The Power of an Invite

Have you ever felt powerless to change the world? 

I know I have. In a world that often seems dark and bleak, it’s easy to feel like our positive actions don’t matter. Thankfully, that isn’t the truth. 

You have more impact than you realize.

I’ll start with this. After serving as the Middle School Pastor for several years and working with young people in student ministry for half of my life, I recognize the power of an invite. 

I’ve seen school facilities baffled as they watch a previously troubled student become a positive influence for the entire school because of an invite. 

I’ve seen an altar of nearly a hundred students surrendering their lives to Jesus, destinies and families forever changed because a handful of students believed in the power of an invite.

It hits close to home because, in high school, a girl named Samantha was invited repeatedly by a friend on her cheerleading team to Elevate, Milestone’s student ministry. Samantha ran out of excuses and ended up coming to church, giving her life to Christ, and meeting her future husband – me. 

Your friend, or coworker, or family member experiencing the same life-changing encounter with Jesus is one invite away.

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Trent’s Story

“Church was confusing.” 

Trent had experienced darkness in his life, hurting and pain he tried to fix in his own strength. He had an encounter with God as a teenager but had stepped away for many years. He didn’t know if it was possible to have a relationship with God.

That’s when an invite happened. A couple of friends invited Trent to Milestone Church. Trent encountered Jesus and had his life transformed.

Mandy’s Story

“Things had gotten really bad between my husband and me.” 

Mandy didn’t know if things would ever change and was on the brink of giving up after years of turmoil.

But, again, an invite happened. A friend saw Mandy struggling and invited her to a Christmas service. Things didn’t change overnight, but Mandy received the grace to hand her marriage over to God. That would be the start of a restoration journey and God radically transforming her family.

Jaclynn’s Story 

“When I went into high school, I lost my way.” 

Jaclynn battled anxiety and depression for many years. She felt hopeless, like many people in our culture today who struggle with mental illness. 

But God had a plan for Jaclynn, moving her to a new job where she would meet a coworker who attended Milestone Church. A coworker who would extend an invite that would lead to Jaclynn coming back to Jesus.

“God used my coworkers to bring me back to Him.“

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We can’t lose sight of lives being changed. Let these stories be a reminder that in the midst of everything happening in our world, we can make an impact. We’re seeing the essence of what Jesus died for – restoration and healing – and we want family, friends, and neighbors to experience this. 

Matthew 9:35-38 NIV

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

God came to build his Church, and He has called us to be a part of that great mission. I believe there is no better time for this than Christmas, a time when our culture looks for peace, a time when tradition is welcome, and someone who wouldn’t usually darken the doors of a church might come and see what it’s all about. 

And that’s where we come in. 

We are those workers that Jesus instructed His disciples to pray for. We are the hands and feet of Jesus in our communities, at our workplaces, and in our homes. We can play a role by inviting someone to experience God’s goodness and peace in this season through a Christmas service.

You’ll be surprised who would say yes if they were just invited. 

I would love to hear your invite story. 

Comment, share, or reach out – we’re in this together. 

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Luke Newby

Middle School Pastor

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It’s Not Just Church. It’s Family.

God doesn’t intend for us to live life alone. He wants us to be part of spiritual family because this is one way that we experience His love. Check out Pat and Bonnie’s story to see how going through Values 301 helped them find their spiritual family.

“We joined Milestone Church in 2011 after moving here from Memphis, Tennessee. Despite being active in the church, we didn’t find spiritual family for years after joining because we didn’t know we needed it. The real change began when my wife, Bonnie, convinced me to join a Freedom group.

I was resistant for the first half of Freedom—I didn’t feel like I fit in the group. But then God got a hold of me and told me that the group wasn’t the problem—I was. He told me I wasn’t putting my everything into the group.

When I heard that, it was like someone had flipped a switch in me. I was changed, and Bonnie and I joined Values 301 after completing Freedom.

Our Values 301 group ended up being very different than what we had expected.

We’d been expecting to be moved into a 301 group our friends were leading, but for whatever reason, we were placed in a group of people who all came from very different backgrounds than us. Our group included new believers, former Muslims, long-time believers, a former atheist, and a former Mennonite.

