As we turn the calendar toward 2026, I keep returning to a line from Paul’s letter to the Philippians: “I thank my God every time I remember you” (Phil 1:3).
Philippians is written to a real community Paul knows intimately, shaped by shared labor, deep affection, and confidence that God is still at work there. Paul writes with gratitude, clarity, and resolve, convinced that what God has begun is not finished yet (Phil 1:6). That combination makes Philippians a faithful companion as we cross into a new year.
Grateful for What Has Been
I want to give thanks, too. The Advent and Christmas season we just shared was rich in ways both seen and unseen. On December 14, Heaven’s Greatest Gift filled the sanctuary with music, worship, and shared joy. Christmas Eve gathered us around the old, enduring story, sung and spoken as people who still trust that God is with us in Jesus Christ. There was fellowship, too, like the Christmas cookie reception and the Sunday potluck.
They are times that reveal a community at ease with one another. But even casual moments like these are the fruit of people planning and sharing responsibility with care. That is always worth naming gratefully.
Partnership with a Purpose
Paul commends the Philippians’ “partnership in the gospel” (Phil 1:5). Partnership here is shared participation in making disciples of Jesus Christ, the mission Jesus gave the church in Matthew 28.
For too long, churches have optimized programs for those already formed by church, while the gospel calls us to learn again how to bear witness in a dechurched world. For Yates, partnership in the gospel means becoming a people transformed by the “yes” we said to Jesus and still willing to be transformed by it. We introduce people to Jesus through the authenticity of our relationship with him and invite others to meet, know, trust, and say “yes” to Jesus too.
One hidden danger in church life is drift. Drift is when purpose becomes assumed and activity loses direction. Partnership calls us back to clarity. Partnership requires we regularly ask these as first questions, not afterthoughts: What does it mean to follow Jesus here? How do we help others say yes to him?
Faithfulness Looks Like Follow-Through
Paul urges the church to “live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ” (Phil 1:27). That takes shape in how we order our individual and family lives, and in how our church life serves the mission Christ has given us. Good administration serves this mission. Clarity creates safety. Coordination builds trust. Follow-through protects people from being overburdened or unnecessarily disappointed. These aren’t secondary concerns—they make space for people to follow Jesus without anxious heroics or burnout.
One outcome of the Deacons’ CET process begins immediately: the formation of a Church Council. The council brings together leaders to coordinate church-wide concerns so no single committee carries the burden alone. It helps discernment move toward action and conversation toward shared responsibility.
Stewards, Not Owners
Paul’s call to humility reminds the church that its life does not revolve around individual preference. “Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others” (Phil 2:4). The church belongs to Christ. We are stewards of his mission for this season.
That posture shapes how we hold leadership and transition. This Christmas, we released Mackenzie Smith to her new call at Westwood Baptist Church, a bittersweet moment marked by gratitude for her faithfulness and her gift for building relational bridges across generations. Letting someone go well is not loss. It is fruit.
Tending the Flame
During Advent, our Kindled series focused on fire as the life God has already lit among us—a flame sparked by hope, made room by peace, sustained by joy, and guarded and enlarged by love.
Paul holds God’s work and our faithfulness together: “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you” (Phil 2:12–13). We act because God is already acting. We tend the flame by saying yes to Jesus and helping others do the same—in worship, in service, in how we spend our time and order our priorities.
A small confession from your pastor: this old dog is learning new tricks. Some leadership patterns in 2026 will look different. You will see more shared responsibility, clearer coordination, and a steady focus on Christ’s mission to make disciples. That includes me learning to lead differently.
These shifts are about aligning everything we do with the one thing we’re called to do: witness to Jesus Christ and invite others into life with him. They are offered in trust that God, who has been faithful in the past, is still at work among us now.
Grace and peace,
Christopher