A Day of Prayer and Fasting

What?

As part of this December’s 5(hundred) Hours: A Call to Prayer, we are setting aside New Year’s Day—Friday, January 1st, 2010—as a day of prayer and fasting.

John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion

[W]henever men are to pray to God concerning any great matter, it would be expedient to appoint fasting along with prayer.

Arthur Wallis, God’s Chosen Fast

Fasting is calculated to bring a note of urgency and importunity into our praying, and to give force to our pleading in the court of heaven. The man who prays with fasting is giving heaven notice that he is truly earnest . . . . Not only so, but he is expressing his earnestness in a divinely-appointed way. He is using a means that God has chosen to make his voice to be heard on high.

When?

There will be two gatherings for prayer and worship at the Riverfalls Campus. Please join with us by fasting for one or both of the meetings, either in person or while you’re away:

12pm-1pm (Lunch Fast)
6pm-7pm (Dinner Fast)

re:Generātion/5(hundred) Hours - Gospel

5(hundred) Hours - Gospel from New Life Church on Vimeo.

Week 5 - Gospel

What is 5(hundred) Hours?

5(hundred) Hours is an ambitious, church-wide call to prayer aimed at spending five hundred cumulative hours in corporate and private prayer to prepare for the February launch of re:Generātion, a new Young Adults Ministry taking place Sunday nights.

Week 5 - Gospel

The gospel is the good news that God sent His Son to save us from our sins. This means that union with Christ—in his life, death and resurrection—is not only what converts a person, but what transforms, empowers and matures them too. Everything we do—from ministry to mission—is to be shaped by the reality, as Paul says in Galatians 2:20, that having been crucified with Christ, we no longer live, but rather Christ lives in us. The life we live in the flesh, we live by faith in the Son of God, who loved us and gave himself for us.

re:Generātion exists to convey and communicate the centrality of Christ to the gospel and the gospel to all of life.

What to pray for as we ought . . .

Gracious Father, make re:Generātion a gospel-centered community committed to conveying and communicating the centrality of Christ to the gospel and the gospel to all of life.

Guard and guide the hearts of both its members and its leaders for we are all prone to follows other gods—idols of our own making and design.

Grieve them, I pray, in those times when they forsake you, with a profound and godly sorrow and lead them in a life marked by true repentance(2 Cor. 7:9).

Cause them to turn away,
From seeking their own good,
From exalting their own names,
From loving their own lives,
From playing their own gods,
From saving their own souls.

Be gracious, O Lord, according to your loving-kindness; according to the greatness of your compassion blot out their transgressions. Wash them thoroughly from their iniquity, and cleanse them from their sin!

Create within them clean hearts and renew right and steadfast spirits within them (Ps. 51:1-2, 10).

Make them righteous by your grace as a gift received by faith. Do not allow them to trust in their own works but in you, the God who justifies the ungodly through the redemption that is in Christ (Rom. 4:5).

Root them deeply, Father, in the reality that having been baptized into Christ they have been baptized into His death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through your own powerful glory, they too might walk in newness of life.

Unite them to your Son that sharing in His death they might also share in His life-giving resurrection.

Through the cross, dispel the power of sin and set them free from its slavery.

As Christ himself died to sin and now lives His life to you, so too teach them to consider themselves in all their parts dead to sin but alive to you in union with your Son.

May sin, therefore, have no dominion over them, for they are no longer under the law, but under the reign of grace (Rom. 6:1-14).

And finally, Father, having experienced your gracious, gospel love, may they then love in return.

Make them agents of your grace, sent out in the name of Christ to seek and save the lost.

Printable Prayers

For a printable version of these prayers to take with you throughout the week click on the following link.

A Prophet Like Moses

A message from Deuteronomy 18:15-19, December 20, 2009 by Scott Reavely.

Some of the comparison between Jesus and Moses came from this website. It has even more than I had time to share in this message, complete with scripture references.

God Comes Down!

A message from Exodus 19, December 13, 2009 by Scott Reavely

The God Who Welcomes Outsiders

A message from Exodus 18:1-27, December 6, 2009 by Pastor Aaron Orendorff

The God Who Provides for Complainers

A message from Exodus 15:22-17:7, November 29, 2009, Pastor Aaron Orendorff

2009 at New Life Church: AWANA

Another highlight of 2009 was the beginning of AWANA. Last summer Sara Pylate began to think and pray about leading an AWANA club for New Life Church. Her children had gone to another church for the club and she thought it would be a great way to minister to other kids as well as her own, if we would offer it.

When she presented it to me, she wanted to go full scale, doing club for two-year-olds through sixth grade. I talked her down to two clubs to start with. Puggles and Cubbies started October 14th. After having more Puggles and Cubbies than we prayed for, we are expanding in January to include Sparkies and TNT clubs. If you would like to register a child you may do it online here.

Thank you to all you who make AWANA possible. Please continue to pray for them.

Brad Titus in Rwanda

Many of you know that Brad Titus is a medical doctor who attends New Life Church with his wife Jan. For several years, Brad has been involved with leading teams to Guatemala to support the work of Food for the Hungry in community development.

Last summer Brad got connected with a group of physicians who were going to Rwanda as a part of Luis Palau's efforts there. The Lord led him to go on the trip. While in country Brad sensed the Lord bringing together a vision in his heart to help build a hospital, nurses training school, and community health outreach program in Kigali, Rwanda through a group called Africa New Life Ministries. The Lord has been working in amazing ways to confirm this vision. On January 4-15 Brad will again be traveling to Rwanda to further pursue the formation of this vision with leaders from the US and Rwanda. Below is a list of things you can pray for Brad as he goes on this trip:

1. In all ways, the name of Jesus Christ be exalted
2. That He exalt His Word; that He empower His servants to boldly proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ in both word and deed
3. That He raise up thousands of Rwandan disciples and strengthen His church in Rwanda
4. That He grant us favor in the eyes of the Rwandan government and other community leaders who will help us carry the ministry forward, but also protect us from any hindrances of proclaiming the Gospel in every aspect of our work
5. Protection of our team from the evil one
6. Grant us single-mindedness, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose
7. For wisdom and discernment in our dealings with people who may attempt to halt the works of God
8. To raise up Spirit-gifted fund-raisers
9. To provide every resource necessary for completion of the ministry vision
10. For humility and recognition that we will labor in vain if we attempt to labor apart from Christ Jesus and the perfect will of God
11. That the faith of the Rwandan people would rest on a demonstration of God's power through the Spirit-transformed witness of Christ's servants
12. That the people of Rwanda will see the compassion, love and mercy of our Lord Jesus as His servants minister to the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of the communities in which we will serve.

