Sunday Mornings on Chandler Road
New England Bible Church gathers at 60 Chandler Road in Andover, and the Sunday service is the heart of the week. Worship begins at 10:00 AM with a mix of traditional and contemporary music. The congregation sings time-tested hymns alongside newer songs from writers such as the Gettys, Matt Boswell, Matt Papa, CityAlight, and Sovereign Music. A worship team of more than 25 vocalists, instrumentalists, and A/V techs supports the service, and the church has invested in a digital sound board, updated microphones, amplifiers and speakers, and a baby grand piano.
Most sermons are exegetical, which means the pastor walks straight through a passage of Scripture and explains what it says. Senior Pastor Tyler Thompson preaches in a steady, expository style and often works through whole books of the Bible one chapter at a time. Children from birth through second grade have their own programs during the sermon; older children are welcome to remain in the sanctuary with their parents. Dress is casual, and visitors are greeted as they come up the walk. The service is also livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel, and recordings of past message series are posted there as well.
Sunday School for Every Age, September Through May
Before the worship service, NEBC holds Sunday School for all ages at 9:00 AM from September through May. Four classes serve children from age four through sixth grade: preschoolers, kindergarten through second grade, third and fourth grade, and fifth and sixth grade. Adult classes run at the same hour. The Sunday morning hour gives the whole family a reason to arrive early and gives newcomers a smaller setting in which to meet people before the main service.
Children from Nursery Through Sixth Grade
Children's ministry at NEBC is run by volunteers who have all passed background checks and follow the church's "Safe Place" guidelines. Parents register their children once for all of the church's children's programs through a Church Center form.
During the 10:00 AM service, nursery care is offered for infants and toddlers through age three in a separate room. Children's Church gathers preschoolers and children in kindergarten through third grade; they begin the service with the adults and are dismissed before the sermon, then split into age-appropriate classes.
On Friday evenings from September through May, NEBC hosts Awana, a weekly club for children age three through sixth grade that builds Bible memory, teaching, and devotional habits through games, music, and small-group time. The program uses the standard Awana curriculum: Cubbies for preschoolers ages three and four, Sparks for kindergarten through second grade, and Truth & Training for grades three through six. A newer Trek track serves seventh and eighth graders. A summer Bible study for children and teens ages five through eighteen adds another season of Scripture memory and fellowship.
Junior and Senior High Students
NEBC's Student Ministries serve grades seven through twelve. The goal, as the church describes it, is to encourage students to become true disciples of Christ, growing closer to God and helping others do the same. The Sunday youth group meets from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM at the church, immediately following the worship service. Students also take part in special events, service opportunities, and the 9:00 AM Sunday School hour. Matt Mezzetti oversees the youth ministry.
Women, Men, and Young Adults
Three adult fellowship tracks run alongside Sunday worship.
Women's Ministry. Women meet regularly for Bible study at the church. Tuesday mornings walk through a John MacArthur study. Tuesday evenings gather once a month around a Kelly Minter study. Thursday mornings study prayer. Sonshiners is a fellowship for women 55 and older with outings, ministry opportunities, and seasonal gatherings, led by Audrey Orrell. The Lift Ministry builds up and encourages others within the church family and the local community. Women's ministry contacts include Claire Fagan for the Tuesday morning study and Lift Ministry, Leslie Thompson for the Tuesday evening study, and Cindy Saab for the Thursday morning study.
Men's Ministry. A Wednesday morning men's Bible study meets at the church at 8:00 AM, beginning in late September. The ministry focuses on prayer, discipleship, solid biblical study, service, accountability, and the pursuit of excellence, anchored in Proverbs 27:17: "As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend." Pastor Tyler Thompson oversees the ministry, and the group also hosts an annual Man Camp.
Young Adults. A Bible study for young adults ages 18 to 30 meets on Tuesday evenings from 7:00 to 9:00 PM at the church.
Small Groups Across the Merrimack Valley
Small Groups are described in Hebrews 10:24 as a way to "spur one another on toward love and good deeds," and NEBC runs two kinds. Bible Studies meet at the church and cover topics for men, women, and families. Home Groups bring couples or individuals together in someone's living room for ongoing study, prayer, and life together. Small groups meet in homes across the Merrimack Valley. Anyone interested in joining, hosting, or leading a group can contact the church office.
Learning English at NEBC
NEBC offers free English Language Learners (ELL) classes during the school year, formerly known as ESL. The program runs on Wednesday and Friday mornings from 9:30 AM to 12: noon, September through May. Students from more than a dozen countries attend at beginner through high-advanced levels, working on vocabulary, speaking, listening, writing, and grammar while learning about American culture. Jennifer Cram directs the program. In-person registration is held at the church on the Thursday and Friday before classes begin each September.
A Long Partnership in Guatemala and a Church Plant in Chester
NEBC has partnered with AMG International for several years to support a local church and school in Matochos, Guatemala. The work focuses on training church leaders and providing physical support to the church, school, future pastoral training center, and Camp Canaan children's camp. Teams of adults and teens from NEBC have made multiple trips, building relationships and working on building projects. Many NEBC members also sponsor children in Matochos, providing a Christ-centered education, school supplies, and food.
In September 2021, NEBC began holding services in Chester, New Hampshire, as a church plant. The work, now known as Christ Covenant Church, met at Stevens Memorial Hall on Chester Street and became an independent congregation while continuing to work alongside NEBC for the sake of the gospel.
What NEBC Believes
NEBC's Statement of Faith centers on the Bible as the inspired, inerrant Word of God and the final authority for faith and life. The church affirms one God in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - the virgin birth and full deity of Jesus Christ, the fall of humanity into sin, the substitutionary death and bodily resurrection of Christ, his present ministry of intercession in heaven, and the personal return of Jesus. NEBC teaches that all who receive Christ by faith are born again, that believers have eternal life and shall never perish, and that there will be a bodily resurrection of both the just and the unjust, leading to everlasting blessedness for the saved and everlasting punishment for the lost. The full statement is available on the church's Statement of Faith page.
Elders, Deacons, and Staff
Tyler Thompson serves as Senior Pastor. He grew up at NEBC; his father, Chip Thompson, started the church in the Merrimack Valley, and Tyler and his brother Andrew were present at the first service in 1982. Tyler graduated from Cedarville University in Ohio, returned to New Hampshire to teach and coach in local schools, and spent eight years as NEBC's Youth Pastor before taking the senior role. He and his wife Leslie have four children. Laurie Gerry serves as the church secretary and can be reached at secretary@nebible.org.
The current leadership team includes four elders: Jeff Barraclough, Shawn Rather, Chuck Ripley, and Pastor Tyler Thompson. Six deacons serve the congregation: Jonathan Alvarado, Jeff Parsons, Larry Thomes, Jim Wood, and David Woodworth. Chris Monterio serves as General Treasurer, with Ed Platz as Assistant Treasurer. Office hours are Tuesday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
Services are held Sundays at 10:00 AM at 60 Chandler Road, Andover, and are livestreamed on YouTube. Giving is available online.