Return. Rebuild. Reimagine. Initiative
Pathfinder is on a journey. Every man, woman, and child has an impact God is calling them to make. To accomplish our ministry targets, we need all hands on deck. We need you!
In 23 months, you’ve been a part of remarkable progress toward Return. Rebuild. Reimagine. Here’s a quick look at what we’ve all been able to complete, as well as what’s in progress and what’s ahead.
![]() |
Recruited and installed new associate pastor – AJ Mastic. |
![]() |
Launched Whole Life Action Teams and Pop-Up events to enable next steps and inspire connection. |
![]() |
Launched Missions Week. Each summer, the “yellow shirt brigade” is out making a difference and building relationships. |
![]() |
Supported three local, life-giving nonprofits with $50,000 through the 2022 Easter Giveaway. This radically generous and creative giveaway was picked up by Fox2News. |
![]() |
Installed 16 energy-efficient HVAC units and control system. |
![]() |
Updated Sanctuary lobby with new paint, carpeting, and ADA accessible doors. |
![]() |
Installed new Sanctuary projectors. |
![]() |
Upgraded production equipment in both Kids and Student Ministries. |
![]() |
Launched a Pathfinder Church app (version 1.0) tailored to your God-directed journey. |
![]() |
Launched My Pathfinder portal for attendees to access profile, whole life next steps, giving, and more. |
![]() |
Recruited Action Teams Director, Ashley Culpepper. |
![]() |
Recruited Video Storyteller, Erin Hinkle. |
![]() |
Installed new Sanctuary cameras. |
![]() |
Upgraded campus security. |
![]() |
Launched App 2.0 with additional and upgraded features. |
![]() |
Added features to MyPathfinder portal for expanded functionality. |
![]() |
Coordinate Fall 2022 Awareness Campaign (Say it. Show it. Share it.) |
![]() |
Replaced Cornerstone Roof. |
![]() |
Installed 11 additional energy-efficient HVAC units. |
![]() |
Increase SEO and search marketing to connect with more people online. |
![]() |
Launch Whole Life Intensives – retreat-like events that offer deeper insight into the six areas of a whole life. |
![]() |
Repurpose 1st floor Cornerstone as a Whole Life center. |
![]() |
Share Whole Life approach and model with churches across the country. |
![]() |
Commission new Sanctuary altar and baptismal font. |
![]() |
Renovate restrooms in both the Sanctuary and Kids Ministry. |
All of this is in addition to our life-changing weekends
![](https://pathfinderstl.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/rrr-giving-targets-22-2023.png)
Like many organizations, Pathfinder experienced a decline in giving during the pandemic. In order to fulfill our ministry vision, we need to grow our annual giving by at least $1.6 million as we move toward December 2023.
We ask everyone who calls Pathfinder home to participate. The pledge is from October 2021 to December 2023 for a total of 27 months, but you can join the initiative at any time.
Now is the time to start reflecting on how much you gave to Pathfinder in the last 6-12 months and how God is calling you to move along the Generosity Journey to keep the work of Jesus alive in our community at the level you expect from our ministry!
How is Return. Rebuild. Reimagine. advancing our mission?
Pathfinder is a church on track to make an increasing impact in our community. Our last ministry plan, NEXT, removed several barriers to reaching more people and prepared us for a season of greater outreach and impact. The week after completing NEXT we were sidelined by the global pandemic response.
Since October 2021, we’ve set our eyes forward through Return. Rebuild. Reimagine (each area is explained below). As the Progress Report above shows, we’ve been able to take several major steps forward. To continue this progress, we need your help.
We will first call our people to return to community, flesh and blood relationships, to in-person church attendance, and to a life of mission! As an organization we will return to our pre-COVID path, living out our brand pillars and bringing together imperfect people in pursuit of a whole life!
Much of life survived the pandemic unscathed, but there are things that need to be rebuilt: relationships strained by distance or dissonance, lives rocked by the loss of loved ones, and household economies set back by pandemic realities. As a ministry, we lost givers and volunteers. To thrive in our future, we must rebuild what has been knocked down, including volunteers and givers. We will also focus on rebuilding parts of our aging campus infrastructure as our campus “comes of age” in the next few years.
What we’re returning to and rebuilding looks different! God is not in the business of taking us backward but forward. As many people are rethinking careers and reassessing their deepest values, our ministry is reimagining what it means to be a church. In addition to providing great weekend experiences, we want to trailblaze new paths that will help more people find greater wholeness in every part of their lives. The Pathfinder of tomorrow will be a new iteration of the Pathfinder we love today. And many more people will be reached by our focus on a whole life.
