NLC Connect - Dec. 3, 2025

December 3rd, 2025

connect with God's Word

Christmas season is in full swing at New Life Community!
A huge shout-out to our decorating team for bringing the beauty and joy of Christmas to life throughout NLC.
Our church family loved gathering and connecting before service—there’s nothing like starting Sunday with community.
NLC Kids kicked off Advent with a special combined Kids Church and Family Devotion Kit launch. Thank you to our incredible volunteers for creating such meaningful moments for our kids and their families.
NLC Youth had a blast making Christmas gifts for friends and family at our 2nd annual Craft Fair! What a fun and festive way to start off the Christmas season. Thanks, youth team!

PC: Amanda Dover

connect your calendar

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 3
6:30 p.m. - Prayer Group - Room 113

THURSDAY, DEC. 4
6:00 p.m. - CELEBRATE RECOVERY small groups - Education Center

SATURDAY, DEC. 6
5:30 p.m. - Dinuba Electric Light Parade - Downtown

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7
8:30 a.m. - Salt & Light Class - Room 114/115
9:30 a.m. - CONNECTING POINT

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

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

2nd Sunday in Advent: Peace
Donations welcome for Deacon Care Fund (at exit door) or the Sharing Hands Pantry (collection barrels in the foyers)
Child dedication parent meeting right after the service (in preparation for the 14th)

3:30 p.m. - Women's Cookie Exchange - Room 114/115 (bring 2 dozen cookies and the recipe!)
5:00 p.m. - Youth Group - Room 207

TUESDAY, DEC. 9
6:00 a.m. - Men's Bible Study - Dining Room
9:00 a.m. - LIFT Year-End Party - Room 114/115
6:30 p.m. - Healing Room Prayer Ministry - Library

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 10:
6:30 p.m. - Prayer Group - Room 113

THURSDAY, DEC. 11:
6:00 p.m. - CELEBRATE RECOVERY small groups - Education Center

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 14
8:30 a.m. - Salt & Light Class - Room 114/115
9:30 a.m. - CONNECTING POINT

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

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

Third Sunday in Advent: Joy
Guest speaker Cody Fedor
Child dedication

5:00 p.m. - Youth Group - Room 207

TUESDAY, DEC. 16
6:00 a.m. - Men's Bible Study - Dining Room
6:30 p.m. - Healing Room Prayer Ministry - Library

connect through giving

Offerings Received last week (11/30): ….... $2,499
Offerings Received this year to date: .…. $108,307*
Budget to date: ……………........……..…...….. $104,900
Needed weekly to meet budget: …….…….. $7,982

*Includes $28,406 specified for Missions toward
goal of $25,300 in November. Additional
$3,532.64 given to Missions (to date) will be
added to the Missions Fund for future use.

connect to God through prayer

Pray for Manuel and Karen Madrid and for healing, peace and wisdom for decisions to be made about health issues. Pray for Zephaniah Solorzano as he recovers from surgery. Elva Cardona requests prayer for a 30-year-old family friend Dusty who has been diagnosed with leukemia and is undergoing chemo in a local hospital away from family.
Pray for those dealing with long-term health issues and cancer treatments.
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 and those who attended the GriefShare support group
Pray for those who are seeking employment.
Pray for the undocumented in our community and those facing food insecurity and financial challenges.
Pray for our missionaries: Pablo & Maricela Chavez (in US on furlough), Cecil & Tracy Ramos in Thailand, Jonathan & Joanna Gutierrez in Portugal, and Johnny & Denise Esposito in Cambodia.
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 to Hope

Advent is the season when Christians slow down and remember what it feels like to wait. People in the Bible waited hundreds of years for the Savior God promised. They didn’t know exactly when He would come, but they held onto hope—believing God would keep His word.
Hope isn’t just wishing.
Hope is trusting that God is at work, even when you can’t see what’s coming yet.
And honestly… we all know what waiting feels like. Waiting for that crispy Totino's pizza to come out of the air fryer... those long-awaited packages from your Temu order.... that Brandon Lake concert... or maybe that's just me:)
Right now, I’m hoping for an electric scooter for Christmas. I’ve been dropping some hints to my mom like: “Hey, if I had a scooter, I could run and grab things from the store so fast… hint hint.”
I don’t know if it will happen, but the waiting feels exciting. There’s something about hope that makes your heart lean forward, like you’re expecting something good.
That’s what Advent is about.
We remember the world waiting for Jesus, and we also remember **we’re still people of hope today**. We hope because Jesus came once, and He promised to be with us and come again. Our hope isn’t just about gifts or wishes—it’s about trusting that God is doing something good in our lives, even when we don’t see it yet.
Waiting is hard—but hope reminds us that God keeps His promises. Advent teaches us to stay waiting, stay patient, and keep our eyes open for what God is doing.

--Lydia Aquino