About Us
Our Story
History
On October 4th, 2009, thirty or so people gathered for New Denver Church’s first official worship service. Our goal was simple: to be a church where people could grow in their faith wherever they are on their spiritual journey. It wasn’t easy that first year. But we persevered and God was faithful to us.
In 2010, we began meeting in the Bonnie Brae area. We also developed long-term relationships to live out God’s mission locally and globally. In Denver, we began working with Joshua Station, a faith-based community helping families make the transition from homelessness to self-sufficiency. And we partnered with a church in San Pablo La Laguna, Guatemala and helped start a local school where we currently sponsor about 150 children to receive a high-quality education.
NDC also committed to multiplying leaders and churches in Denver through our Church Planting Residency Program. In 2017, we helped plant Westside Church Internacional, a multi-ethnic church in West Denver. And in 2021, we helped plant Nova Church, a new faith community in the Capitol Hill neighborhood.
For over thirteen years, people have gathered on Sundays to be part of the NDC community. They’ve also come together for D-Groups, retreats, and countless other events. Our community includes skeptics and seekers, both young and old, who want to follow Jesus and are looking for a family of fellow sojourners.
Mission
To lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ.
This is really the main thing for us: to help you grow in your relationship with Jesus. Perhaps you’ve been a follower of Jesus for many years. Or maybe you’re curious about God or spirituality but you’ve always been skeptical of organized religion. Or maybe it’s Jesus or the Bible that doesn’t make sense. We get that. Wherever you are on your journey of faith, you’re always welcomed at New Denver Church.
Vision
New lives, New Denver, New world.
The word “new” is an important part of our name. We believe that God is in the process of making all things new (Rev. 21:5) in our world and we want to join him in that vision.
It starts with our lives. But we also believe God is bringing his grace, justice, and renewal to our beloved city and world. We want to be a small part of God’s bigger story.
Affiliations
New Denver Church is a nondenominational community of faith. We are affiliated with two important networks of other churches. In Denver, we participate in the Church Cooperative of Denver and collaborate with other local churches from time to time. We are also part of the Ecclesia Network, a relational network of churches that seeks to equip and multiply missional churches across the country.
Beliefs & Values
Beliefs
NDC is a nondenominational community of faith that exists in the long tradition of Christian churches that have looked to the Bible as their authority for almost 2000 years. As a result, we affirm the central tenets of historic Christianity as expressed in one of the earliest and most universally accepted statements of faith:
The Apostles’ Creed (circa AD 140):
We believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth.
We believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic* Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.
(* Note: “catholic” here refers to the worldwide or universal church)
The Apostles’ Creed provides a helpful summary of our core beliefs. However, we also think that what we do, how we live, and the kind of community we become illustrate our beliefs better than any list of statements on a website. So, we invite you to simply join our community and discover who we are from the inside: a group of people seeking to follow Jesus, love God, and love others.
Core Values
Our five core values best summarize how we believe God transforms us as individuals and as a community of faith:
Scripture
The Bible is not just a book of do’s and don’ts. It is a grand narrative of God’s creative and redemptive work in history. And it summons us to find ourselves in God’s story and live out the purposes for which he made us.
Are we orienting our lives around the purposes of God as revealed in Scripture?
Mission
God’s mission for renewing and restoring our world takes place when we share his love with others. Specifically, we are called to share the love of Jesus in word and deed with those in our spheres of influence, with the poor and marginalized in our city, and with those around the world who have never heard the good news of Jesus Christ.
Are we reaching out in mission to love the lost, the least, and the last?
Community
We were made to experience community with others. Only through intentional relationships characterized by encouragement, authenticity, and sacrifice will we fully experience transformation in our lives.
Are we cultivating authentic community with others?
Practices
The practices, rhythms, and habits of our lives shape what we love, worship, and value. In each season of our lives, God uses intentional practices to form us into the kinds of people who follow Jesus and live out his kingdom purposes.
Are we pursuing practices that form us into a community of Jesus-followers?
Presence
God is at work in every place, relationship, and circumstance we find ourselves in. But busyness and distractions often fill our lives. We partner best with God when we are fully present to the people and opportunities around us and the voice of the Spirit leading us.
Are we present to the Spirit’s work in our lives?
Leadership
Staff Leadership
Norton Herbst
Lead Pastor
About Norton
Norton Herbst oversees the general vision, teaching, and Sunday gatherings at New Denver Church. He graduated from Virginia Tech (B.S. Engineering), Denver Seminary (M.Div.), and the University of Denver (Ph.D. in Religious Studies). In addition to being a pastor, he teaches American history at the University of Denver and church history and preaching at Denver Seminary. Norton is married to Janis and they have three teenage children: Townsend, Ellory, and Marin. They also have two adorable cats, Effie and Ollie. In their free time, Norton and Janis enjoy spending time outdoors, reading good books, and drinking great coffee.
