Tree of Life Church New Braunfels gathers at 5513 IH-35 South near Exit 182, serving a multicultural and multigenerational congregation. Sunday worship is held at 9:00 and 11:00 AM, with services available in person and online and Spanish translation available in person at 9:00. Tree is known for its family-centered treeKids ministry, active student and adult gatherings, varied worship, and practical service that includes food distribution and home delivery for New Braunfels families.
Worship That Spans Generations and Languages
Tree of Life Worship leads the congregation toward God through what it calls multigenerational, multicultural, Spirit-led worship. Its music ranges from contemporary to gospel and Spanish, and services combine old and new songs. The aim is for the musical style to reflect the community while helping people encounter God genuinely, setting an atmosphere for miracles and open hearts to hear the truth of God's Word.
Both Sunday services take place in the main auditorium and last about 75 minutes. The earlier gathering includes in-person Spanish translation, and the services are also available online. A worship team of vocalists and musicians serves on a rotating schedule, while prospective team members complete a skills audition. The music is not confined to one age or one musical preference; shared praise is intended to unite the congregation.
A Sunday Morning at Exit 182
Visitors are welcome to wear whatever feels comfortable and are invited to arrive a little early for free coffee. A service host can meet new guests and show them around. The church's location at Exit 182 on IH-35 South includes treeKids classes for children from birth through fifth grade, while middle and high school students have dedicated services. A You Belong class offers an introduction to life at Tree, and other next steps include Growth Track, baptism and serving.
A Plan a visit form supports service-host registration and information requests for guests.
treeKids From Birth Through Fifth Grade
treeKids is the church's children's ministry, serving birth through fifth grade with nursery, preschool and elementary classes at both 9:00 and 11:00 AM. Classrooms open 20 minutes before each service. The staff and volunteers want children to know God, grow in relationship with Him and go into the world as a light for those who are lost and hurting. Each age group receives lessons, activities and praise designed for its stage of development.
Preschool learning uses games, snacks, music, learning centers and Bible lessons, while elementary classes combine faith, imagination and creative learning. Music, videos, skits, puppets, props and costumes are used to make lessons meaningful. Teachers present authentic worship through energetic music, movement and prayer, with the goal of helping children develop a personal relationship with God.
Safety is central to treeKids. All volunteers receive background checks, computerized check-in records who may sign children in and out, and secure classroom and pick-up procedures are used throughout the children's wing. Families also have a nursing mothers' room and a calming room for parents and small children. Sunday classes for children with special needs include sensory-oriented activities: the Purple Room serves ages zero to five at 9:00, and the Green Room serves kindergarten through fifth grade at 11:00.
Ministry roles include Children's Ministry Pastor Alberto Robles, Tree Kids Director Mitch Silvia, Elementary Director and Volunteer Coordinator Victoria Fleetwood, and Special Needs Director Marissa Mendez.
Middle School Through High School
Tree Student Ministries serves sixth through twelfth grade. Middle school students meet in Student Ministries Auditorium, Room 210, during both Sunday services for active worship built around relationships, videos, illustrations and music. Lyfe Night gathers middle and high school students on Wednesday from 7:00 to 8:30 PM for worship, relevant messages and small-group discussion about topics including influence, leadership and finances. High School Connect is a student-led Bible study between the two Sunday services in Room 202 or at the picnic tables outside the building, with free breakfast.
Students are encouraged to use their abilities in art, music, video, dance, drama or sports. Background checks, check-in systems and a group of protective dads support the ministry's emphasis on student safety. Middle and High School Director Robbie Fleetwood leads the student team, while Pastor Cody Jones leads worship and creative arts.
The Huddle, Men's and Women's Gatherings
Tree Young Adults is for single and married adults ages 18 to 30 who want relationships, faith and an opportunity to make a difference in their communities. The Huddle, its off-campus Sunday gathering from 3:00 to 5:00 PM, shares life and grows together in faith without a rigid curriculum. The gathering is designed around meaningful relationships, good conversation and allowing the Holy Spirit to lead each meeting.
Men's Ministry connects men through Life Groups, quarterly breakfasts for ages 13 and up, and the All-Star Team, which includes men and women serving on Sunday teams. Women's Ministry centers on connecting women to God and one another through gatherings that encourage relationships and spiritual growth. Marrieds provides a distinct ministry setting for couples.
