A Year in Review, 2025

4L0ife is full of things we don't see coming, and full of things we intentionally make time for. When we do the latter well, we handle the former with more grace.

In 2020 I started to imagine what eventually became the X242 network. In 2021 we stepped out and started doing it, not with lofty goals, but with a simple goal to do church more simply. Now, at the beginning of 2026, it's good to reflect on 2025, our fourth year as a network of house churches. 

For the fourth year in a row, we provided winter coats to impoverished children in the frozen Himalayas of Nepal. In December 170 children received a much needed coat and heard a new-to-them message that we call the gospel — the good news of Jesus. We pray that, planted with this material gift of love, the spiritual gift settles into their hearts and changes their family trajectories. So far to date, we have helped 665 Nepali children. Amen. May God be praised.

By design, we don't run every good mission opportunity through X242, but instead encourage everyone to support whatever missions grab their heart. For some of you that includes supporting X242, which for the most part means helping me to spend part of my time serving and encouraging the churches that connect with us. I’m humbled. I’m not worthy of it, but I receive it as a gift and give myself to this ministry because of God’s call.

In 2023 and 2024 Wendy and I traveled extensively to connect with and encourage people and churches that were reaching out to us. This past year, however, the tragic death of our one year old grandson made it necessary to stay close to home. Thank you so much for your gracious concern, and the care and support you gave as we adjusted to life following that trauma. I remind my heart frequently by telling anyone who can hear it: We still believe God is good, even if it’s hard to see how this is good. And without a doubt, he continues to bless. He is so good.
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One blessing in 2025 was that I got to connect with the three Sarasota churches all year in person. When Mike asked me to teach his Wednesday group I had only visited it a few times. I have since fallen in love with them. They can be diverse in thought but always unified in heart. And I continue to enjoy sitting under Jeremy’s leadership on Monday nights, being part of the conversation without any leadership responsibilities, and enjoying it as “my church.” I’m still able to visit Dan’s group every several weeks, being always warmly received. I love how much they love each other. I learn something every time I visit.

Overall it’s been a gift to be able to keep a finger on the pulse of all three Sarasota churches, each in their fourth years. We were able to start a consistent monthly gathering for singing, praying, and sharing in communion. A little over half of us take part in that. And yes, while I would love to see everyone be part of it, it’s not our way to require it, and there are legitimate reasons people can’t. So it is there to meet a need for those who have that need. And we continue to learn our way forward in that.

As good as it's been to stay in Sarasota the past year, I sure do miss the in-person connections with our friends in other places. I always tell people that our network is a relational network. There’s no membership, just friendship. And nothing beats onsite presence for that. I hope to be able to do that again. I honestly don't know the timeline. But thankfully we have other ways to stay connected. Phone calls, texts and Zoom are a good alternative. I have enjoyed hosting a Zoom call every other week, primarily for leaders and inquirers, but really it’s for anyone who wants to join. And we’ve had people from Virginia, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Michigan, Utah, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and Alaska, as well as several areas here in Florida. A number of you I’ve never met in person, but I pray for you often and have grown to love our friendship.

As I think about our larger relational X242 network, I recall how this past year we prayed people back to health, we laid people to rest, we comforted those who grieved, we welcomed new babies and rejoiced with them, we counseled people discreetly through marriage conflict and just as privately through church conflict. We laughed a lot together, and we cried a lot together. We sang together and prayed together. Really the same things that happen in most churches. And, to be sure, this coming year will see more of the same. But I’m filled with hope and assurance that God will continue to be good, loving, and powerful. He just is.

In 2026 I commend to you again this simple shared agreement of One Path, Four Devotions, and Two Loves. We follow Jesus as the Way, we devote ourselves to the scriptures, to fellowship, to sharing meals together, and to prayer, and we work at loving God with all we are and our neighbors with all we have. It is good.

May God bless your homes and fill you with his Spirit. Amen.