As the Director of Operations, there are 3 things that I get to witness behind the scenes that are worthy of sharing:
 
Our Executive Board and Consistory are an amazing group of leaders that care about the details of our church body and honoring Christ in our mission/vision of The Way. We are blessed with the wisdom, care, and accountability of our leaders! The staff at The Way have been anointed by God in what they do. No one will ever know the multitude of what goes on each day in their work, but it is evident that the Lord is using them in mighty ways to love and serve our body of believers well! The people of Newton Church of The Way (on a whole) want to see the Kingdom of God advance in our community, region, and world! This is evident in how they love, serve, and give generously.
 
I am excited to say that we were able to meet our budget this past Fiscal Year! This past year, we were committed to giving 10% (approximately $114K) toward ministry partners and missions that fulfill our mission in our community, region, and world.
 
These partners include:
●      Pregnancy Center of Central Iowa
●      East Jasper Christian Food Pantry
●      Discover Hope
●      Fierce Faith Music
●      Garden Gate Ministry
●      Local and state First Responders through Jasper County Emergency Services banquet and Ragbrai support, Impact Iowa’s Heroes, and 10-42 Project
●      Youth missions through Central Iowa Teens Encounter Christ (CITEC), Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), LakeView Camp, and we even financed 48 youth and leaders to attend Indianapolis for the Youthworks Mission Trip
●      Global Missions and missionaries spreading the Gospel and light of Christ: Many Hands for Haiti and Abaco; Samaritan’s Purse; Words of Hope; YWAM in Uganda; Student Mobilization mission to Philippines; Mercy International in India; Team missionaries in Japan; Adventures in Missions to Nicaragua, South Asia, Eswatini, and Nepal.
 
We have blessed our local schools and families by supporting Newton Christian School, Sully Christian School, Newton Booster Club, providing meals/support for 6 high school sports teams, blessing baskets of baked goods to the staff of 6 different schools, and providing needed winter clothes for the elementary schools. We were able to serve meals to nearly 200 youth/leaders each week at youth group, host food/events for families in our community, and give away financial aid to those in need. We even gave away many cases full of bibles and devotionals to new believers that attended The Way!
 
This next Fiscal Year, we hope to give away another 10% ($120k) of our annual budget to support our community and our local/state/national/world ministry partners. I am SO THANKFUL for the generosity of our church family and I cannot wait to see how God continues to multiply our fishes and loaves for His Glory!
 
Your Sister in Christ,
Tricia

It’s been another busy year at The Way! The campus is always busy with a group, class or gathering. I’m so thankful for Marcy and her dedicated leaders along with all the other amazing Wayzies who keep me busy with the calendar, registrations and communications. It was really awesome to see how God worked through the Prayer Event in May also with the daily devotionals, group chat and prayer time with response stations.

Sunday services are by God’s grace and our amazing volunteers, a well oiled machine now. We upgraded our internet and changed providers and that changed everything!
We were able to return to streaming to Facebook as well as Youtube and our app/website simultaneously, increasing our reach. The worship teams and tech teams are growing and we’re praying for more multiplication in all of the areas!

Pathways Podcast got quite the upgrade in November! We moved rooms, purchased new equipment, and rolled out a brand-new format. Marcy got busy scheduling guests from the community and within The Sending Network, along with people from The Way that we haven’t interviewed before. We’re at 230+ episodes and going strong!

Lastly, we just celebrated our biggest Celebration Sunday in Way history at Maytag Park! We haven’t been to the Bowl since 2018, and we have so many new Wayzies who have not experienced park service. God blessed us with amazing weather and a high UV, so lots of us had little red noses and sunglasses with tan lines. Personally, I have never seen a food line so long, EVER. The church potluck did not disappoint! Celebration Sunday was for sure the highlight of my year!

Blessings can truly be found behind the scenes!
I love The Way; I love our people.
Here’s to another year!

My job is never the same from day to day and I love it.  From making sure office needs are filled to reaching out to volunteers. I try to fill the small needs that are open. Meeting new people and connecting with old friends are a fun part of my job.  Supporting the staff to help make their lives eaiser.

Hello! I recently became the nursery coordinator and it’s truly a blessing! In the couple months that I have been in the role I have had 5 people want to start volunteering in the nursery on Sundays, as well as several new kiddos join us! We have a great group of volunteers and I am very thankful for each of them!

I love knowing that the adults get to have their time to worship and praise Jesus while their babies get to play and enjoy time with other kiddos and the volunteers. Our group of kiddos and volunteers keeps continuing to grow and grow and that just makes my heart so happy! The best parts are watching the kiddos line up and sit down and wait for their little cup of cheerios while dancing to the worship music! I love seeing how God is working with all of these kids, their parents and the volunteers. We’re truly shaping the next generation of our church! God is just so good!

Terra Kurovski – Mondays with Mommas
Our mommas meet weekly in the nursery at 9:30am for kids to have playtime and moms to enjoy fellowship. On paper it is supposed to end around 10:45am but it tends to go later as us mommas enjoy good conversations while the kiddos continue to play. Our simple and informal gatherings have been such a blessing to my family as well as many others. Moms have experienced both growth and strength in relationships through sharing life experiences, caring for each other, and praying together. Likewise, our kiddos are making new friends as well as strengthening their current friendships. They get to enjoy donuts, play with toys together, go to Aurora Park (on the favorable weather days), and sometimes burn off excess energy by chasing each other in the worship center. We welcomed several new moms this year and hope more will continue to come and enjoy time together with us!

