About New Again

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. Ezekiel 36:26

Mission

New Again is a local faith community and a regional ministry that serves pastors, churches, and their neighbors.

Vision

New Again reflects God’s “new heart and new spirit” vision for local pastors and churches so that we can engage and bless the people they serve.

Organization

New Again is a ministry supporting the American Baptist Church-Central Pacific Coast region (ABC-CPC). The American Baptist Churches USA (ABC) is a mainline Christian denomination with more than one million members and 5,000 congregations. ABC is known for being the most diverse Christian denomination and the denomination of Martin Luther King, Jr.  ABC is not affiliated with the Southern Baptist Church.

The American Baptist Church mission statement is: American Baptists are a Christ-centered, biblically grounded, ethnically diverse people called to radical personal discipleship in Christ Jesus. You can read more about American Baptist Church’s history, beliefs and 10 Facts.

Strategy

Our strategy is rooted in Scripture:

And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.

  • - Psalm 78:72

New Again expresses this passage through a Soul + Strategy investment in four areas:

1. The soul of the leader 
2. A discipleship culture 
3. Strategic planning 
4. Sustainable systems

Pastor Charles Scandlyn

Reverend Charley Scandlyn

Rev. Charley Scandlyn created New Again to support the churches and leaders of the ABC-CPC. Charley has served as a pastor in Bay Area ministry for more than 30 years. With a focus on ministry, start-ups and spiritual friendships, Charley has a broad range of church and nonprofit experience. He often speaks on topics such as relationships, parenting, leadership, strategic ministry, and spiritual formation.

Before starting New Again, Charley founded New Community Church in Menlo Park in 2018. Charley raised funds and renovated the church campus, and led the church for five years as senior pastor. NCC was founded with a commitment to Christ-centered spiritual formation and engagement with local nonprofits and the community.

Charley was also the founding executive director for the non-profit Ravenswood Education Foundation in East Palo Alto. He engaged the broader local community to come together to improve educational outcomes for EPA’s nine public schools.

Charley previously served at Menlo Church as executive pastor, Menlo Park campus pastor, pastor to students and young adults, and more. He created and led ministries of generosity, healing and discipleship as well as building community at the church’s flagship campus.

Charley is an active member of the community and coached public school sports teams for almost 20 years. He serves as a community pastor and leads a monthly gathering. Charley serves on the board of Compass High School, a Bay Area preparatory school for complex learners, and serves on the Arts & Culture Committee for the Town of Woodside.

Holding a master’s degree in theology from Fuller Seminary, a bachelor’s degree in business administration from San Diego State University, Charley has completed the LEAD innovation program at Stanford's Graduate School of Business. He is ordained in the American Baptist denomination.

Charley and his wife Nicole have raised seven adult children and enjoy living in the mid-Peninsula region.

Reverend Eric Venable

The Reverend Eric Venable has dedicated over 35 years to full-time ministry as a pastor and nonprofit leader. He served alongside Charley for 10 years as a pastor at Menlo Church, following his tenure as lead pastor at Christian Layman Church in Oakland. Eric has also devoted significant time to serving vulnerable populations, including as executive director of Freedom InSight, an anti-trafficking organization, and CityTeam San Francisco, a ministry supporting addiction recovery and homeless services. His career has spanned large churches, small rural congregations, and church-planting initiatives, giving him a uniquely broad perspective on ministry. Eric’s passion for God’s Word, discipleship, and servant leadership has enabled him to move fluidly into diverse roles throughout his ministry.

A lifelong Silicon Valley resident, Eric is also an author and speaker. Although he describes himself as a “terrible athlete and outdoorsman,” his favorite moments are spent with his two daughters, now in their twenties. He holds an undergraduate degree in Theology and a master’s degree from Fuller Seminary and Bethel Seminary.