even put one aside for the last grandchild, Joe, who is not yet married. She started crocheting baby booties for Pregnancy Resource Centers in the 90’s and donated 5,000 pairs of baby booties.

Rosemary also enjoyed cooking and baking and every year she and Joe would make Little Grandma’s Chocolate Christmas Suckers. Batches totaled in the hundreds each year and were sent to family and friends from all over. She started making these suckers with her mother when she was a little girl and carried the tradition over to her children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. It is estimated that over her lifetime, she made thousands of suckers.

Rosemary and Joe visited southern California for annual family reunions and the births of great-grandchildren after their move to Oregon. After Joe died, Rosemary enjoyed trips to the beach with Dee and special lunches after doctor appointments.

Rosemary enjoyed listening to radio broadcasts of Dr. James Dobson and Dr. J. Vernon McGee. She listened to Dr. McGee’s “Through the Bible Radio” five- year program at least 10 times and acquired all of his study books on each of the Books of the Bible. Her love for hymns was evident when she would sing along with the radio.

Rosemary’s love for the Lord and trust in Him was evident throughout her life. Although she endured both sorrow and joy, her faith never wavered and she was always thankful and felt blessed with what He allowed in her life.

Rosemary Lazzaretto is survived by her brother, 3 children, 9 grandchildren, 21 great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

Tim Watt's New Cascade Summit Blog

Here is a link to Tim's new blog for his ministry at Cascade Summit. He calls it: Cascade Comments.

Treasure Island 06 Begins Wednesday

January 11, 3:30 PM Where will you be? If you are a kid grades K-5 you could be searching for treasure at New Life Church's Treasure Island after school program. Tomorrow is our first day back after the Holiday break and we are looking forward to a New Year and New Treasures as we seek to Treasure God Above All Else. See you Wednesday at 3:30 PM

Look for an article about Treasure Island in the Oregonian this Friday!

What is Faith?

Faith is the soul's conviction and acknowledgement of God's power in difficult things, of His mercy in the wonderful things, of His truth in the mysterious things, of the excellency of other holy things, and of the salvation of Christ Jesus.
-- Jonathan Edwards, "Concerning Faith", Quoted in Devotions from the pen of Jonathan Edwards, p.99.

Pictures from Janssens' farewell

New Life Church said "Good-bye" to the Janssens last night. There were tears of sadness and tears of joy. We wish Brian, Kelly, Molly, and Ethan all the best in the next chapter of their lives. Enjoy these pictures (even though they aren't as funny as the ones on the DVD).

Robinwood Flood Cleanup

The floor is dry but the work is just begining at New Life Robinwood. Check out these pictures of the progress and remember to pray for the Robinwood Team as they work to bring the Sunday School and office wing back to life.

Farewell to the Janssens

The farewell program for the Janssens will begin at 5:00 p.m. this Sunday, January 8th in the sanctuary. Afterwards we will have a fellowship refreshment time downstairs in the fellowship hall. Please bring a favorite dessert to share.

Psalm 23

Sunday, January 8th, for the first time, both locations of New Life Church will hear messages from the same text -- Psalm 23.

A psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Psalm 23 is one of the most beloved chapters in the entire Bible. Does anyone have stories about how God used this Psalm to encourage them? Please comment if you do. If you don't, come to church on Sunday -- I trust the Lord will encourage you then.

The Ten Most Harmful Books

HUMAN EVENTS ONLINE - Conservative News, Views profiles the ten most harmful books of the 19th and 20th centuries. I have long thought of posting book lists on the blog. I didn't think I'd start with such an extreme one. I think you'll find it interesting.

Significant Stories in Fundamentalism and Evangelicalism in 2005

Here is an extensive (long) list of issues from 2005 that impact Christians worldwide. I thought you would enjoy and be educated by reading this week's issue of the Monday Morning Insight Weblog.

Thank you from Pass Christian

Dear Friends at New Life Church:

We are so grateful for sending the amazing people you did to help us rebuild. Their hard work is so much appreciated. There is no human way we could be where we are today without the generous help of people willing to leave their lives for a time to come and work alongside us -- to work alone, really. Our people are not able to accomplish the many things that need to be done, but with friends like you coming to help, the work is getting done.

We are reminded by each new team that God owns it all. Thank you for listening when God asked you to go and for the generous Home Depot gift cards you left behind.

Sincerely,
Deanne Kimball for Bible Fellowship Church

A Prayer for the New Year

O Lord,
Length of days does not profit me except the days are passed
in thy presence, in thy service to thy glory.

Give me a grace that precedes, follows, guides, sustains,
sanctifies, aids every hour,
that I may not be one moment apart from thee,
but may rely on thy Spirit
to supply every thought,
speak every word,
direct every step,
prosper every work,
build up every mote of faith,
and give me a desire
to show forth thy praise, testify thy love, advance thy kingdom.

I launch my bark on the unknown waters of this year,
with thee, O Father, as my harbor,
thee, O Son, at my helm,
the, O Holy Spirit, filling my sails.

Guide me to heaven with my loins girt,
my lamp burning,
my ear open to thy calls,
my heart full of love, my soul free.

Give me thy grace to sanctify me,
they comforts to cheer me,
thy wisdom to teach,
they right hand to guide,
thy counsel to instruct,
thy law to judge,
thy presence to stabilize.

May thy fear by my awe,
thy triumphs my joy.

Valley of Vision, p. 112.