But, despite our differences, the group instantly clicked. We had found our spiritual family.

After our group completed Values 301, we continued to meet in and out of Small Groups settings.

Bonnie and I don’t have much family nearby, so these are the people we reach out to when we need anything. And they reach out to us whenever they need anything.

Having this spiritual family has helped us grow in our walk with God and our relationship with each other.

I encourage people to start getting involved by serving. Every little step creates connections, friendships, and more and more spiritual family.

I feel like I have a bigger family now than I’ve ever had.”

-Pat

Maybe like Pat and Bonnie, you don’t feel connected. We want to help you get connected, and a great way to start doing that is to go through Growth Track. You can sign up for one of our Growth Track classes at milestonechurch.com/events.

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Financial Freedom Is Possible

We all want to be better with our finances. Sometimes it can be easy to get caught in the same cycles of frustration with our money and how we steward it. Check out Ash’s story of how Financial Peace University (FPU) allowed her to pursue her goals without fear. 

“I graduated with my undergraduate degree in 2018 and was considering getting my master’s, but the only thing holding me back was money. I talked to my parents because I felt overwhelmed with anxiety about finances. Our family has attended Milestone Church for years, and both of my parents completed Financial Peace University. They encouraged me to do it because it impacted them so much. 

So, I decided to sign up for FPU and have faith that I could afford to get my master’s degree if I followed the course’s steps. While I had to make a lot of sacrifices to reach my goals and wasn’t always able to do what I wanted —  the financial freedom and peace of mind that I experienced from completing the course was so worth it. 

I used to check my bank account every thirty minutes because I was so stressed about money. FPU gave me the confidence I needed to walk in freedom and abundance in my finances. I can not recommend it enough. It’s the reason I was able to finish my education!” 

Maybe, like Ash, you want financial freedom but don’t know where to start. We want to help! You can start living from a place of abundance and peace in your finances today. To sign up or learn more, visit milestonechurch.com/fpu

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Cass’s Story

At Milestone Church, we believe in creating a safe and fun environment where kids can grow in their relationship with God and others. Our heart is to help every child reach their full potential. Check out Cass’s story to see the impact it had on her to watch her son, Corbin, be in an environment that helped him flourish. 

“ I am a preschool director and work very closely with special needs children. When Corbin was around three years old, we started to notice that he was acting out and showing all the signs of a child with special needs. But, it’s hard to know when it’s your kid. He was eventually diagnosed and that was hard for us. 

Corbin has the kindest heart, but it can be hard to take him places because other people don’t understand. One of our biggest challenges was taking him to church. It was hard to find a place where I knew that he would truly be taken care of and taught the Bible in a way that he could understand. 

Coming to Milestone Church absolutely blew me away. We have never been to a church that has a discovery room specifically for special needs children. The people in that room have loved our son so well and have helped him grow so much — he’s even getting baptized on April 24! This would not have been possible without the volunteers who made it their priority to help him succeed. Even my husband and I were able to get connected to spiritual family because we didn’t have to worry if Corbin was going to be okay.

I couldn’t be more grateful for the people who have invested in my son’s life and helped our family be as healthy as it is today. “

We want to help every child reach their purpose. At Milestone Church, we believe that your kid doesn’t have to wait to be great — they can be a great kid. To learn more about our kids ministry and how your child can get plugged in, visit us at milestonechurch.com/kids. 

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Spiritual Family Changes everything

Our world can seem so overwhelming right now. There seem to be so many problems all around us. But instead of letting it drive us away from spiritual family, we should be running towards it. Check out Nick and Jillian’s story of how coming back to church changed the health of their marriage and family. 

“In August of 2018, Jillian was diagnosed with breast cancer. She went through the first drug treatment, and after 2019 was cleared. Coming into 2020, we were feeling really good. We had our health, we were more involved at church, our business was doing well, and we were even planning on building our dream home.   

Then Covid hit. I was worried at first but I was also just thankful that we still had our health. Except about a month and a half later we got the news that Jillian’s cancer was back. 

