1. religion and spirituality
2. christianity

New Life News October 2014
Pastor’s Page
Family Devotions
This winter, I’ll be starting another round of household visitations for those who would like to
take advantage of the time to strengthen their practice in one particular discipline: daily
devotions.
Daily devotions are a simple way to develop the habit of daily scripture reading, reflection, and
prayer. While there are a lot of ways to engage in devotions, I would like to bring the blessing of
doing devotions with your family to your home. What benefits might there be?
 Bring you closer to your spouse – increasing the unity in your marriage and giving
insight into the prayers and faith of your helpmate.
 Bring you closer to your children, giving a natural space for their questions, insights and
explorations concerning God’s Word and to get a firsthand glimpse at childlike faith.
 Build your faith in God’s promises as individuals and as a family.
 Increase your communication with God, your spouse, and your children.
 Ignite a continued desire to seek God and create the knowledge of a significant absence
when devotion time is missed.
 Learning first hand what God really says!
 Training in a very safe and loving environment for talking openly about what God says.
Build a Christ-centered confidence that cannot be destroyed.
While those are some of the major benefits of doing family devotionals, the truth is we cannot
possibly know all the good that will come out of them!
Appointment slips will appear at the end of the month for those families who are not currently
doing devotions together, or for those families that want to invite me to share in their family
devotion practices. These appointments will be largely for Monday and Tuesday evenings this
Winter, with a few other scattered times. Each visit will be focused on this one task and should
take no more than 40 minutes at the most; though I will understand If you desire to use the time
to talk about other things too and schedule that time as well.
Many of you have told me of your favorite devotions and I would like also to share my favorites
with you. My all-time favorite is from Dr. Peri Rosalandraibe. There is simply nothing better
than reading a chapter of the Bible, selecting one verse that touches you, and sharing that verse
with another person. It has even been known to lead to joint prayer!
For personal instruction and constant deepening in appreciation of what God has said, I have
used again and again a classic that is almost 500 years old – Day by Day We Magnify Thee by
Martin Luther. This daily devotional is chock full of astounding insights into God’s Word.
You’ll never tire of this one, or outgrow it in maturity. I have treasured To Live with Christ by
Bo Giertz and can recommend it heartily for the expressive ways it brings out the great love of
Jesus for sinners. Those two stand so far above the rest in my estimation. I like many others,
though, too. My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers is great for those who feel strong
and Streams in the Desert by Lettie Cowman is the daily devotion for those who feel weak;
Trunk or Treat
at New Life
Thursday October
30, 2014
6:00 to 8:00 PM
New Life will again be
hosting a “Trunk or Treat”.
Come dressed in costume and
“Trunk or Treat” from car to
car in the parking lot. Inside
will be games, food and fun.
For questions contact Wendy
Irons.
Happy Birthday Wishes to
these people Born in October!
3
4
7
8
11
12
13
14
25
26
27
28
30
Barb Hohl
Kathy Kennedy
Laura Hanson
Mary Robinson
Lorraine Simpson
Chris Peterson
Alyssa Hagemeyer
Kate Flaten
Kerry Carter
Tom Hohl
Amy Johnson
Jill Jenson
Jonah Wolcott
though I have often found the two could be switched around! Al
Rogness is a much more contemporary writer, whose son many
in Duluth know, and his devotional books are always solid and
engage fully our place in the world and history. The Portals of
Prayer does exactly the same thing with much more current
issues and concerns, though its change of writers can sometimes
mean it is not equally strong.
There are many devotions I simply would not recommend to
anyone, though many have recommended them to me. If you
would like me to review a devotional that you use and are
willing to hear my frank thoughts about it, then by all means ask!
I hope this is enough by way of introduction to have you
seriously consider daily devotions, done as a family or with
another, to know that there are proven resources to assist you,
and to make myself available to you for such devotions.
Devoted to You in Christ,
Pastor Norland
Welcome to our New Members
Ed & Sheryl Aamodt
Mike Goldsmith
Scott & Julie Polzin
Steve & Patty Sigford
Little Bit of Humor
HANDS ON CPR class
Tuesday October 7, 2014 at
6:30 pm.
Space available for 10-15
people to see and try their
hand at practicing HANDS
ON ONLY CPR, no mouth to
mouth anymore. Watch a 15
minute DVD then try to us a
manikin to save a life.
Presented by Kathleen Hein
with information from Duluth
Fire Department.
A little boy in church for the first time watched as the ushers
passed around the offering plates. When they came near his
pew, the boy said loudly, “Don’t pay for me Daddy I’m under
five”.
Afterlife Conference
Hosted by The Lake Superior Fellowship Group of LCMC/NALC
The lead presenter will be Reverend Steve King of Sola Publishing
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What is biblical revelation vs. popular myth when it comes to the Christian understanding
of the afterlife?
