Leadership That Lasts

Pastor Rick has faithfully led our church family as the Senior Pastor since its founding in 2000 AD. For the last few years, he and the elders have been prayerfully considering what a healthy transition into retirement would look like.  He’s taken intentional steps to build a strong leadership team, release more responsibility, and prepare New Life Community Church for the next chapter.

In January 2026, we will begin a formal succession process for the Lead Pastor role as we look forward to NLCC continuing the work Pastor Rick started, making a kingdom impact for generations to come. This is a significant season in the life of our church — and we want to keep you informed along the way.
After prayerful consideration, the elders have selected Pastor Lucas Motley to become our next Lead Pastor. Pastor Lucas has served as our Discipleship Pastor for over ten years, impacting the spiritual life of our church through his Biblical Teaching and oversight of Hospitality, Assimilation, and Spiritual Formation.  We believe that Pastor Lucas is the right choice to lead the next chapter of New Life Community Church.
On this page, you’ll find a simplified outline and  updates from our leadership team about where we are in the process,
what’s happening behind the scenes, and how you can be praying and participating.
We’re committed to transparency, unity, and listening to God together as a church family.
Check back regularly for the latest updates.

FAQs

Why Transition Now?

We view the next generation of leaders as reinforcements, not replacements. It is very important to the leadership of New Life Community church that we are a congregation that lasts for generations. As Pastor Rick approaches retirement we want to make sure we have a smooth transition plan, not a sudden one. We believe this plan is not rushed nor is it too long.

FAQs

What will Pastor Rick be doing differently?

Pastor Rick's role will remain largely unchanged in terms of what the congregation experiences until the final steps. Pastor Rick will still be ministering to people and teaching on Sunday morning. During the early stages he will be apprenticing Pastor Lucas: trusting him with more of the leadership of the staff, vision and planning, and other behind the scenes roles. The congregation will mostly notice a slow transition from Pastor Rick being the primary teacher on Sunday morning to Pastor Lucas and the other teachers on the teaching team.

FAQs

Who do I speak with if I have questions?

You can stay tuned to this page for updates, or if you have specific questions you are free to ask any of the elders.  This includes Pastors Rick, Kevin, and Lucas. You can contact them by visiting our Leadership Team.

FAQs

Why Pastor Lucas?

The elders spent time in prayer and consideration asking the Holy Spirit, "Who will lead the next phase?" They came back with the answer that Pastor Lucas was the best person to lead us in the next chapter. Pastor Lucas and his family have served faithfully for over ten years. He has the right foundation of our values and we are confident he can continue the mission and vision of New Life; carrying our culture forward with new and fresh strategies.

FAQs

What will Pastor Lucas be doing?

Pastor Lucas will spend the first two years securing and shoring up the foundations of discipleship ministry. We will be looking to hire staff members to help him transition out of his role and he will be helping the new staff learn our culture and vision. After that he will join the executive team in a role that is a temporary transition role. Here he will take on more responsibilities behind the scenes and teach more on Sunday mornings. His final destination as the Lead Pastor will be similar to Pastor Rick's current role will slight variations. Pastor Rick is irreplaceable so there will be subtle differences in leadership styles.

FAQs

What is going to change at  New Life?

Our mission and values will remain the same. New Life Community Church exists to Love God and Love People. We want to teach people to have a personal relationship with God and to love others by spreading the Gospel. NLCC continues to grow as a church so we will experience the normal changes with growth. Staff might change and our methodology will adapt to the growing needs of our congregation, but overall our mission and commitment to teaching the whole word of God will not change.

FAQs

When will the transition be complete?

Pastor Lucas will take the lead on most things in 2030 with Pastor Rick continuing as the Founding Pastor to help advise and guide Pastor Lucas. In a relay race this is the moment when the new runner is taking the baton and the previous runner is running with them handing it off. That will officially be done late in 2032. At that time Pastor Rick may continue on staff in a new role or move on to a different chapter in his own life. 

Joining in the Next Chapter of Our Story

As we walk this season of leadership transition together, here’s how every member of New Life can play a part — helping build a church that lasts for generations.

PRAY: Lift up our church family.

Pray for God's wisdom and clarity for our elders and Pastor Lucas as they lead. Ask God to guide decisions and protect unity in our church family.
Pray for Pastor Rick and his family - give thanks for his faithful years of service and ask God's blessings on his next session.
Pray for hearts open to God's plan: that we would embrace this transition with hope, faith, and trust in God's leading.
Pray for spiritual health and protection for our congregation - that fear, division, or uncertainty would not disrupt the mission God has for us.

SERVE: Be a part of our mission and ministry.

Volunteer in ministries where help is needed. Although the staff is in transition, the mission remains the same. Your service will play a vital role in helping the church thrive currently, in transition, and under new leadership.
Be flexible, gracious, and supportive as we adapt - transitions can involve changes in rhythm, teaching schedule, and staff responsibilities. Serving with love and patience makes a big difference.
Follow this link to find out more about serving at New Life.

GIVE: Invest in our future and long-term vision.

We want to view giving as not only helping to meet current needs, but as sowing for the next generation - helping to build a "legacy church" that will serve families and communities for decades to come. Consider giving (regularly or one-time) as part of investing in our church’s future: supporting new staff hires, ministry expansion, community outreach, and the ongoing work of the Gospel.
We want New Life Community Church to impact our children and grandchildren. To do that we need to invest financially to make sure our church is covering operating, paying down debt, and saving for the future. 

STAY ENGAGED & STAY INFORMED

Keep checking this “Leadership That Lasts” page for updates from elders and staff — we’ll post progress, next steps, and ways you can be involved. Feel free to reach out (via the contact info listed) if you have questions or want to talk with an elder or a staff member. Your voice and input are valued. We believe that God is writing the next chapter of New Life together — and that includes you. As we move forward, may we walk in unity, serve with love, give with generous hearts, and trust God’s leading for a bright and lasting future.