Behind The Scenes of Families of Promise

Why Do We Do a Word of the Lord Process?

As we enter each year, we want seek the Lord for the upcoming year for five important reasons:

1. Spirit-led Direction

In Revelation 2.7, Jesus said, “Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” While this verse has many implications, one important one is that Jesus wanted His churches to have a posture of listening to and being led by the Spirit. As we engage in this process each year, it helps us to live in this heart posture as a people.

2. It Builds Unity

This process helps us to walk together in the unity that comes from a shared vision.

3. It Builds Faith

As we look back at how God has led us in the past, it builds our faith for the future.

4. It Builds Focus

This process helps to build our focus and spend our best energies on what God is calling us to rather than drowning in a sea of good opportunities or the tyranny of the urgent.

5. Course Correction

As we humble ourselves and seek Him, this process can help us course correct in places we could be drifting from His calling on our lives.

How did we go about this for 2026?

As we sought to discern what the Spirit is speaking, we entered into a season of special prayer in the summer of 2025. At the end of this season, we facilitated times of listening to the body, as well as to our prophetic and apostolic leaders.

  • Listening to the Body: We took in dozens of pages of input from members of our churches and church planting teams on the things they sensed the Holy Spirit highlighting for our Movement.

  • Listening to the Prophetic: We created space to listen to our prophetic communities and prophetic leaders from across the Movement.

  • Listening to the Apostolic: Under the leadership of Jimmy Seibert and the Antioch Oversight Team, we weighed all the input we received and discerned together what the Holy Spirit was speaking to us.

What We Heard

We believe that the Holy Spirit is speaking to us about our calling to be families of promise through whom God wants to multiply His church throughout the nations for His glory. We also believe that He is speaking over 2026 that this is a year to strengthen the family to multiply. Watch the vision video to learn more.

Next Steps

  • Region, Church, and Team Specific: Each region, church, and church planting team is charged with discerning specific application as it relates to their sphere of influence.

  • Movement-wide Application: Our Movement Support Office and International Field Office will also work to communicate relevant Movement-wide applications of this word as we move into 2026.