Online services Only

Because of Coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns, Sunday services for all New Life Church campuses will be online only until further notice.

It was wonderful to hear President Ramaphosa stating on national TV last night that South Africans are a people of deep faith. The President announced this coming Sunday 31 May, as a National Day of Prayer and as New Life Church, we greatly look forward to being actively involved in this vital prayer initiative.
 
We have just passed the 60-day mark of lockdown and are now looking forward to changing gears down to Stage 3. We believe this will bring a much-needed boost to our economy as we continue to pray and trust our God for healing and provision for all affected medically and financially by Covid-19 in South Africa.
 
May you be encouraged from God’s Word in Romans 12:10-13. “Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fuelled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality."
The all-powerful, all-knowing, all-loving and ever-present God is busy and working on our behalf. The God of the universe can do more than we can think or imagine as we remain cheerfully expectant approaching this Sundays National Day of Prayer.
 
Being a large congregation and the safety of our members being paramount, we cannot gather as a congregation yet, but we are thankful that: 

• We are connected to our God forever.
• We can still meet together on Sundays as we worship online.
  Something new: our services will be live-streamed from our website as well as Facebook Live at 9am and 11am. The services will be available on demand for the rest of the week.
• We can pray for one another.
  Something new: we will be providing a telephonic prayer ministry after each service. For prayer please contact 0117067565 to pray with someone or email us at info@newlifechurch.co.za for any other prayer requests.
• We are able to continue to pray and meet within our Connect Groups online during the week
  (It’s still not too late to join a group click here).
• We can continue to serve as agents of His life and love in our own spheres of influence.
  
  We thank you Newlifers for your big hearts of generosity in the midst of these trying times. May God reward you and bless you abundantly.

 
Let us embrace the reality of this season with courage whilst remaining positive through keeping our eyes on Him. The Book of Ecclesiastes 3:1 puts it this way, “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” Whatever the season, God is in control and He will complete the good work He has started in us, so let’s remain cheerfully expectant.

Please join us online this Sunday at 9am or 11am as we align ourselves with the President’s call for a National Day of Prayer.

Grace and peace to you and your families, both near and far.

In the busyness of life, it’s good to take a moment to see things in perspective. Psalms 46:10 puts it this way, “Be still, and know that I am God’. Pause, for a moment and be reassured that God is still God. With this knowledge we can choose to live with confidence, courage and peace, knowing our mighty God loves us, is with us and is leading and guiding us.

Sometimes waiting for things to change is the hardest part of living. But as we wait, we as Christ followers wait with the knowledge and trust that all things will work together for our good (Romans 8:28). We can choose to quieten our thoughts and renew our minds by holding on to the promises God gives us in His Word. In our waiting, He is working, and we are strengthened knowing that greater times lie ahead.

This week Wednesday 20 May, 7pm, we begin our new Online Connect Group season. Connect Groups are where you can spend time with like-minded people, whilst growing closer to Jesus. This term we are enjoying a life-giving in-sync resource “The Wholeness Course” authored by Madz Deyzel, Pastoral Counsellor and Trainer. This inspirational 8-week course lays the theological and psychological foundations of what it means to be human, and how God fits into every aspect of our lives. It is vital to stay connected to others in times of physical distancing, so if you would like to be part of a Connect Group and haven’t registered yet, you can sign up here.

While you've been adjusting to your new normal at home, we've made a few exciting updates to serve New Life KidsLife Online, on demand. Our new KidsLife program for the Zone (6-10 yr olds) speaks into the different emotions children may experience during times of social isolation. InsideOut (11-13 yr olds), our tween ministry, is learning all about living a life of worship, and the little ones in Injabulo Land (1-5 yr olds) will also enjoy their fun theme, “Fruit of the Spirit”. These age specific ministries have been designed to captivate and engage your children, leading them into a vibrant and exciting relationship with Jesus.

A big thank you to all our connect group leaders who are opening their hearts and homes online to serve us as a church.

Grace and Peace to you and your families.

It is so reassuring to us as believers and followers of Christ, that Isaiah 40:28 says, “The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary.”

The eternal God is our refuge and strength. We may get tired, but He is never tired. When we are weak, He remains strong. Whatever we may be facing, He is there to strengthen us, to uphold us and to make our way straight, to lift up the valleys and to move the mountains we face. He is the voice in the storm that says “Peace, It is I”.

Our sincere apologies for the technical issues we experienced on Sunday at the 9am service. If you missed the live-stream due to the technical issues, it will be available “on demand” on our website. We are addressing the problem, which will be resolved so that you can look forward to our next part of the current series on Sunday 17 May. See you there at 9am.

