Hey Church Family,

Donny Martin here.

It’s hard to believe it’s already been five years since I was ordained as a pastor and stepped into full-time ministry. Looking back, Rachelle and I can only marvel at how God has grown and stretched us through both the highs and the lows. One of the most important things we learned is how satisfying it is to reap the fruit of staying where God has you, and I’m humbled by the Lord’s faithfulness through it all.

So much has happened in these past several years, and I’ll give a bunch of detailed updates below.

Not mentioned, some of the most significant things for our family, has been moving into Chester to serve as urban missionaries and Rachelle graduating nursing school (top of her class, of course!), and she’s now practicing as a registered nurse, which has been a lifelong dream of hers.

PROGRAMS

In this current season of ministry, I’ve been coordinating a range of outreach and discipleship efforts across our community. This includes community food outreach, counseling men in our discipleship program, overseeing our Homework Club after-school program, leading “One Way,” our youth group for teens, and helping develop our new student leader program.

Each of these ministries has one central thread running through them: the Word of God. Whether it’s Sunday services, Bible studies, youth nights, or counseling sessions, my primary calling remains to preach, teach, and apply Scripture in every context.

FAMILY UPDATE

As much as we have seen joy, we have also walked through deep sorrow.

In May 2024, Rachelle’s sister passed away. We still grieve her loss deeply, though we rest in the hope that she is with the Lord.

Rachelle’s parents are doing well. They just returned from Honduras after serving their first mission trip! We’re grateful we get to visit them at least once a year — those times together are a gift and a true refreshment for our family.

On my side, my mom — who is also part of our Greenhouse church family — has been diagnosed with late-stage kidney disease and is currently on dialysis. Our family has rallied around her in love and support as we continue to pray for a kidney donor. We are asking the church family to join us in prayer and to share her donor information with anyone who may feel led to help.

We have also walked through a long and difficult season of trying to grow our family. After nearly two years without success and seeking the Lord’s guidance, we prayerfully decided to pursue embryo adoption. This is a process where we will adopt embryos from another family who has undergone IVF and have embryos they will not use.

We are so hopeful that we can grow our family this way, as well as give life to these embryos and hope to the family who will choose us! We are currently in the matching phase.

Of course there is no guarantee that we will conceive or deliver a baby through this process, but we are hopeful and the Lord has been gracious to us as we wait, reminding us of His promises.

A verse we have clung to is Psalm 126:5–6:

“Those who sow in tears
shall reap with shouts of joy!
He who goes out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
bringing his sheaves with him.”

We believe none of it is vain, and we will have a joyful harvest! We see it already in the work God is doing with the young men and women he has placed in our care.

RECENT HIGHLIGHT

In the balance of all God is doing in our lives, we always cherish time in nature with our Homework Club youth! Check out the highlights from a recent fishing trip — a real adventure that takes the kids out of the city, into God’s creation, and enjoying slow moments.

View youth fishing trip