From more than 3,700 people publicly declaring their faith through baptism in 2025, to construction of a new Shine Kids classroom now underway in Elizabethtown, to our digital content reaching tens of millions of people across the world since April, God is continuing to move in powerful ways in and through Southeast!

Here are some updates on how we are continuing to move together as one church, forward in our mission, and closer to those who need Jesus through our MOVE vision initiatives.

MOVE TOGETHER

Unleash the Next Generation

• Since the launch of MOVE, 201 new leaders have been unleashed to help disciple and equip the next generation. Leaders are essential to reaching the 143,556 unconnected students in the areas around our campuses.

Highlight: Kaniyah, a student at the Elizabethtown Campus, returned from High School Camp with a list of six friends she was praying would encounter Jesus. This past semester, five of those six friends said “yes” to her invitation and have begun attending High School Ministry events. Stories like Kaniyah’s remind us that reaching the 143,556 happens one prayer, one conversation, and one courageous invitation at a time.

Equip Children and Families

• Over 3,600 Seek the Savior games were distributed across our campuses, providing a Christmas resource for every family who attends.

Build and Deepen Community

• Since our Fall launch, 17,323 people have stepped into community through a Southeast group, including 3,861 for the first time. There are 1,091 unique groups meeting, including men's, women's, recovery, and home groups.

MOVE FORWARD

10,000 Changed Lives

• 3,712 people so far in 2025 have publicly declared their faith through baptism, including 1,659 kids and students.

Reach the Arabian Peninsula

• December marked our fourth visit to the region: our calling trip in 2023, our discernment trip in 2024, and two discovery trips in 2025.

Changing Lives at Camp

• Registration for all Southeast Camps will open March 5 at 12:00 pm.
• Lead the Way: Leader recruitment and registration will begin February 1. Student and Kids Ministries will encourage their leaders to commit to leading at camp in February to Lead the Way for the camper registrations to begin in March.

Reach the World

• From April through early December, God opened digital doors for Southeast content to reach more than 46 million people across YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok—helping thousands encounter the hope of Jesus right where they are.
• Pando (a resource for those incarcerated in prison) continues to grow as a discipleship resource, now reaching over 26,900 subscribers with more than 3 million total views. Its original series and podcasts have become some of the most-watched content, helping people pursue spiritual growth throughout the week.
• Our YouTube channel surpassed 28 million views, becoming our largest digital front door for those exploring faith, watching messages, and hearing real stories of life-change through Jesus.

MOVE CLOSER

Equip 150 New Families to Foster and Adopt

• 12 families took their first step of faith in December by joining our monthly Considering Foster Care and Adoption online session, representing seven different campuses united by one calling.
• We celebrate one newly licensed family, bringing our total to eight equipped families on the journey toward our hope of 150—each one a testament to God’s faithfulness and provision.

Support Recovery Centers

• Southeast Recovery is now present in 15 correctional and recovery facilities, sharing Christ through worship, groups, baptisms, and discipleship, meeting people right where they are.
• We launched our first Discipleship Pathway class at Pike County Jail in November, opening the door for deeper spiritual growth behind the walls.
• We celebrated our first inmate baptism in Johnson County Jail, a powerful reminder that God is moving in every place, even where hope can feel distant.
• At The Next Door Recovery in Tennessee, we’ve witnessed 89 women baptized since June 1, a beautiful testament to redemption and new beginnings. That marks 891 baptisms in 2025.

Highlight: God is moving in powerful ways inside our jail ministries.Last month, Ronnie Sweeney baptized an inmate at Big Sandy Regional Detention Center, which houses 215 men and women from four surrounding counties—another reminder that the Gospel is reaching every corner.At Pike County Jail, our friend, Frankie, whose story we shared a few years ago, has completed our Discipleship Pathway and began leading the class in mid-November. Once facing 30 years, now nearing release after three, Frankie is walking faithfully with Jesus and has already been approved to return after his release in February to continue teaching. Lives are being transformed, hope is rising, and God is at work behind the walls.

