ABOUT US

Our Story

BORN FROM A BURDEN

Our Beginning

New Life Community was born from a burden—a holy burden to bring the life-changing power of Jesus Christ to those who are hurting, addicted, and broken, but who may never walk through the doors of a yearlong residential recovery program.

For over 60 years, Teen Challenge of Southern California has seen countless lives radically transformed through the power of the Holy Spirit. But we knew there were still so many more—mothers and fathers, sons and daughters—who desperately needed hope and healing, yet couldn’t leave their jobs, families, or communities behind for a full year.

That burden weighed heavy on the heart of our Executive Director, Pastor Ron Brown. He longed to take the same anointing that God has poured out on Teen Challenge—the same Gospel-centered, Spirit-led ministry of freedom—and bring it into churches, living rooms, and small groups across the nation.

That dream became New Life Community.

THE HEART OF NEW LIFE COMMUNITY

Our Mission

At the heart of New Life Community is a simple, powerful promise—God still sets people free.

As Leonard Ravenhill declared, “Jesus did not come into the world to make bad men good. He came into the world to make dead men live!”

That is our story and our mission. In Christ, chains are broken, hearts are restored, and lives are made new. God is still raising the broken to life and leading people from bondage into lasting freedom—together.

MORE THAN A PROGRAM

Our Vision

This is more than a program—it’s a movement. A Spirit-led, Gospel-rooted discipleship journey for those who are ready to walk out of hopelessness and into the new life Jesus offers. Through weekly gatherings, authentic community, powerful testimonies, and biblical teaching, New Life Community helps people find freedom from addiction, shame, trauma, and spiritual bondage.

But it doesn’t stop there. Every person who receives healing is encouraged to pour it back out—to walk alongside others still struggling, to serve in their local churches, to become givers of hope.

New Life Community is where transformation begins—and continues through you.

Real Stories of Transformation

  • “I am finally finding freedom and healing from the places in my past that have haunted me for years.”

    Danette

  • “Over this past year, I have been learning to listen to God, and that has changed everything.”

    I have been attending New Life Community for about a year now. I started going because I was missing a strong community of people who understand the kinds of struggles we face in life. Over this past year, I have been learning to listen to God, and that has changed everything. I am now enrolled in ministry school too.
    Leon

  • “I’ve found healing from past hurts and wounds that have scarred my life since I was a child. The support and safe environment make me happy to come each week.”

    Chris
    New Life Community participant

  • “These groups have helped me build my relationship with God, build a community in church, and everything about myself is changing.”

    Blanca
    New Life Community participant

  • “We are seeing those in the group break free from past addiction, bondage, trauma, and brokenness and find real joy, peace, and freedom in Christ.”

    New Life Community helps our church address, in a life-changing way through the power of the Gospel, the deep issues that those battling addiction so often face. Inner brokenness, lack of God-given identity, past trauma, worldly thinking, self-reliance, and a lack of hope. It is a transformation ministry that helps people leave the chapters of addiction behind and allows God to write new chapters of freedom, restoration, and redemption. It leads them to overcome these through Jesus Christ, to live as sons and daughters of God, and to begin helping others. The rescued become the rescuers. We are seeing those in the group begin to break free from past bondage and find real joy, peace, and freedom. It was easy to incorporate into the ministry life of our church, and the video testimonies provided on the website bring real hope to those in our group.
    Nolan
    New Life Community Group Leader
    Fresno, CA

  • “New Life Community has been incredibly easy to implement and fits seamlessly into our ministry.

    The topics are relevant and accessible, allowing both new and seasoned believers to engage at any point. It has helped people in our church understand how essential a relationship with God is in overcoming addiction. One of our group members has been attending for several months and loves it. The impact has been unmistakable. His neighbors have come up to him and said it themselves. You are not the same person.”
    Daniel
    New Life Community Group Leader
    Huntington Beach, CA

  • “New Life Community is on the front lines helping people discover the life-changing impact of a gospel centered community.”

    It has been a powerful source of hope and healing for so many here at Access Church. New Life’s heart for those in recovery and for individuals fighting the silent battles of life has brought freedom, restoration, and renewed purpose through the power of Jesus Christ. New Life Community is on the front lines helping people discover the life-changing impact of a gospel centered community. We’re grateful to have this ministry as a part of our mission here at Access Church.
    Pastor Kyle Sawyer
    Fresno, CA

Explore the 9 Chapters of New Life Community

New Life Community is a 9-chapter journey designed to help people find freedom, healing, identity, and lasting transformation through Jesus Christ. Each chapter builds on the last, guiding individuals through recovery, restoration, and spiritual growth in a way that is both deeply biblical and intensely practical.

This opening chapter lays the foundation for everything that follows. It speaks directly to the loss of identity that comes through addiction, brokenness, and life’s struggles, and introduces the life-changing truth that in Christ, you are a new creation. Transformation is not just a one-time moment, but a lifelong process of renewal as God reshapes your mind, restores your identity, and draws you into His family. Participants begin to see that their past no longer defines them, and that even their story when surrendered to God becomes a powerful part of their healing and a source of hope for others.

