Love Your Neighbor as Yourself

 

1st Thursday Connect

New Life Women, you and your friends are invited to our monthly gathering, 1st Thursday Connect. We meet next on Thursday, February 3. A self-contained foil dinner will be provided at 6:30 p.m., and teaching from Luke will begin at 7:00. Your RSVP at www.newlifenw.com/wl-women is appreciated. If you are unable to join us in person, livestream is available at www.newlifenw.com/wl-women-livestream. Side by Side Bible Reading resources for our next study of the book of Romans are on the church website and in the church foyer. Also, we are memorizing Romans 8:23-25 in February!

  • Thursday, February 3

  • 6:30-8:30 p.m.

  • New Life Church, West Linn

To demonstrate love to some of our neighbors, we will be doing a project together to help The Father’s Heart serve the needy in our area. In addition to that, we are having an underwear drive for The Father’s Heart through the month of February. They are always in need of new men’s underwear (size S, M, L) and women’s underwear (size XS, S, M)! You can bring your donation to 1st Thursday Connect in March or drop it in a donation box near the mailboxes at church anytime between February 3 and March 3.

 

Side by Side Bible Reading

We are just over halfway through our Women’s Ministry year, and it is not too late to jump in (or back into) the monthly Side by Side Bible Reading.  In fact, that is one of the best things about Side by Side.  Every month provides a fresh opportunity to get started.

If you’re looking to start or re-start, here are some examples of how some New Life Women are doing Side by Side Bible Reading:

Alina Gauthier partners with the same person for two months and then changes to a new reading partner. For her, Side by Side Bible Reading is primarily an opportunity to connect and build relationships with women at New Life Church since she is relatively new to the area. (Alina and her husband Chris moved here a few months before the pandemic.) Alina is a pro at making friends and putting down roots and her adaptation of Side by Side Bible Reading is another tool she has harnessed to make meaningful connections.

Amy Crooks tries hard to meet every other week.  Sometimes every other week ends up only being once that month.  Amy started out a gung-ho every week Side by Side Bible Reading enthusiast.  But she talks a lot, so it quickly became apparent that the resulting 4-hour meetings every week weren’t viable! Letting go of trying to meet every single week has allowed her to still participate in Side by Side. Amy and her partner meet over the Bible, read, and pray but the goal is not to get every question answered and every blank filled out. 

Linda Damon likes to meet for Side by Side Bible Reading over a cup of coffee.  And her preference is to enjoy that cup of coffee (and the reading and discussion) in a coffee shop.  If you know everything about the Bible, Linda is your perfect partner.  If you know very little about the Bible, Linda is your perfect partner.  Linda brings warmth, comradery, wisdom and kindness to her Side by Side Bible Reading.  She especially likes to look for newer Side by Side readers to partner with (and to join her for that cup of coffee).

Linda Damon likes to meet for Side by Side Bible Reading over a cup of coffee.  And her preference is to enjoy that cup of coffee (and the reading and discussion) in a coffee shop.  If you know everything about the Bible, Linda is your perfect partner.  If you know very little about the Bible, Linda is your perfect partner.  Linda brings warmth, comradery, wisdom and kindness to her Side by Side Bible Reading.  She especially likes to look for newer Side by Side readers to partner with (and to join her for that cup of coffee).

Gay Haugen is pretty diligent about meeting weekly, but she has a very practical rule that makes this sustainable.  She sets a strict 1-hour time limit for the Bible study.  Gay has found that for her and her partners, it is more important to meet often and consistently and not get through all the material than it is to meet for longer periods less frequently.  Gay tends to read with one woman for a season and doesn’t feel the need to change partners too often.

Lori Smith likes adventure, and she brings that attitude of fun to her Side by Side reading partnerships.  Lori frequently asks the Women’s Ministry leadership team to pair her up with someone (or two). Sometimes she ends up partnered with someone she already knew and sometimes it’s with someone entirely new. Lori and her partner(s) stick as closely as schedules will allow to the cadence of weekly meetings and to the suggested reading and question format. 

Nancy Ross and Meghan Haugen are partners. Period. These two sisters in Christ are a few years apart in age but have found that is one of the things they love most about their time together.  Nancy and Meghan started out as Side by Side Bible Reading partners when they were just acquaintances. They are now each other’s dear friends who still meet regularly to sit at Nancy’s sunny kitchen table over a cup of tea to share and pray for each other.

Lori Elliott and her partner do the reading separately, jotting down things that stand out.  They then meet to compare notes, discussing questions with no requirement to resolve all of them.  Lori is using this to re-engage in church community after feeling distant during the pandemic.  She is focused on stepping into the mystery of God and growing her faith as she leans into a trustworthy God despite not having tidy answers to all the questions.

Whether you’re an old hand at Side by Side Bible Reading, have been taking a break and are trying to figure out how to dive back in, or are brand new to it, we hope it’s encouraging to hear some of the many ways New Life Women are connecting with each other while reading God’s Word.

 

Links

Below are links to articles, books, podcasts, and music that might be of interest or help on various topics. Resources are curated but may not always reflect the views of New Life Church. Enjoy!

 
Marcia ReavelyComment