Hey, church family!

If you’re new, this letter will sound…new! If you’ve been here for a while, you may think I copied and pasted last year’s update. I promise I didn’t! The reality is that the Lord has continued to be incredibly faithful, kind, benevolent, and gracious to our church family.

This year we had the privilege of sending several workers to the nations to serve long-term, seeking to plant churches where Jesus is not yet known. We also helped plant three national churches and welcomed two additional national church planters. I’m not sure you realize this, but that is ridiculous! That is God’s kindness. And that’s just one part of our mission. In the pages ahead, you’re going to read many stories of God’s faithfulness through our kids, students, Community Groups, local outreach, discipleship, college, recovery, and so much more. The Lord has been moving among us, and I hope this report stirs your heart to stop and simply say, “Praise God!”

What makes all of this even more meaningful is the context in which it has happened. For many in our church family, this has been a genuinely difficult year. There have been seasons of grief, sickness, uncertainty, disappointment, and loss. At the same time, there have been many who have continued serving, giving, discipling, opening their homes, praying, and making much of Jesus while carrying heavy burdens of their own.

Church family, thank you.

Your faithfulness has been deeply encouraging to me. The fruit you’ll read about in these pages didn’t come from people who had easy lives; it came from ordinary believers who believed Jesus was worthy even when life was hard. I don’t think we’ll know this side of eternity how many lives have been changed because someone chose to keep trusting, keep serving, keep loving, and keep pointing others to Christ in the middle of their own suffering.

There has been so much Gospel fruit this year that I honestly can’t express how encouraged I am. As you read these pages, my prayer is that you won’t simply celebrate numbers or ministry wins.

I pray you’ll see the faithfulness of God. I pray you’ll remember His kindness in your own life. And I pray you’ll be reminded that Jesus really is worthy. My hope is that, as you look back on this year at The Well, you would find that you love Jesus more than you did a year ago, and that many others love Him more because of the ways God used your sacrifices, prayers, generosity, and faithfulness.

May Paul’s words become increasingly true of us: “For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you?”
(1 Thessalonians 2:19-20). And whatever circumstances this next year brings, may we continue to rejoice in the Lord, knowing that He is enough (Philippians 4:4, 12-13).

Thank you for letting us serve alongside you. We can’t wait to see what Jesus will continue to do as, together, we make much of Him until every person has repeated opportunities to see, hear, and respond to the Gospel.

This collection gathers the wins shared during Sunday hosting moments from September 2025 through August 2026. Each story points beyond a weekly announcement to the ways God worked through His people in Austin and across the world.

These are not simply highlights of human achievement but snapshots of grace—lives changed, disciples formed, neighbors served, missionaries sent, churches planted, and the Gospel shared. May they stir gratitude for what God has done and hope for what He will continue to do.

September 7: This week’s win was a Serve the City story from the South Central Community Group. Through its One Place partnership with My Families Farm, the group supported a home where young people are given space to develop character and strengthen family connections. By showing up consistently, the group joined work aimed at changing generational cycles through love, stability, and Gospel hope.

September 21: This week’s win came from Well College during Welcome Week at the University of Texas. The ministry surveyed about 1,000 students, and roughly half expressed interest in learning more about salvation. Seven students placed their faith in Christ, and two students were baptized during Celebration Sunday.

September 28: This week’s win came from the Balcones Village Community Group and its partnership with Safe Families. The group hosted a first-ever baby shower for a mother who had experienced homelessness and was expecting her fifth child. Members provided decorations, gifts, a cake, prayer, and encouragement, then continued supporting her through the final days of pregnancy and delivery.

October 5: This week’s win came from Bryan and Esther Davidson, missionaries sent from The Well to Kobe, Japan. After months of walking through the First Steps program with Bryan, a new believer chose to trust Christ, follow Him for life, and be baptized. The celebration reflected the fruit of faithful, cross-cultural discipleship.

October 12: This week’s win was the launch of Alpha, a 10-week environment where people could explore honest questions about life and faith. The first gathering welcomed 13 guests, including four nonbelievers and two new believers. The church prayed that the space would help people who were curious, skeptical, or unsure about Christianity encounter Jesus.

October 19: This week’s win was about Well Kids. More than 144 children participated in the ministry on a typical Sunday, supported by over 120 volunteers. From check-in to classroom teaching, those volunteers created space for the next generation to hear the Gospel and grow in faith.

October 26: This week’s win was a story of reaching the lost. After completing a Disciple Making Cohort and joining the nine-month Goer Missional Cohort, Covenant Member Lola joined the Ramirez family for neighborhood evangelism. At a local Walmart, the Ramirezes prayed with a young couple, shared how Jesus had changed their lives, and saw the couple receive Christ. They continued walking with the family and invited them into church community.

November 9: This week’s win was about spiritual formation through fasting and community. The Balcones Village Community Group fasted together for 24 hours and ended the fast with a fall potluck marked by prayer, dependence, gratitude, and shared joy. Across the church, more than 200 people also submitted prayer requests during the October fasting survey for the staff team to pray and fast over.

November 16: This week’s win was the commissioning of the Tinlin family for ministry in the Middle East. After a season of prayer, assessment, and training, they prepared to join an international team focused on evangelism, discipling new believers, and supporting local church-planting efforts. The Well committed to serve as their sending church through prayer, care, and financial partnership.

November 23: This week’s win celebrated two Sundays of visible spiritual fruit. Celebration Sunday included 11 baptisms, three child dedications, nearly 50 new Covenant Members, and new Community Group Shepherds stepping into disciple-making leadership. On Healing Sunday, nearly half the church received prayer, and one attendee reported immediate improvement after prayer for an injured foot. Together, these moments testified to a church growing in faith and dependence on the Spirit.

November 30: This week’s win came from the Parker Station Community Group. During its Friendsgiving gathering, the group shopped for 21 children, wrote letters, gathered donations, and packed Christmas Child boxes. Those gifts were sent around the world with opportunities for children to hear about Jesus.

December 7: This week’s win was about a developing church plant in the Travis Heights area of South Austin. Its core team served Afghan refugee children through a recurring soccer clinic, prayer-walked the neighborhood each Wednesday, and partnered with Austin Ridge on a diaper pantry for young families and single mothers. These efforts opened doors for relationships, prayer, Discovery Bible Studies, and Gospel conversations ahead of the church’s launch.

December 14: This week’s win was the Eastside Giving Tree. Community Groups and the wider church provided more than 100 Christmas gifts to students at Eastside High School, many of whom participated in the free-lunch program. Each student, including those on the autism spectrum, received the specific gifts requested on their wish list.

January 5: This week’s win was The Well’s first 24-hour prayer gathering. More than 30 people participated throughout the day and night, praying for the church, the Austin community, missionaries, specific needs, and the nations. The gathering created a set-apart space to seek God together and depend on the Spirit in prayer.

January 12: This week’s win was the release of the first-quarter Impact Financial Report. The church came in under budget in nearly every area and was able to direct more funding toward church planting and missions. The report connected those financial results with growing community, Gospel ministry, and people coming to faith in Christ.

January 18: This week’s win was the sending of The Well’s fourth national church plant, The Garden. The commissioning represented years of prayer, generosity, leadership development, and a shared belief that the Gospel moves forward through healthy local churches. The church also prayed for God to raise up additional planters for the years ahead.

February 8: This week’s win honored Bryan and Esther Davidson, missionaries commissioned by The Well in 2024 to serve in Kobe, Japan. As the church began its Barnabas series, their quiet and faithful obedience offered a living picture of the Gospel moving toward one of the world’s least-reached contexts. The church prayed over them and renewed its commitment to international church planting.

February 15: This week’s win was the release of new discipleship resources for individuals and groups. The materials included a 47-day Lent devotional focused on repentance, reflection, and renewed affection for Christ, as well as an interactive resource tracing the movement of the Gospel through Acts. Together, the tools created clearer pathways for continual and reproducible discipleship.

February 22: This week’s win came from the International Core Team Training cohort, a nine-month program for people considering long-term international ministry. When winter weather canceled the Sunday gathering, cohort members hosted neighbors from their apartment community for church at home. A canceled service became a living room filled with Scripture, prayer, worship, and hospitality.

March 1: This week’s win returned to the church’s new personal and group discipleship curriculum. The resources were designed to help people understand both what it means to follow Jesus and how to walk faithfully with others. Their release reflected The Well’s desire for discipleship that is continual, practical, and reproducible.

March 8: This week’s win was the launch of a new round of Disciple Making Cohorts. Forty-five people entered rhythms of prayer, discipleship training, and shared mission. The cohorts prepared participants to prayer-walk the city, engage people in public spaces, and share the Gospel with those who had not heard it.

March 15: This week’s win continued the celebration of 45 people participating in Disciple Making Cohorts. Through the 10-week small-group experience, participants built everyday faith, learned to walk with others, and prepared for evangelism and prayer in parks and public spaces. The goal was not only personal growth, but disciples who would help make more disciples.

March 22: This week’s win came from missionaries serving in Spain. A man from an unreached people group began reading the Bible with a local leader, grew to love Jesus, and chose baptism despite the possibility of rejection and violence from coworkers and family. He was welcomed into a new spiritual family, continued in discipleship, and began looking for opportunities to share Christ within his community.

March 29: This week’s win was an unexpected act of care for the Frias family after a difficult season of illness and spiritual opposition in the Middle East. A couple who had previously served overseas with young children heard about the family’s needs and gave $50,000 to their ministry account with a simple message: ‘God sees you.’ The gift strengthened and encouraged missionaries serving far from home.

May 10: This week’s win marked Tyler’s transition from Missions Director toward church planting. The church invited Tyler and Margaux forward, celebrated the new calling, and prayed over them as they prepared for the next stage of ministry.

May 17: This week’s win was a Serve the City story. Four Community Groups partnered with More Than Welcome, an organization that helps refugees and asylum seekers transition into the Austin community. Group members spent time in conversation and games with Afghan refugees, while also helping the organization strengthen relationships with residents and apartment management.

