WHEREAS, in 2015, New Life in Christ Church celebrates 40 years of spiritual leadership, joyful worship, and generous outreach to the Fredericksburg community; and

WHEREAS, New Life in Christ Church was founded in 1975 when a group of Christians from different denominations joined together to express their love of Jesus Christ; Douglas Kittredge was named as the first pastor; and

WHEREAS, originally, the congregation of New Life in Christ Church met in one another's homes and borrowed meeting spaces such as school rooms or a local barn; the church offered its first communion service in a television studio in August 1975; and

WHEREAS, with the help and resourcefulness of members of the congregation, New Life in Christ Church carried out renovations on an old warehouse and held its first services in the building in 1978; the church also began to establish several ministries to better serve the growing congregation and the community; and

WHEREAS, in the early 1980s, New Life in Christ Church supported and worked with other local organizations to spread faith and fellowship, helped establish New Life Community Church in Stafford, and initiated mission trips to Mexico; and

WHEREAS, in 1985, New Life in Christ Church purchased land for a new building in Spotsylvania County; the church began a capital campaign that raised more than $400,000, and the generosity of congregants and community members facilitated the completion of the building in 1988; and

WHEREAS, New Life in Christ Church expanded its mission program to include trips to Austria, France, Japan, and the Philippines, and the church's wide variety of ministries continued to thrive, with education as a priority; Sunday school attendance for both adults and children increased, and the church began a partnership with the elementary program of Fredericksburg Christian School; and

WHEREAS, in 1998, New Life in Christ Church became affiliated with the James River Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in America, and it has worked to build a network of sister churches throughout the United States and the world; since 2002, New Life in Christ Church has also served as an extension campus for New Geneva Theological Seminary; and

WHEREAS, in 2005, Sean Whitenack joined New Life in Christ Church as associate pastor; since then he has helped the church succeed in its mission to inspire a new generation of faith leaders and spread the news of Jesus Christ; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That New Life in Christ Church hereby be commended on the occasion of its 40th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Douglas Kittredge, senior pastor of New Life in Christ Church, as an expression of the House of Delegates' admiration for the church's contributions to the faith community in Fredericksburg.