Praise the Lord.

One of the greatest joys of church planting is watching God gather His people.
As of May 25, our Core Team was complete. Twenty-five families accepted our invitation to help build the foundation of Verdant Church ... 49 adults and 40 children. What began as a burden the Lord placed on our hearts has become a growing community of believers eager to pray, serve, give, and make disciples together.

Then, on June 7, we held our first public Interest Meeting.

To say we were overwhelmed would be an understatement. More than 130 people attended. Some came seeking information as they prayerfully consider joining our Launch Team. Others came to learn how they can pray for Verdant Church. Still others wanted to know how they could support the mission financially.

It was a humbling evening. More than anything, we walked away thankful. We felt loved, encouraged, and reminded that God is already at work in ways far beyond what we can see.

Since that first Interest Meeting, 17 adults and 3 children have joined our Launch Team. As of June 11, the Verdant Church family consists of 109 people.

Praise the Lord.

"I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it." — Matthew 16:18

While we celebrate what God is doing through people, we are also grateful for how He continues to provide practical needs.

Over the past few weeks, Verdant Church officially became a legal entity, opened its first bank account, and began preparations for renovating our office space this July. These are important milestones, but they are simply tools that help us carry out the mission God has given us.

As we move forward, we are praying for God's provision in several key areas. We are seeking approximately $14,539 to complete office renovations and furnish our ministry space. We are also excited to announce that a Kids Minister is prepared to join our team beginning August 1. We are anticipating the oppurtunity to begin August with a complete staff team including: Lead Pastor, Executive Pastor, Worship & Creative Pastor, Kids Minister, and Administrative Assistant. In order to do so, we need to raise approximately $56,985 to fund ministry personnel through the remainder of 2026.

Additionally, we are preparing to partner with WatersEdge Financial Services, who will assist with payroll, bookkeeping, accounting, contribution management, and other essential administrative needs. To begin that partnership, we need to raise $5,873.

These numbers are significant, but they do not intimidate us because they belong to the Lord.

"And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." — Philippians 4:19

Already, God has provided $8,238 through generous gifts and several monthly commitments.

Praise the Lord.

As exciting as these updates are, our greatest prayer remains unchanged. We are not ultimately asking God for money, buildings, offices, or programs. We are asking Him to transform lives through the Gospel.

Please continue praying with us:

• That Christ would be honored in everything we do.
• That people would come to saving faith in Jesus.
• That our Launch Team would grow in unity and spiritual maturity.
• That God would provide every need according to His will.
• That Verdant Church would be a church deeply rooted in Christ and faithfully reaching the world.

"Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us—to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen." — Ephesians 3:20–21

The Lord has been faithful every step of the way, and we look forward with anticipation to all He has yet to do.

- Pastor AJ and the Verdant Team

How the Lord keeps reminding us that He is already ahead of us.

One of the most faith-building parts of this church planting journey has been watching God provide what I can only describe as “circumstantial confirmations.”

Not every confirmation comes through a dramatic moment. Sometimes it comes through open doors, timely conversations, unexpected generosity, aligned hearts, and repeated reminders that God is already working before we arrive.

As we’ve prayed about planting Verdant Church, the Lord has continued to provide confirmation after confirmation.

God Has Provided People
One of the clearest confirmations has been the people God is bringing together.
What started as simple prayer and conversations has now grown into 25 households committed to our Core Team. These are families willing to pray, serve, give, sacrifice, and help build this church from the ground up.

Psalm 127:1 says, “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.”

We have felt that deeply through this process. If God is building it, He will provide what is needed at the right time.

God Has Provided Practically
Another unexpected confirmation came through office space being offered to us at no cost.
That may sound small, but in church planting, every resource matters. It felt like the Lord gently reminding us:

“I will provide.”

Philippians 4:19 says, “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

We have seen that repeatedly already.

God Has Provided Unity
Throughout this process, we have tried to tell people one thing consistently...
“Pray. Seek the Lord. Obey Him.”

What has been encouraging is how many people, independently of one another, have expressed the same burden and excitement for what God may do through Verdant Church.
That kind of unity cannot be manufactured.