2009 At New Life Church

New Life Church had a great year in 2009. This series of posts will summarize a few of the highlights.

Several ministries that began in previous years had significant years for which we are thankful.

• Celebrate Recovery had near 100 people at Thanksgiving dinner. CR has a core of committed workers who have ministered to literally hundreds of people over the year. CR is the launch pad for several key initiatives that began in 2009.
  
• Coffee Cart, which is in its 15 years, is serving 43% more students every day than they did last year. God has supplied a new coordinator, Mike Wright. We are truly enjoying the new environment created by the remodel.
  
• H2O which began at New Life Church a couple years ago now has 27 active cities throughout the country that are giving away bags. H2O was the 2009 CB Women’s camp project and recently received a $1750 check. Thank you! In addition, Leslie and Lauren Reavely were honored by Dr. Lynn Smith in Lake Oswego in a "Do a Good Deed Contest" earlier in the year. They spoke at Mission Connexion to encourage kids to do hard things and will speak there again this year.
  

Celebrating David Henderson's Life

On Saturday, December 19, 2009 hundreds gathered at Gladstone First Baptist Church to celebrate the life of David Henderson who passed away on December 9th after a battle with cancer. Dave and his wife, Sherie, served as missionaries in Indonesia and in Moscow, Russia and Dave also served on the European Ministry Team and assisted after the 2004 tsunami hit Indonesia.
The Celebration of Life service involved many participants including music by Ronn and Peggy Pricer and family and Marcia Reavely and family. Pastor Scott Reavely delivered the Memorial Message on Dave's life verse, Psalm 84:6,7.
Dave Henderson is survived by his wife, Sherie, and their children Adriel, Paul, Anna, and Sean. Dave also leaves behind a legacy of a life well lived and is now in Heaven with his Savior.

Thank You from Lee and Louise Bennett

We thank God for you, remembering you in our prayers.
Dear brothers and sisters at New Life Church: We have to say how wonderful it is to be a part of God's family at New Life.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your love, concern, and prayers for Wilda and for us. From the time she fell until even after she went to Heaven, we felt God's love, grace and mercy through you.
Thank you so much!
Till we see His face,
Lee and Louise Bennett

Song of the Sea

A message from Exodus 15:1-21, November 22, 2009, by Scott Reavely

No Graves in Egypt!

A message from Exodus 12:33-14:31, November 15, 2009, by Scott Reavely

Hunter Haugen Home from India

Hunter Haugen is home from India!

He came home with a small carry on that easily held what he did not give away. "Three square meals of rice and spice" each day left him visibly lighter. The big smile and lots of stories of all God has been doing in his life were cause for praise to God for answered prayers. Please see Hunter's final report below:

नमस्ते,
What a trip. When Brian and I first
talked about coming to India, I only knew that 1. three months sounded like a really long time, and 2. there would be computer stuff to do. Within this sparse framework I began to add all of my expectations of how my time could best be spent here and what I would have to accomplish for this trip to be a "success." Looking back over my time here, I can only be amazed at how once again God redeems whatever we give him and returns it to us increased a hundredfold.
In my time here, I was engaged with Brian and staff in the office in
training for various topics giving a deeper understanding of the various server
operating systems, developing and deploying streamlined working procedures
and software to more closely integrate their development cycle and at the same
time provide flexibility which was previously nonexistent, set up a virtual private
network, as well as a few other other buzzword-bingo subjects. I was also given
the chance to teach a class for 40 teachers-in-training on the finer points of
Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
But more than technical aspects, I was able to come in contact with many
Indians on a micro and macro scale. Just being there with white skin makes
people naturally curious, and as English is the de facto language of the country,
I was able to engage with people when I went to the city, towns, schools, or
anywhere. There are several Hindus who I was in frequent contact with, often
taking meals or tea together and having conversations that moved beyond the
customary social talk. I was given several occasions to explain in depth what
the Christian faith is, and who I am because of it. They did not take me up on
my offers for church yet, but I will have them in my prayers.
On a personal level, this trip vivified and verified my desire to serve the
practical needs of technical expertise on the missions field, and this could very
well be one of the key chapters of my life. The monetary and time invested in
this trip have had a very direct effect on my life, and have made me a sharper
tool in the hand of God.
I thank you for your gifts to allow me to make this trip. India is a country
where the people are open to teaching and friendship, and don't shy away from
the idea of an almighty God. God is definitely at work in this country.
Hunter Haugen

re:Generātion/5(hundred) Hours - Community

5(hundred) Hours - Community from New Life Church on Vimeo.

Week 4 - Community

What is 5(hundred) Hours?

5(hundred) Hours is an ambitious, church-wide call to prayer aimed at spending five hundred cumulative hours in corporate and private prayer to prepare for the February launch of re:Generātion, a new Young Adults Ministry taking place Sunday nights.

Week 4 - Community

Having been created in the image of a triune God, humans beings are made for relationship; we are built to live in community. Tragically, our rejection of God, what the Bible calls “sin,” has fractured our relationships—both with God as well as with other people. Through the gospel, God is at work to draw us back into renewed communion not only with himself but also with his people—the church. Life, ministry and mission are, therefore, all meant to be done together in the context of God’s family.

re:Generātion exists not to replace the local church but to embrace and support it by providing both small and large group gatherings committed to propelling their members into full participation within the body of Christ.

What to pray for as we ought . . .

Unifying Spirit, I pray for the ministry of New Life re:Generātion, for its individual members and for the communities of believers who gather beneath its name.

May they be one, Father—as an extension of Christ’s body—just as you and the Son are one,

Enable them to love one another in such a way that the world might see and know that you too have loved them and sent your Son to save them (Jn. 17:11-21).

Cause them to walk in a manner worthy of the calling they have received, with humility, gentleness and patience.

