From The Pastor's Desk!

To all of our New Life Family,
It is my prayer that you and your families are well. As we navigate through this uncharted territory of dealing with this pandemic known as the Coronavirus, let us be reminded that God has not given us the spirit of fear but of power and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7). And as born again baptized believers, we operate in faith but we also must utilize common sense. As your leaders, we have complied with the rule of social distancing for the safety of our congregation and community in which we live and we will continue to monitor and comply with future orders from our Federal, State and local governments. For the Bible says that we ought to obey the laws of the land. (Romans 13:1-2). It is not a question of faith and fear but a question of faith and common sense.

While there are some houses of worship who have decided not to have public worship, and at the same time there are those who’ve chosen to continue. The debate has come to light that those who continue with public worship are demonstrating faith while those who are not are demonstrating fear. I want to declare to you that this in fact is not the case. It is not a case of faith or fear. I would have you to know that as Dr. Jerry Young, President of the National Baptist Convention USA, has stated, there is a distinct difference between faith and foolishness. This virus has spread tremendously and we have determined that it is in the best interest of our congregation and our community that we suspend all public gatherings to aid in slowing the spread of this deadly virus. It is because of this situation that I found it imperative that I share 3 things with you as your Pastor.

First of all, New Life is a blessed church and we are continuing to minister to our congregation and our community. Our Hospitality Ministry, Move Ministry and Rosa Ministry have been preparing lunch for students in the county for the past 2 weeks and also serving our Satellite students at the Ora Lee West Community on every Wednesday. It is our hope and prayer that as members of New Life, you know that your church family is serving our community and we are here to serve, support and share with you, as members of this local assembly, in the time of need. We want you to know that we care and love you all! Please let us know if we can be of any assistance during these trying times. Certainly, we’re reminded that we should Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2). Please adhere to all rules governing social distancing and the voluntary procedure of sheltering in place.

Second of all, although we have suspended all gatherings physically, technology has allowed us to meet virtually as we live stream the New Life Worship experience from our sanctuary. We encourage all of our members who are able to tune in to the broadcast at our regular scheduled worship hour on Sundays at 10 AM. Beginning on April 1, 2020, we will start broadcasting our Wednesday Night Bible Study at 7pm. We encourage you again to tune in and spread the word. God has been so good to us that the gifts and talents that have been revealed right in our congregation has taken us to new heights. And I believe that we’re not just going to GO through this but we’re going to GROW through this together. To God be the glory!