Moving Forward in Faith
Lake Houston Methodist Church is entering a season of intentional prayer, reflection, and vision. From August 2025 through Easter Sunday, April 5, 2026, we are committing ourselves to seek God’s direction for the next chapter of our life and ministry together.
This is not just a leadership process—it’s a church-wide spiritual journey. Through small group gatherings, prayer nights, surveys, and worship, we will listen deeply for where God is leading us and prepare to align our mission accordingly.
We invite you to walk with us through each stage—engaged, expectant, and surrendered to God’s leading.
Below you’ll find a timeline of the journey, important updates, and ways to participate.
Choose a link to jump straight to that section.
Cottage Meeting Recap
Dear Church Family,
Over the past several weeks, we gathered in five Cottage Meetings across our church family and then came together for a Recap Meeting on Sunday, August 17. These were rich times of listening, sharing, and praying together about God’s future for Lake Houston Methodist Church.
At that recap meeting, we:
• Shared key themes and insights that emerged from the Cottage Meetings
• Heard heartfelt testimonies
• Reflected through a recap message
• Provided printed summaries for everyone present
We know not everyone could attend, so we’re making the recap deliverables available to the whole church. You’ll find each resource linked below:
A look at the flow and purpose of the recap gathering.
A combined summary of the major themes and insights shared in the Cottage Meetings.
A full list of questions emailed before the meetings, along with thoughtful responses.
⸻
As we close this Discovery Phase, we invite you to explore these materials and continue participating.
If you have more input or questions, please:
Email us at oneboard@lakehoustonmethodist.org
Or Join the Vision Journey Group to stay deeply connected through Easter 2026.
The Vision Journey Group is perfect for those who want:
• Detailed updates
• Opportunities to provide additional input
• A front-row seat in the process
⸻
This is our final input-gathering step before we move forward to:
1. The Congregational Survey
2. The Vision & Leadership Retreat
3. The Implementation Phase leading toward Easter 2026
Let’s continue listening together, celebrating what God is doing, and taking the next faithful steps forward.
Cottage Meetings - July 21-August 4 - (COMPLETE)
Over the next few weeks, small groups will meet in homes across our church family to pray, reflect, and speak about their perception of the needs and direction of our church. These cottage meetings will allow us to hear the heartbeat of the congregation. You may have received an email however you can also visit our website to find a cottage meeting in your neighborhood.
Congregational Recap Sunday - August 17 (COMPLETE)
On this Sunday evening, we will share the key themes and insights from the Cottage Meetings. The service will include testimonies, a recap message, and a printed summary. This moment helps the entire church hear what was shared across the different homes, forming a unified starting point for discernment.
Church Wide Survey September 7-21
To widen the conversation, we will invite every member and regular attender to complete a survey. The survey will clarify emerging themes, gather feedback on ministry direction, and offer space for new insights. It will be offered digitally and in print.
Prayer and Vision Night - October 5
This will be a worship-filled evening of Scripture, reflection, and prayer. The tone will be quiet, reverent, and open—a sacred pause in the middle of the journey. We will bring our hopes and questions to God and listen in return.
Vision and Leadership Retreat - November 1
Our leadership will gather for a focused retreat to reflect on everything that has been shared and begin drafting the shape of our church’s next season of ministry. This is a strategic planning day anchored in prayer. The output will be a vision and a mission statement that is agreed upon by the clergy and the lay leadership.
Advent - December 2025
We will take a step back from the vision and mission implementation planning process during December to honor the Advent season. The focus during this time will be on worship, celebration, and preparation for Christ’s coming.
Vision Reveal Series - January 25
Through a four-week sermon and Spirit-led series, we will reveal the key themes, ministry focuses, and structural shifts for our church moving forward. This will be a time of clarity, celebration, and accepting the shared calling. Worship, testimonies, and group guides will help bring the vision to life.
Implementation Phase - February 22
During this two-week period, church members will be invited to take next steps: joining teams, deepening prayer, serving in new ways, and embracing what the Lord is calling us to be doing. This is when we shift from hearing the vision to living it.
Easter Sunday - April 5
On Easter Sunday, we will celebrate the resurrection of Christ and the launch of LHMC’s renewed vision. This will be our “Go Forth” moment—commissioning our church to boldly live out the mission God has given us.
A Letter From our Pastor
Dear Church Family,
Over the past several years, we have walked through seasons of great challenge—and great faith.
We’ve faced the disruption and devastation of a flood that impacted many of our families and our community. We’ve walked through the emotional and spiritual journey of disaffiliation. We’ve prayed and discerned together, and by God’s grace, we are now firmly established in the Global Methodist Church—united in doctrine, in purpose, and in hope.
In many ways, the foundation has been rebuilt. The storm has passed. And now, we are standing in a new season—a season not of survival, but of calling.
I believe with all my heart that God is not finished with Lake Houston Methodist Church. In fact, I believe the real work of ministry is just beginning.
That’s why I, along with our Vision Task Force, am entering a season of intentional prayer and discernment—not only as your pastor, but as part of a leadership team committed to listening deeply and leading faithfully.
This task force includes our program staff and the lay leaders who serve as committee chairs within our One Board structure. Together, we are asking God what He desires for our church and how He is calling us to live out His mission in this next chapter.
But this is not just our journey—it’s one we are inviting our entire church to walk together.
Beginning in August 2025 and continuing through Easter 2026, our church will enter a Spirit-led process of prayer, reflection, and alignment. Through cottage meetings, a church-wide survey, a month of focused prayer in October, and a leadership retreat, we’ll ask one central question:
“Lord, what are You calling Lake Houston Methodist Church to do—for such a time as this?”
This question matters because we are not the same church we were five years ago. And neither is our community.
Thousands of new homes are being built right around us. New families are arriving. Children are growing up just down the street. Many of these neighbors have never heard the gospel, never experienced the love of Jesus, and never been invited into a faith community.
We have a holy opportunity: to become the kind of church that reaches those who are searching. To bring hope. To live with purpose. To be a light.
But that begins not with strategy, but with surrender. Not with noise, but with listening.
So I invite you—humbly and wholeheartedly—to pray with us. Walk with us. Join us in seeking God’s heart for our church and our future.
Let’s listen together. Let’s trust together. And when the time comes, let’s move forward in faith.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Russell Martin