September GNJ Update

 LOOK WHAT GOD DID IN SEPTEMBER!

September was another full month of Gospel opportunities! From Guatemala and evangelism training to reaching students, developing leaders, and preparing for 2027, God continues to open doors. Some opportunities happened in front of hundreds of people, while others happened sitting across from ONE person who needed Jesus. If you pray for, give to, or encourage GoodNews Journey, I hope you read these stories knowing YOU are a part of them!

🇬🇹 GUATEMALA

Our team had an incredible week serving in Guatemala! This was my 8th trip there, but my first time back in more than 10 years, so it was really special to reconnect with longtime ministry friends and lay groundwork for future teams. We partnered with Annie Thurber and Pastor Mario Mino through children’s ministry, home visits, feeding ministry, church, encouraging families, and visiting a transition home for young women aging out of the system. More than simply completing projects, we got to spend time with people, hear their stories, pray with them, and encourage our ministry partners. It was a great week of ministry and an important step toward sending more GNJ teams to Guatemala in 2027!

🌍 FROM A MISSION TRIP TO A SUMMER ON MISSION!

THIS is why we love mission trips! After serving with us in Portugal, Xzavier has felt led to return and serve alongside our missionary partner Fernando for an extended time this coming summer. Another student from our Portugal team, Brynn, is now beginning to explore doing something similar! Pray for both of them as they prepare, raise support, and seek God’s direction. Sometimes one week of saying yes can change the direction of someone’s life!

🏢 ACCUSED OF MURDER. REACHED BY THE GOSPEL.

I had several opportunities to minister at the Juvenile Detention Center this month. During one visit, I shared the Gospel with a teen who had recently been arrested and accused of murder. He was visibly broken, heard that the grace of Jesus was available to him, and received Christ! What a powerful reminder that NO ONE is beyond the reach of the Gospel!

🎤 BANNER BAPTIST ASSOCIATION EVANGELISM TRAINING

I had the privilege of leading evangelism training for pastors, student ministry leaders, and others through Banner Baptist Association at East Central University in Ada. We focused on Gospel Mobilization and how to move from simply TALKING about living on mission to actually DOING IT! A huge thank you to JP Williams for the invitation!

⛪ BIG GOD, LITTLE CHURCH CONFERENCE

I was also honored to lead the youth ministry breakout at the Big God, Little Church Conference at FBC Tulsa, an event designed specifically to encourage and equip leaders serving in smaller churches. We had a great group as we talked about the Jesus brand of youth ministry and walked through the seven values of a Gospel Advancing ministry. I love training leaders because the impact doesn’t end when the conference does. They take what they’ve learned back to their churches and students!

🥛 CHRISTIAN HERITAGE ACADEMY CHAPEL

This one was especially meaningful personally! I had the opportunity to speak to all of the middle and high school students at Christian Heritage Academy, a school that has poured into our own kids for years. The message was called DON’T LET THE MILK SPOIL! Using a sponge soaked in milk, I challenged students that God never intended for us to just absorb truth. Eventually, we have to wring out the sponge by obeying, serving, sharing the Gospel, and living what we’ve learned. My prayer is that these students don’t simply graduate knowing more about Christianity, but knowing Jesus, loving Jesus, living like Jesus, and helping others know Him!

🙌 GOD IS MOVING AT CHOCTAW ROAD!

We’ve baptized LOTS AND LOTS of students at Choctaw Road this month, and it never gets old seeing students publicly identify with Jesus! I’m so grateful to serve alongside a church and ministry team that is passionate about reaching and discipling the next generation.

✈️ BUILDING 2027

We’re already putting a lot of work into future mission opportunities! This month we had a great Zoom with Colin Winkelman, pastor of Crossroads Baptist Church in North Pole, Alaska, along with leaders from two churches interested in sending teams there through GNJ in 2027. We’re also exploring a new Oklahoma City project that could provide churches with a great local mission-trip opportunity. We’re excited to see what doors God opens as we continue helping churches live on mission HERE, NEAR, and FAR!

