Welcome to New Life Academy!

New Life Academy was founded in 1977 as a ministry of New Life Church to serve the community through Christian Education. Pastor Dick Wiens, his wife Patti, and a handful of prayerful partners felt called to open a church and school in Woodbury, MN. In January of 1977, a pilot program started with just ten students and two teachers leading to a 22-acre land purchase in 1979 to further the mission of the Church and Academy.

Since 1977, New Life Academy has partnered with Christian parents to help their children grow in their God-given gifts and develop a love for learning. As a ministry of New Life Church, New Life Academy was founded with the vision to share God’s Word and the Gospel’s Truth with the next generation; every aspect of what is taught is done through a Biblical Worldview.

Our school community is made up of Preschool-Grade 12 families. New Life Academy stands out with its Christ-centered education, strong academics, close-knit community, and excellent extracurriculars and athletics.

About NLA

Employment Opportunities

Covenant Partnership with Families

God has given primary responsibility of discipling and teaching children to parents (Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Ephesians 6:1-4, Proverbs 22:6, Psalm 78:1-7). The Church and Christian school exist to come alongside parents in the journey to help equip, strengthen, confirm, and reinforce Biblical teaching at home.

Today, parents partner with NLA and their local church to teach what it means to be a Christ-follower and how to live that out in their daily lives. As part of this covenant with our community, NLA requires that at least one parent complies with our statement of faith, agrees with our social positions, and commits to actively living them out in their lives. NLA commits to supporting families through unity around the shared beliefs and values of the Christian faith. This partnership is central to who we are as a school.

Our Mission

To educate students and help them flourish in a Christ-centered community where they are known, loved, and valued.

Our Vision

To educate faith-filled, future-ready leaders that will influence the world for Jesus Christ.

Two students sit on rock steps outside the front doors of the school working on their class assignment while giggling.

Statement of Faith

We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, fully inspired and without error in the original manuscripts, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and having supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
We believe that there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three Persons; that these are equal in every divine perfection, and that they execute distinct, but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence, and redemption.
We believe in God the Father, an infinite personal Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power, and love. We believe that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men, that He hears and answers prayers and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.
We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit. We believe in His substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection and ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people, and personal visible return to earth.
We believe in the Holy Spirit who came forth from the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and to regenerate, sanctify, and empower all who believe in Jesus Christ. We believe that the Holy Spirit dwells in every believer of Christ, and that He is an abiding helper, teacher, and guide.
We believe that all men are sinners by nature and by choice and are, therefore, under condemnation and that there are no good deeds that a person can do to free himself from condemnation. We believe that those who receive Jesus Christ as Lord and trust in Him by faith as the only way to salvation are regenerated by the Holy Spirit.
We believe in the personal and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to the earth and the establishment of His Kingdom. We believe in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment, the eternal peace and joy of the righteous, and the endless suffering of the wicked.
We believe in the universal church: a living spiritual body of which Christ is the head and all regenerated persons are members. We believe in the local church: consisting of a company of believers in Jesus Christ, baptized on a credible profession of faith, and associated for worship, work, and fellowship. We believe that God has laid upon the local church the primary task of giving the gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost world.

We would like to bring clarity regarding several controversial social issues of today. In doing so, we are not saying that these issues, or the sins involved in them, are bigger or worse than any other sins or issues. Sin is sin; and we are called to reject all sin. We specifically address these issues because modern society has both confused and, in some cases, deliberately and intentionally misrepresented what Scripture says regarding these behaviors. Some even suggest we go against God’s Word and not call certain behaviors sinful. It is important that we understand sin because we cannot fully understand God’s mercy, grace, and our need for salvation until we first understand our sinful condition.

Truth of Scripture

As we address all issues of life, we believe that the Bible has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct. We believe that “all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (II Timothy 3:16-17). We believe that the Bible, consisting of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testament, is the infallible Word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit, and without error in the original manuscripts (2 Peter 1:21). Because the Bible is true and the standard of truth, it is good and the standard of moral goodness (Psalm 19:7-11).