May 31: This week’s win came from international short-term teams. More than 40 people from The Well served in Japan and North Africa, supporting long-term workers through Gospel sharing, care, and vision casting. During one North Africa trip, two team members shared the Gospel with a young woman who placed her faith in Jesus.

June 7: This week’s win celebrated missionaries sent to Barcelona about seven years earlier. Since moving there in 2019, their ministry had seen baptisms, professions of faith, Gospel conversations, and seven churches planted. Their work offered a picture of long-term labor bearing fruit through local churches.

June 14: This week’s win was Well Kids Bible Camp. 70+ children participated, and 43 volunteers helped them trace the biblical theme of God dwelling with His people through the garden, the temple, and the church. Stories, creative projects, and hands-on activities helped the next generation see how Scripture points to Jesus.

July 12: This week’s win was about short-term teams serving in North Africa, Barcelona, and Japan. The teams supported missionary partners, served local churches, and created opportunities for people to hear the Gospel. In North Africa alone, team members shared the Gospel more than 57 times and saw one woman place her faith in Christ.

July 26: This week’s win was about life in Community Groups. Around 300 people gathered each week in more than 30 groups across Austin to share meals, study Scripture, pray, and build relationships. After a difficult week, 20 members of the South Central Community Group gathered for worship in a garage and left encouraged, joyful, and more aware of how God was working in their lives.

August 2: This week’s win was about nine people who indicated that they wanted to follow Jesus. Several came forward for prayer, allowing the team to hear their stories and begin follow-up. Among them were a previously agnostic Covenant Community participant who concluded that Jesus was the only answer that made sense, and a Chinese woman who approached the prayer team to say she wanted to become a follower of Christ.

August 9: This week’s win came from the Southeast Community Group’s One Place partnership with The Other Ones Foundation, which provides shelter, job training, and pathways toward housing for unhoused neighbors. The group served meals to 45 residents and continued building a consistent presence marked by compassion and practical care.

Our final corner of the fiscal year has been beautiful! Through much preparation and volunteer hours, we were able to put on an extremely worshipful and fun Well Kids Bible Camp! We had more than 70 children attend, and they were able to learn more about how God dwells with His people and, because of Jesus, always will! We saw young minds understanding deep theological concepts like Christ covering us, the high-priestly duties, and their identity as children of God! May we continue to teach and challenge our kids with these big truths, believing that they can understand far more than we often give them credit for!

We continue to pray for more volunteers, and the Lord continues to provide them. It’s amazing to see the Lord answer our requests in real time! We are so blessed by the faithfulness of so many volunteers who show up each week to set up classrooms, pray for the children, and teach them how much Jesus loves them and how beautiful the story of God is! This past year we saw multiple kids baptized, more than 40 children dedicated, and we have continued to open new classrooms to make room for more children in our Sunday programming!

We are so grateful that the Lord has done so much to create belonging in our kids ministry. Our desire is that kids and families alike would know that they are wanted and needed in our church. Our prayer from Ephesians 3 has continued to be that our kids and volunteers would be grounded and rooted in Christ’s love so that they would have the strength to understand how wide, long, high, and deep God’s love is—and that it surpasses human understanding. We believe deeply that the love of God changes everything, so we will continue to pray that people experience Christ’s love here in Well Kids and that it changes how they view others and how they view themselves as children of God. We have a good Father who continues to take care of us and sets us up to see miracles! Thank you, Jesus!

That longing to see children know the love of God is reflected in Mark 9:33–37. The disciples argue about which of them is the greatest. Jesus sits down, calls the Twelve, and places a child in the middle of the room. Then He takes the child in His arms and tells the disciples that receiving a child in His name is a way of receiving Him. Jesus answers adult ambition by bringing a child close. Rather than serving as scenery for the lesson, the child is welcomed, held, and given a place of honor among people competing for importance.

In the arms of Jesus, a child is not an interruption but a living picture of whom His kingdom receives. Well Kids wants to reflect that heart every time a volunteer prepares a room, learns a name, prays for a family, or teaches the story of God. This year’s Bible Camp invited more than 70 children into substantial truths about God dwelling with His people, Christ covering us, and our identity as children of God. The baptisms, child dedications, new classrooms, and faithful volunteers all serve the same purpose: children are received as people who can truly know and respond to Jesus.

Mark 9 also shapes the posture of the adults who serve. Jesus redirects the disciples away from status and toward humble welcome. In Well Kids, the most Christlike work may look ordinary: setting up a classroom, explaining a difficult idea clearly, listening to a child’s question, or helping a family feel that they belong. Because Jesus has already shown their value, these acts simply make His welcome visible. The ministry wants children to encounter a church that takes their faith seriously, teaches them the Gospel with tenderness and depth, and helps them see that life with Jesus begins with being received by Him.

Looking ahead, Student Ministry will officially kick off on August 16. From there, we will meet every Sunday morning, except on holidays, and study the book of Mark. This will help me get a better sense of where the students are and home in on what they need. There will also be an occasional midweek event throughout the semester meant for fellowship and fun for our students.

Additionally, I am working on a partnership with Mission Possible and getting involved in the Eastside more directly beyond Sundays. From this partnership, I’ll be investing in the students in our community and building a presence in Eastside High School. A couple of Mission Possible leaders and I will partner to spend time with students at Eastside during lunch.

In the summer, I hope to take our students to Camp Zephyr for a week, but the details are still being developed.

The posture behind that hope becomes visible in Mark 10:13–16. People bring children to Jesus so that He might bless them. The disciples try to turn them away, but Jesus is indignant. He calls the children to Himself, takes them in His arms, and blesses them. The scene reveals a Savior who refuses to treat young people as peripheral, inconvenient, or spiritually insignificant. He receives them, gives them His attention, and holds them up as examples of how the kingdom of God is received.

Jesus receives young people as part of His church now, not someday. Student Ministry wants to reflect that heart by giving teenagers a place where they are known, welcomed, taught the truth, and invited to respond to Jesus for themselves. The Sunday study through Mark places students directly in the story of Christ so they can see His authority, compassion, cross, and resurrection. Fellowship events create room for relationships to grow around that truth, while the developing partnership at Eastside High School places caring adults near students in the ordinary setting of lunch and school life.

The hope already expressed for this ministry is that students would love Jesus more deeply and desire to build His kingdom because they have experienced His goodness and love. Mark 10 keeps that hope personal. Before the children can accomplish anything for Jesus, they are received and blessed by Him. In the same way, Student Ministry begins with grace: Jesus moves toward young people first. Teaching, presence at Eastside, Sunday gatherings, and the possibility of camp are ways of helping students come near enough to see who He is. Any service, courage, friendship, or faith that grows afterward is a response to the One who welcomed them. The scene also corrects the adults around Jesus: rather than deciding that young people are too distracted, too inexperienced, or too far away, our role is to bring them near, remove unnecessary barriers, and trust that the welcome of Christ is substantial enough to shape a life.

In all of this, my hope for the students is that they will become more deeply in love with Jesus and desire to build up His kingdom as a response to His goodness and love for them!

This year, we watched the college ministry’s purpose become tangible in the lives of students. Attendance grew, but the deeper encouragement came as students learned to follow Jesus with purpose. Some moved from receiving hospitality to offering it. Others began sharing the Gospel, leading Discovery Bible Studies, joining the church as covenant members, and serving with consistency. A growing number are also asking how their education, relationships, and future work might serve God’s kingdom. Those choices tell the story better than a crowded room ever could: students are taking responsibility for their faith and learning to help others do the same.

Our first college resident offers a clear picture of that change. This student entered the ministry as someone being discipled and is now investing in others through the same pathway. That transition—from receiving care to carrying responsibility—shows what multiplication can look like in an ordinary life. It also gives younger students a nearby example of faithful leadership. As residents and student leaders learn to open Scripture, ask good questions, pray with friends, and invite others into the church, the work becomes less dependent on staff and more deeply rooted in the student community.

From the beginning of the year, God opened incredible doors across the University of Texas at Austin campus. During Welcome Week alone, our team surveyed more than 1,000 students, creating opportunities for hundreds of conversations and dozens of meaningful Gospel appointments. These initial interactions became the foundation for new relationships, Discovery Bible Studies, invitations into community, and opportunities to share the hope of Jesus.

Throughout the year, we shared 418 Gospel seeds, held more than 30 Gospel appointments, and hosted more than 15 Discovery Bible Studies where students encountered Scripture, wrestled with questions, and explored what it means to follow Christ. We celebrated seeing students place their faith in Jesus and publicly proclaim that decision through baptism, while many others took significant steps toward spiritual maturity through discipleship, community, and involvement in the local church.

Prayer has continued to be the foundation that sustains our ministry. Our Wednesday Morning Prayer gathering at 6:30 a.m. has remained a consistent rhythm where students and leaders come together to seek the Lord before engaging the campus. Each week, we have prayed for our university, our city, and the nations, trusting God to move among students and raise up faithful laborers for His kingdom.

Over time, this commitment to prayer has shaped the culture of our ministry. Students have grown in their dependence on God and developed a deeper burden for those who do not yet know Christ. This has fueled a greater willingness to share the Gospel with classmates, friends, and communities. This past year, we began tracking our prayers on a world map, and by the final day of school, we had the privilege of praying for every nation by name. This simple practice became a powerful reminder of God’s heart for the nations and our invitation to participate in His global mission.

God has also continued to deepen our connection to the local church. Our Sunday college attendance grew from approximately 150 students to more than 250, and over 70 new covenant members committed themselves to growing, serving, and living on mission through the church. More importantly, we have seen students move beyond simply attending gatherings and begin to understand what it means to belong to the body of Christ. They are serving in ministry, building relationships, and recognizing that following Jesus includes a commitment to His church.

Bible studies are also taking root in places where students already spend their lives: ROTC, sororities, athletics, and other campus communities. Friends can open God’s Word together without first crossing an unfamiliar ministry threshold, and spiritual conversations can continue in classrooms, practices, and shared routines. These groups give students room to ask honest questions, develop real friendships, and speak about Jesus among people who know them well. They are becoming small, steady outposts of Christian witness across campus.

