In the book of 1 Corinthians and elsewhere, the Bible paints a picture of the church as being a body of many parts, and that each part (each Christian) has been gifted by the Holy Spirit to serve God in a unique way. When these spiritual gifts given to the individual are combined with the vision and mission of the church, the result is fruitful ministry. Listed below are a few of our current ministries at New Life.
Developing Children
Nursery and toddler care is provided before, during and after the Sunday worship time for infants and children through age three. For toddlers, special activities are prepared which include singing, a Bible story, a take home project, and supervised play.
Children's Sunday School is offered for kids four years-old through fifth grade during the adult teaching time of our worship. Our dedicated and kid-loving teachers work hard to help children enjoy their church experience by incorporating crafts and games, while our Sunday School curriculum is designed to teach the basic beliefs and values of Christianity.
H2O youth ministry is for grades 6-12 and normally meets on Wednesday nights for fun activities, Bible discussion, community service and prayer. Special events include city-wide youth gatherings, Christian concerts, retreats, fund raising activities, and the week-long High School Leadership Training summer retreat in Colorado. The weekly meetings are led by dads, as we believe that the participation of all fathers of attending youth is critical to their spiritual development. The goal of youth ministry is to help our young adults know their God, love their peers, reach out to their friends, and equip them for a lifetime of faithful service to Christ. For more information, contact Pete Grose.
Periodically we invite children to practice and perform in music and drama presentations. We often have participated in the Cedar Rapids Freedom Festival parade, the Marion Swamp Fox parade, and prepared special worship elements for Christmas and Easter services. Practice for these activities normally occur during Sunday School for several weeks prior to the upcoming event.
Campus Ministry
We have been blessed in recent years with a number of Mt. Mercy college students seeking a closer relationship with God through New Life. In 2005 we started a formal ministry program on the Mt. Mercy College campus. In 2006, we began a weekly Bible study involving 15-25 students. And in 2007, we initiated a Saturday night worship time on the campus. We continue to trust that God will open doors at Mt. Mercy and other local colleges to reach out to the more than 10,000 full-time college students in Linn County.
Freedom in Christ Counseling
God never promises that the Christian life eliminates all pain in our lives, but He does promise that the Holy Spirit will be our constant companion and source of spiritual strength. Through Freedom in Christ counseling, we strive to remind Christians that God has empowered us to overcome spiritual bondage to anger, fear, depression, shame, and other negative, controlling emotions. that Christ died to free us from. To learn more or schedule a counseling session, contact Shari Damaso or Kurt Jurgensmeier.
Henry Davidson Youth Center
The H.D. Youth Center in downtown Cedar Rapids is committed to helping children of poor and displaced families, and homeless men and women. New Life provides financial assistance and periodic help with building and event needs.
Monterrey, Mexico
Several years ago a few missionary families moved from Latin American countries to Monterrey, Mexico to plant a new church. Because of the economic and educational culture in Monterrey, we believe that this represents a great opportunity to reach out to millions of lost souls in Mexico and all of Latin America. We provide monthly financial assistance to the church in Monterrey, and periodically send teams of adults and teens to Monterrey for week-long mission trips. This has been an exciting and rewarding experience for both the missionary families in Monterrey, and our own families in Eastern Iowa.
New Life Resource Center
Books, DVDs, games, recorded sermons, and a relaxing pair of couches await adults in the back corner of the New Life Ministry Center. All of the materials (except the couches) are available to check out for use at home. Many of the materials have been donated by our members, with new resources being added monthly. Our Resource Center also serves as the home for Tuesday evening men's prayer group, and for another area church's Sunday evening worship.
Women's Ministry
Many of our women and teens attend monthly fellowship meeting, weekly accountability groups, and periodic retreats together under the umbrella of Women's Ministry. The ultimate objective -- a life of growth and service to Christ, aided by women supporting women.
Worship Team
The Sunday worship time is led by men and women vocalists and musicians of all skill levels, as well as those that help with audio/visual needs. The team meets every other week to practice for upcoming Sundays and special events. For more information, contact Ray Damaso.