We have had another great ministry year. Last year was my 8th year working with the littles at The Way and each year has had new blessings. For our Preschool and Kindergarten kiddos we have 8 every other week volunteers plus youth that step in to assist in guiding our littles. We have grown in numbers of children and consistency of attendance this last year. Our volunteers are so patient and loving to each child that comes into our group. We have welcomed many new families into our program this year and have enjoyed watching them grow. Seeing our kids that have been here welcome new families and invite them into their activities is so heartwarming.
 
Summer Camp this year was great. We had 25 volunteers that came each night after work for a whole week to help share Jesus with kids from Kindergarten through 6th Grade. We learned that God is always with us, he will forgive us, he loves everyone and we can share his love with others. On Thursday we welcomed all the families and the kids were able to show their parents what they had learned all week. We had volunteers inviting families and kids inviting their friends to bring with them. It takes a lot to go into this week, we couldn’t do it without our volunteers. Seeing the kids go out and be disciples to others makes each moment worth it.
 
We do 4 family nights a year, each one is different. We welcome families to join us on a Friday night where we have a lesson from the Bible. Then we do something that relates the story to the family's life or that as a family they can do. We have done service projects, carved pumpkins, made prayer trees and put together kits to help overseas. This night is a great change that I enjoy giving families a way they can help teach their children about the Bible. We also send stuff home for families to expand on after the night is done. These nights were a way for us to help guide parents to be leaders for their kids at home to go beyond Sundays. Assisting families in fun new ways to teach and guide their children to Christ is the best blessing to see.
 
Each Summer in July we have Little Sparks for kids 3-5 to prep and get them ready for Rush. Every Sunday in July during the 9 am service we have a Bible lesson, activity, snack and prayer time. Listening to the kids' prayers at this age is so entertaining we encourage them to talk to God about anything and that can get interesting. We have a lot of fun and everyone gets to meet the kids they will be with in Rush also.
This last year has been full of memories and moments that melt my heart. The little moments are what make it worth it like hearing a 4 year old pray for his entire group for the first time. Having a kiddo come one week and be nervous to leave his parents and then the next week hearing they woke up everyday asking when they can come back. Seeing families come because one of our kids invited a friend to join them. Having kids ask me to pray for them when something happens knowing that they are learning to turn to God with their struggles. Kids have no filter so everything they say is genuine and I get so much Joy from all our littles.

This was my second year leading the 1st-4th grade RUSH Children’s Ministry. Each week we had about 20-30 kids join us Sunday mornings. I saw a lot of new faces this year in this group and they were welcomed by the volunteers and other children. I had 1-2 volunteers help with each grade and I’m so thankful for the time and energy they put into pouring into the kids each week. I had my maternity leave from mid November and came back in January after the holidays. I was so grateful for a couple of my volunteers to cover the few Sundays that I missed. When coming back, the kids adored my baby girl and it was fun to watch them be so excited to meet her.

It was amazing to see how God worked through the children and helped them to grow their faith. Seeing the children worship and praise God, watching them learn new things from the Bible stories, pray together, connect with their small group leader, and seeing their faith grow at such a young age just brings joy to my heart. They were also able to share what they were going through in their lives, and bring it all to God by talking to their small group leader about it and praying together. I’m so blessed to have led this children’s ministry. I’m looking forward to seeing what this next ministry year brings, and to see how God works
in everyone's lives that are part of it.

We had a great year diving into questions about God and how our relationship with Him should impact our relationships with others. Morgan Fifer and I switched off weeks leading the kids and encouraging them to be bold for Christ in their everyday life.

Our yearly highlight was again the split between girls and boys during spring. Jeff Guthrie taught the boys to make a maze board, Nathan Smith had an electrical outlet project, and Nick Cummins planted a couple trees with them. The girls learned about the Newton Crisis Pregnancy Center from Juana McConnell and made baby blankets to donate to that ministry. The next week Morgan and Kaylee Guthrie came in to share about their experience in Abaco, afterwards making prayer journals. Finally, Julie Kain talked to the girls about friendship and made friendship bracelets with them. It’s been wonderful to see the curiosity and maturity our 5 th and 6 th graders show throughout the year. It’s a privilege to be a part of what God’s doing in this age group.

What a year in Middle School Youth! I can't quantify the numbers other than our weekly attendance has more than doubled over last year. It's the profound way God is moving in the youth. Our theme this year was "Everyday" - learning how to live out your faith every day and these youth delivered on that. They invite their friends to youth group and church on Sundays, read and study their Bible during free time at school and home and have even done art projects symbolizing their faith. Many are excited to show me every week what they've studied in their Bible over the week and often share verses that are impactful to them. God is moving in big ways amongst our youth and I feel beyond blessed to have a front row seat to witness it!

God is moving in powerful ways and He is building up the next generation of believers to carry the Gospel message forward. This past youth ministry year has been full of breakthroughs, growth, and God’s blessings. We have an amazing group of leaders that show up weekly to love, support, and encourage the students. They also attend their sporting events, extracurricular events, and mentor students outside of Wednesday nights. We welcomed five new adult leaders to our team this past ministry year.

