Inside this issue:

New Hope Community Church

When Love Works

“… As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” John 20:21, NLT

What started out as a “Why Not?” kind of idea has blos-

somed into amazing ministry. We are called out of the

world to be the light and salt of the world (Matthew 5: 13-

16). In simple terms, to be in Christ is to be no longer of

the world (Philippians 3:7), but to remain in the world on mission for Jesus. WHY?

Because God loves the World (John 3:16) and desires all people to be with Him

in Heaven for eternity (1 Timothy 2:4). When you put all this together you get an

amazing picture of what the church is supposed to be.

Here’s an ugly kind of truth: too many churches no longer seek to be the light

and salt of the earth. They exist for themselves, to feel good, to heal from the

hurts of the world, and just to make it through life. Let’s be upfront about this:

God’s goal for you is NOT to “make it through life.” Making it through life is a

worldly/satanic concept. Such a concept is built around the idea that you only

get one life, as short as it may be. NOT! Eternity is coming baby! This is our

Hope. This is our Drive! This is our Purpose!

To be in Christ is to KNOW that

there is so much more to life than

just making it. Our lives in Christ are

about giving our lives away so others

might know Jesus. We give our time,

our money, our influence, and the

best of us so that others might know the HOPE of Jesus Christ. What do we

have that has not been given to us by God (I Corinthians 4:7)? We are richly

blessed. What we value is not the accumulation of possessions and wealth.

What we, who are in Christ value, is that others come to know Jesus and His

forgiveness and healing just as we have.

And this is what you are doing right now, and I am SO excited…

Through “Love Works” you are giving your time, money, and influence so that

others might know Jesus and His love. You are providing necessary personal

and household items to families that have had their lives ripped apart by

violence and abuse. You are caring for veterans that have been forgotten by the

world through cards, letters, and personal visits. You are giving bags and back-

packs full of food, clothing, necessary items to the homeless and poor in

various locations in Apple Valley and Victorville. You are fixing bikes, praying

for the sick, and giving away Bibles, money and gift cards. You are taking the

May 2018

Volume 22, Issue 5

Continued on page 6

I Serve Jesus

Best When Jesus

Matters Most

Pastor’s Article 1 Jack Bracy

New Hope Praise 2 Kari Collins

Community Group List 3

Newsletter Has Gone Digital

3

Student Ministries 4 Jenny Bussee

Children’s Ministry 5 Sandy Sooter

Pastor’s Article cont. 6 Jack Bracy

Food Pantry Needs Help 6 May Birthdays 6

New Hope Praise Kari Collins

Hello Church Family, New Hope Praise would like to invite you and your family to Civic Center Park on Saturday, May 26th from 6pm-8pm. We will be playing worship music, some VBS

music and talking and praying with people. We are also hoping to serve some cold lemonade or water while we're there. We will have VBS invites to give to the families there. It's going to be a great time, so come along! We will be set up next to the playground.

Vacation Bible school is right around the corner. The dates are June 7-10 (Thursday - Sunday). You can see Sandy's Children'sMinistry article for more details. Everyonebe in prayer for this important ministry andstart thinking of kids to invite! This is one of my most favorite events of the year. If you've neverbeen apart of it, then you need to get involved so you can share in the fun and fulfillment!

There is always good stuff happening here in our church family. I am so grateful for these upcoming events. See all of you there!

~Kari

VBS 2018: June 7 - 10 (Thursday - Sunday)

GEARING UP FOR LIFE’S BIG GAME 2 Peter 1:3

2

Civic Center Park in Apple Valley

14999 Dale Evans Pkwy

Apple Valley, CA 92307

Directions from Church 1. Head North on Navajo Rd toward Pahute

Rd. (1.7mi)

2. Turn left onto CA-18 (2.2 mi)

3. Turn right onto Dale Evans Pkwy (0.3 mi)

4. Turn right onto Bass Hill Rd. (0.2 mi)5. Turn right. Destination will be on left.

(144 ft)

3

Find a group that is right for you OR start one of your own ….

Just ask us how

DAY & TIME LEADER(S) LOCATION GROUP

Sun. 8:45 am Jean Bracy & Erin Kirk NHCC Mixed

Sun. 8:45 am Kari Collins NHCC Men & Women

Mon. 5:00 pm John Grace & Matt Briggs

Apple Valley Veterans

Mon. 5:15 pm Debee Steinhouse One of Life’s Perks Coffee House Women

Tues. 7:00 pm Fay Masters NHCC Mixed

Wed. 6:30 pm Jean Bracy NHCC New Believers

Wed. 6:30 pm Pastor Jack NHCC Men

Wed. 6:30 pm Anja Powers NHCC Women

Thur. 7:00 pm Paul Harvey & John Crisanti

Apple Valley Men

Fri. 6:00 pm Terrell Dotson & Darlene Russell

Apple Valley Women

Fri. 6:30 pm Paul & Gracie Cowley Apple Valley YA

The New Hope Community Monthly Newsletter Has Gone Digital

If you would like to keep receiving our newsletter electronically, please email us at ...

newhopeapplevalley@verizon.net

Student Ministries Jenny Bussee

In Transition

Here it comes…..High School graduation, Junior High promotion, 6th grade

promotion that’s a lot of movement! We are entering into the beginning of

transition season for the students of ReSet. With so much movement there are bound to be stressors

your preteen/teen is facing. But how do we go about coming alongside them? Should we always be

right? Here are a five tips I have found helpful during this exciting but stressful time.

Lay the foundation if you haven’t already. When our students are younger we make decisions that

will affect them the rest of their lives. Some are within our control and others require deliberate

intentionality on our part. Working outside the home, educational choices, outside activities, amount

of tv/computer/phone time, etc. are all areas we should give thought and attention to. These forma-

tive years are fleeting and demand an enormous amount of energy. You will not regret the love and

time poured into your children.

