Elders Letter Jan 2026
Dear Church Family, January 2026
As we step into a new year together, we are grateful for God’s steady faithfulness to our church. The Lord continues to supply what we need—not only materially, but spiritually—as we seek to live out our shared calling to Help People Find and Follow Jesus. A new year invites fresh resolve: renewed dependence on Christ, renewed commitment to His people, and renewed obedience to His mission.
As Scott has mentioned several times over the last few months, this year we are placing renewed emphasis on simple, intentional invitations as a regular part of our life together as a church. Our Campus Pastors and Guest and Creative Teams are working to ensure Invite Cards are readily available as a visible reminder that we gather not just for ourselves, but for those who have yet to know Christ (Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 16:15). We encourage you to keep an Invite Card with you and to leave each week praying that God would open a door to invite someone into worship and community. Even small, faithful steps—taken week after week—can have an outsized impact as the Lord uses ordinary obedience to draw people to Himself.
As we look ahead, we are grateful for the ways God is providing what our church needs for continued health and faithfulness. Mid-year, we plan to add Carl DelSorbo as a full-time Executive Director of Operations to help carry the load of day-to-day leadership and coordination, allowing our Lead Pastor to give more focused attention to preaching, vision, producing biblical/theological resources, and developing future leaders. We are also encouraged by the momentum from our move to one service per campus, which has helped us prepare to think simply and wisely about future launches. As announced at the 2025 Vision Bash, we are thankful that Travis Chapman has been affirmed as our fourth Campus Pastor as we look toward what’s next. We invite you to pray with us for these plans and, if you’re able, to support future campus ministry through the Multisite Fund at fccgreene.org/give.
Over the past few years, the Lord has been shaping our vision to think about gospel advance both locally and globally. As we continue launching campuses here, we are also seeking to invest intentionally in supporting healthy churches beyond our borders. One of the most encouraging expressions of that vision is our growing partnership with a young church in Bogotá, Colombia called La Barca. Through multiple trips involving elders, staff, and members of our church family, relationships have deepened and meaningful ministry has taken place—encouraging believers, equipping leaders, and strengthening the church’s theological and practical foundations. This church has recently begun meeting regularly, is moving toward formal organization, and is led by Pastor Diego Camargo, who faithfully shepherds a growing congregation. Beginning in January 2026, the Elders have approved a commitment to cover a significant portion of the church’s immediate financial needs, to support the ministry’s ongoing work, and allow Pastor Diego to serve full-time. We ask that you join us in praying for Diego, his wife Angelica, their children, and the church in Bogotá, that God would firmly establish this work and use it to bring many to faith in Christ.
With the start of a new year also comes an important season of reflection and recommitment within our church family. Each January, we invite everyone connected to FCC to participate in our annual Membership Renewal and Spiritual Health Survey, young or old, member or attender. This process helps us prayerfully assess where we are growing well and where we may need renewed focus as disciples of Jesus. It is also how we affirm our shared responsibility to actively participate in the life of the church—through worship, community, service, generosity, and spiritual growth. The survey is not a measure of performance, but a tool for honest self-examination and encouragement, reminding us that Christ calls us to grow together as one body. As Elders, we value this opportunity to better shepherd and care for the congregation, and we encourage every member and attendee to take part. Information and links to renew membership and complete the survey can be found at fccgreene.org/survey.
As a congregation, you have given freely and joyfully throughout 2025 so that the work of God’s kingdom might flourish through FCC. Through your generosity, the Lord provided an 8% increase in giving over the past year, while careful and prayerful stewardship by our staff limited spending growth to just 2.3%. This has positioned our church once again in a place of financial health and strength, allowing us to move forward with several vision priorities—expanding our outreach efforts (including our partnership in Colombia), taking intentional steps toward a fourth campus in 2027, and preparing to add an Executive Director of Operations to better support and serve the ministry. Your faithful giving continues to remind us that, together in Christ, we can do far more than we ever could alone—extending the reach of the gospel, strengthening this local body, and giving generously to local and global ministries and missionaries.
In this same spirit of generosity toward local ministries, Catalyst Coffee Company–a marketplace ministry launched by FCC in 2014–continues to give away 100% of its net profits to support local ministries. In 2025, under the faithful leadership of Nathan Dickerson, Catalyst reached a meaningful financial milestone, enabling sustainable, consistent giving to these local ministries. This year, organizations such as Isaiah 117 House, Exodus 14 Ministries, the Hope Center, and ALPS Adult Day Services each received $1,000 gifts through Catalyst’s ministry. Looking ahead to 2026, the hope and plan are to generate sufficient income to provide similar monthly, ongoing donations to local ministries. So, when you purchase a cup of coffee at Catalyst, you aren’t just enjoying something local and delicious–you are participating in tangible, Gospel-shaped care for Greene County, as generosity flows from the table into the lives of others.
Lastly, for your records, we are emailing your 2025 FCC financial contribution statement. If you have questions about your giving statement, would like a physical copy mailed to you, would like help setting up regular giving online, or require any additional financial information, please contact Financial Secretary, Crista Larsen at crista@fccgreene.org or call/text the church office at 423-639-0126.
We are deeply thankful for your faithfulness in worship, service, prayer, and generosity. God is at work among us—changing lives, strengthening families, and advancing the gospel here and around the world. We look forward to all that the Lord will do in and through our church in the year ahead.