And just like that everything changed. We went from being a young, healthy family, to having to tell our boys they couldn’t play with their friends, because we couldn’t risk exposing their mom. We had to stop going to everything. We were completely isolated. 

I vividly remember this moment where I thought, ‘I don’t know what I need. I don’t know what I’m missing. I feel more lost than I’ve ever felt in my life. I feel like I am truly in danger of turning my back on God.’  

In that moment, I remember what one of the pastors at Milestone had said to me. He said, it’s okay to be angry with God– it’s okay to question God. But, when you turn your back on God, that’s when it’s really bad. That’s when you’re really in danger. That is absolutely where I was at. 

We had a month window where Jillian wasn’t going through treatment, and we decided to go back to church. We didn’t know how bad we needed it. That first moment of just stepping back into the building changed everything. 

You don’t really know how much it impacts and encourages you when you worship with other people until you have gone without it. 

I know that like we were, a lot of families are feeling lonely, isolated, and disconnected right now. I would encourage those people to take that next step and get connected, because it really does change everything. We all need spiritual family.”

Spiritual family changes everything. We want to get you connected. However, we also understand that health concerns are real. Your health and safety are our number one priority. We would love to see you at our 12:30pm or 6:30pm services where there is more room for you and your family to stay safe and healthy. You can check out all of our available service options at milestonechurch.com.

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Spiritual Family Is Worth It

Prayer changes everything, but sometimes we can find ourselves unsure of what to pray for or even how to do it. When we find ourselves in those moments, it’s crucial to have people surrounding us who can pray with us and for us. Check out Sonia’s story of how spiritual family helped her believe for a seemingly impossible situation. 

“When I was at Milestone, I would hear people say join a small group and get plugged in. They would say things like ‘spiritual family changes everything, but I had no idea how true that would be in my own life.

In February of 2020, I came home and my husband was gone. He had taken all his belongings and changed his phone number. Our marriage had been struggling for a while, but I never thought something like this would happen. We had no communication for six months. I had never felt more alone. I was isolated and too embarrassed to tell anyone what was going on.

I got to a place where I just knew I couldn’t do it alone. So, I decided to step out and join a small group. I was still too embarrassed to open up or share with anyone. I felt an overwhelming amount of shame. That day, however, I decided to join a small group, and it changed my life. The support that I felt from my spiritual family was something that I never knew was possible. 

They encouraged me to pray for my husband and believe God for reconciliation. They had faith for my situation when I didn’t have enough for myself. I don’t think I would have been able to pray and fight for my husband without them. So, naturally they were the first people I told when my husband reached back out to me for the first time. 

After six months of no contact and a lot of prayer, I received a text from my husband. He said that he had an encounter with God and wanted to reconcile our relationship! I was so overwhelmed and thankful. 

The healing process wasn’t easy, but walking through it with our spiritual family was everything. Now, I’m happy to say that we are in a much better place, and I am six months pregnant with our first child! It’s just crazy to see the power of spiritual family and prayer. 

It wasn’t easy to jump into a small group and share with them all my brokenness.. But, I’m so thankful that I decided to jump in, because I honestly don’t know where I would be without them.

Spiritual family isn’t always easy, but it’s always worth it!” 

Maybe, like Sonia, you feel hesitant to get plugged into a small group. It can feel vulnerable, frightening, and uncomfortable. But, it could also be the best decision you have ever made. Our team would love to help serve you in any way we can to get you connected to a small group. It’s never too late. Just shoot a quick email saying you’re interested to smallgroups@milestonechurch.com, and our team will get you plugged in.

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Jack Sands

One moment in the presence of God is all it takes to change a life. Jack Sands is just one of our many highschool students who got saved at one of our student events last fall. Check out his story.  

“I went to Super Series (Super Series is a teaching series that happens at our Wednesday night student program: Elevate) last fall, and I was feeling far away from God. In worship, they started playing this song: Run to the Father. I felt this tug from God that he wanted me to come back to Him. I’ve never felt anything like that in my life. Then, the Pastor on stage asked if anyone wanted to give their life to Jesus–I knew I had to go down to the front. Two of my friends and I accepted Jesus as our Savior in that moment. It was so cool! 

