Quote (Facebook Review)
"Great message, wonderful faith family, amazing worship team."
Quote (Google review): Tara
"After attending other churches for years that were not meeting my spiritual needs I
decided to give Five Lakes Church a try. After 15 months, I can say that this church has
exceeded my expectations. They provide biblical teachings which I love, are not pushy or
intrusive, but do offer many resources for their church family to choose from, ranging from
spiritual guidance, counseling, prayer groups, groups to connect you with others in a
similar place in life, business... the list goes on.
Their team works together and individually to grow both in their own faith walk but also in
helping others do the same. Thank you."
170 People chose to be baptized in 2025
378 People have chosen to be baptized in the last 5 years
Life Groups
2025 was a strong year for the Life Group Ministry of Five Lakes Church.
Over 750 adults continue to be involved in Adult Life Groups
62 Unique Adult Life Groups met in 2025
33 New Life Group Leaders were trained
A variety of groups were held, including Bible study, athletic, workout, outreach, parenting,
marriage, young adult, senior adult, and coffee groups, & more!
Events of 2025
Easter
2311 Total attendance
(up 49% from 2024)
Christmas Eve
2895 People in attendance
(up 23% from 2024)
Micah Tyler
This year, we hosted our 1st large-scale, mainstream Christian Concert!
Strong Women’s Conference
379
Strong Marriage Conference
299
Strong Men’s Conference
183
2025 Leadership
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Thank You to those who also served/came off teams this year after completing term of
service in 2025:
ELT: Steve Babcock, Joe Schwallie | AT: Adrian Soli, Mike Jones
WE'RE HERE FOR YOU
Care & Support
These numbers represent countless stories of hope and healing through our Care Teams in 2025
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Card Sending Team
Reached out with God’s love through 168 notes of encouragement, support, & sympathy.
College & Military Team
Stayed connected with our students and active military members through over 140 notes
of encouragement, prayers, and gifts, along with including our worship schedules to join us
when they were home on break.
Funeral Team
Graciously supported 3 families who experienced the deep loss of a loved one by
coordinating the services and assisting with the luncheons following the services held at
our church.
Homebound Visitation Team
Extended loving care and support to 12 elderly individuals confined to their place of
residence with over 108 personal contacts through visits, cards, and phone calls. We also
celebrated the 102nd birthday of one of our lovely ladies!
Hospital Visitation Team
Offered comfort and strength through prayer via 62 phone calls, 78 texts, and 13
personal visits to those in hospital settings.
Marriage Prep Team
Marriage Prep Team laid a solid foundation for 10 couples in 2025.
It’s no wonder our Marriage Prep Team does such an incredible job—the average length of
marriage represented on this team is 34 years! We are truly blessed to have such wisdom,
experience, and heart pouring into engaged couples here at Five Lakes Church. We are well
equipped to support strong, Christ-centered marriages. Praise God!
Meal Team
Met the needs of 15 families during times of transition, loss, and sickness by preparing,
cooking, and delivering nourishing meals, meeting a tangible need.
Prayer Team
Faithfully carried burdens and rejoiced in the answers to over 798 prayer requests,
witnessing God’s miraculous and merciful work across a wide range of needs.
Restoring The Foundations
Ministered to 2 individuals, helping them overcome spiritual and emotional hurdles so
they could experience the freedom God desires for His children.
Stephen Ministry
Provided one-to-one, confidential Christian care to 26 individuals, walking with them
through difficult seasons. Some shared:
- “I loved that I had a space to cry, talk, and feel what I was going through.”
- “This ministry was such a blessing to me.”
- “The prayer time was most meaningful to me. I knew I was being prayed over and cared for.”
Bereavement Team
Prepared and personally delivered 33 holiday gift baskets to families who experienced
the loss of a loved one this year. One family wrote:
“Thank you for the beautifully thoughtful gift basket that was delivered to our home. We do miss
her so much, but having our faith family beside us during such a difficult season was and
continues to be a huge comfort. We are grateful for all of you!”
2025 Outreach
Showing Up As Servants In The Community
Make a Difference Cards
- 249 cards for the year => nearly 7000 lbs. of food impact in the local community.
- Share the Bowl Food Drive filled the food pantry after the holiday season.
- Five Lakes Church responded generously to the cut in SNAP benefits this fall by supporting three local food pantries.
Laundry
We assisted 135 guests with 184 loads of laundry. We continue to see donations come in from others who are attending the laundromat and desiring to be a part of what we are doing.
General Assistance
We assisted 32 individuals with practical needs – over $11,000 in aid.
Toledo Gospel Rescue Mission
At the Toledo Gospel Rescue Mission, our group has held chapel service and served 23 meals to average crowds of 40 people. The team has added a once-a-month serve at the Mission Mall. It has been a joy to watch our group get comfortable and sit and eat with the guests of the shelter.
Luther Crest & Luther Woods
This year, we launched a chapel service at Kingston while continuing a service at Luther Crest and Luther Woods.
Super Saturday
At our Super Saturday event for the special needs community, we consistently see 200
guests and launched a special needs life group, led by Elizabeth Simmons and Lorissa
Christiansen. Our guests have especially enjoyed the Chapel service, providing a
distraction-free environment. Our greatest thrill was being able to continue the event at the
Life Center.
Family House Shelter
Our Family House Shelter team serves meals twice monthly, along with hosting a craft,
family game, or worship night monthly. This summer, they hosted a family carnival with
inflatables, make-your-own floral bouquet, and crafts, all to the delight and joy of the
community. This could only be possible with our help, as their staff would have been too
small to run such a wonderful event.
Operation Christmas Child
We collected 692 Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes and held a packing event for
families. At the event, children heard from an Operation Christmas Child recipient from
Nepal about the impact her box had on her faith. Children also had their own Operation
Christmas Child moment where they heard the gospel and received a small gift as well.