May they bear with one another in love and eagerly maintain both the unity and the peace that your Spirit has brought between them.

For there is only one body, through which your people have become members one of another, one indwelling Spirit, one enduring hope, one sovereign Lord, one common faith, one initiating baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all (Eph. 4:1-6).

Make re:Generātion, as a ministry and as Life Groups, a gospel-shaped and Christ-centered community.

May its members experience through their shared lives encouragement in Christ, comfort from your love, participation in the Spirit, affection and sympathy towards one another,

In doing so give them one mind, maintain among them one love, make them united in one spirit and focused upon the same purpose and goal.

Let them do nothing from selfishness or pride, but rather in humility may they consider others of more value and significance than themselves,

Cause them to look not only to their own needs but to readily turn to the needs of others (Phil. 2:1-4).

May they rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep, being neither haughty nor conceited but associating with the lowly (Rom. 12:13-18).

Make them daily to watch over and exhort each another that they might not be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin, nor be led away from you, the living God, through an evil, unbelieving heart (Heb. 3:12-13).

Make re:Generātion a safe, gracious and honest place where the truth is spoken in love and sins are freely confessed (Eph. 4:15; Jam. 5:16).

Ultimately, Father, may you, the God of endurance and encouragement, enable them to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together they may with one voice glorify you, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, welcoming and accepting each another just as Christ accepted them, all to the glory of God (Rom. 15:5-7).

Printable Prayers

For a printable version of these prayers to take with you throughout the week click on the following link.

Lord of the Passover

A message from Exodus 11:1-12:32, November 8, 2009 by Pastor Travis Tadema

Christmas Eve Services

We will have two All Church Christmas Eve Services at 4:30 and 6:00 p.m. at our Robinwood location. We hope that these services will provide a good opportunity for you to invite friends and family to come with you to worship Jesus this Christmas.

End of the Year Finances

This year has been a hard one for all of us. God continues to bless us and provide what we need. And, He does that through His people. We want you to know how we expect to end the year.

We need $54,000 in the month of December to finish 2009 in the black. Of that, $18,000 has already come in, leaving $36,000 needed for the rest of the year. We also have an outstanding balance in our remodel project of about $11,000. We would love to finish that project off by the end of the year, too. [Did you know Coffee Cart is serving 43% more kids than last year? The remodel is making a difference every day!]

Can you help? Pray about this. Check your giving records. Have you given all you intended to give? Thank you for pulling together at year’s end.

The Plagues

A message from Exodus 7:8-10:29, November 1, 2009 by Travis Tadema.

Don't Let God Be Your Biggest Problem

A message from Exodus 4:18-31, October 18, 2009 by Scott Reavely.

I AM

A message from Exodus 3:1-4:17, October 11, 2009 by Scott Reavely

Failure & Exile

A message from Exodus 2:11-25, October 4, 2009, by Scott Reavely.

The God Who Saves

A message from Exodus 1-2:10, September 27, 2009, by Scott Reavely

Snow Policy

When it snows, there is always the question as to whether to go to church. For your safety and to aid you in making a decision, we have developed the following policy.
Weekdays:
If West Linn High School is closed that day, the church’s activities will also be cancelled.
Sundays:
If snow or ice on the roads makes travel treacherous where you live, don’t attempt to come to services.
Check the blog for official announcements about weather cancellations.

re:Generātion/5(hundred) Hours - Mission

5(hundred) Hours - Mission from New Life Church on Vimeo.

Week 3 - Mission

What is 5(hundred) Hours?

5(hundred) Hours is an ambitious, church-wide call to prayer aimed at spending five hundred cumulative hours in corporate and private prayer to prepare for the January launch of re:Generātion, a new Young Adults Ministry taking place Sunday nights.

Week 3 - Mission

If the church exists to worship God, then its mission is simple: “Make worshippers.” This is what the Great Commission is all about. In John 20:21, Jesus connects his mission to the mission of his followers: “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” Being a follower of Jesus Christ means being “sent.” The aim of this sending is to call people of every kind to turn away from all that is “not God” and embrace the reality of the one, true and living God as revealed in Jesus Christ.

re:Generātion exists to equip and send its members—as individuals and as Life Groups—into the world around them to “seek and save the lost.”

What to pray for as we ought . . .

Lord of the Harvest, send out workers into the harvest field.

Send the individuals and Life Groups of New Life re:Generātion out into their families, communities, neighborhoods and workplaces with the message of salvation (Matt. 9:37).

As you sent Your Son, so send them (Jn. 20:21):
Not to be served, but to serve;
Not to be loved, but to love;
Not to save their lives, but to lose them.

For though they are free and enslaved to no one, I pray that they would make it their aim to become the servants of all (1 Cor. 9:19).

Make them to be all things to all people that by all means they might reach and save some (1 Cor. 9:22).

Make them, Father, salt and light, deeply embedded agents of grace shining as light in dark and crooked world (Matt. 5:13-16; Phil. 2:15).

Move them, in all this, to set apart Christ as Lord in their hearts that they would be prepared to give a reason for the hope that is in them.

May they do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clean conscience, so that even if their message is rejected their lives and good behavior may put all objections to shame (1 Pet. 3:15-16).

Help them to conduct themselves wisely, making the most of every opportunity (Col. 4:5).

Let their speech be gracious and authentic, seasoned with salt, so that they might know how to answer each individual person (Col. 4:6).

Create through this ministry :
New opportunities for the gospel to be advanced,
New relationships for the gospel to be shared,
And new communities for the gospel to be spread.

Open for re:Generātion a wide door for effective work that the mystery of Christ might be boldly and powerfully declared (1 Cor. 16:9; Col. 4:3).

Use those who join together as emissaries of King Jesus, heralds of the coming kingdom, that all the ends of the earth might acknowledge and turn to you, that people from every nation might worship before you.

Kingship belongs to you, our LORD God and Savior, for you rule over all the nations.

Say, therefore, Sovereign LORD, to the north and to the south, say to all the world, “Give up My people, do not withhold them” (Is. 43:6-7).

Printable Prayers

For a printable version of these prayers to take with you throughout the week click on the following link.