Ephesians 4:3 says, “making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”

God Keeps Opening Doors
There have been so many smaller moments that continue to add up:

• Timely conversations
• Wise counsel
• Unexpected encouragement
• Financial opportunities
• Evergreen’s support and generosity
• Open doors we could not have created ourselves

Individually, some of these moments may seem ordinary. Together, they become difficult to ignore.

Proverbs 3:5–6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.”

Moving Forward in Faith
Church planting has reminded us how little control we actually have and how faithful God continually is. Not every question has been answered. Not every detail is finalized. But God keeps giving enough confirmation for the next step.

And for now ... that is more than what we could ask for and more than what we deserve.

Please continue praying for Verdant Church as we move forward. Pray for wisdom, unity, provision, humility, and above all else, that Jesus would be glorified through this journey.

— Pastor AJ and the Verdant Team

There are moments when something shifts.

You’ve prayed about it. You’ve talked through it. You’ve tried to put language around it. But it still feels … distant. It's not in front of you. It feels like something is lurking in your peripheral vision, but God is holding your gaze fixed forward. You haven't been given permission to fully acknowledge it yet.

And then, at some point, it changes.

For us, that moment came during our Core Team Vision Night.

As I looked around the room, I wasn’t just seeing a gathering of people whom I love. I was seeing faces. Stories. Years of relationships. Some from Evergreen Church, some from outside, but all of them people God has used in meaningful ways in my life and in the life of many others. And in that moment, it hit me: God was bringing these people together, not by accident, but for something new.

That’s when it started to feel real. That's when the Lord allowed my gaze to fully shift to what HE was growing before me.

There was a weight in the room that night. Not heavy in a discouraging way, but in the kind of way you feel when you know something matters. There were tears. Actually, many tears. We were in the midst of real, unforced moments where it was clear the Spirit of God was stirring hearts. Not just around an idea, but around a calling. A sense that what we are stepping into is going to require something from us. At the same time, that God intends to use it to shape lives, strengthen families, and reach people in ways we can’t fully see yet.
Verdant stopped being something we were talking about that night. It became something we are now walking into. Something God was bringing to life.

The word “verdant” means flourishing, full of life, growing, healthy. That’s the picture we keep coming back to. Because we believe that when the gospel takes deep root in a person’s life, it produces exactly that kind of fruit. Not surface-level change, but real transformation. A life that is steadily formed by Christ, shaped through His Word, and lived out in everyday faithfulness. Our core team consists of people who have lived this way. And now they are excited for the Lord to use them to help others in our city experience the same thing.

That’s the kind of church we believe God is calling us to plant.

Not built on hype or personality, but on depth. A place where people don’t just attend, but are discipled. Where Scripture isn’t skimmed, but taken seriously. Where relationships aren’t shallow, but intentional and life-giving. Where families are strengthened, and where people are equipped to live on mission wherever God has placed them.

We’re not starting something new just to start something new. We’re responding to what we believe God is asking us to build.

And if you’re reading this, I want to say that plainly: I don’t believe you’re here by accident.
From the beginning, this has never been about one person or even a small team. It’s about a people that God is calling together. And the question isn’t just what is Verdant going to be? The question is who is God calling to be part of it?

For some of you, that starts with prayer. Before anything is established, before systems or structures are in place, we want to be a praying people. We need men and women who will faithfully ask God to move, to guide, and to do what only He can do.

For others, it will mean giving. Church planting requires sacrifice, and your generosity becomes part of the foundation that allows this to move forward.

And for some, it will mean going. Stepping into the unknown, joining the launch team, and helping build something from the ground up. That takes commitment. It takes faith. It takes a willingness to be part of something before it’s fully formed.

I want to be clear ... we’re not asking for casual interest. We’re asking you to seek the Lord and respond in obedience to whatever He is leading you to do.

Because what we are stepping into will take all of us.

If you want to explore what that looks like, we’d love to help you take a next step. You can learn more, fill out a launch team form, or find ways to begin praying and giving at www.verdant.church

We really do believe the best is ahead. Not because of anything we’ve put together, but because of what God does through a people who are fully surrendered to Him.

And after that night, I can say this with more confidence than ever:
It’s already beginning.

The Lord is growing something.

Will he call you to be a part of it?

— Pastor AJ and the Verdant Team