Expand Shine

• Construction is underway in Elizabethtown for a new Shine Kids classroom, making space for children to encounter Jesus in a meaningful way.

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A lot of people think sex trafficking looks like it does in the movies—someone kidnapped or forced into a van—but that’s not the only way it happens.

“I was a young teen mom in a relationship that became very abusive very quickly. It started with verbal and emotional abuse, but after I graduated high school and moved in with him, it turned physical,” Tessa said. “He used drugs, gambled our money away, and we were facing eviction.”

Out of desperation and manipulation, he groomed her into entering the adult entertainment business. In the process, Tessa was continually manipulated not only by her daughter’s father, but by those around her, including club owners and the men in that world.

“I was trafficked through the city of Louisville, through the strip clubs. I became numb. I didn’t know who I was anymore,” she said.

Desperate and homeless, they began living temporarily in different people’s homes.

“There was so much shame and darkness, and I truly believed there was no way out,” Tessa said. “I felt unworthy, dirty, unwanted, lost, and hopeless. All the circumstances I found myself in and all the choices I made became my identity.”

After working at one of the clubs until very late one night, Tessa’s trafficker took her to the house where they were staying. That’s when something inside of her said she was done. “I don’t really know where that came from, but the thought was strong, stronger than it ever had been before,” she said.

Tessa mustered the courage to tell her daughter’s father that she was leaving. He responded by saying that he was going to take her somewhere and kill her.

“As we were driving, I remember praying, not for myself, but for my daughter. I said, ‘God, I know I’ve never called on You, but if You’re out there, please save my daughter,’” she said. “The thought of God even wanting to save me was not a thought in my mind. I didn’t believe I deserved it.”

God, however, saved them both. A flat tire gave Tessa and her daughter the opportunity to escape. “We were free physically, but I was still bound for a very long time. It wasn’t like in the movies where just because I was free, I was saved,” she said.

Tessa spent years trying to find healing on her own. She attempted to cover up her shame with things that the world told her would make her feel worthy but only led her back to the same desperate place she had been a decade earlier.

“I was still just as broken and wounded, carrying the same burdens of my past and my pain,” she said. “This was the point where I met Jesus. Jesus met me in my most broken place and He made me whole, not just saving me, but healing me, redeeming me, and using me to advance His Kingdom.”

Today, Tessa is a leader on Southeast’s Anti-Sex Trafficking team, which, as part of the MOVE initiative, is working to free 200 victims of sex trafficking in three years.

“Sex trafficking is the crime of stealing freedom for profit,” explained Karissa Sites, the leader of the Anti-Sex Trafficking Ministry. “Sex traffickers often manipulate, defraud, or physically force victims into sexual slavery. In Luke 4, Jesus said He came to set the captives free. We must follow His mission and do the same.”

The Anti-Sex Trafficking team is actively pursuing and walking alongside victims of sex trafficking one step at a time. In 2025, they’ve helped 25 victims take a step into freedom and are currently walking alongside 19 others.

“When they begin to experience true freedom in Jesus, they get to choose hope and a future outside of slavery, often for the very first time,” Karissa said. “We’re praying and giving toward two more restorative homes in 2026.”

There are, on average, more than 500 victims advertised for sex every week in the Louisville area alone. According to the Institute for Survivor Care, many survivors attributed their rescue to a divine intervention.

The goal of the Anti-Sex Trafficking Ministry is to serve vulnerable and exploited people with the compassion of Jesus through the direction and power of the Holy Spirit by bridging the gaps between survivor, the church, missions partners, and community agency.

“If God is calling you to move closer to oppressed and vulnerable people and be a part of the dedicated work of anti-trafficking, please join us for an upcoming Awareness Day at multiple campuses,” Karissa said.

“We are earnestly praying for courageous and compassionate people to move closer to the vulnerable just like Jesus did, one person at a time.”