🔥 INVESTING IN LEADERS

Networking and investing in other ministry leaders continues to be an important part of GNJ. This month included the National Campus Summit, SYATP training with R.A.G.E. Ministries, the Oklahoma Youth Ministry Network gathering, Dare 2 Share’s Gospel Advancing Collective, and one-on-one meetings with youth leaders. These opportunities help us learn, encourage other leaders, build partnerships, and open doors to advance the Gospel together!

📻 TAKING THE GOSPEL TO THE AIRWAVES

Work continues on our second Christmas evangelism campaign with The House FM! We’re developing short, practical segments to help thousands of listeners recognize everyday opportunities to talk about Jesus and MAKE THE CONVERSATION COUNT this Christmas.

🎤 COMING UP

Please pray for upcoming opportunities at Conclave NextGen in Bryan, an Evangelism Weekend at FBC Denison, Fields of Faith in Whitney, and Gospel Urgency preaching and evangelism training at Choctaw Road. Pray that God uses each opportunity to equip and mobilize people with the Gospel!

📬 HELP OPEN THE NEXT DOOR

One of the easiest ways you can help GNJ is simply CONNECT US! If your church could benefit from a mission project, evangelism training, Gospel Advancing coaching, or speaking opportunity in 2027, mention GoodNews Journey to your pastor or ministry leader. Sometimes one simple introduction can open a door to equip and mobilize an entire church!

👉 goodnewsjourney.org/training

👉 goodnewsjourney.org/missions

❤️ YOU ARE PART OF THIS!

Behind every mission team, believer trained, Gospel conversation, missionary encouraged, and leader equipped are people who PRAY, GIVE, GO, ENCOURAGE, and CONNECT. That includes YOU! Your generosity helps us open doors, equip believers, send teams, strengthen leaders, and take the Gospel to people who desperately need Jesus. THANK YOU for believing in this mission!

If you’re not yet a financial partner, we’d love for you to join us!

👉 goodnewsjourney.org/give

What a month! Thank you for helping us keep taking the GOOD NEWS to people and equipping others to do the same!

For our King and His Cause,

Brian & Candace

GNJ August Update

🌎 WHAT A SUMMER!

As summer comes to an end, we’re incredibly grateful. Between mission teams, youth ministry, training, coaching, travel, and planning for what’s next, we have RUN HARD! But we don’t just see a busy calendar. We see people hearing the Gospel, believers being equipped, missionaries encouraged, and new doors opening. God has been so good, and YOU have helped make it possible!

🫎 ALASKA 2

Our second GNJ Alaska team returned home in August, wrapping up two great projects with Fields of Alaska this summer! People trusted in Jesus, our ministry partner was strengthened, and team members came home impacted by an incredible mission experience. Special thanks to Jamie Phares for coordinating our teams, Brian Williams for his leadership on the field, and Derek McMurtry for helping connect GNJ to Alaska and serving alongside us. We’re excited to see this partnership continue!

🇰🇪 KENYA

I also served in Kenya with an 11-person team from Choctaw Road alongside Centerwill, a ministry caring for widows and orphans while making disciples and sharing Jesus.We visited widow groups, helped with a conference for around 150 women, loved on more than 100 children, dedicated a new home for a widow, and traveled into the Samburu region where the Gospel is being taken to remote villages. James 1:27 came alive as we cared for people while keeping Jesus at the center!

🙌 A BIG STEP FOR GNJ

I’ll admit, launching the mission-trip side of GoodNews Journey made us nervous. Sending teams involves a LOT of money: airfare, lodging, transportation, food, insurance, supplies, and plenty of unexpected expenses. As a young ministry, we don’t have a huge financial safety net. So this summer was a test. And God was faithful! Teams went out. Everyone came home safely. Ministry partners were strengthened. People were served. The Gospel was shared. Lives were impacted. And financially, everything worked! We learned a ton and are now ready to expand GNJ missions in 2027!

