Reformed Faith on the South Shore of Long Island
New Life Community Church gathers on Lakeland Avenue in Sayville, a small Suffolk County hamlet near the Great South Bay. The congregation describes its calling in a single line: introducing people to an ever-maturing faith in Jesus Christ. Members live out that calling through Reformed preaching, intergenerational programs, and a steady rhythm of service to neighbors in the community and beyond.
The church belongs to the Alliance of Reformed Churches (ARC), having recently ended its affiliation with the Reformed Church in America. The move to ARC reflected the congregation's desire to stand more closely with a body that shares its convictions. Office hours run Tuesday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and a pastor and secretary are reachable by phone at (631) 589-5890 or by email at info@nlcc-li.com.
Sunday Worship at Ten
Worship is held every Sunday at 10:00 a.m. The order of service weaves together historical creeds, congregational singing, prayer, the reading and teaching of Scripture, and communion. The worship team has described the flow in four movements: declaring faith through creeds and song, proclaiming truth through the preaching of God's Word, uniting as the body at the Table with shared prayer concerns, and going out as the church to love and serve.
Services are livestreamed and added to a sermon archive, so members who are traveling or homebound can stay connected. Recordings of recent messages are available through the church's YouTube playlist, and a deeper catalog of past sermons, including series through Acts, studies on the Heidelberg Catechism, and Pentecost and Easter services, is kept in the sermon archive.
Children are welcome to remain with their families for the entire service, but during the middle of worship, Pre-K through fifth graders are dismissed to Kingdom Kids, and infants and toddlers up to age three may be dropped in the nursery. Parents are always welcome to accompany their children into the classroom.
The Five Solas at the Center
New Life Community Church is rooted in the Reformed tradition, and the heart of its teaching is set out in the five solas of the Protestant Reformation.
- Scripture Alone (Sola Scriptura). The Bible, not tradition, is the only source of revelation from God and the final, fully inspired, infallible authority on who God is and who we are in His sight.
- Grace and Faith Alone (Sola Gratia and Sola Fide). Salvation is the gift of God, received through faith. It is not of ourselves; it is the result of God's irresistible grace drawing sinners to Jesus Christ.
- Christ Alone (Solus Christus). There is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved. Christ's life, death, and resurrection are all-sufficient to reconcile us to the Father.
- Glory to God Alone (Soli Deo Gloria). Because we were made for God's glory, every part of life (speech, work, eating, worship, and play) is to be offered to Him.
These convictions shape the preaching, the catechesis, and the way the congregation engages its neighbors.
Children and Youth at New Life
The church takes seriously the call of Deuteronomy 6 to pass the faith to the next generation. Two structured programs serve children and teens.
Kingdom Kids is the Sunday school for children from Pre-K through fifth grade. After a portion of singing, kids are dismissed to their own classroom where teachers welcome them, walk through Scripture, and pray with them. The program runs from September through June, and during the summer months children remain in the sanctuary with parents and follow along with an age-appropriate worksheet on the same topic being preached. Lauren Czajkowski directs the program, and registration forms are available to help the church know and care for each child.
Youth Ministry gathers students in grades 7 through 12 on the first and third Wednesday evenings of each month, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., October through June. The evening opens with a game or activity, indoors or out, followed by small-group Bible study, and typically closes with a round of manhunt on the church grounds. The current study series works through the book of Romans. The youth ministry's goal is to build an Acts 2 community where students grow together, serve together, and have a good time doing it.
The nursery is available for infants and toddlers up to age three. Parents are asked to share any allergy or special needs so the volunteers can care for each child with the utmost attention. The space is kept secure and clean so families can enter worship without worry.
Men, Women, and the Life of the Church
Adult discipleship takes shape in a number of smaller gatherings.
Men's Ministry meets on Tuesday evenings at 7 p.m. for Bible study from September through June. Once a month the men share a meal together after worship on the first Sunday of the month. The group keeps in touch throughout the week by text.
Women's Ministry offers several Bible studies and small groups during the year. The weekly anchor is Ladies Morning Out, which gathers women of all ages on Tuesday mornings at 9:30 a.m. for Bible study, fellowship, and bagels with coffee.
Additional discipleship pathways include Stephen Ministers for one-on-one pastoral care, Financial Peace University based on Dave Ramsey's budgeting curriculum, and the Alpha course, an introduction to the basics of the Christian faith. Members can connect with hands-on ways to use their gifts through the church's service opportunities.
The New Life Food Pantry
Twice a month, the church opens its doors as a food pantry for neighbors in need. The pantry operates on the first and third Monday of each month from 6 to 7 p.m., providing groceries to families and individuals in the Sayville area. The pantry is one expression of the congregation's conviction that the church is sent into the world to love and serve.
Local and Global Missions
New Life Community Church supports a network of partner ministries on Long Island and around the world, and members regularly participate in hands-on service projects.
Local partners include Lighthouse Mission, Soundview Pregnancy Services, Long Island Youth Mentoring, His Coalition for the Homeless, and Sharing a Meal Sayville. The congregation serves meals at Setauket Presbyterian Church's supper for the homeless, gathers baby bottles for Soundview, fundraises through tea luncheons and coat drives for His Coalition, builds with Habitat for Humanity, donates water and produce to Lighthouse Mission, and helps serve at Sharing a Meal. Each Christmas, the church fills Thanksgiving baskets for a homeless shelter and packs shoe boxes for children through Operation Christmas Child.
Global partners include Operation Christmas Child (Samaritan's Purse), For His Children in Ecuador, YWAM Ozarks, and Mission to the World, where the church supports missionaries Peter and Diane Bakelaar. The missions team organizes projects year-round and welcomes members who want to join the work.
Vacation Bible School and the Church Calendar
Vacation Bible School is a hallmark of the church's summer ministry, drawing families from Sayville and the surrounding communities for a week of Bible teaching, crafts, games, and music. Hospitality is woven through the church year as well: welcome gifts for first-time visitors, an end-of-year gift for every preschool student, a summer barbecue, a Thanksgiving celebration, a Christmas celebration, and an Agape celebration round out the calendar.
New Life Community Preschool
Sharing its campus and name is New Life Community Preschool, an early-childhood program that serves local families with a Christian environment for young learners. Information and registration are handled by the preschool directly.
Giving as Worship
The church teaches that financial giving is an act of worship, a tangible way to thank God for the gift of new life in Christ. Members and friends may give in person by placing an offering in one of the plates at the back of the sanctuary, online through Realm or PayPal, or by mailing a bank check directly to the church, a method that incurs no processing fees. Current service opportunities are also available for those who would like to contribute time and skills rather than money.
New Life Community Church continues to point the people of Sayville toward an ever-maturing faith, gathered around Word and sacrament, formed in community, and sent into the world to serve in the name of Jesus Christ.