A Spirit-Filled Congregation in the Heart of Acres Homes
New Life Tabernacle sits on De Soto Street in the Acres Homes area of northwest Houston, a neighborhood the church has long served with worship, food, and outreach. The congregation belongs to the Church of God In Christ, one of the largest Pentecostal bodies in the United States, and lives out its identity with the motto The Church That Makes A Difference. Under that banner, every ministry, choir, and classroom at New Life Tabernacle is built around a single anchor text from Matthew 16:18: Upon this Rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
The Five Marks of New Life Tabernacle
Five identifying marks shape New Life Tabernacle's identity. New Life is a Scriptural Church, committed to teaching that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God. It is a Serving Church, shaped by the charge in James that faith without works profits nothing, so the members feed and clothe their neighbors in Acres Homes and beyond. It is a Singing Church, holding that everything that has breath should praise the Lord. It is a Soul Winning Church, sending believers out as witnesses to what God has delivered them from. And it is a Spirit Filled Church, rooted in Acts 1:8, where services are led by the Holy Spirit rather than by a printed program.
Sunday School University: Teaching More Than Two Hundred Each Week
Sunday School University is the educational backbone of New Life Tabernacle, and it runs far deeper than a single opening prayer. Coordinated by Minister Christopher Quillen, the Sunday School University teaches Bible lessons to more than 200 people every Sunday morning at 9:30 AM across multiple buildings on the New Life campus. The classes are organized by age and life stage, each one with a name that doubles as a statement of identity.
The adult men's class is called Gideon, Men of Valor, taught by Elder Ronald McCann and Elder E. White for men thirty and up. Adult women forty-six and up gather as the Overcomers, a class built on endurance and the testimony that greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. Younger adult women ages thirty to forty-five meet as the Jewels of Life, instructed by First Lady Harolyn Davis and named for the Hebrew word that means treasure. Women of every age find a home in Radiance, and young adults between twenty-four and thirty gather as City of Life.
Younger classes follow the same pattern. Nursery children ages two to four are the Little Giant Slayers, small like David but powerful through early Bible teaching. Children in kindergarten through second grade attend Kingdom Kidz, where the goal is a Christ-centered, age-appropriate foundation. Third through fifth graders are the Heirs to the Kingdom, while junior high boys and girls meet as Seekers of God. Senior high girls in grades nine through twelve gather as the Young Virtuous Women, and senior high boys meet as the Star Witnesses, whose guiding star is the presence of Christ in their lives. Each class meets weekly, follows a pastor-approved lesson, and welcomes visitors.
Sunday Worship, Led by the Holy Spirit
At 11:00 AM, the Sunday Worship Service gathers in the main sanctuary. The service is shaped by the church's Pentecostal conviction that worship flows from the moving of the Holy Spirit. Visitors will find a service that opens with prayer and song, transitions into praise, and gives space for preaching and the spontaneous work of the Spirit. Members describe the goal of worship in simple terms: to create, here on earth, a taste of the glory that is to come.
The Music and Dance Ministries
The Music Ministry leads the congregation in praise and worship through several choirs that rehearse and serve together. The Voices of Judah Male Chorus, the Youth Choir, the Children's Choir, and the Praise Company each carry a portion of the musical life of the church. Anyone interested in joining one of the choirs can contact the church office at 713-263-9700, extension 105.
Alongside the choirs, the Praise Dance Ministry interprets worship through movement. Directed by Kiara Meade, the ministry is divided into two groups. Chosen Angels serves dancers ages five to eleven under Cailyn McCrae, and Chosen serves dancers ages twelve to twenty under Eboni Jenerette. The dancers describe themselves as a visual aid to the gospel, helping the congregation see God as deliverer, healer, and provider.
Equipping the Next Generation: Youth and Children
Youth ministry at New Life Tabernacle is built around the mission statement, Preparing to be the church of tomorrow. The youth body is divided into the JAM'N Generation for ages three to twelve, the Generation Next Youth Ministry for ages thirteen to seventeen, and the City of Life Young Adult Ministry for ages eighteen to thirty. Around those anchors sit additional expressions: a Youth Athletics Ministry, a Youth Drama Ministry, a Youth Leadership Council, the Youth Life Guards, the Youth Praise Dance Ministry, Youth Singers, a Youth Special Events Team, and Youth Ushers. Chinasa Nnamani serves as the Youth President.
Children's Ministry, directed by Lila Carraway, gathers on the second and fourth Sundays from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM in classrooms AB101 and AB102 in the Administration Building. The lessons are designed for children ages three to nine so that they can be educated, at a young age, about the God they serve.
