January 2026: Year Update
As we begin 2026, I wanted to give an informal update on things at JVC.
I’m most thankful for God’s faithfulness and provision over the past year. One of the biggest changes was adding a second service in September. I was nervous about this, even though I thought it was right. But now that we are three months in, I’m deeply encouraged by what we’ve seen. First, I’m encouraged by all the volunteers we have who have stepped up to serve. While there is an extra load, overall it seems like we have enough volunteers in the various ministries to share it.
But we didn’t add a second service just to add volunteer positions; we needed space. Attendance has gone up significantly since adding the second service. In 2025, when we had one service, our average attendance was 128. Since adding the second service, our average Sunday attendance has been 174! There’s some double counting (we do our best to minimize it), but that growth is still more than I expected. I was a little worried about both services feeling full enough; this was an issue last time. But, from my perspective, we’ve always had enough people present to keep it from feeling too empty. Sometimes it can feel that way when the service first starts; perhaps we can all make an effort to be a bit more on-time for church. But I’m thankful God has begun to fill these seats.
Financially, we ended the year about $4,000 behind where we want to be on our budget. Since I’ve been at JVC, giving has always been tight, but God has always provided. I want to thank everyone who is regularly giving to the ministry of the church. You really have enabled it to continue. If you aren’t regularly giving to the church, I ask you to think about it. When you become a member, one of the vows is to support the worship and work of the church. While there are many ways to do this, I believe financial support is a key way to fulfill that vow. Plus, giving is good for you; it’s one of the ways God reminds us that everything we have is his; we are simply stewards.
For the Next Year
I enter into 2026 excited for the future of the church. God has been faithful to us, and by his grace, our church is healthy in many ways. You probably know that we’ve been talking about a new building for a while, but haven't taken much action on that. I believe this year we will start to see some concrete progress. I’m pleased to announce that we have three people (stay tuned for their names) who have agreed to lead our building committee; they are working up plans to have us in a new space within 5 years, Lord willing.
Personally, I’ve felt some renewal in ministry after a tiring couple of years. I’m glad to see what God has been doing and excited for the future. I’m enjoying studying Galatians; it’s been personally challenging for me. Sometimes we can forget that pastors have ups and downs in their spiritual lives; we, too, need to grow in Christlikeness. Lately, I’ve been more and more convicted that I need to grow in the Fruit of the Spirit. I’m pretty self-disciplined and self-motivated. I create good habits and follow spiritual disciplines. But I can do all those external things without my heart being in them. I can do them without love or joy. And as Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 13, no matter how many religious things we do, if they aren’t rooted in love, they are worthless. I really hope that I can grow in my joy and love of Jesus this next year. Will you pray for me?
I have many things that I’m thankful for. As we enter another year, I still feel it’s a privilege to be your pastor, and there is no other place I want to do ministry. I’m excited to walk with you all as we see how God works through us.
In Christ,
Pastor Jon