NLC News April 26 2023

Jessica Aquino, our Children's Ministry Leader, hosted a NLC Kids Volunteer Appreciation and Training last Sunday. It was a fun time of games, good food, and fellowship. We practiced sharing the Gospel with each other through "the wordless book", and we recognized the way volunteers have been living out the aspirational values of our church.

Aspirational values are those things we desire for people to experience when they arrive at NLC. We want people to sense these in us in every engagement at NLC. Our aspirational values are: To be...

1. Welcoming - Embracing newcomers and each person regardless of our differences.
2. Hopeful - Demonstrating faith in God’s presence and promises.
3. Joyful - Celebrating and thanking God for what He is doing.
4. Prayerful - Relying on the Lord’s leading; interceding for others.
5. Reconciling - Loving with the love God has shown us in Christ.

NLC Kids ministry volunteers nominated each other for these values. Jessica reported that the nominations didn't need to go to a final vote because the nominations were so in line with each other! People could readily see how each person was living out a particular aspirational value as a model for the rest. Frankly, none of these aspirational values come easy. For each of these awardees it is clear that the Holy Spirit has been at work in their lives to produce this fruit to share with each other and the children who come. Praise the Lord!

As we celebrate these volunteers, let's also join them in living out these values, too. May God use us to bless others as we lead them toward new life in Jesus.

NLC Kids Ministry Volunteer Appreciation
Front row (left to right): Kristel Salazar (Welcoming), Martha Sawatzky (Prayerful), Jessica Aquino. Back row (left to right): Natalie Zuniga (Joyful), Laurie Isaac, Joanna Espinoza-Brooks (Reconciling), Pastor Mark, Melissa Celaya (Hopeful)

THIS WEEK/WEEKEND
THURSDAY, APRIL 27 - CELEBRATE RECOVERY
5:30 p.m. - Dinner; 6:30 p.m. - Worship/"INVENTORY"
7:30 p.m. - Small Groups and Rock Solid Cafe

SUNDAY, APRIL 30 - NLC FAMILY SUNDAY and FAMILY MEAL
Last Sunday to reserve and purchase a Mother's Day plant
8:30 a.m. ADULT GROWTH CLASSES - NLC KIDS ministry for parents in growth classes ONLY

• Life's Healing Choices - Rooms 114/115 - Taught by Brian Willems and Veronica Stalis
• Video Class: Romans, Part II - Room 111 - Taught by Ron & Judy Brown

9:30 a.m. CONNECTING POINT (Dining Room)
10:00 a.m.  FAMILY WORSHIP ALL TOGETHER!

• NLC Kids will be joining Stephanie and the Worship Team, leading prayer and our verse, as well as leading in a worship response dance with ribbons
• God's Big Story: "Jesus Sends the Holy Spirit"
• Rotating learning activities for everyone to join in together. Some will be at tables, others are more active. You'll have time to try one or two. Have fun! Join in! Learn in a new way!
  • Circle Time: Hot potato sharing (with discussion questions from God's big story)
  • Multi-sensory activity: Bubble Power
  • Craft: The Holy Spirit filled the House (use straws to blow paint on a house image)
  • Word of Wonder: Memory Verse Hop Scotch
  • Clay Creations: Just add water (God shapes us in the way an artist molds with clay-using the water of the Holy Spirit)
  • Worship response: Ribbon Dance (kids and adults can make ribbons to use for worship response song)
  • Worship response: Active prayer (adults/kids write names on flames of people who don't yet know Jesus. These will be hung on a poster. Tealights sent home as a reminder of the Holy Spirit with us)

11:15 a.m. FAMILY MEAL

• Chicken Alfredo, drinks, and table service provided by the Kitchen Team
• Last names: A-M please bring a side or salad to share
• Last names: N-Z please bring a sweet or dessert to share

THE COMING WEEK
TUESDAY, MAY 2
6:00 a.m. Men's Bible Study: Book of Job - Dining Room
6:00 p.m. CELEBRATE RECOVERY Women's Step Study - Room 114/115 (the group is full)
6:30 p.m. Healing Rooms of Dinuba offers healing prayers - Church patio/library

WEDNESDAY, MAY 3 - ALL-CHURCH CAMPOUT BEGINS! (see schedule below)
2:00 p.m. - Campers can begin arriving and setting up at Morro Bay State Park
6:30 p.m. - Prayer Gathering will be meeting around the campfire at Morro Bay State Park

THURSDAY, MAY 4 - CELEBRATE RECOVERY
5:30 p.m. Dinner; 6:30 p.m. Worship/TESTIMONY; 7:30 p.m. Small Groups / Rock Solid Cafe

SUNDAY, MAY 7 - AT NEW LIFE COMMUNITY
8:30 a.m. - No Adult Classes or NLC Kids
9:30 a.m. - CONNECTING POINT (coffee and snacks)
10:00 a.m. - WORSHIP - NLC KIDS - NURSERY

• Jordan & Tristan Ringhofer leading "unplugged" worship and preaching
• Communion service

SUNDAY, MAY 7 - AT MORRO BAY STATE PARK - SEE SCHEDULE BELOW

Wednesday, May 3
Arrival after 2 p.m. if you are available to come early
Activities and Meals are not planned as a whole group, but feel free to make plans with others.
Campfire time - Prayer Gathering
Thursday, May 4
New people can arrive any time of the day if you are available to come early.
Activities and Meals are not planned as a whole group, but feel free to make plans with others.
Campfire time
Friday, May 5
New people can arrive any time of the day if you are available to come early.
Breakfast and Lunch on your own (share meals with each other if you like)
5:30 p.m. - Dinner: BBQ Hamburgers / Hotdogs, Chips, Salads, Cookies

