As I look back on this past year, I’m thankful for what God has been doing among us.
God has been at work among us. We’ve seen growth in our people, strength in our ministries, and a clear sense that He is continuing to build His church here.
Staff and Ministry
This year brought important developments across both our staff team and our ministries.
At the beginning of the year, I stepped into expanded leadership responsibilities, which gave me the opportunity to work more closely with our staff—not just in day to day ministry, but in leadership health and sustainability. What I’ve seen is encouraging. There is growing maturity, clearer boundaries, and a stronger sense of confidence across the staff.
We also walked through a season that required some internal adjustments within our staff team. What stood out was how well ministries continued to function despite the changes and challenges. There was a clear plan, responsibilities were shared, and our volunteer leaders stepped in with consistency and care.
Over time, responsibilities were reintroduced at a sustainable pace, with the right supports in place so things could move forward in a healthy way.
We also saw some key transitions this year that have strengthened our team.
Christina Konrad began her role as Director of Children and Families and has been a strong and steady addition. We’re grateful for the leadership she brings and the way she has taken hold of that ministry.
We were also able to strengthen our children’s ministry administrative support with Marilee Knibbs, who brings a high level of care and consistent, dependable support to the children’s ministry.
And in our adult ministries, Steve Driediger moved into the Legacy Adults role. This has been a smooth transition, and I’m thankful for the way he has connected with people and taken ownership of that ministry.
Our youth ministry continues to grow—both in numbers and in influence. We now have over 190 active students, with more than 200 connected overall, and weekly attendance regularly exceeds 100. This kind of growth continues to open doors for deeper leadership development and discipleship.
Children’s Ministry has been really encouraging this year.
We’ve seen a large number of new families and children begin attending, which has been a real joy for our church. There have been some changes along the way, but the ministry has stayed steady and continues to move in a healthy direction.
A big part of that is our volunteers. They have been faithful, consistent, and deeply invested in the kids and families of our church.
Across every area, this continues to stand out:
Our volunteers are essential to the life of our church.
As our ministries grow, so does the opportunity for more people to be involved in the life of the church—not just to help, but to be part of what God is doing among us.
Behind the Scenes
We also made important progress in areas that aren’t always visible, but are essential to the life and health of our church.
Over the past year, we completed a full security assessment of our facility. That has helped us take a careful look at how we care for people in our building and has given us clear direction as we move forward with practical upgrades to improve safety and awareness.
We also completed a comprehensive review of our children’s and youth ministry practices. This has allowed us to strengthen policies, improve training, and ensure that we are caring for kids and families in a way that is both wise and responsible.
Facilities and Land
We’ve also continued to make progress on our facility. Work on the north washrooms has moved forward well this year, with the final pieces scheduled to be completed in 2026. These kinds of improvements may seem small, but they help us care well for the people who use this space week after week.
We’ve also continued conversations with the City regarding a potential land opportunity. That process has been moving forward thoughtfully through study, consultation, and evaluation. There’s still more to discern, and we’re taking the time to approach it carefully with a long term view of what is best for our church.
Personal Reflection
This past year also included a sabbatical for me, which I’m very thankful for.
It was a needed time to step back—time with God, time with my family, and time to reset some rhythms that had slipped over time. It gave me space to slow down, reflect, and come back with a clearer perspective on both life and ministry.
One of the things that stayed with me coming out of that time is simple:
“Discipline sustains what motivation cannot.”
There are a lot of days where you don’t feel motivated—whether that’s in your walk with God, your relationships, or even in ministry. But what I was reminded of is that steady, consistent habits are what actually carry you forward. Time in the Word, prayer, caring for your health, being present with people—those things don’t always come naturally in the moment, but over time they shape who you are and how you lead.
That’s something I’m continuing to carry with me moving forward.
Looking Ahead
As we move forward, our focus is clear.
We want to continue strengthening leadership at every level of the church, so that what God is doing here is sustainable and well supported. We also want to see more people get involved, not just to meet needs, but to be part of the life and ministry of our church.
As our ministries continue to grow, our goal is to support them well—making sure they remain healthy, effective, and aligned with who we are as a church.
And through it all, we want to continue caring for our church with wisdom and intention, making decisions that reflect both where we are now and where we believe God is leading us.
Final Word
God has been faithful to our church this year.
We’re seeing Him at work in real and meaningful ways—in people’s lives, in our ministries, and in the direction He is leading us. And there’s a growing sense that He is not finished, but continuing to lead us into even more.
Thank you for being part of what God is doing here.
In Christ,
Pastor Mike Deibert
Executive Pastor