Family Structure

We believe that marriage is a covenantal relationship between one man and one woman (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4-5). We believe that God created man and woman equally in His image, importance, and value, and in God’s love and wisdom, they were given unique and complementary roles in marriage as a picture of Christ and the Church (Genesis 1:27; Genesis 2:18; Ephesians 5:22-31). We believe that God has given the primary responsibility of discipling and teaching children to parents (Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Ephesians 6:1-4; Proverbs 22:6; Psalm 78:1-7). The Church and Christian schools exist to come alongside parents in this journey to equip, strengthen, confirm, and reinforce biblical teaching at home.

Sexual Purity

We believe that any sexual activity outside of the marriage bond is sin (Hebrews 13:4). Furthermore, because marriage is a covenantal relationship between one man and one woman, any sexual activity outside of the marriage relationship is defined by the Bible as fornication (Matthew 19:4-5). Fornication is sin. We believe that any form of sexual immorality that deviates from the biblical standard, such as adultery, pornography, homosexual behavior, premarital sex, bisexual conduct, bestiality, any attempt to change one’s sex, or disagreement with one’s biological sex, is sinful and offensive to God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10, 13, 18-19; Exodus 20:13; Matthew 15:19; Romans 1:26-27).

Sanctity of Life

We believe that life is a gift from God and is precious. We believe that life begins at conception (Psalm 139:13-16; Isaiah 44:2a; Isaiah 49:5a) and each person’s days are numbered by God (Psalm 139:16; James 4:13-15).

Bullying

We believe that all humans are created in the image of God and therefore each individual is highly valuable. As a result, God expects all people to be treated with respect and honor. We are called to love and encourage one another as we strive for unity (Mark 12:29-31; I John 4:19-20; Ephesians 4:1-3). This means that all bullying, whether it is physical, verbal, cyber, written, or relational is sin.

Biblical View of Gender

We believe that God created individuals uniquely male and female. Based on that Biblical view of gender, students are required to wear clothing consistent with their biological sex. Students are also required to use bathrooms, locker rooms, and pronouns that are consistent with their biological sex. To the extent that a student participates in extra-curricular activities, the student’s participation will be consistent with his or her biological sex. Any attempt to change one’s biological sex or outward expressions that are in disagreement with one’s biological sex is considered to be a violation of the Academy’s conduct expectations. These expectations apply to a student’s behavior regarding him or herself, as well as a student’s behavior toward other students.

Read more about our social positions

All of our behaviors (our thoughts, our words, and our deeds) that are not consistent with the nature and character of God and His Word are sin. When we sin, we need to repent and ask for forgiveness. The Good News is that, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9). “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). As Christians, we are called to live like Jesus to the glory of God; “Whoever claims to believe in Him must walk as Jesus did” (I John 2:6; 1 Corinthians 10:31; Isaiah 43:7).

New Life Academy, with the help of the Holy Spirit, seeks to walk in the truth of God’s Word, the Bible. We desire to live like Jesus Christ who was full of grace and truth (John 1:14). We believe that God, in His mercy, spares us from what we deserve, and in His grace He blesses us with what we do not deserve. We know that all of us are sinners (Romans 3:23) and as a result are in need of God’s forgiveness. Furthermore, we believe that Jesus Christ’s death on the cross completely paid for our sins, and His resurrection from the dead proved His victory over sin and death (I Corinthians 15:55-58; Romans 3:21-26). We also believe that since Christians have not only been assured of forgiveness, but are dead to sin, we should not continue in sin so God can keep forgiving us. We who have died to sin should live in it no longer (Romans 6:1-2). Rather, because of God’s great love in sending Jesus to die for us, we ought to live for Him (Romans 5:8). We have been set free from a life of sin. We are no longer slaves to sin, and we are called to not make a practice of sinning (Romans 6:12-13; Galatians 5:1).

It is our belief that many in the world today would seek to exchange the truth of God for a lie (II Timothy 4:2-4). We need to be on guard to live in a way that is different from the world. Rather than being conformed to this world, we are called to be transformed by the renewing of our mind (Romans 12:1-2). Our mind is renewed when we are sanctified by the Holy Spirit and live according to God’s Word, the Bible.

When we sin, we are called to ask for forgiveness (I John 1:9). We are called to repent (turn away) from our sins and no longer walk in them (Acts 3:19). We are called to live holy lives because He is holy (I Peter 1:14-16). Therefore, because God’s great love for us was demonstrated by Jesus when He died for us on the cross (Romans 5:8), we are called to live holy lives for Him (I Peter 2:24).