"Eleven Years—The Baton"
Today is our 11th birthday. So, like all ten-year-olds we’ve been saying we were eleven for the last six months. We think we’re basically an adult. Too big for our old clothes—not time to buy new ones yet.
We’re not a church plant anymore, not a fragile startup. We’ve survived some things, but we still need someone to remind us to brush our teeth, think we know everything, and the things we do next will shape the rest of our lives.
Eleven years ago, eight people asked if I would be interested in starting a new church. We didn’t have a name yet—at least we didn’t think we did. My friend Pastor Aaron said his church would help us out, his church is called Oikos. Which is Greek for house or family. The Greek word for “church’ is ecclesia. So, I briefly considered something like ecclesia for a name—but there’s already one in Houston. Maybe “Franklesia.” No. A little too cult-like.
Honestly, we just kept talking about what we were going to name the new church until we gave up and called it NewChurch.
Eight people.
And by the end of that first year, there were about 100 of us. Because those eight invited people who invited people who invited people.
We met at The Lab—an indoor football field on Astroturf. Brought our own lawn chairs. I had a tiny P.A. that we set up every week. Someone gave us $200,000 so we bought some better gear and a couple of trailers to put it in.
Setup was all hands on deck. Grew to about 140. Then Harvey happened in August 2017 which shut the doors of The Lab. The Sunday after the flood, 9/3/17, we moved into the small theater at Aristoi Academy and 117 people moved with us.
We didn’t die.
We relocated.
We kept going.
The next year, through 2018, most Sundays hovered between 90 and 120. Easter was 153. And on 8/12/18 — my ordination as a Lutheran pastor — 284 people showed up— it was our second week in the big theater at Aristoi. That was a great day.
We thought maybe if we moved to a location that was more visible we might have more exposure and attract more people.
So, the next year, on 6/9/19, we moved to Kilpatrick Elementary. Eventually we built to a steady 120 most weeks. December 2019 we were up to 140 and had 151 on Christmas Eve.
Momentum. It was going good.
Then COVID happened.
The schools shut down—we had to go fully online. That was okay…
But the Body of Christ needs to physically gather together. Christ came to earth physically and rose from the dead physically, and His church, His congregation, needs to gather physically to worship. God created a physical world. Everything was still shut down from COVID so a friend who owns a wedding venue let us use his incredible space. Four Sundays in June we met at Agave Real.
Eventually we were allowed back into Kilpatrick.
And that’s when it got hard in a different way.
Our trailer — the one with all of our gear — was stolen.
Everything.
Sound equipment.
Lights. Screens.
Years of investment.
Gone.
We survived a flood. A pandemic. And then some jerk steals our microphones.
After that we started getting shuffled around by the school.
One week at Kilpatrick.
Then moved to Griffin.
Then back.
One week we were just told we couldn’t be anywhere — almost no notice.
That got old fast.
Tired of the run-around.
Tired of the instability.
Tired of not knowing where we would set up next.
But we kept going. Our last week at Kilpatrick there were 120 of us.
Anyone remember our first week at AGR Sports Adventure Park? 10/8/23 we had 120 show up for our first week at the paintball event center. They welcomed us with surprise Halloween decorations! 13 foot skeletons and monster demons everywhere you look. We were so pleased. Over the next several months they added new arcade games each week until they pretty much squeezed us out of there. Good times. That’s where we met Gary and Lori Kerr, though.
And then 8/4/24, we met in this theater at Faith West for the first time.
They let us install our gear. Remodel. ParrFest donated the videowall and a bunch of lights and stuff. What a gift! The room is small, so I thought we’d have to add a second service pretty fast. I mean, look at this place. It’s awesome.
Since then we’ve hovered around 100.
Not 140 like The Lab.
Not 120 like Kilpatrick.
Not 284 like ordination Sunday.
Right around 100.
I think this is the best version of NewChurch so far. I love it. I’m so thankful. But sometimes love has to ask hard questions…
Because we’re not really growing, and that’s what I want to talk about today.
Our text today is from 2nd Timothy
Pauls’s second letter to Timothy isn’t a casual “What’s up” letter.
It’s his final letter. He’s in prison. Not just house arrest like before — this time he’s chained, abandoned by most of his friends—he’ll be executed by Nero in just a few months.
So, he sends his last epistle to Timothy.
He’s not just the pastor of the church he planted in Ephesus.
Or just another partner in ministry.
He calls him, “My dear son.”
He writes with deep affection. Deep urgency.
Paul reminds Timothy of how he came to faith — his Christian grandmother Lois, his Christian mother Eunice. His faith was handed to him like a baton. Like an Olympic torch.
And Paul says: fan it into a roaring flame. Run with it.
Don’t let it cool.
Don’t be timid.
Don’t be ashamed.
Don’t get shy because times are hard, because Christians are being thrown in prison and it’s more dangerous to follow Christ.