This year also marked our second Summer Discipleship Program, where 10 students committed their summer to serving our church plants, learning from ministry leaders and guest speakers, and participating in a short-term mission trip to East Asia. This program has provided a unique opportunity to invest deeply in students, expose them to different expressions of ministry, and help them consider how God may be calling them to serve both locally and globally. We are excited to continue developing this program as we seek to cultivate students who have a vision for both their campus and the nations.

John 1:35–46 traces the kind of multiplication College Ministry longs to see. Two men hear John the Baptist identify Jesus and begin walking behind Him. Jesus turns and asks what they are seeking, then invites them to come and see where He is staying. Andrew spends the day with Jesus and immediately finds his brother Simon to tell him that they have found the Messiah. Soon after, Jesus calls Philip, and Philip goes to Nathanael with the same simple invitation: come and see. The movement begins with people encountering Jesus personally and then bringing someone they know to meet Him.

Jesus forms disciples who bring other people to Him. That is the heart College Ministry wants to reflect. Students are invited to encounter Jesus in Scripture, remain with Him in prayer, and follow Him within the life of the local church. From there, they can turn toward roommates, classmates, teammates, and friends with an invitation rooted in what they have actually seen in Christ. Rather than making students dependent on a program or a staff member, the ministry wants them to know Jesus well enough to help another person take an honest step toward Him.

The stories from this year echo that Gospel pattern. Welcome Week conversations opened into Gospel appointments and Discovery Bible Studies. A college resident moved from receiving discipleship to investing in others. Students prayed for the campus and the nations, joined the church, served faithfully, and carried Bible studies into the places where they already live. Each of those moments begins with Jesus and moves outward through relationship. College Ministry wants students to hear His invitation, follow Him with their whole lives, and become the kind of friends who can say to someone else, with humility and confidence, come and see.

God has been on the move this year, and one of the biggest wins has been the creation of new discipleship resources to help believers on their journey with Jesus. “Looking to Jesus” was created to answer some of our most basic questions surrounding discipleship: What is it? Who disciples me, and who do I disciple? And what do we do when we meet? “Becoming Like Jesus,” our next step in the journey, is an invitation to walk with Jesus in the Gospels and allow His life to shape our own. It’s been designed to serve both the newer believer and any believer looking to grow in what it looks like to follow Christ. Each week follows a similar structure, which can be reapplied to other passages of Scripture once the curriculum is complete. Both “Looking to Jesus” and “Becoming Like Jesus” are available to download from The Well’s Resourcing Library. Since these resources are brand new, we’d love to hear how they’re serving you and your group—let us know!

The Well Said podcast has also completed its third season, with 50+ episodes and over 57 hours of discipleship conversations. In our end-of-season survey, when asked how Well Said impacted their relationship with Jesus, one listener shared: “The topics or greater themes often come up in spiritual conversations, from the non-believer to the well-grounded believer. The wisdom shared in Well Said, and the biblical approach to controversial topics modeled, have helped me in discipleship with close friends and help their walk with Jesus—as well as my own!” Season 4 launched in April 2026, with 9 episodes out and seven more to go. We are humbled and grateful to continue these conversations to help others love, follow, and serve Jesus more. Listen in on The Well’s website, YouTube, Apple, and Spotify.

This upcoming year we will continue building the discipleship journey by developing “Maturing in Jesus.” Its aim is to grow Gospel literacy and application by helping participants understand how the message of the Gospel unfolds across Scripture from Genesis to Revelation—and what it looks like to live in light of that with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength. We’re excited to see how God uses this resource to deepen our understanding of His character, His love for us, and His Word.

The road to Emmaus gathers these themes into one scene. Luke 24:13–35 follows two disciples leaving Jerusalem with disappointment and confusion. Jesus comes alongside them on the road to Emmaus, but they do not recognize Him. He asks what they are discussing and allows them to tell the story as they understand it. Then, beginning with Moses and the Prophets, He shows them how the Scriptures point to the Messiah. At the table their eyes are opened, and they recognize Jesus. They immediately return to Jerusalem to tell the others what happened on the road and how He became known to them.

There are three main threads this past fiscal year that will mark our Community Groups ministry going forward: prayer, church planting, and One Place.

Midway through the year, we shared an update that we had multiple CGs close in the fall. Since then, we have had one more wind down in the spring. To lose several groups back-to-back is certainly out of the norm for us, and brought us to a place of dependence and surrender before the Lord. For weeks we prayed John 15:2 daily over our church and CGs, believing that the Lord was at work doing something big in the midst of what felt mostly like loss.

It created space for us to pray bold, consistent prayers for more discipleship and development to happen within our CGs. Then we got to look on as God moved in undeniable ways. Although several groups closed, we also opened 5 new CGs this year with two or three more planning to multiply in the fall. To open these new groups and maintain health in our existing CGs, we brought on 33 new Shepherds in one year. These are just some of the mighty ways God has been providing so faithfully and answering prayers for more kingdom fruit in our church.

Even more, all of this change allowed us to identify some very important gaps within our leadership development pathways. Two of the CGs that closed were directly related to sending out multiple church planters, as our beloved shepherds felt led by God to be sent and join their core teams (a massive win for the kingdom!!). This led to us building out new curriculum for a 10-week cohort called ‘Leading Like Jesus.’ This new content will create spaces across our church that will help shape and equip women and men with the necessary skills, vision, and character to potentially lead in the future. Our prayer is that this will one day lead to an abundance of servant-leaders ready to answer the call to Shepherd a CG!

Lastly, we are finishing the year with a lot of renewed excitement and hope for One Place; nearly all groups have a committed CG One Place, and 82 percent of Covenant Members have a personal One Place. This is a significant win, and so encouraging. In large part this is due to our CG One Place Ambassadors doing an incredible job engaging group members each week. Former OPA (current Shepherd), Claire Cheney, even shared this win:

“Tonight was our first CG as Allandale! Obviously the group is still sort of forming, but FOUR different people have asked about serving as OPAs! Just praising God that so many people are excited about leading our CG in serving, living missionally, and sharing the Gospel!!”

There are so many more wins we could share, because even when there appears to be loss, or circumstances we can’t understand or explain, we can trust that God is at work on our behalf. We can trust that He loves and builds up His Church way more than we ever could. Thank you, King Jesus!

As we look ahead to next year, I really hope that it is a lot like our summer CG Cookout on a grander scale. That might sound a bit silly, but hear me out. We hoped and prayed that a more relaxed atmosphere for our CG summer event would foster space for community to be built, friends to invite friends, new people to find belonging, greater diversity in all ways, an abundance of BBQ, and just lots of fun. And the Lord heard and answered.

Zacchaeus’s encounter with Jesus carries this vision of welcome into a home. Luke 19:1–10 finds him climbing a tree because he wants to see Jesus. He is a wealthy tax collector, known for participating in a system that harmed his neighbors, and the crowd does not expect Jesus to welcome him. Yet Jesus looks up, calls Zacchaeus by name, and chooses to enter his home. Around that encounter, grace reaches a person the community had written off. Zacchaeus responds by making restitution and giving generously, and Jesus declares that salvation has come to the house.

The Community Groups ministry wants to reflect the heart of Christ seen in that home. Jesus notices a person, crosses a social boundary, shares life at a table, and allows grace to produce a changed relationship with others. Prayer, new Shepherds, Leading Like Jesus, shared meals, church planting, and One Place all find their meaning there. A group is more than a meeting to attend; it can become a household where people are known by name, welcomed near Jesus, and changed in ways that overflow toward neighbors. The story of Zacchaeus shows how belonging and repentance work together: in the presence of Jesus, welcome opens the door for truth, restoration, generosity, and mission.

Lord, let it be so for next year!

This year we saw a noticeable increase in CGs finding their One Place. This is a great sign that the vision of serving our city is making a difference and becoming a part of our DNA. This is also the first year we initiated relationships with city partners including More Than Welcome, Safe Families, and Community First Village. We have multiple CGs that have aligned with our partners, and we anticipate becoming part of their culture and being viewed as part of their family. This coming ministry season, we anticipate that every Community Group will have a One Place and begin hearing amazing stories of life change.

This year we partnered with More Than Welcome at an event where we served several refugee families at a local apartment complex. The event helped More Than Welcome solidify its relationships with both the apartment complex management and several families from the Middle East.

That kind of practical compassion brings Mark 6:34–44 to mind. Jesus steps ashore and sees a large crowd waiting for Him. Mark says He has compassion on them because they are like sheep without a shepherd. Jesus teaches them, but He also refuses to ignore their hunger. When the disciples suggest sending the people away to find food, Jesus tells them to give the crowd something to eat. The disciples bring what they have—five loaves and two fish—and Jesus blesses it, breaks it, and gives it back through their hands until everyone has eaten.

Jesus’ compassion addresses the whole person: He teaches the crowd and makes sure they are fed. Serve Austin wants to reflect that heart by holding practical care and Gospel witness together. The refugee-family event with More Than Welcome mattered because real people were served and a trusted local partner’s relationships were strengthened. The growing One Place vision gives Community Groups a way to bring what they have into sustained relationships with organizations that already understand their neighbors. Like the disciples in Mark 6, the church recognizes Jesus as the source of the miracle and the center of the story, while His people simply place their time, food, skills, homes, and attention in His hands.

The feeding of the crowd also shows that compassion is more than a passing feeling. Jesus sees, stays, teaches, organizes the people, and provides through shared participation. That posture guards service from becoming a one-time performance. Serve Austin wants neighbors to be encountered as people Christ sees and loves, not as projects. More Than Welcome, Safe Families, Community First Village, and other city partners help the church listen before acting and serve in ways that are genuinely useful. The aim is to follow Jesus into the needs already in front of us, letting His compassion shape how we show up rather than arriving as heroes. The twelve baskets gathered afterward remind us that the disciples did not lose by placing their small supply in Jesus’ hands. His abundance becomes visible through surrendered participation, and the crowd leaves satisfied rather than impressed with the people who distributed the bread.

