Easter is not only the foundation of our faith as evidence of the resurrection, but it is also one of our major outreach events of the year because it is a day when many people who wouldn’t otherwise come to church would say, “yes” to an invitation from a trusted friend.

1.) When to come?
If you are bringing a friend, come with that friend (Sunday worship times are unchanged) but otherwise, please consider coming to one of our Saturday Easter worship gatherings (3:00p and 4:30p).

2.) Where to park?
Think of the people who are coming for the first time and are probably a little nervous and may get discouraged (or leave) if they can’t find a place to part (or to sit). Let’s be the ones who park at a distance so that our new guests may be able to find a place up close.

3.) Where to sit?
In the past, we have had people come on Easter and leave because they couldn’t find a place to sit. They aren’t just looking for an available seat, but one that is easily accessible (near the aisle) so let’s be the ones who sit in the middle of the row (towards the front) and leave the aisle seats for others.

4.) When to serve?
Easter is also the time when we need maximum participation in our many serving opportunities. It’s also a time when many people don't just serve, but discover the joy of serving and make it a lifestyle. Maybe that will be you this year? If you want to help make TMC a place where people want to come back to!

GOOD FRIDAY PRAYER WALK
Starting at sunrise on Friday and extending throughout the weekend, you may come experience our self-guided prayer walk. Simply come to the front of the building, read the instructions and follow the arrows painted on the ground from station to station that complete a full circle around the property.

This year’s Easter Offering will go towards the new Thunder Mountain Church Outreach Center. Initially, the focus will be on establishing the Food Pantry, but then we will build out room for other outreach activities.

Our Food Pantry currently feeds about 350 people a month, and we want to secure refrigeration and freezers to be able to expand what we offer.

As you probably saw if you were able to gather for church last Sunday, the Outreach Center has received a fresh coat of paint! THANK YOU to Prestige Remodeling for the labor and to Sherwin Williams for contributing the needed paint (54 gallons!) at a significant discount (which Prestige paid for as well).

We need to get the electricity turned on, change the lighting, design a sign, add an alarm system, purchase refrigerators and freezers, tables, couches (all the inside fun stuff), and eventually redo the parking lot.

The Christmas Offering was a great start as well as several significant donations to the General Fund, but more work remains to be done.

To contribute to the Easter Offering, simply designate your gift “Easter Offering.” The church is also going to match the first $2,000 for this project.

FOR THE ONE
We recently passed $1,900,000 on the way to our goal of $2M! So far, we are hitting every benchmark set for us (raise $2M and increase General Fund giving to $1,250,000 annually) in order to possibly break ground next Spring. But as our attendance continues to explode, the cost of the building we need continues to increase (inflation is a contributor also).

There is a plan whereby we MAY be able to break ground in the Spring and details are being worked out, but in the meantime, keep praying these prayers:
1. “Grow our faith”
2. “Build Your church”
3. “Show ME what I can do”

EXTEND YOUR GIVING
We are very happy to provide online giving options. Recurring giving is vital to both our personal stewardship (we are more consistent when we make the decision ONCE and set it up rather than remake the decision multiple times a month) and, as a result, it is also crucial for the church to be able to make a budget and do the ministry that is planned.

In short, online giving helps grow a spirit of generosity in our church as well as fund our mission to reach out, touch lives, and grow people to know love and serve Jesus! It is worth the $18,000 of online fees that this form of giving incurs.

We appreciate how many of you have increased your gifts to offset these charges (which helps but actually creates more charges). HOWEVER, you can set up your recurring gifts in ways that avoid (and thereby reduce) these charges. Kim and I have set it up through our bank (we used to do it through Quicken, but this method costs nothing!). Oftentimes, doing it through your own bank will save a lot in charges! If you want help setting it up or have questions, please email Kristal@thundermountain.org.

THANK YOU for how you give so generously to TMC and the impact it has on our church and community! We want to be a Church that makes our city a better place because we are here!

A good trivia question each Spring would be, “When is Easter this year?”

The answer is, April 5 which means that Easter is less than a month away and it’s not too early to start making plans.

Plans mean

1. Start praying for God to send the people! Pray specifically for God to send those who haven’t gone to church all year but are thinking about going on Easter. WE WANT THEM HERE!
2. Circle the dates on your calendar. Yes, dates plural because we need our “regulars” to come on Saturday to make room for newcomers on Sunday
3. Start praying about who to invite. Invite cards are in and will be made available soon.
4. Volunteer to serve! Easter has not only become an opportunity to welcome new guests, but it has also been a vehicle to grow our number of volunteers as well. WE NEED YOU, and if you want to know, love, and serve Jesus, then you need to be serving too. Gather for worship on Saturday and come to serve on Sunday.

SIX WORSHIP GATHERINGS!
Here are the service times along with what we plan to offer in the Children's Ministry.

Saturday:  

• 3:00pm CM Large Groups only (3 Rooms: Nursery/Toddler rooms, Pre-K room and Elementary Kinder-3rd)
• 4:30pm CM Large Groups only (3 Rooms: Nursery/Toddler rooms, Pre-K room and Elementary Kinder-3rd)

Sunday:

• 7:40am  no CM (like normal)
• 9:00am Full Children’s Ministry (CM)
• 10:20am Full CM
• 11:40am Full CM

As usual, the 9:00am service will be live-streamed.

GOOD FRIDAY PRAYER WALK
Our Prayer Coordinator, Dave Gibbs, will be planning our “Good Friday Prayer Walk,” where he sets up a sequence of stations around our campus for a self-guided devotional time starting at sunup on Friday and concluding Sunday afternoon.

FIRST TUESDAY PRAYER
Two days after Easter (April 7) will be the First Tuesday Prayer. A worship night is being planned. Dinner is served at 5:45p and Prayer/Worship will begin at 6:30pm and conclude at 7:30pm.

We are excited to see how God will move through TMC this Easter, and we hope you will be a part of it!

When things happen in our country, there are people who look to Thunder Mountain Church to see how we are going to respond. We always try to take time to give a wise, biblical, prayerfully-sought non-partisan answer because I know we always have good people on both sides of nearly every political issue.

We want to build unity on the essentials of scripture, and try to leave room to disagree on nearly everything else.

I think it’s time I speak out on what (in my opinion) is amounting to a new Civil War in our country. What am I talking about? POLITICS!