We have an incredible group of youth who show up every Wednesday with a hunger for God’s Word, worship, and a desire to love and serve others. The weekly student attendance at youth group nearly doubled from last year to this year and the number of senior student leaders more than tripled. We had seniors partner with adult leaders each week to lead their small group discussions. The seniors were treated the same as the adult leaders and received the same "homework" and discussion questions to prepare for their small group time. The content included a 15 week Bible study through the entire book of Ephesians, 2 weeks in Revelation, and several other topic-specific discussions. We had 14 adult leaders and 16 senior students share their testimonies with their small groups, give announcements, and lead prayer. We celebrated the baptism of 4 high school youth students this past January and another 10 students were baptized this summer!

The leaders and students began sponsoring Mary, an 8 year old girl in Uganda, and brought their own money each week/month to support her. In October, leaders and students prepared and served a meal while participating in a Testimony Tuesday night at Discover Hope. In March, we were overwhelmed by the heart of God's people when we far surpassed our fundraising goal at our annual Spring Fling Dinner. Their support and generosity provided the funds necessary to send 38 students and 10 leaders on a YouthWorks mission trip to Indianapolis this summer. God always uses these trips and projects to leave a profound impression on our group. In May, students volunteered to help with the Run4Her Life 5k and half marathon. Throughout the year students served and led their teammates at Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) events and weekly huddles by giving messages and leading small group discussions at their school. Several students went through the Teens Encounter Christ (TEC) weekend conference that is held 3 times throughout the year while others who had already gone through it served as student workers. They serve and lead other students from our community as well as surrounding communities.

All of this takes teamwork and couldn’t be done without the help from so many people in the church. Thanks to everyone for the part they play in loving and caring for the youth. The men and women who spend time each week getting the church ready for Wednesday night youth group. The cooking teams, small groups, parents, Fierce Faith board, the church staff, and many others helped throughout the year by providing, preparing, and serving 150-200 meals each Wednesday night for all the middle school and high school students and leaders. The generous donations and support provided to send students on mission trips. The prayers and encouragement provided to students in and outside of the church. You are helping to build God’s kingdom and your efforts are having eternal impacts. Jesus said “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” and it is abundantly evident that this church has a heart for young people.

We kicked off and ended our ministry year of The Bridge at our spot, “Jacob Krumm” nature preserve with a night filled with scripture, laughs (mainly from badminton), prayer, kayaking, hotdogs and s’mores around the campfire, and connecting together. Throughout the year, different members of our group took turns leading our night by what was laid on their heart whether it was worshiping and digging into scripture, prayer, a Christian movie, a game night, a podcast, etc. We got to know each other more through conversations about our personal lives and our walk with the Lord. We helped build each other up, prayed for each other, and held each other accountable for reading
God’s word by messaging our group the scripture we read from that day. We also took turns making the meal for the night at the church, or we chose to keep it simple and order pizza or have a potluck. I saw our group welcoming new young adults in with love and without judgement. I saw an eagerness to keep growing our group and inviting others. We’re excited to see what the next year brings for The Bridge and how the Spirit works through this young adult group. There’s so much love and support to us from the members of The Way. The young adults in our community need biblical guidance, Christian fellowship, and Jesus’ love. I’m so thankful for this group and that our church
supports those needs.

The last year at The Way was filled with many firsts and preparing for the future.
 
We were fortunate to acquire the adjacent property, 2301 1st Ave E, this spring. This acquisition provides a secure location for maintenance supplies and frees up storage space in both buildings. I am truly grateful for this opportunity as it allows us to grow and utilize our space more effectively. 
 
The discipleship building had another busy year, witnessing significant growth in Upward and Rise on Wednesday nights. For years, we have been using residential refrigeration units in our kitchen. We updated and replaced those units with a commercial-grade refrigerator and freezer to add more serving options for our youth and make food planning more manageable for our staff and volunteers.
 
The weather over the last year tested our buildings and our grounds. Winter was pretty mild outside of two weeks of negative temperatures and blizzard conditions. This was the first year I was in charge of plowing the parking lot without Mark Hoffert. Knowing I wouldn't see his truck pull into the parking lot was a bittersweet time for me. But God provided help from Cory Van Zante and Todd Van Maanen when the snow became too much for just my truck to handle. Heavy rains in the spring were too much for the basement, and we had water creep into the Cafe in areas where we had never had water before. Most of you have probably noticed the lighting gremlins in the worship center. Nathan Smith has been working hard to repair each overhead light as parts are available. God blessed our church with many skilled individuals who volunteer their time and equipment; we can't thank them enough!
 
THANK YOU A Team!
The A Team is a group of 12 retired volunteer men that come together twice a week, or as needed, to serve the many groups and youth with set up for their events.  While we know this is helpful for the church and staff the reward we receive in helping others is far greater. Our pay is a cup of coffee and the fellowship of the team. We are blessed to serve in a small way. - Gary Price

I have been back on staff since January 2024. In the short time I have been back the words that keep bubbling up are 'faithfulness and generosity.' People of The Way generously give their time and resources, and faithfully step up when a need arises.  

