Greetings Everyone,

We are so excited about what God is doing lately at New Life Community.  Over the past few weeks we have been talking on Sunday mornings about our relationships.  It is our prayer that our community would experience the deep love and grace of Christ as we interact with each other and all of our friends in the Carlisle area.  This Sunday Ryan will be talking about how God longs to breathe renewed love, patience, and grace into our marriage relationships.  I know that all of us who are currently married or yet to be married long for those relationships to be healthy and vibrant expressions of sacrificial love. 

Around New Life Community we aren’t content to simply talk about sacrificial love, we want to do something about it.  So get ready for this! This Sunday toward the end of Ryan’s talk we are going to participate in an actual wedding ceremony.  For a while Jennifer and Eddie have been coming to New Life Community.  Since coming to New Life Jen and Eddie have felt so loved and accepted by our community of faith.  We have been the human arms of God’s embrace of their lives.  When Jen and Eddie first came to us they were struggling with some drug and alcohol abuse and wrestling with deep hurts and consequences of poor choices.  Now Jen and Eddie are walking in freedom from past addictions.  They have been together for six years and believe now is the time to become one in a holy marriage covenant with God, each other, and their church family.  So this Sunday morning they will be getting married during the Sunday worship gathering.  And they want the entire New Life Community to be a part of this new chapter of their lives.

So here is what we are going to do for Jen and Eddie!  We are going to throw them a Card Shower.  We want to help them celebrate their new marriage by expressing our excitement for their commitment to each other.  When you arrive this Sunday there will be a basket for you to drop off your cards and expressions.  You won’t need to purchase gifts but feel free to drop a gift card or place some money in your cards.  Can you think of a better way to celebrate Valentines as a faith community?