The Joy of Glory

*Every year, I write a letter to our church reflecting on what the Lord has done in my own life and in our midst over the previous year. Below is the letter I shared at our annual meeting on January 25, 2026.

My Dearest Shades Valley,

I don’t know if I have a better way to describe 2025 then simply with the word, “new.” This year has brought so many new things into my life personally and into our life as a body, and, honestly, it has been a beautiful thing. Don’t get me wrong, there has been plenty this past year that has been hard and that I don’t care to redo, but amidst all the craziness in our world, it has been really good for my heart to see the Lord doing something new.

In my family, it has seemed like everybody has been hitting new landmarks or at least getting involved in new things. Charis began her senior year and is months away from graduating; Levi started competing in Rubik’s cube competitions, Robotics, and now appears to be addicted to yo-yoing; Talitha became my new wedding date, joined drama club, and is about to be our third teen; Asher continued his black belt journey, which is nearly complete; and, to my delight, Solomon fell in love with basketball (the only sport I played throughout my youth).

Not to be left out of all things “new,” Holly and I had a landmark or two. Holly won a silver medal in traditional forms at the highest level of competition available in her Taekwondo organization, “Worlds.” As for me, my running addiction hit an all-time high in November when I ran my first marathon… and yes, I hope to run another. But, the biggest “new” for us is that our marriage just turned twenty-two, and while every year of marriage is a “new” one… it’s my favorite “new” every time.

All the things I’ve listed are really just the beginning of the new things the Lord has been doing in my family, but I must move on because there are so many “new” things I’ve also seen him doing in our midst as a church. Of course, the easiest thing to point to as “new” in 2025 would be our 9 a.m. Discipleship hour, and what an incredible blessing it has been. I have seen so many new relationships formed, people grow in their faith, and so many gifts being used to bless the body. 

There are smaller, practical new things I could point to as well. Like, the resource tables and the visitor’s guide. We’ve seen these help new people be less confused as well as become a tool our members use when engaging new folks. Several new events took place this year including the first youth summer camp since I’ve been at Shades. I had the privileged of being the camp speaker, and it was awesome to see our students connect with those from two other churches and grow in their relationship with Christ and one another. We also did a trunk or treat in a totally new way that engaged the neighborhood around us and was truly a blessing to everyone involved. And something you may not know about, is the fact that we have a group of post-college-young-adults here who are flying under the radar while making all sorts of new things happen. Many of them were key volunteers in the trunk or treat I mentioned, but they’ve also started community groups and prayer gatherings… it has truly been amazing to see.

But… if I’m completely honest about my favorite new thing… it is the people God has been bringing. We have seen so many new faces over the past year. God has been bringing new people into our midst and many of them have become family. Shades, every person who enters our doors is a gift, and I rejoice that God graciously gives us the chance to be a part of their story. I don’t know why 2025 was particularly a year he chose to bring so many our way, but I do know what I am committing to for 2026! I am committing to praying, dreaming, brainstorming, and implementing new ways of inviting these new folks deeper into the community our body shares. 

The top two things we hear from those that are new to shades is how much they love the community they see AND how hard it can often be to become a part of it. I am committing to trying new things to remedy that feeling, believing that if God brings them to us, we are meant to bring them in. I know that is already our heart, so I’m committing to helping us figure out how to do it with our hands and feet!

Finally, as your pastor, let me say that I am ever grateful that Shades is a church who loves their staff. At the close of 2025, I have been so grateful to see that in a whole new way as you have loved on the Browns amidst the difficulties they have faced. It has been beautiful to see you literally be the church of Acts 2:45, “…they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.” Shades, I don’t know any other way to express what my heart feels than to say this… as a father, I never feel more loved or more grateful than when someone loves my kids… and as a pastor, I never feel more loved or more grateful than when someone loves my staff.

Thank you. I praise God for all the new he has done in 2025, and I praise him in advance for all the new he is going to do in 2026. I know you do, too.

I love you all,

Pastor Jonathan