My 2023 in 23 Photos

It is difficult to summarize all that happens in life, family, ministry, and church within a year, but I wanted to try. Looking back helps me see God’s faithful hand all along the way.

We started a new initiative for Bible reading plans in the Recommission Network and had hundreds join us in the Word for the year.

We hosted our first Entrust Conference with Chuck Lawless, a professor who discipled me through seminary. We recreated our graduation pose with Obadiah from years ago.

At the Converge Conference weekend, I got to preach through the entire narrative of Scripture to college students from all over South Carolina.

Amanda and I celebrated 19 years of marriage this year, and we still like to date each other.

We had 4 churches partnering together to form 40 teams of 400 people to serve our city in our first GO GVL week.

We opened up our first mission house to help missionaries renew for their next assignments. The entire project was an incredible God-story.

Easter 2023 was a wonderful day where I got to preach 5 times (3 in English, 1 in Spanish, and 1 in prison), and our family partnered together all day to watch God at work.

I preached through the Book of Exodus in 2023, and it took us all 53 Sundays allotted to us. This study was challenging yet so incredibly rewarding.

We baptized 19 on Easter Sunday, but while I was thrilled to be in the tank for many, stories like this father and son caused me never to be so excited to not be the one baptizing.

I don’t know how we got here so quickly, but my firstborn is driving. I’d ride shotgun with him anywhere.

My family participated in the Piedmont Women’s Center 5K again this year and used whatever influence we had to get more people support than ever before.

Within 2 weeks of each other, I had two teen drivers. I couldn’t be more happy for them.

We prioritized new adventures as a family this year, and we were able to experience some great ones.

I preached 2 weeks for Fuge and was amazed to see 225 students profess Christ for the first time. Ring those bells!

I watched my sons embark on their first mission trip that wasn’t a tag-along with me. It was a surreal moment.

At One Night Spartanburg, we saw over 100 students profess Christ. I have never seen such a hunger for the gospel as I have in this year.

My son finished his first triathlon, I completed my third, and we both medaled in our categories.

I stepped up my intentional boss role with our staff this year to create a thorough strategy for development.

With a team in Kenya, I shared the gospel, trained pastors, and helped the needy more on that trip than any other I had ever encountered.

We watched our daughter try brave new opportunities this year and shine through every single one of them.

This October baptism by the waterfall was frigid but worth it. I had prayed at the beginning of the year to be a part of 100 baptisms. Including this one and a few within a prison, I was able to help baptize 102 people. That doesn’t include the baptisms within the Recommission Network.

With my daughter on violin, and my boys on supportive instruments, I watched my children advance in their musical skills.

I made a vow that as long as my children asked me to go, I’d do anything, anywhere, anytime with them. They took me up on it, and I got to have some special memories all along the way.