Dear Friends in Christ,

Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ.

As a new year opens before us, I find myself thinking about how quickly time moves and yet how patiently God works. We mark calendars, close chapters, set goals, and make plans, but underneath all of that quieter work is happening. Faith is stretching. Trust is deepening. Love is learning new shapes. None of us arrives fully formed. We are always, in God’s mercy, still becoming.

This simple phrase has been sitting with me as a guiding theme for this season of ministry and life together. Still Becoming names something honest about the Christian journey. We are not finished products. We are not done growing, healing, learning, or being shaped by grace. God continues to form us through joy and disappointment, through questions and clarity, through service and rest.

The Spirit keeps inviting us into deeper faithfulness, wider compassion, and steadier hope.

In the months ahead, you will hear this theme woven into worship, teaching, conversation, and prayer. It will show up in sermons and studies, in how we talk about stewardship, community, leadership, and care for one another. My hope is that it gives us language for patience with ourselves and generosity toward one another, reminding us that discipleship is not a finish line but a faithful way of walking.

On a personal note, I remain deeply grateful for the welcome, wisdom, humor, and resilience you share so freely. It is a gift to serve among people who care about worship, learning, community, and the quiet faithfulness of everyday life. I continue to learn from you, and I am thankful for the trust you place in this shared ministry.

As this year unfolds, may we remain open to what God is shaping in us and among us. May we be courageous enough to grow, gentle enough to listen, and hopeful enough to trust that God is not finished with any of us yet.

With gratitude and prayer,

Pastor John Perez