At the corner of Jenkintown and Easton Roads, just a few minutes from the Glenside train station, New Life Presbyterian Church fills a building that has been a fixture on this stretch of eastern Montgomery County for more than a century. The current congregation of New Life began in the early 1970s as a Bible study in the home of Jack and Rose Marie Miller, but the building they have called home since 1988 once housed the Casa Conti, a gathering place in Glenside since 1919, and before that the Hotel Weldon, dating back to at least the mid-1800s. Today the same walls hold a congregation of the Presbyterian Church in America (Philadelphia Presbytery) known for gospel-centered preaching, a year-round rhythm of teaching, and a remarkable portfolio of local ministries, from a food cupboard and a thrift store to a nursery school and English language classes, that opens the doors wide to the surrounding neighborhoods.
A Living Room That Grew Into a Church
New Life began with a small group that grew too large for a living room. After meeting in a library, a YMCA, a gymnasium, and finally a restaurant, the group was formally organized as a congregation in 1974. From the start the church has been shaped by what its members describe as a passion for gospel-centered ministry: the conviction that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the power for living for the Christian as well as the unbeliever. That conviction has had visible results. Several other New Life congregations in the Philadelphia area trace their roots back to this one. So do a number of church-planting efforts and the renewal movement known as Sonship. Many of the men and women now active in churches around the world spent formative years at New Life Glenside, and the church continues to see itself as a sending church.
The move to the Easton Road building in 1988 gave the congregation a permanent address. A major round of renovations, completed in summer 2022, brought an elevator, a new central entrance, a secured children's wing, and updates to the sanctuary. The work turned an old inn into a usable ministry center for the Easton Road corridor, the diverse band of Philadelphia suburbs the church has long tried to serve.
What Sunday Looks Like
New Life runs two Sunday services at 8:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. in the sanctuary, both nearly identical in order, music, prayer, and preaching. Each runs about 75 to 80 minutes. Dress is casual. Children of all ages are welcome to worship with their families at either service, and childcare is typically available during both for children up to age six. The 11:00 a.m. service is recorded and livestreamed for those who need to worship from home.
Sandwiched between the two services is the Education Hour, from 9:50 to 10:50 a.m. This is the engine room of the Sunday morning. On the ground floor, KidsLife and BabyLife classes meet for children from birth through fifth grade, with a lesson, snacks, crafts, and time for play. Junior High and Senior High Sunday school meets on the second floor and in a multi-purpose room known as The 109. Adults gather in classrooms on the first floor for one of several Adult Education classes, with offerings that change by semester and cover everything from books of the Bible to theology, marriage, and current cultural issues.
Between services, coffee, tea, and more are served in The Gallery, a gathering space just outside the sanctuary. The Hub, the landing at the top of the stairs, has become a natural meeting point, and a Mother/Baby Room is available for nursing mothers. On fifth Sundays, Adult Education classes are replaced by a time of all-church prayer in the sanctuary.
The Preaching and the Wider Sermon Library
The sermon is at the center of each service, and the church keeps a remarkable archive. Recent series include The Acts of the Risen Christ (a 16-message walk through the early church), Easter Changes Everything, The Invitation (Jesus With His People), Upside-Down Values Right-Side-Up Lives (a study of Jesus on the way to Jerusalem), The Son (an Advent 2025 series), and a 12-message series on Genesis 1-11. Past series have ranged across the Psalms, Isaiah, the Gospels, Romans, Ephesians, and the Old Testament prophets. Many of those series were taught by Pastor Mark Moser, who plans and preaches the Sunday sermons. The current preaching schedule also includes regular contributions from Stated Supply Bill Smith, an ordained PCA minister, and Pastor Ben Thompson, who handles preaching when he is filling the pulpit. Visiting preachers and missionaries also appear periodically.
The archive goes back more than a decade, with series ranging from a 17-message walk through the Gospel of Mark to a sermon series on The End of Jesus and an Advent study called The Five Senses. Each week's bulletin and sermon outline is posted to the downloads page, and audio recordings are available on the website, on a Spotify show, through a Feedburner podcast feed, and on the church's YouTube channel. Pastors also maintain a YouTube playlist called Cutting Room Floor, where additional material from Sunday's text that did not fit into the sermon is unpacked in longer form.
