NLC Connect - July 23, 2025
connect with God's Word
Open Gym Night at NLC on Tuesday! We kicked off the evening with a fun icebreaker for the youth.
Our summer interns had a fantastic time at Gleanings for the Hungry, where they learned all about the organization's mission and their love for God!
Movie night at NLC, where our NLC family enjoyed watching "God's Not Dead."
NLC youth are having a great time bonding at SOAR!
NLC high school campers are getting ready to leave for camp and to praise God!
Our summer interns had a fantastic time at Gleanings for the Hungry, where they learned all about the organization's mission and their love for God!
Movie night at NLC, where our NLC family enjoyed watching "God's Not Dead."
NLC youth are having a great time bonding at SOAR!
NLC high school campers are getting ready to leave for camp and to praise God!
connect your calendar
WEDNESDAY, JULY 23
6:30 p.m. - Prayer Gathering - Room 113
THURSDAY, JULY 24
6:00 p.m. - CELEBRATE RECOVERY small groups - Education Center
SUNDAY, JULY 27
9:30 a.m. - CONNECTING POINT
11:15 a.m. - Family Meal - Dining Room (bring your favorite side dish or salad to serve 10 people, to add to the chicken, pilaf and dessert that will be provided)
11:15 a.m. - "Painting with Littles" for parents and children ages 0-3 - Nursery
5:00 p.m. - Youth Group - Room 207
WEDNESDAY, JULY 30
6-8 p.m. - Youth Gym Night (for 5th-12th graders) - FC Gym
6:30 p.m. - Prayer Gathering - Room 113
THURSDAY, JULY 31
6:00 p.m. - CELEBRATE RECOVERY small groups
SATURDAY, AUGUST 2
10 a.m.-2 p.m. - Celebrate Recovery Family Event -- Patio
SUNDAY, AUGUST 3
9:30 a.m. - CONNECTING POINT
5:00 p.m. - Youth Group - Room 207
TUESDAY, AUGUST 5
6:00 a.m. - Men's Bible Study begins new series - Dining Room
7:30 a.m. - DUSD meetings - Dining Room & Gym
6:30 p.m. - GriefShare Support Group begins new series - Room 114/115
6:30 p.m. - Healing Room Ministry - Library
6:30 p.m. - Prayer Gathering - Room 113
THURSDAY, JULY 24
6:00 p.m. - CELEBRATE RECOVERY small groups - Education Center
SUNDAY, JULY 27
9:30 a.m. - CONNECTING POINT
- Come meet and encourage others over coffee and snacks - Patio
11:15 a.m. - Family Meal - Dining Room (bring your favorite side dish or salad to serve 10 people, to add to the chicken, pilaf and dessert that will be provided)
11:15 a.m. - "Painting with Littles" for parents and children ages 0-3 - Nursery
5:00 p.m. - Youth Group - Room 207
WEDNESDAY, JULY 30
6-8 p.m. - Youth Gym Night (for 5th-12th graders) - FC Gym
6:30 p.m. - Prayer Gathering - Room 113
THURSDAY, JULY 31
6:00 p.m. - CELEBRATE RECOVERY small groups
SATURDAY, AUGUST 2
10 a.m.-2 p.m. - Celebrate Recovery Family Event -- Patio
SUNDAY, AUGUST 3
9:30 a.m. - CONNECTING POINT
- Come meet and encourage others over coffee and snacks - Patio
- Communion
- Deacon Care Fund offering & collection containers available for Sharing Hands pantry donations
5:00 p.m. - Youth Group - Room 207
TUESDAY, AUGUST 5
6:00 a.m. - Men's Bible Study begins new series - Dining Room
7:30 a.m. - DUSD meetings - Dining Room & Gym
6:30 p.m. - GriefShare Support Group begins new series - Room 114/115
6:30 p.m. - Healing Room Ministry - Library
Please help by sewing bags to put the supplies in! Bundles of pre-cut fabric are available on the table in the north foyer, along with the instructions. Please sign your name when you take fabric and when you return the completed bags. Assistance is also available from Elaine in the church office during the week.
