One more time on Hurricane Relief

In a previous post I invited responses of those who may be interested in helping victims of Hurricane Katrina. One of the questions that came up again and again was "When would we go?" We can go any 8 days between now and the end of January 2006, but the two weeks we are focussing on now are November 12-19 or November 26 -December 3.

Brian Stark of Delta Ministries is going to connect us with a church in Slidell, Louisiana or Biloxi, Mississippi. He will determine which church in the next couple days.

If you would like to be part of this team, please leave a comment here or call me at the church with more questions. The deadline for being part of the team is October 19, so don't delay.

Community Service Award

Last Friday, Colleen Mickelson received a Community Service Award at a West Linn High School Pep Assembly on behalf of Coffee Cart and New Life Church! It was the homecoming pep assembly and the student body cheered for New Life Church.

You can see the award on the coffee table (where else?) in the foyer. May the Lord make all our service "award-winning."

Thank you again, Coffee Cart volunteers. You are making a difference.

Prayer

NOTHING NEVER HAPPENS WHEN YOU PRAY. -- Tom Stellar

Suffering and the Sovereignty of God

Marcia and I are with Chuck and Erica Searl in Minneapolis at the Suffering and the Sovereignty of God conference. It has been a full and rich couple days.

Five sessions yesterday ended with Joni Eareckson Tada sitting in her wheelchair asking all of us, "Why is this woman so happy?" Her answer to all of us is, "Because God is happy." The Lord used her to bless me and bring me to conviction about my own complaining. He was very good to me.

Before that Steve Saint, the son of Nate Saint who was killed in Ecuador with Jim Elliot, shared his testimony. The most gripping part was the end where he described, not the death of his father, but the death of his daughter.

He said one person at a conference told him that if his dad and his four friends had done it differently they wouldn't have had to die. His response was, "You are right. They didn't even have to go!"

If you'd like to read more you can at Challies Dot Com or Coffee Swirls.

We're up and running - Treasure Island!

Yesterday was our first Treasure Island! We had a great time as we studied about Paul & Silas sharing their faith with the jailer in Acts 16. Our mission is to "Treasure God above everything else" and we are going to do that this week by sharing Treasure Island with our friends. Our next Island Gathering is Wednesday, October 12th at 3:30 PM. Don't miss out on the Treasure! Sign-up online at newlifenw.com

Treasure Island Starts Tomorrow!

Tomorrow is the day! You don't want to miss the treasure of TREASURE ISLAND. Pre-register online at Newlifenw.com
When: 3:30-5:00 PM at New Life Church: Robinwood
Who: Kids, grades K-5th
Why: To Treasure God Above Everything Else!

Own a Piece of History

Computer Desk For Sale: $0, no cheaper! All Prices final!

Many fine sermons have been written from this desk, and some pretty average ones, too. For you, I'm sure it would work well on all your sermons.

The top is detachable. It has other shelves that aren't pictured.

I'd like to give it away before Thursday. Please call or post a comment to claim it. Thanks.

Prayer

Prayer is as natural an expression of faith as breathing is of life; and to say that a man lilves a life of faith and lives a prayerless life is every whit as inconsistent and incredible as to say that a man lives without breathing. A prayerless life is so far from being a holy life that it is a profane life. He who lives so lives like a heathen who does not call on God’s name. He who lives a prayerless life lives without God in the world.

-- Jonathan Edwards
Taken from “Hypocrites Deficient in the Duty of Prayer”

October Voice Online

The October edition is of the New Life Voice is up on the church web page. It includes news about the Robinwood start, a "Creative Team," an Old Testament survey class, a financial update and more.

I hope you enjoy it in its new pdf form. Check it out.

Our Opportunity to Help Victims of Hurricane Katrina

New Life Church has the opportunity to send short term teams to help with clean-up and rebuilding from Hurricane Katrina.

In partnership with Delta ministries, we can put together a team from New Life Church and join hands with a local church either in Mississippi or Louisiana. Teams would last 8 days and cost $650-$850/ per person plus airfare. We can go as soon as possible and any week until the end of the year. You can read a MS Word file of a letter from Delta to the leaders of our church by clicking here. It describes this opportunity in more detail.

This partnership involves New Life Church, Delta ministries, CBAmerica, Forward Edge and select local churches in the affected areas. Forward Edge has been given a $1,000,000 matching grant, which means that if you want to give through them your gift will have double value. Then, and this is one of the best parts, some of the money from that grant has been given to CB churches as project funds for use on these short term teams.