Our biggest win this year was that we have begun seeing people coming to our recovery night from other churches. We are also seeing the unchurched come through. Our leaders this year have been exactly what we needed to face the range of addictions affecting the people who come. In our next season, we anticipate expanding our care beyond addiction recovery to help people address trauma arising from broken relationships or harm caused by others. We also anticipate sharing our resources with Red Rocks Church and potentially partnering on some recovery events.

Recovery at The Well is a Gospel-centered ministry designed to help anyone hurting from their own sin, the sin of others, or the brokenness of life. Through weekly meetings, participants experience healing and hope in Christ through confession, repentance, and celebration.

Recovery is for anyone—regardless of background—who is struggling with pain, addiction, past wounds, or any area of brokenness. Whether your struggle is internal or relational, this is a place for you.

Recovery meets on Thursday nights from 6:45 to 8:45 PM, August through May, at The Well’s offices. Our fall cycle runs from August–December, and our spring cycle runs from January to May.

Recovery at The Well has two tracks: our Guided Track is a closed-group experience that follows a guided curriculum, focusing on personal reflection, weekly action steps, and deeper accountability. Our Open Track, on the other hand, is a come-as-you-are weekly gathering where anyone can join at any time. It offers steady support, honest conversation, and community without an ongoing, week-by-week curriculum. Both environments work together, giving you options depending on the kind of support you need.

Each night begins with everyone together for a story of healing and a teaching on one of the 12 steps of recovery. After that, we split into gender-specific small groups to reflect on the step, share honestly, and commit to one simple action for the coming week.

Our 12 steps are biblically rooted and provide a structured path for healing and accountability. They guide us through surrender, confession, reconciliation, and daily obedience to Christ. Each week addresses a specific theme like anger, grief, confession, or perseverance, with a clear progression from recognizing brokenness to experiencing lasting transformation. The curriculum includes teaching, reflection, guided prayer, and practical tools like inventory templates and a repentance plan, all aimed at building a life of freedom, honesty, and purpose.

Recovery’s hope for freedom resonates with the story told in Mark 5:1–20. Jesus crosses the lake and meets a man whose suffering has driven him into isolation among the tombs. The people nearby have tried to restrain him, but no chain has been able to bring peace or restore him to community. Jesus draws near and confronts the evil tormenting the man, and when the townspeople return, they find him sitting with Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. The man asks to go with Jesus, but Jesus sends him home to tell his friends how much the Lord has done for him and how He has shown mercy.

Jesus moves toward the person everyone else has learned to fear or avoid. Recovery Ministry wants to reflect that heart. Pain, addiction, past wounds, and relational brokenness often push people toward secrecy and isolation. Jesus meets people there with authority, mercy, and dignity. Jesus sees the man in Mark 5 as more than his worst moment and stays with him in the place where suffering has taken him. Christ’s restoration brings him back into relationship and gives him a true story of mercy to tell.

The Open and Guided Tracks create different ways for people to step out of hiding and into honest community. The 12 steps give structure to surrender, confession, reconciliation, and daily obedience, while stories, teaching, prayer, reflection, and weekly action help participants respond to Christ’s mercy in concrete ways. Rather than showcasing polished people, Recovery at The Well makes room for people to come to Jesus truthfully, receive the hope of the Gospel, and discover that brokenness does not place them beyond His compassion. It’s okay to not be okay.

Our biggest win this year was that we have begun seeing people coming to our recovery night from other churches. We are also seeing the unchurched come through. Our leaders this year have been exactly what we needed to face the range of addictions affecting the people who come. In our next season, we anticipate expanding our care beyond addiction recovery to help people address trauma arising from broken relationships or harm caused by others. We also anticipate sharing our resources with Red Rocks Church and potentially partnering on some recovery events.

Recovery at The Well is a Gospel-centered ministry designed to help anyone hurting from their own sin, the sin of others, or the brokenness of life. Through weekly meetings, participants experience healing and hope in Christ through confession, repentance, and celebration.

Recovery is for anyone—regardless of background—who is struggling with pain, addiction, past wounds, or any area of brokenness. Whether your struggle is internal or relational, this is a place for you.

Recovery meets on Thursday nights from 6:45 to 8:45 PM, August through May, at The Well’s offices. Our fall cycle runs from August–December, and our spring cycle runs from January to May.

Recovery at The Well has two tracks: our Guided Track is a closed-group experience that follows a guided curriculum, focusing on personal reflection, weekly action steps, and deeper accountability. Our Open Track, on the other hand, is a come-as-you-are weekly gathering where anyone can join at any time. It offers steady support, honest conversation, and community without an ongoing, week-by-week curriculum. Both environments work together, giving you options depending on the kind of support you need.

Each night begins with everyone together for a story of healing and a teaching on one of the 12 steps of recovery. After that, we split into gender-specific small groups to reflect on the step, share honestly, and commit to one simple action for the coming week.

Our 12 steps are biblically rooted and provide a structured path for healing and accountability. They guide us through surrender, confession, reconciliation, and daily obedience to Christ. Each week addresses a specific theme like anger, grief, confession, or perseverance, with a clear progression from recognizing brokenness to experiencing lasting transformation. The curriculum includes teaching, reflection, guided prayer, and practical tools like inventory templates and a repentance plan, all aimed at building a life of freedom, honesty, and purpose.

Recovery’s hope for freedom resonates with the story told in Mark 5:1–20. Jesus crosses the lake and meets a man whose suffering has driven him into isolation among the tombs. The people nearby have tried to restrain him, but no chain has been able to bring peace or restore him to community. Jesus draws near and confronts the evil tormenting the man, and when the townspeople return, they find him sitting with Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. The man asks to go with Jesus, but Jesus sends him home to tell his friends how much the Lord has done for him and how He has shown mercy.

Jesus moves toward the person everyone else has learned to fear or avoid. Recovery Ministry wants to reflect that heart. Pain, addiction, past wounds, and relational brokenness often push people toward secrecy and isolation. Jesus meets people there with authority, mercy, and dignity. Jesus sees the man in Mark 5 as more than his worst moment and stays with him in the place where suffering has taken him. Christ’s restoration brings him back into relationship and gives him a true story of mercy to tell.

The Open and Guided Tracks create different ways for people to step out of hiding and into honest community. The 12 steps give structure to surrender, confession, reconciliation, and daily obedience, while stories, teaching, prayer, reflection, and weekly action help participants respond to Christ’s mercy in concrete ways. Rather than showcasing polished people, Recovery at The Well makes room for people to come to Jesus truthfully, receive the hope of the Gospel, and discover that brokenness does not place them beyond His compassion. It’s okay to not be okay.

The Lord has graciously reminded us this year that worship is surrender. As a worship ministry, we’ve been stretched to grow in surrendering the things that keep us comfortable for the sake of the Gospel. It is an upside-down ideology to give away your best, but this year, we got to see Camila Dickson, our first worship resident, be sent out to lead The Way Church and serve as a worship leader in downtown Austin! Camila has served The Well faithfully over the years and helped shape the culture of vulnerability and freedom in worship that exists in our church. She and all the people who have given their “yes” to be sent with The Way Church are living out what it looks like to walk in surrender for the sake of the Gospel even when that disrupts our comfort. This is a win for the kingdom!

The surrender described in this ministry comes into focus through the woman in Bethany. Mark 14:3–9 records Jesus eating there when she enters carrying an alabaster jar of costly perfume. She breaks the jar and pours the perfume over His head. Some people in the room call the act wasteful and criticize her sharply, but Jesus defends her.

He calls what she has done beautiful and connects her offering to His approaching burial. The woman recognizes the worth of Jesus and responds without protecting the value of what she brings.

Worship and Sundays want to reflect that same vision of Christ’s worth. Worship is a response to Jesus, who gave Himself for us, rather than an effort to preserve comfort, display talent, or hold tightly to gifted people. The woman’s offering is costly because love has recognized Someone more valuable. Her story gives shape to the surrender already described in this ministry: Camila Dickson’s years of service, her investment in a culture of vulnerability and freedom, and her willingness to be sent to serve The Way Church.

The room in Bethany includes both devotion and criticism, but Jesus names the offering according to His own heart. That matters for a worship ministry forming residents and serving the church on Sundays. Songs, rehearsals, leadership, and sending find their meaning when they help people see Jesus as worthy. The goal is not to recreate the woman’s action but to share her posture: nothing placed at the feet of Christ is wasted when it is offered in love and obedience. Worship and Sundays want to help the church behold Jesus clearly and answer His worth with lives that are open-handed before Him. The story also refuses to measure worship only by efficiency. The woman cannot recover what she has poured out, but Jesus receives it as love. That is surrender: not careless waste, but a clear response to the incomparable worth of Christ.

Next year, we hope to further develop our worship residency, creating space for others to step into this work of discerning their ministry calling and making much of Jesus. Our prayer is for our church continually to fix its eyes on Jesus, the Worthy One, who calls us to surrender everything and in the same breath offers more than we could ever give.

This year we sent the Eldridge family to Southeast Asia. With their sending, we now have 15 people serving long-term on the field. Each of these individuals is working toward our vision of planting 100 churches nationally and internationally in the first 50 years.

We also completed our first International Core Team Training: nine participants finished the nine-month training, and five are now taking active steps toward long-term work on the field. This is a significant win as God continues to answer our prayer to raise up laborers for the harvest.

Eight short-term teams were sent out this year with 41 people, serving alongside the missionaries and church planters we’ve already sent. This is a win as many people are being mobilized from The Well and are also blessing and supporting the long-term work on the ground. Together, these represent the full pipeline of our sending strategy: people exploring their role in the nations, people being trained for long-term work, and people being launched to the field.

