PLANTER: Sam Noh | Grace Redeemer Anaheim, CA

Significant things the Lord did this year:

• Saved two Latino brothers despite the views of their unbelieving parents and siblings.
• Find a place to live for a single mom and her four kids who had been living in their car. God gave new life and a new home to those who were lost.

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PLANTER: Keith Babb III | The Way Church of Tampa Bay, FL

Major thing the Lord did in 2025:

Allowed us to create a safe space for idle and often unsupervised youth in our community. This outdoor space (The Sanctuary on Aster Ave) serves as a place of Refuge, Rest, and Recreation for youth and families in our community. Through The Sanctuary, the Lord allowed us to establish a literacy learning lab to combat poor academic outcomes of many of the youth in our community. We were able to transform a storage area in our church to a place of learning that will serve students in grades K-5. We are now able to provide one-on-one academic assistance, access to online educational resources, and facilitate group reading circles.

PLANT: Southside Fellowship Church - Houston, TX

Most significant thing the Lord did in 2025:

Form a gospel-centered community where people are not only hearing the good news but experiencing it through tangible love and faithful presence. We’ve seen increased engagement with our neighbors—many coming to church for the first time or returning after a long absence. God opened the door to meaningful spiritual conversations, people taking steps of faith toward Jesus, and lives marked by baptism, restored relationships, care for single parents, and practical support like providing furniture to families moving into our neighborhood. Through simple faithfulness, the Lord is bringing real transformation in our community.

PLANTER: Byron Cogdell | Identity Church Daytona, FL

Most significant thing the Lord did in 2025:

Strengthen our leadership for long-term faithfulness. Identity ordained two new elders and appointed an assistant pastor. This expanded leadership brought greater spiritual care, shared discernment, and pastoral presence to our church family and the Midtown Daytona community. We’re already seeing the fruit in healthier rhythms, deeper discipleship, and a more sustainable vision for the future.

PLANTER: Creston Thomas | Christ the Redeemer Church - Pine Bluff, AK

Most significant thing the Lord did in 2025:

Change a high crime street to a low crime area. Our church was intentional in relationship building with residents—befriending those with criminal histories, prayer walking, meeting tangible needs such as pantry foods and seasonal clothing, and giving the neighborhood children opportunities to see positive influences. As a result, crime fell sharply. We even had a homeowner gift us a blighted house to use in future ministry.

PLANTER: Jeremy Barahona | The Light WPB - West Palm Beach, FL

Most significant thing the Lord did in 2025:

Teach us the effectiveness of revolutionary patience. Instead of compartmentalizing our outreach and disciple-making activities, we asked how could being missional and growing as a disciple be woven into our regular Sunday and prayer gatherings. Scaling back helped us to refocus our priorities. The result was that the Lord maintained our attendance, grew our membership, and cultivated in us a sense of humility and rest. That patience has also helped us identify potential elders and deacons.

More 2025 Highlights

Here are a few more highlights of God’s grace and accomplishments this year:

• Year 1 Church Planter Training Cohort: We had 12 church planters participate in the first year of our planter training program. They studied and reflected together on cultivating a healthy ministry be developing a vibrant interior spiritual life as pastors.
• Year 2 Church Planter Training Cohort: Eight church planters completed the second year of our planter training program, which focused on building spiritually and relationally healthy leadership teams.
• National Conference: We held our fourth annual gathering in Houston, Texas. Our funded church plants—The West Church and Southside Fellowship Church—hosted about 100 participants as we reflected together on the joy and pain that comes from our union with Christ.
• Pastors and Wives Retreat: We gathered a dozen ministry couples in Phoenix, AZ for a 4-day retreat themed “Investing in Us.” Couples were encouraged to prioritize their marriages and to resist the unending demands of ministry so that their families are healthy.
• Brown Bag Calls: Each month we hosted online conversations about ministry in inner-city neighborhoods. With typically 20-25 attendees in a variety of roles at their local churches, we covered topics ranging from international missions to handling conflicts in the local church.
• Financial Grants: Through your support, we awarded $320,000 in financial grants to our eight supported church plants. Those grants have made ministry financially possible for planters, stimulated investment in neglected communities, and supported various mission, evangelism and discipleship initiatives in marginalized neighborhoods.

You are a partner with us in the gospel (Phil. 1:5). God transforms lives and neighborhoods by His grace, but He works through His people. We could not do what we do without your generous support.

May the Lord bless you this New Year!

Thabiti Anyabwile