NLC News October 27 2022

October 26th, 2022

THIS COMING WEEK:

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30
8:30 a.m. GROWTH CLASSES

Video series on "ROMANS" in Room 111

9:30 a.m. CONNECTING POINT (Dining Room) and Connecting Point for Kids (Rm 101)
10 a.m. WORSHIP - NLC Kids & The Crew (Jr/Sr High)

Pastor Mark preaching - You Belong Here! series on Ephesians - (Ephesians 3:14-21)

5:00-7:00 p.m. FAMILY FUN NIGHT & TRUNK OR TREAT
(Grab & Go Meals will be replaced by free hot dogs, chips, and snacks in the evening)

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1
6:00 a.m. MEN'S BIBLE STUDY - 10 Commandments - Dining Room
9:00 a.m. LIFT WOMEN'S BIBLE STUDY - Elijah - Rooms 114-115

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2
2:10 p.m. GOOD NEWS CLUB - Jefferson Elementary
6:00 p.m. WORSHIP REHEARSAL - Gym
6:30 p.m. PRAYER GATHERING - Room 113

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3
After school GOOD NEWS CLUB - Monson-Sultana School
5:30 p.m. CELEBRATE RECOVERY - Join us for DINNER - Dining room
6:30 p.m. CELEBRATE RECOVERY - Worship / Teaching / Small Groups
7:00 p.m. Stewardship meeting

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4
10:00 a.m. Graveside service for Lavina Wohlgemuth - Reedley Cemetery
11:00 a.m. Celebration of Life service for Lavina Wohlgemuth - NLC Gym - lunch to follow in the Dining Room

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6 (MISSION SUNDAY #1)
8:30 a.m. GROWTH CLASSES

Video series on "ROMANS" in Room 111

9:30 a.m. CONNECTING POINT (Dining Room) and Connecting Point for Kids (Rm 101)
10 a.m. WORSHIP - NLC Kids & The Crew (Jr/Sr High)

Andy Rotunno from Gleanings for the Hungry will be preaching

5:30 p.m. LIFELINE Young Adult group

Missions Month Special Guests

November 6th - Andy Rotunno from Gleanings for the Hungry. Gleanings is celebrating their 40th anniversary this year, feeding the world physically and spiritually. It will be great to hear from Andy and meet his wife, Chelsea, and their children. Andy has been a pastor in Southern California, bringing his church to serve at Gleanings before following God's call to join the staff.

November 13th - Cheryl Nicolay from Dawnings Pregnancy Resource Center will be sharing about their work in Dinuba with young moms and dads, offering them support and training through pregnancy and early parenting. We will also be celebrating the baptism of several 5th-6th grade students at NLC, and welcoming Maria Gonzalez and her children Dulce and Victor, Jr. as members.
November 20th - John & Geri from our own church! John & Geri have been missionaries for 45 years, much of it with Multiply in global church planting and video ministry. They will be retiring at the end of the year, so this will be our opportunity to celebrate what God has done and hear what they sense God calling them to in the years ahead. We will also have our Mission Banquet after church and a special missions offering.
November 27th - Mark Romero from Youth For Christ. Mark serves at Dinuba High School and has many stories to tell of how Jesus is transforming the lives of students.

Received Last Week (10/23).............$4,543
Received for Benevolence Fund ...........$50
Received to date .........................$59,547
Budget to Date ………..…................ $64,854
Budget Goal ………...........…...........$421,553
Needed Weekly ……...............…..……$8,227

Please lift Carl Wohlgemuth in prayer. He lost Lavina, his wife of nearly 67 years of marriage, last Saturday after several years of dementia. Her services will be on Friday, November 4th.
Remember also Ron Thiessen, grieving the loss of his wife, Edith.
Continue praying for JR who has been hospitalized with a painful cellulitis infection. And remember Eugene Enns, Glen & Peggy Zimmerman, Marilyn Chappell, and Chris Holmen (hospice). Pray for Johnny Esposito's back pain.
Matt Naylor (Mike & Nori's son) is having issues with his esophagus and stomach. Pray for healing.
Several are awaiting test results for cancer or starting treatment: JR's sister Cheryl, Mike Naylor, Carolina Corrales.
Otto & Marjorie Ekk will be returning from Portugal after hosting a group there.
John & Geri will soon be returning from their missionary farewell tour in Germany and Turkey.
Johnny & Denise Esposito are visiting churches in the US before they plan to return to SE Asia in November.
Pablo & Maricela Chavez and their sons (and dogs) will be leaving for Peru on November 7th.
Remember to pray for the Good News Clubs at Jefferson Elementary on Wednesdays and the one at Monson-Sultana on Thursdays.
Pray for several pre-teens at NLC who are meeting to prepare for baptism on November 13th.

From Pastor Mark

Thank you so much for the words of appreciation this month, and for the special gift to mark Pastor Appreciation Month. I feel your prayer and support, and am always happy to hear you share the ways your faith is growing, even through the challenges.

One of the students in the baptism class that Jessica & Josh Aquino, Terry Chappell, and I are leading gave the reference to a verse last Sunday. They said "12:26" but I hadn't heard the book of the Bible they were referring to. It did ring a bell, though. It brought to mind an important verse that had been shared on our first day in Tanzania on sabbatical. One of the pastors present, the only one older than me, shared John 12:26. It landed heavy on me. "Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me."

There are times I know I have stepped ahead of the Lord, or found myself at a distance having stepped aside to something I felt I needed to do. I've also lagged behind him at times, hesitant to re-enter ministry when I felt him calling me back to it. By God's grace I have also known the joy and peace of walking with Jesus, and sensing the blessing God has shared with me. It is indeed an honor to serve the Lord, and not only for pastors. I've known it while working at the university, as a parent, and as a citizen working toward a better community. You have known it in your life, too.

This verse in John 12 follows some pretty hard verses about serving through sacrifice--dying to self like a kernel of wheat that falls to the ground, is buried, only to produce a harvest by the life that God has placed within it. It's worth the sacrifice to produce something that pleases God. Stay encouraged! And thank you for encouraging me.