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God is on the move! From 36 families taking the first step toward opening their homes and hearts to children in need, to seven new churches being planted across the U.S., to 493 people taking part in 43 mission trips in 23 countries, it's amazing to see how He is working in and through Southeast.

Here are some updates on how we are continuing to move together as one church, forward in our mission, and closer to those who need Jesus through our MOVE vision initiatives.

MOVE TOGETHER

Unleash the Next Generation

• Fall retreats are taking place at campuses, focusing on friendship with the Holy Spirit.
• Since last month, we’ve seen 699 new or first-time students return to small groups at least four times from August through November 9, which is an increase of 416 students moving into deeper connection.

Equip Children and Families

• Ordered Bibles for all kids classrooms at every campus, plus an additional 25 percent for children who don’t have one at home.

Build and Deepen Community

• This year, 13,085 individuals have attended a group at least 12 times (averaging once per month), marking a 4% increase year-over-year.
• More than 6,500 people have stepped into a group for the first time this year, taking a big first step toward community.
• This Fall, our church is home to 1,063 active groups. Through our Connections and Student Ministries, we have created spaces for connection and growth at all of our campuses.

MOVE FORWARD

10,000 Changed Lives

• We’ve celebrated 3,476 baptisms this year, moving toward our prayer of 10,000.
• Four campuses have seen their year-over-year baptism numbers increase by 25% or more.

Plant 40 New Churches

• We’ve launched 7 new churches in 2025, toward our goal of 40.

Send 4,000 on Short-Term Mission Trips

• Completed 43 trips across 23 countries with 493 mission participants moving closer to the 4,000 participant goal.

MOVE CLOSER

Equip 150 New Families to Foster and Adopt

• 36 families joined November’s Considering Foster Care and Adoption online session—the first step for many toward opening their homes and hearts to children in need.
• Two new families have completed licensing to welcome children into their homes—bringing the total to 7 equipped families on the journey toward our goal of 150.

Highlight: After MOVE launched, the Hawks family felt a clear call to step into the foster-to-adopt journey, saying, “We feel like we’re supposed to be one of the 150.” Today, they’re nearly fully licensed and actively pursuing the adoption of an older child through the state—a powerful step toward changing a life forever.

Support Recovery Centers

• The Spiritual Pathway discipleship program just launched at MARC in Bowling Green—with 35 men committing to the very first class!
• Celebrating a powerful milestone—the first baptism took place in an Eastern Kentucky jail!

Free 200 Victims of Sex Trafficking

• Sycamore Farm emergency and long-term house will reopen this Winter in a new location, expanding capacity from two to eight beds to serve trafficking survivors.
• After four years of prayer, planning, and preparation, the Refuge for Women house has officially opened in Louisville, offering a safe haven for survivors in crisis.
• Her Hope KY has placed an offer on an 18-bed home in Louisville to serve victims of sexual exploitation—please join us in prayer for this next step.
• The next Advocate Awareness event is set for December 6 at the Blankenbaker Campus—join us to learn, connect, and take action.

Help the Hurting

• Care Ministry has launched 21 new groups in 2025—creating more spaces for healing, hope, and community!

Highlight: A woman from our Blankenbaker Campus who has faced lifelong emotional challenges and ongoing brain swelling found it difficult to connect in small groups—until she joined the Depression Support Group. She shared that it has become “the only place where I can trust and be myself.”

Expand Shine

• In November, Shine hosted a training and interest meeting at the Nelson County Campus for volunteers passionate about launching Shine programs—with 30 people in attendance and eager to get started!

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During a weekend service two years ago, the Southeast congregation prayed over Justin and Ashley Weece, who had a vision of planting a church and sharing the Gospel with the people in Brunswick, Maine.

“We’re so excited to share with you that that vision is reality,” Ashley said. “Iron Coast Church launched on March 2 of this year, and we have been blown away by the way that God has moved in and through this place.”

