New Life News
Superhero Park Days
Calling all Superheroes, of ALL AGES!
…YEP that includes you who is reading this… don’t look around the room, I am speaking to you! Well now that I have your attention, may I ask “What is your Super Power?” We just finished the sermon series ‘How do I fit’, exploring your spiritual gift (for the purpose of this article) AKA your Super Power!
Have you thought … how can I use my super power to make a Radical Impact in my community?
Well here’s the mission if you choose to accept it…
For the weeks of July 8-12 and August 12-16 from 10am – 1pm you are invited to join us at Mill Lake (Water Park Entrance – Emerson St.) to help support, strengthen and unify the community of Abbotsford.
Last summer our focus for summer outreach was to take church ministry out of the building and meet people in a common community space such as Mill Lake. We recognized when people felt there were no strings attached to neighbourly kindness they were more willing to open up, share life stories, struggles, areas they need support and be prayed with. Through all of this relationships were built. When we contacted the city to run this program again they were very excited to see this positive community outreach happen. We want to live out our mission statement: live a Changed Life, be a part of a Diverse Community and make a Radical Impact
Questions you may have:
Q: I don’t have young children at home. Am I encouraged to participate in this outreach?
A: Yes, everyone is encouraged to come out, have fun and be the good neighbour Jesus has taught us to be. When community children are playing, you are encouraged to join in or engage in conversation with other parents, grandparents or caregivers.
Last year Koen sat down a built a tower of blocks with two twin girls. While they were playing the girls began to open up about the struggles in their home. They told Koen their parents were in the middle of a divorce and they were living with their aunt. Koen was able to encourage and pray for them.
Another child wrote “I am not good” in chalk. One of the families who came out was able to sit with her and build her up. They made her feel important and valued.
Q: I am just a kid, what can I do to impact my community?
A: PLAY… be a friend. It’s easy to make a new friend during summer outreach because we have tons of games like, giant Bowling, giant Connect Four and giant Jenga. Do you get it yet? We are making a giant impact.
You have the ability to change someone’s day by just being kind!
Q: I’m not very good at sharing my faith. How can I be used to help?
A: Sometimes just sitting and having light conversation will allow you the time and a moment to share little bits of your faith. Pray about it, the Lord wants you to be a vessel for His work!
Q: I am gifted in creative ability, how can I serve?
A: We do so much more than just sports. We do colouring, beading and of course face painting. Face painting is a huge hit and we always need more volunteers to help with it.
Q: I am not able to commit to coming every day for the week. Should I still come?
A: Yes, park days run July 8-12 & August 12-16 from 10am – 1pm. Come when and as often as you can. You will be blessed
Q: Can I drop off my kids at Mill Lake Park without adult supervision?
A: No, we will not be responsible for childcare. You are welcome to drop off your kids if you feel they are able to be unsupervised and responsible for themselves.
Q: I enjoy helping, but not one on one. Can I still help?
A: Yes, there is set up/ take down and other logistics. We want you to come serve.
So let’s recap…
You are a superhero called into action to make a Radical Impact on the community around you, by using the strengths and gifts God has equipped you with. We hope you will accept the mission!
For more information contact Cyndi Broersma or New Life Office.
New Life Men’s Conference April 12-14
NEW LIFE MEN’S CONFERENCE April 12-14.
We are excited to announce the 2019 Men’s Conference at New Life Church. The theme is “In Step With The Spirit” (Galatians 5:25) and Aaron Baart will be back as the conference speaker. The conference will be at New Life Church and will run Friday night and all day Saturday. Aaron will also speak at New Life on Sunday, April 14. Registration will cost $60 and you can register at New Life’s Men’s Conference signup form.
Aaron Baart is coming BACK for this year’s Men’s Conference – IN STEP!! After last year’s life changing retreat we wanted to have Aaron back and we are hosting the event AT New Life Church! We hope to have many men come this year to IN STEP to ask the question what does it mean for us to be IN STEP with the Holy Spirit in our everyday lives.
On Saturday afternoon we have some Men type of events planned. You can choose between having a BIG equipment experience with a crane and excavator, a hike on one of the local mountains, or some fun and games at the church. You choose your own adventure. We also will have a conference t-shirt and the food will be terrific – think lots of protein.
The Conference will cost $60 which is much less than last year. We hope with a bigger venue, lower costs and excellent speaker that you will invite many of your friends to the conference. If you haven’t signed up yet you can do it here.
