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.