I think we are ALL tired of the political rhetoric that is flying around our country right now. I’m not talking about sharing our political views and opinions, I’m talking about the labeling, the name calling, and speaking of the “other” side as though they are IDIOTS!

PLEASE STOP! You are promoting Civil War when you should be peacemakers!

Regardless of which side you are on, when you participate in this, you are talking about people you not only go to church with, but are brothers and sisters in Christ.

START TALKING LIKE YOU ARE SPEAKING WITH A FRIEND.

I see comments about people that would NEVER be said to someone’s face, but they are and we need to realize it before we post.

What cost me one friend was this post, “What I tell the other pastors is, ‘If you speak for another group of people and can't have them sit in the front row and say, “yes, that is what I believe”, then you misrepresented them. When you misrepresent them, you promote division.’"

To another who blocked me, I wrote, “Democrats and Republicans aren't going to save us. We need to get our eyes off Trump and back on Jesus. I don't want to participate in this civil war. The only question that brings hope is "Have you been born again?" The flesh leads to death but the Spirit gives life. Labeling people and calling them names is of the flesh.

To a well-known Christian leader on Twitter, I replied, “No it (what was posted) doesn’t make you woke, but it doesn’t make you wise either.”

Right now, some of you are trying to size up my words as being one side or another. Again I ask you, “PLEASE STOP IT.”

TRY THESE FILTERS INSTEAD

• We exist to be disciples who make disciples who make disciples (Our Purpose Statement)
  • Ask yourself, “Am I BEING a disciple right now . . . will this post MAKE disciples?”
• We will advance the Kingdom of God in ways that value people and honor God. (our Values Statement)
  • Ask yourself, “Am I valuing people and honoring God?”
• “The one who gives an answer before he listens — this is foolishness and disgrace for him. ” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭18‬:‭13‬ ‭CSB‬‬
  • Ask yourself, who or what am I listening to or have I presupposed the heart, motives, convictions, or position of another person?

Yes, I am greatly concerned about our country right now and I am troubled by the ways people are being sucked in by headlines and soundbites.

START GETTING THE WHOLE STORY!

At a recent Chamber of Commerce gathering which was a reception for Arizona’ governor, I was asked to give the invocation. The focus of my prayer was, “Will you destroy the dividing wall of hostility that divides us and unite us on the values we share as Americans?”

STOP PARTICIPATING IN THIS CIVIL WAR!

Let’s call it what it is . . . and TMC needs to participate in finding solutions, not contributing to the great divide.

What you have heard me say on so many issues is pertinent here: “One person’s opinion is no better or worse than another’s but if God would speak, only His opinion would count.”

Question: How do we speak on issues where God’s “opinion” is unclear?

Answer: Carefully!

As a church we have “unity based on the essentials of scripture” so don’t break unity on issues where the scriptures don’t speak clearly.

THIS IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY:

34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34–35 (NIV)

1. STOP THE NAME CALLING
2. STOP THE LABELING
3. START LOOKING FOR COMMON GROUND

FACTS

1. People on both “sides” of an issue attend our church
2. People on both “sides” have good reasons for their positions.

Start conversations with sincere questions, looking for common ground, and  bring the Prince of Peace into the discussion.

This is a massive “BECAUSE YOU GAVE” blog post! Two purchases were recently able to be made from our cash reserves because of the way you have been giving to the General Fund in recent months. None of our “For the One” funds were used in either case.

A while back, I mentioned how we’d like to buy the old Circle K property on the highway near us for an Outreach Center that would house our Food Pantry and allow us to expand our services (to increase visibility and to offer cold and frozen foods). We were told that it would be FAR LESS EXPENSIVE to purchase that property than to incorporate those facilities into the design of our new building.

I also wrote how I felt we needed the land adjacent to the south edge of our property to expand our impact on our community with ballfields, gym, and a garage that would not only house vehicles for the church but also allow an auto-repair ministry to be launched.

When presented to the elders, the collective thinking was that the Outreach Center was the top priority, but that the 8 acres to the South was also very important.

Here are the efforts we took to acquire the Circle K property
1.) First donation appeal was October 2022
2.) Second donation appeal March 2023
3.) Two offers to purchase 2024 for $150,000 yielded no response
4.) June 6, 2025 - Submitted a letter of interest for $200,000
5.) June 23 Circle K countered with an offer of $275,000
6.) June 23 - we countered with $250,000, which was accepted.

They accepted our offer, but because of the way they vacated the building, turning on the electricity in order to facilitate the formal inspection was complicated. We ended up accepting the property “as is” at a reduced price of $235,000. With the people who have inspected the property on our behalf, we feel confident in moving ahead with this purchase and officially closed on Monday, February 23!

Next came the land to the South (outlined below). Our interest was in the 8 acres (to our south, extending from Monsanto Road eastward to the wash), but the owner also owned a 6 acre parcel (between the wash and Golden Acres) and didn’t want to be left with that parcel, which would be landlocked. Recently, the 8 acres had been listed at $319k alone, but with the encouragement of our realtor, the consensus of the elders was to pursue the purchase of all 14 acres. Offers shot back and forth, and last Friday, we entered into a contract to purchase all 14 acres for $270,000.

WHAT’S NEXT?

1.) Prepare the Outreach Center to house our expanded Food Pantry! The purpose of our Christmas Offering was to expand the Food Pantry, but negotiations with Circle K that property wasn’t a sure thing but this was our hope. We have big dreams for this building, but initially, we will only do what is necessary to house the Food Pantry at the new location.

2.) Update the Master Plan with Churches By Daniels. The additional property will immediately help with the location of a needed access road as well as parking

3.) Replenish our Cash Reserves. This is done through our giving to the General Fund and is a necessary part of preparing for the new building we need.

4.) Proceed with Phase 2 of the design phase of our new worship center.

5.) Get our sign back up on the highway. We had a big sign that was taken down at the time of the new Circle K construction

The actions I detailed for you in this blog are consistent with what I shared a couple of weeks ago in my “Vision Night” blog, and I encourage you to go back and review that for the big picture.

More land exists that we won’t be pursuing at this time but IF someone might be interested in funding that purchase for the church, I’d be happy to show you another nine-acre parcel on a map.