Centered on the story of the Prodigal Son, this chapter reveals the depth of God’s grace and the relentless love of the Father. It walks through the journey of wandering, brokenness, and the turning point of repentance, reminding participants that no matter how far they have gone, they are never beyond the reach of God’s mercy. Shame, guilt, and fear of rejection begin to lose their power as the truth becomes clear: God is not waiting to punish, but ready to restore. In this chapter, people encounter the reality that their identity as sons and daughters is not lost, but fully restored when they come home.

This chapter confronts one of the greatest barriers to freedom the voice of accusation and the weight of the past. Through the power of the blood of Jesus, participants discover that forgiveness is complete, the past is no longer held against them, and the enemy’s accusations no longer have authority. Drawing from powerful biblical imagery and real-life transformation, this chapter shows how the cross not only saves, but protects, delivers, and empowers believers to walk in victory. As participants learn to stand in truth, renew their minds, and share their testimony, they begin to step into a new reality marked by freedom, worth, and spiritual strength.

Prayer is introduced here not as a ritual, but as a lifeline an ongoing connection to the power and presence of God. This chapter helps participants move beyond surface-level prayer into a deeper relationship with God through honest, persistent, and purposeful communication. Whether through personal prayer, intercession, or praying together in community, participants begin to see how prayer brings breakthrough, aligns their hearts with God’s will, and strengthens them in the midst of struggle. Even in moments of silence or difficulty, they are reminded that God hears, responds, and moves in ways that transform lives from the inside out.

This chapter expands the understanding of worship far beyond music or church gatherings. Worship becomes a lifestyle marked by surrender, obedience, gratitude, and a daily posture of devotion to God. As participants explore what it means to truly worship in spirit and truth, they begin to identify and release the idols and distractions that have taken God’s place. In both personal moments and shared community, worship becomes a powerful tool for healing, identity restoration, and spiritual breakthrough. Through surrender, brokenness is transformed into beauty, and lives begin to reflect the presence and purpose of God.

This chapter invites participants into one of the most vulnerable and transformative parts of the journey healing. It acknowledges the reality of deep wounds caused by trauma, abandonment, failure, and regret, while pointing to God as the One who sees, cares, and restores. Healing is not rushed or superficial, but a process that unfolds through faith, forgiveness, and connection with others. As participants bring their pain into the light, they begin to experience the truth that nothing is beyond God’s reach, and that even the most broken places in their lives can be redeemed and restored into something new.

In this chapter, participants learn that life’s storms whether emotional, spiritual, or circumstantial are not signs that God is absent, but often the very places where He speaks most clearly. Through powerful biblical stories, they are invited to trust God in the waiting, to be still in the midst of chaos, and to listen for His voice, which often comes not in noise, but in a whisper. As faith is stretched and patience is formed, participants begin to understand that transformation often happens in the waiting, and that stepping forward in trust even when it feels uncertain is where growth and breakthrough take place.

This chapter shifts the focus from striving to surrender. Participants are introduced to the life-changing role of the Holy Spirit not as an abstract idea, but as a present Helper who empowers real, lasting freedom. Instead of relying on willpower, they begin to learn what it means to walk daily in step with the Spirit, allowing Him to lead, strengthen, and transform every area of their lives. Freedom is no longer defined by the absence of struggle, but by the presence of God working within them. Through this process, participants step into a new way of living marked by dependence, growth, and true spiritual transformation.

The final chapter lifts the eyes of participants toward the future and the life God is calling them into. Recovery is not the end of the journey it is the beginning of a life filled with purpose, identity, and calling. As participants reflect on where they have been and what God has done, they are invited to step fully into a new story marked by grace, resurrection, and hope. Old identities are left behind, and a new life begins to take shape one that is rooted in God’s promises and sustained by His presence. This chapter closes the journey with expectation, reminding each person that they were not just saved from something, but created for something more.

The New Life Community Leader’s Guide is designed to help group leaders walk people through this journey with clarity, confidence, and care. Each chapter is supported with a clear summary, biblical foundations, guided teaching flow, and practical discussion questions that help leaders facilitate meaningful, honest conversations.

Rather than leaving leaders to navigate difficult topics on their own, the guide provides a step-by-step framework that helps them create safe, Christ-centered environments where people can open up, engage deeply with Scripture, and take real steps toward freedom and healing. It equips pastors, ministry leaders, and volunteers to not just teach content, but to walk alongside people as they experience transformation in real time.

COME • ABIDE • LIVE • LEAD

OUR MODEL

Call

COME

Come as you are.
You belong here.

Abide

ABIDE

Let God do a deep and transformative work in your heart.

Live

LIVE

Walk in freedom.
Embrace your new identity.

Lead

LEAD

You were rescued to become a rescuer.