Afterwards, children had interactive stations as they packed a box for a child overseas.
Mission Trip to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico
Five team members traveled to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, the first weekend in December to
support a local Bible School in their Christmas outreach. Over the weekend, they
ministered to 900 people and saw 800 people say they want to take next steps in faith.
Make a Difference Month
Make a Difference Month 2025 saw 228 people participate in 26 projects. From serving at
golf and pickleball tournaments to serving water at the local Summer Market, there was
something for everyone.
Outreach Story
A member of our Laundry Outreach Team noticed that someone who regularly came to
have their clothes washed hadn’t been there recently. Concerned, they reached out to
check in. The man responded, “I could really use it, but I’m in the hospital.” Without
hesitation, our team member went to the hospital and did his laundry for him—bringing
care and dignity right where it was needed most.
First Independence Day Celebration at Five Lakes
50+ cars attended, with many guests invited through personal connections.
Kids Ministry
Letter From One of Our Teenagers Who Applied To Serve in Kids Ministry:
I did not grow up that involved in any church. My parents were both Catholic growing up,
but that way was not helping them grow closer in relationship to God. While I was growing
up, my family had a hard time finding a church that we enjoyed going to and wanted to go
back to every week. We would go here and there, but nothing ever stuck.
In 2016, my cousin... was kidnapped and killed and that really hurt my family and I's
relationship with God. It was hard for us to go to church and talk to God, we had so many
"whys" in our head. We did not go to church for a while until 2 years ago we went to the
Christmas service at Five Lakes. It was recommended by a friend and we thought we would
try it out again. After the service, I was so interested in the church and I thought it was so
cool to go. That year I went a little more, but I had a hard time getting anyone in my family
to go with me. It was not until last Christmas where I went to the same service, and I knew
something in my life had to change. I started going to church more and more, then I started
making it a priority to go every Sunday I could. I wanted to do more outside of church, so I
bought a bible and started spending more time with God and going to Him more and now I
try and go to the youth groups whenever I can.
Faith has changed me because it brought me out of such a dark place in my life and
showed me that there is light in the darkness, through God. I have learned that we may
never know why God does some of the things he does, but I just have to trust Him and all
His ways, and everything will align.
Quote:
Courtney (Lionheart Mom)
"We have been looking for a church to call home and I think Five Lakes could be it.”
Letter: Ryan & Hannah
"Dear Pastor Dan, Pastor Micah & Church Family.
We want to express our heartfelt thanks for the beautiful dedication service this past
Sunday. It was such a meaningful moment for our family, and we are deeply grateful for the
love, prayers, and support you showed us.
Thank you especially for dedicating our boys and for the special Bible gifts you gave them.
It means so much to know they are being lifted in prayer and surrounded by a church
community that values their spiritual journey from the very beginning.
We are truly grateful to be part of such a faithful & loving church family...”
Student Ministry
This semester, we have seen God move in powerful ways—both numerically and
spiritually—within Five Lakes Students.
In November, we experienced our highest-attended Thursday night gathering ever,
welcoming 183 students. For context, our attendance at this time last year was 118
students, marking a 64% year-over-year increase.
Beyond attendance, lives are being transformed and students are showing
remarkable consistency week after week. Since the start of the fall semester, Life
Groups have flourished and become a core part of who we are, not just what we
do. On average, 80+ students participate weekly in intentional Life Groups that
foster spiritual growth, meaningful relationships, and a strong sense of belonging.
Each Thursday night, 35+ team members faithfully serve, using their gifts to
disciple students and expand God’s Kingdom. We are deeply grateful for the
excellence, commitment, and humility of this team as they lead the next generation
toward maturity in Christ.
The 2025 MORE Conference gathered 186 students for a powerful weekend
centered on encountering God. Dozens of students made decisions to follow Jesus,
and the weekend culminated in 14 baptisms—a beautiful celebration of new life in
Christ. It was a defining moment for many and a clear testament to what God is
doing in this generation.
Student Story
One of the most encouraging stories from this year is Rishi’s. A faithful attendee of
our Thursday night gatherings, Rishi initially had no connection to our Sunday
services. As he encountered the Gospel, his life began to change—and that
transformation did not stop with him.
Coming from a Hindu household, Rishi was later given permission to pursue a
relationship with Jesus Christ. The impact of his faith soon became evident to those
closest to him. In November, his mother and grandmother began attending Sunday
services after witnessing the change in his life. One Sunday morning, his mom
shared her hope that Rishi’s brothers would follow in his footsteps and pursue a
relationship with Jesus as well.
Worship Ministry
- 101 People faithfully served on band, vocal, and audio teams
- 2 Original worship songs joyfully introduced into our gatherings
- 2nd Worship site launched and sustained with dedicated weekly teams
- 4 New worship leaders stepping forward and growing in their gifts and calling
Life Center Launch
Earlier this year, we made the intentional decision to take the Life Center off the market,
invest in key renovations—including a new roof—and reimagine how the space could serve
our growing church family.
On Sunday, November 2, Five Lakes Church launched a new 8:00 AM Chapel Service at the
Five Lakes Church Life Center. The Chapel Service extends the weekend experience of our
Mitchaw Road campus into a more intimate and reflective setting. Featuring acoustic
worship, prayer, and the same message shared at Mitchaw, it offers a quiet, focused way to
begin the day.
Designed for those seeking a simpler rhythm of worship while remaining connected to the
broader life of Five Lakes Church, the Chapel Service has created a meaningful space for
early risers and those desiring a more contemplative environment to gather and grow.
Praise God
Praise God for what He's doing at Five Lakes Church! If you're excited and want to get more involved, connect with us for next steps!