Mission & Ministry: New People New Places

New People New Places challenges churches to see and reach more of the people in their neighborhoods and communities, and help them grow into disciples of Jesus Christ. The goal is to introduce a new person to Jesus and offer them a pathway of discipleship so that they can move from someone who has heard about Jesus to someone who has come to know him personally, and then has decided to follow him as a disciple.

More than 200 people have become new Christians as a direct result of New People New Places initiatives. These projects are all across the state at churches both large and small, rural and urban.

NPNP grants are awarded to churches that are reaching new people who could not be reached by the other ministries the church is currently doing. Churches that have great plans but fewer financial resources find a welcome in the NPNP grants.

It may be creating a new worship service or other outreach targeted to a new group of people. They might be children or older adults. They might be financially less able. They might be people who would be unlikely to come to church on a Sunday morning, or at all. There is a running group that includes most of the youth in two different towns. A grant provides gasoline so members of a thriving Hispanic church can host new house churches in two satellite locations. NPNP gives special attention to churches who are intentionally reaching racial-ethnic groups they have not reached before.

Through NPNP initiatives, the existing church is strengthened as they give themselves away to help transform their community. And the community changes as new people become followers of Jesus Christ.

New People New Places – the practice of seeing our neighbors in new ways, and taking the church to them, wherever they are.