NLC Connect - October 30, 2024

October 30th, 2024

connect with God's Word

Our families had a busy weekend with our pumpkin party, family meal and youth paint party! We are so thankful for our local first responders from the Dinuba Police Department and Dinuba Fire Department who came to interact with our kids and families. Thank you, NLC Kids and Youth volunteers, for doing the hard work this weekend. We appreciate you!!

connect your calendar

Note from the office: If you haven't already opted in to receive text messages from NLC, please text YES to 87447, or respond to the text message you may have received on Oct. 23 or 24. This is a new wireless carrier regulation. Thank you to everyone who responded so far!

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 30
Last day to request absentee ballots for Sunday's Members' Meeting
8:30 a.m. - DUSD Meeting - Dining Room
6:30 p.m. - Prayer Gathering - Room 113

THURSDAY, OCT. 31
5:30 p.m. - CELEBRATE RECOVERY meal, worship, groups

SATURDAY, NOV. 2: Reminder to turn clocks back one hour tonight!

SUNDAY, NOV. 3
8:30 a.m. - "Salt & Light" Growth Class - Room 114/115 (end of current series)
9:30 a.m. - CONNECTING POINT

Come meet and encourage others over coffee and snacks - Dining Room

10:00 a.m. - WORSHIP/NLC KIDS/NURSERY

Tim Geddert is the guest speaker
Communion, and special Deacon Care Fund offering
Note special event for kids & youth in their classes!

11:30 a.m. - Semi-annual Members' Meeting, focusing on the proposed budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year (see link below for documents)
5:00 p.m. - CREW youth group - Room 207

MONDAY, NOV. 4
6:00 p.m. - CR Worship Team - Gym

TUESDAY, NOV. 5
Election Day
6:00 a.m. - Men's Bible Study - Dining Room
9:00 a.m. - LIFT Women's Bible Study - Room 114/115
2:35 p.m. - Good News Club - Jefferson School
6:00 p.m. - Healing Room Ministry - Library

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 6
6:30 p.m. - Prayer Gathering - Room 113

THURSDAY, NOV. 7
5:30 p.m. - CELEBRATE RECOVERY meal, worship, groups
6:30 p.m. - Dawnings Pregnancy Resource Center's 12th Annual "Harvesting Hope" Fundraising Banquet - Ridge Creek Golf Club (call 559-595-9323 for tickets)

SUNDAY, NOV. 10
8:30 a.m. - "Salt & Light" Growth Class - Room 114/115 (new series begins on Jonah)
9:30 a.m. - CONNECTING POINT

Come meet and encourage others over coffee and snacks - Dining Room

10:00 a.m. - WORSHIP/NLC KIDS/NURSERY

Joshua Aquino is the guest speaker

5:00 p.m. - NLC CREW (youth group) - Room 207

MONDAY, NOV. 11 - Office closed for Veterans Day
6:00 p.m. - CR Worship Team - Gym

TUESDAY, NOV. 12
6:00 a.m. - Men's Bible Study - Dining Room
2:35 p.m. - Good News Club - Jefferson School
6:00 p.m. - Healing Room Ministry - Library

CLICK HERE for link to proposed budget documents

connect through giving

Received Last Week (10/27): …...... $4,414
Received this year: ...................... $65,095

connect to God through prayer

Pray for health and strength for Bob Martin, George Sawatzky, Emma (Karen Madrid's mother), Carolina Coralles, and Glen Zimmerman.
Pray for Kim Enns, Richard Clemmer and Sophia Salazar, all recovering from surgery.
Pray for healing for Evelyn Romero's son Mark, who is at Kaweah Delta with a blood clot and other issues.
Pray for Miguel-Angel (Hezekiah) Parker. His surgery has been rescheduled for November 15th.
Pray for Amanda Dover. Her surgery is scheduled for November 22nd.
Pray for Abe & Holly Isaak's 6-year-old granddaughter Tessa Fiscus, who is being treated for cancer, but is doing well at home.
Also remember: Doris Siebert, Marilyn Chappell and other residents in Palm Village Healthcare, Harold Kruger and others in Sierra View, Louie and Michelle Perez, Mary Salazar, and Zach Clemmer.
Continue to pray for those who have lost loved ones, and the GriefShare seminar being planned for November 16.
Pray for safety and peace of mind for the students who attend schools in our surrounding communities. There has been an increase in violent threats recently.
Pray for the students attending Good News Club on Tuesday afternoons at Jefferson School, and the volunteers.
Pray for those who are seeking employment.
Keep the pastoral search in your prayers as applications are being received and reviewed.
Pray for our missionaries: Pablo & Maricela Chavez in Peru (click here for their newsletter!), Cecil & Tracy Ramos in Thailand, Jonathan & Joanna Gutierrez in Portugal, and Johnny & Denise Esposito, who are home before returning to SE Asia.
Pray for peace as violence and war affect so many families and children in Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, in the Middle East, and in parts of Africa.
Please pray for the USMB churches in North Carolina (and elsewhere) affected by recent hurricanes. Donations to the Eastern District Relief Fund at MB Foundation have exceeded the goal of $40,000. These funds will help meet immediate needs of MB churches in North Carolina in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Thank you for giving to help meet this urgent need.

Connect to Child-like Faith

"And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven" - Matthew 18:2-5

I am often reminded of this passage when I have conversations with the children at New Life Community of Dinuba. I so enjoyed hearing from our 4 year old to 1st grade Teachers of our little ones are requesting prayer time for specific requests. I am overjoyed that our response from the Teachers was to guide the children to pray, rather than dismiss their impromptu prayer time. What an amazing opportunity to see the evidence of spiritual formation in our children.

I recently had a conversation with a first grader. She told me that there was a lockdown at school that day. Unfortunately, lockdowns are becoming so much more common in schools in the surrounding area. I asked her if she was scared, and she admitted that she was a little scared but that she was praying and doing her best to be brave. I asked her, "Did you know that Jesus was with you the whole time during the lockdown?" Her reply was "Of course. That's why I had peace." Her response humbled me. I told her that it brought me so much peace knowing that she felt the presence of Jesus during a time when she was scared.

I believe that this is what Jesus had in mind when he said to humble ourselves as children. We often look at children as the future of the Church, when in reality it is their faith that inspires us to grow right now! In what area of your life could you use that child-like faith? May God grant each of us a dose of child-like faith!
--Jessica Aquino