Keep praying that we would be a church that loves the lost and advances the kingdom in the city and to the nations. The missions pathway must help people discern and obey at every stage: exploring a call, preparing well, going, giving, praying, and remaining faithful over time. Long-term sending, International Core Team Training, short-term teams, care for workers, and partnership with national planters each serve a different part of that journey. We want prospective workers to be tested and supported, not rushed; current workers to feel remembered, not merely deployed; and the whole church to understand that the nations are part of our shared calling. The long-range hope remains bold: one hundred churches nationally and internationally in The Well’s first fifty years.

When Jesus sees the crowds in Matthew 9:37-38, He tells His disciples to ask the Lord of the harvest for workers. Acts 13:2-3 shows a praying church releasing Barnabas and Saul, and Revelation 7:9 gives the destination: a people from every nation, tribe, people, and language worshiping before the throne. Prayer, sending, and worship belong together. These passages protect missions from becoming adventure or institutional ambition. We go because Jesus is worthy, because the need is real, and because God is gathering a people for Himself.

During the next year, the team will strengthen the sending pipeline from first conversation through field care. That includes honest assessment, theological and cross-cultural preparation, involvement from Community Groups, financial partnership, and support for spouses and children. We also want short-term teams to serve long-term work rather than compete with it, and national church planters to receive the same relational commitment we offer workers sent from Austin. Healthy growth will be seen in prepared laborers, durable partnerships, wise care, and churches that can multiply under local leadership.

Every member can participate in this calling. Some will relocate; many more will pray by name, give sacrificially, welcome internationals in Austin, encourage workers, provide professional skill, or help a family return well from the field. Those roles are not consolation prizes but ways a sending church keeps its promises. We pray that the next generation at The Well will grow up hearing missionary names at the dinner table, seeing the nations in Scripture, and believing that obedience to Jesus may take them across the street or across the world.

We just celebrated four stories of faith and baptism: two children from Nigeria and two adults from our small group, one German and one Brazilian. God has been providing in amazing ways this year. We needed money for some media equipment, and we received donations. We sent three key families to Ireland, and God provided us with many new people to step up and serve in places where we really needed help. We have so many Sampa Kids that we needed an additional cinema room. Bob spoke about this need, we prayed, and God gave many hearts the desire to give toward it. We will have the new room starting in August.

The generosity extended beyond Sampa as well. We had some visitors from Texas come, and they got to meet the founders, staff, and some kids at IBTE. IBTE is the mission we partner with in an under-resourced area of the city affected by crime and drugs. It was a great time showing them around, and they gave a donation for IBTE to buy a much-needed new stove for their facility.

Alongside those celebrations, we have faced real challenges. For me, Martha, the greatest challenge has been loving difficult people. I have been reading and rereading Scripture and articles on this topic and praying. It is still not easy, but God is working on my heart. It seems our most difficult people at Sampa are all in our small group, and this has been very draining. Bob and I have both been dealing with physical pain for a while now—Bob in his Achilles tendon and me in my tailbone. We have consulted many doctors and pursued physical therapy, and it has been expensive, frustrating, and discouraging. Nothing is helping, and of course Sundays are the hardest days. This has felt like spiritual warfare. Please pray for us. We are still working out and taking good care of ourselves, but we are somewhat limited and in pain daily. Our worship leader, Beto, and his wife and two kids, who are teens, moved to Ireland one week ago. They helped us tremendously with setup and teardown, Sampa Kids, and worship. It is a challenge for sure, but God is so good. Within four weeks, we have had people step up and prayers answered for a new worship leader, setup helpers, a new sound guy, and a new keyboard player. It has been amazing to see God work.

We are excited about our new worship leader, Daniel, and look forward to getting to know him, seeing him grow, and exploring the possibility of his moving here. I met with a woman just today who has a heart for women and is interested in doing our women’s ministry. She has such passion for Jesus and for sharing what He has taught her. It is very exciting. We are also excited to have about 12 Nigerian families at Sampa. They just keep coming. We are growing in our knowledge of Nigerian culture and trying to learn a bit of “pidgin.” We look forward to learning more and seeing how God is going to use us and them to help each other and the city of São Paulo. Bob did a preaching and teaching class with four people, and we look forward to them learning more and being able to teach in the future.

Several testimonies have especially encouraged us. One of our favorites is from Michael, a German man who is married to a Brazilian. He is in our small group and just got baptized, and his story is amazing. We have also watched Suelen, a young adult single woman at Sampa, grow so much in her faith. She is telling all her family and friends about Jesus, reading her Bible all the time, and taking every Bible study class we offer. Her passion and excitement for Jesus and sharing is contagious and beautiful.

Twenty-three volunteers from Sampa served with us on our most recent visit to IBTE, and for 12 of them it was their first time. Five of the volunteers do not attend our church but are interested in serving people less fortunate, and it was wonderful. An IBTE teenager who is trying to learn some English told us, “My name is Iso Monteiro. My life before here was broken and now my life is beautiful. I am proof of this.” We have also watched the story of Davi, whom we met when he was eight. He lives at IBTE because his mom is in prison for drugs and his dad is not present at all. He has been raising his five-year-old little brother, Michael, and plans on legally adopting him when Davi turns 18 in a few months. It is such an amazing God story, and without the mission of IBTE, this would never have been possible.

We celebrated three baptisms this year. One person in particular has become deeply invested in Christian community at our church, and his story (MK) appears below.

College ministry has also created several steady points of connection. We’ve been able to have consistent Bible studies with a Christian college student who attends our church, along with others who have occasionally joined. Our intern, Jake, and I (Bryan) have been talking a lot with a student named HB, and recently he has been expressing interest in learning more about Christianity. He said he would like to come to church. We have also maintained good relationships with Japanese neighbors who do not identify as Christians and have had a few intentional conversations. Since these conversations are usually difficult to have even between Japanese people, we’re thankful for these relationships.

Our church officially appointed two new elders to help lead and guide our church for the first time since the church began nine years ago. Many churches in Japan do not have pastors, making this a significant milestone.

The year has also carried real challenges. When trying to invite Japanese people to events or even simply trying to meet new people, we can often be rejected before we get a chance to have a conversation, in part because of the negative perception of religion in Japan and the fear of cults—not to mention foreign-looking faces. This is usually shown in subtle ways, but it piles up into a heavy burden at times. Our lead pastor, Kelcy, and his family are moving back to the U.S. in August to take care of ailing parents. Kelcy has been a great friend and was our original connection to Mustard Seed. We’ve shed a lot of tears over this, and our church has already started grieving the loss of this wonderful and faithful family.

As we look ahead, our son is due in September. Much will change for us, but we can both say that we are truly excited to welcome our son into the family. As part of Mustard Seed’s vision to partner with other local churches, we’ve been making connections and growing a relationship with Kobe Bible Church, a small local Japanese-majority church. We’re excited to see how God uses this relationship to grow His kingdom in Kobe.

One of this year’s baptism stories belongs to MK, a Japanese man who has become deeply involved in our church and has really been stepping into his new identity in Christ with joy. We were so happy when he decided to give his life to Jesus and join our church family. MK first came to our church about four years ago to do construction on our building. After some years of not coming, he caught COVID and developed severe pneumonia. He struggled for several months, and then a church member invited him to come. While he wasn’t particularly interested in coming, he started to get better as he continued to attend. At the same time, he began to realize that, although he had a strong sense of justice, he had also committed many sins he could never tell anyone about. His impression of Christians at that point was that they were people who lived depending on God, and he felt he shared that same desire to depend on something greater than himself. That feeling kept getting stronger, and he wanted to learn more about the God Christians believed in.

Now that he’s placed his faith in Jesus, he sees that, through the painful experience of his illness, God gave him a heart that seeks Him. MK said that since he came to our church, he has met so many people who genuinely care about him and ask if they can pray for him.

Through the church, he experienced a joy he hadn’t known before and came to believe that God truly loved him. We were so happy to welcome him into the family of God.

I (Bryan) also found needed encouragement through God’s Word. Over the past two years we’ve been in Japan, I have experienced a fair share of rejection from Japanese people. Usually this isn’t “in-your-face” rejection like you might imagine. In a Japanese way—through avoiding eye contact, maintaining distance, ignoring, or disappearing—Japanese people have been rejecting both me and the Gospel without knowing it. Seeing the few Japanese people coming to our church, I began to wonder, “Will Japanese people ever be saved?” and “Why do Japanese people reject what they’ve never taken the time to listen to?” For months, I felt very low about the spiritual state of Japan and began to have a lot of doubts myself. I was constantly praying for God to bring me encouragement.

Then one day, I was reading 1 Samuel 1-2 and came to Hannah’s story. Hannah also went through a very discouraging time and prayed that God would give her a son. In the end, God granted her request. God answered her prayer after years of suffering, in His timing and for His purposes. Yet in Hannah’s song of rejoicing, she doesn’t rejoice in God’s answered prayer; she rejoices in God Himself and even dedicates her son to God for the rest of his life.

This son was Samuel, who would go on to anoint David as king, with whom God would establish an everlasting covenant that would ultimately lead to the salvation of the world through Jesus Christ.

In this passage, I saw that God has a plan I can’t see, a plan that goes far beyond my lifetime. I saw that He is a faithful God who accomplishes His good purposes for His glory and our joy. I might not get to see a big wave of salvations here in my lifetime, but I serve a God who is trustworthy and faithful to bring salvation to the world and also to the Japanese people. Whatever I am able to see in this life, I can continue laboring so that we can one day see a great harvest in Japan, knowing that God cares about these people far more than I do and has a far better plan than I could imagine.

By God’s grace, we reached full support in four months, allowing us to launch in January. We joined our team in the Middle East and had our residence permit approved for the first year. We also started learning the local languages and have developed deeper relationships with some of our neighbors.

Language learning is a long process, and finding language helpers has been challenging. Much of our believing community was gone over the summer, making it a lonelier season, especially as we are still missing community and family back home. Learning to accept the limitations of basic speech ability, not having a car, and being a cultural outsider has also been difficult at times.

Even so, we’ve gotten to cheer on and pray for our team as we see them having spiritual conversations with others. As our language increases, we are very excited to join in with these conversations. Through our teammates and local partners, we have seen several families in our region express a desire to follow J. In some cases, whole families have been baptized together after hearing the good news. We can’t wait to hear about how these families’ lives are shaped by J’s love over the next year.