🇬🇹 NEXT STOP: GUATEMALA!

Our next GNJ team leaves September 3 for Guatemala! I served there seven times during my years as a Student Pastor, but it’s been about 11 years since I’ve been back. We’ll serve through home visits, feeding and children’s ministry, discipleship, practical projects, and Gospel outreach while reconnecting with longtime friends and developing partnerships for future GNJ teams. We’re excited about launching into Guatemala!

✈️ LOOKING TOWARD 2027

We’re already debriefing this summer’s projects and building our 2027 mission calendar. We hope to return to places like Alaska, Portugal, and Guatemala while exploring opportunities in Mexico, Oklahoma City, Santa Cruz, California, and other locations. One especially exciting development: a college student who served with us in Portugal this summer is now exploring returning to serve with our partner there for the ENTIRE summer next year! That’s why we love short-term missions. You never know how God might use one week of saying YES to change the direction of someone’s life!

📻 BACK ON THE RADIO!

We had a great meeting with The House FM and are excited to partner with them for our SECOND radio evangelism campaign! This Christmas we’re developing MAKE THE CONVERSATION COUNT, short, practical segments designed to help thousands of listeners recognize everyday opportunities to talk about Jesus and know what to say when those opportunities come. Another BIG opportunity for GNJ to equip people to share the Gospel!

🔥 COACHING LEADERS

Our Gospel Advancing coaching calls continued this month too. We gathered ministry leaders for a conversation about ZEAL from Romans 12:11 and challenged each other to keep our spiritual fire burning through demanding ministry seasons. I love getting to continue investing in leaders who are investing in others!

📖 GOODNEWS TRAINING IN ACTION!

Brian led a two-part GOODNEWS evangelism training with 200–250 students and leaders at Choctaw Road. At the end, nearly HALF indicated they had just messaged a lost friend to begin a spiritual conversation. Even better, immediately after the training one of our newer leaders shared the Gospel with a student and led them to Christ! THAT is what it’s all about!

🎤 COMING UP

We’re grateful for many opportunities ahead! Just a few include evangelism training with Banner Baptist Association, speaking at a CHA Chapel, the Big God Little Church Conference, Conclave Youth Ministry Conference, an evangelism weekend at FBC Denison, and preaching Gospel Urgency at Choctaw Road. We’re also preparing for a church-wide Gospel Strategy Training. Each opportunity moves us closer to our Vision 2030 goal of equipping 50,000 believers to confidently share the Gospel!

🙏 CELEBRATING & HURTING

We’ve celebrated an incredible answer to prayer with dear friends preparing for a long-awaited organ transplant, while also grieving with another family close to us who lost a precious young family member after a long battle with cancer. Others in the GNJ family are walking through difficult seasons too. If that’s you, please reach out. We consider you family and would count it a privilege to pray with you.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 BALDWIN FAMILY

August brought some big family milestones! Candace and I celebrated our 25th anniversary, Jonah turned 14, Madi started her senior year, and Mackenzie began her sophomore year at SNU, and Jack started Kindergarten…again . The years are flying by, and we’re trying to soak them up!

📬 HELP US OPEN A DOOR

One simple way you can help GNJ: mention us to your church leadership! We’d love to help your church in 2027 through a mission project, evangelism training, Gospel Advancing coaching, or speaking opportunity. Sometimes one introduction opens a door to equip or mobilize an entire church! 

👉 goodnewsjourney.org/training 👉 goodnewsjourney.org/missions

❤️ YOU ARE PART OF THIS!

Every team sent, believer trained, Gospel conversation started, missionary encouraged, leader coached, and new door opened has people behind it who PRAY, GIVE, GO, ENCOURAGE, and CONNECT. That includes YOU. If you support GoodNews Journey, we hope you read this and realize that your generosity is making a real difference. Thank you for believing in this mission and helping us keep moving toward Vision 2030: 50,000 trained, 7,000 sent, and 100,000 reached with the Gospel.

