– Hi, friends. We’d like to give a big-picture update on our Alliance family today—recent highlights, plus priorities for our future. There’s a lot to celebrate across The Alliance right now. We’re about 10 months into the role, and people often ask us like, “Hey, how are you doing?” So, Mary, what would you say? How are we doing?

– We have had the joy of seeing so many of the ways that the Lord is at work through the Alliance family. So, I’ve told people, “I’ve loved The Alliance for a long time over the years, but I love it even more now.” Everywhere we go, we meet people who are serving Jesus faithfully in creative and sacrificial ways.

– Yeah, for sure. God is using the gifts of so many people to build up His Church and bring more people He loves into His family. The mission is being fulfilled. Individuals putting their trust in Jesus, declaring their faith through baptism, discovering their gifts, how they fit into God’s big plans. It’s pretty exciting.

– We saw some numbers recently from the most recent Annual Report that was filled out by Alliance churches, and those numbers tell a really encouraging story.

– Yeah, here are some of those numbers. We’re grateful for what they represent. Our Alliance family, listen to this, had more baptisms last year than any other year in our 140-year history. Friends, that’s worth celebrating, pausing for a moment, and just saying, “Thank you, Jesus, for what You’re doing among us.”

– And we realize that numbers don’t tell the full story, but they are indicators of how the Spirit of God is moving. Alliance family, we’re making disciples who are making disciples. And if you’re seeing that happen in your area, we are celebrating with you

– And maybe you’re not seeing that kind of harvest right now. Let me encourage you. Keep reaching out to friends and neighbors and coworkers in your community. Stay faithful. Seeds are being planted. God is at work even when we don’t yet see the harvest. I keep coming back to the promise of Galatians 6:9. “Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

– So, don’t give up because the Lord is faithful. We’re trusting Him with you. And at the right time, there will be a harvest. We’re grateful for your love for Him and for your love for people around you who matter so much to Jesus.

– On that note, let’s look ahead at our current priorities. I’m really grateful for a great group of Board members and leaders who are focusing on the road ahead. We invite you to pray with us for the Spirit’s clear guidance as we seek to fulfill the mission of The Alliance—knowing Jesus and completing His Great Commission. That’s our aim, and it’s deeply rooted in Scripture.

– We have the joy, the privilege, of knowing Jesus personally as our Savior and our Sanctifier and our Healer and our Coming King and sharing Him with a world that’s desperate for hope and for forgiveness. It truly is “All of Jesus for All the World.”

– Let me mention four of our priorities to move us in that direction. Number one—we want to see our churches thriving and reproducing. Imagine the impact in communities across our country if every church were deeply committed to reaching people with the good news of Jesus. What if we saw hundreds of new churches and campuses launched? Priority number two—strengthen the leadership pipeline. We want to see a new wave of pastors and ministers trained and launched—Jesus-loving, Bible-saturated, Spirit-filled workers who are serving and starting churches across our country.

– That one feels especially vital considering that the average age of our licensed workers, you’ll see in the graph, 34% of our pastors and ministers are 60 and above. And then if you add in those who are over 50, it’s 57%. So, there will be many of us who are looking to pass the baton in the next 15, 20 years.

– And so, for starts, we’re praying for divine health for all of us who are in that 50 and above season of life. We want to serve as long as the Lord allows us. And maybe you’re one of the younger ones that the Lord is tapping on the shoulder. You feel a tug in your heart about considering vocational ministry. Please be in touch or talk with your pastor and check out the opportunities to serve within The Alliance at the link you see here. Okay, priority number three—increase our number of international workers. You’ll see in this graph that we’re declining over the last 20 years. And we want so much to reverse that trend. There are still lots and lots of people who need to hear the good news of Jesus. And to that end, one more priority—pioneer high-impact partnerships with the Alliance World Fellowship. There are places around the world that are closed to Americans but where international workers from Alliance churches in other countries can be strategically supported. So, we want to work collaboratively in even more ways to see the Great Commission completed.

– And really, that’s what it all comes down to. Our heart is to see the Father’s family grow, lives changed by Jesus, filled with the Spirit, and then on mission with Him.

– We’re so encouraged by how that’s happening today, and there’s much more to do. Will you stay engaged with us however Jesus leads you? Maybe take a new step to be all in. We get to be part of the greatest story that is being written today, the growth of Jesus’ family until He returns as our Coming King.