Several local families have gotten in touch with our local partner and TL after having dreams about J that they couldn’t explain. Several of these families have started following J and are sharing with their relatives and others in their villages. Please pray for their spiritual growth and protection as J transforms their lives.

For us, the next season is about becoming more present and more understandable. We will continue studying the language, but fluency is not our only measure of progress. Shared meals, remembered details, laughter, hospitality, and our willingness to remain cultural learners all help us build trust. As our communication improves, we hope to join more of the spiritual conversations already happening through our teammates and local partners. We want to live close enough and patiently enough that our neighbors can see the love of J embodied before we have words for every question.

Colossians 4:2-6 pairs devoted prayer with gracious, well-seasoned speech—an especially fitting word for us as we learn a new language. First Thessalonians 2:8 describes sharing both the Gospel and one’s own life, while Psalm 126:5-6 honors the long, tearful work of sowing before harvest. These passages help us embrace the pace of cross-cultural ministry. A limited vocabulary does not prevent love, and a slow season does not mean God is absent. We can keep studying, welcoming, praying, and planting seeds while trusting J with the timing and shape of the fruit.

Progress over the coming year may look ordinary: a longer conversation without help, a neighbor returning for another meal, a family asking to pray together, or a new believer telling a relative about J. We will keep building resilient family rhythms so that our ministry grows from a healthy home rather than constant urgency. We also hope to support local households already following J, learn from local believers, and remain attentive to dreams and spiritual questions emerging in nearby villages. Each small opening deserves prayer, patience, and careful follow-through.

It might not sound like much on paper, but our biggest win is that we are beginning to speak the language. We still have years and years to go before something like fluency is even a thought, but we can make friends, have conversations about Jesus, express ourselves, and crack jokes.

Aside from that, we have been increasingly seeing the fruit of the Spirit evident in T’s closest friend here. Some of it is the fruit of discipleship and friendship, but we are also convinced that much of it is the Spirit working in the deepest parts of his soul. God is moving.

The challenges have been many: displacement, conflict and war; fuel shortages; power shortages; lack of direction; taking intimidating next steps; the possibility of having to move again; and spiritual warfare. Yet He has been so faithful to bring us through. We would be lying if we said it was easy or always brimming with happiness.

We are excited to step into this new chapter in our time here. We are excited to hopefully have some of you visit or even join us long term here. The workers are truly few. We are also excited—and very intimidated—to begin to form and lead a team here.

If you receive our newsletters, you already know the story of Farhang. If you do not, Farhang has had a hard life. He is a refugee and a middle school dropout who started working as a kid. He is relatively poor and comes from a country looked down upon by the majority here. Most impactful of all was the loss of his mother to cancer when he was 15 years old. At 1:00 a.m., in a pool hall together, he told me he used to pray and go to mosque out of respect for her but always felt that God was angry and distant. He was angry and distant too. After a particularly low moment when he attacked a soldier for insulting his people and language, however, he started to change. He says that afterward, when he was too afraid to go home because of concern for his family’s safety, he felt God protected him and changed him. I asked him, if he once believed God was angry and distant, what he believes about God now.

He simply said, “I think God is in my heart.” I don’t know if he is yet a follower, but I do believe his heart is being softened and changed by God. He is kind, loving, patient, and joyful; no longer angry, quick-tempered, and bitter. He can barely read, and his only introduction to Jesus has been through the stories of J and friendship with a handful of workers here in the city. He had no idea that Ezekiel 36 actually describes the exchange he is experiencing: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”

Farhang’s story captures much of this season: language is growing slowly, circumstances remain difficult, and the final outcome belongs to God. In the meantime, friendship makes room for truth, and small signs of a softened heart give us courage to keep showing up.

Tatiana and I were sharing with a young woman named Habiba in North Africa when we realized that the Lord had been planting and watering seeds in her heart for years. This was especially remarkable in a place where many people have never heard the true story of Jesus. Habiba had renounced Islam about a year earlier and was searching for truth. When we met with her again two days later, we read the story of the woman at the well. That day, she placed her faith in Jesus and asked him to save her!

That morning, our team had read the story of Jonah and reflected on how God is the one who does the work. During prayer, I sensed that Jesus wanted to redeem something painful from Habiba’s childhood. After she came to faith—and before I had even asked—she told us about a traumatic experience from when she was five that still caused nightmares every night. We prayed for Jesus to bring freedom and healing. The next morning, Habiba told us, “I dreamed of a land with lots of bees, but I don’t know what that means.” After years of nightmares, she dreamed of something that reminded us of a land flowing with milk and honey—God’s promise to lead his people out of slavery and the wilderness into abundance and peace. On the day Habiba passed from death to life, she dreamed of leaving the desert and entering the promised land.

Habiba’s story showed us that God was already working in North Africa long before we arrived. Some members of our team witnessed someone place her faith in Jesus. Others read the Bible with someone for the first time or heard stories of dreams and visions. But that was not everyone’s experience—and there is something important and beautiful in that honesty. Sometimes the Lord allows us to witness the moment someone says yes to Jesus. Other times, our part is simply to begin a conversation, offer kindness, pray quietly, or plant a seed whose growth we may never see. Both are meaningful because the results belong to God.

We went to North Africa not as people bringing Jesus to a place where he was absent but as people who desperately need his presence too. While God allowed us to participate in what he was doing in the lives of others, he was also drawing near to us and changing us. Because God made a way, 57 people heard the Gospel. God graciously invited us to join work we could never have accomplished on our own.

That invitation extends beyond those who board a plane: some go, some give, some pray, and others encourage or faithfully serve at home. Every act of obedience matters. We may not all go to North Africa or witness someone say yes to Jesus, but every one of us can ask the Father, “What part are you asking me to play?” What a gift that the God who could accomplish all of this without us still chooses to invite us into his work.

Church planting is the idea of starting a brand new church, particularly in places where churches are needed. It has long been studied and proven that church plants are the most effective way to reach those who do not know Christ. Why? Because church plants are rooted in their local communities. They understand the culture, build trust, and carry Gospel vitality into places that established churches often can’t reach.

The strategy also rests on a biblical foundation. The New Testament simply assumes that churches will be formed to reach different areas, and as areas are being reached, that churches will form. Virtually every single NT epistle is written to church plants or to pastors leading local churches. God cares about the multiplication of His church. It is God’s means of redeeming the world to Himself.

So, The Well has a vision to plant 100 churches nationally and internationally by 2062, 50 years after we first launched, in hopes of seeing more and more people have an opportunity to hear about—and grow deeper into—the love of Christ.

Practically, we help plant churches by having a residency program designed to raise up future church planters and pastors. This is an immersive 18–36-month residency. Residents join our staff team. They’re trained in theology, leadership, ministry skills, character, and all the unglamorous stuff—like budgets and backend logistics. They’re strengthened in important skills like providing pastoral care or preaching and teaching. They walk with us, work with us, and learn what it really takes to plant a Gospel-centered church—especially in an urban context. And toward the end of their residency, we host interest sessions right here at The Well. That’s where we invite people from our church to consider joining the church plant as part of the launch team. Because again—we celebrate going, not just growing.

In practice, we give planters money, time, resources, and ultimately cast high vision—and therefore “give” even people—in hopes that more and more people will see the beauty of Christ in different ways. This may seem regular, but only 7% of U.S. churches have ever planted a church, only 1% of churches have planted more than two churches, less than 1% of churches have planted churches globally, and even among those who do plant, many don’t give the whole gamut of money, training, resources, and people. So, this is a big deal that you’re a part of!

So, the vision is simple: How can we plant as many expressions of the Gospel as possible, to reach as many people as possible, and help as many people grow as possible—that Christ would be as exalted as possible?

Next, you will see some of these stories of our plants. Though you won’t hear from every past planter or even every current resident, we hope these few highlighted stories will help you see just how important it is to multiply not just disciples, but churches, for the glory of God.

One exciting recent win has been partnering with an organization that serves refugees and immigrants seeking asylum here in the U.S. Through this partnership, we have the opportunity to help individuals and families adjust to life in the U.S., build friendships, and practice English. These friendships are opening doors that a traditional program might miss and are helping hospitality become a regular part of the church’s life.

We have also been encouraged to see people who had not been part of a church in almost a decade find a church home and begin growing in their faith again as they connect to a strong biblical community. This young church is becoming a home for people who have been far from Christian community, where newcomers can receive friendship, practical support, and a place to grow in Scripture.

This fall, we’ll be sending our first international mission team to Guatemala. This is a huge milestone for our young church and an exciting step toward our vision of mobilizing people for both local and global missions. Sending this first team will connect the relationships being formed at home to a wider missionary imagination. We want members to see hospitality, discipleship, and global mission as parts of one life with Jesus. Leviticus 19:34 tells God’s people to love the foreigner as themselves. Ephesians 2:19 says that those once outside are now members of God’s household, and Acts 1:8 sends Jesus’ witnesses from their own city to the ends of the earth. Those truths are already taking visible shape here: newcomers are receiving friendship, people are finding a church home, and a congregation is preparing to cross cultures in Guatemala. Hospitality is therefore more than welcome at the door. It is the patient work of helping people belong, grow in Scripture, and discover their own place in God’s mission.

The coming year will focus on deeper neighborhood presence and clearer next steps for discipleship. Members need places to move from receiving care to offering it, from attending to serving, and from learning about mission to participating in it. Cross-cultural friendships will require time, humility, and practical consistency. The Guatemala team will also need preparation that connects the trip to lasting habits of prayer and witness at home. We hope the result is a congregation that knows its neighbors well, handles Scripture faithfully, and responds readily when Jesus opens a door.

A church like this is built through many kinds of faithfulness. Some members teach or lead publicly; others practice English with a neighbor, bring a meal, host a gathering, give toward the Guatemala team, or invite someone who has been absent from church for years. Each act strengthens the fabric of belonging. We pray that refugees, longtime residents, skeptics, and returning believers alike encounter a community that takes the Bible seriously and makes room at the table. That kind of life together can make the good news both visible and believable. As these relationships deepen, we hope more people will move from being welcomed to becoming the ones who welcome others.