• Clean-up, Games and Hanging out

7:30 p.m. - Campfire Group Time

• Camp songs, Laughter, Skits, Worship, Devotional, Play Games, Sit and talk

Saturday, May 6
8:00 a.m. - Breakfast: Bacon, Sausage, Eggs, Hashbrowns, Pancakes, Cereal/Oatmeal, Milk/Juice
9:00 a.m. - Morning Devotional / Testimonies
10:00 a.m. - Free time Activities

• Hiking, Golf, Biking, Games, Shopping, Fishing, Kayaking, Beach
• Lunch: on your own or with others
• Afternoon: Free Time Activities continues

5:30 p.m. - Dinner: Tacos, Chips & Salsa, Salads, Cookies

• Clean-up, Games and Hanging out

7:30 p.m. - Campfire Group Time

• Camp songs, Laughter, Skits, Worship, Devotional, Play Games, Sit and talk

Sunday, May 7 - (Not camping? Feel free to drive over and join in the morning worship!)
8:00 a.m. - Breakfast: Breakfast Burritos, Eggs, Chorizo, Sausage, Potatoes, Salsa, Cereal/ Oatmeal, Milk/Juice
9:30 a.m. - Morning Worship & Word / Testimonies / Communion
10:30 a.m. - Time to pack up and leave the campground

• Clean up camp area as a group

12:00 noon - Everyone must be out; return home when you're ready...

Received Last Week (4/23):  ……. $3,883
Received this year:     …....……. $229,581
Budget to Date: …………..……... $275,631
Budget Goal: …………………........$421,553
Needed Weekly: ………...……….…$10,665

A NLC Giving Story 
During last summer's Vacation Bible School at NLC the kids participated in an offering to support the Esposito's ministry to children in Southeast Asia.
NLC Kids gave over $240!
When the Espositos received the money in Southeast Asia they gave thanks for it in their blog.  Someone read the Esposito's blog and was so touched by what our VBS kids had given
that they "matched" it with their own gift of $2,500!
Little did our children know that their gift would become a seed of generosity that would grow generosity in someone else's heart, and that together they could make such a big impact in leading children around the world to learn about Jesus and find new life in him!

by Pastor Mark

I was invited to speak at Palm Village Retirement Community last week. They offer their residents a Thursday evening worship service, open to anyone else who wants to join in. Laurie joined me as I went to speak about fear and what to do about it.

Psalm 27 starts with an amazing declaration: "The Lord is my Light and my Salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the Stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" Of course, the answer is no one. No one, but the Lord, that is! God's perfect love eliminates fear, 1 John 4:18, says. "There is no fear in love, for perfect love (God's love) casts out fear."  Praise God for that!

King David, who wrote Psalm 27, uses two different words for fear. One means "fright" and the other means "dread". You get the difference, right? Fright is more of a reaction to specific things or situations, often experienced suddenly or for a short time. Dread is a larger, darker feeling that covers our thoughts and feelings like a heavy blanket. It affects our mood and can cause damage to our health. Think of people in Sudan or Ukraine who are enduring the dread of war as bombs drop and menacing caravans of soldiers arrive in town, as neighbors disappear or are killed, as news brings no sign of peace. Can God's perfect love really drive out such dread?

David believed that God is the only one who can drive out fear.  God is light (v 1). "There is no darkness in him,” 1John says. The Lord’s presence in our lives dispels the darkness in which our fears live and thrive. Our job is to live in him, to walk in the light as he is in the light, 1 John says. We do that when we acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God–that’s how we rely on the love God has for us. A perfect love that casts out all fear.

God is our salvation (v 1), so when fears arise and dread comes, you only need to speak the name of Jesus to know his salvation. Acknowledge who he is, and receive him again as God’s gift to you–a Savior, who is Christ your Lord. He alone is your judge, and as such he has taken your punishment on himself. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus!

God is the stronghold (v 1). David goes on to say the Lord’s presence is itself a house and a temple (v 4), as well as a dwelling, a shelter, and a rock (v 5). Those who dwell in the Lord (as in Psalm 90 and 91) do not need to fear. No one can take them out of the Father’s hand, Jesus assured his followers. That’s a powerful and effective stronghold!

It is the Lord’s character (v 7) to hear and answer. He is merciful. When Jeremiah wrote his lamentations, he described the mercy of the Lord as new every morning. “Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. He does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone.” “Call on the name of the Lord,” Paul wrote to those living under Roman rule, “and you will be saved.” (Rom. 10:13)

There are two more in Psalm 27: the Lord is a helper (v 9) and a teacher (v 11). These roles require humility on our part to ask for help and to receive it, as well as to learn from him. We make our fears worse when we reject or twist the Word of God to our own purposes. Our job is to simply trust and obey God's direction, like the sheep in Psalm 23 who follow their shepherd along paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Are you dealing with fear these days? Economic/financial, political/ global, in your family or on the job, for the church or for yourself? Fear is as common to us as breathing, it seems. And yet as God gives us his Spirit to fill our lives with his power, so we can trust his love to overcome anything that threatens us. Anything. Everything. Turn your eyes to Jesus and know his peace.