Dear Church Family,
I’m offering a series of random, disconnected thoughts for your ponderance today. Here they are, in no particular order…
#1. A TESTIMONY TO VOTERS – Hundreds of our Gahanna neighbors streamed into our building to vote on Tuesday and got to observe the outpouring of generosity by our church as they walked through our lobby…bags upon bags of donated groceries for GRIN filling up the collection tables (and that was after a truckload had already been delivered). I loved it! Let’s continue to be known as a church that “loves (our neighbors) because HE first loved us” (I John 4:19).
#2. ELECTION OUTCOME – How are you feeling about the election results? I don’t know about you but my ultimate hope of being part of a just, godly, flourishing society is still intact because it is grounded in God and His purposes. As the Word says, “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.” (Hebrews 12:28).
#3. AN ADVENTURE AWAITS – New Life is joining hundreds of other churches in designating The First 21 Days of 2024 as a special season of Devoted Prayer. “Seeking God Together” will be our theme and there will be opportunities galore to come together with other New Lifers and pray… for our world, our nation, our state, our city, our church, as well as family and personal requests. It promises to be a joy-filled, intense season of accelerated spiritual growth for all of us, so let’s begin preparing our hearts NOW. Stay tuned for more on this…
#4. THE GOSPEL CREATES A WELCOMING CHURCH – a New Life friend pulled me aside the other day to tell me about their recent experience of meeting a guest right after church one Sunday. The guest was involved in helping several young ladies break free from an addictive lifestyle and was looking for a church to attend together that would love and accept them. After a disappointing experience at another church she brought them to New Life… and was thrilled at the warm, welcoming reception she and the girls received here! My friend told me that as a result of their positive experience the ladies would definitely be returning to hear more of God’s message. I believe this brings a smile to Jesus’ face, don’t you? Thank you for being a church that welcomes all people, even those with messy lives (after all, every one of us is a bit messy, right?).
#5. A NEW PRAYER MOVEMENT IN GAHANNA – if you are a Gahanna resident who loves to pray I hope you’ll join others in coming together and praying for our city on Thursday, November 16 from 7-8pm. The friendly folks at GRIN (161 Granville St) have graciously opened up their building just for this gathering. Last month we enjoyed a powerful time of seeking God together for the flourishing of our town… and more. Get more information at PrayForGAHANNA.com. Come on out!
#6. BE ON THE LOOKOUT – I’ll be sending out an email soon with news about a new development that I believe is from the Lord and will help our beloved church thrive for many years to come. It will be one of our church-wide prayer requests during the upcoming 21 Days of Prayer Adventure. So look for this in your Inbox in the next few days…
#7. OUR VETERANS MAKE US PROUD – Let’s not forget to honor our veterans this weekend! We should all be grateful for the sacrifices made by those who served our country and defended our freedoms. Thank you, veterans!
Blessings to you today, church family. We need each other!
Pastor Steve