Founded in 1986, New Life Community Church began as a small gathering. Thirteen people met in Chicago’s Back of the Yards neighborhood. Today, New Life has grown into a multi-site church.
New Life now operates at more than 27 sites throughout Chicagoland. It even has ten more sites overseas. Over 50 worship services are held each week.
New Life Community Church is non-denominational. The church focuses on helping people rediscover Jesus. It also aims to change the neighborhoods where its members live.
To better serve the city, New Life gathers in many communities. These communities meet in a variety of venues. Approximately 7,000 people consider New Life their spiritual home.
New Life Centers was created in 2005. It addresses community needs surrounding New Life Community Church locations. Neighbors approached the church with pressing issues. These issues included gang violence and teen pregnancy.
New Life responded with custom programs. These programs fit the community’s specific needs. Initial sites grew in Little Village and Midway neighborhoods. Subsequent programs sprang up in Humboldt Park and other areas.
Humboldt Park joined the New Life family with a history of its own. The Humboldt Park site was founded in 1898. It was originally Bethel Evangelical Lutheran Church and School. Bethel served the community for over 100 years.
Bethel made neighborhood gym outreach a priority. It also focused on children’s programs. “Bethel Family Programs” expanded. Bethel’s members gifted their facility to New Life Community Church in 2008.
New Life Community Church continues to grow. It welcomes people to come as they are. The church helps them grow in their relationships with Christ. People also grow in community with each other. New Life is passionate about reaching people for Jesus.
The church is committed to serving those in need. It provides ministry programs locally and globally. New Life seeks to equip leaders. These leaders serve their neighbors through various services. These services include health, education, and employment resources. They are available for all ages.
New Life envisions a global “Beloved Community”. This vision comes from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It imagines a society where all people share in the earth’s wealth. This creates an authentic community. This community is achieved through nonviolent resistance. It fights the injustices that divide us. It promotes a proactive commitment to right relationships.
The New Life Community Church creates centers. People can continually come to these centers. They can address their needs or ideas. These ideas transform their community. The church connects young people and their families with Christ. This happens through life-on-life relationships. New Life seeks to equip this generation in every community it serves.
So, as you explore Chicago, remember New Life Community Church. It is a place of faith, community, and service. It strives to make a difference in the lives of people throughout Chicagoland.