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:

• 4,165 baptisms so far this year—on our way toward the goal 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

• 3,881 baptisms, including 1,129 in August.

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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God is moving in incredible ways. From a husband and wife—both 88 years old—leading a group for the first time, to the first of 40 planned church plants witnessing 34 baptisms in its first few months, to more than 3,600 baptisms right here at Southeast, He is answering our prayers to move in us and through us in real time.

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

• Providing parent resources through podcast segments on our new YouTube channel and Southeast Kids social media, now reaching 1,000+ followers.

Unleash the Next Generation

• Student-led prayer is expanding across campuses as we work toward reaching 2% of the 143,556 unreached and unconnected students in our communities.

Build and Deepen Community

• Fall Groups launched with the Every Thought Captive series, drawing a 20.3% increase in first-time attendees.

Highlight: Marvin and Eula Proctor from the Bullitt County Campus are an example of what it looks like to step into what God is calling you, even at a time in life where it might be less than convenient. The couple—both 88 years old—have committed to lead a group, walking alongside others who need care, discipleship, and mentoring.

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MOVE FORWARD

See 10,000 Changed Lives

• 3,683 baptisms, including 839 during Baptism Weekend on August 7/10.

Plant 40 New Churches

• Helped launch Iron Coast Church in Brunswick, Maine

Highlight: Iron Coast Church—the first of the 40 church plants—is led by Justin and Ashley Weese, who were sent out from Southeast. In its first four months, the church has witnessed 34 baptisms and 200+ in its weekly worship gatherings. Be praying for Iron Coast and the seven churches that will launch in the next few months.

Reach the Arabian Peninsula

• Hosted an Arabian Peninsula Interest Night with 70+ attendees.

Changing Lives at Camp

• 6,421 people—5,225 students and 1,196 leaders—attended SE!KIDS Camp, Middle School Camp, and High School Camp.
• 554 students were baptized

Send 4,000 on Short-Term Mission Trips

• Completed 33 trips across 17 countries with 409 mission participants.

Reach the World

• Southeast YouTube channel had 6.4 million views and added 2,800 subscribers.
• Southeast Instagram account had 4.96 million views and added 6,500 followers.
• Pando content—which shares the Gospel with incarcerated persons—has been viewed 2.67 million times and added 22,727 subscribers.

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MOVE CLOSER

Equip 150 New Families to Foster and Adopt

• Hosted a Considering Foster Care and Adoption class and 25 families attended.
• Five families have completed licensing and are now able to serve as foster placements which moves us closer to our goal of 150.

Support Recovery Centers

• We have celebrated 664 baptisms, welcomed 14,851 people to weekend worship services, and saw 4,066 people find support and community in groups.

Help The Hurting

• Launched the Encounter Council which will plan and lead Encounter Ministry at eight campuses.

Expand Shine

• Launched a new Moms Group at the La Grange Campus.
• 40 people at the Nelson County Campus have shown interest in serving alongside the Shine Disabilities Ministry.

Free 200 Victims of Sex Trafficking

• 33 victims reached and have taken a next step toward physical, emotional, and spiritual freedom.

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As we have walked through our MOVE journey together, we’ve talked about what it means to give sacrificially to seek and save the next two generations. One of the vision initiatives behind MOVE is to enhance the camp experience so students and leaders can encounter God’s purpose and passion like never before.

And this Summer, you made that happen.

More than 7,000 people—the most ever—attended a Southeast Camp. That includes 5,475 elementary, middle, and high school students, as well as our friends with special needs and kids who have been fostered and adopted.

Because of your generosity, more than $270,000 in financial aid was provided, helping many who otherwise couldn’t have come be able to attend. The impact of your sacrifice will be felt for eternity.

“I’ve learned that Jesus wants to have us in His life. He wants us to be a part of our journey,” one camper said. Another added, “I’ve just been moved to fully submit to God!”

Almost 600 campers were baptized this Summer. That’s 600 stories of life, freedom, and hope found only in Christ.

In addition, 180 high school students responded to a call to ministry, saying “yes” to God’s invitation to be the next generation of student leaders, pastors, and missionaries.

But it wasn’t just students who encountered God’s love, grace, and power this Summer. Almost 1,700 people served as leaders, giving of themselves so campers could experience Jesus in a whole new way.

“I have seen so many campers grow in their faith,” one leader said.