Do you know that The Way has approximately 150 students and leaders each week for Middle School and High School Youth Group? We serve a meal each week. That is 600 meals a month...since I have been back on staff that is about 3,000 meals! It's not easy to prepare and serve that many hungry teenagers, but each week we have faithful servants who do just that. The kids & leaders appreciate it so much, and I know the people serving are blessed as well.  
We have faithful servants who generously help out when we have a special need, such as a funeral. The Way has also committed to serve a meal on Tuesday nights at Discover Hope every other month. People generously give their time and resources for that ministry. Fall Fest, Celebration Sunday, Men's and Women's Ministry are also other places you see faithful servants! Whenever you see food, the food team has usually had some hand in it. I am looking forward to witnessing how the Lord blesses people through food in the coming year! - Sara Van Manen

My ministry is simple. To provide support to all ministries at The Way. Marie and I do this by making sure the facilities smell fresh, are well stocked with supplies, and clean. I feel the staff and congregation support me just as much as God calls me to support them. I get to serve God and His Church. See joy on people's faces and in their hearts. Sing along to music while cleaning. And make friends while doing all of the above. In the last year I have made strides in organization of supplies, established new workflow processes, and have felt supported in my tasks by the Church purchasing some new equipment and supplies to make my job both more effective and a bit easier. Thank you Newton Church of The Way. You are awesome! - Beth Pline

Huge thank you to Marie Braswell also! We appreciate you, Marie!

Coming on staff here at The Way has been nothing short of an incredible blessing for my family and me. When I came aboard, I chose to focus on three specific details from a Congregational Care perspective; to build relationships with our members, to support the staff and consistory to the best of my ability, and to allow the Holy Spirit to show me how He would like me to bless others. In keeping those three areas of focus, I have been blessed to help in several different areas.

I was given a foundation of what Congregational Care is here at The Way, and the freedom to explore how to do it in a way that allows me to maximize the time that I am given to counsel and encourage others through God’s Word and the equipping He has given me. That freedom continues to excite me because the ways in which I serve continue to improve, evolve and grow as He moves.

Lastly, over the year I have been given the opportunity to come to know so many incredible people. I’ve gotten to praise Jesus with you in the valleys and stand in awe with you on the mountain tops. We truly serve an amazing God and it's evident in the hearts of our congregation. Thank you for letting me take part! I look forward to doing life with you all, and I can’t wait to see what Jesus has in store for us in this next
season!

This year the church participated in a number of different events and initiatives to reach out into our community. I could write about all the things we did this year as we blessed our citizens, provided meals, and even created space for people to learn about Jesus, but I won’t. Rather I want to implore you as congregants of our church to live out our mission of seeking and inviting people into the unconditional love of God. The fact is, our outreach initiatives are not as influential and impactful as your personal relationships with your family, neighbors, and co-workers.

Imagine this, I take 700 bright red lights, set them up on the north side of Newton and wait for people to come check it out. I believe a number of people will see the light, although a large number will miss it. Trees, buildings, and other things will get in the way of people seeing the light. Some people will come and look at the lights and may stop to ask about them and others will just drive on by, trying to determine on their own what it is. Some may even get on social media to ask about the red lights north of town, and many will give their opinions as to what it is.

Now imagine this, 700 people take a bright red light and walk around their neighborhood, their school, their workplace, and even in their own home. How many conversations do you think will be started with others about the bright red light they are carrying? Probably thousands! Why? Number one, more people are going to see it as the light will be spread out all over the community. Number two, people will be curious and if they know the person carrying the light they are more likely to ask questions about it.

The whole point of that story is this; as individuals we are far more effective at seeking and inviting someone to come and check out church than any large outreach event we can do. Your relationship with others and the influence you have been granted, gives you the ability to share your faith in a way that others can relate to. If we all lived out the mission statement of The Way, we could impact many more lives in the name of Jesus by growing the Church and helping others find and grow in their faith alongside us. Let us be people that are loving, joyful, bold, and willing to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with others by seeking, inviting, and welcoming our friends, neighbors and colleagues into the unconditional love of God.

Helping Hands
Helping hands is a group of volunteers who help people with projects that they have difficulty completing themselves. Some of the projects include yard work,hauling trash, helping people move. We have also done small electrical projects.  We are here to serve!!! - Mike Meyer

This past year the prayer team has continued to provide prayer support and services to our church body and community. We received many prayer requests throughout the year, most of which came from the active members of our body, seeking intercession for themselves or people they knew. We had multiple “yay God!” moments where we witnessed God move through prayer. The prayer team continues to meet once a month to pray over a variety of things while also welcoming those that show up needing prayer. Sundays are a day where our team meets early to pray over our worship team and Pastor, while also being available
to pray for congregants at the end of each service. Prayer is a core value of our church and we take it seriously.

One of our highlights of this past year was the week of prayer we completed in June. This week of prayer was done in conjunction with other churches in the Sending Network. We opened up the worship center throughout the early morning hours and during the day for people to come in and pray at different response stations. It was amazing to see how God spoke in similar ways amongst different people. The week
also included a worship and prayer service. We are thankful the team was able to add a few new prayer warriors this year. We are excited to grow our team as we collectively serve the body every Sunday and
throughout the week. We will continue to provide space for our people to receive prayer and give opportunities for them to respond in prayer as God leads them. Let us be a church that consistently moves through prayer, 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, “Never stop praying.”