If you’d like to become a financial partner:

👉 goodnewsjourney.org/give

Summer was incredible. Fall is coming fast. And we can’t wait to see what God does next!

For our King and His Cause,

Brian & Candace 

July GNJ Update

 🌍 JULY AT A GLANCE

July was another exciting month as GoodNews Journey helped send 3 mission teams around the world, including two teams to Portugal and one team to Alaska, while continuing to equip churches, encourage missionaries, and mobilize believers for the Gospel. We’ll share the exciting stories and impact from our Alaska 2 project, along with my Kenya mission trip through Choctaw Road, in next month’s update.

🇵🇹 PORTUGAL 1

July 10-20, our first Portugal team of 13 had the privilege of serving alongside Pastor Fernando Silva and local churches through evangelism, children’s ministry, church planting encouragement, orphan ministry, nursing home visits, and community outreach. We praise God for lives impacted on both sides of the Atlantic as children trusted Christ, churches were strengthened, and our own team returned home spiritually refreshed, including Candace and our son Jonah, who was stretched in incredible ways on his first international mission trip as he boldly shared both his testimony and the Gospel. A special thank you to Jamie Phares, GNJ Vice President, for leading this team. His years of ministry alongside Fernando and deep love for Portugal made him the perfect leader for this project.

🇵🇹 PORTUGAL 2

July 21-28, our second Portugal team of 12 had the privilege of partnering with Pastor Fernando Silva and serving alongside a new church plant in the city of Chaves through park ministry, personal evangelism, and encouraging the new local church plant. One of the highlights was watching students step out in faith by sharing their personal testimonies for the very first time, discovering firsthand how God can use their stories to point others to Christ. Despite significant travel delays and flight complications both going to and returning from Portugal, God remained faithful, using the team to strengthen believers, share the Gospel, and encourage a growing church in northern Portugal. A special thank you to Chris Thomas for leading this team so well. GoodNews Journey is excited to continue partnering with Chris and his church in the years ahead.

WATCH A QUICK MESSAGE FROM PASTOR FERNANDO ABOUT GOODNEWS JOURNEY

🧳 BEHIND THE SCENES

Mission trips involve much more than what happens on the field. July included countless emails, texts, phone calls, registrations, travel changes, financial organization, and solving several unexpected flight challenges while supporting missionaries, team leaders, participants, and airlines. Candace continues carrying an incredible amount of these logistics, and we’re especially thankful for our partnership with Mobile Missions Network, whose registration systems, financial organization, and encouragement have been an incredible blessing throughout the summer.

✈️ PLANNING AHEAD

Even while Portugal was underway, preparations continued for our Alaska 2 GoodNews Journey project and Choctaw Road’s Kenya mission team. Planning is also moving forward for this fall’s Mexico mission project through Choctaw Road, while we’re exploring future GoodNews Journey opportunities in Mexico and a potential partnership in Santa Cruz, CA. Because both Alaska 2 and Kenya extended into August, we’ll share the stories and impact from those projects in next month’s ministry update.

👕 GOODNEWS SHIRTS & HOODIES

You may have noticed our GoodNews Journey shirts and hoodies showing up throughout this month’s photos and last month’s update. They’ve become a fun conversation starter and a simple way to identify with the mission of equipping believers to confidently share the Gospel. If you’d like one for yourself, your family, or your church, just let us know!

🌍 KINGDOM MULTIPLICATION

One of the greatest blessings this summer has been seeing the secondary fruit of ministry continue multiplying. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of encouraging and equipping churches and leaders who are now mobilizing others on their own, including helping the South Carolina Baptist Convention develop a mission-sending strategy modeled after Oklahoma’s GoStudents Network, watching Capitol Hill Baptist Church continue leading Belize mission trips after years of serving there together, and seeing several other ministries launch mission projects after earlier vision trips and coaching. None of this is about receiving credit, but it is incredibly encouraging to watch God continue multiplying Gospel impact as faithful leaders take what they’ve learned and invest it into others.

