"This is the first normal year (my wife, Sofie, and I have been pastoring New Life Church)," said Chris Smucker, who is now pastor of New Life, which meets at 10 a.m. on Sundays in the Cavod Theatre, 641 W. Main St., New Holland. Chris became pastor of the church in January of 2020, but with COVID-19 restrictions interrupting regular life, the pastor is only now feeling a normalcy in the position. New Life is part of Dove International.

Dave Dienner had served as pastor for many years prior to the transition to Chris and Sofie. Dave's wife, Connie, noted that by spring of 2018, the Dienners were looking for a younger couple to take over the ministry. "(The church) was growing, and we felt God saying it was time to pass the baton," said Connie. "Dave's favorite verse is 'One generation shall praise His works to another' from Psalm 145:4," she said. "(Dave's) heart was to raise up the next generation."

Chris, who grew up in Churchtown, first met Dave and Connie more than 20 years ago when they were youth pastors at a church he attended. Chris met Sofie when she came to the U.S. from Belgium around 2000 and both of them attended a ministry training program being held in the Pequea Valley area. At the end of the two-year training session, Chris and Sofie were married, and they went to Cape Town, South Africa, to be part of a ministry there. When they returned in 2008, they began attending New Life and soon became part of the church leadership team.

When Connie, Dave, and the church elders formed a succession team, Chris and Sofie were part of the effort. "We asked if any of the elders felt the call (to be pastor)," said Connie, who noted that Chris and Sofie immediately said, "No," before coming back to say that they should pray about the decision. "God began to work in their hearts," said Connie, who noted that the church culture resembles a family. "We really wanted to find a pastor from within," she said.

In April 2019, Chris and Sofie began praying about the offer. "In June 2019, we really felt God was calling us," said Chris, who noted he initially refused because he felt his life was too busy. "Then I thought, 'It's not about what I think but about what the Lord is calling us to do.'"

"It was really a change of heart," added Sofie.

With the onset of COVID-19 restrictions, the church did not meet regularly. "Now that we are through that, we feel this is a time to set up for growth and start establishing for the future," said Chris.

"Our vision is to become more extroverted toward the community," said Sofie. "To create a culture of reaching out."

Chris agreed, saying, "Our goal is to connect people to Jesus and see them experience His power in their lives."

Every third Sunday, the church meets in homes for the purpose of cultivating family relationships in smaller groups. Readers who would like to know more may visit https://newlifechurchdove.com.