New Life Academy has plans to expand upon its current building, including purchasing 30 additional acres and building a sports facility. Photo: New Life Academy
Take a look at the beginning, growth and future plans of New Life Academy.
In January 1977, a small group of preschoolers gathered inside a borrowed church in South St. Paul as part of a pilot program for a school that didn’t yet exist.
There was no campus, no guarantee it would last—just two teachers, Patti Wiens and Sherry Strong, 10 children ages 3 and 4, and a question for their parents: Are you going to be behind us in this school adventure? “They said, ‘Absolutely—we’re behind you,’” Patti recalls. That fall, New Life Academy opened its doors for the first time.
Now, half a century later, the private Christian school in Woodbury is preparing to celebrate a major milestone while looking ahead to what comes next. The school, which serves over 820 students from pre-K to grade 12, is a ministry of New Life Church, which held its first service in October 1976.
“Fifty years is a long time … There’s a lot of excitement, and there’s a lot of hope for the future,” says Brett Lilly, executive director of the ministry and lead pastor. To commemorate the anniversary, the school will host a public celebration from 11 a.m.–3 p.m. on October 3; an anniversary church service at 10:30 a.m. November 1; and a Legacy Dinner slated for 5–8 p.m. January 16, 2027 (registration required). “We’re working really hard to honor the past and appreciate those that laid the foundation and really worked hard to build this place,” Lilly says.
The founders of New Life Academy, Dick and Patti Wiens. Photo: Matt Deery
In 1976, after New Life’s first service, Patti’s husband, Dick Wiens, began his search for a place to establish both a church and a school. On his days off, he drove in every direction, looking for the right community. That search eventually led him to Woodbury.
After visiting farms throughout the area, Dick approached a property owner along Bailey Road about purchasing his land. The owner initially declined but called back the next day. Patti recalls how the owners said they hadn’t slept all night and believed they were called to sell Dick the land. That 30-acre property included a house, a barn and a pond—and would later become the site of New Life Academy.
Today, the school is planning to expand its campus by purchasing an additional 30 acres adjacent to its current property. With waitlists already in place for multiple grades, Lilly says the expansion will accommodate growing enrollment.
The plans also include additional green space and a year-round sports facility designed to serve both students and the broader community. Lilly says the school hopes to host tournaments and other events that could bring visitors and additional revenue to Woodbury. An auditorium is also in the works to support expanded arts programming.
Lilly says New Life’s focus goes beyond just academics. “It’s not just moving from one grade to the next,” he says. “It’s being part of something bigger than yourself.”
John Horner is an alumnus who has remained involved with New Life since graduating in 2014 and met his wife, Sydney Horner, a 2015 graduate, at the school. “We are high school sweethearts,” he says. Now, the couple has two daughters at the school—a 7-year-old in first grade and a 5-year-old in pre-K—and John coaches the varsity baseball team. “I think what really drives the school is the staff … their dedication and their love for the students,” John says. “When you walk into the school, it feels like your second home.”
New Life Academy
Facebook: New Life Academy of Woodbury