Be Cautious on Your Way to Church

The roads are sparkly and slick in spots. Services will be on at regularly scheduled times. Please give yourself plenty of time and drive carefully.

re:Generātion/5(hundred) Hours - Worship

5(hundred) Hours - Worship from New Life Church on Vimeo.

Week 2 - Worship

What is 5(hundred) Hours?

5(hundred) Hours is an ambitious, church-wide call to prayer aimed at spending five hundred cumulative hours in corporate and private prayer to prepare for the January launch of re:Generātion, a new Young Adults Ministry taking place Sunday nights.

Week 2 - Worship

Worship is the whole-person response to the revelation of God in the gospel. Human beings were made to worship; we were created to “glorify God and enjoy him forever.” This means that worship isn’t a specific action that only takes place at certain times; rather, worship is the action behind all other actions. To worship something means to make it our treasure, to invest our life, meaning and significance into it.

re:Generātion exists to catalyze a response to God that affects and penetrates every area of life.

What to pray for as we ought . . .

Great and Glorious Father, I pray that through the work of your Holy Spirit you would inspire and enable the people and ministry of New Life re:Generātion to worship you in spirit and in truth (Jn. 4:24).

Impress upon those who will gather together Sunday nights a deep and heartfelt sense of your redeeming mercy and move them, in light of that mercy, to offer their bodies to you as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable. Make this to be their spiritual act of worship (Rom. 12:1).

Let them no longer be conformed to the pattern of this world, but rather transform them through the renewing of their minds (Rom. 12:2).

Cause them, I pray, to engage their entire beings in their worship of you:
To pray with their spirits as well as with their minds,
To sing with their spirits as well as with their minds (1 Cor. 14:15).

As they come together, may each member play their part—whether with a song, a prayer or a lesson—so that everything will be done to build up and strengthen the whole (1 Cor. 14:26).

May they sing praises to you, O Lord, and tell of your salvation, your wondrous works to the children of men.

May they glory in your name and rejoice with their whole heart.

For you, Lord, are great and worthy of great praise, you are awesome above all gods, above all the idols of our hearts.

Show forth your splendor and majesty and pour out your strength and joy.

May those who are yours ascribe to you the glory due your name; may they worship you in the splendor of your holiness and tremble before the God who established and sustains the world.

Through their worship, may creation itself be glad and rejoice; may they and all the nations say, “The LORD God reigns!” (1 Chron. 16:21-31).

I pray especially for Taylor and Grant that you would guide them as worship leaders, make them blameless and above reproach.

Give them wisdom and ability, insight and direction.

Gathering around them , even now, a team to share in the ministry of worship.

Equip them and gift them to be a blessing to one another as well as to the people they lead.

Finally, Lord, draw in the outsider and make Sunday nights such that as the lost enter in their hearts would be laid bare, their consciences convicted, their lives called to give account so that falling on their faces may they turn to worship you and declare that God is truly in that place (1 Cor. 14:23-25).

Printable Prayers

For a printable version of these prayers to take with you throughout the week click on the following link.

Invitation for the New Life Church Family

When It Looks Like God Fails!

A message from Exodus 5:1-7:13, October 25, 2009 by Scott Reavely.

Financial Peace

Financial Peace is returning January 6th 6:30-8:00pm.  Mark Hanson will be leading this class on Wednesday evenings at New Life Riverfalls.  Financial Peace University (FPU) consists of a 13-week video curriculum—taught by financial expert Dave Ramsey—that incorporates small-group discussions to encourage accountability and discipleship.
If you are interested in participating in this class please contact Mark Hanson 503.803.4099.

Thank you note from Bruce Tissell

At the last Global Outreach Night, many of you signed a card to Bruce Tissell that was sent to him upon the occasion of his 15th anniversary of missionary service in Brazil. The thank you note below is what Bruce wrote upon receiving this card and a care package put together by Nancy Carlson.

The big weekend of the 15th anniversary of the Morada Nova Baptist Church had just ended Sunday night and I was tired. So Monday I did as little as possible. I was not even planning on going to the post office when suddenly I found myself having to go to a store right next to the post office. So I went to check my post office box not expecting anything when to my surprise there was a huge package waiting for me.

Inside the package were the fixings for a cake. It will not make a 15 meter cake but it will make a cake that reaches from West Linn, Oregon to Teresina, PI. I wonder how many meters that is?

Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness. This is just one more example of why New Life Church is so special to me. You have always been there to encourage me and lift me up in prayer. I can not express my gratitude or the joy that the package brought to me. The notes written by various people touched me and came at just the right time when I needed some encouragement.

Now I am planning another party to have some friends over to help eat a cake that came all of the way from West Linn, Oregon. I must confess though that I will not share the M&Ms. In fact they have already been disposed of by me while I was reading the notes.

Thank you again.

Bruce Tissell

re:Generation/5(hundred) Hours

re:Generation/5(hundred) Hours Promotional Video from New Life Church on Vimeo.

Week 1 - Leadership & Leadership Development

What is 5(hundred) Hours?

5(hundred) Hours is an ambitious, church-wide call to prayer aimed at spending five hundred cumulative hours in corporate and private prayer to prepare for the January launch of re:Generātion, a new Young Adults Ministry taking place Sunday nights.

Week 1 - Leadership & Leadership Development

A central element of the church’s mission is to develop and deploy new leaders in every generation. Paul described this process as “entrusting” to faithful men and women the message of the gospel with the purpose of enabling them to take that same message to others (2 Tim. 2:1-2). Everything rises and falls on leadership.

re:Generātion is committed to the production and re-production of leaders through training, mentoring, and ministry experience.

What to pray for as we ought . . .

There are two primary areas of prayer to focus on this week: (1) re:Generātion’s Leadership Team itself and (2) re:Generātion’s Leadership Development as a ministry.

re:Generātion’s Leadership Team

I pray, Father, for the leadership team of New Life re:Generātion—for Grant Blomdahl, John McKay, Aaron Orendorff and Taylor Reavely.

I ask first and foremost that these men would be blameless and above reproach; instruments of your own choosing, qualified and gifted.

Make them sober-minded, self-controlled and hospitable.

May they say with the Psalmist, “Whom have I in heaven but the Lord, and there is nothing on earth I desire besides Him.”

Make them gentle and honest, quick to listen and slow to anger; humble servants of your will and your people.