We are excited as we continue signing up for Connect Groups Online. As you may have heard, we have a brilliant group resource by Madz Deyzel, Pastoral Counsellor and Trainer, called “The Wholeness Course”. This inspirational 8-week course lays the theological and psychological foundations of what it means to be human, and how God fits into every aspect of our lives. Being in relationship with each other is vital during physical isolation. If you would like to join a Connect Group Online, please have a look at our website for more information regarding registration.

As some of us may be experiencing different emotions in Week 8 of lockdown, let’s remain calm, united and in faith as we pray for each other and our nation. Our God is a living God, a God who hears our prayers, let’s praise Him as we put our trust in Him.

Let’s pray together: Lord, we praise You today that You are a Living God who is leading us as a nation and as a church. Thank you for every Newlifer, that You are our all-sufficiency, Jesus. You are a God who promises to meet every need, physical, emotional and financial. We choose to put our trust in You. Lord we choose to praise You, no matter the storm we may be in. In Jesus Name. Amen

Over the past 6 weeks of national lockdown, whilst we are all getting used to the “new normal”, we are so encouraged to see our church being more than bricks and mortar, but “living stones”, each playing our part so that we can go on “loving Jesus, loving others as ourselves and impacting the world for Christ”. We are grateful and take comfort in the fact that almost all of us can connect with each other in different ways through the various social platforms available to us.

Psalm 133:1 says it so well, “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!”

Great News! Term 2 of Connect Groups for 2020 will be starting online during the week of 18 to 22 May. It is vital for us to keep connected, not only on Sundays, but meeting mid-week in smaller groups both strengthens our relationship with Jesus and with each other, as life-giving friendships are cultivated. Click here for more information or email connect@newlifechurch.co.za

This coming Sunday is Mother’s Day, a special time to honour our New Life Mothers. This scripture puts it so well when we think of all the that our Moms do for us, Proverbs 31:25: "She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future." Moms are often our unsung heroes, so this is a wonderful time to bless them this Sunday as we pray for them and thank God for the part they have played in our lives.

Our current series “Possessing Your Tomorrows” is helping us to look forward to the future, just as Joshua did, as we begin to stir up our faith and journey with boldness into a future paved with the promises of God. This inspirational series is live-streamed every Sunday at 9am for all 4 New Life Churches (and available on demand for the following week). Please join us via our website or Facebook Live.

As local churches in Bryanston, Diepsloot, Cosmo City and Alexandra, we want to remain mindful of those who are truly struggling at this time and help where we can via weekly food parcel handing out (New Life partnering with Pick n Pay Douglasdale) or our Fill-a-Box initiative. A very big thank you to every New Lifer for your generosity.

Weekly lockdown greetings from Chris, Lisa and the Pastoral Team at New Life Church. We continue to pray for wisdom and help for the President and the Cabinet Ministers as they make the needed decisions in these unchartered and very challenging times.

As four New Life Church communities (Bryanston, Diepsloot, Cosmo City and Alexandra), we continue to do Church submitting to the regulations that our Government has implemented. Our weekly online Sunday Services are being viewed by many, many people locally and we have logons from all over the world. We look forward to meeting again online this Sunday (3 May) at 9am as we live-stream the service on our website and on Facebook live.

It is almost time for our 2nd Term of Connect Groups to kick off and we are going to launch our home-based Connect Groups via on-line platforms towards the middle of May! Life is better together! Our next Alpha Course is going online too. Please keep an eye on the website and weekly emails to keep updated with all the latest information regarding online Connect Group opportunities for Term 2 of 2020.

Please also be mindful of opportunities to support others whose lives have been so drastically changed as a result of the economic situation we find ourselves in:

• New Life Church "Fill-A-Box" Servolution initiative
• General ideas and food parcel collections at the Pick n Pay in Douglasdale

If both parents are trying to work from home, remember that you’re on the same team together. Try to set up a schedule that suits everyone. Some of us are taking shifts, where one parent works from 8:30am to 12:00pm, while the other cares for the kids, then switching from 12:30pm to 5:00pm. Make a plan, but leave room to be flexible.

…Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults…
EPHESIANS 4:2

Ask your children to “help” in ways that make sense for their ages. You might help them make a “Time to Work” sign for you, then explain that when you hang it on the door, that means you need to concentrate. Help them make special artwork for your workspace - especially if you’ll be in video meetings. Your kids are more likely to respect boundaries between work time and family time if they feel invested in both.

Imprint these words of mine on your hearts and minds… Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
DEUTERONOMY 11:18-19

 “Productivity” looks different right now than it did three months ago. And, most of the people you work with are likely dealing with issues very similar to yours. Be a living example of the things you hope to receive from others. Give grace to your coworkers, to your children, and to yourself. 

