Over the past few years at Winnfield 1st, we’ve seen a lot of growth, but we’ve also seen many people move on. As we look to the future, we must ask ourselves not only, What have we done? but also, What can we do better? As we commit our lives to the Lord and plug into a church that nurtures our spiritual growth, there comes a time when we must step up and contribute to the next generation of believers, fulfilling the Great Commission of making disciples.

My first sergeant once told a story about a man who found a turtle on a fence post. He knew the turtle didn’t get there on its own—someone had to place it there. Similarly, when we see functioning children’s or youth ministries, we must understand that they didn’t just happen by chance. Someone had to put in the effort to make them work. Without people stepping into the gaps, those gaps remain just that—gaps. I want to take this moment to thank all those who have stepped up to fill these gaps. Without you, we wouldn’t be where we are today.

As we move into the coming years, my vision remains clear: to make room for people, room for progress, and room to continue growing. I want to see our leaders grow and to establish a plan that cultivates more leaders—leaders making leaders. I envision teams that are structured so no one person bears all the pressure, and we’re not merely filling gaps, but building strong and healthy leaders for our church and potentially for churches in other states or on the mission field.

This vision involves creating teams within every ministry: adult ministry, children’s ministry, youth ministry, worship ministry, special events, outreach, and small groups that intentionally break out of their cliques. These teams will work together to bring glory to God and to develop leaders for tomorrow. Moving forward means praying forward, working forward, and believing forward. It’s a big vision, but together we can reach our city—and it starts right here.

So when you think about the future of our church, the lives we touch, and our city, ask yourself: What will the next 10 years look like because of what I do today? And are you okay with that?

Let’s move forward together.