Roll Credits

A simple picture frames the year: one person plants one tree every day. Not a forest at once—just today’s tree. Over time, God turns groves into forests. That vision of small, faithful steps shaped everything—creative outreach, everyday discipleship, quiet generosity, and a deeper dependence on God. The focus remained clear: help people find and follow Jesus, trusting God to grow what consistent obedience plants.

That steady obedience produced surprising fruit. The annual Spooktacular shifted from a risk to a mission, drawing 1,745 people and mobilizing 700 volunteers. It welcomed neighbors who would never attend a typical Sunday—including practicing witches—and created long-term gospel impact. One baptism this month traced all the way back to an invitation three years ago. Faithfulness is small until it isn't.

Across the board, people kept taking next steps. First-time guests numbered 1,773. Unique volunteers grew to 502, and groups/classes rose to 419, because spiritual growth thrives in community. Baptisms, after last year’s surge, normalized at 128—no longer an anomaly but a culture. Giving took a bold leap too: 600 people gave for the first time, fueled by clear on-ramps like Feed the Fort and the delightfully practical Flush Fund. Compassion became concrete.

Financially, Sunday operations moved into the black—a first step among three organizational pillars, with focused effort now turning toward CarePoint Academy’s spiritual and financial renewal. Average weekly attendance climbed to 992, yet numbers mattered only as a way to count stories God is writing. Each data point represented a person taking a courageous next step with Jesus.

The deeper lesson beneath the metrics: God does not always equip first, then call. Sometimes he calls into places where skills won’t carry the day—so dependence must. Scars become testimonies, not failures. When weakness meets faith, God shows himself strong. So the invitation remains the same for the coming year: plant today’s tree. Open the Bible today. Join a group today. Serve, give, invite today. God will worry about the forest. He has a way of turning small obedience into holy surprise.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Plant the tree today. Small, repeatable acts of obedience create long-term impact. Starting where you are—Scripture, prayer, serving, a hard conversation—hands God raw material to multiply. You don’t have to build a forest; you only have to plant today’s tree. Let consistency become your quiet courage. [30:00]
• 2. Risky love reaches unusual people. Mission requires creativity and courage, not comfort. Embracing unconventional methods for the sake of the gospel welcomes those who assume church isn’t for them. Love that risks misunderstanding often becomes the bridge where Jesus meets unexpected guests. [35:04]
• 3. Community is essential to growth. Spiritual maturity accelerates with others—accountability when life is hard, celebration when God moves, and the humility to refine half-true assumptions about God. Lone discipleship blinds us to our blind spots; shared practices open new eyes and stronger endurance. Pursue the people who help you hear God better. [39:36]
• 4. Generosity grows through concrete compassion. People give when they can see the good their gift accomplishes—feeding families, blessing the city, meeting practical needs. Clear on-ramps help generosity become a first step of discipleship, not a final exam. Give where love puts on work clothes and hope becomes tangible. [44:19]
• 5. Dependence is the deeper equipping. Sometimes God calls into places you cannot solve, so you learn to pray, wait, and trust. The outcome may leave scars—and that’s part of the witness. Weakness isn’t disqualifying; it’s the stage where God shows he’s enough. Dependence becomes the equipment you didn’t know you needed. [72:19]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:13] - You belong here
• [28:19] - Roll Credits Sunday kickoff
• [28:51] - Looking back and ahead
• [30:00] - Plant a tree daily
• [33:02] - Spooktacular’s impact and reach
• [37:36] - Five health metrics explained
• [39:36] - Volunteers and serving surge
• [41:22] - Baptism culture normalized
• [44:19] - First-time givers milestone
• [46:11] - Financial health and next steps
• [47:59] - Attendance growth with purpose
• [49:58] - Staff reflections and 2026 dreams
• [72:19] - Trusting God amid inadequacy
• [75:57] - Prayer and commissioning

Bible reading

- 1 Corinthians 3:6-9

I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.

- Zechariah 4:10

For who despises the day of small things? Since the seven eyes of the Lord that range throughout the earth will rejoice when they see the chosen capstone in the hand of Zerubbabel.

- 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Observation questions

1. In 1 Corinthians 3:6-9, who plants, who waters, and who gives the growth? What picture is Paul drawing about how change actually happens?
2. In Zechariah 4:10, why are “small beginnings” not to be despised? What details in the verse help explain God’s heart about starting small?
3. What specific fruit was named from repeated small steps of outreach? Think of numbers and stories like “We had witches… and we got to tell them about Jesus” [35:04].
4. Which everyday “trees” were named as next steps to plant now? Consider the repeated prompt, “What does it look like to plant the tree today…?” [30:00].

Interpretation questions

1. If “God gave the growth” (1 Corinthians 3:6-9), how should that shape expectations and pressure when someone “plants today’s tree”? How does this connect with the line, “If I can be obedient to plant a tree today, God’s the one who needs to worry about the forest” [30:00]?
2. Why would God choose to rejoice over small beginnings (Zechariah 4:10)? What might this confront in the desire to see quick, visible “forest” results?
3. How does God’s power show up in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)? What role do scars play as a witness when “God leads us into situations that will leave scars” [01:12:19]?
4. What does creative, risky love toward unlikely guests say about God’s heart for outsiders? How does the story of welcoming unusual people (“…witches… and we got to tell them about Jesus”) challenge typical comfort zones [35:04]?

Application questions

1. “What does it look like to plant the tree today…?” Pick one concrete “tree” you will plant in the next 24 hours (Scripture, prayer, invite, serve, a hard conversation). Name the time, place, and plan [30:00].
2. “Do you need to be planted… in the Bible every morning?” If Scripture is your next daily tree, what simple plan will you try this week (time, reading plan, partner to text)? What usually derails you, and how will you address it tomorrow? [30:00]
3. “You need other people to help you grow in God.” What is your next step into community—join a group, re-engage, or invite someone to walk with you? What’s the barrier, and what’s one action you’ll take before next Sunday? [39:36]
4. Think about someone in your life who would never come to a typical church service. What is one creative, loving bridge you could build this month (a meal, an invite to a fun event, serving together)? How will you take the first step this week? “We had witches… and we got to tell them about Jesus” [35:04].
5. Giving often becomes easier when compassion is concrete. What tangible cause stirs your heart right now—a family in need, a local initiative, a global project? What’s a first step you could take (even small) toward generosity this week? “The Flush Fund… when we raised money for toilets” [44:19].
6. Where do you feel called but not equipped? What would it look like to lean into dependence—specific prayers, waiting on God, asking for help—right in that spot? “God leads us into situations that will leave scars” [01:12:19].
7. Pick one “number” to pray into as a story this year—an invite, a baptism, a new volunteer, a group launched. Who is the person or place behind that number for you, and what will you do this week to move toward it? “We don’t track these numbers in order to win awards” [47:59].