As the Connections team leader, I think it's super important to welcome people, without any kind of judgment, just like Jesus would do. That's been my goal from the very beginning to welcome everyone unconditionally as they walk through those doors. The Connections Team is the first impression people get when they walk through The Way's North and South doors. I am truly thankful to everyone who volunteers every week because they really do welcome everyone unconditionally with a smile and even a hug every once in a while. Showing God's love is what we're all about. It makes me very proud that we as a church prioritize this. Just as a reminder that Jesus knew that it was a priority as well, He has several scriptures regarding this, and here are just two of them below.

Hebrews 13:2- Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some entertained angels without knowing it.

1 Peter 4:9- Be hospitable to one another without complaint.

As I reflect on the 2023 ministry year, I am amazed how our team worships. It shows their love for Jesus and their understanding of worshipping Him. I am also amazed how easy it is to lead the people of The Way into God’s throne room. We clearly have a congregation that love to worship Jesus, just like our team. I am truly grateful for the time each team member spends preparing every week. They sacrificially give up their family time to prepare for Sunday and special services. This past year the team has lead worship every Sunday along with several special services which included, Thanksgiving Eve, Christmas Eve, Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, prayer services and Sending Network gatherings. I am also grateful for Scott and Amanda who have stepped up to be team leaders, and to Jenn and Lee for organizing our music. Our team wouldn’t be as successful without their efforts. This year the Lord brought us 2 new vocalists which have been great additions to the team. As we start 2024 we continue to pray for new musicians. We also continue to look for ways to pour into our team members to strengthen their Biblical and musical knowledge as worship leaders.  
-Al Law | Lead

I give Jesus all the glory for the privilege of bringing Him praises in the congregation of believers every weekend, and then through the weeks between with my family in our hearts, home, cars and everywhere between. It is such a blessing to serve alongside others who want nothing more than to bring honor, glory and praise to triune God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
This has been a physically challenging year for me. Many noticed that I was seated most of the time during our worship times since before Christmas until Easter. This was due to a bulging lumbar disk causing spinal stenosis and pinching the nerves in that area, greatly restricting my range of motion and causing no small amount of pain and discomfort. I want to take this opportunity to thank so so many of you for all of the prayers that went up on my behalf. Through many chiropractic and physical therapy sessions, the situation is vastly improved, and I am grateful for the healing that has restored me to almost normal activity. This experience has been humbling, but has also made me more grateful for everyday things that are easy to take for granted.

Praying for each of you in return, that our loving Lord will sustain the measure of faith He has given to you, and grow it from grace to grace. May his peace and assurance  be yours always!
-Scott Wilson | Worship Leader

As I reflect on this past year, I am filled with gratitude and awe at how God has moved within the worship ministry at The Way. It has been a year of growth, challenges, and abundant blessings! The Lord’s faithfulness and guidance has been evident in all of it. We have gained new vocalists, instrumentalists, and tech, which I am going to shout out a huge Thank You to the tech team, because a lot of times they are not seen, but they are a crucial piece in making services and events run smoothly! Everyone shows up and is ready to be a part of God’s story and plan with hearts of worship, reverence, and offering. I am so excited to see God’s growth continue through the seasons ahead and that the heart of discipleship will continue to unfold within the worship ministry. We are the body of Christ and we need each other. As part of the Sending Network, the church staff and leaders gather throughout the year, as a time to network and pray with others that serve within the same ministry. From my experience, sitting with other worship leaders in this space is profound and enriching. These gatherings are a powerful way to build community, share resources, and support one another in faith. The purpose is to honor and glorify God, by reflecting His heart for unity, worship and extending the reach of His love and message of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

As we move into the coming year, it’s with a deep sense of anticipation and excitement for what lies ahead! Worship is not an act or a performance, but rather a Surrender, an Offering, and Regard with extravagant respect, honor, and devotion. My challenge this year is to be an “Extravagant Worshiper.” To be overgenerous in praise to God and move into deeper waters with Jesus our Lord and Savior!

“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord”! Psalm 150:6
-Amanda Van Zante | Worship Leader

One of my favorite things about discipleship is seeing people grow in their faith in Jesus and embrace the transformative power of the Holy Spirit. Over the last ministry year, there are so many ways that this is happening right here at The Way! People of all ages are drawing closer to Jesus, connecting with Christian community, and stepping out in faith and obedience. It’s been amazing to witness the ways God is at work in our community.  

Here are a few highlights from Adult Discipleship.

Book Studies - The Power to Change by Craig Groeschel and Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Peter Scazzero
This past ministry year, we offered two book studies. In the fall, we read The Power to Change by Craig Groeschel. Sometimes in our Christian walk, we can feel stuck. But we don’t have to feel this way! This study showed practical ways to seek transformation through the power of the Holy Spirit. Some important topics we covered include that who God is calling us to be is more important than what he is calling us to do, the small things matter greatly over time, and that transformation happens by God’s power, not by our willpower. This was a great study with practical tips for change.

In the spring, we offered Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Peter Scazzero. The tagline reads, “It’s impossible to be spiritually mature while remaining emotionally immature” and this book helps develop awareness of areas where we need to grow or may have blind spots. We talked about breaking the power of the past, letting go of power and control, and knowing personal limits. We also talked about ways to move forward through focusing on Jesus and eternity, learning new skills to love well, and loving Christ above all else. This book encourages us into a deeper relationship with Jesus while becoming more self aware.  