What happens to the believer between death and resurrection? A look at the intermediate
states of Sheol, Hades, and Purgatory.
What is the state of our relationships with loved ones (spouses, children, and friends)
with the afterlife?
What to make of Heaven is for Real and the interpretation of near-death experiences?
Can we communicate with the dead? Christians and mediums.
Saturday, October 25, 2014
10:00am – 4:00 pm
New Life Lutheran Church
4424 Venture Avenue
Duluth MN
$10 per person or $50 per congregation (suggested donation)
Lunch will be available for order
RSVP to New Life Lutheran at (218) 740-3597
For more information contact Pastor Stew Carlson at (651) 207-3939 or
[email protected] or
Pastor Carl Fiskness at (320) 260-4255 or [email protected]
**Each congregaton represented is invited to bring snacks for break time.
Prayer Team News
Many of us who now call New Life Lutheran home, have come from other congregations.
Unfortunately, we had to leave what was familiar in search of the Truth. We have grieved over
relationships we left behind. It seems good to the Holy Spirit and to us on the prayer team to
have a night where we can come together to bind each others’ wounds. Therefore, we will meet
at the church on October 14 from 6:30 to 7:30 for that purpose. Perhaps you feel you are healed
of past hurts. Please come then and support those who still are working their way to wholeness.
And think of this: What if we are not bringing baggage to this event. What if we are bringing
luggage we haven’t unpacked yet?
Jean Priest
Prayer Team
Serve One Another
Thrivent Financial Funding Available
For Projects You Care About
Thrivent Financial has introduced a new funding program —
Thrivent Action Teams — that allows people to quickly take action
when a need is identified.
If you know of a need in the community (workplace, school, study
group, neighborhood, church), this is a great opportunity to lend a
helping hand. Action Team projects can be as simple as organizing
a food drive or as complicated as building a wheelchair accessible
ramp at someone’s home. Perhaps you’re more interested in
hosting an educational event or cleaning up the park near your
home? Whether your passion is a hands-on service project, a
fundraiser or an education event, Action Teams can provide
resources to get you started. It doesn’t matter whether your event is
large or small, the purpose is to help strengthen your community as
you guide others to be wise with money and live generously.
Each Action Team project will receive $250 in Thrivent funding, as
well as T-shirts, a banner, invitations and thank-you cards. The
application is easy and simple: go online
to www.Thrivent.com/actionteam. Within five days you’ll know
whether your project is approved. And each Thrivent member can
lead two projects per calendar year — that’s a $500 impact in the
community per member!
Visit Thrivent.com/actionteam and read “Member Stories” to get
your creative juices flowing.
Not a Thrivent member? Not to worry — there are more than 30
New Life members who are Thrivent members. As the
congregational advocate for Thrivent at New Life, I’m happy to
answer your questions about Action Teams and get you connected
with a Thrivent member.
This year one of the
devotional books I am
reading is “Amish Peace”
by Tricia Goyer. This is
from one days devotions.
“God has given each of
you a gift from his great
variety of spiritual gifts.
Use them well to serve one
another”. I Peter 4:10.
Nancy Sleeth in “Almost
Amish” offers these service
tips:
Join a small faith
group, not for what you can
get but for what you can
give.
Adopt an elderly
neighbor, single mom, or
jobless friend, and look for
ways you can fill the gaps.
Gladly lend tools,
sports equipment, and other
little-used items. If it comes
back in less-than-ideal shape
– or not at all – consider it a
donation to a good home.
Dear Heavenly Father,
I’m amazed how blessed I
feel when I give. You pour
in as I pour out. Amen
This is so true for me. I
love to give. It doesn’t have
to be money. It can be my
time, my talents, my
energy. I always feel better
after giving to someone
else. I especially like to
give my smile to anyone I
see during the day. One
smile can go a long way.
Nancy Griggs, Giving
Team Lead
OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD - Collection Week - Nov. 16-23
Since 1993, more than 113 million boys and girls in over 130 countries have experienced God’s
love through the power of simple shoebox gifts from Operation Christmas Child. Samaritan’s
Purse works with local churches and ministry partners to deliver the gifts and share the lifechanging Good News of Jesus Christ.
Please consider packing a box (or more) for this great cause. New Life Lutheran will be
collecting your filled boxes fromNovember 16-23, then will bring them to the local collection
location. Check out the table in the entry, pick up a box, an information booklet, and start
shopping. The age groups are 2-4 years, 5-9 years, and 10-14 years - for a boy or a girl. Refer to
the September newsletter for lists of suggested items to pack in the box.
If you prefer not to pack a box but would like to donate some items for boxes, there will be a red
"donation" box under the table in the entry..
If you have questions on how to pack a box, check the OCC Web site
at: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/pack-a-shoe-box/
Watch for information on a packing party that will take place in mid-November.