On August 31, 162 FCCers gathered at Wetlands Water Park for our latest FXP (Family Experience), enjoying an afternoon of fun, fellowship, and connection. FXP events are designed to provide simple opportunities for families to build relationships, strengthen friendships, and make lasting memories together.

Kids Ministry Director Michael Shubert shared, “It was nice to see the kids having a great time while the parents chatted with each other. The biggest win was that it accomplished our church goal of providing a place for families to interact with each other as a family.”

Families especially appreciated the simplicity and affordability of the event, along with the opportunity to connect with others in a relaxed, welcoming environment.

Josh and Kim Fisher, who attend our Greeneville campus, joined in the fun with their twin daughters, Cara and Laura. The girls loved spending time with friends and racing down the water slides, while their parents enjoyed a chance to slow down and connect. Kim described it as “a special treat to be able to sit back and watch the kids play while having relaxed conversations with friends.”

Fellow Greeneville campus attendee Becca Hochhalter echoed that sentiment, sharing, “I love that I saw familiar faces; my kids enjoyed seeing their church friends. I got to talk and interact more with my congregation than I normally do.”

For Jonathan Kirk of our South Greene campus, who attended with his eleven-year-old daughter, Anastasia, the afternoon even included some unexpected theological conversation! Jonathan recalled, “I remember having a good conversation with a guy about apologetics. We were having fun, making friends, and discussing theology poolside. What's not to love about that!”

From splashing down water slides to meaningful conversations poolside, the afternoon was a wonderful reminder that building community doesn't have to be complicated. Sometimes, all it takes is a little time together, a welcoming atmosphere, and a chance to enjoy one another's company.

On October 2–3, First Christian Church hosted a special weekend just for the ladies! Approximately 65 women gathered in the sanctuary at FCC’s Greeneville campus on Friday evening for a time of spiritual growth, encouragement, and fellowship.

The weekend kicked off with a delicious dinner, followed by a teaching session led by FCC’s own Sonya Higgs entitled “Abiding in Christ.” Afterward, the ladies enjoyed dessert, coffee, games, and plenty of laughter as they spent time connecting with old friends and making new ones.

Saturday morning began bright and early with breakfast at 8 a.m. Sonya returned for another meaningful session, “Meditating on the Word,” followed by Wendi Kitsteiner, who shared how she uses The James Method to deepen her personal Bible study and take meaningful notes during church services.

One of the highlights of the day was a panel discussion featuring women from various stages of life, including single women, mothers of young children, mothers of teenagers, empty nesters, and seniors. Each woman shared what “abiding in Christ” looks like in her current season of life, offering encouragement and reminding those in attendance that, while their circumstances may differ, their need to remain rooted in Christ is the same.
Before gathering for the final session, “The Fruit That It Produces,” the ladies enjoyed a few hours of unstructured time. Some chose to color, journal, or knit, while others simply relaxed and caught up with friends. It was a welcome opportunity to slow down and enjoy being together.

Longtime FCC member Christie Ward, who also participated in the panel discussion, reflected on the weekend with gratitude.

“The ladies' retreat was a sweet time of learning to abide in the Lord. We had yummy food, a wonderful time of worship, and fun games with lots of laughs. I also enjoyed seeing and meeting women from the different campuses.”

Mary Kitsteiner, who attends a small country church in Bulls Gap, joined the retreat with her daughter-in-law, Wendi, and was equally enthusiastic about the experience.

“What a joy it was to attend the Women’s Retreat! Everything was so well prepared and thoughtfully done, time just flew by.”

Mary continued, “The teaching was fantastic, and the worship was meaningful and perfect for the topic, and the panel was a great way to show how all of our experiences bind us together. Thank you for all the effort that went into the planning for this very special event. It truly was a wonderful time of fellowship, fun, and ‘feasting.’”

Throughout the weekend, one message remained at the heart of every session and conversation: no matter what season of life we find ourselves in, we are called to abide in Christ. The retreat offered women a chance to step away from their busy schedules, deepen their faith, and strengthen friendships across FCC’s campuses.
It was a weekend filled with meaningful teaching, heartfelt worship, sweet fellowship, and the simple joy of being together as sisters in Christ.

