Leadership transition Updates
Check back for updates!
August 23rd, 2026
Dear New Life Family,
At our last meeting together, in early March, we shared the Board's plans for continuing to shepherd and guide NLCC as we transitioned into new leadership. At that meeting we shared that we had hired an outside consultant with strong skills in team dynamics, support and communication and that we had determined 4 key areas of focus for the board. Here are current updates about our progress in these 4 topics:
At our last meeting together, in early March, we shared the Board's plans for continuing to shepherd and guide NLCC as we transitioned into new leadership. At that meeting we shared that we had hired an outside consultant with strong skills in team dynamics, support and communication and that we had determined 4 key areas of focus for the board. Here are current updates about our progress in these 4 topics:
Assess and Improve Staff Structure and Function
With assistance from our consultant, we evaluated staff structure and team functioning. This included listening conversations, assessing responsibilities, and identifying areas where additional clarity and support were needed. In response to these assessments/findings, adjustments have been made to better support and care for our staff. (ex. additional work hours provided, modification of renumeration, relocation of office spaces, encouraged dreaming and goal setting, etc.)
Clarify Board Roles, Responsibilities, and Bylaws
The Board participated in a 1-day board retreat, facilitated by our consultant, which included intententional time clarifying the role of the Board and reviewing it's function as a governing body and developing a greater focus on oversight and governance as opposed to day-to-day management. Staff have been empowered to lead the day-to-day ministry while the Board provides direction, governance, accountability and support.
We continue to work on reviewing our bylaws and governance practices to ensure they support NLCC with greater accountability, clarity, and function. While initial work has begun, this work will continue as we welcome a new lead pastor and work collaboratively on further review and finalization.
We continue to work on reviewing our bylaws and governance practices to ensure they support NLCC with greater accountability, clarity, and function. While initial work has begun, this work will continue as we welcome a new lead pastor and work collaboratively on further review and finalization.
Strengthen Board, Staff, and Congregational Communication and Collaboration
Some ways that we have worked on this include:
- Regular communication between board and staff via emails, meetings, and ongoing support provided via our consultant
- Congregational update meetings hosted occasionally after church and information sent out via email to congregation after.
- Established board@nl-cc.org email address for staff and congregation to communicate with entire board.
- Email updates sent approximately monthly with updates on progress/process and posted historically to church website where they remain available for review by congregants as desired.
Complete a Lead Pastor Search Process
During this transition phase for NLCC the board felt that it was important to do a complete, thorough, prayerful and thought out process as we sought God's wisdom, direction, and guidance for the next leader of NLCC. We desired to make space to listen to what God had for our church, and to take time to thoughtfully and prayerfully review qualified applicants in order to ensure we were listening to God's voice rather than man's.
Choosing our next lead pastor was one of the most important decisions our church has faced, and the Board wanted to honor that weight with a process marked by prayer, patience, and care. From nights of prayer seeking God's direction, to a board retreat clarifying what our church needed in a leader, to an independent consultant screening applicants, to a search committee of both board members and congregants reviewing candidates and conducting interviews, this process included many voices, many layers of review, and many opportunities for discernment along the way. Out of dozens of applicants, the process narrowed to a handful of strong candidates before the Board unanimously reached its decision, confident that this outcome reflects not one person's judgment, but the shared wisdom and prayerful discernment of many.
After this very thorough and careful process, we are excited to announce that Ryan Klement has accepted the call and invitation to be the next lead pastor of NLCC!
Thank you so much for all of your communication, prayers, and support during this time of transition for our church family. We look forward with great hope, excitement, and anticipation for all God has in store for our community to come.
With love and gratitude,
Your New Life Board
After this very thorough and careful process, we are excited to announce that Ryan Klement has accepted the call and invitation to be the next lead pastor of NLCC!
Thank you so much for all of your communication, prayers, and support during this time of transition for our church family. We look forward with great hope, excitement, and anticipation for all God has in store for our community to come.
With love and gratitude,
Your New Life Board
June 29th, 2026
Dear New Life Family,
We wanted to share another brief update on the Lead Pastor search process.
We wanted to share another brief update on the Lead Pastor search process.
Since the position was posted, we have received applications from a number of qualified candidates. After an initial review and screening process, five candidates have been invited to participate in interviews with the Search Team this week.
The Search Team consists of one Board member and four members of the congregation. Their role is to prayerfully interview candidates and provide observations and feedback to the Board as part of the overall discernment process. Following the interviews, the Board will spend the month of July reviewing feedback, continuing its discernment, and determining next steps in the search.
We are grateful for the thoughtful way this process has unfolded and for the many people who have invested their time, prayer, and discernment along the way. Please continue to pray for wisdom, unity, and clarity for the Search Team, the Board, and each of the candidates as we seek God’s leading together.