Zack and Elisha Biehn - Financial Peace University
We taught Financial Peace University for the 3rd time this last year.  We enjoy teaching this class since it has changed so much for us.  Going through each of the steps.  During this process you learn to making a budget, save an emergency fund and paying off debt which are the first 3 and some of the hardest to get started.  Being able to walk alongside those that took the class and help people in all different stages of their life to find freedom from their finances is amazing.  

Dave Wagner – Divorce Care
As the leader of DivorceCare, I have seen over the past 11 years that God does amazing things in 13 weeks of the class. As a person that has been divorced and has gone through this exact program 2 and three times, I understand totally what each and everyone is feeling when they come through those doors. People come in hurting, discouraged, angry, depressed, lost, separated and have lost all hope and think that there isn't any way out. I can honestly say that every time I have held the DivorceCare class, God shows up and transforms lives. It doesn't solve all of their issues, but it does give them a sense of hope and understanding that this is just a moment in their life that God is with them. He will never ever leave them or forsake them during this time. He even says in his word, that he is with the brokenhearted. He shows up every time and I am so blessed to be God's servant that can pour out my love for all of these people. I am truly blessed to know each and every one of these people. -Dave Wagner

Marcy Milburn – Nursing Home Ministries (Jeff Guthrie and Julie Jones)
We have had lots of opportunities to minister to people in nursing homes this year. Jeff Guthrie and Julie Jones lead worship services at Accura East once a month. Marcy and her team lead Bible studies every Tuesday at Traditions Memory Care in Newton. It has been a blessing to get to work with people who are not physically able to come to a church service and to share the gospel with them. A big Thank You to Betty Nikkel who plays the keyboard every Tuesday for the residents. Their memory connects through music and it’s a blessing to see how they remember the songs, hymns, scriptures, and the Lord’s prayer that they learned when they were younger. This also has been an opportunity to share the gospel with people who haven’t had a faith background, trusting that God will use these moments to open their hearts to Him. A huge thank you goes to everyone who helps with these services at the various nursing homes in Newton!

Rooted Groups - Marc & Amanda Headington and Nathan & Ashley Smith
We had two Rooted groups that launched this fall. The 7 rhythms of Rooted are daily devotions, prayer, repentance, sacrificial generosity, serving the community, sharing your story, and worship. Rooted helps develop these as regular rhythms in our lives and does so in the context of Christian community. God has used Rooted to make an impact in people’s lives. This year we had two Rooted groups that met on different days of the week. For many participants this year, this was one of the first classes they had ever attended and was a stretch out of their comfort zone. They shared testimonies about how God has worked in their lives and grew through this small group.

Julie Jones – Spirit Led work ministry
The Spirit Led Work ministry is a group of individuals who share our struggles and blessings at work, and then look at what scripture says about how we are to be in the workplace.   We consider how the Holy Spirit can lead us in our business decisions, and how we can share Jesus at work, either through our behavior or with our words.   We currently meet monthly on Monday night, so we can review how we have started our work week, and then look at the rest of our week through the word of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  If you aren't seeing God's plan in your workplace, then join us, because He cares about all aspects of our lives.

Julie Jones – Theology
In systematic theology we studied a whole range of doctrinal topics like end times, who God is,  and the trinity to name a few.   As a class we wrestled with understanding God's glory and providence and how that foundation helps us understand how we interpret scripture from the context of the entire Bible.

Barb Wisgerhof – Griefshare
Grief Share has given many people an opportunity to find hope and comfort through their personal journey. They are able to share how grief has affected their lives. Through the materials and discussion they see they aren't alone. We hope to see them go from mourning to joy.  We're planning a fall session as well as a Holiday session.  -Barb Wisgerhof

Kirk Douglas – Operation Finding Freedom
Over the past year, Operation Finding Freedom has welcomed several new veterans to our gatherings. We have had folks from the Korean war years through the Global War on Terror.
We have been working through 1 Samual, highlighting how we can find Jesus in nearly every story. The bond often found in veteran groups has played a part in our discussions, as well as the friendly inter-service rivalries. We are nearly evenly divided between Army & Navy, but the Navy gets some help from the Marines from time to time.
Operation Finding Freedom continues to meet over the Summer on the first Friday of the month and all veterans are welcome to join us for some Christian fellowship and veteran camaraderie.
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 2 Cor 3:17 –Kirk Douglas

Mike and Lisa Van Sant – Hope for Hurting Parents
Hope for Hurting Parents group continued to meet this session each month, ending in May and we finally finished our Hope for Hurting Parents Study Guide! A few new people joined us near the end of the ministry year so we feel there is still a need to continue this group and plan to offer it again in the fall. Due to the size of our group, we feel that it is possible to have a couple groups meeting in order to create a more intimate setting as we understand how difficult it can be to share and work through some hard discussions and share pain in larger groups. We decided to take a break for the summer and we pray God will continue to help us help other hurting parents on their journey with their family situations. We know there are plenty of parents out there that are hurting (prodigal children, adult children with mental challenges, drug/alcohol abuse, etc) and we want to give them an opportunity to learn, grieve and grow leaning on Christ as our main comfort. “But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more. My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure.”  Psalm 71:14-15