He says, “God didn’t give you a spirit of fear — but of power, love, and self-discipline.”
Paul’s going to talk about suffering for the Gospel, about protecting what has been trusted to him, about holding onto sound teaching—passing it on. He describes the Gospel as something precious — something handed over, something to be protected and preserved and passed on.
You’d think his circumstances on death row would be discouraging but Paul isn’t discouraged.
He says: I know who I believe in.
He has confidence.
He has endurance.
He has trust. Faith.
And then in chapter 2, that “passing the baton” language becomes more explicit — what you received from me, give it to other faithful people who will pass it on to others.
This is a letter from a dying apostle to the next generation saying:
That baton… that torch… Don’t drop it. Pass it on.
As I’m reading this letter to Timothy, I want you to imagine it’s being read to you… To NewChurch.
2nd Timothy Chapter 2…
Timothy, my dear son, be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus. You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others. 2 Timothy 2:1-2
Paul isn’t just encouraging Timothy to “try harder.” He tells him to be strong in grace — not in personality, not in charisma, not in strategy — but in the grace that comes from Christ. The Gospel is not something we manufacture; it’s something entrusted to us. And then Paul gives us the multiplication pattern: what you received, pass on to faithful people who will pass it on again. The Church survives and grows when ordinary, faithful Christians intentionally pass the truth to others. NewChurch exists because someone passed the Gospel to us. The question is whether we’re going to intentionally put it into the hands of the next generation.
Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them. And athletes cannot win the prize unless they follow the rules. And hardworking farmers should be the first to enjoy the fruit of their labor. Think about what I am saying. The Lord will help you understand all these things. 2 Timothy 2:3-7
Paul gives three pictures: soldier, athlete, farmer. A soldier stays focused on the mission. An athlete follows the rules. A farmer works patiently and waits for the harvest. Passing the baton requires all these things. Focus, discipline, hard work and patience. We can’t get entangled in distractions that keep us from the mission. We have to remain faithful to sound teaching. And we have to be patient — growth takes hard work and time. Farmers don’t yell at the seeds; they work the dirt. If NewChurch wants to grow, we have to stay disciplined, and trust that our faithful labor will produce fruit in season—and that the miracle growth is up to God.
Always remember that Jesus Christ, a descendant of King David, was raised from the dead. This is the Good News I preach. And because I preach this Good News, I am suffering and have been chained like a criminal. But the word of God cannot be chained. So I am willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen. 2 Timothy 2:8-10
Paul is chained, but the Word of God is not. The Gospel doesn’t depend on ideal conditions. It advances through suffering, inconvenience, instability — all things we are very familiar with at NewChurch. Paul endures and is willing to suffer so others can be saved. That’s baton language. Pass the torch language. We keep going so others might hear. The future of the Church rests on Christ’s faithfulness not us — But whether or not we’re part of that mission is something we’ll have to answer for.
This is a trustworthy saying:
If we die with him,
we will also live with him.
If we endure hardship,
we will reign with him.
If we deny him,
he will deny us.
If we are unfaithful,
he remains faithful,
for he cannot deny who he is. 2 Timothy 2:11-13
What we do matters. Faithfulness matters. Endurance matters. Our membership in the church is not casual. If we suffer and die with Christ, we live with Christ. If we endure, we reign. But if we deny Him, that has consequences, He will deny us. And yet—not to let you off the hook completely—but even when we stumble, Christ remains faithful. He will not deny who He is.
Which is both warning and comfort.
Paul goes on to warn Timothy not to get lost in petty arguments that exhaust congregations and distract from the mission. A church that fights over minor things suffocates its own growth. If we want to pass the baton, we have to major on the Gospel and refuse to divide over stupid stuff. Too many Christians are so quick to be ugly and unkind to each other and nasty to people who don’t believe yet. We don’t want to have anything to do with that.
Remind everyone about these things, and command them in God’s presence to stop fighting over words. Such arguments are useless, and they can ruin those who hear them. 2 Timothy 2:14
All these arguments distract us from the real mission and confuse the people who need to hear about Jesus. If we want to pass the baton, we can’t waste time fighting over side issues. The next generation doesn’t need our preferences and political opinions — they need the Gospel. Unity around what matters most is how we create an environment for growth.
Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth. Avoid worthless, foolish talk that only leads to more godless behavior. This kind of talk spreads like cancer, as in the case of Hymenaeus and Philetus. They have left the path of truth, claiming that the resurrection of the dead has already occurred; in this way, they have turned some people away from the faith. 2 Timothy 2:15-18
Oof. Wouldn’t want to be Hymenaeus or Philetus—called out in the Bible and everything!
Part of being faithful is to handle the Word clearly — Christ crucified, Christ risen, real resurrection, real hope for your resurrection. False teaching spreads quietly and slowly, and it turns people away. If we blur the truth, we weaken the future. We need to learn it and teach it plainly, so we can raise up people who can carry the baton long after we’re gone.