The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
GALATIANS 5:22-23

As much as you can, enjoy this time you have together. It may be hard to remember right now, but just a few months ago, many of us were trying to find ways to spend more time with our kids. It’s true that our current circumstances come with real challenges. But, it’s also true that we have the power to choose how we respond. We can see them as setbacks that are causing us pain, or as opportunities to draw our families closer than ever.                                  

We are about to enter Week 5 of national Covid-19 lockdown and Lisa and I want to encourage all New Lifers to stand strong in our faith according to the words of our Lord in John 16:33 “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in Me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

A very encouraging report is that we have had up to 1495 devices logged on to our online Sunday Services (including online viewers from other nations - the UK, New Zealand and Slovakia!). We expect each device to represent approximately 2 adults resulting in about 3000 people watching online on Sundays. This number does not include those who watch the Sunday Service on-demand over the course of the following week nor the weekly KidsLife, InsideOut and New Life Student on-demand online material viewing.

We, as a Church staff, continue handing out food parcels to vulnerable families in all 4 of our New Life Church communities with 200 food parcels going out this week.

Here are some things we would love all to consider this week... 

1. Please continue worshipping and feeding our faith together by watching online Sunday Church services at 9am (or watching the same weekly Sunday Service on-demand until the following Saturday evening). “Possessing Your Tomorrows” is the current sermon series. Weekly KidsLife, InsideOut and New Life Students materials are available online on-demand.
    
2. Please continue praying in line with the global #UNITE714 prayer initiative we are tracking with as New Life Church. Also, please keep praying for wisdom and guidance for President Ramaphosa and all the provincial premiers as they make decisions related to Covid-19 going forward.
    
3. Please practically help others by participating in the New Life Church "Fill-A-Box" Servolution initiative which gives us an opportunity to be ready to help others in dire need as soon as current lockdown regulations are eased. Find out more by clicking here.
    
4. Please contribute to food parcel collections at the Pick n Pay in Douglasdale. New Life Church and other charities are partnering with Pick n Pay Douglasdale with daily pick-ups of what has been donated by shoppers. With immediate effect and until further notice, whatever is donated on a Wednesday is given to New Life Church to distribute to the vulnerable at this time.
    
5. Please continue reaching out to those you personally know are in lockdown on their own or you know are in lockdown under challenging circumstances. We encourage all to be mindful of our older family members and other senior citizens we personally relate to.

 New Life Church marches on and the pastoral staff remain available to gladly serve you as best we can in this difficult time of national lockdown.
 
Grace, Peace and Sovereign Protection to you and your families.

Weekly greetings from Lisa, myself and all the pastoral staff at New Life as we enter the fourth week of national lockdown.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

In challenging times, God reminds us today that He is bigger than any circumstances we may be facing, and although our current situation may bring unforeseen changes, He is the God who has gone before us and He makes a way where it seems there is no way. He is the Mountain Mover who melts the mountains before us like wax in His presence. We can surely trust our resurrected Jesus to empower, deliver and strengthen us as we lay hold of His promises.

Lockdown is new for us all and can hold challenging aspects for couples, families and individuals. There are lots of good and helpful ideas in the media about how best to navigate and utilise this time as beneficially as possible. We also respectfully encourage healthy and helpful weekly/daily routines for couples, for families and for New Lifers in lockdown on their own. Daily times for activities like devotions, work, exercise, family interaction, phone calls, meal times, rest and fun are helpful to us all. We encourage you to be prayerful and intentional about working out daily and weekly routines that serve you best in your specific setting.

Coming up soon! We are livestreaming our new series, “Possessing Your Tomorrows” from this Sunday 19 April at 9am. This timeous message will lead us through a study of the Book of Joshua. Whatever has shaped your life up to this moment has no claim on the tomorrow God has planned for you. Whatever has been problematic, intimidating or disappointing need not hamstring your future. You can decide, “Will I live in the shadow of the past? Or will I open to the possibility that the Lord has greater horizons for my life? Will my tomorrows unfold... or will they fold up?” That is the question we all face. Discover the practical pathway to victory and how to move into and possess the tomorrows God has waiting for you.

We want to help your children stay engaged in their relationship with God and excited about church. Follow KidsLife and find a variety of resources and fun things for kids to do.

New Life Students will also enjoy a unique online experience and stay connected with specific weekly Student Ministry resources on demand.

We continue to pray daily as a Church staff for all New Lifers during these times.  

Join us this Easter for an online service as we celebrate God’s love for us! John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Nothing can stop God’s love for you. His love is bigger than anything you’re facing today or anything that worries you about tomorrow.

We are looking forward to celebrating the hope, peace and victory of Jesus this coming Easter weekend. We will be remembering Jesus as we take communion together at our Good Friday online service at 9am, and our Easter Sunday online service at 9am. For more information on how to celebrate communion in your home with us during the Easter weekend services, click here.