My name is Kellie Coakley, and I have found a new life in Christ. My sin struggles are control, idolatry, manipulation, resentment, and pornography.

My testimony is one that began back when I was a small child. As the daughter of a Pastor, my family practically lived in the Church. Our weeks consisted of fellowship gatherings, dinners with family, and worship every weekend. Our church was a lively environment with the Holy Spirit moving in our congregation for hours on end. As a child, the focus wasn’t really on teaching us how to form a relationship with God, but was instead more tailored to discipline and following a strict rule book on the do’s and don’ts of what our Church felt made a good Christian.

For instance, we never cut our hair, wore pants or shorts, and we were not allowed to participate in sports. We lived as a tight-knit community, but outsiders were never quite welcome, and our Church didn’t open the doors to receive those they felt weren’t living a good Christian life. As a result, I felt segregated from the rest of the world and all the experiences and relationships it had to offer. We were taught the sins of the flesh and punished severely if we stepped out of line. This bred resentment and rebellion within me from a very early age. I began to associate religion with all the negative aspects of my life. It relegated my early childhood years to a life of living on the outside, apart from those I went to school with and those that lived in our neighborhood.

Early into my teenage years, my father separated from the Church, and we moved thousands of miles away from everything I grew up with, and the only family I had ever known. The move introduced an entirely new lifestyle, along with a multitude of freedoms I had never been exposed to. I was finally allowed to participate in sports and horseback riding, and I began to see what all I had been missing out on. But the resentment continued to fester, and the rebellion only worsened as I began to shift the blame from the Church to my parents. I felt they had unfairly subjected us to a lifestyle that was apart from the rest of the world, essentially blocking us from what I felt, at the time, should never have been condemned in the name of religion.

I began to party, my grades plummeted, and my life fell apart. Eventually, we moved back, but the damage was done. I had a hatred for religion that I couldn’t explain and a disconnect with my parents that seemed insurmountable. I moved out of the house when I was seventeen, continued partying, smoking weed, and drinking with my friends. I found comfort in the numbness. I found love, or what I thought was love, in friends that were struggling with their own lives as we bonded over past traumas. This continued throughout my teenage years but that came to a screeching halt after I graduated High School.
Shortly after graduating, I met a man that I later married, and I got pregnant with my first child at the age of eighteen. My husband at the time couldn’t hold down a job, was verbally and physically abusive, and I didn’t know how to cope with being a new mom and a wife at the same time. I hid the abuse from those around me and pretended as if nothing was wrong, all the while my self-esteem plummeted, and my self-worth became entwined with the words of my abuser. I felt I had no value, and I was failing my son daily. So, I worked and tried to find my worth, my value, in my job.

Eventually though, my marriage fell apart. I could no longer mask what was shredding me from the inside out. I was hollowed out from years of verbal and physical abuse and didn’t even recognize who I was anymore. So, I filed for divorce and began the excruciating process of trying to rebuild my life as a single mother with a three-year-old child.
I turned back to partying, leaving my son with my parents whenever possible so that I could escape the reality of the mess that was my life. Bill collectors called every day, and my finances were a complete disaster. After years of falling behind and struggling to make ends meet, it all unraveled, and no matter what I did, I couldn’t fix it.

I moved back in with my parents, started dating the wrong kind of men, and lost myself in weed and alcohol. I thought if I could just experience everything religion and my parents had kept from me, that I would feel whole again and be the mother my son needed me to be. But even parenting became a chore. I was stressed out, short with my son, and had no idea what I needed to do to fix the situation.

Months later, I met a guy at work who was a complete disaster, and for some reason I thought I could fix him. I could make him love me. I honestly don’t know what possessed me to start dating him. His finances were as bad as mine, and his partying was far worse than mine. Not to mention, he had no kids and was living the bachelor's life. But something drew me to him, and I began to fall in love. He was amazing with my son and quickly gave up his partying to spend time with the two of us. We dated for a year or so and my son and I moved in with him. About a year later, we got married, and shortly after, we became pregnant with my second son.

