New Life Church of Yorkville: About Us

Vision & Values

Our purpose at New Life Church is to glorify God through loving Him and loving His eternal creation, people. We are committed to loving God with all our body, mind, soul and strength, which we believe will result in words that proclaim God’s truth and behaviors that demonstrate Christ’s character and compassion. Loving our neighbor as ourselves persuades us to compel our friends and neighbors to accept eternal life through Jesus Christ, as well as inspires actions of compassion across the street and around the world.

Mission

What We Are Doing

“Our mission is to awaken the spiritually disengaged to a vibrant life journey with Jesus Christ and others.”

As followers of Jesus Christ, New Life Church is committed to continue the work of Christ in the world. Jesus desires a vibrant spiritual relationship with everyone. A spiritual awakening occurs with an introduction to Jesus that launches an individual on a life enriching spiritual journey. To begin a relationship with Jesus is not the end result. New Life Church assists those who are spiritually engaged to move toward a deeper relationship with Jesus and to become prepared for eternity. As one moves toward Jesus, obedience to His commands and a transformation in the direction of His character will occur. Service to the body of Christ and acts of compassion to the community at large will result as one discovers their God given giftedness and the joy of serving others.

Vision

What We Are Becoming

“Our vision is to be a community of Christ followers that demonstrates His character and redemption to the community of believers and to our neighbors.”

Core Values

What We Are About

We engage in worship and teaching that is relevant and results in life change.
We value excellence that honors God and inspires people.
We invest in kids and youth because they matter to God.
We develop genuine and authentic relationships that connect people to Jesus and encourage spiritual growth.

Core Beliefs

What We Believe

Our core beliefs are centered in Christ and His message, found and supported in Scripture. Biblical theology is the backbone of our convictions and practice. New Life Church embraces Biblically based orthodox Christian thought.

The Bible

The basis of our belief is in the 66 books of the Bible, both Old and New Testaments. We believe that all Scripture originated from God and that it was revealed to individuals chosen specifically for that purpose. Scripture speaks with the authority of God, while reflecting the backgrounds, styles, and vocabularies of the human authors. We hold that the Scriptures are a unique, full, and final authority on all matters of faith and practice, and there are no other writings similarly inspired by God. (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1-20, 21; 2 Timothy 1:13; Psalm 119:89, 105, 160; Proverbs 30:5).

God

God exists in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—each possessing all the attributes and personality of deity. In the beginning God, the Creator and Ruler of the universe, created the world and everything in it. He continues to sustain His creation while fulfilling His redemptive purpose. (Genesis 1:1, 26, 27;3:22, Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Corinthians 13:14).

Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is God’s Son, the second Person in the Trinity. After His miraculous conception and birth, He lived a life of perfect obedience to the Father. Jesus voluntarily paid the price for the sins of all humans by dying on the Cross as our substitute. After His death, He rose from the dead and ascended into Heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father. Jesus is the only way to God the Father. Jesus is coming again to earth to complete God’s eternal plan. (Matthew 1:22, 23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5, 14:10-13; Hebrews 4:14,15; 1 Corinthians 15:3, 4; Romans 1:3, 4; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Timothy 6:14-15; Titus 2:13).

Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is equal with the Father and the Son. He is present in the world to make humans aware of their need for Jesus. He enters our lives at the moment of salvation. He provides power for living a Christ-like life style and understanding of spiritual truths. He grants spiritual gifts to all believers for growth and service. (1 Corinthians 3:16; John 16:7-13, 14:16-17; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 2:12, 3:16; Ephesians 1:13; Galatians 5:25; Ephesians 5:18).

People

People are made in the spiritual image of God and are the supreme object of His creation. Although every person has tremendous potential for good, all of us are flawed by an attitude of disobedience toward God called “sin.” Sin separates people from God. (Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6, 59:1-2; Romans 3:23).

Salvation

Salvation is God’s free gift to all humans who receive Jesus as Savior. Disobedience to God cannot be corrected by self-improvement or good works. Only by accepting God’s free offer of forgiveness in Jesus Christ, God’s Son, can man receive Salvation. Salvation is received as a person repents before God for their sins and believes in the fact that Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection (supernatural restoration to life) brings forgiveness for his sin. Eternal life begins at the moment one receives Jesus Christ into his life by faith. (Romans 5:1, Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8, 9; John 14:6, 1:12; Titus 3:5, Galatians 3:26).

Faith and Practice

In matters of faith and practice, Scripture is the final authority. When the Scripture is silent, each believer should earnestly seek to be led by God, to whom he or she is ultimately responsible. (2 Timothy 3:15-17; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Peter 1:21)

Human Destiny

When we die, believers will be received into eternal communion with God. Having rejected God, unbelievers will suffer separation from God’s presence. (Matthew 25:46; Mark 9:43-48; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 19:20; Revelation 20:11-15; Revelation 21 and 22)

The Body of Christ

(The Church)

Through union with Jesus Christ, all believers become members of His body, the one true Church. The Scripture commands believers to gather for worship, prayer, fellowship and the teaching of the Word; to observe Baptism and Communion as established by Jesus Christ; to offer service to the body through the development and use of talents and gifts; and to engage in outreach to the world. The local expression of the church is found wherever God’s people meet regularly in obedience to this command. The Church is led by elders or other supportive leaders who work together to glorify Christ.

Staff

Jon Lawson

LEAD PASTOR

Jon and his wife Patrice, along with their two children, Olivia and David joined the pastoral staff at New Life Church in June 2007. Jon served as Executive Pastor until August 2012 when he was elected Lead Pastor. Jon is passionate about studying and teaching God’s Word. He believes that all teaching needs to be practical and relevant to current life issues.
Jon graduated from Central Bible College and received his doctorate from Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies. He enjoys date nights with Patrice, time with family, hiking, golfing, biking, and music.