Faithfully,
The Elders of First Christian Church, Greeneville, TN
Carl DelSorbo, Mark Liebert, Bill Richards, Mike Schubert, Scott Wakefield
As we step into a new year together, we are grateful for God’s steady faithfulness to our church. The Lord continues to supply what we need—not only materially, but spiritually—as we seek to live out our shared calling to Help People Find and Follow Jesus. A new year invites fresh resolve: renewed dependence on Christ, renewed commitment to His people, and renewed obedience to His mission.
As Scott has mentioned several times over the last few months, this year we are placing renewed emphasis on simple, intentional invitations as a regular part of our life together as a church. Our Campus Pastors and Guest and Creative Teams are working to ensure Invite Cards are readily available as a visible reminder that we gather not just for ourselves, but for those who have yet to know Christ (Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 16:15). We encourage you to keep an Invite Card with you and to leave each week praying that God would open a door to invite someone into worship and community. Even small, faithful steps—taken week after week—can have an outsized impact as the Lord uses ordinary obedience to draw people to Himself.
As we look ahead, we are grateful for the ways God is providing what our church needs for continued health and faithfulness. Mid-year, we plan to add Carl DelSorbo as a full-time Executive Director of Operations to help carry the load of day-to-day leadership and coordination, allowing our Lead Pastor to give more focused attention to preaching, vision, producing biblical/theological resources, and developing future leaders. We are also encouraged by the momentum from our move to one service per campus, which has helped us prepare to think simply and wisely about future launches. As announced at the 2025 Vision Bash, we are thankful that Travis Chapman has been affirmed as our fourth Campus Pastor as we look toward what’s next. We invite you to pray with us for these plans and, if you’re able, to support future campus ministry through the Multisite Fund at fccgreene.org/give.
Over the past few years, the Lord has been shaping our vision to think about gospel advance both locally and globally. As we continue launching campuses here, we are also seeking to invest intentionally in supporting healthy churches beyond our borders. One of the most encouraging expressions of that vision is our growing partnership with a young church in Bogotá, Colombia called La Barca. Through multiple trips involving elders, staff, and members of our church family, relationships have deepened and meaningful ministry has taken place—encouraging believers, equipping leaders, and strengthening the church’s theological and practical foundations. This church has recently begun meeting regularly, is moving toward formal organization, and is led by Pastor Diego Camargo, who faithfully shepherds a growing congregation. Beginning in January 2026, the Elders have approved a commitment to cover a significant portion of the church’s immediate financial needs, to support the ministry’s ongoing work, and allow Pastor Diego to serve full-time. We ask that you join us in praying for Diego, his wife Angelica, their children, and the church in Bogotá, that God would firmly establish this work and use it to bring many to faith in Christ.
With the start of a new year also comes an important season of reflection and recommitment within our church family. Each January, we invite everyone connected to FCC to participate in our annual Membership Renewal and Spiritual Health Survey, young or old, member or attender. This process helps us prayerfully assess where we are growing well and where we may need renewed focus as disciples of Jesus. It is also how we affirm our shared responsibility to actively participate in the life of the church—through worship, community, service, generosity, and spiritual growth. The survey is not a measure of performance, but a tool for honest self-examination and encouragement, reminding us that Christ calls us to grow together as one body. As Elders, we value this opportunity to better shepherd and care for the congregation, and we encourage every member and attendee to take part. Information and links to renew membership and complete the survey can be found at fccgreene.org/survey.
As a congregation, you have given freely and joyfully throughout 2025 so that the work of God’s kingdom might flourish through FCC. Through your generosity, the Lord provided an 8% increase in giving over the past year, while careful and prayerful stewardship by our staff limited spending growth to just 2.3%. This has positioned our church once again in a place of financial health and strength, allowing us to move forward with several vision priorities—expanding our outreach efforts (including our partnership in Colombia), taking intentional steps toward a fourth campus in 2027, and preparing to add an Executive Director of Operations to better support and serve the ministry. Your faithful giving continues to remind us that, together in Christ, we can do far more than we ever could alone—extending the reach of the gospel, strengthening this local body, and giving generously to local and global ministries and missionaries.
In this same spirit of generosity toward local ministries, Catalyst Coffee Company–a marketplace ministry launched by FCC in 2014–continues to give away 100% of its net profits to support local ministries. In 2025, under the faithful leadership of Nathan Dickerson, Catalyst reached a meaningful financial milestone, enabling sustainable, consistent giving to these local ministries. This year, organizations such as Isaiah 117 House, Exodus 14 Ministries, the Hope Center, and ALPS Adult Day Services each received $1,000 gifts through Catalyst’s ministry. Looking ahead to 2026, the hope and plan are to generate sufficient income to provide similar monthly, ongoing donations to local ministries. So, when you purchase a cup of coffee at Catalyst, you aren’t just enjoying something local and delicious–you are participating in tangible, Gospel-shaped care for Greene County, as generosity flows from the table into the lives of others.
Lastly, for your records, we are emailing your 2025 FCC financial contribution statement. If you have questions about your giving statement, would like a physical copy mailed to you, would like help setting up regular giving online, or require any additional financial information, please contact Financial Secretary, Crista Larsen at crista@fccgreene.org or call/text the church office at 423-639-0126.
We are deeply thankful for your faithfulness in worship, service, prayer, and generosity. God is at work among us—changing lives, strengthening families, and advancing the gospel here and around the world. We look forward to all that the Lord will do in and through our church in the year ahead.
Faithfully,
The Elders of First Christian Church, Greeneville, TN
Carl DelSorbo, Mark Liebert, Bill Richards, Mike Schubert, Scott Wakefield
Posted in Elders Letter