Elder's Letter Nov 2026
Dear Church Family, November 2026
As your Elders, we are grateful for the ways God continues to work through First Christian Church. We are encouraged by the faithfulness of those who serve across our campuses, the people who are growing in their relationship with Christ, and the opportunities God continues to place before us. We believe He has more work for us to do, and we want to invite our entire church family to be part of what comes next.
At FCC, our vision has grown beyond simply finding room for more people on Sunday mornings. We believe God has called us to be a church that makes disciples, develops leaders, and sends them out to serve our communities and beyond. Our campuses are not the end goal; they are a way for us to reach more people with the gospel, help believers grow in Christ, and strengthen other churches. That vision includes our partnerships and ministry beyond Greene County, including the church plant in Colombia.
One significant next step is the launch of our fourth campus in Mosheim at West Greene High School on February 21. But this isn't just about opening another location. We want to see all four campuses—Afton, Greeneville, South Greene, and Mosheim—healthy, growing, and equipped to welcome people and make disciples. As we send people to help establish Mosheim, we also want to be intentional about strengthening and relaunching our existing campuses. We are one church, pursuing one mission together.
To help make this possible, we are officially launching the capital campaign we mentioned in our previous letter and outlined at our recent Vision Bash. The total launch budget has been slightly adjusted since August to $375,000. As a reminder, through the faithful giving of our congregation and careful stewardship over the past several years, $225,000 is already available, leaving only $150,000 to be raised. Our primary goal is to raise that amount so we can launch Mosheim debt-free and begin this ministry on a financially responsible foundation. Our Staff and Elders are personally participating in this effort, with 100% of them committed and more than $26,000 already pledged, leaving $123,569 to meet our goal!
We also have a stretch goal of $425,000 in campaign giving. A matching commitment will provide a dollar for every dollar raised above our initial $375,000 goal, up to $25,000. Reaching this stretch goal would provide $50,000 in additional resources. These additional funds will help us make improvements that benefit FCC and the schools where we meet, create more outreach opportunities, and strengthen the ministry of all our campuses.
But we want to be clear: the success of this vision is not ultimately measured merely by the amount of money we raise, the number of campuses we have, or the number of people who attend. Our success is measured by whether we faithfully use what God has entrusted to us to make disciples of Jesus Christ. We hope that, years from now, we will be telling stories of people who came to know Jesus, families who found a church home, leaders who were trained and sent, campuses that grew stronger, and churches here and around the world strengthened through our partnerships.
It is this vision into which we are asking you to invest. We are grateful for so many who are already faithfully invested through prayer, giving tithes and offerings, inviting others, and serving in ways that help our campuses flourish. Thank you. As we look forward to our next launch, please pray and ask God how He would have you engage financially. Whether your gift is large or small, one-time or monthly, we appreciate your faithfulness. We also understand that some are in a season when giving additionally is not possible. There is no place for guilt or pressure in this invitation, only faithful obedience in unity as we pursue this gospel mission together.
January 2027 Missions Trip
From January 15–23, 2027, a team from FCC will travel to Colombia to serve alongside our ministry partners at La Barca Church – Restauración para Vida Nueva in Bogotá and La Guajira. The team will participate in children’s ministry, leadership training, medical outreach, construction projects, and community service as we seek to share the love of Christ and strengthen this ongoing partnership.
We are thankful for those who have committed to serving on this trip and for the opportunity God has given FCC to be involved in His work beyond our local communities. As the trip approaches, we invite our entire church family to be part of this effort by praying for the team, our ministry partners, and the people they will encounter. Please pray for safe travel, meaningful ministry opportunities, and hearts that will be open to the gospel. We also encourage you to look for opportunities to support the team and participate in this ministry as we continue building relationships and making disciples together.
Christmas Service 2026
We look forward to gathering together as one church family at 10a on Dec 21 at our Afton campus for a special time of worship. As a change from previous years, due to a scheduling conflict with Tusculum University, this year’s service will be held in the gym at Chuckey-Doak High School, our Afton campus location. While the location is changing, our anticipation remains the same: to worship together as one body in one place as we celebrate the birth of our Savior.
During this season, our Advent series will take us through the opening chapters of Luke, following the story of God's faithfulness to His ancient promises through the coming of Jesus. We will reflect on the promised King, the Savior who has come, and the salvation He brings to Israel and the nations. As we celebrate His birth, we are reminded that we can trust God's Word, rejoice in His salvation, and look forward with hope to the day when Christ returns. We hope you and your family will join us for this special time together.
Church family, we are grateful for the ways you continue to serve, give, pray, and invest in the mission which God has entrusted to us. As we look ahead to all that is before us, may we remain united in Christ, faithful in our calling, and expectant about what God will continue to do through our sacrifice. We are thankful to serve alongside you and look forward to pursuing this mission together.