Adult Education on Sunday Mornings and Beyond
The Sunday morning Adult Education program is a second teaching stream, distinct from the sermon and treated as a training ground for followers of Jesus. Classes meet during the Education Hour in various rooms, and occasional evening classes supplement the Sunday morning offerings. Teachers include pastors, elders, local seminary faculty, and outside experts. Past series have covered Science and God's Design of Life, Sex and Sexuality, 500 Years of Christian History, The Ten Commandments, Archaeology and the Bible, and a Foundations of Covenant Theology course. Video and audio recordings of past classes are posted on YouTube and as a podcast.
On Tuesday evenings, a parallel ministry called Connect 18-29 gathers young adults, including college students, early-career professionals, interns, and military, to study Scripture and build friendships. The group is led by Luke Humphrey.
Women's Bible Study: Five Meeting Times a Week
The Women's Bible Study is one of the most extensive programs at New Life. It meets weekly from September through May, with a $30 registration fee that helps cover administrative, recording, and childcare costs. Five weekly meeting times are offered: Wednesday mornings in person with childcare, Wednesday evenings in person, Wednesday evenings on Zoom, Friday mornings on Zoom, and Sunday mornings during the Education Hour. The 2026-2027 study, Called to Be Salt and Light, walks through the Gospel of Matthew. Recent years have covered Joshua and Ruth, the Gospel of Mark, the book of Romans, the book of Exodus, the Thessalonian letters, Ephesians, Ezra and Nehemiah, the Psalms, the Gospel of Luke, Colossians, Isaiah, the book of Acts, the Gospel of John, 1 and 2 Peter, and Galatians. A parallel set of teaching lectures from a long line of women teachers is available as a podcast, and printable lesson handouts for the most recent studies are posted to the WBS Resources page.
The Women's Weekend Retreat, a long-running tradition at New Life, brings women away for a weekend of teaching, worship, crafts, and rest. The 2026 retreat will be held at the Ladore Retreat and Conference Center in Waymart, PA, with Libbie Groves, a New Life member for nearly forty years and a longtime teacher at the Women's Bible Study and Westminster Seminary, returning to teach on The Book of Ruth and Me: How Old Testament Stories Apply to My Life.
Men's Ministry: Three Mornings a Week
Men's ministry at New Life is built around three weekly gatherings. On Friday mornings at 6:00 a.m., men meet in the Conference Room for an hour of prayer and Bible reading, often continuing to Michael's for breakfast afterward. On Saturday mornings from 6:30 to 8:10 a.m., the same room hosts the Men's Prayer and Bible Study, with coffee provided and an optional breakout for sharing and prayer that runs until 9:00 a.m. On the first Wednesday of each month from September through June, a Men's Breakfast meets in The Gallery from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. for fellowship, food, and prayer. The annual Men's Retreat, held each autumn at Camp Conquest in Lancaster County, draws men of all ages for a weekend of teaching, worship, food, and outdoor activities, with archery, shooting, and other sports available for an additional fee.
Children and Students
Children's ministry at New Life is coordinated by Bea Galloway and the KidsLife team. Birth through fifth grade classes meet during the Education Hour on the ground floor in secure, age-appropriate rooms. The curriculum pairs Scripture with hands-on learning, snacks, crafts, and play. Children are also welcome in the worship services, and the church encourages families to worship together at one service and attend Sunday school during the Education Hour.
Kids Clubs is a Wednesday evening program for children in grades 1 through 5 that meets on the first and third Wednesdays of each month from October through May. The format is active and varied, with play, crafts, and Bible learning woven together. In the summer, Kids in Motion offers a weeklong day camp at the church for children entering first through fifth grade, with a sports track and an art track. The church has a formal Child Abuse Prevention Plan, and everyone working with children or youth has obtained criminal and child abuse clearances in accordance with Pennsylvania state law.
