An Open Letter to those who serve at New Life

I want to first say a huge “thank you” to you for stepping up to serve and personally get involved at New Life.  This Sunday is a big day for all of us as we launch our new Sunday Morning Gathering times of 9:30 & 11:15.

I want you to know that the primary reason why we made this change was for YOU.  Yes we want to give God more opportunities to impact lives and have a greater influence on the next generation but we first of all want to honor those who serve. 

You are so important to me and to everyone at New Life.  And because you are important and valuable we wanted to honor you by providing a way for you to not only give out in serving on Sunday but receive and be served.

We really have a desired goal in mind that everyone “Attend 1 and Serve 1.”  Attend one Sunday gathering while serving in the other one.  When we do this we will be better unified as a church and in the direction God has for us. 

And there is nothing greater than a unified group of people.  God himself said so…

“Look!” he said. “The people are united, and they all speak the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them! ~ Genesis 11:6

So thanks again for serving and because of our additional Sunday gathering I look forward to seeing you in one of our two services this weekend as we start a new series, “Plan A: There is no plan B.”

Leading and serving with you,

Pastor David

Why 2?

Would you like to know why we came up with 10 relaunch initiatives?

Each week for the next 10 weeks, I’m going to share with you a little behind the scenes and answer the why we are doing behind the what we are doing.

Instead of starting with initiative #1, I want to start with the one initiative that I think has the greatest immediate impact on those of us that call New Life home.

 

Initiative #4 – New Sunday Gathering Times of 9:30 & 11:15, starting Sunday, October 2nd

(Yep, just 10 days away!)

 

The first reason for making this change was to honor those who serve at New Life. 

Did you know we have more than 80 people who have chosen to step up to lead, serve and personally get involved at New Life? 

Of those 80+, almost 50 of them lead and serve our kids and youth (our NextGen).

 

Whenever someone chooses to become a servant leader in our kids ministry, they then choose to not be in a Sunday morning gathering for anywhere from 1-4 weeks in a row. 

I love their commitment!

Now they can listen to the messages online to stay current but the energy, excitement and engagement with God and others is not the same compared to being present in a live Sunday gathering.

It is the desire to keep those amazing servant leaders unified with what is happening each Sunday that prompted me and our leadership team to ask – Why not 2 services?

 

Another reason why 2 Sunday morning gatherings is to give God more opportunities to impact people’s lives.

I remember Easter weekend and how we had 2 very different services and yet both had significant God moments that were life-changing for so many.

Going to 2 Sunday morning gatherings will give you and me more opportunities to invite a friend, neighbor or coworker. 

It will give God more opportunities to impact lives!

 

Finally, going to 2 Sunday morning gatherings allows us to have an even greater influence on the next generation.

I recently read in historical documents of New Life that we had as many as 370 kids at New Life through our bus ministry.  What a legacy of influence we have on the next generation!

New Life has had a call to reach out to the next generation from its early days and though we do not have a bus ministry any longer, we still have the call on our church to influence the next generation.

2 Sunday morning gatherings helps us do that.

 

Let me leave you with a quote from one of our own, Megan, who chose to step up to lead and serve in our preschool aged kids area (KidZone Jr).

She said this last Sunday...

I started off not wanting to serve in kidzone or kidzone jr. Because I'm a single mom my life revolves around being with children 24/7. So I looked at Sunday mornings as my break from children. Lol But I agreed to serve in the back with the two year olds. It turned out to be such a blessing! I love seeing all the different personalities. But the best part is watching them learn, grow and play together. If you are dead set on not working with the kids or serving in general I would say just try it out. If you don't like it then quit. It's not a life sentence. Lol. But I mean how can you go wrong by investing in some really AMAZING kids? #tryitout! #itsservingnotworking. 

 

How will you choose to step up as we launch our 2 new Sunday morning gatherings?

Leading and serving with you,

Pastor David

And We Have Lift Off!

What a Sunday!  

Yesterday was truly fantastic!

In days ahead I am going to be sending out in these weekly blogs each relaunch initiative along with some more details about each one as I share them.

If you were unable to be there Sunday, be sure to download the video below to get my take on the day.

Click to Download

Whether you were there or not, we can be excited that our relaunch has begun but we are only just beginning. 

The next few weeks are significant in preparing for the initiatives that start on October 2nd. (Life Groups and 2 Sunday Gatherings)  That gives us 20 days to get ready.

We can do this as long as we do this together!  We are better together.

Ask yourself, 

“How can I step up and personally get involved in the next 3 weeks?”

I’ve already had one person ask that question of themselves, talk with me and decided to get involved in our preschool ministry – KidZone Jr.

That is so awesome!

My heart is for kids, especially for those 2-5 years old in KidZone Jr because I was their age when I said, “Yes to Jesus!”

Can you imagine partnering with parents, serving families and impacting kids lives and helping the next generation say, “Yes to Jesus!?”

Incredible!!

So download the video above or click on this link to see it on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/david.grieve.399/videos/10154086478674387/

And be on the look out for each initiative and its details in the weeks to come!

Leading and serving you,

Pastor David

Now is the time!

Hey New Lifers,

 

With just 3 days until New Life’s relaunch is there anything we can do but wait?

 

Actually there is something we can do.  The same thing Esther did.

Let me explain.

 

Most of us know the story of Esther.

Through events uncontrollable by Esther but definitely designed by God, Esther was crowned the new Queen of Persia. 

And it is during this time a threat rises to exterminate her people from the kingdom. 

Her uncle, Mordecai, comes to her asking for help and when she first refuses he responds with those famous words in Esther 4:14.

 

“Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?”

 

Mordecai’s words struck a cord with Esther so she decides to risk her life to save the lives of her people.

But before doing that, she requested her uncle and all the Jews in the kingdom join her in a fast in preparation for going to the king unannounced (which was punishable by death).

 

After 3 days of fasting, she went to the king, gained his favor and saved her people.

 

In the spirit of Mordecai I ask,

“Who knows if perhaps you were brought to New Life for just such a time as this?”

I think you were.

 

And in the spirit of Esther I ask,

“Will you join me in a fast the next 3 days (Thursday-Saturday) before we go and see the King of kings on Sunday?”

 

If you are already fasting then finish strong with me.

If you have finished your fast or never started, start with me today.

 

Something special is going to happen this Sunday on 9-11-16 and I would love for all of you to be a part of it.  And bring a friend.  Why?

Because - Now is the time!

 

See you Sunday,

Pastor David

10 Days!!

Everything changes in 10 days!

I want to personally thank everyone who has been fasting and praying with me and Shami the past 30 days.  Whether you started 30 days ago or you started yesterday I am grateful that you chose to step up and personally get involved in what is happening at New Life. 

We are on the home stretch towards New Life's relaunch on 9-11-16.

And as we hit these last 10 days I am asking if you will step up once again.

Will you step up and join me in prayer? 

 

Will you pray 10 minutes 10 times in the next 10 days for New Life's relaunch on 9-11-16?
That's one time of 10 minutes each day for the next 10 days praying specifically for our relaunch.

Acts 2:42 tells us one of the things the followers of Jesus were all devoted to was prayer.

Will you devote 10 minutes of prayer with me for the next 10 days?

C'mon New Life let's do this!
9-11-16 is almost here!!

Are you In?  Now is the Time!

Praying with you,
Pastor David