Newport N.O.W. September 5, 2014

Behold: We Are Doing A New Thing
(or two... three)!

Isaiah 43:19: Behold, I am doing a new thing; Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

Fall has slid in under the door and with it we are readying for crisper air, pumpkin soup, hats and scarves, a new school year, new youth pastor, a new sermon series .... and ... <drum roll> we are going to be trying some new things during our time of worship.

We will be introducing changes to both the look and the sound of worship at Newport Covenant. The changes will dovetail nicely with Pastor Adam's "Finding Real" sermon series focusing on the Book of John.

For starters, we are moving to a musical style that is a little more acoustic, and we hope it will help our worship to be even more "authentic" as we seek to worship our God in spirit and in truth, for that is the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.

We are also hoping to build a greater sense of community in our worship, so we will be moving the team to the center and down closer to all of you. We will also be moving to two projection screens to allow us to be more aware of each other as we worship God together.

Additionally, we will be adding some elements that are geared toward involving and engaging all the kids who come to worship. This will help bring to life the NCC mission statement of focusing on families in our community and their children.

And finally, we will be making some aesthetic changes to the space to highlight our distinctive voice in the community in music and creative arts.

Keep the faith that none of these changes are intended to go on forever. In fact, we are planning on spacing out these shifts through the first of November. While we recognize that it is human nature to avoid change, we want to open our collective imaginations so that we can find the best ways to glorify God and come together as His People. It is our further hope that these changes, along with the new sermon series, will encourage all of us to invite others in to see and hear what great work God is doing at Newport Covenant Church.

See You in Worship!

Pastor Tom

Camp Songs This Week

This Sunday, to kickoff the start of the new school year, the vacation church school song team will be front and center to belt out a couple of the super catchy songs that campers sang to get the day started. Keep an eye on Heidi, she's the queen of the macarena.

One Commandment You Probably Broke Last Week ...

Quick, no thinking: which commandment have you broken recently? Just blurt it out, the first thing that comes to mind. If I had to answer honestly, I would have blurted out covet. I covet my neighbor's clean houses and updated kitchen flooring and custom blog backgrounds. And especially this week, I really, really (seriously) covet schools that start at 9.30.

It turns out, though, that the one commandment that I blithely break all the time, partially because I might have slightly forgotten that it was one of the big ten, is the sabbath.

Last week Pastor Amy talked passionately about the importance of observing the sabbath. As we strive for work and financial security, we forget that value is not in what we do but in what we receive. It is in sabbath that we receive rest, protection, refuge and renewal. Isaiah 30: In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength.

The cricket? Actors often say "nothing but crickets" to indicate that the audience is so still that the cast heard nothing but the crickets outside. In serious Shakespearean productions, crickets are a good sign. In comedy, not so much.

May your sabbath this week bring forth nothing but a restful day with lots of crickets. Click here for an instant replay ... and find out how Amy's husband Jason spends his sabbath. Socks are involved.

Book Shepherds Sought

Diane and Stuart are grateful to Char Aiken, Arlene Nelson, Jeanie Brunzell, Liz Mitchell and Carol Hibbard for sorting through the 20+ boxes of donated books, mostly from Rebel Anne Harper and few more from around the church. They all made a huge dent in the backlog of sorting. Also, a special public thank you for all of you that dropped off books for us to add to the library.

Going forward, Stuart would like to gather a group of book-o-philes who would help spruce up the library on an ongoing basis. He'd like to create a team of custodians who would be in charge of a major section. Each section custodian would maintain their area and help compile a wishlist and brainstorm on the best ways to spruce up the library and keep it current and relevant. Click here to indicate which days you are available. Or, email Stuart directly.

Admin and Finance Committee: 10 September

The Newport Covenant administrative and finance committee will meet on Wednesday September 10th at 6.30.

Church Picnic: Sunday 14 September

Newcastle Beach Park, after the church service, starting around noon. Church will provide fried chicken for everyone.

What to bring? If your last name begins with A - M: bring a side dish. If your last name begins with N - Z: bring a dessert.

Kids Players: 17 September

Come learn more about Kids Players and preview Angel Alert, this year's holiday play.

Kids Players is for kids in grades 1-5. All are welcome. Players sing and act and dance the stories and messages from God's Word, rehearsing on Wednesday nights from 6-7pm. We will present our Christmas musical on December 14th.

Annual Women's Retreat: 26 - 28 September

Pack your bags, gals! The annual Covenant Women's Retreat at will be the last weekend in September, starting Friday the 26th and running through Sunday the 28th.

The year's speaker is Carol Kent, an internationally known speaker and author. Part of her testimony relays how her faith was rocked with her son's arrest for murder. Full scholarships are available, so don't let budget woes keep you from a great weekend. Contact Marijane for scholarship information. No groveling or paperwork necessary, just ask.