Frequently Asked Questions
- Why do you not have your own building?
- How long do you plan on staying in Living Hope’s building?
- What is New Life’s Relationship to other churches in the area?
- How do I join New Life?
- You seem to handle children differently than other churches I’ve been to. Why is that?
Why do you not have your own building?
As New Life discussed options for a meeting place, we noted how expensive land is and how much it costs to build something from the ground up. Add to that the fact that there are already lots of church buildings in our community, and we decided that renting or using another space was the best option – at least for now. Renting anything (a school or community center) is also very costly for a group our size. Living Hope approached us and asked us if we would be interested in sharing the facility with them. They have been so wonderful and have made changes to their schedule and the building to accommodate us.
How long do you plan on staying in Living Hope’s building?
New Life has signed a lease through May 31, 2010, and at that time both parties will reassess our sharing of the facilities. If needs arise in the next 12 months that cannot be met in the current facility or if God calls Living Hope to make a change, then we will seek other arrangements. For now, we are happy to use the wonderful facilities and are excited to show the community what unity looks like across two separate local churches.
What is New Life’s Relationship to other churches in the area?
New Life is most closely connected with our mother church, Living Hope, and our sister church, Living Hope Bryan. However, we have good relationships with staff members and believers in churches all across the community. It is our desire to partner with other like-minded churches in efforts to further the Gospel and the glory of God in our community, nation, and world.
How do I join New Life?
We hold Membership Classes roughly three times each year. Our membership process consists of two mandatory classes which are taught on Tuesday evenings from 6:15 to 8:30 p.m. and a personal meeting with one of our elders. To join New Life, one must attend each class, participate in a personal meeting with one of our elders, and sign the Statement of Faith and Church Covenant. After completing these steps, the existing members affirm our new members at a business meeting the following month. Membership at New Life includes many privileges and responsibilities, and should not be approached lightly. If you have more questions about membership, speak to one of our elders after our weekly worship service or contact us by phone or email.
You seem to handle children differently than other churches I’ve been to. Why is that?
We believe God has given parents the wonderful privilege and responsibility of being the primary source of biblical training for their children. As a result, we avoid segregating our church body by age and stage as much as possible and encourage families to worship together. However, training young children is hard work, which is why we have set up our weekly worship service the way we have. We give families the opportunity to sing together and invite all children to be a part of our children’s chat at the beginning of our service. Then we provide childcare for kids aged 0–3 for the rest of the service so that parents can learn and grow and continue to train their children at home. For children 4 and older, we create a special children’s worship guide to encourage them to be active listeners during the service. After our weekly meal, we also offer Truth and Grace from 7 to 7:45 p.m. for kids 3 and up. We see these as valuable ways we can supplement what parents are doing at home to teach their children to love and obey God. For a fuller treatment on this subject, read John Piper’s excellent article entitled, “The Family: Together in God’s Presence.”