Chasing Your God-Given Dreams: NLC Downtown & EveryArkansan
Recently, I had the privilege of sitting down with leaders from New Life Church (NLC) Downtown and EveryArkansan to discuss what it looks like to work together to help every Arkansan chase their God-given dreams. Usually, my interviews are one-on-one with a pastor. This interview was more of a roundtable discussion with key leaders who have become close friends in the ten years they have served together, whether as members of NLC Downtown or through EveryArkansan.
Meeting Needs Beyond the Church
In 2017, New Life Church made a bold move, planting a church in the heart of downtown Little Rock. Outreach Facilitator Dr. Fitz Hill, known by many as ‘Coach,’ explains, “We wanted to be in an urban, downtown setting. We were really trying to go to people and be a light in the darkness and serve where we were.” For seven years, the church has become more than a place to gather on Sundays; it’s a hub for outreach efforts throughout the city and state.
New Life’s Executive Pastor Marius Mauthe says, “This facility is not where the magic happens. It’s the people who choose to serve downtown and have a vision for those people who are hurting, lack access to resources, are in addiction, or maybe are not living according to what’s best for them. But they can come together and see Christ and, through Him, be restored to chase their God-given dreams. We want to be effective in helping those around us in meeting needs that have gone beyond our church. We want to go beyond the four walls of the church.”
The Spirit of Collaboration
As a church network, New Life Church has planted multiple churches throughout Arkansas, but they know they can’t do it alone. They see the value of partnership and collaboration because the issues we face in our state are too big for one church. This is a collective effort of churches and nonprofits working together in their communities.
The spirit of collaboration drives NLC Downtown and EveryArkansan, a nonprofit that was birthed out of the church, which provides resources, empowers people, and builds relationships with church partners throughout the state. What motivates this drive? The desire to meet a wide range of needs and provide resources for churches to fulfill their God-given mission to be salt and light in Arkansas.
Take, for example, CityServe. Director Tony Philips shares how this branch of EveryArkansan works at its 110,000-square-foot warehouse. “We work with corporate partners, whether donations from Overstock, Costco, Pottery Barn, Good 360, or World Vision. We receive trucks throughout the week. We sort the products. Churches put in an order every 30 days, like a click list at Walmart or Kroger, and if we have it in the donations, we put it in. It’s an opportunity to share the gospel to get a foot in the door.” He says that “80% of what we give you needs to go outside the four walls of the church.”
CityServe partners with 400 churches across 11 denominations in the state and helps churches come together around a common goal of loving their neighbors. “We’re able to bridge the gap between denominations and take those walls down to serve the community.”
Marius, a native German, sees a parallel between what they are doing and how people viewed the Church in the past. “In Europe, the cities were set up where the church was in the middle. Back in the day, the center focus was that if you needed something, you went to the church. The church was the center of the community. We’ve gotten away from that a lot.”
Along with Marius, leaders from NLC Downtown and EveryArkansan want to see churches back at the center of communities. Marius says emphatically, “We support churches throughout the state to be the focal point of our communities again. So, the next time a person has a need, they come to the Church.”
Taking a Holistic Approach
NLC Downtown and EveryArkansan are committed to helping people chase their God-given dreams. Doing that requires thinking holistically about the people they want to reach with the good news of Jesus Christ. Here’s how Marius explains their approach:
We want to be very realistic about why people can’t chase their God-given dream. They can’t see it because they’re just trying to survive. They don’t know where their next meal is coming from. They don’t know what the next day looks like for them. We want to come alongside them and remove a lot of those obstacles from their lives so they can lift their eyes, breathe, and say, “Okay. Am I just here on this earth to seek pleasure for myself or do what I want to do? Or is there something greater? Is there something God has for me?”
We are cheering them on to chase their God-given dreams. We have a holistic approach. We don’t just say, “Come to church on Sundays,” and tell you how to fix your life. We are hands-on with them throughout the week with our programs to bring the love of Jesus to people.
Full Stomachs and Full Hearts
This holistic approach is reflected in the different branches of EveryArkansan. Take, for example, EA Kids (formerly the Dream Center) and how they provide a safe place and warm meals for youth in underserved communities.
Director Kindalh Hoover shares how her team’s goal is to see full stomachs and full hearts:
Our big focus for kid’s programming is feeding. You have to meet that practical need so that they aren’t worried about that. And then relationships and making sure that they have safe relationships. The biggest part of poverty that people often forget is relationships. You can have food and a house, but if you don’t have anybody to support you, all that can quickly be taken away. So, relationships are a big part of what we believe in and strive for. And then Jesus, it’s always Jesus. We’re always going to teach Bible lessons at our Little Rock program and our mobile sites.
Marius helps me see the pivotal role Kindalh plays in EA Kids:
When Kindalh first came on, she came on as the girls’ coach [at what was then the Dream Center. There was a bunch of girls in her classroom. Nine years later, we’ve gotten to see what happened to a lot of these girls. One girl got baptized just three weeks ago. So, you see the consistency of Kindalh and the team here in Little Rock. Now, at the same time, we have another girl from that same group with Kindalh. Two weeks ago, she got shot so bad that she had to be in the hospital for the last month. Kindalh was one of the first people who showed up at the hospital. We were able to be there with her. Those two girls, and so many others, know they can always come back to a safe place because of Kindalh.
Breaking Free from Addictions
Another area EveryArkansan addresses is addiction. Blake Polston, Director of EA Recovery, says, “We want to see our friends and family become fully devoted followers of Christ. Whenever we do that, we’ve got friends and family that are going to be addicted. You look at 7% of people in the U.S. today who are addicted to drugs or alcohol, and that’s a huge number. Then you’ve also got way more people affected by it because then you’ve got mothers and fathers, and then you’ve got children.”