If you have questions or wish to volunteer you can leave a comment below or you can call the church with questions.

Won't Heaven Be Great?!

Reaching down,
You pick
A bright autumn leaf.
Between thumb and forefinger;
both joy and grief.
-- Unknown

We're on the Map!

I feel a little like Steve Martin when he discovered his name in the phone directory and yelled, "I'm somebody!" Well, New Life Church is somebody, too. At least we are on the map, the Multi-Site map, that is.

Take a look at this interesting map. Perhaps some of you will want to go to this conference next spring.

Phillip Brooks Quote

Do not pray for easy lives; pray to be stronger men. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers; pray for powers equal for your tasks. Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle, but you shall be a miracle.

The Remnant has arrived!!!

What is the Remnant?

The Remnant is the new name of the High School ministry here at New Life Church! The Remnant is for any high school student who desires to know God and grow closer to him through Bible study, evnagelism, prayer, and worship.


Where can I go to find out more?

I'm glad you asked! In addition to adopting a name, we have also launched a new website to let people know about who we are and what we do. Please check it out. YOu can acccess it by going to www.remnantyouth.org if you are using Safari or Firefox as your internet browser or www.remnantyouth.org/blog if you are using Internet Explorer and then use the menu at the top of the screen to view the different pages.

Tuesday Coffee Cart Volunteers

The Tuesday Coffee Cart servants love kids. Nancy, Wayne and Colleen get up early every morning to show God's love in a practical way to tons of West Linn High School young people. Thank you.

A Wonderful Birthday!

Last week was filled with lots of emotions as we got ready to have our Grand Opening Celebration at New Life Robinwood. On Sunday morning, joy was definitely the order of the day. Everywhere you looked there was another smiling face.We kicked off the day with the baptism of Steve Ticen. It was so neat to hear his testimony of God's grace in his life. Someone said, "That's the happiest I've ever seen Steve." Another person commented that his testimony made a clear statement that New Life Church was a place where broken people can come and find healing and new life. On that note, we saw a lot of first time visitors on Sunday. Above, you can see John Parker greeting few of them.

About 160 people celebrated in song and the teaching of God's word from Acts 1:1-3. You can listen to Pastor Nathan's sermon online at www.newlifenw.com.

One of the most powerful moments in the service was when we played the video of birthday greetings from New Life Riverfalls. About half of the crowd was people who formerly attended New Life Riverfalls. You can see a few of them in the picture to the right.It was so special for all us former Riverfalls atttenders to feel so loved on this important day. Finally, we ended the service with what we do best.... eating! Seriously, it was a lot of fun to "break bread together". About 110 people stayed for the lunch. Below you can see some of us wading our way through the spread of great food.
In all, the day was a ton of fun! Thank you for helping to make it all possible. Please continue to pray for us as we seek to be a church community that treasures and honors God. Also, please be in prayer about when and where God would have us do another Grand Opening in another location to see more people find new life in Jesus Christ.

Treasure Island - Parents Night!

Are you wondering what this "Treasure Island" thing is all about?

It's about:

• Kids
• Fun
• Games
• Crafts
• Puppets
• SNACKS
• Treasure Hunting!
• It's about God - The greatest TREASURE ever!

Isn't that something you want your kids to go to? This Wednesday, at New Life Church Robinwood, you will have the opportunity to see and hear much more about this exciting new adventure coming to life at New Life Church! Don't miss this TREASURE!
Treasure Island - Parents Night!
When: Wednesday, September 28th - 7 PM
Where: New Life Church Robinwood

More Coffee Cart Talk

Bob, Wayne and Gay start the week out in Coffee Cart. Thank you!

Just last night I heard about someone who lives in West Linn who would never think about going to a church. As this person was talking to someone from our church they said, "Oh, the church across from the High School. That's the best church."

"Why?" asked the person from our church.

"Every morning before school my son would go over there and get coffee and donuts. If I was going to go to church, that's the one I would go to!"

That might be a good thing for everyone who doesn't go to New Life Church to say about us. Good job coffee cart!

A Prayer for Today

Help me be resolute and Christ-contained.

Never let me wander from the path of obedience to thy will.

Strengthen me for the battles ahead.

Give me courage for all the trials, and grace for all the joys.

Help me to be a holy, happy person,

free from every wrong desire, from everthing contrary to they mind.

