"It is humbling to see how God weaves our talents together to support each other and to serve in this mission."

The arrival of the new year gives us an opportunity to pause and reflect on the past year. For some, the past year was filled with cherished milestones, new beginnings, and sweet memories. For others, it may have been a season of trials - marked by sickness, the loss of a loved one, or maybe fractured relationships. For many of us, 2024 was likely a blend of both joys and sorrows, blessings and trials.

As believers we were called to “rejoice with those that rejoice” and to “weep with those that weep.” I am so thankful for the faithfulness of God, who has placed me in a community of believers at Gateway Woods. Believers who I see live out this verse day by day. I am incredibly thankful for the brothers and sisters I stand with, shoulder to shoulder, through each joy and trial. It is humbling to see how God weaves our talents together to support each other and to serve in this mission - to provide hope and healing to children and families, many of whom come from a place of hurt, pain, and vulnerability.

As we look to the future, it is with anticipation and maybe even some apprehension. Apprehension because the work here is not easy. It is demanding, often exhausting, and requires perseverance. Yet, we also look forward with anticipation, knowing that God is good and His faithfulness is unwavering. We trust Him to walk with us through whatever circumstances lie ahead and that He will provide just what we need in His perfect time.

Our prayer for you in this new year is that you would experience God’s love and faithfulness in fresh and profound ways. As Paul said:

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Phil 3:13-14

May we all press forward together, renewed in hope and steadfast in faith, as we embrace the opportunities and challenges of this new year.