In just a few short months, Iron Coast has already celebrated 45 baptisms.

“That’s 45 names and stories of people who did not know Jesus, who have now stepped into the water and said, ‘Jesus is everything,’” Ashley said. “That is because you believed, because you gave, because you have done all you can do, and now we see what God wants to do in and through you.”

One of those stories belongs to Justin’s cousin, Devin.

“Devin is someone that we’ve been praying for for many years, but before the church launched, we actually wrote his name down as someone we were asking, ‘God, would You move in and through his life?’” Ashley said.

“On Easter, Devin came to church and he never stopped coming. Just a few weeks ago, Justin got to baptize Devin in the ocean, and we got to celebrate as a community as he took that step.”

Devin is now serving in the church, arriving early each Sunday to help set up and staying late to help tear down, and inviting everyone he can—friends, co-workers, and family members—to join him for worship.

“It’s so amazing seeing what God is doing in his life,” Ashley said, adding there are so many stories like Devin’s.

“We know that it is absolutely (God's) doing, His work at hand, but we want to say thank you. Thank you for believing, thank you for your faith, even when you couldn’t see what is now reality,” she said.

“Southeast, we could not be here without your prayers, without your love, without your belief in what God has placed on our heart, and we want to say thank you. This is just the beginning.”

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From over 4,100 baptisms so far this year, to 5,879 people finding community in a group for the first time, to millions of people being reached with the Gospel online, God continues to work in powerful ways as He moves in and through His people at Southeast.

Here are some updates on how we are continuing to move together as one church, forward in our mission, and closer to those who need Jesus through our MOVE vision initiatives.

‍MOVE TOGETHER

Unleash the Next Generation

• 1,265 new students got connected to MSM and HSM this semester, moving us toward our goal of 2,869!
• 179 new adult leaders joined Student Ministry this year, bringing us closer to our goal of 500!
• 67 new high school students are serving in MSM.
• Every campus is developing unique prayer expressions within Student Ministry.

Build and Deepen Community

• 5,879 people attended a group for the first time this year—representing 28.3% of the total 2025 attendance.

MOVE FORWARD

10,000 Changed Lives:

• We’ve celebrated 3,307 baptisms this year, moving toward our prayer of 10,000.

Highlight: In alignment with our vision—two years of sacrifice to seek and save the next two generations—we’re celebrating:

• 322 Elementary baptisms
• 471 Middle School baptisms
• 737 High School baptisms
• 1,530 total student baptisms, representing 36.7% of all baptisms this year
• Including 446 college-age baptisms, 47.4% of all baptisms YTD are from Gen Alpha and Gen Z.

And a beautiful reminder—eight people over age 80 have been baptized this year. It’s never too late to say yes to Jesus!

Plant 40 New Churches

• Three new churches launched on Sunday, October 5:

         - The Cove Church – Lakewood, WA

         - Odyssey Church – Tukwila, WA

         - Axiom Church – Austin, TX

• Six churches have been launched so far in 2025.
• Coastline Christian Church will launch on Sunday, October 19, bringing the 2025 total to seven of our goal of 40 New Churches!

Reach the Arabian Peninsula

• Short-term trip to the Arabian Peninsula planned for 2026 (with more to come); invitations for the April trip have been extended to personally-invited members who attended an interest night or expressed interest in the initiative.

Send 4,000 on Short-Term Mission Trips:

• Completed 39 trips across 21 countries with 458 mission participants, moving closer to the 4,000-participant goal.

Reach the World

• Millions Reached with the Gospel Online

        - Since Spring, Southeast’s digital content has generated over 15 million views across YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok—helping people around the world hear the hope of Jesus.

• Pando Expands Its Reach

       - The Pando platform now has 24,000+ subscribers and over 2.8 million views, with new weekly sermon discussion podcasts connecting faith to everyday life.

• Stories of Life Change

       - Powerful testimonies of redemption, second chances, and renewed faith continue to emerge through MOVE.

