A small church is making a big difference in the Humboldt Park Neighborhood. Through the years, its pastors have taken some unusual steps to bring positive change to the community.

This is the story of Iglesia Nueva Vida, or New Life Church. It's a humble jewel that has given new life into a neighborhood that was once suffering under the pressure of gangs, prostitution, and sorrow.

For the last 60 years, Iglesia Nueva Vida's Spanish campus has been a beacon at the corner of Mozart and Waubansia.

At the helm is Pastor Jarixon Medina. Call him Pastor Jaro. His message is simple.

"Our mission has always been we are a church for the hurting," he said.

Pastor Jaro said there's a lot of hurt to go around, but also a lot of hope. You just have to be all-in.

"Our mission is to be involved in the community outside of the four walls," He said.

When Pastor Ignacio Marrero founded the church in 1965, the community was a hot spot for gangs and crime. His younger son, David, also a New Life pastor, said no one could believe at the time that his father was opening a church in Humboldt Park.

"The neighborhood was one of the worst neighborhoods in the city of Chicago," he said. "They thought that he was crazy to come here and serve in this capacity, but he did it.

Pastor Ignacio stayed committed to the neighborhood even after his older son, Nachito, died at age 18, a victim of gun violence.

"He could have switched jobs. He could have moved the church to another location, but he didn't do that, and he really had a vision to help out this community the best way possible," Pastor David said.

Part of that involved some real estate savvy.

"There's a building right next to this location that we ended up purchasing," David said. "We opened up our first women's shelter and that's where we started to expand ourselves outside of the four walls."

Later, under the leadership of Pastor Wilfredo De Jesus, the church bought a farm three hours west of Chicago. It's a safe place where women who were victims of human trafficking and abuse can build their new lives.

The nearby corner of Waubansia and California was next.

"This is the corner that for many years, it was a liquor store, violence, gang infested," Pastor Jaro said. "Our senior pastor said we need to control this. If we control this, we can control the violence."

So the church bought the building on the corner and shut down the liquor store. Over the years, the space has become a home for community health clinics. Proceeds from the resale shop next door benefit children around the world.

Sometimes the church's methods can be a little unorthodox. One story began with a call from the Chicago Police Department's 14th District to Pastor De Jesus.

"The commander of the Police Department called our senior pastor at the time, and told him, 'Hey, we have arrested over 600 prostitutes in your community. What can we do?'" Pastor Jaro said. "So, he has this idea to tell a lady from the church, 'Go get me four prostitutes and bring them here. Ask them how much do they charge you per an hour? And she brought them, and they decorated with nice table cloths, red carpet, rose petals. And when they came in, he said, 'I have paid for an hour. Let me tell you about a man. His name is Jesus. And at the end, they all accepted Jesus as the lord and savior, and they all gave the money back. They said, 'No man has ever treated us this way.'"

Helping the hurting happens at New Life every day.

"We sleep well when we are able know at least we have left a footprint in this community," Pastor Jaro said. "Everyone who walks through these doors can come out with a new life."

The church also has men's groups, and help for inmates at Cook County Jail and people struggling with addiction.

The pastors said they haven't accomplished it all on their own. They're grateful for help from government officials and grants, and the inspiration they get from their community.

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