I want to announce our upcoming Community Christmas Banquet and Outreach hosted by our Share Benevolence team. This outreach continues the legacy of love and caring of Gaynell Hudson, my late mother and faithful minister of the Lord.
This year’s 17th annual outreach will take place at New Covenant Church on Saturday, December 15 at 4:00pm. A catered dinner will be provided for families and persons in need, followed by a program which includes a Christmas drama, gift giving and sharing the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We have a limited number of spaces available for this event. I am inviting you to recommend individuals or families in need to attend the Community Christmas Banquet.
Again this year, the generosity of the New Covenant Church family and a small grant from Lilly Endowment have made it possible for us to provide both dinner and gifts, free of charge. Most importantly, we also share the Gospel and minister to the spiritual needs of people present.
To recommend persons and families, please do two things:
1. Let us know the persons you will recommend. Email tonewcovenant@mac.com or call 317-205-6000.
2. Let persons know that they need to personally email or call us to make a reservation by Friday, December 7. They should mention that you, or your organization, recommended them to attend.
Thank you for helping us bless our community with the love of God! If you have questions or special requests, contact me or our Share Team Leader, Mrs. Candase Cornett, (317) 205-6000.
Click here to watch a slideshow of last year's event.
Patricia and I want to say "Thank You" for your prayers and support on the occasion of our 25th Church and Pastoral Anniversary Celebration, October 25-28, 2007! It was fitting to give God thanks for His faithfulness, as well as dedicate ourselves to moving forward in serving our Lord Jesus Christ. It was great to share this milestone in our lives with so many friends in ministry and life.
I thank Stacy Holmes and the planning team for all their hard work. Also, thanks to my dad, Elder H.B. Hudson, and Elder Gaylan Owens for their steady leadership and service over the years. We also thank God for all our leaders, ministry workers and congregation for being "Forever Faithful." Finally, Patricia and I are thankful for our children, who have shared this journey their entire lives: Michael Bryan (28), Michelle Lynn (26), Jonathan Paul (21), and Christine Ann (18).
Click here to visit the ministry website to see photos and view a special video that I put together. (Most photos taken by Patricia Jones)
Click here to download a copy of the banquet program booklet.
It has been a joy and honor to serve God, His people and our world.
The Best is Yet to Come!
Pastor Bryan & Patricia Hudson
Dealing with criminals is one of the necessary burdens of society. Our criminal justice system serves this purpose by punishing criminals according to the law and fostering a law-abiding culture.
Clearly, people who commit crimes should expect to be punished accordingly. Public sentiment often leans toward locking up criminals and throwing away the key. But the reality is that 80 percent of those who are incarcerated will serve their time, be released and return to our neighborhoods. Another sad reality is that 50 to 75 percent of those who are released from jails and prisons are re- arrested for the same types of crimes. This shows that incarceration alone fails to change behavior.
We should consider a third ingredient of criminal justice that addresses rehabilitation and re-entry into society. There is a proven program for dealing with offenders that results in an astounding 5 to 10 percent rate of recidivism. That program is Christian prison ministry. Jesus Christ permanently changes the hearts of offenders who genuinely follow him and are supported in a quality aftercare program. I have witnessed this transformation in the lives of Christian ex-offenders over many years of supporting prison ministry.
One Indy-area ministry with a national reputation and an effective aftercare program is Jesus Inside Prison Ministry. Pastor William Bumphus has developed an effective program that is worthy of our prayers and financial support. Visit www.jipm.org to learn more.
Isa. 49:8 "Remember this, fix it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels. 9 Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. 10 I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. 11 From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do.
John 15:4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will[b] ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
Everyone one of us is concerned about our direction and purpose in life. We know that it is important to follow God’s purpose of destiny for our lives. But, we struggle with how to handle negative circumstances that seem to indicate that we are not fulfilling our destiny. How do you know if you are fulfilling destiny or if you are on a detour, or if you have reached a dead end?
When we realize that we are on a detour or have reached a dead end, we must make a “destiny decision”: 1) Leave the detour by following God’s calling and direction for our lives 2) Repent for allowing ourselves to wind up at a dead end (Acts 17:30, "Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent")
A parable from nature: The Second Law of Thermodynamics states: "in all energy exchanges, if no energy enters the system, the energy of the state will always be less than that of the initial state." A wind-up type watch will run until the energy in the spring is renewed by winding it again. A car that has run out of gas will not run again until you walk 10 miles to a gas station and refuel the car. Without the infusion of more energy, things will decline and decay over time.
Jesus, the Word of God and God’s purpose for your life are energy sources for your life. Without Christ, the word or the knowledge of God’s purpose, we will decline and decay.
Jesus said, “Without me you can do nothing.” We can do stuff, but it doesn’t count without Jesus being at the center of it. This is like taking pictures with a camera without film or a digital media card. It is like a couple who had a wedding ceremony, but the preacher never turned in the marriage certification form.
When we build our lives on the Source of life, Jesus Christ, we have an endless source of energy and a purpose whose branches are firmly connected to the the True Vine.
On Wednesday, October 3, I conducted Part One of a time management workshop called, "Getting Things Done." (GTD) It's based on a model pioneered by David Allen. The Bible says, "Redeem the time.." (Eph. 5:16 NKJV). The New International Version reads, "Make the most of every opportunity..."
Time is a non-renewable resource. We will never get any more time, so we must make the best use of what we have. The main focus of GTD is getting everything off your mind and into a system that helps you plan and take action on everything that is important, big and small.
You can take this workshop online by clicking HERE
Be blessed!