MOVE CLOSER

Equip 150 New Families to Foster and Adopt

• Four families are registered for the October Considering Foster Care & Adoption class (monthly online interest session—the first step in our family equip process).
• 5 of 150 families are equipped for foster care and adoption to date.

Support Recovery Centers

• Support and Recovery Team led a breakout at the Spire Conference on “The Church’s Response to Addiction,” building new connections, raising awareness of deeper needs in recovery, and sharing discipleship material with 3+ churches exploring ways to integrate 12-step work with Jesus in their communities.
• 836 baptisms so far this year—moving toward our goal of 5,000!

Free 200 Victims of Sex Trafficking

• Funds provided (with matching gift) to fully staff a new safe house in FL for survivors of sex trafficking, opening November.
• The Anti-Sex Trafficking team partnered with community and mission partners to advocate in court, provide long-term care, and transport two victims to safe locations this month.
• The Ministry also assisted two families experiencing victimization to maintain their homes.
• Three women graduated programs this month—one from a 90-day safe house, two from long-term houses.

Expand Shine

• A second Shine Children’s class launched at Southwest Campus.
• Shine Fall Fest was held on October 17 across five campuses.

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Believing what the Bible declares in Psalm 68, that God sets the lonely in families, one of our MOVE vision initiatives is to see 150 new foster or adoptive families for children in need. So far, 40 families have taken their first step.

One of those families is Sam and Katie Simondet from our Elizabethtown Campus.

“I think the conversation was, ‘Well, why not? Let’s go for it,’” Katie said. “You know, we had the space in our house, we had the room, and we had a certain amount of chairs at our table, and my prayer was, ‘Lord, fill our table.’ And He did.”

Sam and Katie began their fostering journey by attending a Considering Foster Care & Adoption session hosted by the Southeast Family Advocacy Ministry, where they heard from long-time foster parents.

“Once you kind of hear the stories, you can’t just turn a blind eye to it,” Katie said. “When you do have the privilege of having a nice, cozy home and you already love kids, it’s like, yeah, why not just go for it?”

Sam said that for him and Katie, being foster parents isn’t about them. Instead, it’s about providing children in need with a “safe, nurturing environment where they’re being taken care of…where they can grow, they can learn.”

“No kids are ours to begin with—they are His—but if you can just take that step to be, like, hey, you know…we could do this, you’re not going to regret it,” Katie added.

Blaine Hamilton of the Southeast Family Advocacy Ministry said he loves Sam and Katie’s story because it is one of faith and support.

“They didn’t have all the answers when they stepped into foster care, but God showed up in a major way, often through the support of our church,” he said.

There are 24,000 children in foster care across Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee, along with countless women in need of adoptive placements for their children, and millions of orphans longing for family around the world.

“If you’ve been praying for God to do something in you and through you and you feel like fostering or adopting might be that something, our Southeast Family Advocacy Ministry would love to help you begin the journey today.”

You can learn more here.

Eighty students and leaders from across Southeast recently returned from serving on a short-term mission trip, where they shared the one hope that never disappoints—Jesus.

“What a gift it was,” Associate Pastor Matt Reagan said. “Together, we got to love on the community, meet tangible needs, and spend time with the people we met in the area, building relationships that will help sow into the groundwork of the local church across the country.”

For those on the mission trip, it was an opportunity not only to spiritually pour into others, but to be spiritually poured into themselves.

“When you go on a short-term mission trip, you just see the Kingdom of God for all that it is in fresh ways—it’s all new—and that’s why one of our MOVE goals is to see over 4,000 of you, our Southeast community, to experience just that,” Matt said.

Southeast has areas of focus around the world, concentrating efforts in local communities in Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee, as well as Appalachia and the Pacific Northwest, across Eastern Europe, and even into the Arabian Peninsula.

“You’ve heard us say that MOVE is all about being 100% engaged, meaning our prayer really is that you would take just that one more step further into the life of our church and certainly into the heart of Jesus,” Matt said.

