Beginning in 2022, I wrote a series of articles about the division in the United Methodist Church. If you’re interested in the details, the links to those articles are at the bottom of this page.
Today, however, this is not an article about division. It is a progress report.
And honestly, it is a testimony.
Not a testimony about perfect people or flawless leadership. Not a story about a church that has everything figured out. It is simply the story of what God can do through ordinary people who are willing to pray, work, give, serve, and trust Him step by step.
Or perhaps more accurately, with God’s help.
That phrase keeps coming to mind lately: with God’s help. Because nothing happening at New Life could have happened otherwise.
Years ago, New Life was just a vision. A hope. A gathering of believers praying about what God might do next. The name itself became a declaration of faith. “New Life” was not merely a church name; it was—and still is—a reminder of the Gospel itself.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” — 2 Corinthians 5:17
That verse is the heart of who we are.
Every person who walks through our doors carries a story. Some arrive joyful. Others come wounded, exhausted, lonely, skeptical, grieving, or uncertain. Some are searching for hope they cannot quite name. And what we continue to offer our community is exactly what Christ offers all of us: new life.
New beginnings. New mercies. New hope.
Not because of a building. Not because of programs. But because Jesus still changes lives.
With God’s help.
Because of a generous donation, New Life purchased sixty-seven beautiful acres of property along one of the city’s main thoroughfares. When many people drive by that property, they see an illuminated cross at the top of the hill, trees, open land, and construction equipment. But those of us connected to this church see something more. We see possibility. We see future ministry. We see lives yet untouched by the Gospel.
In less than a year, we will move into a new church building constructed on that property. That sentence still feels almost unreal to write.
Yet the building itself is not the miracle. The miracle is what God has already done in people.
Membership has grown to more than 300 people. We now have eight staff members serving this congregation and community. Visitors regularly describe New Life as the friendliest church they have ever attended. That may sound like a small thing, but genuine kindness and authentic welcome are increasingly rare gifts in the world today.
“By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” — John 13:35
Loving people well matters. Hospitality matters. Encouragement matters.
And every smile, handshake, prayer, meal, lesson, rehearsal, mission trip, and worship service matters, too.
With God’s help.
New Life also supports two full-time international missionaries and helps sustain a mission in Juarez, Mexico, that feeds more than 250 school children every day. Teams from our church travel to areas across the Southeast where help is needed. Sometimes the work involves rebuilding homes or cleaning debris. Sometimes it simply means listening to hurting people and reminding them they are not forgotten.
That’s part of our mission statement: “Glorifying God, Making Disciples, and Blessing Others in Jesus’ Name.”
Not just saying it.
Living it.
And while all of this is deeply encouraging, perhaps the most important part of this progress report is this: we are still continually evaluating.
The pastoral staff regularly asks difficult questions. How can we shepherd people better? How can we disciple more faithfully? How can we reach more families? How can we serve our community more effectively? Where are we succeeding? Where do we still need to grow?
Healthy churches never stop examining themselves.
“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!” — Psalm 139:23
Continual evaluation is not criticism. It is stewardship. It is recognizing that churches, like people, must continue growing.
And perhaps that is one final meaning behind the name New Life. Following Christ is never supposed to become stagnant. God continually renews us, reshapes us, and calls us forward. There is always more grace to receive, more wisdom to gain, more compassion to offer, and more ministry to accomplish.
So no, this is not bragging.
It is gratitude.
It is praise.
It is acknowledging that every blessing, every open door, every transformed life, every mission effort, every faithful servant, every dollar given, every child fed, every visitor welcomed, every sermon preached, every hymn sung, and every step forward has happened only with God’s help.
And with God’s help, we pray and believe that the best chapters of New Life’s story are still ahead.
experiencenewlife.org
This earlier article below provides links to a series of articles about the history of New Life:
https://afnn.us/2022/11/13/beautifully-broken/
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