Increase outside awareness of our ministry.
From how we market ourselves or how we serve, we want to be a beacon of what’s RIGHT in the world.
- Build positive rapport through serve initiatives like Prosper the City, Missions Week, and more.
- Manage and actively raise awareness of Pathfinder online as a way to extend our reach.
- Reach diverse audiences in a changing West County.
- Address the age gap (18-30).
- Continue promoting the unique opportunities at St. John School.
Continue wise technology investments.
Technology has been essential to our expanded reach and is a trademark of our ministry approach.
- Continue to develop and improve our new Pathfinder App.
- Continue investment in our online Pathfinder community through live streams and new strategies.
- Invest in technology improvements in Pathfinder Kids & Students environments.
Steward our aging campus infrastructure.
Our campus is our largest financial asset, we must protect it by investing in aging infrastructure as it comes of age.
- While this will be funded through congregationally approved debt financing (May 2021), it will also require the attention of our leadership to implement it well.
- In the end, we’ll not only rebuild critical systems (HVAC, Roofs, Security, Fire Monitoring), but we’ll reimagine them to be greener and more cost-effective.
Focus our ministry on the "Whole Life" of Jesus.
Not everyone is looking for a weekend service or great Kids Ministry, but everyone is after a whole life. By helping people live a whole life, we get to introduce them to Jesus, the author of wholeness.
- Reorient church programming around a “whole life” approach, while maintaining strong weekend ministry.
- Recruit community partners for collaborative work towards this focus.
- Help you become living billboards for wholeness.
- Call additional staff to support our growing ministry.
The Pathfinder Family
When I walked through the doors again for the first time, it was an emotional experience. I have missed being in church with other people, so much more than I realized. I love our church family. And I love seeing new faces every week. It’s so exciting to be back.
Each week, we’ve seen returning and NEW families. Kids are excited to be here! Volunteers have not yet returned at the same levels. We need more volunteers in order to continue offering excellent kids ministry, which is true of all of our ministries!”
Pray
Take a Retreat
Pledge
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
HOW IS RETURN. REBUILD. REIMAGINE. ADVANCING OUR MISSION?
RRR was created with our mission as the foundation, to bring together imperfect people in pursuit of a whole life. We have set four specific ministry targets to help us stay on track.
IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RRR AND THE EXISTING ONE FUND?
Every contribution to God’s work at Pathfinder Church is a contribution to our RRR initiative. Every aspect of the ministry vision God is calling us towards will be funded through RRR. There will NOT be separate funds. Every gift made will go into the same RRR fund. Therefore, every weekend becomes an opportunity to celebrate and contribute to all that God is doing in and through Pathfinder Church.
WHY IS MY PARTICIPATION SO IMPORTANT?
We want everyone to participate in RRR because we believe that everyone, from children to grandparents, can be blessed by learning to give generously, trust God to provide for our needs, and be part of something that makes a difference in people’s lives.
WHAT IS THE LENGTH OF THE COMMITMENT TO RRR?
RRR is a 27- month initiative (October 2021-December 2023). Feel free to give weekly, monthly, or annually, whatever works for you. If you have not yet pledged, we invite you to join the hundreds of households who have made their commitment. You can begin today!
WHY SHOULD I CONSIDER TAKING A STEP ON MY GENEROSITY JOURNEY?
RRR is an opportunity for you to make an intentional decision to begin your Generosity Journey. Giving is one of the few things you can do that comes with a guarantee of life transformation. As you give, something changes within you. You will begin moving on a journey from impulsive giving to intentional, courageous, and even to being a fearless giver. God will bless you in unexpected ways through your giving, even in difficult circumstances.
WHAT IF I AM UNSURE OF MY ABILITY TO GIVE?
Even in times of scarcity, God wants our hearts. So, start by praying and consider taking a step of faith. RRR is about all of us coming together, taking a step on our Generosity Journey, and trusting God to do the rest. If you are in the process of paying off debt. we commend you, and you should continue to do so. But, the Bible does not teach that we withhold giving until we are debt-free. When we honor God first with our giving, He promises to be involved with every other aspect of finances. If you want to improve your financial position, discover the opportunities that exist to grow in your Financial Health through Whole Life Action Teams, Pop-Ups, or Intensives.
Everyone who calls Pathfinder home has a part to play in our future.
We’re asking you to make a financial commitment, no matter the amount. Commitment is an important discipline to practice. Jesus talks about the significance of making a commitment over and over. It’s also a powerful, encouraging way you show your leaders that you stand with them!