Four months in, God is moving. We’ve seen five baptisms, with three more expected, 15 new covenant members, and people tangibly returning to God’s intended reality. Small groups are thriving, with five going strong and another launching in the fall, and Discovery Bible Studies are starting to multiply and spread. The movement is spilling out into the city too: couples are serving with Safe Families, the church has developed a steady rhythm of loving and reaching Afghan refugee families in Travis Heights, a partnership with Hungry Souls is planned for the fall, and teams are prayer-walking through Austin every week. The full early picture includes five baptisms with three more expected, 15 covenant members, five small groups with one more launching this fall, a weekly average of 91 people, and around 40 people serving every Sunday.

One young family walked in at our launch, new to faith, with three children and a newborn in the NICU. They weren’t married; they were living together and figuring life out. Our little church wrapped around them and started praying, and over the months their story kept breaking open. They gave their lives to Jesus, got baptized, dedicated their children, became covenant members, and then felt led to make their life together an actual marriage. Right around the time their baby was cleared to come home, I got to officiate their wedding. Four months in, we watched a whole family made whole. That’s The Garden.

The Garden’s first months have established a clear rhythm: people meet Jesus, enter covenant community, gather in small groups, and carry the Gospel into the city. The next chapter will build on those beginnings through more baptisms, new groups, Discovery Bible Studies, weekly prayer walks, and deeper partnerships with Safe Families, Afghan refugee families, and Hungry Souls. The family whose story moved from the NICU to baptism, dedication, membership, and marriage shows what this church hopes to see again—whole households learning to place every part of life under the gracious leadership of Jesus.

Second Corinthians 5:17-20 names both the change and the calling: new creation in Christ and a ministry of reconciliation. Acts 2:42-47 shows that this new life takes communal form through teaching, fellowship, prayer, generosity, and shared meals. Psalm 68:6 says that God sets the lonely in families. Together, these texts fit what The Garden is already witnessing. Baptism, covenant membership, small groups, refugee care, and support for vulnerable families form connected signs of people being reconciled to God and drawn into a people who share life.

The next year will require new leaders who can shepherd groups, open the Bible with seekers, care for families, and sustain the church’s outward movement. Growth will bring practical pressure, so leadership development and healthy systems must keep pace without crowding out prayer or relationship. We hope to see more people baptized, another small group launched, and neighborhood partnerships deepen. We also want the testimony of changed households to remain central, reminding the church that every number represents a name, a story, and a community learning to follow Jesus together. In all of it, prayer will remain the church’s first work.

God is gathering the people who will help lay the foundation for The Stone. Another person from Austin has said yes to uprooting their life to reach the lost in Tampa, and this September two people will move there to begin building the church. A family in Tampa has also committed to the core team, reminding us that God is calling people from both near and far to be part of what He’s doing. Thank you for praying. It’s becoming increasingly clear that God is going before us, building His church, and preparing the way for many more people to know Jesus.

Before The Stone launches publicly, the work is to gather people who will pray, build friendships, and take responsibility for the church’s future life in Tampa. The two people relocating from Austin and the local family joining the core team are early answers to that prayer. Over the coming months, the team will practice hospitality, meet neighbors who do not know Jesus, and identify local leaders who understand the city. A diverse, rooted core will matter more than a fast start. The foundation is being laid person by person, long before a weekly service begins.

Jesus’ promise in Matthew 16:18—“I will build my church”—allows the team to work hard without pretending the outcome rests on them. First Corinthians 3:6-7 distinguishes planting and watering from the growth only God gives. Ephesians 2:19-22 pictures the church as a household and a living temple joined together in Christ. Those truths encourage patient preparation. The Stone can recruit, pray, welcome, train, and share the Gospel; God must form those efforts into a church. Dependence here is active obedience without anxiety or self-importance, not passivity.

The Well also remains part of this story. People in Austin can pray for specific neighbors, help relocating members settle, give toward start-up needs, offer professional expertise, and visit in ways that strengthen the local work. People in Tampa will bring knowledge, relationships, and credibility that cannot be imported. As those contributions come together, we pray The Stone becomes a church shaped by its city and anchored in Christ—a place where many people receive repeated opportunities to see, hear, and respond to the Gospel.

On any given week, you might see something similar to what just happened to me.

After the 9 a.m. service, the one heavily attended by families, I was outside by the parking lot catching up with friends. They were all parents or about to be parents, with kids running around everywhere while the parents tried to have adult conversations. In the blink of an eye, a toddler having the time of his life darted just beyond his dad’s immediate reach. Four dads went into standby mode for the inevitable. The toddler did what toddlers do and ran into the street.

No one panicked because everyone moved as if we had practiced it. The two dads closest to the toddler moved toward him to bring him back to the sidewalk. The other two dads stepped into the street to ward off any cars that might come near. Conversations were barely disrupted. The toddler was safely returned to his dad and continued to live his best life without anyone’s safety being jeopardized.

This moment is a microcosm of what our family-oriented Community Group looks like and the type of community Brittany and I longed for when we joined The Well and began searching for a group. Let me explain. When The Well started meeting in person again as COVID regulations eased up, my wife Brittany and I found ourselves in an unfamiliar spot: disconnected from community. There were new faces on Sundays. Some Community Groups were still not meeting in person. We had a toddler and a second child on the way.

We noticed that even though there were other families with children in the group we were attending, we were the only ones who brought ours to discussion time. Even though no one said anything about it, we felt self-conscious if she cried or was fussy because we did not want to interrupt or cause a distraction.

Brittany and I met with Tory to ask if there were other parents, in our mostly young and single church at the time, who also brought their young children to a Community Group where we would not feel like such a distraction. When he could not think of a group like what we were describing, he encouraged us to start a family-oriented Community Group for couples who felt what we felt.

He connected us with a couple with twin boys under a year old who were willing to host, and he encouraged us to be that group’s shepherds. We met with the couple, realized we had a lot in common, and embarked on what has now become a four-plus-year adventure and blessing.

Our Community Group has changed a lot since it was just two couples and four babies. Since we launched, we have welcomed many visitors and several families. Our current makeup includes single young professionals, a retired widow in her 80s, couples without children, first-time expectant couples, and four families with at least two kids. We have sent out two families overseas to follow the call to share the Gospel. We have seen seven moms announce pregnancies and six babies be born, while two more are expected as we speak.

Our group lamented and mourned with Brittany and me through a miscarriage. We have prayed together for couples who desire children but continue to wait in God’s timing. Some nights, there are more kids than adults in attendance. Needless to say, our Community Group not only looks different than most others, but it sounds different too.

Some nights can be loud, and we might pause to finish a sentence because our babies are learning volume control or feeling big emotions. Sometimes we detour from the curriculum because a little one just learned how to say hi and wants to greet every person in attendance. Other times, our most experienced parent, and resident grandma, will step in to play with the kids to keep them occupied.

No Tuesday is ever the same. One thing is certain, though. Our children are witnessing their parents exalt Jesus, fight for community, reproduce disciples, and send others to impact the world for the glory of God.

Yes, it can be messy, but it is never too much.

Mark 10:13-16 is a well-known passage about Jesus correcting his disciples who were trying to keep children from going to him, and subconsciously we can think that we should find a way to not disrupt the work of discipleship happening in CGs and get babysitters for our kids. And as Tory likes to say, yes and amen for thinking of others and staying home during certain seasons.

But the passage reveals so much more upon closer inspection. The word “rebuke” used in Mark to describe the disciples’ actions is a strong word (epitimaō) meaning that the disciples were blocking access to Jesus. In response, the word in Mark describing Jesus’ reaction was “indignant” (aganakteō) and is equally as strong.

Jesus felt a righteous grievance, a deep moral displeasure, over the children being kept away from Jesus because the truth is, we are all just like the children in the passage: utterly dependent, bringing nothing, and having no claim.

Shepherding a family-oriented CG was born out of a feeling of inadequacy for being too much, too loud, too messy, but the journey has been a reorientation to the truth that God meets us where we are no matter how messy we are and that we’re not too much for what Jesus did on the cross.

Every community group will sound different on a Tuesday night, and that is exactly the point. Community can take many forms but has one purpose: to walk together as we follow Jesus through every season, every mess, every loud and quiet moment, and every hard and beautiful night. What Brittany and I have learned shepherding this group is that the shape of your community matters far less than the decision to have one.

So whether you are a young family afraid your kids are too much, a single professional who does not know where you fit, or somewhere in between, find your people. Fight for community. Because the people who will step into the street for your toddler are usually the ones sitting across from you on any given night.

Six years ago, I moved to Austin as a newly divorced empty nester. My heart was broken, and I was wrestling with my identity and how to live without my family close by. In that painful season, I cried out to God, asking Him to show me where I could find community. He answered that prayer by leading me to The Well, where I found not only friendship, but a spiritual family that welcomed me and walked with me.

As I got involved in Mission Intensives, Disciple Making Intensive (DMI), and a short-term mission (STM) trip, I kept choosing to say yes to God. Each small step of obedience opened another door. I went through Inner Healing Prayer and other helpful resources. Through those experiences, God began reshaping how I saw myself. I was learning, often for the first time, who God says I am.

Eventually, God opened the door for me to work in ministry with a nonprofit that serves people who are socially isolated, helping them draw closer to Him and find community. As I served, I began to recognize that I shared many of the same struggles as the people we were reaching. One night at a worship gathering at The Well, a woman approached me and said God had prompted her to pray for me. She shared that He showed her I was broken and in need of healing.

After she prayed, I went home weeping, aware that God was gently revealing something deeper He wanted to heal.

I began asking God where that healing could be found. He kept pointing me toward Recovery at The Well, but I resisted. I did not want to admit that I was weak or that I could not fix my own life. Yet God, in His mercy, continued calling me to surrender. Eventually, I reached the place where I could say, “I can’t save myself. Only Jesus can.”