After I went home, I started thinking about my next steps. I wanted to get water baptized to show everyone how much God had changed me. I shared with my brother what God had done in my life. He was going through a tough time and decided that he wanted to get baptized too. 

I was baptized with my brother in front of my family, which was such a cool moment that I will never forget. My grandparents even got to watch over zoom! 

God has really changed my life. I was at Elevate a few weeks ago and they were playing the same song that was playing when I gave my life to Jesus. I saw a kid standing next to me, and I felt like I was supposed to go and talk to him. I told him that I felt like God wanted him to go to fall retreat and that God loved him.  I hope that God did the same thing in his life that He did in mine.” 

God wants to meet your student exactly where they are at. He wants to meet them in a way that not only changes their life but also the lives of those around them. Sometimes all it takes is one moment in His presence. For more information about our many student programs you can go to milestonechurch.com/students. 

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A Little Goes a Long Way

When life’s circumstances overwhelm us and seem impossible to overcome it can be easy to worry about how we will have everything we need. Check out how God used Abigail’s small group to provide for someone in need.

For our small group service project, we decided to pick a restaurant and pray that God would show us someone to bless. We collected money from the group to give to someone with a card that had scriptures and encouragement in.  

We went as a group to a local restaurant for brunch and had a waitress named Tamika. When we finished eating, we told her that we had a gift for her. We explained that God loves her and sees her needs.  

Tamika started crying and said we had no idea how much she needed that encouragement. She explained to us that she is a single mom with a daughter in college, and that she was going in for a kidney transplant. She shared about how challenging life has been because she was furloughed from her job in February and put on dialysis in March. 

We were heartbroken by her story and prayed with her right there at the table. When we left we felt God had more to do so we collected money to have food delivered to her in bulk. We ended up raising over $800.

We are all just blown away by God’s goodness and faithfulness. It’s always crazy to see the impact that obedience to God has on the lives of others. 

—Abigail 

You never know how much your generosity can mean to someone. Your generosity can make all the difference. You don’t have to move across the world to make a difference in someone’s life. You can do it right here. Don’t know where to start? That’s okay! Visit us online at milestonechurch.com/missions for ways you can make a difference. 

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Shaun’s Story

“If I ever step foot in a church again, the building will cave in.” 

Maybe, you have thought or felt something similar. For Shaun, it felt especially true. Check out his story of redemption and life transformation. 

“I grew up in the church but was turned away by religion. My family was the type that would go on Sunday but not really live out their faith during the week. Growing up I had a lot of wounds from my relationship with my father. Around the age of fourteen I stopped believing in God, went down a dark path, turned to drugs and alcohol, and eventually became an atheist. 

Once I graduated from high school, I decided to join the Marine Corps and ended up meeting my wife while we were both stationed in Japan. When we got married and had kids, I told myself I would be better for my kids but I still couldn’t stop drinking.

When we retired from the marines my wife was radically impacted by God. She started going to church and was baptized. Every time she would bring up church I would feel a tug to go but I didn’t want to give up drinking. I knew that I didn’t want to be someone who went to church every weekend to repent and still do the same things. If I was going to commit, I wanted to be all in–but I wasn’t ready. 

We both ended up changing jobs and moving to Fort Wort where she immediately got plugged into Milestone. I would go with her on Easter and Christmas but not much else. However, I was impacted by watching how God changed her. She was a different person. She had so much grace for me. I was baffled. 

She would constantly tell me that I didn’t have to carry all my guilt and shame because God just wanted to have a relationship with me. While I knew that in my mind, it was still hard for me to accept because I just felt so dirty. 

Until one day when I was driving in my car and felt God’s presence so distinctly. I decided at that moment to give my life to Him. I pulled over, went to the Milestone Church website, clicked on the link that said “Meet Jesus,” and prayed the salvation prayer in my car. I signed up immediately afterwards to be baptized. 

I could not be more grateful for the way God has changed my life and my family. 

