You cannot change without
growth, and you cannot
grow without change.
The Rev. Chris Frye,
pastor of New Hope
Church, was the guest
speaker Wednesday at the
Eunice Rotary Club meeting.
Frye and his wife
Megan moved to Eunice
in August of 2016 from
north Louisiana, and
the couple have been
married for the past 17
years. The Fryes have
three children Addilyn,
Emerie and Gabriel. Frye
played baseball for five
years at Louisiana State
University Shreveport.
Megan started Eunice
Christian Academy next
to the church in 2021 with
four teachers and 52 students.
Frye, said, “It’s going
well. But it didn’t start
well at first. We changed
some things. Nobody likes
change. Everybody wants
to grow but nobody wants
to change. The school has
now grown.”
Growth and change go
together. Frye, said, “If
you want to grow, you
have to change. I believe
in order to move forward,
you have to change.”
New Hope Church is
growing and changing
throughout the years.
Frye, added, “It was
beyond my expectation
and beyond my desire of
the church’s growth.”
To move forward, one
has to endure a wind-up.
He added, “In order to
move forward, you have
to endure the wind-up.
Before you can move forward
you got to embrace
that recoil.”
The church opened
with about 200 people
in its congregation. Frye
planned his first outreach
during this time, around
Oct. 31, and a couple of
hundred people attended.
He added, “At last year’soutreach New Hope’s
Carnaval, there were
1,000 families attending
from all across Acadiana.
They were ministered to.
You have to embrace the
recoil.”
Everybody doesn’t
embrace change.
Everybody wants to grow,
but not everybody wants
to change. He added, “I
have seen God change our
growth in our church from
100 to over 1,000 people.
Last week, in three services,
we had 1,700 people
attending in a town of
10,000 people.”
Frye added, “You cannot
change without growth,
and you cannot grow
without change. A leader’s
responsibility is to lead
the change to its people’s
desire. It’s in your heart
to pull the potential out
of them. Leaders see the
potential placed inside of
a person and do everything
they can to pull it
out of them.”
New Hope Church
communicates its Vision
Statement, “Meet people
and grow closer to God
together.” The church goal
is “Our goal is to create
a community of authentic
believers and to witness
a city transformed by
the life changing reality
of the Gospel, as people
come to know Jesus as
their Lord and Savior.”
Frye, added, “Your vision
is your why. What is your
vision for your company,
what is your vision for
your home? Leadership is
not something you have.
Leadership is engrained
in our DNA.”
Every vehicle has a life
span. Frye said, “Your
vehicle is your strategy
to your vision. The vision
never changes. The vehicle,
never changes, but
the methodology has to be
upgraded. As you grow,
the vehicle has to adapt.
You were created to grow.
In order to grow, you have
to change.”
Growth means making
adjustments. Frye, said,
“If you want to grow, you
have to make adjustments.
It’s the leaders’ responsibility
to be the launch pad
or the lid of the people
they lead.”
New Hope Church has
5 C’s they evaluate its
staff. The five C’s of a
highly effective leader are:
Character, Competency,
Capacity, Chemistry and
Culture.
Frye asked the
Rotarians, “What kind of
culture are you creating?
What might I need to do
to change?”
New Hope Church has
about 150 people a day
on its campus, which
includes 130 students,
office staff and ECA staff.
There are 300 to 400 at a
weekday service and 300
to 400 people attending
group meetings and activities
each week. There
are about 1,100 people in
attendance at three different
services on Sunday
morning.
