🌟 MAY THEME: FAITH AT A CROSSROAD🌟

🌟THE RISE OF AMERICAN FUNDAMENTALISM 🌟

This month, our theme is Faith at a Crossroad: The Rise of American Fundamentalism. Each week, we’ll take a deeper look at a different aspect of fundamentalist Christianity—not to attack, but to understand. We’ll explore how this movement emerged just over a century ago in response to enormous social change, and how it continues to shape the way many people understand Christianity, the Bible, and even Jesus himself. This past week, we have examined the rise of the fundamentalist movement from the early 1900s; week two looks at the doctrine of biblical inerrancy with a focus on the 1978 Chicago Statement; week three explores dispensationalism and the obsession with end-times prophecy; and week four reflects on the spiritual cost of certainty. Through it all, we’ll ask: What happens when faith becomes more about fear than love—and what might a more courageous, compassionate Christianity look like today?

May Social Event - THIS SATURDAY

Dear Beloved Community,

The Five Fundamentals (If I Had to Choose)

When people talk about “the fundamentals of the faith,” they’re usually talking about doctrine—things you’re supposed to believe to count as a “real” Christian. But I’ve never found that kind of faith to be particularly life-giving. It tends to draw lines, not build bridges. It worries more about who’s in and who’s out than how we’re called to love one another.

But I also get the impulse. In uncertain times, we want something solid. A foundation to build a life on. So if I had to name five fundamentals of my Christian faith, I’d start here:

1. Love comes first.

Jesus said the greatest commandment was love. Not belief. Not purity. Love. And that love wasn’t abstract—it showed up in action. In meals shared, wounds touched, dignity restored. It reached beyond religion, beyond propriety, beyond fear. Love is the first word, and the last.

2. Every person bears the image of God.

No exceptions. Not based on sexuality, gender, race, ability, or theology. Jesus constantly moved toward those the religious system had pushed out—lepers, sex workers, tax collectors, Gentiles—and brought them back into community. If our version of faith excludes the very people Jesus embraced, we need to start over.

3. Jesus shows us the heart of God.

In Jesus, God isn’t revealed in dominance or control—but in mercy, truth-telling, and healing. In foot washing. In boundary crossing. In the refusal to give up on people others had written off. If we want to understand who God is, we start with the Jesus who touched the untouchable and called the forgotten by name.

4. The Spirit still speaks.

God didn’t go silent after the Bible was written. The Spirit is still moving—in queer voices, in protest chants, in whispered prayers, in deep sighs and honest questions. The challenge is not whether God is still speaking. It’s whether we’re still listening.

5. Liberation is the shape of salvation.

Jesus didn’t come to make people behave. He came to make people whole. To break the chains of injustice. To say the kingdom of God belongs to the poor, the hungry, the grieving, the cast-out. If our gospel doesn’t sound like good news to people at the margins, it’s not the gospel of Jesus.

I don’t know if these are the fundamentals for everyone. But they’re the ones I want to live by. Not to prove I’m right—but to stay rooted in love, in justice, in the Spirit of the One who never stopped reaching toward those the world left out.

Especially now. Especially here.

Blessings,

Pastor Brian

New Day continues its mission to become a "church beyond the walls" with a broad range of activities to build community and several ways to grow in your faith and spirituality over the rest of this month.

*Note the location for each event.

Upcoming Events Summary

Monthly Social Event Bowling: Saturday, May 10, 2025. Bowling at Bowlero in Greenville.
Worship Service: Sunday, May 18, 2025, 10:30 a.m. at Other Lands.
Community Event: Sunday, May 18, 2025, 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Upstate Queer Coalition Town Hall Meeting, JudHub, 701 Easley Bridge Road, Ste. 6070, Bldg. 6000, Greenville, SC 29611.
Monthly Community Service: Friday, May 30, 2025. Star Party at Generations Group Home. 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED. PLEASE SIGNUP.
Bible Study: Sunday, June 1, 2025, 10:30 a.m. at Other Lands.
Worship Service: Sunday, June 15, 2025, 10:30 a.m. at Other Lands.
Upstate Pride: Saturday, June 28, 2025.
Monthly Social Event: Sunday, June 29, 2025. Drag Bingo at Other Lands.

*STAR PARTY* Generations Group Home - Friday, May 30, 2025

Volunteer

Friday, May 30, 2025, from 6:00 p.m. Each week, the boys at Generations Group Home are eligible for a weekly "Star Party" if they don't get any demerits for that week. As part of our mission to serve our community, we will be hosting a few of these parties in 2025. Join us for a fun evening where we will serve food and play games. Those who volunteered at the December party had a blast! Generations Group Home is located at 810 Dunklin Bridge Rd, Fountain Inn, SC 29644.

Volunteer to help with party

If you'd like to add anything for next weeks' community prayer, please contact Pastor Brian at pastor@newdayccc.com.

Prayers for Jason's mother Pat who was diagnosed with cancer.
Prayers for Scott who is recovering from appendicitis and has recently been diagnosed with serious intestinal issues.
Prayers for Miss Judy who has Fuchs Dystrophy and has surgery scheduled for May 14.
Prayers for Andrea whose nerve pain has greatly improved in her legs, but she still a lot of pain in my low back and hips.
Prayers for Cheryl who has ongoing health concerns.
Prayers for Greg and Cheryl's newborn grandson.
Prayers for our church as we move to a new chapter in our history as we sell our building in Greer.
Prayers for Faith as they recover from a ministroke.
Prayers for Beth who needs dental work.
Prayers for Gary as he deals with multiple health issues.
Prayers for Joe as he deals with an ongoing sleep condition.
Prayers for Ed who has early signs of dementia.
Prayers for Vanessa and her family.
Prayers for the Harper family.
Prayers for Brooke and Myrna's cat Finn who is having more frequent strokes.
Prayers for Brooke's brother and his husband.
Prayers for Brooke's Papa Low.
Prayers for Krista's dad as he continues to undergo therapy following a stroke.
Prayers for those who are struggling with physical, mental, and economic challenges.
Prayers for those who have suffered trauma and those who suffer from anxiety, depression and other mental health issues.
Prayers for those suffering the effects of war.
Prayers for our nation as we face local, national, and global challenges.
Prayers for those of us who are suffering from the blistering attack on our community by the current administration.
Prayers for Pastor Brian, Tracy, Brooke, Beth, Scott, and others who have unspoken requests this week.

Please support the work of the church

by donating your time, talent, and tithe.

As of 5/9/25

Tithe Income: $5,288

Other Income: $9,936

Expenses: $19,550

Net Loss: -$4,326

As we embrace new opportunities in 2025, your support is more vital than ever. Your generosity fuels our mission to serve the LGBTQ community, provide a welcoming space for worship, and grow into all God calls us to be. Every gift, no matter the size, helps us continue creating a space of love, connection, and hope. Thank you for being part of this journey—your contributions truly make a difference.

Click the link below to give through our Flocknote portal or donate through Zelle to treasurer@newdayccc.com.

Give to General Fund

New Day Christian Community Church
MEETING LOCATION - OTHER LANDS

731 Rutherford Road, Greenville, SC 29609

New Day Christian Community Church exists to provide a diverse, open, and affirming Christian community to all who desire a discipleship walk with Jesus Christ by offering challenging worship experiences, mission-based service opportunities, and Biblical learning so that we are empowered to reach out to others, introduce them to the love and strength of the beloved community, and invite them to join the faith journey of discipleship.