“My favorite part of serving at Middle School Camp has been watching the girls grow in their spiritual discipline,” another added. “We’ve been broadening their quiet time and their prayer time.”

When we say that the primary goal of MOVE is 100% engagement, this is what it looks like—each of us taking our next step in discipleship and growing in generosity, not only with our finances but our time and faith.

Thank you, Southeast family, for your generosity. We’re excited to see how God continues to move in the lives of everyone who attended a Southeast Camp this Summer.

Mary Tatum is excited about how God is moving in the hearts of the people at Southeast, helping those with special needs, disabilities, or who are deaf connect with Jesus and one another.

Through its Shine Disabilities Ministry, Southeast helps children, teens, and adults learn about Jesus in their own space and at their own pace. Special classes are available at five campuses, with dedicated classroom space coming soon to the Elizabethtown Campus.

“One of our goals of the MOVE initiative is to expand the Shine Ministry to more campuses,” said Mary, who leads the ministry. “That would allow us to offer intentional programming and classes and fellowship opportunities for people throughout our church.”

One of the students she thinks about when talking about the impact of the Shine Disabilities Ministry is Evan Riggle.

“We would support him so that he could go to our youth programming here at the church, and as it got a little bit harder for him to be involved in that setting, we realized it would be nice for him to have a place of his own,” Mary said.

“Through your generosity, as we’ve been able to build a new space for him or for all of our friends with special needs, we’ve had people like Evan in mind as we’ve created a safe space, a place where he can learn at his own pace, and a place that he can know Jesus in his own way,” she said.

Mary added that when she hears Evan sing worship songs or talk about church or Camp Freedom—where more than 400 campers connected through fun and fellowship while enjoying traditional camp activities this Summer—it is “such a blessing to know that our church family has supported him and his family so that they can attend worship.”

Evan’s father, David, said it is a “tremendous blessing” for him and his wife, Emlyn, to be able to worship knowing that Evan is “in capable hands and he is safe.”

“We just want to thank this church that they had the foresight and the willingness to spend the money, to spend the time, and to put it into Shine Ministry, because it has made a huge difference in our life,” he said.

“I thank you, church family, for your generosity,” Mary added. “Thank you for giving to MOVE so that we can move into more spaces, so that we can move into more communities, and that we could open the doors of Southeast to more families like the Riggles, one at a time.”

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Ninety percent of the people living in the Arabian Peninsula do not personally know a follower of Jesus…and many possibly never will.

“A worker currently living in the AP shared with me that most people there will never meet a follower of Jesus or have a chance to hear the Good News unless someone steps into their country and into their lives,” Bill* said.

Wanting to be that “someone,” Bill and others from Southeast visited the Arabian Peninsula in April to gain firsthand experience and a better understanding of the culture.

“The Great Commission calls us to go and make disciples of all nations. So, we want to reach them,” Bill said. “We want to mobilize 250 people to move to the Arabian Peninsula.”

That includes people in various stages of life, from families to students to professionals.

“We want students from our church to attend school or take internships or study abroad there to live among other young people,” Bill said. “God can use your job and your education to place you among the unreached.”

Diane said she returned home feeling certain that God is calling her to be involved. “At first, I was cautious and I was scared to go and then as I got more information about the trip, I really couldn’t get it off my mind,” she said.

James and his wife also returned with a sense of calm. “We both now feel a deep peace and a gentle but clear invitation from God. There is a great need,” he said.

“As we evaluate the possibility of moving to (the Arabian Peninsula),” Lisa added, “we’re simply asking God to keep confirming that calling.”

Diane called her experience in the Arabian Peninsula “truly life-changing,” explaining it is a place “where you can really see the contrast of light and dark. The spiritual darkness at times is palpable. You can really feel it.”

Bill said it is the church’s responsibility to bring light to spiritually dark places, but that requires “people from our church stepping out in faith.” Here are a few ways we can do that:

• Pray. As we move forward in reaching the lost, we want prayer to be the foundation.
• Take a mission trip. Even if it’s not to the Arabian Peninsula, God can open your heart to the nations when you leave home.
• Be intentional to engage with international people right where you live.
• Move your career overseas to intentionally live and work in an unreached area.

“If you believe God is calling you to move with this initiative, then we want to talk to you and pray with you,” Bill said.

Those interested in learning more about the region or how to get involved are invited to an Arabian Peninsula Interest Night on July 1 at the Blankenbaker Campus. You can learn more and register here.

*All names have been changed to protect identities.

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