Junior High students, grades 6 through 8, meet during the Education Hour and on Friday nights from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. The ministry emphasizes community, theology rooted in the Westminster Standards, and mission, and welcomes volunteers to teach, lead Bible studies, chaperone, and mentor. Senior High students, grades 9 through 12, meet for Sunday school during the Education Hour and for Discipleship Groups on Sunday nights from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The Senior High program describes itself as committed to Christ-centeredness, community, mercy mindedness, vital worship, intentional discipleship, and a healthy dose of fun. The group takes on a monthly service project. To bridge the years after high school, Connect 18-29 continues the work of formation and fellowship into the college and early career years.
Community Groups and the Shape of Discipleship
New Life has long understood that its larger Sunday gatherings need to be paired with smaller circles of life. The church encourages everyone who comes through the door to join a Community Group. Some meet weekly, some less often, and most meet in homes in various neighborhoods throughout the week. Several are especially welcoming to children. The premise is straightforward: change happens in community, mission flows out of community, and people find help in community. Prospective members can contact group leaders directly or reach out to Assistant Pastor Ben Thompson to find a group that fits.
Local Outreach: The Food Cupboard, the Thrift Store, ESL, and the Nursery School
For decades, New Life has treated the Easton Road corridor as its parish. Three weekly food distribution times are run out of the Food Cupboard, a ministry inspired by the Good Samaritan parable. On Monday evenings from 7:00 to 7:30 p.m., the cupboard serves New Life members and regular attendees. On Tuesday evenings from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m., it is open to any resident of greater Glenside. On Thursday afternoons from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m., it is reserved for community members aged 65 and older. Food donations are accepted during normal office hours, and cash gifts can be made online.
New Life Thrift is a separate 501(c)3 nonprofit in partnership with the church. It operates a main store at 800 N. Easton Road in Glenside, a Melrose Store at the Melrose Shopping Center in Cheltenham, and a Boutique Store next to the Glenside location. The stores fund community organizations and outreach ministries serving the homeless, teen mothers, orphans, and at-risk youth. The ministry welcomes donations of goods and volunteers to sort and distribute.
Each Thursday evening from October through May, the church hosts Adult English Language classes at four levels. Students learn English alongside Scripture verses and Bible stories, and can begin classes at any point during the school year. The cost is a one-time $10 registration fee plus books. Classroom teachers and helpers are always needed.
New Life Nursery School, founded in 1990, is a weekday preschool serving children from age two through school age. The school offers a morning program with optional extended afternoon hours, science classes, monthly special activities, and a three-week summer camp that runs into June. The nursery school also operates the food stand at the annual Craft Fair.
Community Events: The Craft Fair and the Flea Market
Two open-to-the-public events have become neighborhood fixtures. The annual Craft Fair, held on the first Saturday in December, fills the church with more than thirty vendors selling jewelry, candles, artisan goods, crafts, dog treats, and food. A popular room of previously loved Christmas items rounds out the day. The Fall Flea Market, held in the church parking lot, brings together dozens of vendors and shoppers for a single Saturday in September each year. Spaces are assigned in advance, and the church runs a refreshment stand.
Music, Hospitality, Tech, and Prayer
The worship services are supported by a rotation of volunteer musicians. The Worship Director, Sarah Morris, recruits singers, pianists, guitarists, drummers, and players of other instruments, and the Tech Ministry handles audio, lighting, and presentation. The Hospitality Events Team plans the annual church picnic, conversational dinners, and fellowship luncheons. A Welcome Desk team greets visitors each Sunday morning. A Decorating Committee tends the building's seasonal touches, a Compassion Committee organizes receptions after funerals and memorial services, and a Communion Set Up team prepares the elements for the monthly celebration of the Lord's Supper.
Prayer is woven through the week. The Prayer Team sends out a weekly email with prayer needs for Sunday's service, leaders, missionaries, and ministries. In addition to the men's and women's prayer meetings already mentioned, an open Sunday morning prayer gathering meets in the Conference Room at 7:50 a.m., and a monthly all-church prayer meeting is held in The Gallery from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. on the fourth Sunday of each month.