No matter how far you think you might be, you are never too far from the love of God. He wants to meet you right where you are at—in your home, in your car, or at your workplace. If you would like to meet Jesus you can go to milestonechurch.com/meetjesus or to take your next step you can sign up to be baptized at milestonechurch.com/baptisms. 

 

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Lindsay’s Story

At Milestone, we believe in empowering the next generation to be all that God has called them to be. The process may look different for each student, but we believe they all have the opportunity to reach their full potential. Lindsay is just one of many young adults who has been impacted by our high school ministry, Elevate, and is now a part of our inaugural class for Milestone College. Check out her story of life transformation. 

“It became so much more for me in that moment. It became spiritual family.” No student is ever too far gone for God to reach them. Through spiritual family, students can radically experience the love of God, learn to use their gifts, lead others, and find their purpose. To get your teenager plugged into Elevate, you can go to milestonechurch.com/students.

 

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To Our Teachers: You Matter

Here at Milestone we believe that you don’t have to wait to be great. Empowering the next generation to be all that God has called them to be is one of our greatest passions. The teachers in our community are the people who make this happen on a daily basis. Take a look at how your generosity has impacted the teachers in our community. 

 

Generosity Spotlight — Teacher’s Appreciation from Milestone Creative on Vimeo.

 

 

Milestone, thank you for being a generous church. Every time you give, serve, and love others you are empowering them to be all that God has called them to be. To learn more about how your generosity is making an impact or to give you can go to milestonechurch.com/give. 

 

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The Power of Prepare

A few years ago, we were on a road trip as a family. We were going camping and so our destination was in the middle of nowhere. My wife turned to me countless times and begged me to ask for directions, but I would just reassure her that I knew exactly where we were. A couple hours later one of my kids said something along the lines of: “We saw that rock earlier, Daddy.” And that’s when I knew that we had seen that rock, and the next, and the next because we had gone in one giant circle. 

 

It’s a funny illustration, but I think this happens to us a lot of times in life. We get stuck in the same cycles. Cycles of addiction, anger, pain, loneliness, etc. But the thing is—we don’t have to keep going in circles. God wants to bring breakthrough, healing, and freedom in our lives—all we have to do is ask Him. 

 

Prepare is a time every year that we come together as a church to do just this. We take three days to pray, fast, and seek God with everything we have. Every year, I am blown away by all that God does. He continues to restore marriages, heal diseases, bring financial breakthrough, and so much more. He is a God who hears our prayers! 

 

This year our needs—individually, as a church, and as a nation—are greater than ever.  Going into the fall and school year, I believe that it is more important than ever to press into everything that God has in store for us. So, this year we are doing something special—our first fall Prepare on August 17-19. We’re pressing in for the same spiritual impact we experience every year in our January Prepare event through prayer, fasting, and worship. But this time, we are expecting God to do so much more. If you have been feeling isolated, anxious, stuck, lonely, or even if you are in a good place, I encourage you to join in what God is doing. You can stream it online, host a watch party, or register to attend in person as we seek God together. Don’t miss this! I know God wants to meet you right where you’re at. I’m thankful for you and I’m excited to see all that God is going to do. 

 

—Pastor Jeff Little

 

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More than Money

When you hear the word “generosity” you may automatically think of money. But generosity is so much more than that. Generosity is freely giving to someone else what God has given you— whether it be talents, time, or resources—without expecting anything in return. One example of this is how your generosity impacted a widow in our church named Linda. Linda had several repairs that she needed done around her home and a group of people in our church used their gifts and time to serve her. Take a look at more of her story here. 

 

 

Milestone, we can truly say that you are a generous church! You give, serve, and love in a way that is making an impact in the lives of people just like Linda. It’s moments like this that remind us of the power of spiritual family.

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Generosity Transforms

Here at Milestone we truly believe that generosity transforms. Every time you give, serve, and love others you are making an eternal impact. Dorothy is just one example of how generosity can change someone’s life. Take a look at her story. 

Milestone, thank you for being a generous church! We serve an incredibly generous God and when we give out of our joy we become more like Him. He entrusts us with gifts so we can discover the unspeakable joy that comes from giving as we shine His light to a broken and hurting world. It’s because of your generosity that people like Dorothy are experiencing a deeper level of the love of God. 

