09/07/2026
ONE YEAR OF NEW BELIEVER’S CLASS
What a year it has been! For the past year, after every experience, we've had the privilege of walking people through our New Believer’s Class, creating space for them to slow down, learn, ask questions, and begin building a foundation for their walk with Christ. One of my favorite parts is watching people recognize themselves in the different soils.
They begin asking:
“What kind of soil am I?”
And even more importantly:
“What do I need to allow God to cultivate in me so I can become good soil?”
Receiving the seed is one thing. Allowing God to cultivate the soil of our hearts is another.
Yesterday, one of the guys shared that through the lesson, he was able to recognize something changing in himself. He is learning how to receive. He's also been attending Care Night, and through that process, he's developed a desire to learn more and grow deeper.
So I asked him to tell me his story. That's when we discovered another beautiful part of the ripple effect. One of the men who has been through Care Night is now his sponsor. He shared how that relationship began through watching this man be vulnerable when he brought a message to STOA. One person's vulnerability opened the door for another person's freedom.
That's a ripple effect.
What God does in one person's life doesn't stop with them. It reaches the next person, then the next, And then the next. It reminded me of something I shared in my devotion that morning. We have to be built up before we can effectively reach others. He shared that after coming out of treatment, he relapsed while trying to go back and reach the people he loved. The heart behind it was good. He wanted to help like many do, but not realizing the rejection can wound us.
Sometimes we have to recognize that we can't go back into old territories until we're strong enough to stand in them. There is a time to be built, time to heal, time to learn, time to become rooted and then God can send us back with strength, wisdom, and discernment. I also told him that I see many gifts in him and one of them is leadership. I encouraged him to go through Growth Track so he can begin discovering more about his personality, gifts, talents, and how God may want to use them.
At the end of our conversation, he asked, “Can I have more conversations like this?” My answer? Absolutely, because this is what we do as leaders, recognize those in front of us that have gifts that need to be birthed. This is the highlight of the mission. It's not just teaching a class. It's watching someone begin to see themselves differently. It's watching the soil of their heart become cultivated. It's watching someone who once couldn't receive begin opening their heart. It's watching someone discover their gifts.
It's watching relationships form. It's watching vulnerability create a ripple effect. It's watching people move from simply experiencing God to wanting to know Him more. And none of this happens without our incredible team.
THANK YOU. ❤️
To every person who teaches, serves, prepares, encourages, prays, shares their story, and makes space for people to ask questions and grow. We couldn't do this without you. One year. So many stories. So many seeds planted. So many hearts being cultivated. And so many lives just beginning to discover what it means to walk in freedom and follow Jesus.
What a year it's been! If this is what God has done in one year. We can't wait to see what this next year brings.