The Gerald Brooks School of Leadership meets Tuesday evenings from 6:30 to 9:00 PM during the fall and spring semesters. Its classes combine videos with in-person teaching and place leadership within the context of the Bible. Participants can earn an Associate of Biblical Leadership, Bachelor of Biblical Leadership, Master of Biblical Leadership or Doctor of Biblical Leadership.
Life Groups and the Gerald Brooks School of Leadership
Groups are central to Tree's approach to growth. The church teaches that people cannot go far alone and that God designed them to be connected to Him and one another. Groups therefore focus on spiritual and personal growth through relationships that can be relevant and accessible. A group finder helps people locate a group near them.
Tree offers You Belong, Growth Track, baptism and serving as ways to move into the life of the church. The Connect Center assists people with these pathways, as well as with opportunities to serve.
Serving Teams Across the Campus
Serving at Tree reaches beyond Sunday seating. First Impressions roles welcome guests, assist with seating, explain parking areas, direct families to treeKids, connect people with church programs and organize volunteers. Childcare and classroom teams provide lessons, check-in, safety and production support. Worship Arts needs vocalists and musicians, while Production and Media recruits people to handle audio, video, lighting and camera work.
- The Helps Ministry medical team triages basic medical attention during accidents or emergencies.
- Spanish translators provide in-person translation during the 9:00 service.
- The Missions Cafe team prepares and serves food and drinks during Sunday hospitality.
- The merch store team offers conversation-starting items and helps operate the store.
Service is presented as a way to discover purpose and use personal gifts in hospitality, teaching, technical work and welcome. Volunteer roles range from greeting and children's ministry to worship arts, missions and production.
Food for Families and Support Around the Globe
Tree partners with the New Braunfels Food Bank, Family Life Center and other organizations to distribute food on the third Thursday of each month. Serving teams typically work from 8:00 AM to noon in the distribution line or parking lot. The church also supports an annual coat drive, with new coats available in the main lobby for people who want to sponsor families in need.
A Food Home Delivery Program provides food and assistance to people who cannot attend an in-person distribution. Food boxes and delivery routes leave the church at 11:00 AM every second Thursday, with contactless delivery intended to protect residents in higher-risk categories. Volunteers can serve with deliveries or distribution. Donations can be directed to the coat drive through online giving.
The Missions Cafe and coffee shop raise funds for missions efforts around the globe. Purchases directly support local and international missions, while the cafe also gives Sunday guests a way to serve by preparing and serving food and drinks.
A New Testament Vision of Faith
Tree's mission is to connect all people to the life, love and power of Jesus. Its answer to how a person can have a personal relationship with God moves through four verbs: Realize the separation caused by sin; Respond to God's solution in Jesus Christ; Repent, or turn toward God; and Relate to God through Bible reading, prayer and worship with others seeking Him.
Tree is based on the description of the New Testament church found in the Bible. Believers are united by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ is the head of the church, and people are accountable to Him. The Bible is the inspired Word of God, and the New Covenant is the church's infallible guide for conduct and doctrine. God is one, manifested as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, co-equal. Humanity, created in God's image, fell through Adam's transgression, but salvation is God's gift, separate from works and the law, activated by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and producing works acceptable to God.
Tree teaches water baptism by immersion for believers as a symbol of identification with Christ's death, burial and resurrection. It also teaches baptism in the Holy Spirit, with speaking in other tongues identified as one sign, along with other gifts. Sanctification is taught as a definite but progressive work of grace. Divine healing is understood as available for physical, emotional and mental needs through prayer of faith and the laying on of hands.
Tree also teaches the resurrection of the just and the return of the Lord, followed by a reign of a thousand years, and describes hell as a literal lake of fire with eternal punishment. These beliefs are anchored in Scripture and united by the Holy Spirit under the authority of Jesus Christ.
Baptism and a Continuing Witness
Baptism is an outward sign of what God has done and a public declaration of being all in for Jesus. Baptisms occur after both the 9:00 and 11:00 services on select Sunday mornings throughout the year. People can register for a baptism date, and volunteers can join the baptism team.
Tree's messages extend through a YouTube livestream, an archive of previous services, an iTunes podcast and live notes. The Tree of Life mobile app provides another way to stay connected to worship and church resources.
Together, these ministries center on the church's mission to connect all people to the life, love and power of Jesus. Tree of Life Church gathers at 5513 IH-35 South for worship at 9:00 and 11:00 AM, with Saturday Morning Prayer at 9:00 AM and a livestream for those joining online.