HOW IS OUR GIVING USED?
1.) Giving to the General Fund expands our ability to Reach Out, Touch Lives, and Grow People to Know, Love, and Serve Jesus TODAY!
2.) Giving to For the One prepares us to Reach Out, Touch Lives, and Grow People to Know, Love, and Serve Jesus IN THE FUTURE!

Yes, we remain just as committed to building, but we will always keep the focus on ministry, and it was believed that these two purchases opened up greater possibilities for ministry now AND in the future.

When you read this, I will have just gotten back from speaking at our Student Ministry Leadership Retreat. We rented cabins near Forest Lakes, Arizona.

This is the fourth time I have been on a trip with the high schoolers and I have always been impressed by the seriousness of our Student Ministry leaders to  grow in their faith.

They could have gone other places and had more “fun” but, like the adults who call TMC home, they aren’t looking to be entertained and there is nowhere that we have found where the faith of our students would be challenged as much as when we plan and lead our own retreats.

The last three retreats, we have been going over the same Spiritual Formations curriculum that we teach in our Equipped Classes and that forms the basis of the current sermon series.  In fact, I actually first taught our Spiritual Formations curriculum to the high schoolers and this winter, I added two more “habits” which the students were the first to receive (Sexual Integrity and The Humble Path).

Our Students and Young Adults are eager to know, love, and serve Jesus! One of the reasons the average age at TMC is much lower is because of how the older among us respect and value those who are younger. We make a place at the table for them. By allowing them to lead as we do, we stoke the fires of their faith and become invigorated ourselves to experience a resurgence of faith at a stage of life when others may begin to coast!

As we often say, “We will be ever-growing, ever-reaching, this generation for Christ!”

The reason we are able to be this kind of church is that our older adults have the same attitude as Jesus in that we are here to serve, not to be served and to give our lives as a benefit to others (choosing to invest in those who will outlive us!)

It’s a GREAT formula for church that few seem willing to adopt and it’s my prayer that for us, from generation to generation, it will always be the case so that, as far as the ministry of TMC is concerned, the best will ALWAYS be yet to come!

If you want to get in on the Equipped Class of Spiritual Formations, it’s not too late IF YOU START THIS WEEK! Click here to sign up, then come to class on Thursday at 6pm!

Recently, I had an occasion to give a talk in response to the question, “When will we break ground for the new building?” You can hear my talk here.

I’d like to summarize my answer for you here:

Building Process
October 2022 – We met with a local contractor to determine the estimated cost for the new building.
1.) The cost (at that time) was determined to be approximately $7 million to include site development, A/V/L, furnishings, and architecture firm.
2.) The bank would loan us $5 million IF we raised $2 million and increased our General Fund giving to $1.25 million annually.
3.) We began “For The One” in April 2023 with those numbers in mind.

Where we are today:
1.) “Increase our General Fund to $1.25 million.”

• 2025 GF giving was over $1.3 million!

2.) “Raise $2 million through a capital campaign.”

• On pace to reach this goal in May ‘26

We have completed Phase I of the building process
1.) Floorplan and Master Site Plan
2.) Code-compliant site plan through a civil engineer
3.) Soil testing/borings
4.) Waterflow testing
5.) Topographic survey
6.) Civil Feasibility
7.) Exterior and Interior renderings
8.) Fly through video (view here)
9.) Preliminary Rough Order of Magnitude budget

Here is a rendering of the exterior

Current Reality
Since our initial meeting in October 2022, the estimated building cost is now projected to be over $10 million.

WHAT WE HAVE DONE
1.) Decreased the size of the original building plan

• 24,000+ SF in 2016 plan
• 18,550 SF in 2026 plan

2.) Eliminated the coffee shop and café
3.) The staff has been meeting to pray at 12:30p everyday since August

Eliminating the coffee shop and cafe may not seem like much to some of you, but to me it represented the opportunity to make our campus a 7-day-a-week destination as well as provide the incentive for people to linger longer on campus after their weekend encounters with God. You can see that in Phase 2, the offices and coffee shop would be added.

WHAT WE CANNOT DO
Reduce the size of the building to what we can afford now.  An auditorium that seats 500 will only allow us to be more comfortable, NOT reach more people. We will not invest millions of dollars for our comfort!

HOW WILL WE RESPOND?
I admit that in the meeting where that information was delivered, I might have cried 2-3 times, even though I had been predicting it privately for weeks, but then I turned to the Lord, and these are what I felt I heard from Him and realized we must do:
1.) “Build what you need, not what you can afford.”
2.) See the miracle as getting bigger.
3.) Allow Jesus to build His Church.
4.) Humbly and earnestly seek God.

HOW TO PRAY?
1.) Grow OUR faith!
2.) Build YOUR church!
3.) Show ME what I can do

God’s blessings on our church are unprecedented, and I know He will provide, but the way He will do that is by growing us to be the people who are ready to occupy the building He is going to provide, and it is going to take all of us to succeed.

THREE MIRACLES I’D LOVE TO SEE!
1.) Buy the old Circle K for our Food Pantry and Outreach Center
2.) Acquire the 7 acres adjacent to the south edge of our property (ballfields, gym, garage)
3.) Break ground next Spring

Let’s pay cash for it all so we can devote the money that would go towards the mortgage ($40,000 per month) could be invested in our outreach to our community and the world!

What are Equipped Classes?

We saw a need for a different type of teaching than occurs from the pulpit on Sunday mornings, or the facilitation of group discussion that is the preferred method in our small groups. Equipped classes have group participation and discussion but the focus is on “teaching” information and the number of classes are limited to the available rooms and we try to focus on these topics in one form or another:

1.) Financial Learning Experience
2.) Bible Study
3.) Marriage/Family
4.) Apologetics/Spiritual Growth
5.) Leadership Development

THIS SEMESTER’S OFFERINGS:

1.) The book of Acts bible study
2.) Spiritual Formations
3.) I Was Broke, Now I’m Not
4.) His Needs, Her Needs
5.) Ministry Leadership Course (prerequisite: serving in ministry as a Ministry Partner)

Everything is 6:00-7:30p starting on Thursday, February 5 and childcare is available. There is time to sign up here and register your child(ren) for childcare!

Want to be in a Group? Want to lead a group?
Maybe you are one of those people who are tired of living in isolation and are craving community. To be a church of disciples who make disciples, we must be a church of relationships.  