 

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Pay It Forward

A simple act of kindness can have a massive impact. Something as small as a smile, someone letting you have the last parking spot, or a stranger paying for your food. If you have experienced this, you know how much joy it can bring. Cayla and her family are just one example of how simple acts of kindness can make a difference. Check out her story. 

“This was our first year serving on Serve Day. For our project my family and I helped build a fence for a single mom, cleaned up the neighborhood, and prayed over the schools in our community. After we had finished our project our group leader handed us these red cards to give to people. She prayed with us and encouraged us to find ways to continue serving people with them and invite them to church. After a long, hot day my kids came up with the idea to go to McDonald’s and hand them out by paying for someone’s order. We all ordered drinks and gave the employee at the window the Serve Day card and some cash to pay for the people behind us. As we pulled out of McDonald’s the car behind us was honking and waving which made my kids light up! We ended up going back to McDonald’s later in the day to get some ice cream only to find out that other people had continued the chain by paying it forward seven times!

As a mom, I teared up seeing the impact my kids were making. It melted my heart to see them be so kind and generous to strangers. During this time of so much uncertainty there is one thing I am certain about— the local church is the hope of the world.”

-Cayla 

Every time you give, you serve, you love someone who’s hurting, you pray for the sick, you invest time in the next generation, you forgive, you worship, you connect to others relationally, you’re not playing church. You’re joining God in His eternal purposes, even if it happens at McDonald’s. 

 

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One Act of Kindness Can Make a Difference

Last Saturday we sent volunteers out to meet the needs in our community. Although Serve Day may have looked a little different this year, it was still just as impactful. But, serving others isn’t something that is limited to one day a year. It’s something that Christians are called to live out daily. 

Lou Ann decided that instead of participating just on Serve Day she would serve for an entire week. Take a look at her story. 

“Being a senior here at Evergreen of Keller myself, I know how lonely it can get. I know how much my neighbors and I truly appreciate things like cards, letters, phone calls, or someone spending time with them. So, I chose purposeful acts of kindness as my project. It was the perfect fit because I had time to be in touch with several people during the week and I know how much it means when someone goes out of their way to serve you. 

Purposeful acts of kindness allowed me to spend more time with people on the phone, write letters, and drop by to see folks and bring them baked goods and gift cards. I wrote to people on our Bible study’s prayer list, tucked gift cards inside the letters, made visits to several of my neighbors who cannot get out for various health reasons, and took them milk shakes, bread pudding, flowers, phone cards, or paper goods and toiletries. 

Just having the extra time during the week to spend with people and pray with them and hear their stories was a blessing for me. It was my pleasure and honor to serve my Lord and Milestone this week and to pray for our church family.”

—Lou Ann 

Lou Ann went above and beyond to meet the needs she saw in the community. This is what spiritual family does—it goes the extra mile to love and serve people. Thank you to Lou Ann and all of our Serve Day volunteers. We can’t all do everything but, we can all do something and you are making a difference!

 

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What Serve Day means to a Single Mom

Serve Day 2020 is right around the corner. You may be asking the question: Why is Serve Day still happening? Even with all the challenges and difficulties of this time, we still believe the local church is the hope of the world. When we heard about the needs around us, we knew we had to do something. With everyone’s safety in mind, teams will be sent to serve refugees, veterans, single moms, those experiencing homelessness, widows, and the elderly. There are skilled home projects, baby showers for women who have chosen life, clean up and beautification projects to clear city code violations and lawn care needs, kindness projects, and many more. These are just a few ways that we as a church can show the love and hope of Jesus to those in need. One person who has been impacted by this is Amy. Check out her story.

“Serving is doing what’s necessary for someone that maybe they can’t do for themselves.” Amy’s story is just one of many who have been impacted by the love of spiritual family. If you would like to be apart of Serve Day 2020 you can register at milestonechurch.com/serveday.

