...At New Life Assembly, we get our directions from Jesus Christ himself: "Go into all the world and make disciples of every nation..."( Matt. 28.19). This is our task, to go and make. As a result, where New Life is headed is written this way:
Making and Sending Followers of Christ.
This is what we are about. We to be people who are fully devoted to Jesus Christ but we know it doesn't end there. We also invest ourselves in the lives of other people in the hopes that they will do the same. We are headed down the path of discipleship. This path leads us to genuine spiritual transformation that enables us to grow together while also attentively listening, understanding and feeling the hearts of our neighbors. We hope that you are headed in this same direction.
What does it actually look like when a church goes in this direction? What it looks like is determined by what we value. Values are not doctrine, but they flow out of it. They are not programs, but they compel them. Values describe the way we do church. They help determine our church's schedule, budget, staffing, and ministries. Space does not allow us to unpack these sufficiently, but here they are nonetheless.
Being real — We reject all forms of religious hypocrisy. We are sinners saved by grace. (Psalm 51)
Respect — All people are made in God's image and worthy of our love. (Galatians 3:18)
Everyone serving — Church is not a spectator sport. We 'do' church; not 'go to' church. (Romans 12:5-6)
Ongoing Christian formation — We never quit learning and growing in Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 3: 18)
Cultivated servant leadership — Strong, humble leaders are critical to the mission of our church. (Philippians 2)
Faithful prayer — We accept God's gracious invitation to commune with Him for Life. (2 Chronicles 7:14)
Biblical truth — The Bible is our sole rule of faith and conduct. (2 Tim. 3:16)
Unity — We support our leadership and our vision; striving for one voice and mission. (Romans 15:5)
Traditions are good. Sometimes in church circles we frown upon them because they are associated with lifelessness or unthinking spirituality. This is unfortunate. Traditions give us a rhythm to life and tell us what we value. They help remind us where we come from, who we are, and where we are going. Here are some valued traditions we celebrate.
Harvest Dinner … in November New Life provides a Turkey Dinner for the community to celebrate God’s providence and to reach out to those around us.
Church Potlucks … the first Sunday of each month New Life hosts a potluck lunch. Church potlucks have taken quite the ribbing as Garrison Keillor once quipped: “Lutherans can’t enter heaven without a covered dish.” Now, that is funny. Nonetheless, we see them as important tools to build bridges and to serve our visitors and university students.
Sunday Emphasis … each Sunday we emphasis a different aspect of our faith: missions, communion, prayer, and church history, with space for personal thought and response.
Baptism … people who come to genuine faith in Christ as Savior and Lord are commanded by Christ to be baptized. Thus they declare to the world that they have died with Christ and are raised with Him to walk in new life.
Communion … people who come to faith are also directed to share the Lord’s Supper: bread and the fruit of the vine. These are symbols expressing our sharing of Jesus' divine nature, a memorial of his suffering and death, and a prophetic reminder of His second coming (1 Cor. 11:26)
Christmas Advent … Christmas is more than a tradition, it is an integral part of the church calendar. By celebrating Advent we are encouraged to prepare our hearts for the coming of God’s mystery, his incarnate Son, into our hearts.
Easter … as the central point of the church calendar, Easter defines what Christianity is all about. It is God’s victory over death for our sakes. It is a time of both personal and corporate reflection and response.
…that the Bible is the inspired Word of God and serves as God’s revelation to man. It is fully reliable, totally infallible, and the sole authoritative rule of faith and conduct. (2 Tim 3: 5-17; 1 Thess 2:13; 2 Pet 1:21)
…in the One True God. The one true God has revealed Himself as the eternally self-existent "I AM," the Creator of heaven and earth and the Redeemer of mankind. He has further revealed Himself as embodying the principles of relationship and association as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (Deut 6:4; Matt 28:19; John 1:18; 1 John 4:2; Heb 1:3)
…that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, substitutionary work on the cross, bodily resurrection from the dead, and his exaltation to the right hand of God all give evidence to his Lordship over all life. (Luke 1:35; 1 Pet 2:22; Acts 10:38; 2 Cor 5:21; 1 Cor 15:4; Heb 1:3)
…that the Holy Spirit is active today. He is the co-eternal, third Person of the Trinity and he abides within the believer to encourage, empower and guide him or her in all aspects of their Christian life. (Eph 2:22, 1 Cor 6:19, Matt 12:31)
…in humankind’s fallen nature. We were created good and upright but we voluntarily rejected God’s design and thereby incurred physical and spiritual death. Man’s only hope of redemption is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ: by repentance toward God, faith toward Jesus Christ and regeneration from the Holy Spirit. Evidence of salvation is the inward witness of the Spirit and the outward witness to others of a changed life, righteousness and true holiness. (Rom 5:12-19, 8:16; Titus 2:12, 3:5-7)
…in the church and its mission. The church exists to be a community of a new humanity on earth; an alternative to this world and an agent of grace towards all. It’s purpose is to worship God, teach others to be Christ’s disciples, to provide a place of love, acceptance and forgiveness, and engage the world and its suffering for Christ’s sake.(Heb 12:23; Col 1:29; Eph 4:11-16)
…the blessed hope of the church is the resurrection of those who have fallen asleep in Christ and their translation together with those who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord. (1 Thess 4:16,17; Titus 2:13)
…in the afterlife. There is both heaven, a blessed home to be desired; and hell; a place of eternal separation from God to be shunned at all costs. Their inhabitants are determined in the final judgment according to what they did with Jesus Christ and his gospel. (Matt 25:46; Rev 9:43-48, 21-22; 2 Pet 3:13)