Grant me more and more of the resurrection life:

may it rule me,

may I walk in its power, and be strengthened through its influence.

-- Valley of Vision, p. 94

Tomorrow's "Launch Day" Message

Tomorrow at our Riverfalls location we will review our church's mission statement: New Life Church exists to treasure God and, as a result, spread the news of his excellence, trust his promises and give our lives away for his purposes. We'll consider why this mission statement has led us to start a new church.

The Treasuring God idea comes from Matthew 13:44, "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field." This verse is finds an echo in 1 Corinthians 15:19, "If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men."

That's all I know right now. I'd better go work on it so there's more to say tomorrow.

Final Connecting Point

If you attend or have even thought about attending New Life Church Riverfalls you're invited to the Reavelys' back yard this Sunday, September 25th, at 5:00.

We'll have time to hang out together. We'll probably have a game to play. We'll also pray together.

In honor of the new New Life Church, please bring food that reminds you of new life (candy corn, eggs, baby food, candy corn, green things, baby shower mints -- okay, we can't think of a lot either -- be creative) that you can share. Thank you.

Coffee Cart Fridays

Bob and Barbara Montgomery and Wayne Spray love on kids and serve the Lord in Coffee Cart on Fridays. They are the counters. Ask them and they'll always know how many kids came through on a given Friday. Today they served about 90!

If you were to talk with Wayne about his kids, you would have know doubt he loves them. . . and that the feeling is mutual.

Galatians 6:9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Coffee Cart Thursdays

These faithful women serve WLHS students coffee every Thursday morning and they are happy to do it. You should hear them brag on each other. One will tell me how good the other is.

I told them this would be my recruiting poster for coffee cart. But now I'm rethinking that. Maybe they should be the September page of our New Life Calendar. . . hmmm.

1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my dear (sisters), stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

New Life Baby Shower

New Life Church is about to give birth.
Come celebrate with merriment and mirth.
We’ll eat cake and have punch too…
And open gifts of love from you.
Now you may ask, “What shall I bring?
I do not have single thing.”
Never fear, go take a look,
At the registry that’s in the nook.

Here are all of the details for the shower. Please note that the correct time is 6:00-8:00 PM for this open house shower. Also, if you have not yet purchased a gift, never fear, you'll have the opportunity to write a check or take a gift suggestion at the shower. We look forward to celebrating with you!

Date: This Friday, September 23, 2005
Time: 6:00– 8:00 PM
Location: New Life Church Robinwood, 19915 Old River Drive, West Linn
Contact : Sara Pylate 503-699-2027

While You Were Sleeping. . .

While you were sleeping or maybe just waking up, a team from New Life Church was up and serving West Linn High School Students.

Wednesday's crew is Joan Meyers, Kerri Tefft, Kelli Tefft, (not pictured Jan Titus and Pat Meyerdierk). Hunter Haugen and Nate Pricer occasionally help.

So, as you roll out of bed. Please pray for the Coffee Cart and the students at West Linn High School.

King David IS the King of Spades

Several people have expressed surprise or doubt about King David being one of the kings in a deck of cards. Here is a reference from the United States Playing Card company, the makers of Bicycle brand cards, that explains the history of playing cards. And yes, according to them, King David is the king of spades!

I did find some other sources that suggested that the figures never did represent anyone. But, as with everything, I prefer the sources that agree with me. :o)

Six Days Until Launch

Please pray for Pastor Nathan extra this week. Launch day is clearly in view. Lots of decisions need to be made. Lots of work still needs to be done. Pray for God to fill him with His Spirit.

Love Your Own Soul A Little More

He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; he who cherishes understanding prospers.
-- Proverbs 19:8

Tomorrow's Message

As requested, here is the text for tomorrow's message.

1 Peter 4:10-11 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

The fifth Core Value of our church is: Serving Together. I hope you will be encouraged to serve the Lord and to serve alongside others.

Why is this man smiling?

Why is Gib smiling?

1. Does he love raking and sweeping?
2. Has Pastor Scott told him a joke?
3. Does he take joy in serving?
4. Does he know the secret to the universe?
5. Or, does he have faith that someone will volunteer to serve by keeping the leaves raked in the parking lot this all and winter?
6. All of the Above.

It would be a great service to Gib, to the Lord, to the church and to the neighbors if someone would volunteer a couple hours a week to clean the parking lot until the leaves are gone.