But God’s truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription: “The LORD knows those who are his,” and “All who belong to the LORD must turn away from evil.” 2 Timothy 2:19
“The Lord knows those who are his.” That is comfort. God preserves His Church. But the second line matters just as much: those who belong to Him must turn away from evil. Faithfulness matters. Passing the baton requires integrity. No one likes a hypocrite—they’re not going to take that torch from you if they don’t think you believe in it. A church that tolerates unrepentant sin while claiming to follow Christ corrupts and confuses the next generation. Our lives have to match our confession if the Gospel is to shine clearly.
The Baton
Christianity is designed to multiply.
The Gospel was never meant to stay in our pockets.
It was never meant to be concealed carry.
Most of us grew up when going to church was just part of the culture. The baton of the Gospel was handed to you. And you’ve been faithfully carrying it. Me too.
But while we’ve been carrying it… the Church has been shrinking. In the early 2000s, only about 7% of Americans identified as "religiously unaffiliated”—as of last year, that number has jumped to about 30%.
The cultural momentum that once helped carry the Gospel forward to the next generation?
It’s gone.
God says He will not let His Church die.
But churches die all the time. Those are not contradictions.
Entire regions that once rang with church bells are now secular.
God always preserves a remnant. But a remnant is not the goal.
And we do not want NewChurch to be a little remnant that never passed the baton.
Why Growth Matters
We need to grow.
It’s not about ego.
Not about being impressive.
Not about just being “bigger.”
This is about stewardship.
Taking care of what God has trusted to us, and doing something with it.
We can’t let the Gospel shrink on our watch.
The baton was handed to you. You need to pass it on.
And once you pass it?
You don’t lose it.
The amazing thing about the Gospel baton is this:
When you give it away, it multiplies.
The Goal: 140 by 12
So here’s what I’m asking God to help us do.
By our 12th birthday next year, let’s grow to 140 in average attendance.
That’s not a crazy number.
We’ve been there before.
And it’s not just a number.
It’s 40 more souls in the kingdom.
40 more stories of faith.
40 more people hearing Christ crucified and risen every week in this place.
More kids.
More leaders raised up.
More people to pass more batons.
So, how are we going to do that?
The Call
First, I want to form a team.
People who love the Lord.
Love this ministry.
Love this church.
People willing to pray.
Dream big.
Come up with ideas.
And follow through.
Not just brainstorm.
Not just think of ideas for other people to do.
Implement.
Soldiers who are focused.
Athletes who are disciplined.
Harvest workers who know how to work hard and be patient—trusting God for the outcome.
I want you to pray about joining that team.
And then the rest of us… All of us…
Let’s commit to praying for wisdom.
Commit to persevering for the long haul. To finishing the race strong.
Which means commit to showing up.
If you’re in town — be here.
Make Sunday gathering a priority over all the lesser things.
Because momentum builds when the room is full of life.
Invitation Culture
The main reason people will go to a new church is because someone invited them.
That’s on all of us. We need to invite people.
Any chance we get.
And, hey, if you wouldn’t invite someone to NewChurch — tell me why.
Is something weird? Awkward?
Is something uncomfortable?
What’s holding you back?
Be honest. Tell me. I’d rather know, and try to address it, than stay stuck.
Because growth isn’t mostly done through marketing.
It’s by people who love their church enough to talk about it and share it and invite
people to join them.
Let’s Go!
We’re not declining.
We’re not defeated.
We’re not a remnant waiting to fade.
We’re a church that survived Harvey.
Survived COVID.
Survived our trailer and equipment being stolen.
Survived so many venue changes.
Survived stacking chairs and paintball arenas with 13-foot-tall plastic monsters.
I wanted to challenge us this morning, but I didn’t say any of this to shame anyone. Because you’ve been here, showing up… You’ve carried the baton through more chaos than most churches ever see. You’ve been faithful to show up. Faithful in your giving. I’m very grateful.
God has been faithful to us for eleven years.
Jesus didn’t just hand us a baton and leave us on our own.
He carried us.
But before that, He carried it all the way to the cross.
He endured.
He suffered.
He took it to the finish line.
Then He handed it to us, that torch, that baton, and we get to run with Him before us and behind us and beside us. Lay aside every weight and sin that clings to us and run with endurance the race set before us — fixing our eyes on Jesus. Because He is faithful.
And because He has been so faithful, I believe He’s inviting us to more.
I will lead this. I will invite. I will endure. I ‘m not going to coast. Will you join me?
We’ve hovered around 100 since moving into this space—what do you think is holding us back? Do people know we’re here? Are we telling them?
Let’s pray.
Let’s dream.
Let’s act.
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
The baton is in your hand. Let’s go.
Amen.