New Life News
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 [email protected] 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