New Life News
Delair Apartment Fire
Dear New Life Family,
We appreciate the prayers that you have given for our neighbours involved in the Delair Fire.
Here is an update on the situation:
Delair Court Apartments has two buildings. The East Building caught fire and is completely destroyed. All of the residents of the East building are permanently displaced and have lost all their belongs – over 40 families. The West Building did not burn and the families in that building are slowly moving back into their homes. All the families are devastated and are just beginning to realize the scope of their loss. They have been put up in a hotel by Emergency Social Services for four days at which time, they need to find their own way of living again.
New Life’s Involvement:
God’s love is shining through so brightly! We are so grateful for the overwhelming response to help with the DeLair Road fire victims. The families affected by this fire will be adding a new chapter of hope and compassion to their stories! A few weeks ago we had to opportunity to serve these victims by taking everything that was donated by the community and organzing it for the victims to look through. We had about 15 families come through and take anything they needed. It was such a awesome use of our big somewhat empty building. Thank you to everyone who used their weekend to sort all the donations.
2 Ways You Can Help:
1. If you know of a basement suite or apartment that is available for rent, please contact Yolanda Apperloo at apperloohouse@gmail.com. She will forward your information to the point person organizing and matching accommodations to families. Then he will connect with you for further details.
2. Donate Money to the Delair Fire fund at New Life Church. You can do this by writing a check to New Life, e-transfer New Life (giving@newlifecrc.ca) or drop off cash. Make sure you specify that it goes to the Delair Fire Fund. From here, New Life Deacon’s will use those funds to support the families and their needs.
Each family who has been hurt through this event has their own unique story of loss and grief to tell. Let’s give them a new story of hope and compassion to rebuild their lives. We thank you for you love and care for our neighbors who covet your prayers during this time.
We are so humbled by all the response we have received. Many people offered rental suites and apartments, so many large items donations were received that MCC is packed full, the Salvation Army is filled to capacity with smaller household items and clothing, and so far between E.S.S., MCC, the Salvation Army, New Life Church and other donators, the families have received enough funding to be able to prepare the way to start their new journey, setting up their new homes, and picking up food hampers. Organizers for the food hampers also called to express deep appreciation for the volunteers they had.
Yolanda Apperloo
Delair Fire Deacon Co-Ordinator
Abide Worship Night : February 28, 2021
Sunday, February 28, at 7pm we are going to have a live streamed worship night. It’s called Abide. This will be a time to worship in song and prayer together, led by the worship team and the Monday Night prayer team of New Life Church. This is another opportunity to connect with each other and with God through reflection, prayer, and worship. To join the Abide event look for the live-stream link on the main page of the New Life website.
New Life Live: March 10, 2021
Save the Date: New Life Live our bi-annual congregational meeting is happening March 10. This event will be live streamed and available on our website starting at 7pm. Check back here in two weeks for the New Life Live package and more details!
COVID Update – February 5, 2021
Dear New Life Family,
Who would have thought a year ago that we would be in these pandemic circumstances? We’re sending this letter out to you to inform you of how we see things, ministry-wise. We also want to encourage you to press on in your own spiritual journey in order to stay faithful to God.
Restrictions
Given the announcement of February 5 by health official Dr. Bonnie Henry, the church remains closed for ministry events of greater than 10 people until further notice. The exception remains for youth programming which is allowed with a maximum of 50 people. Our youth program, Switchlife, continues to meet at the church on alternateThursday evenings, with Covid proticols. Weekly worship gatherings will continue virtually with pre-recorded services until further notice. We are hopeful, based on the February 5 announcement,that if cases continue to decline we can return to in-person gatherings soon.
Life Groups
Meeting together in small groups at home or at church remains restricted as well. This makes it difficult to sustain Life Groups at New Life, especially as using video conferencing platforms (Zoom, Skype, etc.) becomes more tiresome. We acknowledge that this is a difficult time to continue with meetings. However, we encourage Life Groups to continue to keep connection. Let us press on and “fight the good fight (I Tim.6:12),” and “spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not give up meeting together…but encouraging one another (Hebrews 10:23ff).” If your Life Group is “taking a break” —
- we encourage you to pick it up virtually (even as second-best, it’s still a blessing to connect!),
- connect briefly, read a Scripture passage together, see how everyone is doing, close in prayer,
- meet for one-on-one walks,
- extend an invitation to friends who do not have community to connect in your Life Group.
