NEW HEIGHTS CHURCH

It started with summer Sunday evenings backyard gatherings, as Christ followers looked for fellowship during COVID. Dave Bechtel was leading those Bible studies and soon felt the call to continue preaching in a church--something that was unexpected in his retirement.

Just a week after he felt the call, he received a literal call rom Richland Heights Baptist, a local church that had dwindled to just a handful of people, had heard what was happening at those backyard gatherings, and asked him to become their senior pastor. Conversations followed, and soon six couples who had been part of those backyard gatherings joined Richland Heights Baptist Church as members and assumed leadership of the church, including its building and even its bank account. All of this was by Design with one condition—That we continue preaching the truth of God's word. We promised we would, and we have. Just like that, our “homeless” church now had a home. In the five years since those early days of New Heights, the Lord has continued to provide even more gifts and surprises— “rock piles” that remind us of his faithfulness.

The first Sunday joint service at Richland Heights Baptist drew 17 attendees. But more people started coming. We were excited about what the Lord was doing. We weren't very organized yet, but it didn't matter. One member remembers, “There was such a cool sense of everyone jumping into help, and people almost lined up to greet one another at the door. We had to take turns!”

It wasn't long before New Heights needed two services to provide for those who are coming. then three. and now four. In the middle of that growth, we were modeled that old building, “shutting” the former entry doors, rotating the auditorium in the opposite direction, constructing a new foyer over the original stairs heading downstairs, additional parking, replacing the old pews with individual chairs, moving walls to form new offices, providing a new HVAC system, and more. One of the memorable benefits: an attendee no longer had to walk to the front of the auditorium to get to a bathroom!

Volunteers shouldered the bulk of the new church's ministries and responsibilities: leadership, finances, legal issues, childcare, small groups, Bible studies, etc.

The “Vision Team,” which the Lord used to guide the new church in its infancy, presented a constitution that mandated the biblical leadership requirement of an elder board.

A pivotal blessing came with a long, difficult, but so worthwhile process of bringing Jeff Thompson on as our new senior pastor (we had to smuggle him out of Canada). The Lord has continued to confirm that Jeff is His under-shepherd at New Heights. Now we have added wonderful administrative and ministry staff.

But the Lord isn't done blessing our church. Just about a year ago, He opened the door for us to purchase a larger church facility. God is moving at New Heights, and we can't wait to see what he does in the years to come!