Who we are
Family. Servant. Missionaries. These are the things that define us as a church. A new identity for the New Life that you are given in Christ. Because God is our Father we have all been adopted into his family by his incredible grace. He chooses us even when we run away from him. Because Jesus is the anointed King, we are his servants. We strive each day to wait on him and to serve Him as he was a servant during his liftime. And because Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to send us out, we are missionaries (or sent ones) given a mission to share, be a blessing to all the nations, and proclaim to everyone that Jesus is a new kind of king who will rule with justice and mercy.
Where we come from
Rex Rains and his family planted New Life 14 years ago when they sensed God's call to plant a church in Dubuque without having any prior connections or friendships. Rex took out an ad in the paper (yes, a newspaper) and gathered a small group of people in a hotel meeting room to express his call to plant a new kind of church here where the hurting and broken could be healed and welcomed. A year later New Life had its first public service at Eleanor Roosevelt Middle School meeting there in the auditorium.
After a couple of years there, God opened up an opportunity for us to make the move to a more midtown location at 419 N. Grandview across from the Finely Hospital. We started by just meeting there in the basement and ended up renting more than half of the building to accommodate children's worship spaces.
In 2014 we received a call from a small church community that offered to give their building away. After extensive renovation, we have been meeting at 835 South Grandview Heights for the last several years.
Where we're headed
New Life has always been a church that has focused on reaching out to lost and hurting people of our city. A church for the downtrodden. As we step into the new post-COVID world we will continue to herald the message of Jesus as the true healer of not just humanity, but the whole world. We want to do that, not just through our words, but through our actions, loving God, loving others, and serving the world.
What this means for you
What does this mean for you? Most importantly, you're always welcome at New Life. We're saving a seat for you. Wherever you're at in your faith journey, you'll always be accepted as part of the New Life family.
Beyond that, if you're ready to plan your first visit, click here. If you want to learn more about our beliefs as a church, click here. Or if you'd simply like to get in touch with a person on our lead team directly, click the button below.
