A Word from Pastor Z to the Church I Love…

Howdy Dream City Church!
And my FACEBOOK FAMILY!!!

Sunday was INCREDIBLE.

Every time we gather, you can feel something special happening in the room!!!

….and this Sunday was no different.

I love what Jesus is doing in and through our church, and I’m so grateful for every one of you.

I want to take a moment and cover a few important things as we head into the new year, because I truly believe 2026 is going to be a year of amazing blessing for our church and for your families.

Dream Family…As we step into this new season, I want to remind you of a simple challenge I gave our church on Sunday…

I'm challenging all of us to Pray for at least one hour a week.

That’s it. That’s doable. That’s realistic.

Sixty minutes over seven days.

But here’s the question that determines whether it actually happens…

Where do you pray?

Not when. Not if. Where.

Most people don’t struggle with DESIRE…they struggle with DECISION.

So I’m asking you to set a place and a space.

A chair.
A room.
A corner.
A walk.

A place where your heart knows, “This is where I meet with God.”

As we head into this year, let’s commit to praying intentionally for…

Our families
Our marriages
Our kids
And our church

How we start a season matters.

Next Sunday’s Special New Year Offering

Next Sunday, we’re also going to receive a special offering as we step into 2026. 

We’re calling it our Threshold Offering.

A THRESHOLD is the place you step over when you’re entering something new.

This offering represents us saying,
“God, we’re stepping into 2026 believing You have more for us as a church.”

This isn’t pressure.
This isn’t guilt.
And this is not about the amount.

This is about faith.

How we start a season often determines how we finish it.

As a young church, Dream City depends on faithful, consistent generosity to take on new challenges, reach new people, and take new ground.

This offering is a way for us to begin the year declaring…

“God, we believe You have more for us.”

I’m asking every one of us to please, pray and ask the Lord,

“What would You have me give as an act of faith as we begin this year?”

Not equal giving…
but equal sacrifice.

A Heart-Check Question (This Is Important)

Here’s the question I want you to wrestle with HONESTLY.

“If everyone at Dream City gave the way I give… would this church survive?”

Not thrive.
Not grow.
Survive.

If MY giving were the standard…
Would ministry continue?
Would lives still be reached?
Would this house stay strong?

This isn’t about shame.
It’s about stewardship.

Because if the answer is zero, or sporadic, or spare change, then we need to ask something deeper.

Would we want our church to operate at the level of our commitment?

We don’t give to keep the lights on.
We give to keep the mission moving.

Something else we talked about Sunday was SPIRITUAL DRIFT…Running on Low Power

Most people think spiritual drift happens like turning off a light….suddenly you notice, and you have time to flip it back on.

Like a flame going out.
One moment you’re burning, the next you’re cold.

But that’s not how it usually works.

Our soul isn’t like a lighter.
It’s more like a battery.

A flame goes out instantly….you notice it right away.

A battery drains slowly….and you don’t realize it’s weak until it already is.

Nobody wakes up spiritually dead.
They wake up spiritually low.

That’s what happened to Samson.
He didn’t feel weak…he was just running on low power.

The problem with low power is that things still work… just not like they used to.

Prayer still works.
Worship still moves you.
Conviction still speaks…just quieter.

Low power starts to feel normal.
Even familiar. THAT IS DANGERIOUS!

Because you no longer remember what full power felt like.

Connection Is the Key…

Batteries by themselves don’t produce power.

You can have potential, history, and consistency…and still have no impact if you’re not connected to purpose.

Power doesn’t come from proximity.
It comes from connection.

Fire is different.

Fire multiplies when it’s shared.

Our soul produces power like fire…
but it loses power like a battery.

When we’re disconnected, we slowly drain.
When we’re connected, we produce heat.

Hunger isn’t about intensity.
It’s about connection.

God didn’t leave.
Your soul just ran low.

You don’t need new batteries.
You need to be plugged in again.

Why We Do What We Do at Dream City

At Dream City, this is why we do what we do.

We want to make it easy to follow Jesus
and hard to step away.

Not because we pressure people.
Not because we guilt people.

But because connection fuels hunger.

We want it to be easy to…

Stay plugged into community
Serve with purpose
Grow in your faith
Belong before you believe…and grow as you believe

And hard to Drift into isolation, Disappear unnoticed, Quietly run on low power…

Because when people stay connected,
They stay warm.
They stay hungry.
They stay alive.

We’re not interested in filling a room.
We’re committed to fueling hearts.

And we believe when connection stays strong,
the fire does too!

I hope you and your family are having an amazing holiday season and finding moments to rest, laugh, and enjoy time together.

Please know how much Cara and I love you and how grateful we are to pastor this church family.

We are SO EXCITED for 2026 and all that God is already preparing for Dream City Church.

What’s ahead is bigger than what’s behind, and we truly believe the best days of this house are still in front of us.

I can’t wait to see you THIS SUNDAY as we gather together again. It’s going to be a powerful, faith-filled morning as we step over the threshold into a new season together.

We love you.
We believe in you.
And we are expectant for what God is about to do.

See you Sunday, Dream City! —PZ