Serve Opportunity
Thank you to everyone who responded to our January call to service! Throughout the month we offered the opportunity to sign up for grocery delivery with the Archway Food Bank. We had more volunteers than the Food Bank could handle at this time. Thanks to the drivers for your willingness to serve. For the month of February we are moving on to a new opportunity with “Best for Babies” (click here). Since the start of 2021, while we are still in this pandemic, we’ve been shifting our focus into serving the community. We are still all about gathering to worship, still all about being community, but now is a time to serve. And because of your response, New Life is being an agent for a radical impact!
In Christ,
Nathan Elgersma (Lead Pastor)
Justin Dudney (Life Groups Pastor)
Best for Babies – Serve 2021
Best for Babies Program
Best for Babies is the “serve” focus for the month of February at New Life Church. Best for Babies is a pregnancy outreach program hosted by Archway Community Services that offers pregnancy support to expectant parents, including education and assistance for essential supplies. Click here to learn more about the program or to get involved further.
Care Packages
We hope to put together 60 care packages that the Family Centre at Archway will distribute to new moms in Abbotsford. We’ll need your help in collecting and compiling NEW items for the care packages. The items on the list are items that the moms can’t typically afford. For that reason we ask that you do not shop for items at a discount store (e.g. Dollar Store). The care packages are meant to be a special gift to bless the moms beyond the usual high need supplies. For example, while diapers and unscented wipes are always needed, they are not included in the care package list below. If you wish to donate diapers and unscented wipes, you may drop them off with your care package items. Best for Babies serves women of all religious backgrounds, please include only non-religious items.
- Click here to view the list of items. We still need lots of items, especially special items for the moms.
- Reserve the items you are going to pick up for these moms and babies using the linked form (so we can track what items are collected)
- Shop for the items you have chosen.
- Follow the drop off instructions, below. The items will be gathered in care packages at the church by additional volunteers.
- If your items come in a package we will most likely open the package and disperse the item.
- If you are not able to go shopping before February 22, you can also send in a monetary gift and we will use that to buy anything we still need. Just etransfer giving@newlifecrc.ca or stop by the church with cash or cheque, make sure you specify that it is for the Best for Babies Care Packages.
Drop Off
All items must be dropped off by February 22, so we can prepare the care packages. Items can be dropped off Monday-Thursday 9am-4pm or Friday 9am-12pm. If this drop off time does not work for you please contact Taylor Cheese to arrange an alternative drop off time.
Thank you for your generosity! We are excited to bless these women. Please contact the church office if you have any questions.
Church-Wide Zoom Bingo Night
On Sunday, January 31 from 7:00-8:00PM New Life Church will be hosting a virtual BINGO night. We look forward to seeing everyone on Zoom for a time of connection and BINGO. We have capacity for 100 devices so please limit your household to one device. Within your household, multiple people can participate in BINGO.
To get your BINGO card click here and print off 4 BINGO cards per individual for 4 games. If you are unable to print at home you can pick up your BINGO card at church.
Zoom Link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82741723118?pwd=cUFIckttZHlLbjBNdnoyS29SSXRRZz09
Meeting ID: 827 4172 3118
Passcode: 264941
COVID Update – January 8, 2021
Dear New Life Congregation,
Welcome to a new year, 2021! We all wish, or at least joked, that a new year could bring a clean slate to this pandemic situation. Unfortunately, it is still with us. At New Life we keep pressing into God’s calling to work for changed lives, a diverse community, and a radical impact. Admittedly, it does get frustrating to discern exactly what restrictions there are, how they apply to us, and for how long. Through it all, we are still making plans for ministry, and feeling enthusiastic about the opportunities God places before us.
Shifting Focus
Recently, staff discussed moving forward in ministry. We discerned God’s call to a more outward focus in serving the community. In the past year we placed a lot of energy and effort into producing virtual worship experiences and sustaining community through various connections and Life Group meetings. Worship and Community remain important pieces of our ministry, and in addition we want to place our initial focus on serving for the coming year. Many are already serving in various capacities, and we are glad for that. This shift in focus is not an expectation that we just do more, but that we recognize God’s on-going purposes in our life together. Let us know that you are in: 1) send us back a reply here; or 2) comment in the staff video here. We would love to hear your stories of serving too!
