GNJ October Update

October Update – 🚪Breakthroughs, 💥Bold Steps, 🏆Eternal Wins!

God is on the move through GoodNews Journey! This month was filled with Gospel moments, ministry equipping, and powerful stories of transformation from schools to pulpits to the mission field. 

🎤 Preaching and Inspiring 

October was packed with incredible opportunities to preach, inspire, and call people to faith in Christ!

• Canyon Road Baptist Church (Tulsa) – Praising God for the student who walked in without a testimony and left with one! 

• Vietnamese First Baptist Church (OKC) – Six students came forward to receive Christ! 

• First Baptist Church Buffalo – Preached on the urgency of receiving and sharing the Gospel and four people indicated faith in Christ! 

• First Baptist Church Hammon – Challenged believers to live sent and share Jesus with boldness.

• Shiloh Christian Academy (Newcastle) – Spoke on the importance of pastors and encouraged students to stand with their leaders in advancing the Gospel.

• Broken Bow Fields of Faith – Spoke to around 300 students and adults, challenging them to “Get in the Game” and run the race of knowing Jesus and making Him known! 🏈

💡 Equipping Believers & Training Leaders

GoodNews Journey training events are multiplying! 

• Tulsa – Led youth leader training to help restart and strengthen their youth ministry.

• Hammon – Conducted a GOODNEWS Gospel Conversation Training. The whole church participated and left encouraged ready to share! 

• Buffalo – Hosted GOODNEWS Training equipping believers in Gospel strategy.

• Barnsdall  – Led a two hour leadership workshop on the 7 Values of a Gospel Advancing Ministry, inspiring and equipping leaders to multiply disciple makers.

• Online – Hosted in-person and online Gospel Advancing Ministry Coaching Call. Special guest “Coach T” from Oklahoma Baptists joined to fire everyone up and know how to stay fired up for evangelism! 

• Across Oklahoma – One-on-one coaching calls, texts, and mentoring moments with ministry leaders who are building Gospel Advancing Ministries. 

❤️ Seeing Lives Changed

• Juvenile Center Ministry – Made six visits this month and nearly every time, young men are coming to faith in Christ! God is changing lives and eternities behind those walls. 

• GNJ Gathering at the Perona Home – Current and new ministry friends gathered to hear updates and catch the vision for the future of GoodNews Journey. Such an encouraging night of unity and vision! 

🎙️ Media & Mobilization

Big strides this month in sharing the Gospel through media!

• Recorded 30 radio spots for “Sharing the Gift of Christ this Christmas” airing on The House FM (Nov 17–26).

• Filmed video versions for social media reels to encourage believers to share their faith this during the holiday season.

• Joined The House FM morning show with Kevin & Amy for three special interviews to spark evangelism across the listening area! 

• So many selfie style reels recorded and sent to inspire and equip people to encourage their faith and get involved in the cause of Christ! 

🌎 Networking & Mission Partnerships

• Participated in The Hope Gathering (OKC), connecting with nonprofit leaders and ministries passionate about Gospel impact. 

• Joined the NXT Move North America Team, collaborating with national ministry leaders to mobilize churches for Gospel advancement across the continent. 

✈️ Mission Trip Momentum

• Completed the first half of our Alaska prep trip, meeting church planters and pastors and laying groundwork for multiple GNJ mission trips next summer! 

• Added a second Portugal project to next year’s lineup, expanding GNJ’s global impact!

• Continued developing strategic plans to bring sustainability and longevity to GNJ as we pursue our bold 2030 Vision:

50,000 trained in evangelism

7,000 mobilized on mission

100,000 reached for Christ 🙌

❤️ Thank You for Being on the Journey

Every story above is possible because of your partnership through prayer, giving, and encouragement! As the year draws to a close, would you prayerfully consider a year-end gift or monthly partnership to help us keep the mission strong into 2026?

Your support is fueling the Gospel going further and faster than ever before! 

GIVING INFO HERE 👉 https://goodnewsjourney.org/give/

Trick or Treat!

Halloween was pretty low-key this year. It fell on a Friday night and Brian was still in Alaska, so we just hung out at home and did a little trick or treating in our neighborhood. Jack was the cutest pirate ever! Everybody else were party poopers and didn't dress up this year. =0( Jonah stayed at home to pass out candy, and the girls walked around with us for a little while. GMa came up and we ordered Mazzios. It was really a pretty fun, relaxing night! 

Personality galore! =0)

Cap'n Jack

Cutest Cap'n Jack there ever was!!! 

Jack decided at the very last minute that he wanted to be a pirate for Halloween...I dug through the costumes at Walmart and thankfully found this one on the very bottom of the pile! I love how much he loves to dress up! He reminds me so much of Mackenzie in many ways. Always the entertainer...

I didn't know it was possible for a pirate to be so cute!

Jonah's Discovery Graduation

We got to celebrate Jonah's graduation from the Discovery program tonight and it was so special!! Discovery has been such an instrumental part of Jonah's elementary years. Discovery is an educational therapy program offered at CHA, to help kids learn & reach their full potential. Jonah was in Discovery from 2nd-6th grades, and I can't begin to explain how helpful it was for him. It wasn't always easy--extra homework & rhythmic writing were not fun for Jonah (or mom)--but it was so worth it & he now has the tools he needs to succeed at whatever he does in life. The truth is, he would probably always benefit from Discovery, but we know that he is equipped and ready to thrive on his own now! 

