NewChurch Live

At our one year anniversary service, people shared what has come alive for them over the past year.  Here are some responses.

1. The voice for God.  One voice.
2. Knowing that a church community can be a profound support.
3. Enjoying singing and praising the Lord
4. My heart: I have fallen in love with a beautiful woman.  My head: I feel God’s love and He helps me each and every with all of the little stuff.
5. The power of a genuinely friendly, warm, embracing, staff, and congregation.  A personal relationship with the pastor spearheaded by his outreach.
6. I grew up in BA but never felt like I was a contributing to the community – nor was I interested in doing so.  NCL has made me want to get involved. volunteer and give back.  Plus the music is awesome.
7. Actually getting out of bed and wanting to go to church today (rather than sleeping in and watching Argentina – Mexico in soccer)
8. Love an caring, genuine concern
9. The sense of community – I am not alone in this place
10. The Sunday message is a wonderful stepping stone into my week and allows me to view the challenges of the week differently.
11. Going to church with my wife again.  My wife seeking church again.  Building a new home and joining a community again
12. What’s come alive for me is that love is the only reality
13. A spiritually relevant moment
14. Religion is not complex.  At its root it, living a Christian life is simple.
15. That spark has been missing for so long.
16. My marriage, my health, my attitude
17. Sense of belonging to something greater that the parts that make it up
18. Desiring to volunteer
19. Interest in service.  Interest to share the church.
20. The sense of contributing to a community.   The church.  Small Groups
21. Commitment to growing and expanding my spiritual path.  Falling in love with humanity.
22. All religions, faiths. spiritiualities have love and truth at their heart and can be embraced
23. Surrender gives me peace
24. Learning that marriage is about teamwork and not just me!
25. Community, church, time with family, music, happiness, taking home a message from church, empowerment.
26. Excitement about reconnecting with God
27. It is not just the dogma, it is the real hands of Christianity that I always hoped Christianity would be.
28. Bringing the church into my everyday
29. Being able to finally not feel like I have to do it all.  It is a relief to receive help too!
30. A desire to attend church.
31. A new desire to be in community with fellow church goers
32. My heart feels free each week
33. For the first time in my life I listen to every word and see the connection to life
34. Religion has become more real to life
35. Connections with people
36. I actually love and look forward to church now
37. I have a passion for it and want everyone to know about it
38. Inherently feeling a desire to service others
39. NCL has given me the time to many so many new friends and spend time to volunteer with my grandson. Thank you.
40. The story of Jesus inviting the disciples to the place He was staying
41. I became a better person.
42. The realization that the Lord is active in  my life all the time, especially when I am open to Him
43. Anticipation of belonging to a community
44. Church is safe again
45. Some different ideas, but you have not really told me that the New Church believes.  Good ideas.  But what is the theology?
46. The importance of being a church community
47. The ability to share my church with my friends
48. The way God is in every little thing – right down to the secular music.
49. The ability to volunteer gracefully/ easily
50. To be a better person
51. Hope for the future
52. Service becoming a living part of the community and my life
53. Being part of the Sigma (a local secondary school boys club) and helping out that was actually really fun, and we got sweet T-Shirts
54. I am new hear but I could see my kids liking it because it doesn’t feel too religious.
55. Being around great people
56. Creating new relationships
57. An appreciation for all the variety of ways the Lord constantly works to reach out to us His people
58. Appreciating the hard work my dad puts into bang on the drums all day
59. New direction, self assurance, many new friends, and a renewed spirit
60. Seeing my children invested in the Lord/ worship in a more tangible, personal way
61. Being part of a new supportive community
62. Living the Monday church
63. My son’s involvement
64. Giving up my agenda.  Turning it over
65. Community and fellowship
66. A sense of belonging and the importance of relationship
67. I actually listen to the message because it feels relevant to me here.  It feels like it is modern and fun
68. The ability to give freely.
69. Service to others
70. I do matter
71. NCL gives me the tools to be able to leave church and apply what I learned to my life right away
72. Religion, Christianity, never made sense to me.  I never knew people in my church even after 15 years.  At NCL, the connection with God, community, and the clarity of the message has made church come alive for me
73. It softened my hard heart
74. it is something I can share with my son
75. My husband and I are going to church on a more regular basis
76. Togetherness, peace
77. The willingness to be real.  Kindness, Love, Giving