Four Decades on Gaskins Way
New Covenant Fellowship traces its roots to November 1984, when Bob Yarbrough and Robin Bayles launched a non-denominational, charismatic fellowship in Manassas, Virginia. Theirs was a simple governing rule: "We only do what God is telling us to do." More than forty years later, that founding conviction still runs through every part of the church, from the structure of leadership to the way services are shaped week by week.
The congregation is now located at 10687 Gaskins Way, Suite 102 in Manassas, after moving from its earlier Phoenix Drive address. New Covenant Fellowship describes itself as a New Testament church with an emphasis on Biblical teaching, praise and worship, and communion. Its stated motto is, "As a people of His presence, we are committed to intimacy with God, with one another, and extending the Kingdom of God in the Earth."
The Heartbeat of a Sunday Morning
The rhythm of a Sunday at New Covenant Fellowship is unhurried. Doors open at 9:30 AM for coffee, donuts, and fellowship, with the main service beginning at 10:00 AM. Each gathering shares certain common elements - opening worship, the preaching of the Word, and a weekly observance of Communion - but the order and emphasis shift week to week as the pastors and worship leaders remain sensitive to the direction of the Holy Spirit. The church considers Communion to be the central act of worship in the service and observes it every Sunday, sharing bread and cup as a remembrance of Jesus' suffering and death and a visible sign of the unity of the Body of Christ.
Visitors arriving for the first time are welcomed into a warm, inviting space, given room to meet people, and invited to receive prayer. Sunday services are also livestreamed on YouTube for those unable to attend in person, and a sermon library collects past messages.
What They Teach
New Covenant Fellowship holds to a written Statement of Faith that traces doctrine through Old and New Testament Scripture. The confession begins with a God who created humanity in his likeness, the fall into sin, and the full salvation accomplished through the perfect life, vicarious death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God's Son. Forgiveness is offered to all who confess and forsake their sin, and those who receive God's grace by faith are regenerated by the Holy Spirit and baptized into the Body of Christ.
All Scripture, both Old and New Testaments, is held to be inspired by God and without error, the foundational witness to the things of God. The Second Coming of Christ is taught as a promised future, and the congregation is commanded to witness to the whole world until he comes. Pastors and elders are recognized as ordained of God to lead the people of God under the Lordship of Christ.
Baptism is practiced by immersion as a symbolic act of obedience following a disciple's salvation, an outward sign of death to the old life and resurrection to new life in Christ. There is no set age requirement, but the person must be old enough to understand their public declaration of faith. Infants are not baptized; instead, they are dedicated to the Lord in a corporate act where the whole church blesses the child, pledges to pray for them, and accepts responsibility to help raise them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
The Principles Behind the Practice
Seven operating principles shape the life of the congregation. Worship is honored in all that is said or done. Grace and Mercy are chosen over legalism. Unity binds believers together through the one Holy Spirit. Trusting God for Our Needs is the call to step out in faith, as Abraham did with Isaac. The Priesthood of Believers affirms that each person is endowed with gifts for ministry. Plurality of Leadership grounds the church in a New Testament model of co-equal pastors and elders accountable to one another and under the headship of Christ. Servanthood rounds out the list, recalling Jesus' words that whoever wishes to be first must be the servant of all.
A Co-Pastor Model of Leadership
Rather than a single senior pastor, New Covenant Fellowship is shepherded by three Co-Pastors and Elders who share the responsibilities of preaching, teaching, and ministry to the congregation. They are joined by an active support team that oversees children's ministry, women's ministry, missions, the arts fellowship, the prayer and prophetic teams, and the technical production of services. Pastoral contact, along with facility scheduling and prayer requests, flows through the church office.
Children at the Center of the Service
The Children's Ministry believes that children should be allowed to be children while also learning of the love of Christ and who God has hand-crafted them to be. Each Sunday morning during the preaching portion of the service, the children are invited into a structured program with trained adult leaders. Storytelling and crafts carry the lessons, with the goal of leading children into an intimate, loving, and personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The environment is described as a time of fun, structured play, and Bible learning in a safe place.
