Hello Friends!

We are fully enveloped in 2026 and going strong. Our churches are thriving and you all are reaching people and your communities with the gospel of Jesus Christ. With that in mind, I picked up a phrase years ago that made a lot of sense then and makes even more sense now. When you are green you are growing. When you are ripe you rot. I had a seminary professor many years ago that told our class, “You will not have problems with church members that know they have room to improve. You will only have problems with the ones that think they have “arrived.”” While we and our churches may be doing well, we all have room for improvement. Beginning the new year is always a time for renewal, spiritually, mentally, physically, and emotionally. All begin with our spiritual state. I want to encourage all of us to do some deep reflection, and probably even repentance over some things, and dedicate this year as a year of growth and maturity. Many of our churches are already strategically working growth and renewal into their rhythms. Stay tuned as the association and the denomination reveal new opportunities to move us closer to spiritual maturity and preparation for what is coming our way.

In Christ,

Keith