In 2018, as a group of soul winners were praying for a church, Pastor Boyle was asking God to lead him in his next steps. The first service took place on a Wednesday night in a rundown strip mall, with a makeshift pulpit and few attendees. It was the start of Revival.

Over the past eight years, God has multiplied a handful of willing workers into a church family exceeding 150 members, all with a passion for winning lost souls. And though our church looks a lot different from those early days, both in terms of congregation and the building itself, our foundation remains the same - same message, same Bible, same authority, same God!

This weekend, we marked our 8th anniversary with a soul-winning marathon that saw 17 people saved and another 15 saved during our regular Sunday soul-winning the next day. As a church member recently pointed out, many churches use their anniversaries to look back on the glory days, when God was still using them to do a great work but, praise God we are able to look back just a few hours to see His work at hand.

Our eighth year had many highlights, from Pastor Moreno being ordained as the leader of the Spanish ministry to our missionaries, Ricky and Lauren, being sent out, as well as having a tremendous start to our jail ministry. But the work doesn't stop there…

Anniversary Sunday was all about keeping the race before us and pressing onwards to the goal. Pastor brought a message that reminded us that there are seasons in ministry and, while growth is not always linear, it is important to keep sowing so that we can enjoy fruit in due season; we must be stedfast, relying on God to sustain us as he has done for the past eight years.

A particularly poignant moment was when Pastor asked the original members of Revival to stand, fully highlighting just how much God has grown our ministry since the doors opened.

We got to hear their perspective on the past eight years, the consensus being that, after years of searching, it was refreshing to be in a church with correct doctrine; A church that stands firmly on the word of God and still believes in the power of soul-winning.

Brother Garrett also touched on the fact that, at the same time his old church was actively discouraging him and his wife from having children, Revival was praying for God to bless them with a family.

And it’s in the youth at Revival Baptist Church that we truly see the power of all that God has done these past eight years. It is a blessing to see a generation of young people who have known nothing but Revival - nothing but loving the Lord and serving him - when so many of us adults carry the regrets of having lived in the world.

Whether helping at church events, like the kids who enthusiastically ran their own shaved ice stand this Anniversary Sunday, or winning countless souls to Christ, they are already serving the Lord with joy. It’s as we look to them that we are motivated to preserve what we have, here at Revival, so that the work does not end with us.

A final thought from our Pastor:

Eight years ago, on May 18, 2018, Revival Baptist Church opened its doors with no way of knowing all that God would do through this work. What began in faith has become a testimony of God’s goodness and blessing. Over these eight years, we have seen countless souls saved, families restored and strengthened, children raised in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, missionaries encouraged, missions trips taken around the world, and the gospel carried to every county in our great state.

What a joy it has been to watch the Lord build His church! Every sermon preached, every soul-winning effort, every prayer prayed, and every sacrifice made has been part of a much greater story that God is writing.

As we celebrate eight years, our hearts are filled with gratitude for what He has done, but also anticipation for what is still to come. May the Lord continue to use this ministry to reach the lost, strengthen families, train laborers, and bring many sons unto glory.

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Last Saturday, we hosted our annual Ladies’ Luncheon in honor of Mother’s Day. Ladies were invited to bring the mother figures in their lives to enjoy a morning of fun, food, and fellowship.

Our Pastor’s wife, Miss Robin, started proceedings with some thoughts on the importance of prayer, which was the focus of this year’s luncheon. She reminded us that God wants us to come to him in prayer, that he hears us, especially when we are overwhelmed, and that even when we are so brokenhearted we cannot pray, God is near to us. Anyone who knows Miss Robin knows she is not a fan of public speaking, but we were all greatly encouraged by the wisdom she shared on this subject.

Some Bible trivia quizzes were next on the agenda, as well as some other games and activities. It was a very colorful event, from the beautiful decor to a fairly lively game of charades. We were even able to create our own beaded bag charms to take home, which we all thoroughly enjoyed making.

The morning ended with us anonymously selecting a “Secret Sister" to pray for over the next six weeks, with our teen and younger girls also taking part. It’ll be a fantastic opportunity to grow closer as sisters in Christ, to find ways to be a blessing to each other, and to show the younger generation how important it is to pray (although, as Miss Morgan pointed out, they often remember to pray better than we do).

We are so grateful for all the wonderful mothers and ladies at Revival who are helping to shape the next generation. Let’s remember to lift them up in prayer today and throughout the year to come.  

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy - Philippians 1:3–4

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Ten months ago, we said goodbye to two of our faithful church members, Ricky and Lauren Carlson, as they embarked on their mission to spread the gospel across Paraguay. Having had a heart for the Spanish-speaking world for many years, this was the first time God had opened the doors for them to serve as full-time missionaries.

The Carlsons faithfully filled in for Brother Mojica at Iglesia Bautista Nueva Vida in Guarambaré, running both church services each week and seeking every opportunity to share the gospel with Paraguayians.

On April 11th, a plane full of our church members flew over to join their efforts, with a missions trip that saw 97 people saved.

It was a “glad reunion day” when Ricky and Lauren returned, along with the rest of our missionaries, to share testimonies of all the ways God had used them during their ten-month deployment. We were particularly impressed by how far they had advanced with their Spanish, with Ricky now being able to preach full sermons in Spanish and Lauren seeing her first soul saved fully in the Spanish language during the Paraguay missions trip.

Though this chapter of their ministry has come to an end, it is only the beginning of their story as missionaries. Ricky and Lauren are now thick into their furlough trail, traveling across the US to share their vision for Paraguay. We are excited to see what is in store for them next, especially as they are now expecting their first child together.

In Ricky’s own words, “Our time on the mission field has proven that the harvest in Paraguay is truly white and ready. We are rejoicing with every soul saved…and are more excited than ever to get back to the work!”.

To follow The Carlsons’ updates and support their mission, visit their website here. You can also support them directly below, by selecting 'The Carlson Family'.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. - 1 Corinthians 15:58