The Birth of a Movement How Eight People on Their Knees Sparked New Life in Onoway

It all began quietly.

In late February 2019, eight believers gathered—not with a blueprint or a brand, but with brokenness and bold prayers. Night after night, they met to seek God’s healing from past ministry wounds and to ask one question with open hearts:
“What’s next, Lord?”

That question turned into weekly rhythms of prayer and worship. By March, the group had grown to eleven—meeting Sundays and midweek, still praying, still listening. But as they pressed in, they began to sense a stirring. God wasn’t calling them to simply recover. He was calling them to rebuild—to plant something new.

🌾 Faith Took Root
In May, obedience took shape. The group answered God’s call to plant a church in Onoway, and New Life Christian Community (NLCC) was born—not with fanfare, but with hands in the dirt, literally.
They partnered with the local beautification committee, weeding flower beds, planting flowers, and engaging neighbors in gospel-centered conversation. They walked and drove through the town, lifting up prayers for protection, favor, and open hearts.
In June, they joined Heritage Days, handing out free water bottles and meeting people where they were—with no agenda but love. That weekend marked a turning point: New Life Christian Community officially launched.
Pastor Kevin Henry, one of the original eight, stepped into pastoral leadership, shepherding this young and courageous body.

🚪 Every Door, Every Heart
That summer, NLCC took to the streets—door to door—offering invitations, sharing the gospel, and distributing a short film called Peace With God, created by one of their own. These weren’t cold calls; they were warm seeds of hope, sown in faith.
In July, the church began holding monthly worship gatherings at the Onoway Heritage Centre. By October, the momentum was growing, and they began meeting twice a month.

✨ A Christmas to Remember
December brought the first major community-wide event: a Live Nativity. NLCC coordinated with town council, who enthusiastically backed the idea—offering to close the street in front of the gazebo. Local businesses pitched in:
The Hub (yes, the local bar!) hosted free hot chocolate.
Jon’s Funny Farm brought animals for a petting zoo at a generous rate.
Neighbors came, conversations happened, and even though the crowd was small, God showed up.
The event opened new doors—and new hearts.

🙌 A Foundation of Prayer and Faith
By the end of 2019, NLCC had grown to 14 people—a small but vibrant family marked by prayer, obedience, and unwavering hope in what God was building.

What began as healing turned into planting.
What began in a living room became a church.
And God—faithful and present—was just getting started.

Reaching Beyond the Walls From Local Roots to Regional Impact

🌐 If 2020 taught us resilience, 2021 taught us to reach—beyond limits, beyond walls, and beyond what we thought was possible for a small but faithful church in Onoway.

📡 From Onoway to Online
In January, NLCC stepped into a new season of ministry: online outreach. We launched a livestream of our worship gatherings—equipping our small church to preach the gospel far beyond our physical footprint.
What began as a necessity became a calling.
And by year’s end, three people had found a spiritual home through our digital ministry—a reminder that God moves even through screens.

🤝 Servant Leadership Grows
In August, we celebrated another milestone in our growth as a church: the selection of our first deacon. It was more than a role—it was a declaration that servant leadership would be part of our DNA, and that God was raising up people with hearts to serve and shepherd.

🔥 Unity in the Body of Christ
Then came something bigger than us.
In September, NLCC joined six other churches from Parkland County for a unified worship gathering—a bold and beautiful act of Kingdom unity. Parkland Baptist, Stony Plain Baptist, Fireside Church, Beach Corner Church, Mewassin Free Methodist, Community Fellowship Church, and Hope Church came together in one voice, one spirit, and one purpose: to exalt Jesus above our differences and demonstrate His love through our unity.
It was the seed of something greater. In early 2022, this movement would take on a name: One Church. And its gatherings would become known as One Church Worship—a growing expression of Christ-centered collaboration in our region.

📈 A Growing Family
By the close of 2021, 23 people called NLCC home—including three from our online outreach. It wasn’t explosive growth. It was intentional, Spirit-led, and deeply relational.
Each new person wasn’t just a number—they were a testament to what God was doing in our midst: restoring faith, rebuilding lives, and uniting hearts.

2021 was a year of connection. Of taking ground—digitally and spiritually.
Of watching God weave New Life into something much larger than itself.

And still, He was only getting started.

The Remnant and the Rise - Smaller in Number, Stronger in Spirit

🔥 These two years weren’t easy. But they were holy.

Coming out of a season of slow growth, 2023 opened with a hard reality: some had grown weary and walked away. Discouragement touched parts of the church family. Numbers dipped.

But God never left. And He was far from finished with New Life Christian Community.

🙏 The Remnant That Prayed
What remained was a remnant—faithful, humble, and determined. And in that remnant, God stirred something deeper. We found ourselves praying more fiercely:
Against spiritual strongholds
For the hearts of the people in Onoway
For boldness and clarity in the gospel
And for God’s kingdom to come in real, visible ways.

We began to sense it.
A shift in the atmosphere.
A spiritual war being waged over our town—and a rising sense that we were called to fight in prayer, with authority from Christ.

And so we did.

💥 Evangelism with Energy
Even as we battled in the unseen, God continued to provide in the practical.
Despite the numeric dip, financial provision never faltered. Every rental bill was paid. And more than that—there was overflow for outreach. Events like Nerf Wars became key tools in building bridges with families, youth, and curious newcomers.
Each event grew. Each moment mattered. And we saw something beautiful: the walls around people’s hearts beginning to soften.
We began to notice more openness to spiritual conversations. Less resistance. More connection. Evangelism wasn’t just about events—it was Spirit-led movement.

🎉 A Five-Year Marker
In June of 2024, NLCC celebrated its 5th Anniversary. It was more than a milestone—it was a monument to God’s faithfulness.

We looked back on five years of:
Prayers answered
Relationships built
Doors opened
Favor multiplied

And a church that refused to quit

We didn’t throw a party for ourselves. We threw a celebration for what God had done with so little—and how far He had brought us.

🤝 Unity in the Mission
One of the quiet but powerful developments during this season was a growing partnership with another evangelical church in Onoway. Walls between ministries gave way to co-laboring for the Kingdom, and the Spirit began to deepen a sense of shared calling in our community.

By the end of 2024, something was shifting. There was an anticipation in the air. A sense that God was on the move—again.

We weren’t the biggest church.
But we were awake.
We were praying.
And we were ready.