About Us

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Our Story

We are a non-denominational, local church

Once upon a time (this time two years ago), there were two local churches reeling from the pandemic and trying to make sense of a very different reality.

GVF (Grace Valley Fellowship) was a growing congregation, with strong leadership, but they were meeting in a field.

CBC (Calvary Bible Church) was without a pastor but had this beautiful corner property that they prayed about filling to the brim.

God was beginning a work…

In March 2022, CBC and GVF voted to merge their congregations and move into CBC’s building. The two congregations began meeting together on March 27, 2022. 

In order to reflect the new work God was doing in our midst; and to step into this new season of unity, we decided to change our name.

On January 6, 2023, we became New Story Church. It is fresh, and it is going to take a while to get used to, and a while to roll out in its entirety, but we are excited about this new work and look forward to living into this new name and new story. 

Watch the recording from our 2023 Vision Night

Our Beliefs 

At New Story, our aim is to be
‘merely Christian‘

We believe:

  • The Bible is inspired by God and the final authority in faith and life.

  • There is one God who exists in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

  • Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man.

  • All of humanity is spiritually lost and without hope apart from God's special intervention.

  • The only solution for our spiritually lost state is to be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ, whose death and bodily resurrection make a relationship with God possible.

  • This new relationship with God is a free gift, by grace, and it is offered to all who put their faith in Jesus Christ. It cannot be achieved by good works nor is it given according to race, status, or ability—salvation is through faith alone and by grace alone for all eternity.

  • Jesus Christ will physically return to judge both the living and the dead and to establish his kingdom forever.

  • If you would like a copy of our full statement of faith, click here.

While there are a lot of different views within the church on a lot of different and important issues, our desire is to major on what's most important. And what's most important to us, bar none, is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

When it comes to what we believe, the last thing we want to be is on the cutting edge or innovative. Our core beliefs reflect the foundational beliefs of the historic Christian church.

Our Mission

To make disciples who make disciples

‘Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.’ Matthew 28:19-20a

Engage, Connect, Serve, Go

Our Vision

To be a church where life transformation is normal

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2

In order to fulfill our vision we have three different focus areas (facilities, pathways and a rule of life), but the root of it all is spiritual formation. We know that our culture is formed by our habits, our relationships, the stories we tell ourselves plus our experiences over time. Our vision hinges on helping people see where their story intersects with God’s and inviting them into a whole new story.

Our Values

At New Story, we have 8 ‘house rules’:

  • We are going to be about Jesus first & foremost. We are going to stand for historical Christian orthodoxy. A lot of churches seem to confuse Christianity with politics & denominations & worship styles. We want to focus on the main things.

  • We know that God’s kingdom is SO MUCH GREATER than our little church. We want to partner with (not compete with) other churches, ministries, and organizations to serve Kingdom purposes.

  • Those who are hurting, struggling or doubting people shouldn’t run away from the church. They should run to it. If we cannot talk about what’s really wrong, we’ll never get help, never deal with it, never heal, and never be able to help others. It’s okay to not be okay, but it’s not okay to stay that way.

    Leadership: We want to lead with our weakness (1 Cor 2:3-5; 1 Tim 1:15-16). At NEW STORY, a leader should be the first to confess, the first to show vulnerability, and the first to say: “I’m sorry.”

    Language: We want to be a church that talks to, not about, those who do not yet follow Jesus.

  • According to New Testament scholar, Larry Hurtado, the early church was:

    Progressive in that it broke traditional social/racial/gender barriers. Multiracial. Treating women as equals.

    Progressive in caring for the poor. Seeking to erase class distinctions.

    Conservative in sanctity of life. Rescuing babies left out for exposure.

    Conservative in sexual ethic. Radical purity. Treating one another in nonsexual ways (like brothers/sisters).

    Odd in pacifism. Demanding forgiveness & reconciliation with those who persecuted them.

    We want to be like the early church… and frustrate both sides.

  • There should be direct relationship between the quality of relational commitment & your right to speak hard truths into someone’s life (confrontation). If your willingness to confront exceeds your level of relational commitment, you are a jerk. If your level of relational commitment exceeds your willingness to confront, you are a coward.

    Speaking the truth in love. Ephesians 4:15

    A guide to how we live this: We never want to be clearer than the Scriptures. But, where the Scriptures are clear, we never want to be unclear.

  • Church programs can be helpful. Spiritual exercises (like physical exercises) are much needed to become a whole, healthy person. But the kind of inside-out transformation we seek is not something we can cause with Atomic Habits or self-help methods or excellent church programs. You must encounter the living God.

    A guide to how we do church: We value Biblical faithfulness over ministry effectiveness and ministry effectiveness over church tradition and church tradition over ministry fads.

  • All of us are living a story. It’s human. It’s how we make sense of our lives.

    Apart from God, we are left to make up a story about our lives (write a fiction) or unquestionably live the script that the world (family, personality, circumstances) has handed us.

    But Jesus. He is making all things new. He came that we might have a new life.

    In His Story, we relearn to tell our own story. We discover who we are, what it means to truly live, what life is all about.

    We (at New Story) don’t want to write your story – only God can do that – but we can be a guide and companion to help you on your journey with God.

  • Jesus did not come into the world to condemn the world but to save it by laying down His life (John 3:17). That’s NEW STORY’s calling as well.