I thought I had finally pulled my life together, but even with the love of a good husband and two beautiful boys, I was still struggling to find my worth, my purpose, and to fill the void I had constantly waged war against since I was a child. I went back to school, got my degrees, and had a successful career, but nothing fixed my struggles. My sin followed me no matter what I did. I lived beyond my means, began reading and writing books that were filled with pornographic content, and continued to numb my emotions any way I could. Escapism became my norm. If I wanted it, I bought it. If I couldn’t handle the burdens laid upon me, I resented everything and anyone that I held responsible for putting me in the position I was in. It caused tension in my marriage. My husband couldn’t live up to the fictional characters I read and wrote about. My life never measured up to what I thought the definition of success was. I idolized all the things in the world that were never meant or needed to be in my life.

Before I knew it, my boys were raised and had left the house, and that’s when my focus turned on myself. Without the focus of raising kids, I began to reflect on myself and my shortcomings. I didn’t like the woman I had become, and I could no longer blame anyone but myself. My mistakes and sins were my own to reconcile. My oldest got married, and his wife was deeply religious. At first, this caused a rift between us. As my old resentment resurfaced, I began to blame her beliefs for the tension between my son and me. This didn’t resolve itself right away…nothing ever does. It took time, years in fact, but I began to see that there was a common denominator to my issues….ME!

The key turning point for me was when Charlie Kirk was assassinated. I watched his wife give a speech to millions of viewers with a stoicism I couldn’t fathom. Her faith was onstage and visible for anyone with eyes to see. She was strong, committed, and unrepentant in her love of God. And the day she forgave her husband’s murderer, I felt something shift within me. I wanted that kind of peace, resolve, and unwavering faith. I wanted that kind of undeniable self-worth and to know that I was loved beyond measure by a God that would never leave my side. So, I began purging the sin from my life. I gave up my books, cut out cursing, and pursued something that I couldn’t even begin to grasp at the time, but I knew I hungered for it with an insatiable appetite. I wanted Christ in my life.

The Holy Spirit took root in my heart, mind, and soul, and by the grace of God, I accepted it. I yearned for it each and every day. I became addicted to the feeling that the light of the Holy Spirit filled me with. I began going to church with my son and daughter-in-law. I started attending regularly and making friends within our church. I signed up for the “Open Your Eyes” program and began to read the Word of God. I can’t explain the way this turned my life around, but all I knew was that I couldn’t get close enough to God to appease the hunger within me. A few months in, I decided it was time to fully commit and turn my life over to God. I asked my son if he would baptize me, and with the support of our Pastor, we made it happen. The church accepted me with open arms. The congregation was warm, friendly, and the light of their faith was a beacon to my weary soul. I had found it….the void the darkness had constantly created was now brimming with light, and I was no longer empty, but overflowing with the light, love, and acceptance of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. God had delivered me from all my sins and had irrevocably changed my life.

I began to forgive, with an ease that never came to me before, those I had always thought were the root of my issues. The blindfold that had me walking through life in a fog was lifted, and I saw the devil's hand at work in others and knew that I had once been standing exactly where they were. The closer I grow to God, the stronger my devotion becomes to remain there. I never want to live the life I gave up the day I was baptized. It may sound cliché, but I firmly believe I died that day and was made anew with God's love.

I’m not perfect, but I am forgiven, and that gives me the strength to overcome anything by God’s will. Every day I work to be closer to God, and that requires growth, being uncomfortable in my own skin, and setting myself apart from the world and its sins. I no longer begrudge this but embrace it with a fervor that burns within. God is so good, and by His glory and grace, I strive to surrender to His will. I don’t know what His plans are for me, but I know that I will surrender and serve my God until my dying day. For the blood of Christ has redeemed me in a way I could never earn or achieve myself. It’s through Him that I am found, and through His mercy and grace that I am forgiven. Praise the Lord, for I am whole again.

There’s a lot to celebrate at FCC—and a lot to look forward to!

On Sunday, November 8, from 5–7:30p at Chuckey-Doak High School, our entire church family will come together for Vision Night. It will be an evening of good food, fun, celebration, and a chance to look together at where God is leading FCC in the year ahead.

