As the year
winds to a close we wanted to share some more highlights of the year and ask
for your continued prayer support into 2026.
Hope
Restored Conference - Las Vegas
We held a
series of conversations about what the church can do to support individuals and
families of those who are or have been incarcerated. We had a panel discussion
and great content shared in both Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
At these events, called "Hope Restored", we heard from professionals working in the correction facilities, volunteer chaplains, pastors, spouses of the incarcerated and testimonies from former prisoners.
Attendees were really wrestling with how to create safe places and honor each person and need in their community, yet gained insight, skills and were able to network to come up with some plans that we believe will lead to stronger, healthier communities.
Church Plant
Schools in Los Angeles
In Los Angeles we hosted two church plant schools – one in Spanish and another in English. We trained 3 Spanish teams, 4 English teams as well as 4 deans who will be able to now lead their own church planting schools and help us multiply quality training and new churches beyond our current reach.
This was an incredibly rich time for teams to spend two focused days on learning Biblical and practical principles of church planting in the urban context and creating a yearlong strategic plan. Not only were teams able to grow stronger, but there was a lot of great networking between the diverse groups.
Many team leaders commented on how they wish they had known about this training earlier and how they had other friends that needed to participate in our next church planting school. Passion and focus were renewed as teams presented short summaries of their plans to one another.
Three of the teams were from Las Vegas, a result of our expansion efforts over the last year. The rest of the teams will be planting in the greater Los Angeles area.
We continue meeting with the teams as a cohort every month for a year for continued coaching, training and accountability. We have partnered with a good friend at Cru Church Movements who is helping with the strategic planning and coaching as well.
Please pray with us as these teams continue to lean into their call to reach the lost in new communities, disciple well and establish strong leaders that will help these new churches grow healthy and strong and multiply themseleves.
There were months of preparation and thousands of dollars that went into this project. Thank you for all your prayers and financial support of this ministry which helps us train hundreds of new leaders in the church palnting and leadership which in turn leads to thousands of people coming to the Lord, growing in their faith and working towards transforming their community together.
Oakland Church
Plant School
On the second
day of our Urban Church Plant School in Oakland during one of the breakout
sessions there was an argument that broke out on the corner across the street
from the church we were meeting at that resulted in gun violence. The shooting
resulted in two people being injured and unfortunately, one of them died
shortly afterwards due to his injuries.
Please join us in prayer for churches like At Thy Word Christian Center (the host church for this event) and others that we serve who are doing their best to do ministry and share the gospel in under-resourced urban communities of poverty.
Pastor Damon and Shantell did an amazing job hosting the event and getting valuable training into the hands of five teams looking to revitalize their church growth efforts in the Oakland/San Francisco Bay Area.
We have another Urban Church Plant School in Oakland coming up on February 27-28, 2026, so please also be in prayer for that new group of planters and church revitalizers.
Chad’s New
Role
In 2009, we
came to Los Angeles as missionaries to reach a specific area of Los Angeles, a
community riddled in crime, broken families, violence and overall darkness and
hopelessness.
We continue to have a huge heart for the city and this group of
people, but over the years God has expanded our reach and influence beyond our
neighborhood, church and city.
After being a city director in Los Angeles, Chad
was given a more regional influence a couple years ago, leading a team covering
not only Los Angeles, but all of California, with the desire to expand into the
Pacific Northwest and Southwest.
Two months ago, Chad became the National
Director of Mobilization providing strategic direction and oversight for World
Impact’s efforts throughout the US and Canada with a staff spread out
throughout the country.
Continue to
pray for us as we lead staff and serve our partners who have that same heart
for their cities and communities throughout the US.
Update on Fuente Cafe
In just two
months we have learned a lot and seen five new people come to church as a
result of the café’s activity. Our church also loves the space to hang out
before and after events.
We ended in the black in our second month and have almost covered all our initial investment. We have some improvement plans already in the works (like adding a glass front door, better coffee machine and patio expansion) and will have a more public community launch in January with a coordinated event and promotion.
Please pray with us for growth in our volunteer team, and an ability to serve and love people well in our community by providing this safe place and quality products. Wouldn’t be amazing to see a steady stream of people coming to the Lord through this outreach?
Thanksgiving Outreaches
This year we were able to get 130 meals to those in need. There was a more urgent need for some families due to the government aid being paused during the shutdown. We know the church should be involved in meeting the needs of those with less, so it was an honor to be the hands and feet as some of you who partner with us provided us with the actual food and grocery store gift cards.
One dear family
that was really blessed is a young extended family of 8 that we met at an event
we held at the park across the street from us who share a cramped living space
and are working hard to pay for their rent working swing and graveyard shifts.
They are hungry to learn more about God and have been eager to be at every
church event possible rain or shine even though their only mode of
transportation is either walking or sharing two bikes. The smile on the faces
of the parents and the young children was priceless, and we know that this
enabled them to have a special meal that otherwise would not have been
possible.
Merry Christmas!
Our family wishes you a special holiday season.
May God be present in all that you do and may 2026 be a year full of God's blessings, guidance and life-changing power.
Chad, Fabiola, Rebecca, Justice and Beniah Wolyn
