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As my family and I first decided to surrender to the call to plant New Room Church in Bloomington-
Normal, we wondered “what kind of church might this be?” We didn’t want it to just be a church focused solely on the future, forgetting the history that brought us to this point. Nor did we want to be a
church stagnant in the past, unable to see where the future was taking us. As we prayed for a clear
vision for this new church, God reminded me of John Wesley and the early Methodist. This group was
visionary, in that they saw the future they desired, while simultaneously looking back to find
the answers on how to get there.

What was the future? To transform the nation of England, and in particular the Church of England by
reclaiming the practices and teachings of the early church. The future was England transformed by
God’s love, with many giving their lives back to God. This vision started in a city called Bristol, where the first Methodist chapel was built. They called it the New Room. A place where people gathered in community, to grow in love of God and to serve their neighbor. And as people grew, they  brought others along, shared Christ, and discipled them. As a result, many others were saved, as England saw revival happen in their midst.

New Room Church’s vision is very similar to the early Methodists. We will be a disciple-making
movement, focused on reaching people who are far from God and sharing the hope of Jesus with them.
We will go about this in a very similar way to the first Methodists. It’s not about creating something
totally new, but about reclaiming the best of what the early church has to offer. Small groups meeting
in homes for people to grow together. Every person, no matter how old or young, equipped to make Jesus-followers in their sphere of influence. And we will be a church guided by the Holy Spirit in all we do.

The future of New Room Church is rooted in our collective history. New Room will be a place where our past and our future meet, as we live into a common mission: “to make Jesus-followers who make other Jesus-followers.” We’re excited you are joining us on this journey!

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