Reaching the Acres Homes Community Through Outreach
The Outreach Ministry is meant to reach beyond but not bypass the walls of New Life Tabernacle. Elder Ronald Parrish coordinates the ministry, which meets the needs of God's people both spiritually and naturally. The team feeds the hungry in the Acres Homes area and beyond, clothes those in need, and educates young people through the C.O.R.E. program. Members also counsel, pray, and teach the word of God. The heart of the ministry is simple: grow so that the church can do bigger and better things for Christ.
Recovery and Restoration: The Alcohol and Drug Ministry
For anyone caught in addiction, or for family members walking alongside them, the Alcohol and Drug Ministry opens its doors every Friday night from 7:30 to 8:30 PM. The ministry teaches that the answer to recovery follows the letters of the word ANSWER: Admitting, New Start, Support through the NLT support group, Willingness, Education to rehabilitate, and Relapse prevention. Brother Robert Hicks coordinates the program and Al-Anon Family Group coordinator Sister Ramona Hicks leads the parallel family track, where relatives and friends of alcoholics and addicts share experience, strength, and hope.
Women of Praise and the Men's Ministry
Every woman who joins New Life Tabernacle is automatically part of the Women of Praise, a ministry led by First Lady Harolyn Davis. The group creates space for fellowship, builds sisterhood, and helps women grow spiritually and naturally through events such as the New Year Prospective Breakfast in January, the Soul Sisters Women's Retreat in May, the Purpose and Destiny Conference in October, monthly Women in Ministry meetings, the Holiday Brunch in December, and Ladies Night Out gatherings throughout the year.
The Men's Ministry, under Elder Ronald McCann, gives men a place to share life experiences without judgment and to receive direction from the Lord. The motto of the ministry spells out its calling: Teach the Word at home, with a consecrated heart, following in the footsteps of the Savior, leading all men to God.
Cell Groups, Marriage, and the Seasoned Saints
Midweek connection takes two forms. The NLT Cell Groups meet on the third Monday of each month at 7:30 PM in homes around the Houston area. Each cell follows the same pastor-approved lesson, focuses on the practical application of Scripture, and welcomes visitors who want to hang out with the NLT family. Couples, whether married six months or fifty years, gather through the Home Improvement Ministry on the first Sunday of each month at 6:30 PM. Led by Pastor Carl Davis and First Lady Harolyn Davis, the ministry exists to help couples rekindle love, practice forgiveness, and pattern their marriage after Christ and the church.
The Seasoned Saints are a fellowship of adults fifty-five and up, led by Jackie Ballard and Tommie Allen, who invest their time in fellowship and outreach to other seasoned saints.
The Prison Ministry and the Table of Hospitality
The Prison Ministry extends the church's reach behind the walls of correctional facilities in Texas. Volunteers lead evangelism crusades, hold Sunday worship services inside prisons, walk inmates through a Bible-based twelve-step program called Bridge Builders, lead Bible study and marriage enrichment seminars, write letters of encouragement to inmates, distribute Christmas gifts to inmate families, and provide one-to-one aftercare for ex-offenders. Bibles, dictionaries, concordances, and other literature are collected and distributed to prisoners throughout the year.
None of that work happens without a meal, and the Culinary and Hospitality Ministry makes sure the table is set. Each Sunday morning the ministry serves a continental breakfast from 8:45 to 10:45 AM with biscuits and croissant sandwiches, juices, coffee, and pastries. Every other Wednesday night, from 6:30 to 7:30 PM, the team prepares a full-course nutritious family dinner before the Bible study, giving working members a chance to share a meal before they are fed the word. After the 9:00 AM service, small cakes and pies appear as the Sunday Weekly Sweet and Treats. The annual Parade of Colors fundraiser ties the whole kitchen to the rest of the church, with each ministry presenting foods from eight biblically themed colors.
The Membership Services Ministry and the Usher Corps
Members are shepherded by the Membership Services Ministry under director Janell Morris, whose motto is To Love and to Serve God's People. The ministry reminds members that if every member of the church was a member like them, the church would be exactly what it is. The Usher Ministry, coordinated by Rob Tilman, meets on the third Thursday of each month at 7:30 PM. Ushers see themselves as appointed by God Himself to meet, direct, assist, and maintain order during services, and to support the weak and comfort the feeble-minded with the attitude of gratitude.
Giving, Prayer, and the Next Service
Members and friends can give to New Life Tabernacle in three ways: online, through the Givelify app, or by mailing a gift to the P.O. Box in Houston. Prayer requests can be submitted online at any time. Sunday School University begins at 9:30 AM, Sunday worship at 11:00 AM, and Midweek Bible Study meets in person in Building B at 7:30 PM. Visitors can find the church at 3021 De Soto Street, Houston, Texas 77091, or reach the office at 713-263-9700.