Friends are people with whom we share beliefs and experiences. Friends are individuals who support us and challenge us. Friends lift us up when we're down and even us off when our emotions run too high.

A friendly place, New Life Assembly of God is looking to make some new friends.

"If you have a product that's good, you want people to know about it," said Ron Bradley, New Life's lead pastor. "If you have something worth having, you want people to know. We love Jesus. The residents of Lancaster County are our neighbors, and we want them to be our friends. If we can help people to know Jesus, we want to. That's the driver for Friend Sunday."

Located at 1991 Old Philadelphia Pike, Lancaster, New Life Assembly of God will host its inaugural Friend Sunday on March 23. The informal service will begin at 10 a.m., and an open house featuring tours of the church and New Life's campus will start at 11:30 a.m.

The community outreach event, which encourages visitors to meet the people behind New Life's mission, is free to attend, and everyone is welcome. Light refreshments will be made available.

The service will also be livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel, which can be found by searching for "New Life Church, Lancaster PA."

"It was something in our hearts, and we decided to do it," said Bradley. "It's for all ages and for everyone who wants to participate. It probably won't be the last one."

"We believe we have a great message, which is the same as Jesus'," continued Bradley. "We want people to experience the love of God. We really believe something good is happening here at New Life, and we want people to know about it."

"People are more likely to come to a church when they're invited by a friend," said Jon Watson, New Life's young adult pastor. "We want to empower the people who come to church, so invite a friend."

As part of the festivities on Friend Sunday, New Life will make the pastors of its men's ministry, women's ministry, young adult ministry, youth ministry, children's ministry, adults special needs ministry, adult Sunday school, Widows Together ministry and Forever Young (age 55 and up) ministry available to meet and interact with visitors.

"We want to highlight all the ministries, and all the ministry leaders will be there," said Bradley. "For us, each ministry is designed to touch people at various stages of life and needs. We want people to know who we are and what we have available."

"We love Jesus," said Julie Capaldi, New Life's children's pastor. "We love people, and we want them to meet."

New Life Assembly of God sponsors a variety of community-related events and opportunities throughout the year, including a vacation Bible school in the summer and Operation Christmas Child in November, as well as a number of outdoor activities.

"Our church is pretty joyful," said Bradley. "New Life church is a place where people are welcome to know the Lord and worship the Lord with us. It's reflective of the kindness of God and the community. Jesus teaches us and guides us. There are no obligations. There are no fees."

Established in 1983, the 11-acre New Life Assembly of God campus consists of the main church building adorned by a large dove representing the Holy Spirit on its exterior, two parsonages, a two-story office building and a storage garage. New Life is home to more than 200 faithful worshipers.

"Over the years, New Life has stayed true to its convictions and the initial mission of the church," said Bradley. "For the most part, New Life is healthy and strong. But there's always room for growth and maturing. I find the people to be very genuine and welcoming. When people step into New Life, it kind of looks like the world. It's really a neat place to be."

For additional information, go to https://newlifelancaster.org.