🏛️ A GRIEVING TEEN… AND THE HOPE OF JESUS

One of the most difficult moments this month came while ministering in the juvenile center. A young man learned that his father had passed away while he was incarcerated, leaving him unable to be with his family while also wrestling with grief and guilt over the choices that had helped bring him there. Moments like these remind me why we continue showing up each month, sharing the hope of Christ with young people who desperately need grace, truth, and someone willing to simply listen.

🤖 AI TRAINING

This month I had the opportunity to lead an AI breakout at Falls Creek and recently teaching the same session at Choctaw Road Baptist Church. Together we explored how Christians can wisely use AI as a helpful tool while keeping Scripture as our ultimate authority, using practical biblical tests from 1 John 4 to develop discernment in an AI-driven world. If you’d like the PowerPoint, notes, or would like to host this training at your church, just let me know.

📖 GOODNEWS TRAINING

If you’ve never completed our GOODNEWS Training, we’d love to encourage you to do so. It’s designed to inspire, equip, and mobilize everyday believers to confidently share the Gospel in everyday life, and the easiest way to get started is through the GoodNews Coach App at www.goodnewscoach.com.

⛪️. CHURCH MINISTRY

Falls Creek

Falls Creek was an incredible week with nearly 180 students and adult leaders from Choctaw Road. Several students trusted Christ, others committed to baptism, many took important next steps in their faith, and countless relationships were strengthened. Since this was my first Falls Creek at Choctaw Road, it gave me a chance to learn how everything operates and begin dreaming about ways we can make an even greater impact in the years ahead. One thing that stood out above everything else was our adult leaders. They are truly the backbone of our student ministry. Their willingness to invest time, build relationships, pray with students, and point them toward Jesus is what makes lasting Kingdom impact possible.

Camp Edge

Just a couple weeks later, I had the opportunity to serve alongside our Children’s and Middle School ministries during Camp Edge, where more than 500 campers and over 100 adult leaders gathered for an incredible week. Although I wasn’t leading the camp, it was a privilege to support the team, help navigate difficult situations, encourage leaders, and celebrate students making decisions for Christ, baptism, and spiritual growth. It was especially exciting to welcome our new sixth graders into student ministry while challenging our graduating eighth graders to continue growing and making an impact as they enter high school.

Summer Ministry

Summer ministry hasn’t slowed down. Between Wednesday night student gatherings, discipleship, apartment ministry, evangelism opportunities, baptisms, and continued outreach, it’s been exciting to watch students continue growing well beyond camp. One of my favorite parts of the summer has been seeing students move from simply attending church to actively living on mission and sharing their faith with others.

📬 LET’S CONNECT

As churches prepare for a new ministry season this fall, we’d love the opportunity to serve you. Whether you’re looking for evangelism training, Gospel Advancing coaching, leadership development, mission trip preparation, or help joining or sending a mission team, we’d be honored to partner with your church. Learn more at goodnewsjourney.org/training and goodnewsjourney.org/missions, or reach out through our contact page.

❤️ THANK YOU

Missionary William Carey famously said, “I will go down into the pit, if you will hold the ropes.” That picture has always resonated with us. While some are called to go, others faithfully hold the rope through prayer, encouragement, inviting us to serve and train at your church, and generous support, making Gospel ministry possible in places they may never personally visit.

Whether you’ve prayed, encouraged us, invited us to your church, served on a mission trip, or financially partnered with this ministry, thank you. Every person reached, every missionary and church strengthened, every Gospel conversation, and every life impacted this month is part of a story that you helped make possible.

Thank you for helping us continue pursuing Vision 2030 as we seek to equip 50,000 believers, mobilize 7,000 missionaries, and reach 100,000 people with the Gospel.

If you’d like to join us in that mission, you can learn more or partner with GoodNews Journey at:

goodnewsjourney.org/give

Thank you for being part of what God is doing through GoodNews Journey!