Our next update to the congregation will be shared no sooner than mid-August as the Board continues this important work. As a reminder, any questions regarding the search process should continue to be directed to the Board. Thank you for your continued prayers, encouragement, and support during this season at New Life.
With gratitude,
The NLCC Governing Board
May 28th, 2026
Dear New Life Family,
We wanted to share another brief update regarding the Lead Pastor search process. The Lead Pastor position has now been posted, and we have begun receiving resumes. Karissa Harrison, who is serving as a consultant alongside the Board during this transitional season, is helping facilitate the early stages of the process, including initial screening conversations with candidates.
The Search Team has now been formed and consists of one Board member and four members of the congregation. The team will begin reviewing resumes together during the first week of June and plans to begin interviews with selected candidates during the last week of June. From there, the Search Team will recommend candidates to the Board for further consideration.
We are grateful for the thoughtful and prayerful way this process is unfolding, and we ask for your prayers for wisdom, discernment, unity, and clarity for everyone involved.
As a reminder, any questions regarding the search process should continue to be directed to the Board.
Thank you again for your continued care, prayer, and support during this season at New Life.
With gratitude,
The NLCC Governing Board
May 8th, 2026
Dear New Life Family,
We wanted to share a brief update as we continue moving forward together through this season of transition.
Over the next week or two, the Lead Pastor position will be posted publicly. While many of the details of the search process were shared in our recent update, we wanted to communicate this particular update to you ahead of the posting.
We also wanted to let you know that the Search Team will be meeting later this month as they begin receiving resumes from internal and external candidates.
We are grateful for the thoughtful work that has already gone into preparing for this process, and we remain hopeful about what God has ahead for New Life. Please continue praying for wisdom, discernment, and unity as we move forward.
Thank you for your continued faithfulness, patience, and care for one another during this season.
With gratitude,
NLCC Board
April 28th, 2026
Dear New Life Community Church,
Thank you for your prayers, support, feedback, recommendations, and patience in our transition process. We have been experiencing significant growth, healing, repair, and progress in these last 7 weeks since our previous update. The Board is encouraged by the progress we are making on the plan we shared in March. While this deep work takes time, we are making significant adjustments toward greater health, clarity, and alignment for both our staff and our church as a whole. God is truly doing a good work in and through our church in this season.
Here are the updates in our four key areas of focus (click on each heading to expand and read the update):
Assessing and Improving Staff Structure and Function
We have been working closely with our consultant to evaluate our staff structure and how we function together as a team. This has included listening conversations, assessing responsibilities, and identifying areas where clarity and support are needed. We have already made several adjustments to better support and care for our staff. We will continue this effort moving forward.
Clarifying Board Role, Responsibilities, and Bylaws
Through our recent Board retreat, we spent intentional time clarifying the role of the Board and how we function best as a governing body. One of the key areas of progress has been identifying the difference between governance and day-to-day management. As a result, we are working toward a healthier structure where staff are empowered to lead the day-to-day ministry, while the Board focuses on direction, governance, accountability and support.
In the coming months, we will continue this effort by reviewing our bylaws and governance practices to ensure they support our church with greater clarity, accountability and function. We are aligned as we move forward, and we are encouraged by the clarity that has come from this work.
In the coming months, we will continue this effort by reviewing our bylaws and governance practices to ensure they support our church with greater clarity, accountability and function. We are aligned as we move forward, and we are encouraged by the clarity that has come from this work.
Completing a Lead Pastor Search Process
We have made meaningful progress in preparing for the Lead Pastor search process. At our recent retreat, we clarified the kind of leader we are looking for and what will guide our search. We are now forming a Search Team to help review and interview candidates. They will make recommendations to the Board, who will make the final decision.
We expect to begin actively receiving candidates next month and will continue to keep the church informed and updated as the process moves forward.
We expect to begin actively receiving candidates next month and will continue to keep the church informed and updated as the process moves forward.
Strengthening Board, Staff, and Congregational Communication and Collaboration
Communication has been strengthened in meaningful ways between the Board and staff in this season. Regular emails, meetings, and ongoing support from our consultant and Pastor Ryan have helped bring greater clarity and alignment across our leadership. We are committed to continuing to grow in this area and hope these updates help you to feel more connected and up to date as well.
Finally, last month we let you know that we asked Pastor Ryan to step into an expanded role, providing day-to-day leadership and care for our staff and congregation during this season. He continues to work closely with the Board and our consultant, and we are grateful for his steady leadership and the way he is caring for both our staff and church community.
In the coming months, we look forward to the continued progress on the Lead Pastor Search Team, candidate review, our one-day retreat with the staff team, and our work reviewing and updating bylaws and governance practices.
We are encouraged by the direction we are moving and confident in the work taking place. We are also grateful for the goodness we are seeing in the life of our community: stories of faith, baptisms, new connections, and meaningful worship experiences all come to mind.
