My Home
The MY CHURCH Pathway
MY HOME – Embracing the local church
Welcome to the New Horizon Family!
Welcome to New Horizon Church. We are so glad to have you. Whether you are new to Christ or a well-seasoned Christian, there is something here for you.
If you have been attending church for a year, a month or a week, it is important that eventually, you begin to feel at home and settle in. There are a lot of churches to choose from and selecting the right one can be challenging. If you have been coming to New Horizon and enjoy it here, we are excited to get to know you and be a part of your spiritual journey. We are honored that you would be considering NHC your HOME church.
This step is designed to explain the beginnings of our church, our DNA and culture, as well as what “membership” here at New Horizon looks like.
Membership in a church looks a bit different here at New Horizon. For us, it’s not about being a card-carrying name on a church roster, it’s about being unified in heart and purpose and becoming a part of the family.
Before the membership conversation, we must start with a dedicated commitment to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Have you given your life to Christ? This is the genesis of the entire conversation. It’s not about joining New Horizon; it’s about becoming a child of God and joining God’s vast family of believers.
The Starting Point is embracing the gospel of Jesus Christ and the basics of the Christian faith including salvation, baptism, communion, and Holy Spirit. We encourage every believer at New Horizon to read, understand and engage with My Starting Point – the book. It explains the basics of the Christian life. You can find this booklet on our website at Newhc.org under the My Church tab.
After you make Christ the Lord of your life. God calls you to connect with a local church. In what we call the MY CHURCH pathway, there are three steps that integrate us into the local church.
The MY CHURCH Pathway
1.MY HOME – embracing a local church
‘And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.’ Hebrews 10:24-25 NIV
When you commit your life to Christ and purpose in your heart to become more like Him, it is so important that you find a local church and gather with them on a regular basis. God desires for you to integrate into His Body, your local church. Joining to a local church is one of the most powerful and practical ways God shapes our hearts so we
2.MY COMMUNITY – becoming a part of a connect group
‘Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.’ 1Corinthians 12:27 NIV
Finding community in the body of Christ works best when you are knit to a smaller expression of that body. Developing relationships within a smaller community of a church allows you to love others and to be loved. It allows you to grow and to be a part of other Christian’s lives. Most importantly, community is a wonderful life-source for you.
3.MY TEAM – joining a TEAM to serve others
‘Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.’ 1Peter 4:10 NIV
As we become active in the Kingdom of God by serving one another, we begin to flourish in our life purpose, and we become a part of something that is bigger than anything we could do on our own. There are many ways for you to get involved serving on a Sunday morning – the children’s ministry, the coffee bar, the worship team, the sound and technical team, greeting people, etc. Or you can get involved in serving the community through our food distribution, clothing bank, backpack outreaches, healing rooms and so much more. There are so many ways to get involved and help further the Kingdom of God by serving others through the local church. Serving others always brings joy to our lives.
Once you have committed your life to Christ, finding a local church to call MY CHURCH will become your lifeline. The first step in the MY CHURCH pathway is to make New Horizon your HOME.