-Brian and Candace

June GNJ Update

 JUNE MINISTRY UPDATE: PREACHING, TRAINING & SENDING

June was one of our most impactful months yet! God gave us opportunities to preach, train, send mission teams, develop new resources, and invest in students here in Oklahoma and around the country. It was a month full of travel, planning, leadership training, and Gospel ministry as we worked to make the greatest Kingdom impact possible. None of this happens without faithful people like you praying, giving, encouraging, and believing in what God is doing through GoodNews Journey. Thank you for being part of the journey with us!

🏔️ SUMMIT CAMP

The month began with the privilege of serving as camp pastor for Summit Camp at Kiamichi Baptist Assembly in Talihina, Oklahoma. During the week the theme was Brave, and I preached nine messages to nearly 800 students and leaders, leading them through a discipleship journey that challenged them to trust Christ, grow in their faith, share the Gospel, obey God’s calling, and faithfully follow Him. God worked in an incredible way as many students trusted Christ and many others made important spiritual decisions. I’m so thankful to Jeremy and Tamara Simpson for the invitation.

🏕️ GRAND LAKES ASSEMBLY

Later in June I served as camp speaker at Grand Lake Assembly Youth Camp. Around 300 students from nearly 20 churches gathered as we walked through our Made for More series, discovering that God created us to know Him, worship Him, follow Him, share Him, and live for eternity. God moved in a powerful way as around 20 students trusted Christ, with many others making life-changing commitments. Thank you to Brooks Stotts for the opportunity to be part of such an incredible week.

🧰 CIMARRON BAPTIST YOUTH CAMP

I also had the opportunity to lead an evangelism training at Cimarron Baptist Youth Camp near Stillwater. It was encouraging to see attendance more than double from last year and hear students share how God has continued working in their lives. Appreciate the invite back from Michael Jones!

🫎 ALASKA 1

One of the highlights of the month was sending and welcoming home our first Alaska mission team. The team partnered with Fields of Alaska, sharing the Gospel through baseball outreach, children’s ministry, evangelism, and practical service projects while encouraging local believers and building relationships throughout the community. We’re especially thankful for Andrew Riddle (Coordinator) and Brian Williams (Field Representative) for their outstanding leadership. We’re grateful to Derek McMurtry for connecting us to Alaska and working alongside us!

🏙️ DENVER

Our Denver team partnered with a brand-new church plant (Harvest Ridge Church), serving the community through outreach events, practical service projects, prayer, and Gospel conversations. Every opportunity focused on building relationships, strengthening the local church, and pointing people to Jesus. We’re grateful to Tony Butler (Coordinator) and Mac Matthews (Field Representative) for helping make this project such a success. Thanks for connecting us Jason Lamb!

🌍 TRAINING PEOPLE TO MAKE DISCIPLES

One of the biggest projects this month was completing The Missionary Task. After learning this framework through the International Mission Board, I customized it into an interactive training guide for GoodNews Journey mission teams. It helps participants see that missions is about more than completing projects. Every act of service is an opportunity to point people to Jesus and help make disciples. We also spent many hours meeting online with coordinators, field representatives, and mission teams to prepare projects for maximum Kingdom impact.

🏛️ JUVENILE CENTER MINISTRY

Our weekly ministry at the Juvenile Center continues to be one of the highlights of every month. Most weeks the students are eager to hear God’s Word and ask thoughtful questions. This month we also encountered a few students who openly rejected the message. It was a reminder that God calls us to be faithful, not simply successful. Some will receive the Gospel and others will reject it, but our responsibility is to lovingly share the truth and trust God with the results.

⛪ CHOCTAW ROAD

Student ministry at Choctaw Road has been moving at full speed as we prepare for a busy July. We’re getting ready to take nearly 175 high school students to Falls Creek, along with another large group attending middle school camp (Camp Edge). Our summer interns have also been serving in our Missions Ministry throughout Oklahoma City through Terrific Tuesday Bible Adventures, Holy Hot Dogs, Least of These Ministry, and other local outreach opportunities, learning that missions begins right where you live.

