ABOUT NEW ABBEY
New Abbey began with the idea to tell a bigger story of God. We wanted to be a place where people could honestly talk about every aspect of their lives from spirituality, to sexuality, to money, etc. and be free to wonder and free to question all at the same time. We trusted that God could handle the beautiful complexity and diversity of our lives but had found that church felt like a place that was minimizing the fullness of the human experience.
In January of 2013 Cory and Karissa started New Abbey along with six other couples meeting in an apartment in Pasadena. It was an experiment to become a different kind of church that still took seriously our Christian tradition and a way of following Jesus while also being open to a broader and evolving view of God.
What Does “New Abbey” Mean?
An “abbey” was a Christian faith community where people lived together by an agreed upon covenant. Abbey was a fancy word for people who were committed to live out a way of Jesus together in practical ways.
We want to continue this community of faith by holding onto the best of Christian tradition and while letting go of what’s not helpful.
Also, we are open to taking on the good in other traditions while staying committed to a way of Christ. In other words, we’re a New Abbey.
* OUR COMMUNITY
* OUR COMMUNITY
At New Abbey we believe that the person standing on stage is not the the most interesting person in the room. We are a collection, a collective of stories that come together to remind each other of our goodness. Read more stories below.
WHAT WE BELIEVE
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Although a fancy word, we believe incarnation encapsulates the fullness of Jesus. Incarnation means the fullness of God and the fullness of humanity can co-exist in the same place. We believe that you are made in the image of God, you are God's child, that you are loved by God and enjoyed by God. We hope to be a community of people who create space, and live lives, where the best of our humanity and the fullness of God can be expressed.
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Wherever you find yourself in life, as a person, and on your spiritual journey, you are welcome to fully participate in our community. Whether you are Male, Female, or Trans, Gay, Straight, or Bi, Black, White, Asian, or Latinx, rich, poor, or middle-class, Republican or Democrat, we believe in unity over uniformity and that God loves our diversity. We believe the communion table invites all of humanity exactly where they find themselves to join in the journey with Jesus.
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Often, ‘innovative’ is not the first word you think of when you think of church. However, we hope to be innovative in the way we engage in our local neighborhoods, and in the ways we express ourselves as the followers of Jesus.
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We desire to be people who live integrated lives. We strive to erase the lines of sacred and secular by becoming people who see God in the everyday. Our desire is to be honest with who we are, and trust that God uses all aspects of ourselves, whether good or bad, and everything in between.ion
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We believe that one of the best ways to live out our hopes is through investing into our neighborhoods with our money. Money is often something that divides and defines us, we'd rather see money unite and reconcile us. Our missional money goes to support individuals and families in need, local non-profits, other churches, micro-loans, international organizations, and the support of local schools and small businesses.