The Elders of First Christian Church
John Hamilton, Mark Liebert, Bill Richards, Mike Schubert, and Scott Wakefield
fccgreene.org / 1130 Temple Street / Greeneville, TN 37745 / 423-639-0126 (call or text)
As your Elders, we are grateful for the ways God continues to work through First Christian Church. We are encouraged by the faithfulness of those who serve across our campuses, the people who are growing in their relationship with Christ, and the opportunities God continues to place before us. We believe He has more work for us to do, and we want to invite our entire church family to be part of what comes next.
At FCC, our vision has grown beyond simply finding room for more people on Sunday mornings. We believe God has called us to be a church that makes disciples, develops leaders, and sends them out to serve our communities and beyond. Our campuses are not the end goal; they are a way for us to reach more people with the gospel, help believers grow in Christ, and strengthen other churches. That vision includes our partnerships and ministry beyond Greene County, including the church plant in Colombia.
One significant next step is the launch of our fourth campus in Mosheim at West Greene High School on February 21. But this isn't just about opening another location. We want to see all four campuses—Afton, Greeneville, South Greene, and Mosheim—healthy, growing, and equipped to welcome people and make disciples. As we send people to help establish Mosheim, we also want to be intentional about strengthening and relaunching our existing campuses. We are one church, pursuing one mission together.
To help make this possible, we are officially launching the capital campaign we mentioned in our previous letter and outlined at our recent Vision Bash. The total launch budget has been slightly adjusted since August to $375,000. As a reminder, through the faithful giving of our congregation and careful stewardship over the past several years, $225,000 is already available, leaving only $150,000 to be raised. Our primary goal is to raise that amount so we can launch Mosheim debt-free and begin this ministry on a financially responsible foundation. Our Staff and Elders are personally participating in this effort, with 100% of them committed and more than $26,000 already pledged, leaving $123,569 to meet our goal!
We also have a stretch goal of $425,000 in campaign giving. A matching commitment will provide a dollar for every dollar raised above our initial $375,000 goal, up to $25,000. Reaching this stretch goal would provide $50,000 in additional resources. These additional funds will help us make improvements that benefit FCC and the schools where we meet, create more outreach opportunities, and strengthen the ministry of all our campuses.
But we want to be clear: the success of this vision is not ultimately measured merely by the amount of money we raise, the number of campuses we have, or the number of people who attend. Our success is measured by whether we faithfully use what God has entrusted to us to make disciples of Jesus Christ. We hope that, years from now, we will be telling stories of people who came to know Jesus, families who found a church home, leaders who were trained and sent, campuses that grew stronger, and churches here and around the world strengthened through our partnerships.
It is this vision into which we are asking you to invest. We are grateful for so many who are already faithfully invested through prayer, giving tithes and offerings, inviting others, and serving in ways that help our campuses flourish. Thank you. As we look forward to our next launch, please pray and ask God how He would have you engage financially. Whether your gift is large or small, one-time or monthly, we appreciate your faithfulness. We also understand that some are in a season when giving additionally is not possible. There is no place for guilt or pressure in this invitation, only faithful obedience in unity as we pursue this gospel mission together.
January 2027 Missions Trip
From January 15–23, 2027, a team from FCC will travel to Colombia to serve alongside our ministry partners at La Barca Church – Restauración para Vida Nueva in Bogotá and La Guajira. The team will participate in children’s ministry, leadership training, medical outreach, construction projects, and community service as we seek to share the love of Christ and strengthen this ongoing partnership.
We are thankful for those who have committed to serving on this trip and for the opportunity God has given FCC to be involved in His work beyond our local communities. As the trip approaches, we invite our entire church family to be part of this effort by praying for the team, our ministry partners, and the people they will encounter. Please pray for safe travel, meaningful ministry opportunities, and hearts that will be open to the gospel. We also encourage you to look for opportunities to support the team and participate in this ministry as we continue building relationships and making disciples together.
Christmas Service 2026
We look forward to gathering together as one church family at 10a on Dec 21 at our Afton campus for a special time of worship. As a change from previous years, due to a scheduling conflict with Tusculum University, this year’s service will be held in the gym at Chuckey-Doak High School, our Afton campus location. While the location is changing, our anticipation remains the same: to worship together as one body in one place as we celebrate the birth of our Savior.
During this season, our Advent series will take us through the opening chapters of Luke, following the story of God's faithfulness to His ancient promises through the coming of Jesus. We will reflect on the promised King, the Savior who has come, and the salvation He brings to Israel and the nations. As we celebrate His birth, we are reminded that we can trust God's Word, rejoice in His salvation, and look forward with hope to the day when Christ returns. We hope you and your family will join us for this special time together.
Church family, we are grateful for the ways you continue to serve, give, pray, and invest in the mission which God has entrusted to us. As we look ahead to all that is before us, may we remain united in Christ, faithful in our calling, and expectant about what God will continue to do through our sacrifice. We are thankful to serve alongside you and look forward to pursuing this mission together.
The Elders of First Christian Church
John Hamilton, Mark Liebert, Bill Richards, Mike Schubert, and Scott Wakefield
fccgreene.org / 1130 Temple Street / Greeneville, TN 37745 / 423-639-0126 (call or text)
Posted in Elders Letter