Praising God for 2022 and looking forward to next year!

It’s hard to believe another year is drawing to a close. Many had warned me of this, but as I get older the years seem to pass so much more quickly than they used to! It’s tempting to just keep plowing ahead with all that is before us, and yet as one year ends and another begins I find it helpful to reflect on all that God has done in the past 12 months.

Spirit & Truth officially launched just over 4 years ago and God has brought us a long way in that time. Our goal from the beginning was to help equip local churches to become fully alive by rediscovering the core practices of Spirit-filled, disciple-making ministry. Our vision is to see a global movement of local churches who are empowered by the Spirit, rooted in the truth, and mobilized for the mission. We live out that vision by leading churches into places of divine encounter and experiential learning, developing resources, and connecting like-minded leaders.

Now that the world is returning to a new normal, after facing a global pandemic, our in-person equipping is really ramping up again. In fact, our team is receiving more requests for Spirit & Truth weekend training than what we can fulfill. We praise God that there is so much hunger to see the church living full of the Spirit and sharing the Gospel!

This past year has been our most significant year of growth yet as a ministry. I am blown away at how God has worked. Here are a few highlights…

Church Equipping - Spirit & Truth helped lead ministry training in 9 different states and 2 countries in 2022! This means more church folks sharing their faith, more making disciples, more learning to pray, and more living empowered by the Spirit. One pastor recently shared, “Our church is still reeling from the Spirit & Truth weekend that happened over three months ago! And I mean that in a good way. Right now we are in the midst of ramping up our prayer ministry as a result.” God is still bringing new fruit months later because of the way God stirred his people and this is happening all around the country.

Global Impact - Spirit & Truth Africa grew tremendously in 2022. In the past year we have helped plant three new congregations in Kenya. I got to visit two of these on my last trip and they are growing very quickly with dozens of new members in a matter of months. Our American church partners have also helped support a school in the Mathare slum that has now grown to 200 children, completed drilling a well that is providing clean water for hundreds of people, distributed 800 water filtration systems that are impacting hundreds of families, and more. On my recent trip we also continued our pastoral training initiative and hosted a workshop with about 80 Kenyan pastors who are connected with our Spirit & Truth network of leaders.

New Pastors Connection - In 2022 Spirit & Truth helped launch a new initiative to connect and help shape pastors around the U.S. We launched with an initial group of 12 from around the country at a special retreat gathering in Denver, Colorado. God brought together 12 leaders hungry for the presence of God and passionate about leading their churches into the kind of DNA that Spirit & Truth is all about. In the coming year we are going to invite another group of 12 to join us. Over time we believe this will grow into a group that helps build true community and accountability for pastors across the U.S. seeking renewal in the church. 

Ongoing Resource Development - In 2022 our team continued to develop resources that help serve thousands of church leaders. Firebrand Magazine is reaching tens of thousands every month. We launched a new resource for Spirit-led leaders on Substack. Our podcast network continues to grow, and in January we are really excited to be launching a brand new podcast that is based on the training and ministry experiences we lead with local churches.

There is more I could share, but this gives you a sense of some of the ways God is moving. His Spirit is alive and he is breathing new life into his church! At Spirit & Truth we are so grateful to play one small part in the ways he is awakening his people.

As we look to 2023 we want to thank you for your incredible generosity in allowing all of this to happen. None of these ministries would exist without the prayers and faithful generosity of our ministry partners. As a missionary organization we exist solely by the gifts of individuals and churches who feel called to invest in this vision.

Thank you to all those who have given in 2022! I am so grateful for you! I am praying that God will again stir your heart to invest in this kingdom work in 2023. Also, I want to invite you to consider Spirit & Truth as you are making plans for year-end giving. To finish the year strong and be prepared to launch into all that God has for 2023 we have set a goal to raise $30,000 by year’s end. We praise the Lord that he has already blessed us with $12,500 towards that goal through a few generous donors. Would you prayerfully consider helping us reach the finish line?

In Christ,
Matt Reynolds, Spirit & Truth Founder/President