Lincoln New Creation Community Church

This Week's bulletin

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Download the current Quarterly Sabbath School lesson.

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Food drive helps local free pantry

New Creation's Pathfinder and Adventurer clubs, called, "Jesus' Rascals," collected food last Sabbath for Lincoln's Little Free Pantries," says Club leader, Lesa Kean. "The new clubs, composed of 6 Pathfinders, 7 Adventurers, staff, and many parent helpers, distributed paper bags to neighborhood homes.

When they picked them up again on Wednesday they were able to fill 35 bags for food-insecure families in Lincoln. 

Member, Teresa Thompson, who runs a little food pantry at her house, had also asked if New Creation could collect items in high demand but seldom donated - dry cereal and toilet paper. Some of the food collected by the Pathfinders and donated by church members will support that pantry.

Lesa notes that "When kids see the kindness of Christ modeled in the home, in the church, and in the community, it really helps them to internalize the intense practicality of being a Christian."

If you'd like to donate to Teresa's pantry, contact her on Facebook here. Her page shows the location of most other Lincoln pantries. You can still bring food to church this Sabbath, and Woods Tennis Courts are currently taking donations to be distributed at the pantries. We all have a lot to be grateful for!

Update from Teresa:

"I'd like to thank the Pathfinder Rascals for their hard work and dedication in providing food for little free pantries this month. Almost 70 bags of goods, including lots of toilet paper and cereal, were delivered and distributed to 4 pantries, including Kayla's and mine here in needy northeast Lincoln. I'm overwhelmed with your community response!" 

 

 

 

 

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Fall Festival Nails $20,000 for The fund Hammer

We've been working towards a fundraising goal for building improvements, and Nov. 6 our 2nd fundraiser brought in $10,000, plus a matching donation! The Hammer, a wooden prop, got a few more inches of sand to show our progess.

The main attraction was the chili cookoff because we like to eat. Voted top three were:

1. Jessie Dorval - best overall
2. Brett Chilson - spiciest (a white chili)
3. Greg Firth - honorable mention (a vegan surprise)

The Fundraising Team, led by Aubrey Asher, managed to get Adventists up and dancing through a Cake Walk (which included a prized pie from Bob Chilson). They set up games like foosball and cornhole. Becca Conditt turned little faces into stunning animals.

Another popular feature was Horsetail Painting. Starting Gate provided their therapy ponies. Taylor Thompson showed people how to use the tails to create beautiful, abstract art.

If you missed this event, look for another coming next year!

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Who's Coming to Church? 

Meet The Thompsons!

There are three things that make a church grow: God, involved members, and leaders who serve only God. This is the story of how even a child can be instrumental in that growth through friendship evangelism.

Taylor and Topher Thompson hadn’t been going to church for years, put off by their experiences. “We knew God was still good, but wanted nothing to do with sitting in a pew for many years,” Taylor recalls. Many people would have let their disillusionment make them bitter towards Christianity or even God, but the Thompsons, instead, still met with other believers on Sabbath. In time, they even started hosting a House Church in their own home. Even so, “we knew something was missing. At some point, we realized we were more in need of being led than leading others,” Taylor explains.

That’s where Rylee comes in, their friend’s six-year-old daughter. She was going to be an angel in New Creation’s Easter Pageant, and they absolutely must see her! Who can say no to a kindergartner?

Within a month, they were back for church. “We sat through that pageant and felt the Holy Spirit,” Taylor recalls. “Our new friend, Rebecca Reinke, has talked with us often about how present God is in this church. And we thought, if He’s here, we want to be here.” Soon, Taylor’s friend Ebba Mead from the House Church, started attending New Creation as well. The story doesn’t end here. Remember what I said about leaders and growth?

The Thompsons aren’t content to be mere seat-warmers. “It’s easy to get involved here,” Taylor says, referring to how quickly one can fit in. She was nervous about meeting new people but Super C.O.W was offering a guitar class and Topher had just surprised Taylor with a guitar a month earlier. The timing was perfect to learn to play her new instrument. Their family really jumped in with both feet (and hands) at our siding removal, shortly after they started attending. They brought a four-wheeler and sled to carry debris to the roll-off. It saved a lot of time—and backs! Their little boys, with that farm-child work-ethic, helped too, picking up nails and dropping them into a paint can. Taylor's grandmother, who’s also new to Lincoln and to our church, supervised a herd of toddlers. At least 100 people turned out for that workbee (nearly all regular attenders). Showing up makes a bigger difference than you may know. That kind of commitment to a church impressed our newcomers.

It made the Thompsons want to do more.

The Chosen series had come up in conversation with church members a few times, and the Thompsons were already big fans of the TV show that depicts the life of Jesus on Earth. “So we got this crazy idea to show it outdoors at our farm,” Taylor smiles. “We have the space! The church Board went for it, and thirty or forty people have been coming out each week.” Pastor Mike says several people, many of them friends of the Thompsons, have tried New Creation as a result. Topher is impressed with the level of participation in activities outside the service. “It’s pretty amazing that you regularly get a third of the congregation to show up at an event hosted by the church. That’s spectacular. That draws people.” For now, the barn movies are done, but they plan to continue with Season 2 next fall at their place. Meanwhile, December 1^st, church members can attend The Chosen’s Christmas Special at one of the local theatres, another Thompson initiative.

You’ve probably noticed some of Taylor’s passions already. She helps out in the Mini-Ministries Sabbath School. She’s a gourmet cook and baker – her beautiful berry gallette earned a hefty donation at our first fundraiser this year. And this past weekend, she brought her ministry horses to our second fundraiser, letting people create fun, abstract paintings with the horse’s tails as a brush. They’re part of Starting Gate, her faith-based ministry where families can find hope and healing with the help of horses. Their main programs focus on giving a hurting child an hour and a half a week with a trusted mentor and a horse. This allows for a safe space to learn not only about horses and how they can help us understand our world, but also gives an opportunity for the gospel to be shared with a hurting family.

Ask Taylor about: Author, L.A. Kelly and Than.

Topher says his Spiritual Gift is moving people. Seriously. He has the truck and the muscles. And he has the muscles because he’s completed a full IRONMAN Triathlon in 2016 and is training for a second one in summer 2022. That’s a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride, and a 26.2-mile run all back-to-back. That would be enough to keep most people busy. Yet he found time to help the Prayer Garden Team move buckets of tons of donated rock. “This counts as deadlifts, right?” he joked. When Topher isn’t training or hauling furniture for a friend, he’s doing chores on the acreage or working at the family commercial real estate business. He has a quick sense of humor and a practical head for business.

Ask Topher about: Fitness, philosophy and firearms.

When New Creation was started 20 years ago, one of its goals was to bring back the thousands in Lincoln who had given up on church. Over a year ago our church itself was dying, and the Board prayed for membership growth and leaders. We’ve certainly had our prayers answered by the addition of the Thompson family! Look them up next time you’re in church. And remember to invite your friends, your family, especially your enemies to church happenings. If you’ve got Jesus, share what you love! See where it leads.

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Yes, we’re still open! Here’s why:

By Misha Darcy 12-5-20

Many churches have shut down, but New Creation Community has found ways to stay open so we can still worship God and stay safe.

That decision has not been easy.

Here's our reasons...Read More..