Because of the sacrificial generosity and prayers of those at Southeast, more than 400 people from our church family have already been able to say yes to engaging in Kingdom work through a short-term mission trip.

“Church family, I want to ask, when are you going to step in and be sent out? When are you going to raise your hand to engage as part of the ‘Big C’ Church so that your eyes can see the Kingdom more clearly?” Matt asked. “Whether it’s across the city or across the world, just don’t wait.…We can’t wait to see where God sends you.”

You can learn more about short-term mission trip opportunities here.

From students praying together before meeting for High School Ministry each week, to providing care and support to sex trafficking victims in need of help, God continues to move in and through His people at Southeast.

Here are some updates on how we are continuing to move together as one church, forward in our mission, and closer to those who need Jesus through our MOVE vision initiatives.

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MOVE TOGETHER

Equip Children and Families

• Distributed newly formatted @home guides for families to continue the conversations from Sunday into the home.  

Highlight: South Louisville’s Kids Ministry is excited to see growth in understanding God’s truth. They are demonstrating the ability to replace lies with God’s truth. Their leaders are leaning into discipleship of the kids as we learn more of who Jesus is.‍

Unleash the Next Generation

• After returning from High School Camp in June, Shelby County Campus students have gathered weekly for prayer before High School Ministry.

Build and Deepen Community

• Since mid-July, over 300 people have joined a group at our newest campus in Franklin, Tennessee.

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MOVE FORWARD

See 10,000 Changed Lives

• We’ve celebrated 3,056 baptisms this year, moving toward our prayer of 10,000.

Plant 40 New Churches

• Artisan City Church in St. Petersburg, Florida and Grace Church in New Orleans, Louisiana both launched on September 7.

Translate the Bible

• Work began on three of the 14 language groups in Liberia for those who have never heard the name of Jesus in their native tongues.

Changing Lives at Camp

• High School Camp attendance grew 23.5% from 2024, while Middle School Camp grew 14.2%, and SE!KIDS 3rd through 5th Grade Camp grew 11%.

Send 4,000 on Short-Term Mission Trips

• Completed 35 trips across 19 countries with 428 mission participants.

Reach the World

• Southeast YouTube channel had 2.3 views and added 1,400 new subscribers.
• Southeast Instagram account had 1.8 million views and added 4,300 new followers.
• Every Thought Captive Podcast had 18,961 views.

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MOVE CLOSER

Equip 150 New Families to Foster and Adopt

• Celebrated alongside a family who recently welcomed a baby boy into their home through domestic infant adoption.

Support Recovery Centers

• The SE Recovery team developed a recovery-focused discipleship curriculum, Spiritual Pathway, now in use at Longshots SoBar in West Louisville since April. They recently held their first baptism day there, celebrating three baptisms—bringing their ministry total to 777 year-to-date.
• Two recovery stories were shared with our church: Tamba’s journey from chasing success and battling addiction to finding true identity in Christ, and Cornell’s surrender from a life of addiction and despair to one of faith, restored marriage, and a new purpose.

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Free 200 Victims of Sex Trafficking

• Awareness Nights are being hosted across campuses, with the next events at Nelson County (October 18) and Blankenbaker (November 15).
• Our ministry is excited to have survivors walk alongside our advocate teams and mission partners to care for others in need.  

Highlight: The Anti-Sex Trafficking Ministry is caring for two victims who came directly to a campus in need of care. We are walking alongside them, providing basic needs, a safe community, and resources they desperately need.

‍Help the Hurting

• Launched 118 groups this fall, including 10 new groups across all campuses. One of those new groups is a Parkinson’s Caretaker Support Group at our Blankenbaker Campus.  
• Uptrained nine new mentors and 22 new group facilitators during our Frontline Training.

Expand Shine

• Opened a new sensory room in the Franklin Campus’ kids’ space, allowing children to get away from the crowd and reset so they can fully enjoy the worship experience.

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