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Faith for the Future

Here at Milestone, we believe the next generation has the potential to change the world. So many of them feel the pressure to have it all figured out, but when they are put in an environment that encourages young people to follow God’s call on their lives one step at a time, the results are radical. Take a look at one young man’s story of stepping out in faith to where God was calling him. 

“My whole life I have felt a strong draw towards God and even as a young man, I felt that I might go into ministry some day. I’ve always tried to make an effort to improve myself and grow in my relationship with the Lord.

Last summer I attended Milestone’s summer camp. I started to think about my future after high school and I began praying that God would show me the vision He had for my future. And to be honest, I didn’t really hear anything while I was there. It was frustrating. 

However, I got the opportunity to talk with Pastor Jeff that summer and I asked if there was any way I could join a student internship or something at Milestone. I didn’t know exactly what it looked like, all I knew is that I wanted to grow. It was in that conversation that Pastor Jeff told me about his dream of starting Milestone College, and that it might soon be a reality. 

I left that conversation excited, nervous, and ready for whatever was to come. I went home and started praying that God would open doors for me to attend Milestone College. Even though I was praying for this, I still wasn’t sure exactly what God was calling me to. It wasn’t until I attended the interest meeting that I was sure that God was calling me to attend Milestone College. I felt His peace like never before and I just knew. 

Even though times have been hard for all of us lately. I feel like during quarantine God really prepared my heart for this next season. I’m excited to see all that he does in and through me at Milestone College.” 

—Gabe 

This is what it’s all about—creating an environment where young people feel empowered to pursue God and whatever He is calling them to. I am so proud of Gabe and all the other young people who are a part of our first inaugural class at Milestone College for stepping out. I am proud to be your pastor and excited to see all God is going to do. 

-Pastor Jeff 

 

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A Place to Call Home

We all long for someplace to call home—to belong. Once you’ve experienced this it can become hard to leave. But God often calls us to go. And when we go we can often end up feeling homesick. Maybe, like Betsy, you have experienced this feeling. Take a look at her story of finding a greater sense of belonging and the inspiration behind our new EP “Home.” 

“Our acceptance and where we are found is not in anything that we do, it’s not in an accomplishment—we are found in Jesus.” 

You can stream the album “Home” wherever you get your music or download it for free at milestonechurch.com/downloads. 

 

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Don’t Do Life Alone

“All my life, I said I hated small groups. People are fake. I don’t need to go share my feelings with strangers.” 

We can all relate to these types of anxious thoughts driven by fear. Clint just happened to put it into words. This past December Clint shared with us on the blog how spiritual family changed his life, but it wasn’t just a one time thing. Take a look at how he is still experiencing the power of spiritual family.

“I met Marc through a Freedom group. His compassion, spirit, love, and faith is phenomenal. He’s what I want to be like when I grow up. We started a small group and it was going great—until COVID-19 hit. 

At my restaurant I had to step in and work extra shifts. I own two locations. It was double the work. I wasn’t sure my business was going to make it. Prior to this I had lost everything. My father died, I lost my marriage, I had to take my mother off of life support, and start a new job in a new state. 

 

I was overwhelmed and broken. 

 

It wasn’t until I joined a Freedom group at Milestone that I understood that even though I was experiencing pain, I didn’t have to do it alone. 

During a hard week at work I was feeling especially discouraged. I glanced at my phone to see a text message from Marc saying that he wanted to come eat lunch at my Keller location. It seemed odd to me at first because he lives closer to my other location, but I was glad to see him. 

He texted me ‘I’m here man. Come outside.’ As soon as I walked outside I was blown away. My entire small group was standing outside the deli! They all took time out of their day to buy food, pray for me, bless me with gift cards, and just love on me. 12 guys who took time out of their day to simply encourage me.  

All my life, I said I hated small groups. People are fake. I don’t need to go share my feelings with strangers—until spiritual family changed me. 

— Clint 

 

Spiritual family isn’t just a bunch of people who meet together once a week to check a box. It’s people who walk with you through your best and most challenging moments and love you the same. And it’s not something that is only available for ‘special’ people. There’s a place for you! If you’d like to get connected to a small group and experience what Clint and so many others have you can join at https://milestonechurch.com/connect/small-groups/.

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