🤝 BEHIND THE SCENES

While much of ministry happens in front of people, countless hours happen behind the scenes. Candace has been working tirelessly as our Ministry Support Coordinator, handling registrations, flights, transportation, communication, mission logistics, apparel, and countless other details that keep everything moving smoothly. We truly couldn’t do everything God has called us to do without her faithful leadership and servant’s heart.

We’re especially thankful for our partnership with Mobile Missions Network, whose administrative support allows us to focus on leading, equipping, and caring for our mission teams. Together we’re helping more people get to the mission field and make a greater Kingdom impact.

✈️ LOOKING AHEAD

The summer is far from over! In July we’ll be sending two mission teams to Portugal, another team to Alaska, and I’ll also have the privilege of serving on a mission trip to Kenya with Choctaw Road. Then in early September we’ll lead a mission trip to Guatemala, and we still have a few openings if you’d like to join us! We’re also actively planning future mission opportunities in Mexico and Santa Cruz, California. If you or your church would like to serve on a future mission trip, we’d love to connect with you!

❤️ THANK YOU

As we look back on June, we’re overwhelmed by God’s goodness. Between the two youth camps alone, we saw around 40 professions of faith, along with many other spiritual decisions. Mission teams were sent, churches were strengthened, believers were equipped, local ministries were encouraged, and countless seeds of the Gospel were planted.

Thank you for praying for us, encouraging us, and investing financially in this ministry. Every sermon preached, every student discipled, every mission team sent, every leader trained, and every Gospel conversation is something we’re doing together. Your partnership allows us to maximize every opportunity God places before us, and we’re incredibly grateful.

GIVE HERE 👉 https://goodnewsjourney.org/give/

P.S. We have extra GoodNews Journey shirts available! T-shirts are available for a $20 donation and hoodies for $45 ⬇️ , with every dollar helping provide scholarships for future mission trips. Let us know!

Thank you for being on the journey with us!

-Brian and Candace

May GNJ Update

 MAY MINISTRY UPDATE: THE JOURNEY IS GROWING

May was filled with new opportunities, new partnerships, evangelism trainings, mission preparation, and countless Gospel conversations. It’s been exciting watching God continue opening doors through GoodNews Journey as we move forward with the vision of seeing 50K trained, 7K sent, and 100K saved. We’re incredibly thankful for everyone praying, giving, encouraging, and serving alongside us.

🎓 FBC CANTON BACCALAUREATE

One of the unique opportunities this month was speaking at a large Baccalaureate service hosted by First Baptist Church in Canton, Texas. The room was packed with graduates, family members, and friends as we challenged seniors to let their futures be driven by Jesus and His Cause. We talked about investing their lives in knowing Jesus and making Him known. It was an honor to be trusted with that moment, and we’re excited that the event also opened doors for conversations with that church about future mission partnerships with GoodNews Journey.

⛪ NEW HOPE BAPTIST – MUSKOGEE

This month we led an evangelism at New Hope Baptist Church in Muskogee. We walked through our CORE, GROW, and DEFEND trainings focused on Gospel strategy, discipleship multiplication, and responding confidently to tough questions about Christianity. Pastor Don Blankenship has been a longtime friend, and it was encouraging seeing the church so engaged and encouraged throughout the training. I also began a new coaching relationship with their youth pastor to help their ministry in the area of Gospel Advancing Ministry.

🌎 7TH & MAIN BAPTIST – BONHAM, TX

We also had the opportunity to equip around 50 mission trip participants at 7th & Main Baptist Church before they head to Honduras this summer. We focused on the Missionary Task and practical Gospel conversations through our GOODNEWS Training. One of the exciting parts of the trip was connecting with another church in that area that is interested in GoodNews Journey and future mission opportunities. It continues to be amazing watching how one connection often leads to another.

🔥 FBC LONE GROVE

We wrapped up the month with another evangelism training at FBC Lone Grove. We focused on practical Gospel strategy and Gospel confidence while helping people think through how to naturally engage people in spiritual conversations. It’s always encouraging hearing stories from churches that are actively trying to build a culture of evangelism.

