Dear New Life Family,
Here we are again at the beginning of another year, and there’s been a thought in our minds that may seem simple, yet it’s a powerful truth; “New Year, Same God!” That brief statement reminds us of the beautiful scripture in Hebrews 13:8 – “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever”.
As Rashelle & I have been seeking God for his direction and vision for 2023, he has shown us both exciting and challenging realities for New Life in the year ahead.
On a personal level, all of us will have to start letting go of the past. Covid-19 brought challenges and new ways of thinking for us all, but we are now moving further away from its reality so the challenge for all of us will be to embrace life and its demands outside a Covid framework.
In letting go we will also be called to hold on. We cannot let go of something without embracing something else. Jesus will need to be the one that all of us embrace wholeheartedly. We will move from letting go to holding on, in order to move forward. God is calling us into new and unchartered territory and we will have to take a step of faith, knowing that he is with us in every unknown and unfamiliar situation.
Over the last year, the Spirit of God has done such an establishing work in the church. In 2023 God wants our roots to go deep so that we can weather the storms of life as a community. This work cannot be accomplished without an enduring and sure foundation. To this end, the Word of God (The Bible) must take centre stage in New Life. God is not only leading us into a deeper study and understanding of his Word but also inviting us to meet him in fellowship through it.
Lastly, as you might have noticed, the church has become much more multicultural over the last year. We are grateful to God that he has added to the body in such a rich and diverse way. The focus on a kingdom community instead of a cultural community will be our aim and our great joy to build. We will have to learn to truly embrace Christ and his kingdom truths if we are to become a community that loves and serve each other from a pure and sincere heart.
We are looking forward to the new year with great expectations. We want to invite you to enter this year with us, convinced that the unchanging God will meet each of us and do a deep work of grace within this church family in 2023.
Much Love,
Nico & Rashelle