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Twanna Henderson and her husband accepted God’s call to plant a church in Matthews, North Carolina roughly 25 years ago. Twanna’s personal story began as a young girl. Growing up in a Christian home, Twanna had a deep love for being at church and hearing the Word of God proclaimed. She has fond memories of lining up her toy dolls and pretending to preach for them. While this was not necessarily nurtured by the adults in her life, Twanna reflects today and sees that God was working in her heart even then.
New Beginnings Church began as a small Bible study that met in a recreation center. The group that gathered was not even meeting on Sunday mornings at that time. The Lord divinely orchestrated a partnership with a nearby church in the area. This church family graciously hosted the people from New Beginnings for worship on Sunday mornings. Following service, Twanna’s husband would lead a debrief time and share the vision for New Beginnings.
A few short years later, God provided land to build a space of their very own. Today, there are a number of large buildings on the church’s property that each serve unique purposes for ministry and outreach. Just recently, New Beginnings was provided the means to purchase a nearby subdivision for the purpose of creating ministry homes.
In April, the ribbon was cut on their very first ministry home that will house teenage mothers. Starting in the fall, young ladies will be able to reside for 18-24 months at this location and receive counseling, care, and discipleship.
New Beginnings has a connection to SES through their Bible Institute. The Bible Institute exists to equip believers in knowing God and His Word deeply. Many of the professors from SES teach courses for the Bible Institute, and there have been many testimonials of how the program has provided hope and knowledge.
The New Beginnings Church family has witnessed miracles through radical generosity. For many years, the team organized a gas card giveaway on Good Friday. People who lived nearby would begin lining up as early as 6:00 AM to receive their card. An intercessory team from New Beginnings would pray over individuals as they moved along in line. They heard story after story about how something seemingly small was creating massive impact in the lives of recipients.
Some of the people who came through the giveaway line would show up for church on the following Sunday morning. A handful have placed their faith in Christ and received discipleship. While this simple act of generosity does not seem like much for those of us that can afford to fill our gas tank without much thought, it was a heaven-sent blessing for so many of the people who accepted the gift.
New Beginnings Church is a special place to belong, grow, and love. The Lord has used Reverend Twanna and her husband in mighty ways. Twanna’s life verse is Jeremiah 29:11. While the context of this familiar passage is for the Jewish people in exile, Twanna shared that its message is still relevant for us today. There is darkness looming all around us. The world is broken and tainted by sin. Our hope is Christ alone, and by living with a kingdom mindset, we can be propelled in the power and love of Jesus.