🍽️ JUVENILE CENTER MINISTRY

Every week we continue spending time at the Juvenile Center teaching Scripture, answering questions, and sharing the Gospel with students. This month several teenage boys made decisions to place their faith in Christ. Many of these students are incredibly sincere, grateful, and hungry for truth. It’s powerful watching students realize they are not forgotten by God and that Jesus can completely change their future.

🤝 YOUTH MINISTRY NETWORKS + CONNECTIONS

This month also included participating in a Youth Ministry Network gathering with leaders in the Eastern Oklahoma Country area. These meetings are always encouraging because they allow us to collaborate on ministry events while also building relationships that create future opportunities for Gospel Advancing partnerships and training.

🎤 PREACHING + HOME CHURCH MINISTRY

This month included opportunities to preach three times at The Road @ Choctaw and once at The Road @ McLoud. Ministry at Choctaw Road continues to move forward in exciting ways as preparations are underway for Falls Creek, Camp Edge, Senior Trip, and a busy summer of student ministry. One of the most encouraging things right now is consistently seeing students place their faith in Christ on Wednesday nights. This part of the OKC metro area continues to be incredibly fertile ground for the Gospel.

🌍 MISSIONS + SUMMER PREPARATION

Summer mission preparation is officially in full swing. This month included multiple Zoom calls, conference calls, planning meetings, and logistics conversations with missionaries, ministry leaders, and GoodNews Journey coordinators as we prepare for teams to launch.

Candace continues doing an amazing job serving as our Ministry Support Coordinator. She has been busy handling flights, transportation logistics, communication, registrations, mission trip shirts, and so many of the behind-the-scenes details that help keep everything moving forward smoothly. Her hard work and organization are a huge blessing to GoodNews Journey, and we are incredibly thankful for all she does. She’s also been helping design and coordinate shirts for our mission teams and ministry events, so if you’d like one, let us know!

We also hosted a Gospel Advancing coaching call this month where we unpacked key lessons from the Energize Conference while also stopping to pray together for God to move powerfully through ministries this summer.

✈️ SUMMER MISSION TEAMS

Please be praying for upcoming mission trips this summer:

• Alaska 1 (June 9-16) – 17 team members

• Denver (June 20-27) – 15 team members

• Portugal 1 (July 10-20) – 16 team members

• Portugal 2 (July 21-28) – 13 team members

• Kenya, Africa (July 27-August 7) – 12 team members

• Alaska 2 (July 28-August 4) – 13 team members

• Guatemala (September 3-8) – TBD (probably 5-10 team members)

We’re also actively planning future projects in Mexico and Santa Cruz, California, one of the most spiritually lost cities in America. We truly believe God is just getting started, and we are excited to continue building and expanding these mission opportunities in the years ahead.

If you or your church would be interested in serving on a future mission trip, visit goodnewsjourney.org/missions and reach out to us!

🙏 PERSONAL + FAMILY MOMENTS

One especially meaningful opportunity this month was speaking at Aunt Helga’s funeral. It was a privilege to honor her life, encourage family members, and clearly share the hope of the Gospel with many relatives and friends.

🏕️ LOOKING AHEAD

As we move into June, we would especially appreciate prayer for two youth camps where Brian will be preaching this summer. The first is Summit Camp at Kiamichi Baptist Association in Talihina, Oklahoma (June 1-5), followed by Grand Lake Assembly in Grove, Oklahoma (June 22-26). Please pray for students to be saved, believers to be strengthened, and for long-term Gospel impact in the lives of students and leaders.

❤️ JOIN THE MISSION

Thank you for praying, encouraging, giving, and believing in what God is doing through GoodNews Journey. Your partnership helps equip believers, strengthen churches, mobilize mission teams, and create opportunities for people to hear the Gospel both locally and around the world.

GIVE HERE 👉 https://goodnewsjourney.org/give/

Thank you again for being part of this mission!

-Brian and Candace