August 30, 2022
by Eric Stillman
Nine years ago on Labor Day weekend 2013, NewLife joined together with First Church, Wethersfield Evangelical Free Church, and Center Point Church for the first Cove service. This coming Sunday, we will join together once again as one body of believers, one family of God, to worship our great God.
The vision for the Cove service was borne out of a biweekly pastors’ group that I was a part of under the umbrella of Barnabas Ministries...Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Encouragement, Barnabas, Cove Service
August 23, 2022
by Eric Stillman
In Paul’s second letter to his protégé Timothy, he warns him that the time will come when people will seek out teachers who “say what their itching ears want to hear.” I imagine there have always been teachers like this throughout the history of the church, but this warning is undoubtedly prophetic today. But rather than point the fingers at others, we would be prudent to consider where it is that we are most tempted as American Christians to have our itching ears scratched....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Preaching, Discipleship
August 16, 2022
by Eric Stillman
I became a follower of Jesus as a college freshman at age 18. After a couple of years of learning what it meant to follow Jesus and developing some close friendships with my Christian friends, I started to understand the importance of accountability, of having someone that I trusted enough to confess my sins too, someone who would ask me the tough questions about my walk with the Lord. For the past 20+ years, I have always had at least someone that I talk with regularly about my struggles so that I stay sharp in my discipleship. As Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”
But here’s the thing about accountability...Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Sin
August 9, 2022
by Eric Stillman
It must have been a frustrating and arduous journey for the Israelites as they trudged through the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land. It was hot, there were way too many people around, and there was no comfortable place to lay down and sleep. And did I mention the food? Manna for breakfast, manna for lunch, and – you guessed it – manna for dinner. No wonder they grumbled and complained so often against their leader, Moses....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Faith
August 2, 2022
One Sunday morning in the summer of 2017, as I was setting things up at NewLife, Craig Wolfram walked into the church for the first time. He smelled like smoke, spoke in a gruff manner, and bore a slight resemblance to Doc Brown from Back to the Future, with his white hair sticking out in all directions. He lived nearby, and wanted more information about our church. After we spoke, Craig drove home, cleaned himself up, and came back to join us for worship that morning. And he remained a valuable member of our church until he passed away this morning, August 2nd, 2022 at the age of 63....Keep Reading
July 26, 2022
by Joe Barone
The basement apartment, equipped with a single gas space heater, frameless bed, fan and a TV was rudimentary at best. A life adjusting to a very recent divorce and separation from my precious 3-year-old daughter would be much harder than acclimating myself to these austere accommodations.
Anger, failure, self-pity, loneliness, and throw in a measure of depression while you’re at it, were my every day friends. Visitation time and activities with my 3-year-old Lena Marie were all that I really cared about. Work was a diversion and always provided the opportunity to make new friends....Keep Reading
Posted in: Evangelism Tags: Salvation, Friendship, Joe Barone
July 12, 2022
by Becky Derby
It was my senior year of high school - 1985. I was in the midst of what would today be diagnosed as clinical depression when my parents told me that we would be moving from my rural community of North Smithfield, RI, to Tolland, CT, the following year. I was beside myself. I was going to college in the fall, less than 20 miles from where I grew up. But, because of my parents’ move, when I came home from college, I would be in a strange place and a strange house. I wouldn’t know my way around, and I wouldn't know anyone. I was devastated and scared....Keep Reading
Posted in: Evangelism Tags: Evangelism, Salvation
July 5, 2022
by Eric Stillman
Think about the last time you entered a church building to worship on a Sunday. What was the state of your heart and mind when you entered? Were you focused on God and ready to worship Him and hear from Him? Were you distracted by the concerns of the day, or annoyed by the kids in the back seat? Were you coming in late, rushed and just glad you made it?...Keep Reading
Posted in: Worship Tags: Church, Worship, Songs of Ascent
June 28, 2022
by Eric Stillman
On September 20th, 1998, a new family arrived at NewLife. They were the Fearons, consisting of a father, Brian; a mother, Laurie; and four children in tow: Arlene, Sarah, Mary, and Brian. Arlene was in high school, and everyone else was in elementary school or younger. I was the youth pastor of NewLife at the time, and Arlene soon became a part of the youth group I was leading. Eventually Sarah joined as well. The first wedding I ever officiated was Arlene’s wedding to Gordon Hood, another youth group graduate. And this past Saturday, June 25th, I had the privilege of officiating Sarah’s wedding to Joel Yudt....Keep Reading
Posted in: Relatonships Tags: Church, Relationships, Commitment
June 21, 2022
by Eric Stillman
I met Gino Marozzi in the fall of 1998. I was the 22-year-old youth pastor of NewLife Christian Fellowship, and his twin daughters, Nikki & Tori, had just started attending my youth group. Soon, they began attending NewLife on Sundays, and Tori expressed an interest in singing on the worship team. Gino joined her, eager to support his daughter as the loving father he was.
In the summer of 1999, the youth group I led, which included Nikki & Tori, led a Vacation Bible School for the church and area kids....Keep Reading
Posted in: Church life Tags: Death, Gino Marozzi