Five Reasons We Have Connect Groups
1.) It’s where authentic Christian Community is lived out in TMC
2.) They are the front line of our pastoral care
3.) It’s where new leaders are inspired and raised up
4.) They are the vehicle whereby TMC can take the gospel beyond our four walls..
5.) Connect Groups are the main source of relationships that will form “micro-group” discipleship opportunities.

Truthfully, we have always struggled to get enough groups for the people looking for one and with our exploding attendance, the demand (as well as the need) is greater than ever before.

I encourage you to come THIS SUNDAY to be part of the solution and to help build the future of TMC! I’m excited about what Graham is preparing and if you are someone who wants to be in a group or thinks that groups are essential for a healthy church, I hope to see you this Sunday at 1:00pm.

One of our axioms is, “We will be ever-growing, ever-reaching this generation for Christ.”

Sometimes people respond to that statement with a question, “What do you have for people MY age?”

When we refer to “this generation,” people who don’t consider themselves to be part of THAT generation (however they define it in their own minds), automatically conclude they are excluded from the activity of Thunder Mountain Church.

Many people also notice (and appreciate) that TMC has a large number of young people, which is considered out of the norm for churches in this day and age.

We consider our worship gatherings like a “family dinner.” I got this concept from the National Worship Leaders Conference I attended in 2007. The idea is that all families are multi-generational, and it is always the responsibility of the older (more mature) members of the family to bend towards the younger (less mature) to make them feel not only welcome, but like they belong in the family.

I’ve seen many churches that do the opposite. They actually bend towards the older and cater to their preferences, which I think is simply because “money talks.” I saw this in my hometown, the established churches, rather than pursue a contemporary style of worship, “bent older” and catered to the needs of the “mature” through a blended style (which the older members preferred). A new church came to town with a contemporary style and swept ALL of the younger people from all of the established churches, which devastated them.

The result was one church with a lot of young people but lacking the wisdom and guidance of the more mature, and you had other churches feeling depressed because they felt the life of the church was missing.

So, back to the original question: “What do you have for people MY age?”
1. The opportunity to be a disciple, who makes disciples who makes disciples regardless of your age.
2. The opportunity to invest in people who will outlive you!

Sometimes people come and ask for a “ministry” to their own demographic, and our response is to help mold that “felt” need (preferences) into activities that will help people take “next steps” in their discipleship journey.

The quickest way to kill a church is to align every ministry with someone’s preference (I call that the “conveyor belt of death”). When we focus our energies on ministering to others (especially those who will outlive us), then we not only find joy, meaning, and purpose for ourselves, but we also build a thriving church community that continues to thrive when other organizations slip into irreversible decline.

I am grateful to God for the church He has established, where year THIRTY-SIX was our best year yet! If we keep our focus, the best is yet to come!

One of our axioms is, “We will be ever-growing, ever-reaching this generation for Christ.”

I hope you were able to read last week’s blog about "ever-growing, ever-reaching". What is happening now is literally the answer to decades of praying. For years, my prayer has been, “Lord, increase our capacity to grow people!” The more God has answered that prayer, the more people have come.

 And as you have heard it said often at TMC . . . “Attendance is not the measurement of our success, it is the weight of our responsibility.”

So what is happening now?

A Significant Milestone Reached!
We have exceeded 1,000 in attendance for Easter and Christmas for years but, for the first time in the history of Thunder Mountain Church, we averaged more than 1,000 in a month.

Average Weekend Worship Attendance (“The Weight of Responsibility”)
Nov. 2025: 1,023 (26% increase)
Nov. 2024: 812 (14% increase)
Nov. 2023: 710 (31% increase)

I have always believed that the destiny of our church would reach this size even on the Sunday in 1989  when only 7 people were present, or the months that our average attendance was in the 30’s. First, God had to grow the people (especially me!) who would form the pipeline, and lead them through it. My legacy will not be my name, but the people who give their lives (as I have given mine) to reach out, touch lives, and grow people to know, love, and serve Jesus!

The focus of the leadership of TMC is NOT to strategize how we can increase our attendance, although we all work very hard to reach more people, and especially people no one else is reaching.

We also work hard at growing disciples who can make disciples who make disciples SO THAT the population of Heaven will increase and the population of Hell will decrease.
When you work hard at reaching people, AND you work hard at growing disciples (those people you have reached), attendance WILL increase (as a by-product of “successful” ministry).

If Not Attendance, How Do We Measure “Success”
“Success” is measured by people who are growing  through our “Discipleship Pipeline.”  We measure . . .
1.) # of people attending (and taking) “Next Steps”
2.) # of people completing Foundations (Discipleship 1.0 class)
3.) # of people completing Formations (Discipleship 2.0 class offered as an Equipped Class)
4.) # of new Ministry Partners (people complete Growth Track and begin engaging in the 5 Strategies of discipleship).
5.) # of new Leadership Partners (people completing the Ministry Leadership Course, the Leadership 1.0 class, and signing the Leadership Partner Covenant)

What Will Be YOUR Focus for 2026?
It’s my prayer that you will prioritize your spiritual growth in 2026 in a way that a foundation will be established on which future growth will be built.

Next week, let’s look at a big reason why we hit this milestone after 36 years!

One of our axioms is, “We will be ever-growing, ever-reaching this generation for Christ.”

It’s often misunderstood. . . so I want to explain.

Growth is not about the MANY, it’s about THE ONE.

Years ago, we stopped apologizing for wanting to grow.

• Some who don’t know us say, “Thunder Mountain wants to be a mega-church.”
• Some say, “Well, we aren’t interested in numerical growth but spiritual growth.”
• Others say, “I don’t want to be part of a large church.”  

Those comments may sound righteous and cause you to run for apologies, but PLEASE DON’T DO IT!

It is right to want to grow because . . .
1.) Numbers represent PEOPLE! Someone who doesn’t want to grow actually wants to exclude people.
2.) To us, “ever-growing” means continually making room for the ONE who comes seeking God!
3.) We are growing numerically BECAUSE people are growing spiritually (stop talking like it’s “either or”)
4.) To want a church to stay small is selfish. Repent!

Everyone who serves is a link in the chain that God uses to reach people far from Him!

I share these figures below with you so you can . . .
1.) Praise God for the work He is doing through us!
2.) See how God is using us to touch lives
3.) Grasp why we MUST pay the price to build again
4.) Appreciate the importance of serving

On Christmas Eve, we saw nearly 1,200 adults attend gatherings. And for the first Sunday of 2026, we saw nearly 1,000 adults attend gatherings.