Jonah is smart, determined, funny, sincere, kind and consistent. We are SO PROUD of his character and work ethic! He is thriving in 7th grade this year--all A's and B's!! This is about way more than grades though--this is about overcoming obstacles, having courage, persevering, and not giving up when things are hard.

Mrs. Sherrer is absolutely amazing and we are so thankful for her! She has been with Jonah from the beginning of Discovery and we love her. Each of Jonah's elementary teachers have played such an important role in shaping Jonah & we are eternally grateful for each of them! What a priceless gift to have most of them there tonight! This picture of Jonah with all of his teachers is just the sweetest thing ever...and watching them cheer and celebrate with him brought me to tears.

Brian was so very sad to miss this special night--he was in Alaska planning a mission trip--and it just couldn't be helped. Part of the Discovery graduation ceremony each year is a video from the parents, talking about their child's experience in Discovery. It took me 2 days and at least 8 tries to make it through the video without bawling my eyes out!

We invited some of Jonah's friends and their moms to come, and it was so sweet of them to take the time to support Jonah. Isaiah, Owen and Finnick were all there to cheer him on! 

We started to do Jonah's Discovery graduation last year, but the timing just wasn't right. I'm so glad we waited--other than Brian not being there, this was just the perfect night. I know it is something that will stick with Jonah forever.

YAY, for NO MORE Rhythmic Writing!!!

WE LOVE YOU JONAH, AND ARE SO VERY PROUD OF YOU!! 

Hello my name is Brian Baldwin & this is my wife Candace. We wanted to take a few minutes to share what the Discovery program has meant to our family and to Jonah specifically. 

When Jonah was in 1st grade, we began to see that learning to read and processing was a bit of a struggle for him. In February of that year, Mrs. Crabb and Mrs. Hanes met with us and told us about the Search & Teach program. As a mom, the thought of Jonah struggling just really broke my heart so we quickly became committed to putting him in the Discovery program. A month or so later, Covid and distance learning happened, which further solidified the need for educational therapy once 2nd grade began. 

We love the Discovery program--most of all because it has benefited Jonah in so many ways--it's taught him how to think, to learn independently, and how to process things better. It has helped him to be organized, and I think what we love most about it is that it has given him a sense of confidence and a voice. In the 4 1/2 years of Discovery, we have seen so much progress with Jonah and the confidence and tools that he has been given to succeed academically. It has been a joy to watch him thrive this year in 7th grade especially.

Mrs. Sherrer, we could never say thank you enough for all that you have done for Jonah. Even on the days when Jonah would come in and not be really enthusiastic and maybe complain a little bit about rhythmic writing or the other tasks you put before him, you always loved and encouraged him to keep going. From incentives like inviting his friends to have lunch in your office with him if he met his goals or bringing his favorite candy bar and root beer on his birthday, you made learning fun for him and you taught him that he can do hard things. I know that Jonah misses you very much! Rhythmic writing...not so much! =0) We love you and you'll always be special to us!

Jonah, I am so proud of you! We spent a lot of hours at that chalkboard upstairs, saying "left--right--left--right." I never thought I would actually miss that, but I find myself now missing those quiet moments with you. Your future is so bright and I will always be here cheering you on! Congratulations Jonah, I love you so much buddy!

Jonah, we are so proud of you, man! Your work ethic and determination is something that we can all learn from. So way to work hard, way to excel at school! Even when there are challenges ahead, we know that you are equipped and ready for them. Phil 1:6 says "He who began a good work in you will carry it to completion unto completion until the day of Christ Jesus." So Jonah, God's gifted you--in so many ways-he's given you talents, abilities, He has a great plan for your life & we are thankful that you are our son!

So Jonah, WE LOVE YOU!!

Mrs. Sherrer's words were so sweet and meaningful! 

Jonah and I have worked very hard to succeed in Discovery. My heart is so proud of him! 

Mrs. Sherrer has loved and encouraged Jonah and been tough when she had to be...she's been amazing!

Mrs. Garner

Kindergarten

Mrs. Crabb 

1st Grade

*It was Mrs. Crabb who first had the conversation with us about Jonah benefiting from Discovery in 1st grade.

Mrs. Whitten

2nd Grade

Mrs. Champion

3rd Grade

Mrs. Ferguson

4th Grade

Mrs. Choate

5th Grade

*Very sweet of her to come--she doesn't teach at CHA anymore because she had a baby, but she still made the time to come! 

Mrs. Orr

6th Grade Homeroom

Mrs. Tinker

6th Grade Math

Mrs. Low

6th Grade Government

So sweet of Mrs. Newton to be there as well! Jonah will have her next year for 8th grade science. He loves having her as a XC coach already though!

The best friends!

Madi's friend, Sarah, was also graduating from Discovery!

It meant so much to me to have my friends there as well! Love these ladies!

And this face means...No. More. Pictures.