Families interested in serving as volunteers can connect with the children's ministry through the church office. Parents keep their children with them during worship and Communion, then release them to the program when the sermon portion of the service begins.
Praise and Worship, Acoustic to Electric
Music is a defining mark of New Covenant Fellowship. The worship team leads the congregation every Sunday morning in a mix of acoustic and electric instrumentation, with a broad palette of voices and instruments. New musicians with the gifts and the heart are regularly invited to step in and serve. Behind the scenes, a tech team supports both the worship team and the pastors; volunteers with a knack for sound, slides, or other behind-the-scenes work are welcomed into that effort as well.
Women Warriors
The Women's Ministry describes its members as "Women Warriors," women with complementary gifts who come together in real, authentic, and transparent community. The vision is to mobilize that community to influence and draw others to the Kingdom of God through families, homes, communities, workplaces, schools, cities, and the nation. The ministry hosts catered breakfasts at the church where women gather to hear the Lord through His Word, through the prophetic, through one another, and through worship.
The Christian Artists Fellowship
Among the more distinctive ministries of the church is the Christian Artists Fellowship, a community of artists working across a wide range of disciplines - music, literature, design, photography, dance, pottery, painting, acting, architecture, textiles, illustration, voice, and calligraphy - who meet monthly to share their faith and their art. Members come from many denominations, gathering to celebrate God's love and creativity, encourage one another, and respond to God's call upon their lives.
The fellowship sponsors an annual Christmas Card Workshop on the first Sunday in November, when families and individuals make hand-decorated cards for active-duty military servicemen and women and for incarcerated prisoners. Blank cards, envelopes, and art supplies are provided. In past years, the workshop has drawn responses from grateful recipients, including an Air Force unit in Afghanistan that dedicated a flight mission to the effort and sent back an American flag and a commemorative certificate, both of which now hang in the hallway at the church.
Mothers of Offenders
Mothers of Offenders, known as MOOs, is a support network for moms whose sons or daughters have been arrested. The group meets roughly once a month, with additional gatherings when a mom is in extra need. The meetings are informal, confidential, and free of judgment; no preaching or legal advice is given, but listening ears and a compassionate presence are. SMOOs, or Supporters of MOOs, pray for and encourage the group. The ministry is open to any mom going through this pain, whether or not she is part of New Covenant Fellowship, with the understanding that only SMOOs can attend meetings by invitation. The group gathers around the words of Isaiah 66:13a, "As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you."
The Missions Care Team
Since its earliest days in 1986, New Covenant Fellowship has set aside 10 percent of all general fund giving for missions support. The Missions Care Team channels that support to a dozen ministries and missionaries locally, nationally, and worldwide, including workers in Israel, Asia, Scotland, India, Slovakia, Germany, and Latvia, as well as U.S.-based ministries such as Life First, Whitehorse Ministries, and Glad World. November is set aside as Missions Emphasis Month, with special focus on the missionaries and partners that the church supports.
Intercessory Prayer and the Prophetic
Prayer is woven through the life of the church. Anyone can submit a prayer request online, where it goes directly to a listserv of intercessory prayer warriors. Requests can also be shared with a pastor directly or through the church office. The prayer team enjoys praying and rejoicing over answered prayers.
The Prophetic Ministry provides an opportunity for individuals and couples to hear what the Lord has to say for them, assisted by a trained team of ministers who have completed a 26-week training program through Christian International Ministries Network. Personal ministry sessions are scheduled in advance through the church office, typically on a Thursday evening or, more commonly, on a Sunday immediately following the service. A separate Prophetic Prayer Ministry is also available by appointment on Thursday nights, with 20-minute slots at 7:30 or 7:50 for individuals and married couples who want prayer.
Visiting New Covenant Fellowship
Sunday mornings begin at 9:30 AM with coffee, donuts, and fellowship, followed by the 10:00 AM worship service. The church gathers at 10687 Gaskins Way, Suite 102 in Manassas, Virginia. Services are livestreamed on YouTube for those watching from a distance, and an online sermon library keeps past messages within reach. Online giving is available, and prayer requests can be submitted through the prayer page. The church office can be reached at 703-361-0890.