Written by Brandy, NewLife COO
46 Years of God’s Faithfulness
This year, NewLife Industries is celebrating 46 years in business! As we look back over our story, we can’t help but feel so grateful to our customers, our partners, and most of all, to God. For more than four decades, NewLife has been able to serve as a support arm to Christian ministries across the U.S. and around the world — and it’s all because of you!
↪ Read the stories of ministries you’ve helped support.
I’d love to share how NewLife became the company it is today. It’s a story I grew up hearing from my dad, Richard Humble, who founded NewLife back in 1979 — and it’s a story I now get to share as his daughter and as NewLife’s Chief Operating Officer.
A Step of Faith
By 1989, NewLife had been around for ten years, but things weren’t going well. My dad had built the company primarily around sports apparel and large retail accounts like Walmart, but his heart was always in Christian T-shirts. Despite several attempts, the Christian designs just never sold well. Only one shirt, “Christ Is Alive,” saw a small amount of success.
In the middle of that season of uncertainty, Dad was praying for direction, unsure what to do next, when God told him something that made absolutely no sense: “Leave those accounts.”
That seemed impossible. Those accounts represented nearly all our business, and we had large volumes of inventory tied to them. But after questioning and arguing with God about all the reasons this wouldn’t work, the message came again, unmistakably clear: “The damage is done. Move on.”
It went against every business instinct and decision he would make on his own – which is how he knew it wasn’t his own thinking but God’s direction. Despite all logic and people telling him it was crazy, he obeyed!
Trusting When It Didn’t Make Sense
The months that followed were incredibly difficult. Debt was mounting, sales were gone, and the business seemed to be collapsing. One day, while sitting in his office reading the Bible and praying, Dad opened to Acts 20:22, where Paul says:
“And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.”
That verse leapt off the page – perfectly describing his own situation. He looked up and saw the “Christ Is Alive” shirt hanging in his office. In that moment, he pointed to it and said aloud:
“If I’m going under, I’m going under doing something I believe in!”
God’s Direction and Provision
So, he went all in on Christian apparel once again — fully trusting God to lead the outcome. What Dad didn’t know was that a Christian T-shirt movement was beginning to sweep the nation and NewLife was right at the forefront of it.
NewLife launched the design “Jesus Is Our Hope” as a national campaign, and it took off. Within six months, the company started to turn around. Within a few years, every bit of debt was gone.
What seemed like the craziest decision he could make, became the very path that God used to save NewLife. God had a plan all along and my dad’s obedience positioned NewLife for that success!
Leaving a Legacy
My dad’s life has been a testament of faith, obedience, and perseverance. His trust in God, even when the path didn’t make sense, has shaped NewLife and strengthened my own faith. I’ve learned that no matter the circumstances, we can always trust God’s Word. Even when His direction seems impossible or goes against all logic, if we follow Him, He goes ahead of us to make a way.
As Ephesians 3:20 reminds us, God is able to do “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us.” My dad’s obedience positioned NewLife to experience God’s miraculous provision, and it’s a lesson I still carry with me: trusting God’s guidance is always more important than following what seems “safe” or logical.
My dad’s example continues to guide us, inspiring us to operate NewLife in a way that honors God, supports ministries, and leaves a lasting legacy of faithfulness for the next generation.
Our Mission — Then and Now
Through every high and low over the years, one thing has never changed: NewLife is God’s company. My dad built this company on faith and obedience, and our family has continued that same commitment.
From 1979 to today, our mission has remained the same: To promote Christ with our products, our finances, and by the example we set as a Christian company.
Thank you for your continued loyalty and partnership. Because of your support, NewLife is able to help spread the Gospel and fund ministries that are changing lives around the world!
Want to See the Difference You’re Making?
Your church’s support truly makes an impact. Through your purchases, NewLife has been able to help fund Christian orphanages, support global missions, and provide resources for ministries sharing the Gospel every day.
↪ Click here to read the stories of the ministries you’ve helped us support.
Thank you for being part of this journey and for helping us continue to share the message of Jesus Christ – one shirt at a time!