The Church began in the 1970s, when a small group of Christians from the local area started meeting together, desiring to experience and live out their faith in a deeper way.
In the early days many of the pioneering members of the Church sacrificially and generously gave up possessions and wealth to build up what is now a 20 acre site, which became the home of New Life Church and Missional Training Centre.
This generosity and servant attitude continues to this day, with many hundreds of people over the years contributing in diverse ways, to the life of the Church.
Over the last 20 years, the Church has been growing steadily, and has been a model of God’s grace, both in saving and empowering families, young people, and senior citizens in the district.
The Church’s Missional Training College has sent out hundreds of students to work into local Churches worldwide, and has seen their ministries and families flourish. The Church has established strategic links with Churches in Spain and France, and has built a Church centre in Senegal, with a school, which provides education and humanitarian aid into the local Sanar village.
As the Church has grown, it has been planting and building small groups across the south coast, stretching from Portsmouth right across to Chichester. These small groups are a great catalyst for friendship, teaching and influence into the area. This year (2010) we shall be launching around 35 life groups.
Next Generation Pioneers
Today the Church is going through a new pioneering wave, as it expands and modernises its facilities for the next stages of growth, and is looking forward to launching a second Sunday service in the near future.
We celebrate what we have seen God do in the past – but we don’t remain there. This is our time to be Christ’s hands and feet locally and in the world. Our future hopes and dreams are already in us – we just have to see them brought into being. People ask: ‘Why, with so much, do you keep building?’ Our answer is simply: ‘Why not?’ Jesus told us to go into the highways and byways and compel people to come in. That’s what we’re trying to do. The message is sacred. The medium isn’t. We want to use every tool at our disposal to share the Good News.
We need to keep seeing growth – as long as there are people who need hope, salvation, healing and restoration, we need to be an expression of Christ’s Kingdom here on earth.
