About NBLC
Mission
Dear friend,
Grace to you and peace, in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! We would like you to know that our one reason for existing as a congregation of the Body of Christ, is to share the good news that we are saved by God's grace, through faith in Jesus Christ, and His death and resurrection! If you are around New Beginnings for even a short time, you will hear this good news proclaimed in worship, taught in Sunday School and Adult Classes, and exhibited in our relationships with one another. We hope you will be touched and transformed by this good news as well!
New Beginnings is a congregation of the North American Lutheran Church. As part of this new church body, we strive to exhibit the following three core values in all that we do as a community of faith.
Christ-Centered
We confess the apostolic faith in Jesus Christ according to the Holy Scriptures. We affirm the authority of the Scriptures as the authoritative source and norm according to which all doctrines should and must be judged. We accept the ecumenical creeds and the Lutheran Confessions as true witnesses to the Word of God.
Mission-Driven
We believe that the mission of the Church is to preach the Gospel and to make disciples for Christ. We believe that making disciples — in our congregations, in our communities and nations, and around the world — must be a priority of the Church in the present age.
Traditionally-Grounded
We affirm the ecumenical creeds and the faithful witness of the Church across time and space. We endorse the form and practices of the universal Church that are consistent with Scripture, particularly the office of the ministry and the tradition of worship under Word and Sacrament. We stand for the traditional view of marriage and pray for the sanctity of all life.
We want you to know that you are always welcome at New Beginnings, and that our called staff is always ready to be of service to you at any time. If we can answer questions, offer further information, or be of help to you by visiting with you at home, in the hospital, or in other situations, please feel free to call upon us. Our contact information is listed on the home page.
Our hope here is to give you a helpful glimpse into the vision and "personality" of New Beginnings. Blessings to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ
History
On Pentecost — May 27, 2012 — a group of Mahomet Lutherans gathered at the Sportsmen’s Club of Urbana to worship our Lord, Jesus Christ. After our first worship, the Holy Spirit moved us to start a new church that became New Beginnings Lutheran Church.
During our first year, many decisions had to be made. During this time, one constant was the support from area congregations of the North American Lutheran Church. We had prayers, visits, and monetary support from NALC members. During the first seven months of our existence, one of seven local pastors officiated each week over our worship, preaching God’s word and administering Holy Communion. This support from pastors and local congregations was a great blessing from God.
A vision committee began meeting soon after our first worship service. We decided to have fellowship each week after worship, allowing us time to connect with one another and make stronger bonds within our church family. Also, youth ministries were viewed as important. As a result, we held our first Vacation Bible School class our first summer on July 23 through 26. During our first fall we had a small group session each Wednesday. Part of this group was confirmation age students pursuing their studies of Christianity. Also, everyone regardless of age was invited to engage in fellowship and Bible study.
In August 2012, we decided on our name and filed our Articles of Incorporation. On Sunday, September 9, we voted unanimously to join the North American Lutheran Church and adopted our Constitution and Bylaws. We were accepted as a congregation by the Executive Council of the North American Lutheran Church on September 21. Charter signing for New Beginnings Lutheran Church occurred in September. We had 104 charter members.
We had a wonderful temporary home in the Sportsmen’s Club of Urbana. This space provided a place to come together to worship God in peace and love. We met at the Sportsmen’s Club of Urbana each Sunday evening from May 27 to September 30.
On October 1, we moved into our current church home at 304 E. Dunbar Street, Mahomet, Illinois. Through divine providence, this building was placed on the market the same week as we decided to become a congregation, providing an answer to the question of where we would continue to meet. After much discussion and prayer, the current building was purchased on September 14. We thank the members of Mahomet Bible Church for allowing us to purchase this church. Many of our members have worked very hard to purchase and prepare this facility.
Another milestone was in finding a pastor for our new congregation. A call committee was formed, and prayers were made to God. We made a call, and that call was accepted. Pastor Allan Oman was installed as pastor on February 9. He has blessed this congregation by preaching and teaching the word of God and reminding us of the love of Jesus Christ.
The first year was full of many milestones. We celebrated fellowship together and had God’s word taught to us. We celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas and were led in bible study and reflection during Lent, coming to more closely understand the costliness of Christ’ death on the cross. At Easter, we celebrated Christ’s victory over death. Remarkably, each week during our first year we celebrated Holy Communion, thereby receiving the sustenance provided by Jesus’ body and blood. We are most thankful for this blessing.