Vivian Huisman - Quilting Ministry
The Quilting Ministry has given away 43 large quilts and 13 baby-youth quilts.  We have about 20 more that are ready to have a home.  We are so grateful to those that have taken kits home and helped us stay ahead of the game.  There are about 6 quilts ready to be knotted and bound to start our fall season.  There are kits available to women, men, and youth who want to work on a quilt this summer and we will continue to have them available this fall.  The Way Quilters

Marlys Popma - Christian Ethics

Tim & Kari Hemann - The Journey
The Journey - We were a small but mighty group who laughed and cried, teased and prayed together.  We discovered much about God and ourselves throughout the year.  Our class developed deep relationships as we studied scripture, reflected on our character and identity in Christ, and listened for the calling God has on our lives.  We shared our individual stories with each other that included intentionally identifying the goodness and grace of God throughout our lives.  Finally, we explored ways to share our talents and gifts with others. - Tim and Kari Hemann

CJ & Pam Osborn - A Way of Life
A Way of Life from VantagePoint3 – This class is a group program that helps adults deepen their relationship with God and structure their lives around a lifelong apprenticeship with Jesus. The well-established program involves weekly two-hour meetings, usually with 6–12 people. The meetings cover topics such as accountability, safe relationships, prayer, and honest conversation; participants are encouraged to meet with a spiritual mentor outside for additional perspective. The program also includes sub-groups for mutual mentoring for six to eight months, as well as regular Bible reading, supplemental reading, reflection, and prayer.  CJ and Pam completed training to prepare for facilitating this class and the 2023/2024 class was the third class they have lead.  This class is a great opportunity to use a well-structured plan to draw close to God and enjoy fellowship. - CJ and Pam Osborn

Pam Osborn – Many Hands Impact Trip
Many Hands Impact Trip to Abaco:
An Impact Trip provides a chance to step away from the familiar and embrace the unknown, all while making a meaningful contribution to build and strengthen God's kingdom.  There are several opportunities to connect with incredible people through meaningful experiences and shared stories.   There is also time to reflect on our own journey and identify the passion that resides in each of us and look to the future with expectancy on how God wants us to live a more intentional life of impact.

In February, 2024 a group of 16 packed our bags and headed to Abaco, an island in the Bahamas, for a week of service to provide healing and restoration for the people of Marsh Harbour, Abaco.  We were able to see first hand the destruction of Hurricane Dorian and work on projects that address the needs of the island which include gaps in fundamental education, food insecurity and reconstruction.  The main activities of the week are listed below.  

• Worshiped with Bahamians and Haitians at a local church
• Purchased food in a local grocery store and then later distributed food to those in need in the Marsh Harbour community
• Painted and hung drywall at a community center that is being rebuilt from Hurricane Dorian
• Toured a hydroponic farm and then harvested produce and prepared it to be sold at the farmer's market
• Interacted with the schools by reading to children in the classroom and attending a boy's basketball game
• Attended youth group at a church and enjoyed a traditional Bahamian dinner of Souse and Johnny Cake prepared for us by church members
• In the middle of the week, we took a break from projects to experience the unique Bahamian culture which included swimming in a blue hole, a tasty lunch of fresh seafood at a beach front restaurant and soaking up the beauty of the island on several beaches.  Each evening we had time to unpack the experiences of the day and reflect on how God was using these experiences to inspire us towards growth. 
• In March, our team of 16 shared our Impact Trip experiences to over 50 people who gathered in The Way Cafe to learn about this incredible opportunity to witness God's global heart which was revealed to us in the midst of both the beauty and the tragedies of Abaco.

Men’s Ministry
It has always been the mission of Kingdom Builder’s to provide an opportunity for men to move beyond the profession of faith. While the single greatest decision a man can make is to profess Christ as the Lord over his life, we believe that doing so is just the beginning of the Christian walk. What follows, should be the lifelong process of being transformed by the renewing of our minds as we pursue a personal relationship with Christ. We have continued to see this mission play out in our gatherings this year as men have collectively studied scripture, devoted themselves to prayer, served others, and inspired one another in the faith. We spent 13 weeks studying men of legendary faith found in Hebrews 11 and learning from their strengths and their weaknesses. That was followed up with a series on the book of 1 John, where we were challenged to pursue a genuine relationship with Jesus, while exploring what that looks like and what potentially stands in the way of it. The monthly men’s breakfast continued to make a large impact as men enjoyed great fellowship and were inspired by the testimonies of God’s transforming ways. Other highlights from the year include the men’s retreat, serving a youth group meal, workshops with the 5/6th grade boys, a bonfire night, and a summer reading group. We continue to be amazed at the work of the Holy Spirit and the spiritual growth and the boldness found within the men who attend. Men of all ages are continually rising up for the sake of the gospel and that has truly been amazing to see.

