Summer 2025

 

1st Thursday Connect

 

We finished the 2024-2025 season of 1st Thursday Connect on June 5 with a celebration. What a lovely evening of recalling the Lord’s faithfulness to New Life Women through the past 7 years of covering every book of the Bible in Side by Side Bible Reading. Gay Haugen prepared a special video which we watched at 1st Thursday. It is full of special memories and God’s goodness to us.

 

We focused our teaching time on submission with a gentle and quiet spirit from 1 Peter 3. There are good reasons in that chapter to obey God in this area and powerful help for us in his gift of the Holy Spirit.

 

If we zoom out of 1 Peter 3 and consider the rest of the Bible, we see that God created the world with order, and order is for our flourishing. Without order, there is chaos or tyranny, neither of which are for our good. Adam, man, was created first and Eve was created to be his helper, to complement him in fulfilling God’s commission for them together over this earth. Only then did God proclaim it very good.

 

If you don’t like the idea of being a helper, consider this. Wouldn’t you rather be the helper than the one who needs help? Even God himself is a helper. Psalm 54:4 says, “Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life.”

 

Women are equally created in God’s image, equally participatory in God’s plan for the world. Being a helper is not demeaning and does not mean women are inferior. Nor does it mean we have second class access to God. 1 Peter 3:7 tells us we are co-heirs with our husbands to the grace of life.

 

 As it is in all of creation, order is good in marriage. God provided order for our flourishing, prior to the fall. This, however, doesn’t guarantee that post-fall, every submissive wife will have a happy marriage. It does still mean, though, that order is for our good, and in marriage, God’s given order is for a wife to submit to her husband.

 

 So, just one more reason beautiful submission matters. God loves us and created order for our good.

 

Thank You

 

Thank you, New Life Women. Whether you’ve participated in women’s ministry events for years, or have only been able to come now and then, or are brand new here, what you contribute is of value. Thank you for giving of your time to love and connect with one another.

 

So many have served this year in a variety of ways—table hosting, tech, food, music, set up, clean up, and teaching. Thank you to each and every one of you! This couldn’t be done without you.

 

And an extra big thank you to the leadership team for 2024-2025: Sandy Crane, Amy Crooks, Alina Gauthier, Lisa Hartung, and Gay Haugen. The team was small in number, but they have been mighty in creativity and devotion and impact. May God bless you deeply for your ministry to the Lord and to us all.

 

Summer

 

At 1st Thursday Connect, we gave out a free summer Bible study. We have a few copies left. Contact Marcia Reavely if you would like one. If you are interested in purchasing a copy, the book Faithful can be found online at The Daily Grace Co.

 

If you would like to go through the study with a group, contact Lisa Hartung. Two groups are planned, one on Tuesday mornings and one on Friday mornings.

 

Next Year

 

Next year, Lord willing, New Life Women will begin another cycle of 1st Thursdays and Side by Side Bible Reading. Put Saturday, September 13, on your calendar when we plan to kick-off the 2025-2026 school year with a Connection Cafe. The morning will be designed especially for you and your unchurched friends. There will be delicious treats and drinks, fun connection opportunities, a brief introduction to Jesus, and an invitation to 1st Thursdays. More information will be coming this summer.

 

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