Serve Opportunity
This month our “serve” focus will land on the Abbotsford Food Bank. Not only does the food bank require on-going donations of food and money, but especially in this pandemic season, they need people willing to deliver groceries to food-bank clients. New Life deacons would like to provide teams of drivers that could participate on a monthly rotating schedule to make deliveries. If you could serve in this capacity, please contact deacon Mark Heidelberg who will direct you to the scheduler at the food bank.
Ministries
With health restrictions renewed for another month, worship services will continue to be pre-recorded and posted on our website, YouTube, and Facebook. Though we don’t expect it for another couple months, we will be prepared to return to all live worship services when in-person gatherings are permitted for churches. We encourage Life Groups to stay connected by electronic means. A current public health order does allow some children and youth programming. We are exploring how to proceed with this.
Thank you for your encouragement and support to church staff and leaders during this unusual season. And if you are feeling overwhelmed, discouraged, or depressed, or if you need assistance in any way, make sure that you stay connected with us directly, or through your Life Group, and elder or a deacon.
In Christ,
Nathan Elgersma (Lead Pastor)
(604) 743-8001
COVID Update – December 10, 2020
Dear New Life Congregation,
In this time of pandemic and on-going disruption, and especially in this Christmas season, the staff of New Life want to bless you with peace and grace. As we have been dealing with necessary adaptations to our plans at church, we know that you also have to make changes, adjustments, and even sacrifices. This week we’ve reminded ourselves of the need to rest on God’s grace, sufficient for all that we must endure. And so we bless you.
We have been so excited about the Bethlehem Walk that we’ve been planning since September, and have been announcing for some time now. The idea was to allow people to go through the church building with decorated stations that tell and reflect on the Christmas story. It would have been so exciting to welcome you through the building. The latest restrictions from any kind of gatherings or events have forced us to make changes.
So, we hope to present to you an online version of the Bethlehem Walk that will be our gathering point for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. You will be at home, but we will virtually gather to celebrate our Saviour’s birth through video.
Weekly online services will also continue to be produced for Sunday worship in your own homes. This virtual gathering will be the only way to meet until at least Sunday, January 10, 2021. We encourage you to participate in these online services and keep connection with New Life Church. If you have any needs or concerns, please don’t hesitate to be in touch with us. Email or call the church, or use Pastor Nathan’s direct line (604) 743-8001. We will continue to assess when we might resume in-person gatherings for Sunday worship and other ministry groups.
Thank you for extending so much encouragement to the New Life staff in this peculiar season. At times it has been exasperating to continually adapt ministry with changing health restrictions. Thank you also for your continued faithfulness in giving to ministry at New Life Church. We have worked hard to keep focused on worshipping together, on sustaining a sense of community, and extending a hand of grace and mercy to the people around us. Your donations have made that possible.
As we near the year-end please consider a gift that will continue to sustain New Life Church as we move into a new year, with great anticipation that no matter the circumstances, we can proclaim the love of God to our neighbours.
In Christ,
Nathan Elgersma (Lead Pastor)
The Bethlehem Walk
CHRISTMAS EVE AND CHRISTMAS DAY SERVICE The Bethlehem Walk event for Christmas at New Life will now be a virtual experience this year. We will have a video prepared that can be viewed on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. This video will virtually walk you through various aspects of the Christmas story to lead you in worship and help you reflect on the good news of our Saviour’s birth. The video will feature narrations and sketches from New Life children, devotionals from New Life pastoral staff, and a virtual Christmas choir, including your own voice! Join us as we journey through the Christmas story together. The Bethlehem Walk video will be posted at 4:00PM on Christmas Eve for viewing anytime after that (Christmas Eve or Christmas Day).
New Life Missions Catalogue 2020
Our mission partners are once again excited to have their items displayed in the catalogue. Please take a look at the catalogue and prayerfully consider how you can support New Life’s partners and missionaries.
Click here to see the Catalogue.
There are 3 ways to order:
1. Print off the PDF order form and bring it to the office with your payment.
2. Fill in the PDF order form and email it to the office.
3. Click here to fill out the online order form. Once you’ve put in your online order, payment can be made by dropping off a cheque or cash to the NL office before Dec 31 or by e-transfering giving@newlifecrc.ca.
Thank you so much for your support!