May you, O God, sanctify them through and through, keeping their whole spirit, soul and body holy for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

May they earnestly love what is good and hold firmly to the message of your Word, instructing others in sound doctrine and refuting those who oppose it.

Unify and guide them in all their decision-making.

Give them wisdom from above: wisdom that is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, and sincere.

Give them a singular vision and unite them as one mind.

May their motives and decisions be governed by your Word and Spirit for the good of your people and the glory of your great name.

Cause them to keep a close watch on both their lives and doctrine, preserving them so that they might save both themselves and their hearers.

re:Generātion’s Leadership Team

Gracious Father, I pray that you would use the ministry of re:Generātion to produce and reproduce a new generation of godly leaders.

Raise up men and women passionately committed to the gospel of Jesus Christ; ready and willing to take up their crosses and follow him.

Give to these new leaders a spirit of wisdom and revelation in their knowledge of you.

Grip them with the truth of your word,
Shape them through the power of your Spirit,
Equip them through the ministry of the body,

Make them wise and discerning, trained and prepared, sanctified and faithful.

Do not take them out of the world, but protect them from the evil one.

Make re:Generātion a strategic, intentional, and powerful tool in the advancement of your kingdom.

Printable Prayers

For a printable version of these prayers to take with you throughout the week click on the following link.

5(hundred) Hours - A Call to Prayer

What is 5(hundred) Hours?

5(hundred) Hours is an ambitious, church-wide call to prayer aimed at spending five hundred cumulative hours in corporate and private prayer to prepare for the January launch of re:Generātion, a new Young Adults Ministry taking place Sunday nights.

How to Get Involved—Starting, November 29th

As a Life Group or Ministry Team Leader. . .

. . . you can get involved by pledging to spend a portion of your group’s time in December praying for this new ministry. Remember, the time is cumulative, meaning if eight people pray for one-half hour, that’s four hours all together.

As an Individual . . .

. . . you can get involved by pledging your own personal time in prayer, encouraging those you know to do the same and holding one another accountable.
To pledge, please fill out the response card included in this week’s bulletin (one card per person).

As a Church . . .

. . . you can get involved by attending weekly prayer events Sunday morning between services at Riverfalls or before service at Robinwood and by joining with us New Year’s Day to pray, worship and fast.

Guiding the Process

Throughout the month of December, there will be a different area of prayer to focus on each week.

Week 1—Leadership and Leadership Development
Week 2—Worship
Week 3—Mission and Outreach
Week 4—Community and Discipleship

In addition to these focuses, the Young Adults’ Team will also be providing updates on the launch along with practical tips to help your prayer times, both in private and in public.

Why 5(hundred) Hours?

Prayer exists for two reasons: to bring glory to God’s name (Jn. 14:13) and to bring joy to God’s people (Jn. 16:24).

John Piper explains it like this: “God aims to exalt Himself by working for those who wait for Him. Prayer is the essential activity of waiting for God—acknowledging our helplessness and His power, calling upon Him for help, seeking His counsel. . . . [God] will not surrender the glory of being the Giver . . . [because] the Giver gets the glory.”

Our primary aim, therefore, in calling for this unique and ambitious time of prayer is to see God’s glory and our joy brought together. Yes, we want young people worshiping God. Yes, we want a new generation of leaders trained and equipped. And yes, we want to seek and save the lost. But in and through all of this, what we want is for God to get the glory and for us to get the joy.

The only way for this to happen is through prayer.

Churches Must Be Feeling The Recession All Over

This map is compelling about the seriousness of the recession. No one appears to be unaffected.

Wilda Stevenson Memorial Service

Wilda Belle Stevenson

July 20, 1922- November 12, 2009

Wilda Belle Stevenson died on Nov. 12, 2009, at the age of 87. She was born Wilda Belle Shepherd On July 20, 1922, in Dora, Oregon, to parents Wilma D. and Harold E. Shepherd. She was raised in Dora and was a Myrtle Point High School graduate. She had been a waitress and bartender, but was retired. She was a member of New Life Church - Robinwood, and loved to collect "honey' Birds. She was dearly loved, not only by her family but also by her many friends. Our lives will all be a little grayer without the sunshine of her personality.

She is survived by: son, Elmer Lee Bennett; sister, Colleen Wilson; four grandchildren, Lenny, Bob, Josh and Steven; and three great-grandchildren, Elle, Seth, and Ashley. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Walter Allen Stevenson, and her daughter, Kay Colleen Delory.

A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. on November 28, 2009, at New Life Church - Robinwood, 19915 Old River Drive, West Linn. Internment location is Evergreen Memorial Gardens Cemetery, in Vancouver, WA.

Memorial contributions may be sent to: New Life Church - Global Outreach, PO Box 5, West Linn, OR 97068.

Hunter Haugen in India- Update #2

It's been two months, but I still feel as if I'm just brushing the surface of Indian culture. There are so many currents and motives moving beneath the obscuring surface of what appears to be normal life to a foreigner like me. I am building relationships with people, understanding their lives, seeing the work that God is performing through them in their community, and being able to work and fellowship with them all at the same time.

There is a desire in many of the people here to give up what they have and live under Jesus's admonition to "come, follow me." Just as it is everywhere else but especially here, to see the joy gained in the Holy Spirit is a great witness to the community of the truth of the gospel. To me, that is part of what makes this such a ripe field; there is a non-stop stream of people who are ready and willing to follow Christ and tend His field, and they are being enabled by the many different programs that have taken root in the recent years.

The Buhlers have been most hospitable, not just to me, but also to the community. This evening I went to their house to help with a Halloween party that they've set up for the local families with children that they've been able to reach out to. With the friendship of the family and Lavonne's gift for running events and designing parties, it was quite a hit. In the office with Brian too, many of the programmers are not believers but as they design the websites for many of the movements inside India, they see all the ways that the believing community desires to help. I'm very happy to be blessed to have been equipped to help as a part of this. Thanks for your prayers and support and allowing me to be here.

New Life Church Family is Invited to the Hanson-Wenzel Wedding

With joyful hearts, Mr. and Mrs. Mark Hanson invite you to share in the joy of the marriage uniting their daughter, Elizabeth, and Josh Wenzel, Saturday, December 19th at 1:00 in the afternoon at New Life Church, Riverfalls.  Cake and punch reception to follow.