Throughout the night, we’ll:

• Celebrate the many volunteers who faithfully serve across FCC.
• Look back at some of the ways God has been at work in our church and community this year.
• Begin sharing the vision for FCC’s fourth campus and what it will take to launch well.
• Look ahead at some important next steps for our church, including the beginning of a capital campaign.
• Spend time together as one church family, united around the mission of Helping People Find and Follow Jesus.

We’ll also give out new FCC T-shirts as we celebrate what God is doing and begin planning to launch a fourth campus.

Make plans to join us for one of the most important all-church gatherings of the year. We want our whole church family there as we celebrate, hear the vision, and look ahead together at what’s next for FCC.

We will provide childcare for children through Pre-K. Elementary-age children will stay with their parents and join the evening.

College students and young adults in your twenties—this is your invitation to kick off the new year with us at CrossCon! Spend December 30 through January 3rd growing in Christ and discovering how God can use your life for missional impact—to BE a PILLAR of faith.

When: Wed - Sun, Dec 30–Jan 3
Where: St Louis, MO
Who: College Students and Young Adults in their twenties
Cost: $300 per person (before Oct 13) / $320 after early bird (Oct 13)
Theme: This Day, That Day.

We are not promised tomorrow.

We are given this day—and then that day when we stand before Him.

So we begin where everything ends.
When we gather in St Louis, in our first moments together, we will fix our eyes on the inescapable realities every human being will face: the judgment of God and eternity—either with Him in unending joy, or without Him in unfathomable loss.

From there, over the next two days, we will ask the unavoidable question: How then shall we live?  If God is infinitely holy, if the future is infinitely long, and if this brief life is the decisive prelude to everlasting joy or sorrow, then every day matters.

God calls us to live intentionally—to live for glory that lasts. We're called to savor this day as a gift of mercy, and to shape every choice in light of that Day, when we will see Him face to face.

Learn what it means to make your life count and make His name known.
Cost shouldn’t keep you from this life-changing experience. If finances are a concern, please reach out to David (Young Adults Director)—we would love to help.

Grab the family and get ready for an adventure! Our next Family eXPerience is a Downtown Scavenger Hunt on Sat, Oct 24 at 10a.

FXP is all about bringing families together for some fun and creating opportunities to enjoy time with one another. This time, we’re heading downtown!

Your family will explore downtown together, hunt for clues, and see some familiar places in a whole new way. Whether your family is naturally competitive or you just want to enjoy the adventure, it’ll be a fun morning to get out of the house, laugh together, and make some memories.

So gather your crew, put on your walking shoes, and come ready to have fun!

FXP: Downtown Scavenger Hunt
Saturday, October 24, 10a
Meetup is behind the Library - Downtown Greeneville

Note: After the scavenger hunt, enjoy time with your family at the Appalachian Autumn Festival. Plan a few extra minutes to find parking downtown.

No need to register. Just show up on Saturday! 

Every year, FCC hosts a Disciple Now (DNOW) Conference—a weekend designed to help students in grades 6–12 grow as disciples of Jesus through worship, the authority of Scripture, and living on mission.

This year’s DNOW, Fri-Sun, Nov 13-15, will focus on the heart of Worship! Our prayer is that students will understand what worship is and build a firm foundation and focus for their worship!

Register by October 1 to get a $10 discount. Use promo code: EARLY

The weekend includes soul-stirring worship, biblical teaching, fun activities, and opportunities to serve. Students will meet for large-group sessions at the church, stay two nights in grade- and gender-specific host homes, and on Sunday serve and worship at one of our FCC campuses. (Small-group leaders will select the campus. Parents will be notified before the event which campus their student will attend. Most groups will be encouraged to attend one of our portable campuses—South Greene or Afton.)

Pickup: Parents will pick up their student(s) at their respective campus at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday. You’ll receive campus details ahead of the conference.

The cost is $80 per student, which covers the conference, t-shirt, notebook, meals (except Saturday's dinner, which is a group outing), and all activities.

Don’t miss this soul-shaping weekend!

On August 10, 2026, a powerful earthquake struck Colombia’s Pacific coast, leaving families without homes, people injured, and an entire community facing fear, loss, and uncertainty. As cities across the country began collecting food, medicine, hygiene supplies, and other necessities, the church we partner with in Colombia, La Barca Church, could not simply stand by.

