Young people who have become or are becoming pastors from New Life Evangelical Lutheran Church include Pastor Joshua Ferris; seminarian Sammy Kelly; and senior seminarian Justin Lingenfelter.

They played a major role in the Homecoming 25th anniversary celebration at New Life on Sept. 18.

Music for the program was led by the BandBand.

In 1989, Pastor Robert Machamer arrived to look for a location for a new Lutheran church in Northeast Pennsylvania that had a potential for growth.

He chose the area encompassing the Northwestern Lehigh School District.

The first service of the new church was held in Machamer’s living room in January 1990.

Services were later moved to the Seventh Day Adventist Church along Route 309, New Tripoli. A year later, the church was formally organized within the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America.

After four years of meeting at Northwestern Lehigh Middle School, the church building on Weiss Road, New Tripoli, was dedicated.

At a National Gathering in Philadelphia each person was given a piece of glass as they entered and placed it on one of the stained glass windows topped with a cross.

The three windows donated to New Life provide a connection to the larger church, said Pastor Scott Lingenfelter, during the anniversary celebration.

By September 1998, a 40-foot tall cross was added to the front of the church.

But things change and, in 2002, Machamer went to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Fleetwood.

A year later, Pastor Lingenfelter came to New Life.

“I remember riding with Pastor Machamer with music blaring and ice cream in hand when we moved into this building,” Ferris recalled. “The opportunities seemed limitless.

“We even got a decent sound system so we could hear the services.

“Pastor Bob made things fun. The people here loved and cared for each other. People came for the love of Jesus.

“Those were the good old days but Pastor Bob was leaving. It felt like the end of an era.”

Justin Lingenfelter then addressed the congregation.

“New Life hit its stride in 2003,” Justin Lingenfelter said. “The church no longer met the needs of the community.

“Our high school class felt like vagabonds.

“So we grew into a new adventure. We set out to expand with after-school activities.

“This expansion and growth was growing beyond a staffing problem.’

Services expanded to Wednesday evenings. Youth and young adult meetings extended God’s love.

The church began sending teams to rebuild in New Jersey following two hurricanes. A small mission was begun in Panama where Bob Moyer is building a water treatment system. There were chili cookoffs and other fundraisers.

Community-wide services included night and daytime Bible study, a choir and handbell choir were formed, a new band, “Jamming for Jesus” was begun, and a pastoral assistant was hired, Lingenfelter said.

The church has seen a member become a pastor and two others are seminarians heading in the same direction.

“What is it that we came to celebrate?” Ferris asked,

“We celebrate these 25 years at New life,” Lingenfelter replied,

Kelly then spoke to those gathered.

“We got it right,” Kelly said. “God continually forgives us. We built this church upon a rock so we could help the community.

“We welcome everyone who comes through the door. We can’t wait to see what happens in the next 25 years.

“We are astonished at what Jesus does and continues to do.”

The house built upon a rock was the theme for the children’s message.

Following the service, Fred Hand spoke with The Press.

He said most work at the church is done by volunteers but when money is needed a fundraiser is scheduled.

Melinda Lingenfelter said we want to dream dreams.

“We want you to dream and write them and put them in the basket,” she said. “We had an amazing 25 years and there is so much more to come.