An Awana Thanksgiving

Hope you enjoy these photos of our festive group of Pilgrims and American Indians! Last night 27 children heard about giving thanks to God. We celebrated God's goodness by dressing up, eating turkey and making crafts. Our older children even wrote their own Psalm / Praise to God using the accrostic, Thanksgiving. Here it is:

The Lord is good to all,

He is Almighty,

Amazing You are.

Nothing can destroy You.

Kneel down before Him.

Strong and mighty are You.

God, You are glorious.

I'm forever prasing You.

Victorious are You.

I love You.

No one is as strong as You.

God, You are good.

Hoping this post encourages you to forever praise God because He is indeed all the attributes mentioned above, HAPPY THANKSGIVING from Awana!

Family Forum -- November 22nd

Sunday evening at 6:00 at our Riverfalls campus we'll share dinner and then take a look at the AMAZING things God is doing in and through New Life Church. We are in an unusual season of God's blessing. We'll eat together, worship and gain the big picture of what God is up to here. Childcare will be provided. Please call the office with questions, 503.656.8600.

Resurrection

Here's a prayer from Valley of Vision that fits with our text on Sunday:

O GOD OF MY EXODUS,
Great was the joy of Israel’s sons
when Egypt died upon the shore,
Far greater the joy
when the Redeemer’s foe lay crushed in the dust.
Jesus strides forth as the victor,
conqueror of death, hell, and all opposing might;
He bursts the bands of death,
tramples the powers of darkness down,
and lives for ever.
He, my gracious surety,
apprehended for payment of my debt,
comes forth from the prison house of the grave
free, and triumphant over sin, Satan, and death.
Show me herein the proof that his vicarious offering is accepted,
that the claims of justice are satisfied,
that the devil’s sceptre is shivered,
that his wrongful throne is levelled.
Give me the assurance that in Christ I died, in Him I rose,
in His life I live, in His victory I triumph,
in His ascension I shall be glorified.
Adorable Redeemer,
Thou who wast lifted up upon a cross
art ascended to highest heaven.
Thou, who as man of sorrows wast crowned with thorns,
art now as Lord of life wreathed with glory.
Once, no shame more deep than Thine,
no agony more bitter, no death more cruel.
Now, no exaltation more high,
no life more glorious, no advocate more effective.
Thou art in the triumph car leading captive Thine enemies behind Thee.
What more could be done than Thou hast done!
Thy death is my life, Thy resurrection my peace,
Thy ascension my hope, Thy prayers my comfort.

First Monthly International Student Conversation Dinner

I was out of town on Friday and missed this. If you missed it, too, here's a video. . . and you may not want to miss next month!

Awana Update

After one month, the New Life Church Awana Clubs are blossoming. Last week 25 children memorized verses, played games, and heard engaging Bible Stories. We began this fall with Puggles (2-3 year olds) and Cubbies (3-5 year olds). We've played with pumpkins, had games in the dark, and you can never forget those yummy snacks.

We are getting all geared up for January, when we will be launching our Sparks (K-2nd grades) and TNT clubs (3rd-5th grades). Today the Awana circle was laid out on the sanctuary floor at New Life Robinwood. We will be using this game circle with lots of exciting games in the days to come.

Our leaders are trained and ready to engage children in having fun and learning the word of God. So, if you haven't done it already, be sure to get your kids registered to be a part of one our fantanstic Awana clubs. You can sign up by emailing Sara Pylate at sarapylate@juno.com.

Global Outreach Sunday

This Sunday is Global Outreach Sunday at New Life Church. Stephanie Rogers (daughter of Wes and Shelley Rogers) will be sharing a brief testimony in each of our morning services and at length during the evening service. Stephanie is planning to go out as a missionary with Josiah Venture to Slovenia in January, and is in the process of raising support. If you would like to find our more about Stephanie's missionary plans, click here.

Another exciting part of Global Outreach Night will be a live video interview with Hunter Haugen and Brian Buhler in India. Hunter has been in India for almost two months on a short term trip helping Brian in his crucial work among the Dalit people. If you have facebook, you can check out Hunter's latest pictures here.

Global Outreach Night will also include a touching video about the Middle School effort to raise money for Dalit Children, and a challenging testimony from a High School Student about the impact of a mission trip on a life. You won't want to miss this exciting evening. Global Outreach Night is this Sunday, November 8th at 6:00 PM at New Life Church Riverfalls.

Family News -- Family Forum

As I wrote last week, the church in Oregon City decided on a future that did not include New Life Church. Because of that, CB Northwest decided to pull us off the job. As of Sunday, 11/1 New Life Church is no longer serving the Oregon City congregation and CB Northwest has assumed direct leadership until the end of the year.

This is GREAT news. Not only am I finished with my responsibilities there, but Aaron and Amanda Orendorff are rejoining us back at New Life Church. In the words of one of our elders, "he received 10 years experience in one year." Now we have him back with an added decade of training! He’ll be preaching for me on 11/29 & 12/6. Be sure to welcome them back.

We are so excited about what the future holds and about what God is doing at New Life Church that we want to talk about it with you as soon as possible. Please come to a Family Forum at our Riverfalls campus on November 22 at 6:00 p.m. We’ll eat together. There will be childcare for the meeting.

Daylight Savings Time ends Saturday Night

Don't forget to set your clock BACK one hour before you go to be on Saturday. I'd hate for you to miss your extra hour sleep before you come to church!

Thank You from Barb and Dan Evans

Thank you. We appreciate your kindness and generosity to help us. We have so many, many details, medical appointments and expenses, deadlines, insurance issues, learning to be a medical caregiver, and the sort. In all of that God has provided family, friends and the combined Body of Christ to love us in an incredible way with Prayer coverage, meals, child-care, loaner cars and campers and finances. Thank you for your tangible help with some of these finances. We need it and therefore really appreciate it! It's a blessing to us to see God's provision in so many ways.
We don't know why we are asked to walk this journey with Barb's terminal illness, but we could not walk it or would not want to walk it with out the body of Christ and family and friends like you.
Thank you so much!
God Bless.
Dan for Barb, Caleb and Audrey

Results of the Oregon City Vote

Dear Church,

I am writing to inform you about the results of our invitation for the Oregon City congregation to become a permanent part of New Life Church. They voted a couple hours ago and elected not to accept our invitation.