We rejoice that many people want to come to Thunder Mountain and work hard to WELCOME EACH ONE!

However, attendance is not how we measure success (come back here next week to learn more).

New Year: New Service, New Times, New Series, New Opportunities!

If you weren’t able to see Justin’s New Year’s message that we streamed on December 28, please don’t miss the opportunity to see/hear it (find it here) in order that 2026 can be YOUR BEST YEAR YET! At TMC, we are always in “growth mode” from Personal Growth Plans to increasing the capacity of our current facility, we are serious about “Advancing the kingdom of God in ways that value people and honor God” and we don’t want YOU to miss out!

NEW SERVICE AND NEW TIMES!
After MONTHS of overflowing worship gatherings, Sunday, January 4 is the day we begin the long-anticipated fourth Sunday Morning Worship Gathering! All times will be shuffled as follows:

7:00a  – Pre-Service Prayer (in the Ministry Support Center Conference Room)
7:40a – 1st Worship Gathering (NO Children’s Ministry)
9:00a  – 2nd Worship Gathering (with Children’s Ministry)
10:20a  – 3rd Worship Gathering (with Children’s Ministry)
11:40a  – 4th Worship Gathering (with Children’s Ministry)

Normally, when starting a new service, we seek 100 people to commit to attending that service for a period of 4-6 months, so that service can quickly begin to thrive. We didn’t do that this time (because the other services are overflowing) and honestly, as the moment approaches, I am a little nervous about how many people will choose the 11:40am time slot (as well as enough people answering the Spirit’s “nudge” to fill out our ministry teams).

If you are willing to help get the new service started by making it your service, you could increase the capacity.

If you can help meet the demand on Sundays by serving on a Ministry Team (Children’s Ministry, Guest Services), PLEASE let us know! You can email me (Randy@ThunderMountain.org) or communicate your desire to serve on a Communication Card this Sunday.

NEW SERIES!
GROWING A SPIRITUAL LIFE
Discover New Life, New Truths, New Habits

What better way to start the new year! This will be our focus through March 1 because growth doesn’t come by accident and there is too much at stake for us to fail to take our own spiritual growth seriously.

NEW OPPORTUNITIES
Personal Growth Plans and Goal Setting

Are you willing to pray: “God, the next 365 days will be a gift from you! Please help me become the person I need to be in order to accomplish your will for my life!” This is a great time to prayerfully plan for the next twelve months.
 
What do you think God wants to see happen in your life in these six areas?

1. Faith
2. Family
3. Fitness
4. Finances
5. Friends
6. Fun

 
Write down your goals in a SMART way!

• Specific
• Measureable
• Attainable
• Relevant
• Time-bound

 
What is Your ONE WORD?
Seek God for one word that can become the frame for your life in the upcoming year. What ONE WORD might make the biggest difference for your life? Choose one word to focus on for the entire year.

How will you celebrate this year?

When I was a child, it was about the presents and the joy my excitement gave to my parents. When our children were young, I tried to re-create the excitement for them. When they grew, the focus on Christmas shifted to our adult daughters coming home with their families and making memories with our grandchildren who I didn’t get to see very often.

As I aged, something else began to grow. I remember special moments as a child, laying under the Christmas tree, looking up through the lights with quiet wonder. As a pastor, the special moments became seeing the church gathering on Christmas Eve and wishing the people I love,  “Merry Christmas”.

Then, rather than Christmas being on one particular day, it became an awareness each day of the Christmas season, sitting in my “time and place”, listening to Christmas praise music, and enjoying fellowship with the God who took on flesh because GOD CAME TO BE WITH US so that He could prepare a place so we could be with Him!

I hope that this Christmas season has been a time of sweet fellowship with God BUT IF IT HASN’T BEEN YET, may you find a quiet moment sometime before retiring for the night, and rather than lament that Christmas is 365 days away, draw near to your Savior and Heavenly Father and let Him read that story to you!

GRAB A MOMENT OF FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD (10 OPTIONS)!

1. The Angel Appears to Mary
Luke 1:26–38 — Gabriel announces to Mary that she will conceive by the Holy Spirit and bear the Son of God.
2. Mary Visits Elizabeth
Luke 1:39–45 — Mary visits Elizabeth, and John the Baptist leaps in her womb.
3. Mary’s Song of Praise (The Magnificat)
Luke 1:46–55 — Mary praises God for His faithfulness and mercy.
4. The Angel Appears to Joseph
Matthew 1:18–25 — An angel reassures Joseph and explains the divine origin of Mary’s child.
5. The Journey to Bethlehem
Luke 2:1–5 — Joseph and Mary travel to Bethlehem because of the census.
6. The Birth of Jesus
Luke 2:6–7 — Jesus is born and laid in a manger.
7. The Shepherds and the Angels
Luke 2:8–20 — Angels announce the birth of Christ to shepherds, who go and worship Him.
8. The Visit of the Magi
Matthew 2:1–12 — Wise men from the East come to worship the newborn King and present gifts.
9. Jesus’ Purpose for His Followers
John 14:1–6 — Jesus promises to prepare a place for those who trust in Him.
10. John’s Description of Who Jesus Is
John 1:1–14 — Jesus is the eternal Word made flesh, full of grace and truth.

REMEMBER!

• THE SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS, no in-person gatherings on December 28 (find pre-recorded message from Pastor Justin here on our website).
• THE NEXT SUNDAY (January 4) . . . begins FOUR SERVICES WITH NEW TIMES (7:40, 9:00, 10:20, 11:40). Please pray that enough people choose the fourth service and that space will open up at the other three (if you can help serve, PLEASE let us know!)
• NEXT STEPS resume in January, after each service for people interested in exploring the move from watching to experiencing God!

Christmas Eve at TMC is an invitation to gather around the manger in a 60 minute service filled with familiar Christmas songs, a brief message, communion, delicious treats, hot chocolate and a great place created for you to snap your Christmas photo! There will be Children’s ministry each service up through Pre-K.

Invitations have been going out and we can’t wait to gather on Christmas Eve! The schedule will be 2:00pm, 3:20pm, 4:40pm, and 6:00pm.  Remember that your friends and family that you’d like to introduce to Jesus and/or our church are very likely to come IF YOU INVITE THEM!