Thank you for praying with us in this season. Thank you for being the church.
The New Life Board
In the coming months, we look forward to the continued progress on the Lead Pastor Search Team, candidate review, our one-day retreat with the staff team, and our work reviewing and updating bylaws and governance practices.
We are encouraged by the direction we are moving and confident in the work taking place. We are also grateful for the goodness we are seeing in the life of our community: stories of faith, baptisms, new connections, and meaningful worship experiences all come to mind.
Thank you for praying with us in this season. Thank you for being the church.
The New Life Board
March 1st, 2026
Dear New Life Community Church,
The NLCC Board is so grateful for you and for your continued presence and participation at our church. We are grateful to God for his guidance and wisdom as we have navigated these last several months and for His continued provision of health and strength for NLCC. Thank you for your continued patience as we have been working through many things. We hope that today’s update will be helpful and add clarity, and we are excited to invite you to continue to partner with us as we seek God’s plans for the next season for our church.
As we began 2026 we knew it was a big year ahead. With the vacancy left by Pastor Juno, our church is in need of a new Lead Pastor. We do not want to hastily hire a replacement, rather we desire to take time to evaluate what we have learned through this recent experience and seek God’s wisdom and direction for next steps. In order to do this with excellence, we have engaged a consultant who is assisting us and our pastoral team as we complete a holistic assessment of the current state of our pastoral structure and the role requirements of a lead pastor.
While we, the Board, carry the responsibility to see this work through, we acknowledge that we are all in this together as one church community, one family, and that together we are praying for God’s work at NLCC. In the coming months we hope to invite you to join us for a few opportunities of focused prayer time as we seek God’s will for NLCC.
In the last couple months the Board has been working with our pastoral team and with our consultant, and together we have created a plan of action. Today we want to share this plan with you.
The NLCC Board is so grateful for you and for your continued presence and participation at our church. We are grateful to God for his guidance and wisdom as we have navigated these last several months and for His continued provision of health and strength for NLCC. Thank you for your continued patience as we have been working through many things. We hope that today’s update will be helpful and add clarity, and we are excited to invite you to continue to partner with us as we seek God’s plans for the next season for our church.
As we began 2026 we knew it was a big year ahead. With the vacancy left by Pastor Juno, our church is in need of a new Lead Pastor. We do not want to hastily hire a replacement, rather we desire to take time to evaluate what we have learned through this recent experience and seek God’s wisdom and direction for next steps. In order to do this with excellence, we have engaged a consultant who is assisting us and our pastoral team as we complete a holistic assessment of the current state of our pastoral structure and the role requirements of a lead pastor.
While we, the Board, carry the responsibility to see this work through, we acknowledge that we are all in this together as one church community, one family, and that together we are praying for God’s work at NLCC. In the coming months we hope to invite you to join us for a few opportunities of focused prayer time as we seek God’s will for NLCC.
In the last couple months the Board has been working with our pastoral team and with our consultant, and together we have created a plan of action. Today we want to share this plan with you.
Our plan includes 4 main components, and we anticipate taking the next several months to work on these. The key components are:
Assessing and Improving Staff Structure and Function
Clarifying Board Role, Responsibilities, and Bylaws
Completing a Lead Pastor Search Process
Strengthening Board, Staff, and Congregational Communication and Collaboration
During this transitional season, the Board has asked Pastor Ryan to take on an expanded role and to oversee the day-to-day operations of NLCC. We are grateful to share with you that he has agreed to lead and care for our Pastoral Staff, to meet with the Board regularly, and to keep the church running smoothly. He will continue to serve as our Associate Pastor, alongside this expanded role.
Over the last few months we have begun work on assessing and improving overall staff structure and function, clarifying board roles/responsibilities, and communication, and we are beginning conversations about what our Lead Pastor Search Process will entail. We believe it is in the best interest of NLCC to have a position posted publicly and to put top internal and external candidates through an intentional process in order to find God’s Leader for NLCC.
As a Board we continue to meet regularly, typically twice per month, in addition to working on items between meetings in our efforts to care for and support NLCC. We appreciate your prayers, support and feedback.
Over the last few months we have begun work on assessing and improving overall staff structure and function, clarifying board roles/responsibilities, and communication, and we are beginning conversations about what our Lead Pastor Search Process will entail. We believe it is in the best interest of NLCC to have a position posted publicly and to put top internal and external candidates through an intentional process in order to find God’s Leader for NLCC.
As a Board we continue to meet regularly, typically twice per month, in addition to working on items between meetings in our efforts to care for and support NLCC. We appreciate your prayers, support and feedback.
As always, you are welcome to email us your thoughts at board@nl-cc.org.
Blessings,
Your NLCC Board
Annie Petteys, Rachel Nguyen, Jim Keating, Raymond Kim, Steve Vernon, Wes Freitas