Our Story
In the middle of the charismatic renewal, God spoke to Bruce and Nancy McQuigg about the need for a Spirit Filled Church in Hoopeston that was in line with the move of the spirit that God had started. Years passed and through a series of dreams and visions it became apparent to them they were supposed to plant the church that God had spoken to them about in the small group that met in their home thirty-some years earlier.
They met with Pastor Randy Downing for the needs of the Hoopeston area. Pastor Downing facilitated the formation of an Alpha group, which was a thirteen-week video Bible class with a meal served and group discussions afterwards that met in the Multi-Agency in 2007.
After the course, numerous people wanted to continue, and Bruce and Nancy McQuigg led a Sunday Night Bible Study at their home for several months. Late in 2007, discussions began about starting a church in Hoopeston that would meet each week.
In the spring of 2009, the congregation held their first service on March 1, 2009, in the Hoopeston Area High School Auditorium, where the Church met for several years. Pastors Bruce and Nancy McQuigg led the church, with Mark and Lisa Hupp, and Mike and Debbie Robling assisting. The Spirit Filled Church’s first Sunday had 19 in attendance.
The leadership was always looking for a permanent home for the Spirit Filled Church and a few years later purchased the property next to the High School. They learned that the property was proclaimed as a future church property several years before by the Hoopeston Assembly of God.
While continuing to look for a site in Hoopeston, the leadership contacted an architect and pursued church plans. The Hupps moved from the area, and Mark and Patty Scrivener joined the church staff in September 2013, just a short while before finding a location in downtown Hoopeston. The staff also welcomed JoHanna Gash as a new pastor and office manager in 2014.
A generous donor gifted New Beginnings Spirit Filled Church the "Hollywood Video Rental and Tanning" building at 204 E. Main St. in January 2014. After remodeling, the church opened with its first service in July 2014. The property was sold to the Hoopeston Area School District. Since that day, New Beginnings has operated debt-free. Our mission is “To see our community thrive in all areas in accordance with the Word of God, with the teachings of His Kingdom at the center of our lives."
In September 2020, after spending over a year teaching evangelism, Pastors Stan and Becky Jackowski accepted the call to be the lead pastors of New Beginnings Church. He pastors with a passion given by God to encourage and live by the faith of the Word of God. New Beginnings Church continues with a heart for God, the people of Hoopeston, and the areas they occupy. The resounding message is for people around the world to experience the salvation of God through the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ His Son.
Hoopeston has an interesting history of standing for holiness within the community. The city was famous for being a dry or “temperance” town starting in 1877 and remained dry until the early 1940s. The stand for holiness prohibited saloons in the city. Hoopeston adopted the nickname, the “Holy City” and supported over thirteen churches from a variety of denominations. At present, the church in Hoopeston has become the destination for hope with many churches in the surrounding area.
Ohio was the key state for early days of the temperance movement. Ohioans formed temperance groups which spread throughout the United States. "During the late 1800s and early 1900s, the Temperance Movement fought to reduce consumption of alcohol. The movement began in the 1820s, rooted in Protestant churches, led by clergy and prominent laymen, and powered by women volunteers." Digital Public Library of America, Women and the Temperance Movement.
