Making Sense with the Spirit
One of the things I notice about the early church is how completely dependent they were on the Holy Spirit. The Spirit directed their ministry priorities, equipped them for mission, and revealed future opportunities and hardships. The early church anticipated the Spirit's power to convict sins, encourage hearts, and pour out God's gifts for the good of the entire church. Without the Holy Spirit, nothing about the early church makes sense. I hope the same be said about us!

One way to more consciously depend on the Holy Spirit is to simply ask God for more of the Spirit's power in our lives. As Pastor Michelle challenged us on Sunday, asking for more of the Holy Spirit is something all of us can do. This is one of the reasons we've set aside tomorrow night - Friday, February 1 at 7:00 - as a time of worship and prayer at the Ministry Center (3627 S. Cottage Grove). There is something sweet about God's people coming together in worship with the simple desire to hear from him and to know his Spirit's presence. Of course we do this each Sunday, but tomorrow we get to set aside our normal time constraints and the patterns that typically guide our worship. I hope you'll join us!

Many of you know that our congregation financially supports a new church plant on the west side, New Creation Covenant Church, pastored by Rameila Williams, one of the founding members of our church. As this young community leans into its vision to become a multiracial church they have discerned that a season of worship with us could be a strategic step in this direction.

Beginning on Sunday, February 17, New Creation's launch team of about 15 people will join us for worship each week. This will allow them to experience an intentionally multiracial community while directing their efforts toward outreach and gathering on the west side. I believe this is one of those Holy Spirit moments for both New Creation and New Community and I'm thrilled that we can serve this new church in such a tangible way. Please join me in praying for New Creation and let's give them a very warm welcome on February 17.

I'm convinced that God is calling us into a season of increased and intentional dependence on the Holy Spirit. Please join me in asking that we would receive every single spiritual gift that God wants to give us... so that, like the early church, nothing about us would make sense without God's very presence among us.

- Pastor David

PS Please remember Prayer Around the School on Saturday (the high is 41!) and potluck on Sunday.
Join us this winter for a sermon series from 1 Thessalonians. Community Groups and Thursday Bible Study will also be going through this short New Testament book.

Community Prayer Requests
1) New Creation Covenant Church: Please pray for this church plant as they prepare to join us for a season of preparation as they discern how God is calling them to bear witness to the gospel on the near west side of the city.

2) The "Marketplace": Many of our members have jobs in finance, consulting, management, and other areas of work in the business world. Pray that they would see how God has called them to their positions and that they would have creative opportunities to share the gospel and exert influence for those on our city's margins.

3) Facility: As part of our 2019 Strategic Plan our members are prayerfully discerning what sort of long-term facility will best serve our identity and ministry priorities. Pray for wisdom and complete dependence on God's timing and will.
Your generosity helps our ministry flourish. Please see this fact sheet to learn more about how to give or visit our website to give online. Thank you!

Calendar & Opportunities

Worship and Prayer | Friday, February 1; 7:00PM
Everyone is invited for an evening of worship at the Ministry Center. This will be a semi-structured time of praise and petition as we seek the Lord together.
 
Prayer Around The Schools (PATS) | Saturday, February 2; 9-10 AM
On the first Sunday of the month we meet in front of Kennicott for a prayer walk around three local schools. Everyone is welcome!
 
Potluck | Sunday, February 3
Please bring food to share that will feed at least 5 people. We need main and side dishes (including vegetarian/vegan), desserts and beverages. We want to make sure that no one leaves hungry, so please bring something to share!

February Bible Study Schedule
Everyone is welcome to our Thursday night Bible Study at 7:00PM on Thursdays. We will meet on February 14, 21, and 28.
 
All Church Retreat | Friday - Sunday, June 21-23
SAVE THE DATE for the annual church retreat!

Volunteer for the NCO Art Show | TBD
NCO will be helping students in the KEY program put on an Art Show. If you are interested in helping out in any way, please contact Markeyta at markeyta@newcommunityoutreach.org.
 
I Am Women’s Conference | July 18-21
Every three years our denomination hosts a global conference for women.  Pastor Michelle will be teaching a workshop. We would like our church to be present. The conference is in Minneapolis, MN and there are scholarships available.  We're hoping to road trip and rent an airbnb to cut down costs. Contact Jennifer Dorrough for more information at jdorrough@live.com.

Team Members Needed for New Security Ministry
Joe Hall is preparing this important new ministry that will coordinate with the pastors to identify and implement emergency plans as needed. If you are interested in learning more about serving with this team, please email nc3bronzeville@gmail.com.

Fun Fair Help
The Fun Fair team is looking for 10-12 people to help reach out to local businesses and potential sponsors. Reaching out only takes a few minutes. If interested, please email ncofunfair@gmail.com by February 2nd.

Jackie Robinson Volunteers through New Community Outreach
For those who want to volunteer, please be sure and finish the CPS approval process. If you have any questions, email Markeyta at markeyta@newcommunityoutreach.org.

Open AA Meeting | Thursdays 7:00-8:00 PM
The Chicago Area Service Office of Alcoholics Anonymous offers a weekly meeting. The meeting is open to all who desire to stop drinking and is held every Thursday at 7:00 p.m. in Room 425 of Mercy Hospital at 2525 South Michigan Avenue (312-567-2000).

Google Group
Join our Google Group for unofficial church news, happenings etc.
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