[nlcf] – a church community for Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, and Christiansburg

History

A Brief History…

JR Woodward and a handful of Virginia Tech students started a student club in 1989 as part of campus-focused movement called Great Commission Ministries. Since then, God has grown the group to involve hundreds of students and locals.

In that time [nlcf] has planted two neighborhood churches in Los Angeles called Kairos, as as well as one in Richmond called Imago Dei.

We also started a new congregation we call the Downtown Congregation that is primarily focused on everyone from graduate students, professionals, families and kids in the New River Valley.

Most recently we have planted a church at Lynchburg College called Lynchburg Christian Fellowship.

We’ve also started two non-profits.  One is called Network of Giving and the other is a group of missional churches called Ecclesia.  Whew… we’re not done yet!

Timeline

The Beginning
1989: Our found pastor, JR Woodward, arrives at Virginia Tech as part of Great Commission Ministry’s (GCM) campus movement.

The 90s: The Formative Years
1991: Collegiate Christian Life (CCL) registers as a student club at Virginia Tech led by pastor JR Woodward.

1995: Radford church plant began with help of River Laker.

1997: Name changed to New Life Campus Fellowship [nlcf] and adopted as official student organization.

The 2000s: Becoming A Sending Church
2001: JR Woodward takes team of 30 leaders to plant Kairos church in Los Angeles, CA.
Jim Pace and Chris Backert lead [nlcf].

2005: New Life Christian Fellowship [nlcf] adopted as official name

2007: The Downtown Congregation is launched.
The Ecclesia Network of churches was started.

2008: Chris Backer and other [nlcf] members combine with leaders from the Bay Area Church to start Imago Dei in Richmond, VA.
Network of Giving, an online non-profit organization, is established.

2009: [nlcf] celebrates its 20th anniversary.
Lynchburg Christian Fellowship (LCF) adopted as [nlcf] church plant.
130 Jackson opened for public use after a long renovation process.

2010: The Present
7:07 service moved to 130 Jackson.
New [nlcf] website is launched (you’re looking at it!)