Do you have pictures from past church events to help tell our story? Please share them with the planning committee! Pictures or other memorabilia may be loaned to Judy Brown or the church office as soon as possible. Thank you!
connect through giving
Received Last Week (7/20): ......... $4,892
Received this year: .................... $277,420
Budget to Date: ......................... $346,793
Budget Goal: .............................. $383,686
Needed Weekly: ........................... $21,253
Received this year: .................... $277,420
Budget to Date: ......................... $346,793
Budget Goal: .............................. $383,686
Needed Weekly: ........................... $21,253
connect to God through prayer
- Pray for Anissa Almaguer to have good health as she prepares to bring new life into this world! Anissa has been doing iron transfusions to raise her hemoglobin. Pray for strength and wisdom for the doctors supervising her care. Pray for Neida Roa, who is also expecting and was put on bed rest.
- Pray for Noemi Gonzalez as she recovers from surgery at home.
- Also remember: Marilyn Chappell and other residents in Palm Village Healthcare, Harold Kruger and others in Sierra View, and Mary Salazar.
- Pray for those who have lost loved ones, including the family of Carolina Coralles, who passed away on July 21. A new GriefShare support group will begin in August.
- Pray for those who are seeking employment.
- Pray for our interns as they serve our Church family and community this summer.
- Pray for the campers and SOAR participants to be open to the work God is doing in their lives this week.
- Pray for the undocumented in our community as they navigate life under this administration.
- Pray for our missionaries: Pablo & Maricela Chavez in Peru, Cecil & Tracy Ramos in Thailand, Jonathan & Joanna Gutierrez in Portugal, and Johnny & Denise Esposito who are home on furlough.
- 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.
Connect with Missionaries
Most of you know that I spend one Sunday a month in prison. No, I haven’t been convicted of a crime but actually convicted by the Holy Spirit to go into the prison and participate in the study of God’s Word with the inmates at Pleasant Valley State Prison (PVSP).
Before I go into this ministry in further detail, I would like to give a brief history of how this all started. About 15 years ago, some men from the Visalia and Fresno Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) groups got permission to bring the BSF studies into PVSP. It was obvious that there was a need for Spanish language study books as half of the prison population was Spanish speaking. We now have both English and Spanish groups studying this material. The inmates basically run the whole show, lead the various groups, and lead worship. The volunteer’s task in all of this is to sit in on an inmate-led group and give feedback on their leadership styles, helping to facilitate group discussions, and to draw out answers to the questions.
Now for my story. I really can’t remember how I got into this ministry other than asking a question to the “wrong” person because he promptly gave me some forms to fill out and said that I needed to fill out the forms and get a gate clearance to come and see how and what they do. At this point in time, all I really wanted was an answer to my question and didn’t want to invest any more time on this. However, this is where the Holy Spirit convicted me to try this and reminded me that I had asked to be stretched in my faith and out of my comfort zone. So, I filled out the forms and waited for my clearance. I didn’t know what to expect when my clearance came through, but I went along with another individual because it was my first time, and I had no idea where I was actually going. I have to say that the first time in prison was definitely not what I expected. I didn’t know what to expect, but I know it wasn’t even in the ballpark of expectations. My task was to be there and help with the groups where I could. However, after that experience, I had doubts as to why I even went; I felt almost invisible. When I discussed what I was feeling on the way home with my partner for the day, he told me that if we didn’t show up, the inmates would not be allowed to meet as a group. I must admit that I really struggled with the feeling of being useless, basically warming a chair for the next few weeks. I did decide to go back the next month, though, and the useless feeling began to change because the Holy Spirit helped me see that I wasn’t invisible, that the inmates really appreciated my efforts to come, and I was able to start getting to know some of the inmates and their stories. It took some time, but now I look forward to going each month. Not only do I get to participate in one of the groups, but I’m also getting to know how I can pray for those who share and ask for prayer. I have been going to PVSP now for about 4 years. I am still being stretched in this ministry but also becoming more comfortable in this area. I have found that once the inmates see that you care enough to come every month, they are much more open to sharing experiences and prayer requests.
God is working in the prison system. This ministry is flourishing. When this ministry started, it started with about 10 inmates and steadily grew over the years to 80 inmates (Spanish and English). Attendance then dropped to about 40 when multiple transfers occurred, but then increased to a high of 110 inmates. However, transfers happened again, and currently we have about 40 regulars. The inmates in A yard of PVSP have also started a Sunday morning church service, which started out with an attendance of 6 and now has 143 regular attendees. The inmates that have been transferred to other facilities are hungry for the Word and miss what they had at PVSP and have requested BSF to come and start a similar program at their new facility. This would include the facilities at Avenal, High Desert State Prison, Susanville, Delano and San Quentin. As an aside, the chaplain for the Texas prison system found out about what BSF was doing and has said he wants to see BSF in all of that state’s prisons. God is working behind the walls in a large and miraculous way.