Women’s Ministry
The last year in women’s ministry has been a wonderful journey through the pages of God’s Word. We spent last summer pouring over every word in 1,2,and 3 John and through it all trying to emulate John and his love for Jesus. We then went into the fall in our study of “When You Pray” learning the purpose of prayer, and why and how to pray. We studied the different kinds of prayer ending with Jesus’ prayer about oneness and unity when he prayed for his disciples “ May they be one”. We started the Christmas season with a women’s event the first week of December that got us all in the mood for the season. We pampered the ladies with a hot chocolate bar and appetizers and Christmas décor galore, and finished the night with a beautiful old message, with a new perspective, of the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The event was titled “Prepare Him Room” and was so perfect to get us in the mood for what Christmas really means, that we plan to do it again this year. Our evening bible study group spent the winter in Breaking Free by Beth Moore. The transforming power of freedom in Christ is the theme of this study and there is always more to learn about God and his faithfulness. The morning class spent their winter months in a study by Kelly Minter titled “Encountering God”, which focused on how spiritual disciplines can strengthen your relationship with God. We just wrapped up an amazing summer study on the book of Isaiah where we learned how to strive less, and trust God more.  God meets us with every study we take on. Each one seems to be perfectly timed for the season. We are women from multiple generations, with the same mission to know God better. His word intertwines our lives and while we learn about him, we learn about ourselves in the process. Old friends are enjoyed, and new relationships are born through common life experiences. We saw women who have been in bible study for years, and, watched with excitement those who had never taken bible study before. Tears and laughter can fill the same room at the same time as God does what only he can do, meeting us right where we are. We had women nervously step out in leadership and step out in prayer as the Holy Spirit leads us out of our comfort zones in a way that only He can. God always shows up when we open His word, and he blesses us when we show up too. The book of Revelation is where we will be this fall. Jen Wilkin will be helping us discover how the last book of the bible speaks both a steadying word of assurance and a strong call to endure to the church in every age.

We were blessed this year by having many speakers come to Baxter to deliver our message and lead our service. We completed two independent sermon series in our Ministry year, Fruit of the Spirit and the Ten Commandments.

We continued in our discipleship mission by offering classes for both men and women which had consistent attendees throughout all classes. Baxter Church of the Way offered Youth Group on Sunday evenings, for several youth who were excited each week to learn about Jesus and have some fun with Nathan and Ashley.

This year VBS Summer Church Camp for Baxter area K-6 th grade students, which brought some new faces to Baxter Church of the Way for three days of learning, fun, snacks and ending the week with a hotdog dinner.

Our congregation got together this year on a couple of different occasions for an opportunity to pray together and spend time visioning where we would like Baxter Way to move toward in the future. Of course, these meetings were filled with potluck food, laughter and many great ideas.

Baxter Way hosted the IF Gathering for the third year in a row this year with our largest attendance to date. What an amazing weekend spent with a room full of women who love Jesus, praying, singing, eating, and listening to amazing speakers.

This Easter, we decided to end Sunday services at Baxter Way and put our focus on our discipleship work. We continue to pray for God to lead us where he wants us to go in the next ministry year.

Abbie Miller and Makayla Miller
This year was the first time Baxter Church of the Way had a Vacation Bible School Summer Camp. Leading up to VBS, it was a fun process to plan and decorate what we wanted our VBS to look like. Finding volunteers who wanted to help was challenging, but as time went on God blessed us with volunteers who felt led to help. The kids became more comfortable with the volunteers and we saw God moving in their hearts as the days went forward. We started our night worshiping and singing songs together. After that, we had large group time where Makayla and I led a biblical message. The kids did crafts, had small group time where they answered questions about the message, had prayer time, and ended our evening playing games.

When the kids arrived on our first night at Baxter VBS, they were very timid and not sure what to expect. As the night went on we got to witness them come out of their shells and the Holy Spirit moved within them. During the second night, the kids were super excited to be there and they were ready to hear God’s Word. They had opened up a lot more to the volunteers within their small groups and the Lord was at work. Our third night was family experience night and we saw the families lead their kids and you could feel the presence of God in the room. On our last night, the kids were hoping it would continue because they didn’t want the week to end, and neither did we. Throughout the whole process, we hoped that God would move in the hearts of the kids and families, but not only did he do that, but he blessed our time too.

Nathan and Ashley Smith - Youth Group in Baxter
Baxter youth meet every Sunday evening during the school year. This year there were some new students who came regularly, ranging from 5th to 11th grade. Sometimes they would even bring a friend with them. The youth ask lots of good questions and enjoy the time together.

Fiscal Year 2024 Financial Report | The Fiscal Year 2024 runs from July 2023-June 2024.

2024 Offering Annual Totals
$1,140,627 Budget
$1,203,402 Received*
+$62,775 Offering Surplus

2024 Annual Operating Totals
$1,203,402 Income*
$992,012 Expenses
$211,391  Surplus**

*The Offering Received includes the $54k in Youth Missions offering.
**This does not include $4k of interest income.

Year End Cash Balance
2024 FY Cash Balance: $655,191

We have no current loan balances or debt, which allows us freedom to vision cast for the future. Thank you for your generosity in helping us meet our budget as we move forward into a new fiscal year. Please be praying for how God is calling you to be a part of the mission and vision!

Fiscal Year 2025 Financial Budget
The Fiscal Year 2025 runs from July 2024-June 2025.
$1,206,788 Budget*
This budget is a 5.8% increase to include the assumptions of inflation to increase salaries/wages and insurance, building vision casting expenses, and expenses toward youth ministry food growth.
*If you wish to receive FY 2025 Budget Summary, please contact Tricia Groves: Tricia@theway146.com.