They opened their doors as a collection center. First Christian Church donated $1,100, and in just five days, La Barca Church collected approximately seven tons of supplies.
Every bag of food, every mattress, and every donation represented more than an item. It was a way of telling someone miles away, “You are not alone.”

But as the donations kept coming, they also realized that the people affected needed someone to listen. They prayed together as a team and decided to go to Puerto Meluk and be with the people.

Puerto Meluk, in Medio Baudó, Chocó, is one of those places in Colombia that few people ever reach. Access is difficult; some communities can only be reached by river, and the presence of illegal armed groups makes the journey one that many people simply do not want to take.

Once there, the local school became their base. Members of La Barca Church spent time with children, teenagers, and teachers, leading workshops and sharing the gospel. Hearing what they had experienced during the earthquake was difficult. Some had lost their homes. Others had lost family members. Many were still afraid when they talked about what had happened. However, in the middle of those difficult conversations, they were able to share the peace and hope found in Jesus.

During those days, La Barca distributed 150 food packages to families in the community and 70 to the school’s teachers. The remaining supplies were sent to Indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities throughout Alto and Bajo Baudó, along the river.

One of the days was incredibly hot. The humidity was intense and, as often happens in the community, the power went out. Church members explained that sometimes the community can go as long as three days without electricity. No fans. No easy access to cold water. The simplest things we take for granted suddenly had a completely different meaning.
Then, just before the team was about to head back to their hotel, the power came back on. The entire school celebrated. The teachers explained that this is normal. Everyone feels a huge sense of relief when the electricity returns.

When it was time to say goodbye, there were many hugs and many thank-yous. On the way back, La Barca Church members had plenty of time to think about and process everything they had experienced. They came to the same conclusion: they did not want their relationship with Puerto Meluk to end with this earthquake.

So they will keep praying. Keep serving. Keep building relationships. And they will continue looking for ways to support these communities spiritually, medically, psychologically, and socially.

What began as a response to an earthquake has now opened the door to something more: an ongoing relationship with a community La Barca Church hopes to continue loving and serving in the name of Jesus.

On Aug. 18, Pillar celebrated five years of ministry! Nearly 50 people gathered for the occasion, and it was a joy to celebrate all that God has done through this beloved community.

Over the past five years, approximately 500 different people have visited Pillar, with more than 200 attending in the last year alone. Today, Pillar averages about 40 people each week. Even more exciting, 38 adults who have attended Pillar have taken the next step of placing membership or being baptized.

During the celebration, Pillar also recognized faithful attendee Kaylee Brooks and the way she has embodied what it means to be a “pillar of the truth” this year. Kaylee is there week in and week out—making coffee, leading breakouts, and welcoming others with a bright smile. She also pours into the members of her group beyond Tuesday nights, intentionally connecting with them throughout the week.

Pillar’s mission is Helping Young Adults Find and Follow Jesus, and perhaps the best way to see that mission in action is through the lives of the young adults who call Pillar home. During the celebration, three people shared their testimonies, including Allie Loveless, who shared how God has used Pillar in her own life. Below is an excerpt from her testimony:

"When I first started coming, I really didn't know what God was going to do with it. I thought I was just walking into a young adults group on Tuesday nights, but God knew that I needed community. He knew I needed people who would pray for me, encourage me, challenge me, and point me back to Him.

This past year hasn't necessarily been an easy year in every area of my life. God has had me face things within myself—things like pride, anger, my self-worth, wanting to have control, and learning how to surrender things to Him when I don't understand what He's doing. And one of the biggest things He keeps teaching me is that my identity has to be found in Christ.

Pillar has given me a place where I've been able to grow in that. I've learned that following Jesus doesn't mean you have everything figured out. Sometimes it looks like showing up and saying, "God, I don't know what You're doing, but I'm going to trust You anyway."
And probably one of the most unexpected parts of this year has been getting the opportunity to serve the girls here. Because I came into Pillar needing people to pour into me, and somehow, in less than a year, God has already started allowing me to turn around and pour into somebody else. That has taught me something I don't think I'll ever forget: God doesn't waste anything. He can take things you've struggled with, things He's taught you, and even seasons that you didn't understand while you were walking through them, and use them to help you love somebody else better."

