Eight years ago, Bruce Miles founded New Life Community Church, which now runs 2,700 on Sunday mornings. Though Bruce died of cancer last November, the work carries on under his successors, Terry Gurno and Mike Rima. Two Sundays ago we had no less than 25 people per service receive Christ for the first time. New Life has two campuses, both of which behave as fully functioning churches, though under the same ministry leadership. They are trying a bold, and perhaps unique, approach to Sunday mornings.
Church services take place at both sanctuaries, five miles apart.
Gurno and Rima write a sermon together, then deliver it in their own style at each site. Gurno and Rima vary campuses so that Sunday morning attendees don't know in advance who will deliver the sermon. They want to build a church based on the message, not the messenger. At the secondary site, which opened in early 2000, evening midweek classes are in full swing. In one room, three men sit at a table and watch a video.