OUR HISTORY
New Life Christian Fellowship started during the move of the Holy Spirit which was sweeping the world in the mid 1990’s. Initially an outreach to young people, the church traces its history back to Norma Iredale (nee Livingston) and her ministry to teenagers in Broxburn Academy primarily through Scripture Union.
In 1996, Norma and Richard began an after school meeting for young people. This was held under the auspices of Sonrise Christian Fellowship, an Assemblies of God Church based in Edinburgh, where Richard was a member of the Leadership Team. Eventually a home group was formed in a home in Uphall. Numbers grew as more people joined the fledgling group. Eventually, in the summer of 1997, the church began holding Sunday morning services in Broxburn.
Over the years the church has become established in the local area but has had to move location a number of times, first meeting in the old Community Centre in Broxburn (now a block of flats). The church purchased a small building in Uphall from a Christian Brethren Assembly which until recently was used for smaller meetings. The main Sunday Service moved to the Uphall Community Centre, then Broxburn Academy and latterly Strathbrock Partnership Centre in Broxburn.
Although locations have changed and people have come and gone, the church maintains its original ethos: A people hungry for the Presence and Purpose of God with a profound respect for the integrity of the Word of God.
New Life Christian Fellowship joined Partners In Harvest (PIH) not long after PIH was born. Having come into being as a direct result of what God was doing through Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship (TACF) and the Move of the Spirit in the 90’s, PIH was the obvious “covering” for New life. We greatly value our continued relationship with this movement.m
PRINCIPLES
These are the things that we believe are most important. They are not the only things we think are important but we hope this will give you a flavour of the church.
Jesus at the centre
We seek to be followers of Jesus Christ and have Him at the centre of our lives, family and church family. We believe that Jesus Himself should be our vision and becoming more like Him should be the principle purpose of our lives.
The Word first
We believe the Bible (Old and New Testaments) is God’s Word and should have first place and final authority in all matters concerning faith and life. We believe it should be the source of all teaching about God and His ways and in particular His relationship with people and His creation.
The Presence of The Holy Spirit
We seek to remain open to the leading, guiding and empowering of the Holy Spirit. We love and respect His Presence. We seek to provide an environment where He and His Gifts are welcomed and His Presence is tangible. We seek an Outpouring of the Spirit (Revival) and to play our part in that.
Praise, Worship and Prayer
Praise, worship and prayer should be the natural outflow of a life dedicated to God and to His purposes in the world. We encourage joyful praise and meaningful worship. We also encourage creativity in praise and worship through music, dance and movement.
Prayer is vital communion and communication with God
It is the privilege of every Christian. It is also our responsibility to pray for others and God’s purposes in this world. Therefore, prayer is encouraged both individually and corporately in the life of the church.
The Father’s Family
One of the principle revelations about God is that He is a good Father who loves us and wants us to be part of His Family. We try to reflect this as a church in that we put a high value on the importance of family, both nuclear and church. As a church we try to provide an environment where the whole family can grow in the things of God and we try to ensure that different age groups are catered for.
Evangelism and Discipleship
All Christians are called to be disciples and to disciple others. We encourage and seek to equip people to be involved in reaching out to others with the love of God through our everyday lives and also through organised outreach activities.
Healing and Wholeness
We believe that God has provided eternal salvation, healing and wholeness through the Cross of Christ. We provide opportunities for people to receive prayer and we expect to see healings and miracles as we pray for people with illness or pain. We also provide opportunities for healing of the inner person through prayer and applying principles of healing found in the Bible.
Our STRUCTURE
Church Leadership
The Church has a Leadership Team or ‘Assembly Council’. Currently the members of the Leadership Team are Richard Iredale, Eddie and Lynn Irvine and Sarah Watkins. Eddie and Lynn, as well as Richard, are certified Partners In Harvest ministers. In addition the church is served by a number of Department and Home Group Leaders.
Worship Band
The band believes that worship should be led by those who themselves are truly worshipping. Although they seek to achieve a high technical standard their primary emphasis is to magnify God through praise and worship and to lead others into experiencing His Presence.
Child Protection
The Church has a Child Protection Policy approved by the Churches Child Protection Advisory Service. In addition every adult working with children and young people is required to have a PVG Membership Certificate issued by Disclosure Scotland.
Our Family
- The Father’s Love is revealed through the Lord Jesus Christ
- Intimacy, Presence, & Hearing God’s Voice
- Restoration of the Heart / Soul
- Extending the Kingdom through the equipping, empowering and anointing of the Holy Spirit