CHRISTMAS OFFERING
If you want to help fund the expansion of the Food Pantry, designate your year-end gifts to “Christmas Offering.” For other year-end giving options, please see the December

WHAT TO EXPECT ON SUNDAY, DECEMBER 28
After four worship gatherings on Christmas Eve, Sunday, December 28th will feature an on-demand, pre-recorded service and message for the sake of our many staff and volunteers. We hope everyone can enjoy this blessing from home and have a nice, quiet day before the new year ramps up!

This year’s Christmas Offering is dedicated to expanding our Food Pantry. We currently serve around 300 individuals each month, and we would like to add frozen and refrigerated items to better meet the needs of our community. To do that, we need additional space and the ability to act quickly when a viable option becomes available. Your generosity will help make that possible. If you’d like to contribute, please designate your gift “Christmas Offering.”

Update on the Old Circle K Purchase
(See September 18, 2025 blog for background)
We have been under contract to purchase the old Circle K on Hwy 92 and Golden Acres Dr. (across from the newer Circle K). However, utilities had to be turned on to complete an official inspection. After multiple attempts, the seller did not respond, and when we contacted the utility providers directly, SSVEC informed us they could not restore electricity until internal electrical concerns were resolved by an electrician.

Because the seller’s contract allowed only a tight 30-day inspection window, we initially
cancelled the agreement to ensure our earnest money would be able to be returned but they responded with a 60-day extension which we accepted. This is for the purpose of creating a Thunder Mountain Church Outreach Center, which would provide the space for an expanded Food Pantry.

For the One funds are not being used for this project. The Christmas Offering will help pay for equipment and renovations needed to expand the Food Pantry—whether in this building or another suitable location.

Year-End Giving Options 
If you are considering a year-end gift to support the ministry of your church, here are two meaningful opportunities:

1.) For the One
Our three-year initiative to raise $2,000,000—positioning us to break ground on a new worship facility and convert the current building into a secure children’s facility—is at 89.5% of pace. To finish on time, we would need an additional $210,000 (which reflects being only four months behind). We expect to receive a “rough order of magnitude” cost estimate soon, and we continue working diligently to make expansion a reality.

2.) Casa Esperanza Expansion
Casa provides a Christian home for children who have been abused or abandoned. We have supported Casa since 2009, following their relocation from downtown Hermosillo. They are now undertaking a major expansion that will nearly double their capacity. If you would like to help, here is the link: https://casa-giving-tuesday.raiselysite.com/ 

Announcement about Sunday, December 28th 
After four worship gatherings on Christmas Eve, we will not meet in person on Sunday, December 28. Instead, Pastor Justin will provide an on-demand, pre-recorded message for you to enjoy at home or with friends. This gives our many staff and volunteers a chance to rest before the new year begins.

GOOD NEWS OF A CHRISTMAS PAST AND EXCITEMENT FOR THE ONE AHEAD!

One of the first signs that Christmas is coming is the sound of bells ringing outside the stores in our community. Recently, the Salvation Army held its annual Red Kettle Kickoff breakfast.

The year before, I listened to two local organizations playfully debate which of them would win the next year. I remember thinking, “Wouldn’t it be amazing if a church surprised them and took the lead? What a witness that would be to our community!”

I was in Dallas for my mom’s surgery, but to my surprise—and to the surprise of many in the room—the group that “rang in" the most money last year was none other than Thunder Mountain Church!

This year, our staff will ring again on December 5 at Fry’s, and the money raised during our shift counts toward TMC’s total. But last year, it wasn’t just the staff shift that put us over the top—it was all of you who signed up as ringers and selected Thunder Mountain Church as your group.

If you want to help again this year, go to registertoring.com, choose “I’m ringing with an individual,” search Sierra Vista, AZ, and pick your date and shift. When you select your shift, be sure to check the box to associate with a group and choose Thunder Mountain Church. (You will need to create a login.) https://www.registertoring.com 

Also, please direct your personal Salvation Army kettle donations through TMC ringers—for the glory of God. I love when our community sees the Church as a source of blessing! And come see us at Frys on Dec. 5th all day!

Two and a half years ago, we launched our capital initiative called For The One. At that time, we identified four key reasons to build:

1.) Secure our children’s ministry facility
2.) Provide more seats for more people (at the time - our largest service was nearly full — topping at 78% and averaging 64%)
3.) Create more connection space
4.) Increase capacity for discipleship events (more space for fellowship, prayer, and ministry)

INITIAL PLAN
Our original plan was to build a $7M facility by:

• Raising $2M and breaking ground at the completion of the initiative
• Increasing General Fund giving to $1,250,000 to qualify for a $5M loan
• Holding a second capital initiative to reduce how much we’d need to borrow (of the projected $5M)

WHAT GOD HAS DONE
Since that time, amazing things have happened at TMC! Back in 2023, our largest service was “nearly full” — now it’s overflowing! Attendance has exceeded our capacity (299) 16 times since July, and our 11:00 service has surpassed 290 four times in the same period. This fall, our overall attendance is matching Easter 2023 levels!

Here’s what we’ve accomplished so far:

• Signed a contract with Churches by Daniels in anticipation of breaking ground in 2026
• Raised nearly $1.6M with six months to go — nearly on pace!
• Increased General Fund giving to $1,213,464.58 (this past fiscal year’s total)
• Earned over $100,000 in interest through high-yield CD investments
• Covered the 10% Outreach Component (giving over half of what CareNet needs to acquire their Mobile Unit) through the General Fund
• Although debt-free, we’ve been paying ourselves a “mortgage placeholder” from the General Fund in anticipation of future loan payments

Additionally, we’re expanding our local outreach capacity:

• We’re under contract to purchase the old Circle K for $250,000 to create the TMC Outreach Center — increasing visibility for our Food Pantry and allowing expansion into frozen and refrigerated items. Our architects confirmed this was more cost-effective than adding those needs to the new facility.
• The proposed 7-acre property (for community ballfields, vehicle garage, and auto ministry for single mothers) was recently listed at $319,000. Purchasing it now would deplete reserves too much, so we’re waiting until the Lord provides additional funds specifically for this.