Printable Church Directory 2019 – Questions and Answers
Q: How can I request a copy of this year’s Printable Church Directory?
A: To request a copy of this year’s Printable Church directory please click here: https://new-life.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/63/responses/new and fill in this form. When you have completed the form we will print one and put it in your mail slot at New Life. Thanks!
Q: How important is providing a printed church directory to our members?
A: The church has always provided a printed church directory so that our members can connect in meaningful ways for ministry. The last printed directory we produced was in 2014. That was the same year we began to bring New Life Vine to the congregation. New Life Vine is our new online community and has the directory information and more – we stopped printed the directory then since all the info was within NLV. Some people still like using a printed Church Directory, so we began working to produce again from the information in New Life Vine. Hope you enjoy it!
Q: Why has it taken so long to produce this directory?
A: We produced this directory from the information in New Life Vine. We wanted to make sure that what is shown in the church directory is accurate and it has taken us longer than we expected to produce this. There were some technical challenges we ran into in getting the information from NLV into a nice format. We thank-you for your patience!
Q: What should I do if there is information that is not accurate in the Church Directory?
A: If it is your information, you may log into New Life Vine and update it. The changes will show up when a new directory is released. Or, you can email the church office and let them know and the next time the Church Directory is updated it will include the changes.
Q: Why do people need to fill out a Request Form to receive the directory?
A: We consider people’s personal information to be highly sensitive and private and treat it with utmost care. We want people to know their information is safe and will not be used for anything other than New Life Ministry. Also, privacy laws have tightened over the years and we need to abide by those. And people are much more reluctant (for good reason) to give our their personal information to someone they didn’t intend to.
Q: Why not print one for each member?
A: We will print one for each member that requests a Directory so we don’t waste paper. Many people use New Life Vine – our online community to get the information they need.
Q: What do I do if my personal information is in the church directory and I don’t want it in there?
A: Please email the church office and let them know, we will update the directory with the changes.
Q: Why are there not photos of people in this directory?
A: The reason we didn’t include photos is even though we took new photos this past fall at NLV Refresh, not everyone has a photo. Also there are some very old photos and we didn’t think people wanted those printed.
Q: How can we see people’s photos if they are not included in the Church Directory?
A: You can log into New Life Vine and go to a person’s profile and you will see the photo that they have uploaded.
Q: How often will the church update the Church Directory?
A: We plan to produce a new directory every year in the fall. In September we plan to do a New Life Vine Refresh – similar to what we did last September. When the refresh is complete we will produce a new directory in early October.
Q: Why do we ask people to not copy the directory?
A: If someone wants a copy of the directory then can fill out the Request form and the church office will get one for them. We do not want people to pass on the church directory to anyone who is not a member at New Life and who will use the information for anything other than ministry.
CHRISTMAS REHEARSAL NOTICE
Dear Parents of New Life Kids,
Christmas is fast approaching and we are thrilled to be spending time with your children anticipating the birth of Christ. We have been working hard on learning new songs and parts for the Christmas production on December 23. We have three dates to note for rehearsals that we would like you to mark on your calendars:
1. December 22: Full dress rehearsal for all kidschurch kids and week 4 leaders and helpers from 9-11am in the auditorium. If your child is a Little Light (age 2-4) we are aware that this may be too long and request that they arrive at 11am for a quick run through.
2. December 22: All actors are required to be here for full dress rehearsal from 9am-1pm (Lunch will be provided for actors and cast members).
3. December 23: Please have all choir here and be ready at 9:15am and actors by 8:15am .
If you have any questions please contact Cyndi Broersma.
Blessings.
YEAR END LETTER
December 15, 2018
Dear New Life Family and Friends,
I would like to wish you a sincere blessing as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
This year we have seen God’s mission coming alive in New Life in many ways.
- We have seen God bring expansion within His church. We have seen slight increases in Sunday attendance, new visitors, more people becoming members, and more people coming to faith in Jesus for the first time.
- We are learning to take next steps together as Christ’s disciples. Our lives are being changed as we Worship our Lord. We find strength in Christ-centered Community and we find deep fulfillment when we Serve like Jesus.
- Pastor Nathan has led us through several Biblical teaching series such as Uncomfortable, the Upside Down Gospel, A Call To Persevere, Portraits of The Church, Quest For God, and What Do you Expect? – our current advent series.