Patrice is a music teacher in the Yorkville School District.

Brendon Ramseier

KIDS PASTOR

Pastor Brendon (aka Pastor B) started in kids ministry as a volunteer in 1993 at his church in St. Joseph, MO, and has been honored to be involved in the foundational years of kid’s lives as a children’s pastor since 1997. He leads an incredible kids ministry team that provides great ministry to both kids (birth through 12 years old), and their families.

Brendon, his wife Lora, and their two girls Mackenzie and Morgan joined the NLC staff in December 2008. They currently reside in Montgomery.

DANIEL ADSIT

WORSHIP/ARTS PASTOR

Daniel Adsit joined the New Life Church staff in July of 2010 as Worship/Arts Pastor. He has over ten years of experience serving in varying capacities in worship ministries. He leads a team of extremely talented volunteer musicians and vocalists at New Life Church who’s heart is to encourage worship as the way to live life, 24/7. His passion is to see every human heart changed by the indescribable gift of God’s love.

DEBBIE GEORGE

KIDS OUTREACH PASTOR

Pastor Debbie George has attended New Life Church since 1990. She was given the position of Kids Ministries Pastor in 2000 and served in that ministry until 2003 when NLC hired a full-time children's pastor. Debbie continues to be on staff as our Kids Outreach Pastor, which allows her to pursue her true passion – telling children about God's love. She is also the director of The Merry Hearts Clowns and leads them in many outreach opportunities. Debbie and her husband Ron live in Montgomery and have three grown children - Jamie, Andy and Molly.

CARISSA STUEPFERT

EARLY CHILDHOOD DIRECTOR

Helping children to know Jesus as their best friend and Savior is the desire of our Preschool department and its coordinator, Carissa Stuepfert. Carissa oversees our Early Childhood programming for weekend services as well as NLC's Preschool Kids Clubs on Wednesday evenings.

Carissa and her family came to New Life Church from Colorado, where she was serving as a Coordinator in Children's Ministry. Carissa and her husband, Phil, reside in Yorkville along with their children, Briana, Brook, Andrew, Aaron and Austin. Carissa joined the NLC Staff in 2005 as our Early Childhood Director.

Faith Journey

Jesus is the center of our faith community . Accepting Jesus for who He is and believing that to be true is the first step as your walk as a Christian. Here’s the path:

Our Condition
Recognize that you, like all of us, are sinners, and sin means missing the mark. Whether it is a little lie at work, an angry outburst at your spouse, or running a red light, it still is sin. The Bible states it simply, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
Our Problem
Understand that sin separates us from God. Because He is God, His standard is perfection. Anything less than perfection cannot be part of Him. The Bible again describes it, "But your iniquities (sins) have separated you from your God… " (Isaiah 59:2).
The Solution
Jesus Christ, who was God in the form of a man, died on a cross about 2000 years ago to pay the penalty you owe because of your sin. Jesus wiped the slate clean. He offers His forgiveness for ALL of your sins: past, present and future. And Jesus restores our relationship with God. "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not parish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).
Your Action
Believe Jesus Christ is who the Bible says He is and accept the free gift (eternal life) Jesus is offering to you right now. A gift is not a gift until it is unwrapped and received. The Bible provides simple guidance to do this: "…if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead you will be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness and with the mouth he confesses resulting in salvation" (Romans 10:9-10).

You can pray through these four items. Your prayer may go like this, and you can use this as a guide:

God, I confess I am a sinner. I have sinned against You and that sin has separated me from You. I believe that Jesus Christ is God and came to earth as a man to die on a cross to pay the penalty/fine for my sins. I believe Jesus rose from the dead to give me eternal life. Lord, forgive me. Lord, save me. Amen.
Visit or Call Us
If you just prayed that prayer and would like to talk or learn more, please call 630-553-0200 or stop by New Life Church at 3205 Cannonball Trail in Yorkville, Illinois.

We would love to help you in your spiritual journey.

Service Times

Time	Worship Opportunities	Location
8:30am	Morning Worship Service Nursery (Birth – 24 months old) The Sandbox (24 – 36 months old) Jungle J.A.M. (3 – 4 years old) Kindergarten Connection (5 years – K) The Tree House (1st – 6th Grades)	Auditorium Nursery The Sandbox Room 2 Room 1 Kids Auditorium
9:45am	Morning Worship Service Nursery (Birth – 24 months old) The Sandbox (24 – 36 months old) Jungle J.A.M. (3 – 4 years old) Kindergarten Connection (5 years – K) The Tree House (1st – 6th Grades)	Auditorium Nursery The Sandbox Room 2 Room 1 Kids Auditorium
11:00am	Morning Worship Service Nursery (Birth – 24 months old) The Sandbox (24 – 36 months old) Jungle J.A.M. (3 – 4 years old) Kindergarten Connection (5 years – K) The Tree House (1st – 6th Grades)	Auditorium Nursery The Sandbox Room 2 Room 1 Kids Auditorium

*New Life Church’s 11:00 a.m. service includes ASL interpretation upon request. Email gphillips@nlcyorkville.org to make a request.

WEDNESDAY NIGHTS AT NLC

Time	Group	Location
7:00pm	Tree House Buds (3 – 4 years old) Tree House Buds (5 years – K ) Tree House Clubs (1st – 3rd grades) 456 (4th – 6th grades) ECHO Student Ministries (7th – 12th grades)	Room 2 Room 1 Various Rooms Kids Auditorium Auditorium

Who we are