GOD IS ON THE MOVE
2025 Year in Review
As we celebrate Christmas and close out 2025, I’m grateful for all that God has done and is doing through His church in Central Florida. It is a great honor and privilege to be able to not only serve in my local church but also to collaborate week in and week out with other pastors, leaders, and churches across our city and region. I’ve found myself several times this year in moments of clarity and awe, struck by an awareness of the really really great pastors and leaders I’m blessed to know and work with throughout Central Florida. I’m so grateful for everyone who is investing in, supporting, and championing church planting in our region!
We are blessed by our partnership and collaboration with the following churches and church plants: Action Church, Beloved Church, Calvary Chapel Lake Buena Vista, Central Sanford,
Church of South Lake, Cornerstone Church, Esperança BPC Orlando, Esperança BPC Fort Myers, Esperança BPC Jacksonville, First Baptist Winter Park, First Orlando, Fuente de Esperanza, Horizon City Church, Kings Cross, La Viña, Lakeland BPC, Mosaic Church, New City Orlando, New City Fellowship, One Family Church, Orlando Baptist, Oviedo City Church, Refuge Church, Restoration Church Sanford, Summit Church, Tampa BPC, The Grove Church, Trinity Free Church, Trinity Lake Nona, and Village Point Church.
During the first half of this year, our third Finishing Cohort graduated and 4 new churches have launched from that cohort: Kings Cross, Fuente de Esperanza, Esperança BPC Fort Myers, Esperança BPC Jacksonville. That brings the total number of new churches planted by our Alumni to 7.
Among these 7 churches that have been planted, we have seen 12 salvations, 23 baptisms, and 370 people in regular attendance in 2025. These numbers represent lives that are being impacted by the gospel and disciples being made as people connect with these new local churches. We praise God for how He is at work through these planters and church plants. Join us in praying for more growth, salvations, and baptisms in 2026 in these churches!
In September, we kicked off our 4th Finishing Cohort with 5 new planters and our 3rd Foundational Cohort with 7 leaders (potential future planters).
Our current church planting residents in the 2025-2026 Finishing Cohort are Carlos Belza - planting in the Eustis area, Bo Hutchens - planting in Montverde, Caleb York - planting in South Clermont (the Four Corners area), Felipe Echeverri - planting in Orlando, Andre Bettini - also planting in Orlando. We are excited, by God’s grace, to hopefully see these planters launch 5 new churches in 2026.
Christmas and Church Planting
As we celebrate the Christmas season, we focus our attention on the birth of Jesus and we are reminded of the beautiful truth of the incarnation.
John 1:14–18 (ESV) says And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; God the only Son, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.
John 1:14 in The Message says “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood…”
In the incarnation God becomes a human to dwell among us, he moves into the neighborhood! Why? John says he did it to give us grace and truth and to make the Father known to us. From Jesus we receive grace upon grace! Wow, how amazing is that? And Jesus told his disciples, “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”
The incarnation of Christ reminds us why and how we plant churches. In church planting, we move into the neighborhood to bring people grace and truth through Jesus Christ. We move into the neighborhood to make the Father known to more and more people. In church planting, we follow in Jesus’ footsteps as “sent ones” on Mission to see the multiplication of people coming to know Jesus, seeing his glory, and receiving his grace and truth. This is what we get to be a part of in church planting.
So as you celebrate the birth of Christ this Christmas season, may you be reminded of our call to plant churches in every neighborhood, among every people group to the Glory of God!
Support Church Planting
In 2026, we want to grow the number of financial partners supporting church planting through giving monthly or annual support to OCPN. If you are already giving monthly or annually to OCPN, thank you!
If you would like to join us as a financial partner supporting church planting in Central Florida, start by giving an end of the year gift before Dec 31st, visit https://www.plantorlando.org/give