In the first year, we celebrated baptisms as well, allowing New Beginnings to administer all sacraments of the Church. We are most grateful to see baptisms and celebrate with the families of the baptized. We also are reminded that through our baptisms we are washed in the baptism of Christ’s death and have been forgiven of our sins.
After Pastor Allan Oman’s retirement in the spring of 2021, we began to search for a new pastor. We were blessed to find Pastor Joshua Hansen, who was installed on September 18, 2022. Since taking the call to come to New Beginnings, Pastor Josh has provided us with a firm and faithful foundation in God’s word, encouraging us in our faith, leading us in prayer and worship, and strengthening our relationship with Jesus Christ.
Many say the Holy Spirit has been at work in New Beginnings and what has been accomplished is a work of God. This is most certainly true. It is most fitting that we began our congregation on Pentecost, the celebration of the Holy Spirit coming to the first church. We thank God for what he has done through us. We pray that God continues to bless us and that we will humbly accept where God takes us. We pray many will accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and that New Beginnings Lutheran Church will be a beacon of Jesus’ love throughout the world.
Confession of Faith
The North American Lutheran Church confesses:
The Triune God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and the Gospel as the power of God for the salvation of all who believe.
Jesus Christ is the Word of God incarnate, through whom everything was made and through whose life, death, and resurrection God fashions a new creation.
The proclamation of God’s message to us as both Law and Gospel is the Word of God, revealing judgment and mercy through word and deed, beginning with the Word in creation, continuing in the history of Israel, and centering in all its fullness in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
The canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the written Word of God. Inspired by the Holy Spirit speaking through their authors, they record and announce God’s revelation centering in Jesus Christ. Through them the Holy Spirit speaks to us to create and sustain Christian faith and fellowship for service in the world.
The canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the inspired Word of God and the authoritative source and norm of its proclamation, faith and life, “according to which all doctrines should and must be judged.” (Formula of Concord, Epitome, Part I)
The Apostles’, Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds as true declarations of the faith of the Church.
The Unaltered Augsburg Confession as a true witness to the Gospel, acknowledging as one with it in faith and doctrine all churches that likewise accept the teachings of the Unaltered Augsburg Confession.
The other confessional writings in the Book of Concord, namely, the Apology of the Augsburg Confession, the Smalcald Articles and the Treatise, the Small Catechism, the Large Catechism, and the Formula of Concord, as further valid interpretations of the faith of the Church.
The Gospel, recorded in the Holy Scriptures and confessed in the ecumenical creeds and Lutheran confessional writings, as the power of God to create and sustain the Church for God’s mission in the world.
The NALC honors and accepts The Common Confession (2005) included below, as a summary of teachings otherwise affirmed in the Lutheran Confessions.
The Common Confession
(The faith statement of Lutheran CORE – Coalition for Renewal. Adopted: November 2005)
CC1) The Lord Jesus Christ
We are people who believe and confess our faith in the Triune God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We trust and believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.
CC2) The Gospel of Salvation
We believe and confess that all human beings are sinners, and that sinners are redeemed by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. God alone justifies human beings by faith in Christ — a faith that God creates through the message of the Gospel. As ambassadors for Christ, God uses us to speak his Word and build his kingdom.
CC3) The Authority of Scripture
We believe and confess that the Bible is God’s revealed Word to us, spoken in Law and Gospel. The Bible is the final authority for us in all matters of our faith and life.
CC4) A Common Confession of Faith
We accept and uphold that the Lutheran Confessions reliably guide us as faithful interpretations of Scripture, and that we share a unity and fellowship in faith with others among whom the Gospel of Jesus Christ is preached and the sacraments are administered in accordance with the Gospel.
CC5) The Priesthood of All Believers
We believe and confess that the Holy Spirit makes all who believe in Jesus Christ to be priests for service to others in Jesus’ name, and that God desires to make use of the spiritual gifts he has given through the priesthood of all believers.
CC6) Marriage and Family
We believe and confess that the marriage of male and female is an institution created and blessed by God. From marriage, God forms families to serve as the building blocks of all human civilization and community. We teach and practice that sexual activity belongs exclusively within the biblical boundaries of a faithful marriage between one man and one woman.
CC7) The Mission and Ministry of the Congregation
We believe and confess that the church is the assembly of believers called and gathered by God around Word and Sacrament, and that the mission and ministry of the church is carried out within the context of individual congregations, which are able to work together locally and globally.