Outdoor Church Service with many attenders at the new building location for New Life Church

About New Life Church

Our Values

 We put God and His Word First

We are a Praying People

We Serve Others

Our Mission

Helping each person take their next step of faith in Christ.

New Life Church Leadership

Pastor Larry Burg and Nancy Burg hugging in front of a Northern Minnesota lake.

Larry and Nancy Burg

Larry Burg

PASTOR

My wife, Nancy, and I have loved living in northern Minnesota again and serving in pastoral leadership at New Life Church since 2011.  God brought our lives together in 1980, we were married in 1983, and I say repeatedly that she is God's best blessing in my life.  It's great being married to my best friend.  God graced us with 3 kids:  Andrew and his wife Abby live in Mounds View with their son Levi.  Lindsey is married to Samuel, living in Waconia with 3 boys:  Leonidas and his younger twin brothers Menelaus and Odysseus.  Diana lives in the Los Angeles area and does ministry to immigrants and refugees.

Nancy and I spent 6 years ministering in Brainerd, MN until we left in 1995 to work as missionaries with the Alliance in Burkina Faso, West Africa.  The missionary chapter of our lives spanned 15 years, working alongside some amazing missionary and African ministry colleagues.  Some of my greatest joy comes from having played a minor role in the growth of Alliance ministries in Burkina.

I love processing life with people, encouraging them to follow Christ's path, as it has made such a huge difference in my own life.  I love reading and learning, and I am always working through 2-3 books at a time:  biographies, history, Christian living, issues of faith, and even an occasional novel.

Next Gen Pastor Tyrel LaValle, Carissa LaValle and their two kids smiling while sitting on a blanket.

Tyrel and Carissa LaValle

Kids Sophia and Tobias

Tyrel LaValle

NEXT GEN PASTOR

Tyrel is our Next Gen Pastor. He has a Bachelor’s in theology from Crown College and is working on a Master’s of Christian Education from Dallas Theological Seminary.

Tyrel has been married to Carissa for 10 years.  They have 2 kids, Sophia & Tobias.  Tyrel enjoys board games, bike rides, martial arts, and studying God’s Word.

Elders

Our Elders are Steve Olson, Tony Blankers and Jake Mehr.

 

Leadership Team

Our Leadership Team members are Steve Michaletz, Tony Blankers, Beth Leaf, Steve Olson, Bryan Johnson, and our pastor, Larry Burg.

BUILDING FOCUS: THE NEXT STEP

THE NEXT STEP: Building Focus

So, what is The Next Step?

The Next Step is partly a Capital Campaign to raise funds and awareness to build a new home for New Life Church. But it’s mostly about a dream. It’s a dream of a small group of people, in 2010, who wanted to build a church in Aitkin, MN. They wanted to start a congregation where people could heal, families would be strengthened, and the tenor of the Aitkin community would be enriched. That small group started meeting in the choir room of the high school and they believed that God was looking for people to join in the work of building his kingdom.

Fast forward ten years

New Life Church has grown from that small group of people into a congregation that has called two full-time pastors into service, has a vibrant and LOUD youth ministry, supports the local school district and teachers through the Ripple Effect ministry, has purchased an existing church building and parsonage that has served well as a temporary home, and regularly has 140 people attending Sunday service. The work of the kingdom is happening every day, and the dream continues to build and gain momentum.

But sometimes, it seems, the dream comes face-to-face with the reality of real estate. Sometimes, you just need more space. And more counter tops in the kitchen. And more toy bins in the nursery. And more off-street parking.

 

And so we’ve decided to take the next logical step to continue building the dream of furthering the kingdom of God in our community. We’ve purchased land on the southeast side of Aitkin and we’re launching a campaign to fund a building project.

  • We can see a future where people gather for worship, praise and prayer.
  • We can see a future where hundreds of students meet every week to practice love and support in a world that wants to bully them into submission.
  • We can see a future where single moms can release their kids into the arms of caring adults and just sit for a while.
  • We can see a future where the Aitkin community is welcomed to meet Jesus in comedic dramas, concerts and puppet shows.

This Next Step for New Life Church is only partly about a Capital Campaign to build a church home. It’s mostly about building the dream that becomes a reality in the kingdom of God. How big is your dream?

Our Partners

Our church benefits from connecting with some important partners:

The Christian & Missionary Alliance (The Alliance)

New Life Church is part of The Christian & Missionary Alliance (The Alliance).  We take seriously Jesus’ last words about bringing people into a relationship with Himself, locally as well as throughout the world.  The Alliance has ministries in more than 80 countries with over 6 million believers.  Our National Office is located in Colorado Springs.

North Central District of the Alliance

The North Central District of the Alliance oversees churches in the state of Minnesota and its office is located in St. Bonifacius, west of Minneapolis.  The District has provided support for New Life and has been instrumental in guiding our church through the first few years of its existence.

Big Sandy Camp

Big Sandy Camp is our district camp, located north of McGregor.  Each year, we provide scholarships for children to attend summer camp as we are convinced that children meet God in special ways at the campground.

Crown College

Crown College is one of 4 Alliance colleges in the U.S.  Located west of Minneapolis, Crown is a Christian college that offers various degrees such as nursing, business and psychology, as well as Christian ministry degrees.  There are more than 1,300 students enrolled in both their traditional residence program as well as through online courses.

Mokahum Ministry Center

Mokahum Ministry Center is a training school for American Indians located in Cass Lake, MN.  We believe that God would want us involved in supporting ministries to our American Indian neighbors and have enjoyed establishing a relationship with the leadership of the Center.

ATTENDER OF NEW LIFE CHURCH:

"I’ve made connections through church that have grown into deep friendships."