“From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building itself up in love by the proper working of each individual part.” — Ephesians 4:16 (CSB)
As I reflect on this past year and look toward the season ahead, I keep coming back to a simple thought: God is calling us to build people. There are many things we can build as a church. We can build programs, ministries, systems, facilities, and even attendance. All of these have their place. But Ephesians reminds us that ultimately Christ is building His Church by building His people. Our desire is to help people become more like Jesus, grow deeper in their faith, love one another well, and discover how God has equipped them to participate in His wAcross Stone Church, we are seeing encouraging signs of that kind of growth. Our children are developing biblical literacy, learning to pray, worship, and serve. Our young adults are growing in their understanding of Scripture, developing their gifts, teaching one another, and stepping into leadership. We are also seeing leaders and directors intentionally invest in their own biblical education and leadership development.
One of the privileges of leadership is seeing people you have invested in become ready for what God has next for them. Last year, we released Pastor Alanna to lead Church in the Village. This year, we are preparing to send Pastor Gavin and Ashley, along with a team from Stone that includes our CCU Director, Anastasia, to help establish Way Church Toronto. Anastasia’s own report reflects the kind of growth we want to see, with young adults not only learning together but increasingly using their gifts to worship, teach, and serve. There is something beautiful about that. We do not develop people simply so they can fill positions at Stone. We want to equip people to follow Jesus wherever He leads them and to participate in what He is doing in our city and beyond.
This focus is also shaping how we think about discipleship throughout Stone. We want our groups, ministries, courses, and gatherings to be more than activities on a calendar. We want them to be places where people are formed into the likeness of Jesus. That means continuing to strengthen our pathways for people who are new to Stone, investing in healthy and safe ministry environments, caring well for the vulnerable, equipping leaders, and creating opportunities for people at every age and stage to grow. It is also why our Becoming series this Fall feels so timely. Our values describe the kind of people we are becoming. We are people shaped by Jesus, directed by His Kingdom, and formed together as His people.
My prayer for this next season is that we would continue to grow deeper in our faith, more loving in our relationships, and more purposeful in the way we live out the mission Jesus has given us. Ephesians reminds us that this happens as every part does its work. Ministry at Stone Church has never been the work of a few pastors or staff members. God has gifted His whole Church, and each of us has something to contribute.Thank you to our pastors, staff, board, ministry leaders, volunteers, prayer partners, and everyone who faithfully gives, serves, cares, teaches, welcomes, prays, and makes ministry possible at Stone Church. May we continue to build, but above all, may we continue to build people, as Christ builds His Church.
Blessings,
