What's Up And What's Ahead [Todd]

For most of us this is about the two craziest weeks of the year. In the spirit of Christmas and of short attention spans and very limited time frames, here's what's up and ahead at NLC this next two weeks.

-Christmas Eve services at 5 and 6:30 on the Matthews Campus. We have planned every detail and it is going to be an AWESOME night! This is the one event this year that you MUST bring every friend and family member you can - we will present the Gospel just as clearly as we know how. This will be a LIFE-CHANGING night for your friends who are disconnected from God.

-You guys did it again. The Rock Rest Food Drive netted enough food for all 550 kids at Rock Rest over the Christmas break! Way to go! We're packaging up all the items in the Lobby at 3 PM on Wednesday and then leaving the Campus at 12 noon on Thursday to make the deliver to Rock Rest - come on out if you can!

-Every year on Christmas Eve we give together a special offering that helps us to care for people in need. Since we will NOT HAVE A SUNDAY SERVICE THE SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS please make sure you give either on Christmas Eve or online that week.

--Hope you like the new Lobby overhaul...there is more to come. Starting Christmas Eve, the Next Level Cafe' will be moved into the Lobby. All of this is part of our effort to create a living room-rustic lodge feel for the folks who are our guests and to create great spaces for conversation and meeting new people over a cup of coffee while browsing our Resource Center or hanging out on the Ikea furniture. Hang out in the Lobby before or between services and you are almost guaranteed to make a new friend!

That's just a little taste of what's going on. More than anything else, make sure you are inviting the folks you are investing in for Christmas Eve!

Christmas Eve at Next Level

Christmas Eve at Next Level Church from NextLevelChurch on Vimeo.

The Slingshot Incident (Jared)

We don't often just come out and say it around here, but I think I'm gonna go ahead and do it.

Yup, here it goes:

You missed it.

I can honestly say that if you didn't make it to FUEL last Sunday night then you missed it. There were free giveaways, incredible worship, and this intense moment as we prayed for our friends together. And Pastor Robbie and I may or may not have used a giant slingshot to launch a t-shirt from the stage all the way back to the booth. Except his adrenaline was pumping, so he shot it way harder than we did in practice and just about took out the projection screen in the back of the auditorium. It was hilarious. And it was an incredible time of encouragement.

FUEL is a service we put on for people who are involved at NLC and we want you to be a part of it. If you are only coming on Sunday's then you are missing all that God has for you during your time at Next Level. So volunteer somewhere, get in the game, meet some new people and make some new friends. And when the time comes around again, be there. Because once you experience it you'll say, "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

New Gear (Robbie)

Hey NLC Peeps! You asked for it...so we delivered. We have some new t-shirts for you to help you "represent" NLC during the week with your family and friends. Not only, that, but you can pick them, and lots of other stuff up @ our all new NLC RESOURCE CENTER, found in the lobby. Here, you can find helpful books, bibles, shirts, CD's & DVD's, invite material, and window decals. This should be a great central location for you to find all things Next Level. The resource center will be open before, and after each Sunday morning service.

We figured, while we were moving things around, we would create a few other intentional spaces in the lobby. We now have an area in the center of the lobby that is similar to a gallery. This area will over time, feature more and more stories of life-change through the ministries of NLC. It will be an encouraging wall of how God is using YOU through Next Level Church.

We also set up a series wall. This is to feature the series we've done over the years @ NLC. Our hope is that people will be able to walk up to this wall and remember some of the moments God taught them a life changing principle. Or maybe, people will be able to remember the series we were in when they first started attending NLC.

We hope you enjoy the new space in the lobby. Our hope is that it will inspire you to invite your disconnected friends to come and hear the life-changing message of Jesus Christ!

Things I Am Excited About [Todd]

-The Christmas season, where everyone is just a little more spiritually sensitized and open.

-A new John Irving novel.

-Starbucks Christmas Blend and those cookies at Trader Joe's (Ho-Ho's...or Jo-Jo's) with the candy cane studded cream centers. Yum.

-The plans and preparations for our Christmas Eve services at Next Level. It is going to be INCREDIBLE and you absolutely have to do everything you can to get everyone you know there.

-FUEL this past Sunday night - incredibly charged worship and an amazing moment when we put Post-It Notes with the name of our friends we want to see at Christmas Eve up on a cross and prayed together for all those names and the lives they represent.

-Our teaching series for next year - they are going to be so much fun. It is a year of emphasizing relationships - with God and with each other - and our teaching reflects that. Plus, we have three music-themed series including one which will lead off the New Year that is UNLIKE ANYTHING we have done before!

-What's going on in our student ministry right now...not only the rowdy public stuff but the stories of life change and leadership development I am hearing every week.

-The renovations in Kid City - if you haven't been over there yet, you have GOT to go see what a bunch of volunteers pulled off...an incredibly warm, bright and welcoming space where kids can have the best day of their week!

-Unwrapped, Part Two this Sunday - when I am gonna talk about ugly feet and you. Yep, you.

-And this is just a partial list.....God is good and doing some great things at NLC!

Unwrapped [Todd]

Super-excited about the start of our new Christmas mini-series this weekend - UNWRAPPED.

The series is all about seeing Jesus as He really is, not as he is misunderstood to be in our culture..and sometimes in our own hearts and brains as well.

As we approach Christmas and our celebration of His coming, there's no better way to get spiritually prepared than to take deep into our hearts and minds who He really is.

So, for the next three weeks we are going to be diving into the three main descriptions of Jesus in the Bible - Jesus as Son, Servant, and Missionary.

We start with Son this week and I gotta tell you my prep time has rocked my world, even though I have taught this topic many, many, many times before.

In preparing for this message, I had a new insight into a specific way the Holy Spirit works in our lives that I had never seen before. But is all over the pages of the Bible - jumping out at me this week, as if God is saying "I want you to see this so you can teach it!".

This new realization has already changed my prayer life in at least one significant way.

I'll tell you all about it on Sunday as we start UNWRAPPED!

Family Dedication

At NLC, we love the opportunity we have to pray over and partner with families who are raising their kids under God's principles!  We do this twice a year during the service, and call it "Family Dedication!" This is coming up on Sunday, November 29th, during both services.  If you are interested in having your child's life dedicated to God during our Family Dedication, please email Rene Gillming @ mynameisrene@aol.com or simply indicate it on your connection card this Sunday!