Emily Schulz
Associate Pastor
About Emily
Emily Schulz oversees family ministries, women’s ministry, and D-Groups at New Denver Church. She’s married to Phil, a high school teacher and self-proclaimed pretty good parallel parker, and they have four sweet kids, Eva (born Nov 2018), Baylie (born April 2020), Theodore (born May 2022), and Kate (born Jan 2024). Emily has her M.Div. from Denver Seminary and her B.A. in Christian Ministries from Biola University. Her favorite activities are currently the same as Kate’s . . . all she wants is for someone to feed her and let her take a nap.
Joey Dodson
Associate Pastor
About Joey
Joseph (Joey) Dodson oversees men’s ministry, community life, and mission and justice at New Denver Church. He studied at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland and the University of Tübingen in Germany. In addition to being a pastor, he is an associate professor of New Testament at Denver Seminary. By the grace of God, he married Sadie, his first-grade sweetheart. They have five children, a son-in-law, a daughter-in-law, and the two most precious grandchildren in the multi-verse. He and Sadie love hanging with their family and traveling the world: particularly places with great vegan food and spectacular mountain hikes.
Scott Harrison
Admin and Operations Director
About Scott
Scott Harrison is the Administration and Operations Director of New Denver Church. He graduated from Dallas Baptist University (B.A. Religion) and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (M.Div.); and earned a Ph.D. in Humanities from The University of Texas at Arlington. Scott retired from full-time pastoring in 2008 and served in the nonprofit world for ten years overseeing ministries that moved people out of poverty. His wife, Deanna, is the Executive Director of Pastors’ Hope Network. They have two children and three grandchildren.
Brian Davis
Worship Arts Director
About Brian
Brian is the Worship Arts Director at New Denver Church. He has a passion for inspiring creatives within the local church to embrace a more holistic worship practice, beyond singing songs and listening to sermons. In addition to his role at NDC, he is the Worship Events Coach & Consultant with Torn Curtain Arts, a non-profit company that seeks to create content and events for the spiritually homeless. Brian is also a songwriter and has produced two albums with his band, quite originally called the Brian Davis Band. He is a husband to Jess, a father to Madeleine, Lily, and Seraphim, is in a mildly codependent relationship with his boxer, Colt, and fancies himself a non-pretentious foodie and amateur chef.
Sara Knopp
Communications Director
About Sara
Sara is the Communications Director at New Denver Church and oversees web, email, social media, and other communication channels at NDC. She has degrees in Business Management (BS) and Spanish (BA) from Virginia Tech where she met her husband playing powder puff football. Sara and Andrew have three wonderfully rambunctious littles: Ellis (8), Hugo (5), and Ruby (2), plus the ever-growing flock of pet chickens. In her free time, you can find her pumping iron in her garage gym, remodeling or redesigning something in her home, or reading a juicy novel.
Andrew Wilderlove
Co-Student Ministry Director
About Andrew
Andrew helps oversee NDC’s ministry to middle and high school students. He’s married to the EPIC Camelia (Cammy) Wilderlove. They are both originally from California. When he’s not hanging out with students, Andrew is a manager at Kickin’ It Kids Gym. His favorite things are rock climbing, folk music, reading, philosophy, and . . . Korean dramas.
Cammy Wilderlove
Co-Student Ministry Director
About Cammy
Cammy and her husband are the co-directors of the youth group at NDC. She is from Santa Cruz, California and received her BFA in Dance from Belhaven University. Outside of NDC, Cammy is a company member of Hannah Kahn Dance Company and teaches dance and swim lessons as well. Cammy enjoys road trips, hikes, puzzles, rock climbing with her husband, and we can’t forget Salem, the best cat in the world.
Allie Marks
LDP Resident
About Allie
Allie is part of the Leadership Development Program at New Denver Church. She is currently pursuing a counseling degree from Denver Seminary and will help oversee our mission and justice partnerships with Joshua Station and Guatemala.
Dave Wetherby
Tech Director
About Dave
Dave Wetherby is the Tech Director at NDC. He’s a sound and tech guru and we’re waiting for him to write more about himself here. 🙂
Key Congregational Leaders
Stewardship Team
Debbie Chapman
Adam Coleman
Jon Oldenburg
Sarah Wallace