Our Story
Our History
New Covenant Church began September 5th, 1978 as THE LIGHTHOUSE, a Christian Coffee house ministry. Our first building was a storefront on Washington street, adjacent to the post office in Malone, NY.
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It soon became apparent that God was calling us to something more than Coffee house ministry. People came with needs, not only for fellowship, but for teaching, counseling, and pastoral ministry as well. We began holding regular church services a short time later.
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As we grew, the need for more space became a priority. In December of 1980 we purchased a vacated school building on Park Street in Malone. We jumped from a single story, 800 sq. ft. building to a 3 story, 6000 sq. ft. building. We were excited, but there was much work to be done.
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In the years that followed, a Christian Day School, New Covenant Christian Academy, was established along with many other important ministries. In April of 1987 Tom Wells assumed the role of pastor. He was already pastoring a busy and growing church in Massena, but that did not stop him from pouring himself into NCC. Tom's wisdom and care brought many positive changes to our church.
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In January of 1990 Matt Molnar was set in as the senior pastor of New Covenant Church. Matt has been involved in the church from the first day that it’s doors opened on Washington St. He came to Malone in 1978 from Detroit, MI, with the original group that came to start THE LIGHTHOUSE. He served as an elder from 1980 until his ordination.
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In December of 1998, we purchased a fifteen-acre piece of property
on Route 37, one mile north of Malone. Working with architects, a master plan was created for this property. We have completed phase one of this plan with the construction of our current worship space, which we call, “The Pavilion”.
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This beautiful Adirondack styled building features a large stone fireplace, radiant floor heat and full-length windows around the entire perimeter. This gives an open, airy feeling to our sanctuary, while remaining warm and inviting.
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Phase two of our vision involves the construction of a large, “main church” building with a sanctuary, fellowship space and a commercial kitchen. Full educational and recreational spaces are planned for children and youth.
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We have recently completed construction of our Kids’ Church. Three out of four Sundays each month our kids have an entire kids’ church program in this building. Parents worship in the Pavilion while their children enjoy a full program of music, bible and craft activities. On the first Sunday of each month kids join their parents in the Pavilion for the song service, and are then shuttled over to the Kids’ Church for their own activities.
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Finally, we opened a brand new nursery program on March 1st, 2009. We are very excited about this ministry to our littlest ones. A warm, safe and colorful environment has been prepared to help our babies and toddlers enjoy some time to play, sing and learn while mommy and daddy enjoy some fellowship with other adults.
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At NCC we make the statement, “We are a family-minded, community church”. We are attempting to live out that vision through heart-felt, compassionate ministry to every part of the family: Marriage enrichment, Youth ministry, Kids’ church and Life Enhancement lesson series. All of this is to help each person learn and grow as they seek to be the best they can be. This God-centered approach to life has helped many people find their true purpose and bring real fulfillment to their lives.
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