EA Recovery began small, with four men in a residential program, but has grown significantly. “Right now, we’ve got capacity for about six women in our phase one residential and about 12 men in our phase one residential,” Blake explains. “And we’ve got about 20 men in our phase two programs and six for the phase two women.” The program is a multi-phase journey of overcoming addiction “through the church,” Blake emphasizes, as he and others walk with people in breaking free from addiction and rebuilding their lives.
Because he and his wife are both addicts in recovery, Blake knows the vital role that community plays in recovery. “In downtown Little Rock, we help people manage recovery in real-life settings. Here, you can join a church and participate in its community while recovering without leaving the area. This allows you to start rebuilding your life from the first day of recovery rather than waiting until you graduate from a program.”
Kindalh adds, “I’ve had family members who went through and overcame addiction, and I’ve seen how essential their community was to their journey. Community is the number one factor that can either pull you back into old habits or help you break free.”
Stories of Transformation
Stories of change are abundant among this group of leaders. Here are a few they shared with me.
Faith in Action
During the pandemic, when schools were closed for three months, Fitz Hill spent time with Kindalh in five communities in Southwest Little Rock, witnessing the deep relationships she had built with the kids. “We went to them and provided meals,” he recalls. Fitz was struck by her love for the kids and her dedication to them. “Whenever she calls, I know it’s something close to her heart,” he says. “I’m going to do everything I can to fulfill what she asks because I’ve seen her in action.”
Hill recalls one story when a middle school girl was abandoned by her mother and found wandering the streets without food. “Kindalh called me,” Fitz explains, sharing how the girl had been left to fend for herself in an abusive, neglectful home. Together, they rallied people from the church, gathered supplies, and made sure this girl had the food and support she needed.
Marcus and Lauren
Blake shares the story of Marcus and Lauren, a couple who lost custody of their two children due to drug addiction. “Their situation was dire—a caseworker found them bathing and doing laundry in a creek,” he recalls. Determined to turn their lives around, Marcus joined EA Recovery, where “we began helping him address his recovery needs.” Meanwhile, Lauren, living in a minivan and hesitant to enter recovery, was driven by one goal: to reunite with her kids. With EA Recovery’s support, she eventually joined the women’s program, allowing both of them to work on recovery together.
As they progressed, Marcus started taking responsibility. “He became a devoted follower of Christ and began to grow as a husband and leader,” Blake reflects. The journey was challenging, with Marcus facing multiple court cases. “Managing this process wasn’t easy,” Blake admits. But their dedication paid off—they regained custody of their son, Matthew. Today, both give back to the community. “Marcus now oversees our EA Recovery ministry,” Blake shares, “and Lauren interns with 100 Families, sits on a board to help allocate foster care funds, and volunteers for EA Recovery.”
Note: Names have been changed in this story.
From Skeptic to Follower
Marius shares the story of a man who came to NLC Downtown as a skeptic. “He attended our church for about a year and a half,” Marius begins. “He came as a skeptic, not a believer, and every time we preached, he would text us questions like, ‘If God is good, why this?’” The man had plenty of questions, and Marius recalls walking with him through his doubts as he faithfully attended the men’s Bible study every Wednesday morning, observing and learning.
“Eventually, he made the decision to follow Christ, got baptized, and got more involved in the church,” Marius continues. Now, this once-skeptic hosts a men’s fitness session every Monday morning. He volunteers in Fitz’s outreach program, serving meals from one of the church’s food trailers. For Marius, the transformation is profound. “He went from a skeptic who did whatever he wanted to a devoted follower of Christ, using his gifts to serve others.”
A Powerful Conversation
One story that stands out to Tony happened at the CityServe warehouse, where men in the EA Recovery program serve to gain work experience. The Pulaski County Jail, a place many in EA Recovery are familiar with, is right across the street from the warehouse. One man, just a couple of weeks into the program, stood in the doorway one morning, gazing across the street. Tony asked him, “You good, man?” The man pointed at a window and said, “Do you see that window? There have been so many mornings where I prayed, wondering if I’d ever be on the other side of it. And now, God put me right here, this close, to remind me He’s in control.”
The weight of that man’s words has stuck with Tony. “That moment was powerful, and I was deeply moved. It reminded me of the transformation we’re witnessing in these lives and the importance of community coming around these men.”
A Beautiful Snapshot
Kindalh recalls one standout moment during a family night celebrating 15 years at the Dream Center. “It was a true family reunion night,” she says. “We invited volunteers from years ago, families who hadn’t attended recently, and our current families. It was such a beautiful picture of our community coming together.”
Reflecting on the night, she recalls how special it was watching the kids she started coaching years ago returning with younger siblings and cousins still in the program. “It truly felt like a family gathering,” she says. For Kindalh, it was “a beautiful snapshot of what we get to do every day.” She adds, “None of this would be possible without the Lord. All the glory goes to Him.”
Real Relationships Through Serving
For Fitz Hill, serving is where you find a true connection with others. “These relationships I’ve built through serving are unlike anything else,” he says. “See, just coming to church can feel a bit superficial—you get to know people on a surface level. But real relationships, the deep ones, are built in serving.” When someone invites him to lunch, Hill’s response is simple: “I say, ‘No, let’s go serve. We can eat while we’re cooking. Let’s talk while we’re working.’”
For him, Sunday “is when we get filled up, and then it’s time to hit the road and get back to work.” This spirit of service—taking the message of love and hope into the community—is what Fitz loves most about his role with NLC Downtown and EveryArkansan. “It’s not just about attending; it’s about being the Church, every day, wherever the need is.”
We are grateful for the exceptional work of NLC Downtown and other churches working together to help people chase their God-given dreams. They are helping the whole Church grow.
Speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him, the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Ephesians 4:15-16