On Mondays, a new weekly prayer schedule for morning and evening prayer is posted on our New Life website as we participate together with churches around the world in the UNITE714 prayer (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Our pastoral team remain available to serve you in prayer and encouragement as we continue to trust Him in these difficult times. We pray that the Spirit of the Risen Christ will fill you and your families with His resurrection power and faith.

Continued Grace and peace to you and your families.

Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.” Matthew 19:26

As things change day by day, our prayer is that you know you’re deeply loved and supported by the New Life Church family. When the world seems a little overwhelming, we know we can hold fast to the promises of God and trust Him for a miracle of healing in our nation and the nations of the world.

We are blessed to be able to pray together as a church community. 1 Thessalonians 5:16 says, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”. Every week a prayer focus will be on the website, which can be prayed daily (morning and evening), as we pray in unity with churches around the world. Let's Pray

Once again, this Sunday 5 April at 9am, we are thrilled to worship together online as we continue with our series “Worry Less: Practice Rest”. Online Service

Important change for KidsLife and New Life Students from this Sunday! Instead of streaming before and after the main service, our children will enjoy their very own online experience worshipping Jesus and download weekly KidsLife activities on demand. New Life Students will also enjoy a unique online experience and stay connected with specific weekly Student Ministry resources on demand.
KidsLife On-Demand       |       Students On-Demand

We at New Life are unstoppable at serving, so here are three fresh, new ideas to keep you serving our community during lockdown:
If you know someone who needs airtime / data you can buy some for them so that they can keep in touch with their loved ones
Phone or contact someone that you know is staying alone at home during lockdown to encourage them
Write an encouraging note/scripture and give it to the teller or petrol attendant when you next go out for essential shopping

At a time like this it is very real to feel fearful. Here are three ways to help overcome fear, anxiety and insecurity:      

1. Remind ourselves of God's everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3)
2. Bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5)
3. Turn our thoughts into prayers (Philippians 4:6) 

We are so thankful to our Almighty God Who never changes. He is forever watching over us and we can trust in Him through every challenging circumstance. However, things are changing by the day with the COVID-19 pandemic, and we’re changing right along with it to help be part of the solution. Psalm 91:4 says, “His massive arms are wrapped around you, protecting you. You can run under his covering of majesty and hide. His arms of faithfulness are a shield keeping you from harm.”

As we all know, on Monday evening, 23 March, the President of the Republic of South Africa implemented a 21 day nation-wide lock-down from 12 midnight on Thurs 26 March, 2020. As Bible believing Christians, we obey the laws of the land as is written in 1 Peter 2:13 (Amplified Version): “Submit yourselves to [the authority of] every human institution for the sake of the Lord [to honour His name], whether it is to a king as one in a position of power...” We honour President Ramaphosa and we submit to and support the government’s swift measures put in place to best minimise the spread of the virus in our nation.

Please remember we (God’s people) are the church, not the building, so in times like these, we encourage all New Lifers to stay connected as a community of believers via the channels that are available to us.

As New Life Church, we will continue to have online Church Services every Sunday at 9am until we are permitted by government to resume social gatherings. Please also see below, our added aspects to the online Sunday experience, to continue ministering weekly to children and students.

As New Life Church pastors and staff, we are always available via telephonic contact, WhatsApp videos and Skype to serve and pray with you.

Psalm 46:1 says, God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

We pray that you would sense God’s peace in the midst of these difficult circumstances, and walk in wisdom as we serve the Lord and our community in a way that demonstrates our trust in God and our love for people. We are grateful that the Bible tells us,
“God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).

New Life Church is putting a hold on Sunday Church Services, church-based groups and home-based groups, in line with President Ramaphosa’s rulings regarding public gatherings. This will apply to our 4 Church campuses in Bryanston, Cosmo City, Diepsloot and Alexandra with immediate effect.

Beginning this coming Sunday, 22 March 2020, New Life Church will be providing an online live-feed Church Service at 9am for our four congregations to continue to worship with us even though we are unable to meet in person. Ps Chris will be sharing an inspiring message to encourage us all. Join us online this weekend HERE.

At this time let us remember that the Church is so much more than a building, we can still BE the Church during these uncertain times. We can look to help those in need, call those who may be isolated, and show our community what it means to be a voice of hope.

Please know that our pastoral staff is passionate about continuing to support you in the weeks and months to come.
If you have a need or would like someone to pray with you, our pastors are available, simply call (011) 706-7565.

We will update you via email, SMS, our website, Facebook and Instagram.

We love you and are praying for you and your families’ continued safety and well-being and for all those who have been affected by this virus. We’re also praying for a cure from heaven and for our Government and medical community as they deal with the impact of this crisis.