Looking Back, Moving Forward
Looking back on 2025, I am grateful for all the ways God has worked through College Church. Our “Discipling 3,000” focus strengthened our commitment to being disciples who make disciples, energizing our mission and ministries.
Events both traditional and new reflect that energy: Our second annual Ministry Fair, highlighting the value of Bible classes; a successful VBS; another Summer-Wednesday-Nights series (with great speakers); Simple Supper, now a unifying monthly tradition; the Cyber Safety seminar; and, of course, Great Commission Sunday, raising over $200,000 for mission work.
The year also featured projects that propelled our work forward. Thanks to live-stream volunteers, our worship services reached far beyond the building. We are nearing the completion of our congregation-recorded Audio Bible, reflecting our desire to engage deeply with God’s Word. We formed Missionary Care Teams to enhance support for our missionaries. Most broadly, we embraced the elders’ renewed vision for shepherding groups, creating stronger, intergenerational relationships within our church family.
The congregation reached some noteworthy landmarks this year. We appointed several new deacons, eight new elders, and welcomed two new staff members—Jennifer Wright and Theo Westbrook—to our ministry team. Our College Ministry grew to more than 200 students each week, and the Children’s and Youth Ministries, including Lads to Leaders, combined to serve 250 young people.
God’s provision could be seen in dozens of new members here, 26 baptisms locally and at least 200 in the mission field. Through faithful giving we finished the fiscal year with a budget surplus. We also experienced our highest Sunday morning attendance since COVID: 1,371.
It’s been a good year, leaving me energized for what lies ahead in 2026. I hope we all are prayerfully considering how we can support our God-given mission to share the love of Christ with the world.
It’s a huge, sometimes daunting mission involving complex planning and organization. When I feel overwhelmed, I consider someone like Tom Tuggle.
Once a month on Tuesday, Tom rolls into the church office with his jolly grin, just returned with a truckload of provisions from the Arkansas Food Bank—for His House. You can depend on that food arriving and on that enthusiastic call to help him unload the bounty. He’s a regular. His joy is contagious.
And he’s not alone. Many “regulars” join him at His House. Hundreds of them power our other ministries. Gratefully, I realize that God has assembled an army of loving servants in this place as He leads us into a new season of opportunity.
Events both traditional and new reflect that energy: Our second annual Ministry Fair, highlighting the value of Bible classes; a successful VBS; another Summer-Wednesday-Nights series (with great speakers); Simple Supper, now a unifying monthly tradition; the Cyber Safety seminar; and, of course, Great Commission Sunday, raising over $200,000 for mission work.
The year also featured projects that propelled our work forward. Thanks to live-stream volunteers, our worship services reached far beyond the building. We are nearing the completion of our congregation-recorded Audio Bible, reflecting our desire to engage deeply with God’s Word. We formed Missionary Care Teams to enhance support for our missionaries. Most broadly, we embraced the elders’ renewed vision for shepherding groups, creating stronger, intergenerational relationships within our church family.
The congregation reached some noteworthy landmarks this year. We appointed several new deacons, eight new elders, and welcomed two new staff members—Jennifer Wright and Theo Westbrook—to our ministry team. Our College Ministry grew to more than 200 students each week, and the Children’s and Youth Ministries, including Lads to Leaders, combined to serve 250 young people.
God’s provision could be seen in dozens of new members here, 26 baptisms locally and at least 200 in the mission field. Through faithful giving we finished the fiscal year with a budget surplus. We also experienced our highest Sunday morning attendance since COVID: 1,371.
It’s been a good year, leaving me energized for what lies ahead in 2026. I hope we all are prayerfully considering how we can support our God-given mission to share the love of Christ with the world.
It’s a huge, sometimes daunting mission involving complex planning and organization. When I feel overwhelmed, I consider someone like Tom Tuggle.
Once a month on Tuesday, Tom rolls into the church office with his jolly grin, just returned with a truckload of provisions from the Arkansas Food Bank—for His House. You can depend on that food arriving and on that enthusiastic call to help him unload the bounty. He’s a regular. His joy is contagious.
And he’s not alone. Many “regulars” join him at His House. Hundreds of them power our other ministries. Gratefully, I realize that God has assembled an army of loving servants in this place as He leads us into a new season of opportunity.
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