- We have seen strong support in missions. This past year we celebrate a total of $165,000 collected and distributed towards our missionaries, local mission agencies, mission partners abroad, and mission trips. We also supported Christian Reformed ministries with a worldwide reach for an additional $96,500.
Even though we have seen God’s work among us this year, there is still much to anticipate as we participate in God’s call on our Church.
I invite you to help us finish this year strong as we position ourselves for an exciting 2018 by making a generous end-of-year financial gift to New Life. Our goal as a church is to receive $136,000 in the month of December towards New Life ministries.
You can make a donation by giving on a Sunday in a giving envelop, by e-transfer (giving@newlifecrc.ca), online (https://newlifecrc.ca/give/), or through our New Life smartphone app. Please remember to give your gifts by noon on Monday, December 31, 2018 for the gifts to be tax deductible for year 2018.
Thank you for being a part of the New Life Church family. We wish you a most blessed Christmas and a very Happy New Year as we work together to accomplish the vision God has given us.
Together for Christ and His Kingdom,
Mike VanderKwaak
Executive Pastor
mvanderkwaak@newlifecrc.ca
Christmas Weekend at New Life
GIVING TUESDAY 2018
Giving Tuesday is a global movement across Canada and around the world for giving and volunteering. It takes place each year on the first Tuesday after Black Friday. It is a time when charities, companies and individuals join together and rally for their favourite causes. In the same way that retailers take part in Black Friday, the giving community comes together for Giving Tuesday. It provides a platform to encourage the donation of time, resources, and talents in order to address local challenges. Together the collective power of a unique blend of partners: nonprofits, civic organizations, businesses and corporations, as well as families and individuals, expanding our capacity to care for, and empower one another.
This year, New Life Church will be participating in Giving Tuesday (November 27) by extending generosity to one of our key local mission’s partners, Joshua House. With the recent addition of a new 32 acre facility out near Chilliwack Lake, there is much need for financial support, as well as volunteers to help establish this new intake house. For more detailed information, please refer to the following link.
There are many traditional ways to give to this very important partnership including dropping off offerings at the church in the form of cash or cheques; however, we would like to highlight our new online giving platform as a great way to donate to this cause.
We have just released our New Life smartphone app and it is an easy and safe way to give online. The app can be downloaded from the Google Play store here, or the Apple App store here. As well, you can give through our website, or by text. For more details on these two options, visit the “give” page on our website here.
At New Life we are thankful for the long standing partnership that we have with Joshua House recovery ministries. We count it a privilege to partner with this organization this year on Tuesday, November 27, and we thank you in advance for your generosity.
God Bless,
Mike Vanderkwaak
NEW LIFE APP LAUNCH
We are incredibly excited to finally release our New Life smartphone app. It is a new way for people to connect with our church every day of the week. Now you can take church with you wherever you go. The app can be downloaded by going to either the Apple app store, or the Google Play store, and searching for “New Life Abbotsford.”
Here are a few of the features of the app:
Select Worship:
- Fill out a connect card at any time
- Catch the latest sermon & download the New Life Link during your Life group
Select Give
- You can now give simply and securely anywhere, any day of the week.
- You don’t have to set up an account to give. You can use your debit or credit card right on the spot.
- If you decide to set up an account with Tithe.ly, you can set up repeating gifts and manage your giving options. (Tithe.ly charges a small processing fee for this type of giving, you can cover this fee by checking the box)
- Giving through Tithe.ly is tracked in the same way as other types of giving. It is added to your giving record and you will receive a official year end giving receipt from New Life.
- Find out all the details on our website.
Select Prayer
- Here you will find a form to easily submit prayer requests. The requests are then passed on to our prayer partners and prayed for throughout the week.
There is also a news feed for you to stay current with all of the New Life happenings, explore our app by pressing “more.” We are so pleased to finally have a fresh and meaningful way for our church community to stay connected!
NEW LIFE VINE REFRESH
October is New Life Vine refresh month! We are attempting to get everyone’s profile updated for a couple of reasons. First, it is important that we have updated information for communication and planning purposes. Second, we are planning to launch a church app for smartphones in the month of November and it will be integrated with New Life Vine. Third, there have been a few people ask for printed photo directories and so it is important that all information is current. On October 14, 21, and 28 we will be asking everybody to log in and update their profiles. After all three of these services, there will be stations set up in the lobby, we will be taking new profile pictures for anyone interested, and for extra fun – there will be, yes, SNACKS!! Please be prepared to stay after the service for a few minutes to help us maintain this very important part of our church community.