Five years, hundreds of young adults, and countless stories of God at work. We are so thankful for the ways God has used Pillar in Allie’s life and in the lives of so many others. We look forward to seeing how He continues to use this ministry to Help Young Adults Find And Follow Jesus in the years to come!

Dear Church Family,          August 2026

We are grateful for God’s continued faithfulness to First Christian Church and for the many ways He is working through our church family to Help People Find and Follow Jesus. As Elders, we are encouraged by what God is doing among us and excited about the opportunities He has placed before our church. As we look toward the coming months, we want to share several important updates and invite you to pray, participate, and move forward with us in faith.

Vision Bash and Our Fourth Campus
Please mark your calendar for our upcoming Vision Bash on the night of November 8. We believe this gathering will be an important opportunity for our church family to celebrate what God has done, hear more about where He is leading us, and reaffirm the mission and vision we share. We look forward to gathering together and seeking God’s direction for the season ahead.

One of the most significant steps ahead is the planned launch of our fourth campus in February 2027 in the Mosheim community, where we will meet at West Greene High School. Travis Chapman will serve as the Mosheim Campus Pastor and has already been investing heavily in building relationships in the community. We are excited about the opportunity this campus will provide to bring the hope of Christ to more people throughout Greene County.

To support the campus launch and related ministry needs, we will begin a capital campaign at our Vision Bash. Through God’s provision and careful stewardship, $225,000 is already available, leaving $125,000 to be raised to meet our core launch needs. As we look ahead, we will also invite our church family to consider a stretch goal that would allow us to expand our outreach and further support the schools and communities where our campuses meet. We ask each person and family to prayerfully consider how God may be leading you to participate. Additional details about the campaign will be shared at the Vision Bash.

A Clarification About Giving Designations
As we prepare for the capital campaign and other opportunities to give, we also want to clarify how FCC understands giving designations. This is not a new policy or a change in how contributions have been handled, but a clarification of our longstanding practice. When you designate a gift for a particular ministry, project, or purpose, we receive that designation as your request or preference for how you would like the gift to be used, rather than as a restriction on the church’s use of those funds. We will make every reasonable effort to honor those preferences and are grateful for the trust and generosity they represent. At the same time, Scripture gives a helpful example in Acts 4:36–37, where Barnabas sold a field, brought the proceeds, and placed the money at the Apostles’ feet, entrusting them to use it as they deemed best for the needs and mission of the church. In that same spirit, the Elders accept responsibility to steward every gift wisely, prayerfully, and faithfully. When circumstances change, needs are fully met, or another ministry opportunity becomes more pressing, the Elders believe it is important that the church retain the ability to redirect funds as needed to further the mission and ministry God has entrusted to us. This understanding applies to all giving, including gifts given in response to specific requests or capital campaigns. Our desire is always to steward every gift faithfully, prayerfully, and in a way that best advances the mission of FCC.

January 2027 Missions Trip
From January 15–23, 2027, a team from FCC will partner with La Barca Church – Restauración para Vida Nueva to share the love of Christ through children’s ministry, leadership training, medical outreach, construction projects, and community service in Bogotá and La Guajira. We are grateful for the opportunity to continue building on this partnership and to serve alongside our brothers and sisters in Colombia as we seek to make Christ known and serve others in His name. More information will be communicated in the coming weeks about how FCC’ers can participate, support the team and its ministry, and pray for this trip. We encourage our church family to be watching for these opportunities and to join us in praying for the team, our ministry partners, and the people God will place in our path.