This ministry is growing, and because of that there is a need for additional volunteers, especially at PVSP. At PVSP, we would like to have two volunteers each Sunday, but life happens. On July 13th, my usual partner was covering for another volunteer, so I went by myself. BTW, if you're wondering if I feel safe, I do. The inmates in the study groups are great. If any of you reading this are interested in checking this ministry out, please let me know. I’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have.
-- Kelly Friesen
Before I go into this ministry in further detail, I would like to give a brief history of how this all started. About 15 years ago, some men from the Visalia and Fresno Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) groups got permission to bring the BSF studies into PVSP. It was obvious that there was a need for Spanish language study books as half of the prison population was Spanish speaking. We now have both English and Spanish groups studying this material. The inmates basically run the whole show, lead the various groups, and lead worship. The volunteer’s task in all of this is to sit in on an inmate-led group and give feedback on their leadership styles, helping to facilitate group discussions, and to draw out answers to the questions.
Now for my story. I really can’t remember how I got into this ministry other than asking a question to the “wrong” person because he promptly gave me some forms to fill out and said that I needed to fill out the forms and get a gate clearance to come and see how and what they do. At this point in time, all I really wanted was an answer to my question and didn’t want to invest any more time on this. However, this is where the Holy Spirit convicted me to try this and reminded me that I had asked to be stretched in my faith and out of my comfort zone. So, I filled out the forms and waited for my clearance. I didn’t know what to expect when my clearance came through, but I went along with another individual because it was my first time, and I had no idea where I was actually going. I have to say that the first time in prison was definitely not what I expected. I didn’t know what to expect, but I know it wasn’t even in the ballpark of expectations. My task was to be there and help with the groups where I could. However, after that experience, I had doubts as to why I even went; I felt almost invisible. When I discussed what I was feeling on the way home with my partner for the day, he told me that if we didn’t show up, the inmates would not be allowed to meet as a group. I must admit that I really struggled with the feeling of being useless, basically warming a chair for the next few weeks. I did decide to go back the next month, though, and the useless feeling began to change because the Holy Spirit helped me see that I wasn’t invisible, that the inmates really appreciated my efforts to come, and I was able to start getting to know some of the inmates and their stories. It took some time, but now I look forward to going each month. Not only do I get to participate in one of the groups, but I’m also getting to know how I can pray for those who share and ask for prayer. I have been going to PVSP now for about 4 years. I am still being stretched in this ministry but also becoming more comfortable in this area. I have found that once the inmates see that you care enough to come every month, they are much more open to sharing experiences and prayer requests.
God is working in the prison system. This ministry is flourishing. When this ministry started, it started with about 10 inmates and steadily grew over the years to 80 inmates (Spanish and English). Attendance then dropped to about 40 when multiple transfers occurred, but then increased to a high of 110 inmates. However, transfers happened again, and currently we have about 40 regulars. The inmates in A yard of PVSP have also started a Sunday morning church service, which started out with an attendance of 6 and now has 143 regular attendees. The inmates that have been transferred to other facilities are hungry for the Word and miss what they had at PVSP and have requested BSF to come and start a similar program at their new facility. This would include the facilities at Avenal, High Desert State Prison, Susanville, Delano and San Quentin. As an aside, the chaplain for the Texas prison system found out about what BSF was doing and has said he wants to see BSF in all of that state’s prisons. God is working behind the walls in a large and miraculous way.
This ministry is growing, and because of that there is a need for additional volunteers, especially at PVSP. At PVSP, we would like to have two volunteers each Sunday, but life happens. On July 13th, my usual partner was covering for another volunteer, so I went by myself. BTW, if you're wondering if I feel safe, I do. The inmates in the study groups are great. If any of you reading this are interested in checking this ministry out, please let me know. I’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have.
-- Kelly Friesen
Recent
Archive
2025
January
February
March
April
May
June
2024
January
February
March
April
June
July
August
September
October
November
2023
January
February
1 Comment
Thanks for sharing, Kelly. I think that it's wonderful that the Lord has led you into this ministry and is, indeed, blessing you in this vocation.