NEW LIFE PROFILE – JUSTIN DUDNEY
I recently sat down with Justin Dudney, our new Life Group pastor here are New Life. I had some questions to ask him about his journey and passion for Life Groups. Many of his answers surprised me and were filled with great depth. I hope you enjoy reading this interview as much as I did conducting it.
So give us a brief overview of your life.
Well, I was born in Pennsylvania, USA. However, when I was only 5 years old, my parents answered the call to the mission field and moved to Costa Rica. So from age 5 to 18 I lived in San Jose, Costa Rica as a MK (missionary kid). I basically grew up there. After graduating, I moved back to the US where I studied for a couple of years in both Kansas and Nebraska doing pre-recs for med school. I originally wanted to be a doctor, but while in university, for a short while I started going down dark pathways, and made some bad choices. Thankfully, during this time God intervened and this was a huge turning point in my life. I then headed back to Costa Rica at age 21. I turned back to my relationship with God and over the next few months decided to make a radical change. After signing up for YWAM, I headed for Australia.
How many years did you spend at YWAM, and at which bases?
I did my DTS at Brisbane, Australia in 2002 and then shortly thereafter joined the staff there. It was there that I met my wife, Nicole, and we were married in 2006. After that, we served at the same base for two more years. Then, In 2008, we moved to India to pioneer a base there with a small group of people. We came back to Canada in 2010 to have our first baby, Levi, with full intentions of returning to India. However, when we tried to go back all of our pathways were blocked, our visa’s didn’t work out, and we found out that a family member was sick so we stayed here in Canada.
You started out as an intern here at New Life, correct? Where have you served and in what capacity?
I started out as unintentional intern in 2011 in the areas of Young Adults and Missions. For the first three years I spent here, I did my LDN (a CRC pastoral studies course) and I have been here ever since.
Why do you do what you do? Help us understand the heart behind what motivates you.
Ever since I have been an adult Christian, my passion has been to get to know the Father better, and then to help others do the same. In short, my personal motivation is to have a deeper relationship with Christ, and my external motivation is to introduce and disciple others into that same journey.
What is the greatest joy in the work that you do?
Seeing others take significant steps to further their relationship with God
What is the greatest joy in your personal life?
Without question, my family. I love spending time with them, falling deeper in love with wife, and raising our four amazing children.
What are your greatest struggles, things that make you sad when you see them?
It makes me sad when I see people make choices that I know are going to cost them dearly in the future; decisions that I know will produce bad fruit rather than good fruit.
From your personal experience, if you could suggest one thing to another person when it comes to the pursuit of God, what would it be?
Above all else, remain in the vine. Your relationship with the Trinity (Father God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit) is everything. It is where you will find direction, strength for your tasks, joy, and motivation to help others. Outside of that space, you will have little to offer.
What are your hobbies?
I love playing sports, especially soccer. It is no secret that I am an avid soccer fan. I used to do a lot of surfing, I enjoy fitness, have a fascination with carpentry, and dabble in cooking.
Your job description at New Life is changing this fall. Rather than leading our Young Adults and Mission’s departments, you will now be heading up Young Adults/Life groups. How did this change come about?
We have spent a lot of time in the past couple of years developing a Future Ministry Plan here at New Life. Along with this plan, came a lot of discussion about our priorities and which areas of ministry we, as staff, would like to champion. One of the areas on the potential list of ministries that needed leadership was Life Groups. I began a conversation about this area, and out of that came the shift.
What is your heart for Life Groups?
I have always deeply valued the idea of life groups. It was an intricate part of my time at YWAM, but even before that, it was a constant in my faith formation and my years growing up as a missionary kid. I believe that in order to be a part of a church body, Sunday service is not enough. It is essential that we get into a small fellowship where we are vulnerable, accountable, and can intentionally seek growth in our faith life together with others. It is necessary for church growth as well as our relationship with God. In the church of Acts, they gathered together, fellowshipped together, and prayed together. However, even when numbers grew, they still met together in small groups. In YWAM India, there were eight of us that met together every day before going out, Then, every night we would come back together to pray and share what had happened. I would like to see that same passion for Life Groups released right here in our church – New Life.