New Life Church is privileged to partner with the Christian Reformed Church in North America, a 170-year-old Protestant denomination rooted in God's word, committed to the gospel and centrality of Christ. We are a diverse family of congregations, assemblies, and ministries expressing the good news of God’s kingdom that transforms lives and communities worldwide.

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As a people called by God, we gather to praise God, listen to Him, and respond. We nurture each other in faith and obedience to Christ. We love and care for one another as God’s people. We commit ourselves to serve and to tell others about Jesus. We pursue God’s justice and peace in every area of life. What does the name Christian Reformed Church of North America mean?

 

Christian – We have the word Christian in our name because we confess that we belong to Jesus Christ, and are His followers. We emphasize the centrality of the Bible and the all-powerful care of God.

 

Reformed – We have the word Reformed in our name because we’re aligned with that historic branch of Christianity that withdrew from the Catholic church in the early 1500s. This branch has influenced many great historic preachers, such as Jonathan Edwards, George Whitfield, and Charles Spurgeon. In modern times, many people are familiar with the books of Reformed writers such as R.C. Sproul, J.I. Packer, John Stott, and John Piper.

 

In America – The church was called Presbyterian in Scotland and Reformed in continental Europe. In the early 1800s, some of the Reformed people moved to the United States from the Netherlands, and in 1857 they started the Christian Reformed Church in North America. Today, the Christian Reformed Church (CRC) is racially and ethnically diverse and has churches throughout the world with about 230,000 members in North America in just over 1,000 churches. Click here to find out what we believe. We are grateful for a rich theological heritage in the Reformed tradition and energized by many opportunities to seek the kingdom.

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Our History – New Life Church was started in 1979 by Jerry Holleman and Keith Tanis, both CRC pastors and church planters. But none of this would have been possible without the vision, prayer, and resources provided by Christian Reformed Home Missions (now Resonate Global Mission), our domestic missions agency here in North America. Resonate Global Mission continues to be an invaluable partner in our important work of starting new church plants today.

 

Our Mission – God has been using the CRC to partner with Him in mission in a variety of ways. When Hurricane Ike and Hurricane Harvey hit our region in 2008 and 2017 respectively, hundreds of volunteers from all over North America helped with disaster relief. World Renew (formerly Christian Reformed World Relief Committee) coordinated these efforts. World Renew also helped locally with our Old Town Spring Heights ministry. Both Pastor Andy and his wife Jacie grew up oversees where their parents served as missionaries with Christian Reformed World Missions (now Resonate Global Mission). New Life’s previous pastor, Pastor John Medendorp, also served with CRWM. The CRC has an exciting vision, mission and calling. 

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Our Service – God has also been using the CRC to minister to our soldiers in the military. Our church was privileged to commission Chaplain Richard Hill to serve our troops bringing God’s Word and being the presence of Christ to them. Richard served several tours in Iraq, Afghanistan and Korea. The CRC’s Chaplaincy Ministry provides support and supervision for Richard. Richard is currently stationed in Germany.

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Our Training – All four of New Life’s current and previous pastors received their theological education at Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Some of our members have attended Christian colleges affiliated with the CRC, such as Calvin University or Dordt University. 

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There are many other ways we have been blessed by our partnership with the CRC:

• We have mobilized our young people to SERVE others with needs.

• We have been supported by resourced by Disability Concerns.

• We have examined new pastors at Classis Rocky Mountain.

• We have received grants to help us with new ministry initiatives.

• We have taken out a loan for our building through the CRC Loan Fund.

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For all of these blessings we are grateful. We honor our role in this partnership, not only by carrying out ministry at the local level but by supporting the work of our denomination through ministry shares.