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Who We Are

Our mission is to reach our friends and family with the life-giving message of Jesus, to see them become fully devoted followers of Christ.

Core values

WE BELIEVE IN THE VALUE OF A SOUL.
WE BELIEVE GOD’S WORD IS SACRED AND UNCHANGING.
WE BELIEVE THE PRESENCE OF GOD IS VITAL IN EVERYTHING WE DO.
WE BELIEVE BRINGING OUR BEST HONORS GOD AND INSPIRES PEOPLE.
WE BELIEVE CHRIST FOLLOWERS SHOULD BE AUTHENTIC AND GROW IN THEIR WALK WITH GOD.
WE BELIEVE IN LIFE-GIVING RELATIONSHIPS.
WE BELIEVE THE CHURCH IS STRONGER WHEN EVERYONE SERVES.

OUR VISION

God gave Pastor Rick and Michelle the dream of 50 campuses throughout Arkansas; and as we grow, we see Him faithfully moving to accomplish this vision. We continue to see God do immeasurably more than we imagine; it is our joy to see and be a part of the Lord moving through our nation.

Jesus remains at the center of our church and we aim to honor Him in all we do. As the Church, we are a great force upon the earth, an undeniable presence demonstrating God’s love in action. We believe that we are better together and we love working alongside churches to reach communities for Jesus. We are a people of one heart and soul, made complete by the Spirit of God. Our house is a home for all generations, a place of encouragement and joy, and a family who finds their hope in Jesus.

GOD IS BUILDING A HOME. HE’S USING US ALL—IRRESPECTIVE OF HOW WE GOT HERE—IN WHAT HE IS BUILDING. HE USED THE APOSTLES AND PROPHETS FOR THE FOUNDATION. NOW HE’S USING YOU, FITTING YOU IN BRICK BY BRICK, STONE BY STONE, WITH CHRIST JESUS AS THE CORNERSTONE THAT HOLDS ALL THE PARTS TOGETHER. WE SEE IT TAKING SHAPE DAY AFTER DAY—A HOLY TEMPLE BUILT BY GOD, ALL OF US BUILT INTO IT, A TEMPLE IN WHICH GOD IS QUITE AT HOME.

EPHESIANS 2:19-22 MSG

OUR HISTORY

New Life Church began as a gathering in Pastor Rick and Michelle’s home. There, the church’s first families built relationships and began the first NLC life group. On February 4, 2001, New Life held its first service in an old car dealership in downtown Conway, Arkansas. By the unexplainable grace of God, New Life has grown far beyond what we could have imagined.

As New Life grew, so did a desire to practically help and show the love of Jesus to the people in our communities and world. The Arkansas Dream Center began in Little Rock, serving the needs of the people through after-school programs, food outreaches, and family support. The ARDC has grown to include multiple locations, serving the people in those cities. New Life is also a founding member of the Association of Related Churches (ARC). The ARC supports church plants across the nation and the world, helping them flourish in their calling and mission.

Pastor Rick and Michelle are passionate about raising up the next generation of leaders. With a dream to equip students to know the Word, New Life partnered with Ouachita Baptist University in 2014 to launch a two-year Associate of Arts degree program named OBU at NLC. In 2019, New Life transitioned the program to NLC College, and now offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Southeastern University on-location at NLC Conway and online. In addition, New Life began the School of Ministry in 2016 to build up individuals in biblical foundations and theology, as well as teaching individuals to lead in all areas of ministry.

While the vision of New Life may expand, the values of the house will stay the same. Our mission will always be to bring people into God’s Kingdom, seeing our friends and family become fully devoted followers of Jesus. We believe that we will see the hope and name of Jesus made famous throughout Arkansas and the world.