WHAT’S NEXT

• Estimated cost for the new building from Churches by Daniels is expected to come December, 2025
• Fourth Sunday service launching January 4 (we’ll need every attendee engaged!)
• For The One wraps up in Spring 2026, and we expect to meet our goal

CHALLENGES AHEAD

• The building design has grown in response to our attendance surge
• The coffee shop (originally envisioned to make TMC a seven-day destination) was cut from phase one
• Final cost is expected to exceed $7M

OUR COMMITMENT
While it can be frustrating that building costs seem to outpace our growth, we are determined to build what we need — not just what we can afford.

We will remain faith-full, trusting God to lead us forward.

Those of us who call TMC “home” carry a great responsibility if we’re to continue being the church God has called us to be — a church that believes:

• The next person through the door belongs as much as anyone else.
• We are to be ever-growing and ever-reaching this generation for Christ.
• We are to do what’s right at any cost.

HOW WE WILL DO IT

• Pray with the conviction that we can’t do it, but God can do it through us! Great churches are built by great faith. Each of us gives to the limit of our faith — so let’s ask God to increase it!
• Give to For The One to exceed our $2M goal and reduce what we need to borrow.
• Give to the General Fund to sustain ministry momentum as we build.

We are in the final six months of For The One — and the name still captures our heart. No matter how many people come to TMC (and there are thousands who consider us their church), our focus will always be on the one.

Every ONE matters.
Every ONE has a name.
Every ONE has a story.
Every ONE has an eternal destiny — Heaven or Hell.

And we must do all we can to…
Increase the population of Heaven and decrease the population of Hell.

FOR THE ONE SUNDAY — NOVEMBER 16
Join us as we celebrate what God has done so far, enjoy our annual Chili Cook-Off, and prepare for a strong finish to For The One!

We will be having a chili cook-off after the 9:30 and 11:00 services! Come ready to judge and hang out! We will have chili samples and hot dogs.

The government shutdown may end by the time you receive this, but the crisis caused by the furloughs may still not be over for a while. So, we want to communicate this offer to help.

When we look at the church in the book of Acts, we see that God was "so powerfully at work" because of how the church responded to the Word of God with a spirit of generosity and a heart of concern for one another!

33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all 34 that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35 and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need. Acts 4:33–35 (NIV)

We give food to our community, but we give financially to our congregation in times of crisis and emergency. This comes from the General Fund; unless the need is greater than the supply, then we receive a special offering.

If this furlough has put you in a bind, PLEASE LET US KNOW. Medications are essential to maintain, and we like to help avoid repossessions, foreclosures, and disconnections because it costs less to prevent them than to recover them.

This level of care isn't available to everyone, but we will take care of our own Leadership Partners, Ministry Partners, and regular attendees to the extent we are able.
To access this assistance, you may use this link.

Thank you to those who give to our General Fund, because YOU expand our ability to reach out, touch lives, and grow people to know, love, and serve Jesus!

P.S. If you haven't yet started giving regularly and want to start, you can use this link to give a one time gift or to set up a recurring contribution.

Our pantry can always use more food and money to keep the shelves stocked to be able to provide to anyone who needs it!

The biggest challenge in every capital initiative has been to keep the focus on ministry while we are trying to raise money to build much needed facilities.

We have navigated this successfully each of the previous three capital initiatives, but our fourth is our largest yet.

Not only are we trying to raise funds for a new worship center on campus, but opportunities have arisen to acquire the old Circle K on the highway for our outreach center, as well as an additional seven acres adjacent to our property to the South.

The advantages of acquiring the Circle K
1.) We want to make this our Outreach Center!
2.) The primary “outreach” would be to expand our Food Pantry! We have wanted, for a long time, to be able to provide more perishable food items, which would require a freezer and more refrigerator space than is currently available.
3.) The architect has told us that it would cost LESS to buy the Circle K than it would to design those needs into the new building construction.
4.) We could also put our sign back up on the highway that came down when the new Circle K was beginning to be built.

AT THE SAME TIME there are seven acres adjacent to our property on the South that are available as well. With the new construction being planned in our area, the price of land has started to increase (and will continue to).

What might be the benefit of acquiring the additional land?
1.) Other ministries (gym, urgent care clinic, auto repair) could be launched if we had more land.
2.) We could construct ballfields for community use that would make our ramada a hub of community involvement. Many people from TMC are involved in coaching, and fields are always in short supply. It would allow us to meet a need in our community and bring people onto our campus.
3.) We need additional land if we are  to build a garage to house a church van (or two) which could double as a garage for an auto repair ministry (especially beneficial for single moms).

Another benefit is that these assets could improve the appraisal of our assets in qualifying for a loan for the new worship center.

Nothing given to “For the One” would go towards these other projects but we have been setting aside money in anticipation of having a mortgage and this has been held in reserves.

Acquiring the Old Circle K
The asking price for the old Circle K has been $350,000. We tried to get them to donate it (no response), we offered $150,000 (no response), we offered $200,000 and they countered with $275,000 so we offered $250,000, which we have been told is in the process of being accepted.

What About the Land?
The land was recently on the market for $319,000. We aren’t in a position to make an offer with everything else going on even though with the architect creating the Master Plan and development appearing to begin on other land in the vicinity, the timing of this purchase would be ideal.

If this sounds like something you’d like to help make happen, now would be the ideal time to make that investment in our future.

It seems funny, but we have never celebrated our anniversary as a church. I have gone to the celebrations of the anniversaries of other churches, but for some reason, we have never held one of our own.

We existed for nearly 20 years before we built for the first time. Our first official service was in the Sierra Vista Middle School cafeteria when Calvary Chapel moved out of there to their first home on Hereford Road.

We rented a property on 3rd and Myer that has been one church or another to this day. It is satisfying to think of the blessing God brought to our community in that location, beginning with us.

Honestly, the bulk of the story of Thunder Mountain Church has been the faithfulness of God as He has spent the bulk of the time growing me into the leader our church needs. One name that I wish everyone could know was John Ligon. He was a retired Lieutenant Colonel who was the one who wrote the first letter of interest for us to come and who not only gave me more authority to lead than I had earned, but he was also the person I would call when I felt overwhelmed and didn’t know what to do. I can still hear him laughing over the phone in a kind and reassuring way that always let me know that God would come through.

I hope you can join us this Sunday for our first Anniversary Celebration after year number 35. A lot of fun is being planned! Pancakes will be served after the first service with hot dogs, cake and bounce houses out under the ramada after 9:30 and 11:00 gatherings.  What a great opportunity to celebrate God's faithfulness that has sustained us over the past 3½ decades.