Give your Student room to make mistakes – and learn how to fix them. By always rescuing our

teens we deprive them of the opportunity to fail and learn valuable lessons from that failure. It also

gives us the opportunity to show grace and be a continuing influence in their lives.

Spend more time listening than advising. I tend to have all the solutions when I need to just listen

and be a sounding board. Avoid lecturing. If I don’t listen, my teen likely won’t talk to me.

Choose the relationship over being right. So many times we want to prove we are right, but does

it really matter? The relationship needs to be more important or your teen is apt to find someone

else to share their life with.

Pray for them. Sometimes we think prayer is the last resort, but it should actually be the first. Ask

God to send people into your young adults’ lives that will be wise and encourage them in their walk

with the Lord. Ask how you can pray for them. Actively pray with them.

Above all else, remember that God is both behind and before us and our students. Nothing takes

him by surprise. If you find yourself conflicted about a situation ask HIM for the Holy Spirits

guidance. There is no better advocate for your student than God himself. See you Sunday!

4

All Servant sale $$$/Hours due: May 20th

Camp balance/Forms due: May 27th

Bonfire Fellowship: June 1st 8-10 pm @ Jenny’s. Bring snacks to share!

Children’s Ministry Sandy Sooter

Hello Church Family, Vacation Bible School is fast approaching and we are going to need all of the help we can get! If you have never volunteered at VBS, I would like to encourage you to get involved. Our pro-gram at NHCC is unique and unlike any others that you have experienced before. Here is what makes ours different and why you should volunteer.

The Schedule:

June 6th, Wednesday: Final Volunteer Meeting. Final Volunteer Meeting & Group Show and Tell 6:30pm-7:30pm in the sanctuary.

June 7th, Thursday: Registration at 4:30. VBS starts at 5:00 and goes until 9:00pm June 8th, Friday: VBS starts at 5:00 and goes until 9:00pm. June 9th, Saturday: VBS starts at 10am and goes until 4:00pm June 10th, Sunday: 8:30am until church service at 10:00am. Parent Presentation at 10:00. The Rotations: Vacation Bible School consists of five different sessions that are taught in rotation. The sessions underscore a main spiritual theme. The five sessions include a bible lesson, a craft, games, a song and some choreography. Students rotate through each area on each of the five sessions. This sounds complicated but here is what it means for the adult volunteer – you are only working in ONE area (craft, security, snack,

etc.) and only need to focus on that. You will stay in the same area and the children will come to you. We need adults that will commit to just one job. Easy peezy! Break Time: I’ll admit, this is my FAVORITE thing we do at VBS. We have a secret room that is stocked with food, snacks, puzzles and GOOD company! Every volunteer at VBS has scheduled breaks so that our workers can recharge. The Bracy family handles this area of

ministry and they do an amazing job! We want our volunteers to be fresh, energetic and have patience with the kids. Our breakroom fuels and restores us. If you are new to our church, this aspect of VBS will allow you to get to know other church members during downtime. The purpose: Each year approximately 15 to 20 children give their life to Christ. I can say with certainty that MOST of the children that go to NHCC made this decision during or immediately after VBS. Two of my own children committed their life to Christ through Vacation Bible School. Why? It’s simple. Instead of hearing about Jesus through 1 Sunday School teacher or 1 parent - The children are connecting with MANY adults who are sharing the importance of Jesus with them - Ms. Kari, Mr. Sean, Ms. Gracie, Ms. Melissa, Ms. Kim, Ms. Sharde, Pastor Jack, Ms. Jenny, and the list on and on. It is not lost on them that we do this for them! They are loved, valued and encouraged by seeing OUR FAITH IN ACTION. It works. If you want to be part of meaningful mission work right here in our own town, here is your chance. Mark your calendars for these dates. I look forward to serving with you!

Ms. Sandy Children’s Director

5

VBS 2018: June 7 –10

Food Pantry Ministry Needs Your Help

For years our food Pantry ministry has taken the

lead in helping us organize to help those who

have need with a bag or two of food when life

gets hard. Now this ministry is in need. We need

people who love helping people to help staff the ministry. It’s not a lot of work but it needs

consistent monitoring of food storage and putting together food bags weekly. If you love helping

people come check this ministry out. We need people now. For more information call the Church

office or talk to Pastor Jack

Feeding the Hungry, Helping the Hopeless

6

message of the good news

of Jesus outside of the

Church to the parks and

streets where people who

need love and need Jesus

live.

When Love Works

people feel like they

matter and that they have

not been forgotten, Christians are investing sweat equity into

the gospel of Jesus Christ, Believers are making the gospel

tangible to those who need it most, Followers of Christ are

leading others to Jesus; Those that hope most in Christ are

letting loose of what is theirs to give to those who forgotten

and marginalized by society. When Love Works, we are most

like Christ.

Let me give a word of encouragement to those of you have

been making plans and praying about how you are going to

make your love for others work this month. The apostle Paul

expressed it best this way… “So let’s not get tired of doing

what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of

blessing if we don’t give up” Galatians 6:9, NLT. You have done

well, but we are just starting. What you are doing now

becomes the pattern for the rest of your life. I am looking

forward to when we all share our stories Sunday May 27th.

See you next Sunday, Pastor Jack

Continued from page 1

May

Faye Carroll 5/15 Chris Valentin 5/18 Terrelle Dotson 5/19 Stevie Gary 5/30

All Believers are called to Love God, Love Others,

and Serve their World

LOVE WORKS

You Are Making A Difference in

Your World for Jesus