Through Recovery, God revealed that I had been carrying unforgiveness toward myself and that shame had kept me from fully receiving His love. As I surrendered and forgave myself, He replaced shame and anxiety with peace and freedom. Healing came, and from that place, I was able to point others to the One who heals.

One Sunday, after a sermon about the cross, the Lord gave me a vision. I saw myself running away from Jesus, and He ran after me, caught me, and pulled me close. I saw us as one, like a tree with deep roots and strong branches, and my grandchildren were playing in those branches. God was showing me that He is redeeming not only my life but generations. This past summer, I joined Immersed, an inner healing and deliverance prayer group, where I began learning about the Holy Spirit and prayer in a new way. I started asking the Holy Spirit to fill me so that He could pour out through me. One ordinary Tuesday in my kitchen, I spoke the words, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” In that moment, the Holy Spirit moved powerfully, and I began to weep. I knew God was calling me to be bold and to share the Gospel.

Since then, I have shared the Gospel with others, witnessed someone come to Christ, spoken publicly about Jesus, and even baptized a new believer. God has been stirring my heart for the nations. Recently, I stood during a missions conference, committing to follow His call wherever He leads. As I stood, the prayer spoken over us was that we would be like trees bearing good fruit.

I have seen God’s goodness, His faithfulness, and His abounding love over and over again. When I surrendered, abided in Him, and stepped out in faith, He moved. He took my brokenness and turned it into purpose. As I began walking in His calling, deep joy and freedom followed. This is the abundant life Jesus promises, a life fully rooted in Him and lived for His glory.

When I was 19, God planted a seed in my heart to join the Peace Corps, but fear kept me from taking that step. Now, at age 56, that seed has grown into a clear calling. This April, I plan to attend a Missionary Discipleship Training School as I take the next steps toward becoming a full-time missionary. God is sending me to the nations to build His kingdom, and I am ready to say yes.

During one of our Sunday gatherings, something unfolded in one of our elementary classrooms.

Of all mornings, and of all topics, it happened during a lesson on four of the minor prophets—a lesson centered on the steady faithfulness of God toward His people, even when they were not faithful to Him. As the discussion drew to a close, the final question was simple:

“How have you seen God’s faithfulness in your life?”

Kevin, one of our kids volunteers, was serving in the elementary classroom that day and asked the question. As the students considered the question, he looked up from his lesson plan and noticed that only one girl was looking back at him: Ruby.

No one had answered the question yet, so he gently asked her again how she had seen God’s faithfulness in her family’s life. After a second long pause, he redirected and asked whether her family would spend Thanksgiving together, hoping to draw out something she was thankful for. Ruby smiled and said, “Yes, but that’s not what I was going to say.” So she began to share.

“When I was a baby, I had cancer in my brain. My parents didn’t think I would survive, but God took care of me, and now I’m okay.”

The room grew quiet. While Kevin had served in our kids ministry for a few years and had seen Ruby use a walker week to week, he realized that he had never actually heard her story. One of the students asked what cancer was. A new discussion unfolded. It became clear that many of the children did not understand. Ruby calmly explained that a spot on her brain had grown too large and was pressing against the rest of her brain, so she needed surgery immediately.

Her older sister, Wren, helped everyone understand how serious and frightening it had been for their family. As Wren shared, Ruby smiled—she knew that God’s faithfulness had proven stronger than her cancer.

“I was so encouraged by Ruby sharing her story; I had to share my excitement with her mom, Jessie,” Kevin shared. “As I shared with her, I could tell she was feeling a mix of emotions. I assumed Ruby had shared this story many times, so I was a little surprised by her reaction.”

But Jessie shared with Kevin what had made this remarkable: that Ruby had chosen to actually share; that Ruby had not actually felt confident in sharing her story previously.

But what no one in that classroom knew was that something else had already taken place that morning in a gym only a couple dozen feet away: prayer to a steady and faithful God. Just minutes before Ruby spoke up in class with Kevin, Jessie had gone to an elder to pray over her daughter, as that Sunday had marked Ruby’s seven-year cancer diagnosis anniversary. Jessie and her husband, Cale, had been wrestling with difficult questions: how to process their own grief and gratitude while honoring Ruby’s emotions and desires. How to help her navigate her feelings toward cancer and disability. Hard conversations.

“I specifically asked the Lord to help us navigate how we share and process Ruby’s story because she has been so closed off to discussing or sharing it at all,” she shared. “Any mention of brain or tumor over the past couple of years has been immediately shut down by her, which is challenging since it’s so much a part of our story as a family. It’s been difficult to navigate.”

“And though she doesn’t remember it, it still impacts her today,” Kevin added.

“Her family certainly remembers all those hard nights in the hospital where God was with them.”

So when Jessie came to pick Ruby up after the gathering, and Kevin told her that Ruby had shared her story with the class herself, Jessie said she was blown away by her courage.

“It was God’s immediate answer to my prayers,” she said. “I know it was not easy for her to share, but beautiful conversations and peace are growing from that Sunday, and we’re so blessed.”

For the Christian, we serve not only a God who hears our prayers but also a personal God, our Father, who intercedes for us. He is, again, steady and faithful. And so that Sunday, while the class was learning about God’s faithfulness, they were also witnessing it in their midst. It was not only a lesson about faithfulness from centuries ago, but a reminder that the same faithful God who sustained His people through exile and wandering is still sustaining and responding to His people today. This time, that reminder came through the testimony of an 8-year-old girl who knows that God’s faithfulness proved stronger than her cancer.

Being part of the Kids Ministry at The Well has been such a blessing. Getting to pour into our church with the gifts God has given me has brought so much joy. The opportunity we have as volunteers to plant Gospel seeds and foster meaningful relationships with these kiddos is such a beautiful thing to take part in. Some of my favorite moments while serving are the ones that, on the surface, might seem mundane or even challenging, but end up being unexpectedly sweet and pure.

Just last week, I was struggling to get one boy to listen and come inside after playing outdoors. He wasn’t receiving anything I was saying—nothing seemed to get through. It was frustrating in the moment, but it also became an opportunity to practice patience and love him the way Jesus loves me: consistently, gently, and without condition. Eventually, his dad stepped in and helped guide him through the situation, and we moved on.

Half an hour later, I was back in the classroom, teaching and leading, having put the earlier moment behind me. In the middle of our first activity, I felt a shy little tap on my shoulder. I turned around and heard the softest, most contrite voice say, “I’m sorry for not listening to you outside, Mr. Sam.” It was so genuine and precious. I started to reassure him, but before I could finish, he asked, “Will you forgive me?” My heart melted.

Moments like this remind me why I serve—even the smallest interactions can reflect the heart of Jesus. Through Kids Ministry, I’m constantly reminded that discipleship often happens in those small, everyday moments rather than the big, dramatic ones. A quiet apology, a question about God during craft time, a child praying out loud for the first time—these are glimpses of God’s kingdom breaking into their hearts. And it’s humbling to think that God lets us play even a small part in that story.

I love being a part of the Kids Ministry, and I’m so grateful for all the work that The Well has done to make this ministry what it is today. Week after week, I see how God is shaping these kids and shaping me, too. I look forward to continuing to love and serve these kiddos with a heart like Christ’s, trusting that He will take the seeds we plant and grow them into something far more beautiful than we could ever imagine.

As we review our financial picture through June 2026 as a church, we are celebrating 10 months of the Lord’s kindness. This year continues to highlight God’s incredible faithfulness and the remarkable generosity of our church family.

Through these first 10 months of our fiscal year, our YTD tithes and contributions have reached $2,888,579. This figure does not include July or August. Over this 10-month period, our total YTD expenses came to $2,403,525.99. We anticipate ending the fiscal year with $3.4 million in giving. Here is how those resources directly supported our vision and ministry:

Year to date, we have invested $1,518,889 in personnel, facilities, and operations, supporting our staff, Eastside and office facilities, and administrative needs.

Year to date, we have invested $335,805 in ministries, events, and benevolence, discipling and resourcing kids, youth, and adults toward Jesus every week.

Year to date, we have invested $317,743 in church planting, multiplying kingdom work by planting churches nationally and raising up future planters to send out.

Year to date, we have invested $231,086 in missions, supporting global partners and sending teams to unreached peoples for the sake of the Gospel.

Beyond the spreadsheets, the real story is in the lives being transformed by Jesus. Jesus is changing lives and the Gospel is advancing in our city and to the nations. We’ve sent more missionaries and planters in a shorter time than ever before. Gospel-centered churches are being planted in Austin and beyond, including The Garden and The Way in Austin and The Stone in Tampa. God is moving in Austin and far beyond!

Because of your faithful and sacrificial giving over these 10 months, we are also positioned with strong designated reserves to fuel future vision:

Our church planting reserves total $632,029, providing momentum to keep planting and expanding.

Our missions reserves total $446,774, enabling us to equip and commission even more people to be sent to the nations.

Looking ahead to the end of this fiscal year and into FY27, we are anticipating the same kind of harvest to continue. Thank you for serving your church with your time, gifts, and resources—we could not do this without you! I’ll share more details, along with additional celebrations and the FY27 budget, in an upcoming business meeting video update later this August.

Financial stewardship in the coming year will continue to connect every dollar with the work it supports: staff and facilities that sustain ministry, benevolence and programs that care for people, church plants that reach new communities, and missionaries serving among the nations. Responsible budgeting, understandable reporting, and healthy reserves allow leaders to act with both faith and patience. The anticipated $3.4 million in annual giving is significant, but its meaning lies in what that generosity makes possible and in the trust the church places in those responsible for deploying it.

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 9:7-8 that giving should be willing rather than coerced and that God supplies what His people need for every good work. Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:21 connect treasure with the direction of the heart, while 1 Peter 4:10 treats every gift as something entrusted for the service of others. These texts call the church to generosity without pressure and leaders to stewardship without presumption. Clear budgets, reserves, and reports matter because they help the church give with understanding and help leaders use shared resources with integrity, gratitude, and accountability.