AbleLife: Serving People With Disabilities
AbleLife is the church's special needs ministry. Its mission is to enfold those affected by disability into the life of the church, enabling them to worship, grow, and serve. The ministry offers a specialized KidsLife class for children with disabilities during the Education Hour, periodic seminars to help the congregation understand and disciple individuals and families affected by disability, and physical accommodations such as the building's elevator and large-print song lyrics. Beth Stonehouse leads the program.
Sending the Best: The Missions Program
New Life's missions program reflects the same conviction that has shaped the church from the start: To Know Christ and to Make Him Known. The church currently supports more than twenty New Life families serving as missionaries in ten countries, including workers in Germany, London, Puerto Rico, and creative-access locations. Missionaries are partnered with through mission organizations such as Mission to the World, Greater Europe Mission, Serge, CrossWorld, and Harvest USA, and the Missions Mentoring Fund offers support to church members exploring missionary vocations. A long-running mission of the church has been to send out its people, and the congregation continues to see itself as a training center for leaders who will plant churches and serve in new places.
What the Church Believes
New Life describes itself as a community captivated by the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ. The church emphasizes that believers come to God as they are, acknowledging their sinfulness and receiving his free, self-initiated love. Jesus, the church teaches, graciously transforms people, breaking destructive patterns and giving power to live differently; that is why the church is called New Life. The congregation is self-consciously a church, following the pattern set out in the New Testament, in communion with other churches across denominations and cultures that affirm the Bible alone as God's authoritative Word. New Life is a member congregation of the Presbyterian Church in America, and as such is committed to the Westminster Confession of Faith. The church emphasizes every-member ministry, the well-being of the local community along the Easton Road corridor, and the faithful stewardship of resources, including its people, in service of the gospel.
Leadership and Governance
The church is governed by a session of ten elders: Nicholas Black, Luke Brown, Scott Dirksen, Bruce Johnson, Stephen Kim, Vince Pellerito, Steve Ritter, Jim Spaulding, Ken Wilson, and Kurt Wood. The diaconate, led by Deacon Chairman Josh Chapman, includes Ed Coley, John Hagerty, Bret Johnson, Jonathan Kratz, Dave Sellers, Nelson Shane, and Alan Smith, with diaconal assistants Rita Harris, Jeri Johnson, Peggy McManus, Annah Mwaria, Beth Stonehouse, Cara Ternes, and Vitaly Ford. Mark Moser, the pastor, grew up in Kidron, Ohio, and came to New Life as a member in the early 2000s before joining the staff in 2015 and being installed as pastor in 2016. He holds the Master of Divinity from Westminster Theological Seminary and is a dissertation away from completing a PhD in Historical and Theological Studies. Bill Smith, an ordained PCA minister with decades of pastoral and counseling experience, serves as Stated Supply. Ben Thompson, an assistant pastor ordained in 2022, oversees KidsLife and Youth Ministries. Jason Peterson, the Executive Director, has been on staff since 2009, much of that time as the Director of Youth Ministries. Sarah Morris directs worship. Bea Galloway leads children's and Junior High ministries. Luke Humphrey leads Connect 18-29.
The Building, the Building's Past, and a Ministry Center for the Corridor
For those who walk into the church for the first time, the building tells much of the story. The corner of Jenkintown and Easton Roads has been a place where the community has gathered for more than a hundred years, and the renovations completed in 2022 have made the space usable in new ways. The elevator makes the sanctuary fully accessible. The new central entrance opens directly into the main floor. The secured children's wing gives parents confidence during the Education Hour. A Facilities team maintains the building and grounds, and a Landscaping team keeps the property in shape for the neighborhood.
From the front steps of the Casa Conti, the same streets of Glenside that brought worshippers to the Hotel Weldon in the nineteenth century still run. What has changed is what happens inside. Where once travelers ate and slept, a church that began in a 1970s living room now holds two Sunday services, an Education Hour, a long week of teaching for men and women, an active children's and youth ministry, three weekly food distributions, a thriving nursery school, English classes for the neighborhood, a prayer ministry that gathers before the sun is up, and a missions program that reaches across ten countries. The Casa Conti has been a place of welcome for a long time. New Life Presbyterian Church has found its own way to keep it that way.