Aaron and I will continue to serve them until the first of January. We will keep you posted as things progress in the coming weeks. We will have an opportunity to talk face-to-face about this at our annual budget and elections meeting on December 6th. We definitely want to pray and talk and answer questions then.

Our elders are committed to Aaron and Amanda, who will no longer be in OC after January. They have served admirably there for this past year. We are delighted to keep them on our staff.

This might be a good time to review several of the reasons this Oregon City experience has been good for me and for NLC.

1. It has helped me understand multi-site better and know what we’ll need to adjust in order to add future sites.
2. It has increased the faith of our leaders and congregation.
3. It has grown my own skills.
4. It has helped me understand my strengths and weaknesses.
5. It has grown Aaron.
6. It has caused us to pray.
7. It has given my kids an expanded view and vision for the church.
8. It has grown our elders.
9. I have learned about church mergers.
10. It has strengthened our relationship with NWCBA.
11. It has given us vision for the Church (Big “C”).
12. I have come to know some wonderful people.

What does this mean to us? It means we are off to the next thing. We have, this past year, assisted in the closing of Canyon Creek Church in Wilsonville, taking their pastor on our staff. We are going to pursue the Lord’s leading toward starting a church in Wilsonville.

In addition, we are working on starting a very exciting young adults’ ministry that will begin after the first of the year. Not only that, our international student ministry, our involvement in transitional housing, AWANA, and our youth ministry are all gaining significant traction.

We will find this next year to be one of the most exciting our church has ever known.

With Love,

Pastor Scott

Getting onto Church E-mail Lists

Do you get all of the information you need or want about the happenings of New Life Church. E-mail is a great means of communication, but it only works if we have your current address.

In general there are three different types of group emails that go out from the New Life Church office. Please let us know if you would like your email address to be included in one or all of these groups. You can sign up by sending an email to office@newlifenw.com with a message that you would like to be included on a list.
The groups are:

• All Church Communications- Important news and information about New Life Church in general.

• Prayer Chain- Specific prayer requests from members of our church body.

• Global Outreach- Updates from our missionaries around the world and information about local mission opportunities.

Are you Grieving the Loss of a Loved One?

Grief Share May be just what you have been looking for!

It may be hard for you to feel optimistic about the future right now. If you’ve lost a spouse, child, family member or friend, you’ve probably found there are not many people who understand the deep hurt you feel. This can be a confusing time when you feel isolated and have many questions about things you’ve never faced before.
GriefShare groups meet weekly to help you face these challenges and move toward rebuilding your life. Each GriefShare session has three distinct elements:

Each week your GriefShare group will watch a video seminar featuring top experts on grief and recovery subjects. These videos are produced in an interesting-to-watch television magazine format featuring expert interviews, real-life case studies, dramatic reenactments and on-location video.

After viewing the video, you and the other group members will spend time as a support group, discussing what was presented in that week’s video seminar and what is going on in your lives.

During the week you will have the opportunity to use your workbook for further personal study of the grieving process and to help sort out your emotions through journaling. Your group will spend time discussing questions and comments from the workbook study.

You are welcome to begin attending the GriefShare group at any session. Each is “self-contained,” so you do not have to attend in sequence. You will find encouragement and help whenever you begin. You will be able to continue with GriefShare through the next 13-week cycle and view any of the videos you have not seen.

GriefShare is for people grieving the death of a loved one. Many other life situations bring deep grief, such as separation and divorce, a loved one who is dying, estrangement, loss of a loved one to a cult, loss of custody of a child through divorce and more. If you are struggling with a loss not due to a death, GriefShare is not designed to meet your grief needs for healing. We encourage you to ask your pastor or a church leader for guidance in finding a support group or counselor.
If you are interested in being a part of a GriefShare group at New Life Church please contact Cindy Sollers by email at csollers@westlinnoregon.gov. The first 13 week group begins tonight! The group will meet weekly at 7:00 PM at New Life Robinwood (19915 Old River Drive in West Linn).

Awana Begins!

Awana began this past Wednesday with lots of excitement. Five Cubbies (3-5 year olds) and five Puggles (2 and 3 year olds) officially began their Awana adventure of singing songs, playing games, hearing Bible Stories, and memorizing Scripture.

The Cubbies get to see a special puppet show each week featuring Cubbie Bear and his friends. This week they are memorizing the Cubbies Motto: Jesus Loves Me and other Bible verses. Each Cubbie lesson is very intentional about sharing the gospel. Then, parents have the joy of discipling their own children throughout the week using their child's Awana Handbook.


The Puggles have lots of play time, hear short Bible Stories, and get to see Boz videos (a cute little green bear who lives out the truths of the Bible). They also have special multi-Color take home cards that reinforce the lesson and help parents talk to their children about simple truths from the Bible.

We are having so much fun in Awana and would love to have any children you know in these age groups come and join our club. Remember, the start of Sparks (K-2nd grades) and TNT(3rd- 5th grades) is just around the corner on Jan 6th. For more information about Awana please contact Sara Pylate at sarapylate@juno.com or 503-699-2027.

Evening of Prayer

Members of New Life Church met on Sunday evening, August 17th and
overwhelming voted to extend an invitation to New Life Church Oregon City, to become part of New Life Church as a fully connected and contributing campus. The leadership of NLC Oregon City has recommended their congregation accept the invitation.

Please keep the Oregon City congregation in your prayers as they make this very important decision on October 25th. We also invite you to join us for an evening of prayer for the Oregon City congregation on October 25th as they vote on this issue. We will meet from 6-8 pm in the chapel at NLC Riverfalls. We will pray and await the results together.

Awana is Beginning at New Life Church!

This Wednesday night is the first night of Awana at New Life Church. Over 2o leaders have been trained and are ready (with God's help) to begin sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with as many children as possible. The purpose of Awana is as follows:

To get as much of God's word, as deep as we can, into as many kids as we can, by putting one hand on the child and one hand on the Bible and bringing them together for life change.