We have more people coming to Thunder Mountain Church than ever before! We are at the point where our systems that were designed to help people become part of Thunder Mountain Church need to be updated.

The challenge of leadership is not only to make one “team” out of an ever-changing group of people, but also to accurately discern to whom authority and influence should be delegated so that the “flock” will be protected and newcomers will be able to serve in ways consistent with their gifts, character, and spiritual maturity.

All of that was what we had in mind when we designed Thrive and Growth Track as a way to help get people connected and get them serving. That way of doing it has not been effective in getting people serving.

Today, I want to share with you a very different approach we will be taking to help people experience God, connect with people, and discover what God created them to do.

CHANGES (BEGINNING SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7)
1.) Monthly “Thrive” will be discontinued and replaced with our weekly “Next Steps” experience.  Instead of requiring people to come back at 12:30 for a 90 minute presentation once-a-month, they will have the opportunity to stop by the room by the lobby after each service for a presentation that will take about 10 minutes.

2.) Guests will no longer take their cards to Connection Point because, starting September 7, they will receive their gift at Next Steps.

3.) “Connection Point” will become a place for information and prayer.

How will this work?
After each worship gathering, people will be invited to stop in for our “Next Steps” experience for the purpose of giving a clear pathway to feel part of the church.

From “Next Steps”, people will be able to try different “first serve” ministry opportunities quickly as well as different “learning opportunities”. If they want to go deeper or have more responsibility, Growth Track would be necessary but we are speeding up the process for people to “get involved”.

If you’ve been to Thrive, you DON’T need to come to Next Steps. If you’ve been here for a while (even for years) and you’ve never taken the step to get involved, then by all means stop in!

There will be elders and staff to help facilitate the “Next Steps” process. Hopefully, this will become a better way to welcome people and help them connect with people, experience more of God, and find the purpose for which God created them!

Since announcing from the stage that we are short 50 people to effectively serve 3 services we have gotten about 20 new people signed up to serve.

Reaching out, touching lives, and growing people to know, love, and serve Jesus!

Our 10th Project Serve is this Sunday where we cancel our regular worship gatherings and do our “worship-service” out in the community.

If you are new to TMC, this is a GREAT opportunity to get connected with people too! Every year, I make memories and meaningful connections with people that last a lifetime!

Whatever it is that you like about your church, there is a good chance that what you like is reflected in some way in Project Serve

• The church is people!
• Outreach is the heartbeat of TMC!
• TMC is not confined to the four walls of our building
• People are more important than buildings (or the carpet)
• We want to be a church known for what we are FOR
• We want our community to ALWAYS see our hands outstretched to GIVE and not to TAKE.
• We want to have a strong volunteer culture.
• We seek to grow a spirit of generosity in all people.
• We want people outside of our four walls to experience the unconditional love of Jesus!

Project Serve accomplishes ALL OF THAT. It is our opportunity to not just be “hearers of the word” but to be “doers”! It is our reminder to ourselves

This is a weekend to strengthen our commitments to our values and not let ourselves slip into the complacency of letting talk substitute for actions.

WE NEED YOU!

“How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”  Romans 10:15b (NIV)

P.S. If you haven’t signed up yet, please come anyway, but come a little early (7:00 am rather than 7:30) so we can get you assigned to a team.

PPS - I was asked to do a memorial service for a friend of someone who attends TMC, whose mother passed away but didn’t have a home church. They had already scheduled it for 10:00am on August 31. I will be able to serve an hour before I have to go clean up and do the service. I will be back to greet everyone at lunch but I wanted to let everyone know what I was doing without announcing it publicly from the stage that morning.

The Need for 4th Service! In the middle of the Summer (4th of July weekend!), an adult attendance record was set. Then on the first weekend of August, it was exceeded by over 100 people and for the first time (other than Easter and Christmas Eve), our attendance eclipsed 1,000. We routinely have to set up chairs in an overflow room and people still fill in over 90% of the available seats (70% is considered “full”) at 9:30a and sometimes 11:00a.

What does that mean? People are hungry for God and God is drawing more people to Himself through us than we can seat in our THREE weekend services. Two of our axioms are that we will be “ever growing” and “the next person through the door belongs as much as anyone else.” SO . . . we either make more room or change our axioms.

It means that we needed the new building “yesterday” and while everyone is doing everything we can to speed up that day, in the meantime, our only option appears to be adding a fourth service.

Before We Can Add a 4th Service. Since there would be nothing gained if we added a fourth service without Children’s Ministry, Guest Services, and Worship Arts (media, sound, and video support), WE CANNOT MOVE AHEAD WITHOUT MORE SERVING TEAM MEMBERS. We need about 120 more people to join serving teams before a 4th worship gathering can become reality.

August 24 Team Rally. HERE’S THE PLAN! On Sunday, August 24, after the third service we are going to have a Team Rally for everyone who currently IS on a serving team and everyone who MIGHT want to join one, is asked to come. WE HAVE A LOT TO CELEBRATE!

First, everyone will gather in the main auditorium together for a brief time of celebration and encouragement from myself and Pastor Justin. THEN Children’s Ministry, Worship Arts, and Guest Services will go to separate areas on campus where people who aren’t already serving can ask questions of those who are, to determine if that particular ministry area is a good fit. You will have an opportunity to sign up right there!

As soon as we have the people needed to launch the 4th worship gathering, we will set a date and make the announcement!

To Team Leaders: please ask your current team members to not only COME TO THE RALLY but also please pass along this message “EVERYONE INVITE SOMEONE TO COME TO THE RALLY!”

The reason for the saying “20% of the people do 80% of the work” is that the tendency is to invite those you are already serving people (they become your friends) over and over again and THAT IS WHY we need everyone to be inviters!

BECAUSE YOU GAVE (WITH CORRECTION)

At the start of school, we celebrated being able to provide lunch (J’S KITCHEN) to everyone on staff at Carmichael and Huachuca Mountain elementary schools. We also gave gift cards to every teacher at both school in the amount of $50 (CORRECTION: I erred in my announcement  from the stage that the amount was $100.) We were also able to give Baker’s Dozen Donuts on the first day teachers reported at Veritas.

ALL OF THAT WAS BECAUSE YOU GIVE! Thank you for making it possible to reach out, touch lives, and grow people to know love, and serve Jesus!