Leadership and Staff Updates
Effective October 1, Carl DelSorbo will conclude his service on the Elder Board. He has already transitioned into full-time service as the church’s Executive Director of Operations, and we are deeply thankful for his faithful service as an Elder and for his willingness to use his leadership experience to strengthen our staff, systems, and day-to-day ministry operations. We are grateful that Carl will continue serving FCC in this new capacity.
John Hamilton is being presented to the congregation for another term as an Elder beginning October 1, 2026, subject to the church’s vote of approval in September. John has previously served FCC faithfully as an Elder, serves as a Guest Team Coach at our Greeneville campus, and, with his wife Michelle, serves in a Coach role in the Marriage Ministry. We believe his continued leadership will bless our church.
We are also asking Mark Liebert to serve a second 3-year term as Elder, subject to the church’s vote of approval in September. Mark has also served as an elder for many years, leads a Life Group, and, with his wife Beth Anne, is the Director of the Marriage Ministries at FCC. We are thankful for his willingness to continue serving our church family in this way.
Scott Wakefield’s Sabbatical

Our Lead Pastor, Scott Wakefield, will continue his sabbatical throughout August, September, and October. This time away is intended to further the ministry objectives of the church, strengthen Scott in his personal ministry, and provide opportunity for physical, spiritual, and relational renewal and refreshment. We are thankful for this opportunity for Scott and believe it is important for the health and long-term ministry of both Scott and our church.

Please pray that this time provides Scott with meaningful rest and renewal, and continue praying for his family, our staff, and our ministry leaders as they carry additional responsibilities in his absence. We are grateful for the many people who are faithfully serving during this season.

Church family, we are excited about the opportunities before us, mindful of the responsibility they bring, and confident that God will continue to guide and provide as we seek Him together. As Elders, we ask you to join us in praying for the Vision Bash, the Mosheim campus launch, the capital campaign, the missions trip to Colombia, our leaders and staff, and the people God is already preparing to reach through these ministries. We believe God has us in this season for a purpose, and we are grateful to walk into it together as a church family.

Thank you for your faithfulness, generosity, service, and commitment. We are grateful to serve alongside you and look forward with confidence to what God will continue to do through FCC.

The Elders of First Christian Church

Carl DelSorbo, Mark Liebert, Bill Richards, Mike Schubert, and Scott Wakefield

The FCC Church Leadership Residency (CLR) is designed to develop strong local church ministry leaders in four areas: Biblical Discipleship, Practical Ministry, Personal Mentoring, and Vibrant Community.

Residents are invited into FCC’s staff culture and ministry systems, with nearly every environment and team serving as a place to discern gifts, develop leadership, and gain hands-on ministry experience. The program is open to anyone who wants to grow as a member of the body, explore a possible call to vocational ministry, or prepare for full-time ministry.

For Ally Loveless, joining Residents was about growing deeper in her relationship with Jesus and learning to put her faith into practice.

“Through Residents, I’ve learned how important it is to be gospel fluent, live in community, and speak the truth of Jesus into the everyday situations and relationships around me,” Ally shared. “It’s equipping me to be more confident in sharing my faith, encouraging others, and allowing God to use my story and what He has taught me to serve others wherever He calls me.”

Another Resident, Tyler Brinegar, joined the program because he wanted to grow in personal discipline and leadership.

“I learned that ‘you become what you worship,’” Tyler shared. “What you read, watch, or give your attention to inevitably molds you, for better or worse. All Christians are leaders, which means how we carry ourselves has influence on everyone in our lives.”

The Residency can be tailored to each participant based on individual goals and interests, determined through an interview with Residents Director Travis Chapman. FCC has also partnered with Longview Ranch and its Live Bold Interns, giving Residents additional opportunities to serve, lead, and learn alongside experienced ministry leaders.

Residents participate in weekly, intentional one-on-one mentoring meetings with FCC pastors and staff. Their learning also includes cohort meals, shared projects, conferences and retreats, book discussions, life-on-life hospitality, conflict resolution training, and practical ministry experience.

For Tyler, those experiences have helped shape not only the kind of leader he wants to be, but the kind of life he wants to build.

“I want to build my life on Christ, taking care how I build (1 Cor. 3:10), such that my manner of life is worthy of the gospel (Phil. 1:27), and that those around me are led to Jesus.”
Whether God calls a Resident into full-time ministry or faithful service in another vocation, the goal is the same: to help develop disciples who know Jesus deeply, lead faithfully, and use what God has given them to serve others and point people to Him.

Whether God calls a Resident into full-time ministry or faithful service in another vocation, the goal is the same: to help develop disciples who know Jesus deeply, lead faithfully, and use what God has given them to serve others and point people to Him.