This ministry will happen each Wednesday 6:30- 8:00 PM at New Life Church Robinwood (19915 Old River Drive in West Linn). This action packed evening includes Game Time (loads of fun), Handbook time (helping children memorize scripture and know God), and Large Group Time (short Bible lessons that focus on the gospel).

This fall we will be starting two clubs- Puggles (for 2 and 3 year old children) and Cubbies (for 3-5 year old children who aren't yet in Kindergarten). Then, in January we will begin Awana clubs for children in Kindergarten through 5th grade. If you would like more information about Awana, please contact Sara Pylate at 503-699-2027 or sarapylate@juno.com.

International Student Ministry

God has been doing some neat work in moving our church into a strategic position to reach out to International Students at Marylhurst University. Last Spring we began to provide volunteers from our church to be English Conversation Partners (ECPs) for students at Pacific International Academy (PIA) that meets on the Marylhurst Campus. This fall PIA is looking for even more volunteers for this program. Being an ECP simply requires a volunteer to give one hour per week to have conversations with an international student. The role involves no preparation, just a willing heart and a desire to show the love of Jesus to a person from another country.

This Spring, I became a conversation partner for a Taiwanese student named Saxon (in the yellow sweatshirt on the right). Saxon has a very outgoing personality and seems to have connections with most of the 30-40 students who attend PIA. This past weekend Saxon brought 13 of his friends with him to our home for a BBQ. The occassion was the celebration of the Chinese Moon Festival. We were able to share the story of the God who created the moon and the stars and all that exists.

We also asked the students if it would be helpful for them if we had a monthly "English Conversation Night." The idea would be to have a monthly event where International Students and volunteers from our church would come together for a night of food, games, and conversation. All of the students said that this would indeed by helpful. So, we are planning to begin English Conversation Nights on the first Friday of each month. Be on the look out for more information about the first English Conversation night on November 6th! If you would like to volunteer to be an English Conversation Partner or help with 1st Friday English Conversation Nights, please email me at npylate@newlifenw.com.

Hunter Haugen on Mission in India

I've been to several other countries before, but they would be hard-pressed to measure up to the level of ferver and friendlyness that I've experienced in the Indian culture. It's more than just being a stranger in a strange land, but they are genuinely interested in the wellbeing of those around them. Between the office work and socializing, it's been quite a wonderful time so far.

I went into the office starting the first morning after arriving and met a lot of the people responsible for many of the dalit websites.
Two days later, we packed the entire office and moved to within a kilometer of where I'm staying. Talk about arriving at just the right time. The rest of the first week was spent getting a new server set up for a large project.

I was able to get a driver and take a city tour with some of the other visitors who've arrived recently. The Indians are very happy to share their culture and historical. Many of the sights can be seen by visiting Facebook.

Most of the daytime has been spent working on the setup at the office, but my evenings and weekends have been busy too. The Buhlers have been very hospitable; I've spent several evenings and mealtimes with them and their kids, and went shopping on the weekend with them. I've also made a few Indian friends (read: geeks) who I've had fun spending evenings with playing games and teaching linux stuff. The rest of my time is spent going out for coffee and chatting about our experiences with the other foreigners who have been here anywhere from 2 weeks to
2 years.

I thank you all for your prayers, as it is evident that God is working in my life here. I have other pictures and maybe more videos to share later, once I collect them all up. Two other ways to contact me and get updates are my twitter account (http://twitter.com/Hunnur) and my skype account (Hunnur), as almost everyone here uses skype. Remember that it's 12.5 hours difference, so 2pm your time is 2:30am my time.
:)

Aaron Doyle Thanks Church Family

It is with deepest gratitude that I thank all of you for your thoughts, prayers, cards, flowers and donations of food during my incapacity and the crossing over of Anderson to be with our Lord and Savior. This only proves how wonderful it is to be in the family of God.
Sincerely, Aaron Doyle

Bridges to Change Picnic

New Life Church was pleased to partner with Bridges to Change by providing food for their recent picnic. Afterward, we received a lovely letter from Jo Ann Griffin-Simpson, Community Services Director.

Dear Friends at New Life Church,

We want to thank you so much for your generous donation of food for our second annual Bridges to Change Picnic. Your generous donation was so overwhelming and kind. We had so much fun and so much food. It was proof positive that people can get together and have fun without substance abuse. The fellowship was amazing, and you have always been so kind to us. We thank you so much for all of your kindnesses for all you do for us. Our clients love the Celebrate Recovery meetings and all the efforts that George puts out. It's good to be affiliated with people who walk their talk. These are things that will help our clients as they need to see and be surrounded by people who care without judgements. Your donations are very much appreciated and very valuable to us and is a great help to us. Because of you we are seeing clients change their lives and become productive citizens in our community. Your help is part of that change. We cannot do this alone.

Thank you from all the staff and clients at Bridges To Change.

Small Group Kick-Off this Sunday!

Have you been interested in joining a Life Group, but didn't know how? Is God calling you to lead or host a group, but you didn't know who to talk to? Are you curious about what Life Groups are and why you should be interested? Are you a Life Group member excited for the new year? If you fit any of these descriptions this event is for you. This Sunday (September 20th) we will be gathering at our Robinwood campus. We'll help you to see what Life Groups can be and how you can get connected through Christian community.
From 5-6pm we will encourage you with a look at the potential in Christian community.
From 6-7pm we will share a meal together (we'll provide sandwiches, please bring a side dish).
From 7-8pm we will provide vision and answer questions for Life Group leaders and those interested in leadership.
Child care is provided.

Bridges To Change Thanks New Life Church

In their monthly newsletter, program directors Chuck and Jo Ann Simpson had some very nice things to say about New Life Church and Celebrate Recovery.

We are very happy to have Gary B. as the house manager at the newly opened faith based house across the street from New Life Church in West Linn. Gary is a member of the Celebrate Recovery program at the church. We are very grateful for New Life Church and the congregation. They have been very kind and giving to us and our clients. We are grateful for the Celebrate Recovery program and for George Milliken who is untiring in his efforts to help people. We are so thankful to the church who offers the room for our monthly mentor graduations. There are so many people who help us and are supportive of what we are doing and we appreciate their acceptance of all of us.

We are pleased to partner with Bridges to Change.