Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 10:28 It was the summer of 2020 when these words from Jesus penetrated my heart differently than they had before. Was it really true that Jesus was saying that I just needed to be weary and to be carrying heavy burdens to receive this rest? I was about to put this new question to the test.

This weekend a part of our church family heads out on a retreat weekend - our middle and high school students! We will be exploring the depths of Scripture together - from how the Bible was put together and the lenses that we bring to how we read the Bible, to looking at the big story of God that Scripture tells and where we find ourselves in it. We need your specific prayers!

This Sunday, January 16 we will be celebrating three decades of ministry on staff by our Missions Pastor, Sheryl Curbow-Shaw, and commissioning her as a missionary sent from New Covenant!

Rhythms. Our recent Sunday morning messages have been centered in how the good news of Jesus is meant to be shared rhythms of friendship and blessing. In “routine exchanges between friends and neighbors.” Who Is the Best? Jesus was the best at doing this. He started with prayer. He intentionally listened and people were heard, known, and loved. He was always up for a good dinner party with friends and neighbors. He laid down his crown and put on an apron day in and day out while he walked this planet. And he was the best at sharing good news – whether tangibly or in word.

The final week. If you’re a follower of Jesus you know it as Holy Week. It was a petri dish of experiences that Jesus lived his final week here on earth.

To the naked eye last night may have appeared to be teenagers using the Super Bowl as an excuse to hang out together – most prioritizing the commercials over the game itself. As one high school student put it, “It’s just looks like a middle school fight out there…”. Let me share with you what I saw instead last night…

Anger. Hopeless. Trust. Despair. Hope. Confusion. Trust.  For most lament is rarely a straight path. It is a wandering towards God in the midst of pain.

The youth fall retreat was a twist on the familiar this year. A twist on how we did almost everything, as we all have discovered to be true of 2020. From eating and singing, to playing and making it a day only retreat - we found ourselves awkwardly maneuvering the realities of a changed world. And yet, we awkwardly moved together. Our theme was about living generously, and it couldn’t have been more timely. A generous God who shows us how to live generously through Jesus. Below are three stories from the weekend. Thank you for praying for this part of our church family as they continue to walk with Jesus.

Parents with Teenagers - Let's Get Together! No expectations, no presentations, no agendas - just parents getting to know one another, and connecting over parenting teenagers! Including after dinner (dinner is provided every first Sunday night of the month for youth group) dessert and coffee/tea.

Easter looked different this year, but we celebrated anyway! Thank you to everyone who participated in Stations of the Cross, whether as a reader or a participant. We were blown away hearing stories of you delivering eggs to your neighbors, egg hunts, chalk art, and other wonderful family events. Check out the beautiful chalk art above that was created by our members! Read below to hear some of the stories that we received from families who delivered Easter Eggs to their neighbor's so the kids could have an at-home Easter egg hunt.