Manna Family,
Welcome to the New Year! I’m so honored to have you on the other end of this “In the Loop” letter. Last year was filled with God’s faithful provision in a myriad of ways, and I’m truly expectant that this year will be an even greater display of His Favor upon us.
For the 10th January in a row, we’ll begin with 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting. On Monday, January 5th, we’ll start three weeks of daily devotions (5am on YouTube), and gather for three Wednesday nights of Prayer and Worship (6pm-7pm). Corporate prayer is always a powerful way to start a year, but when you add corporate fasting, there’s always a breakthrough!
Fasting is one of the fastest (see what I did there…?) ways to posture your soul into a healthy place of desperate devotion toward the will and ways of God. Each Sunday morning this month, we’ll look at how the Bible lays out a clear path to the place of Devotion that Jesus is calling us to. During this month, the sermons, the daily videos, the prayers, the fasting, and the worship nights will all align to bring our congregation into a place of consecrated readiness.
By the end of our 21 Day Journey we’ll be at the last Sunday of the month, truly prepared for God to lead us into new adventures and assignments. For Connect Sunday this year, we’ll take advantage or our new building and have our very first My Manna Connection Night. All of our Small Groups, SERVE Teams, and Outreaches will be on display in the auditorium as we break our fast together with plenty of food. We’re preparing to have a high number of first time Small Group and SERVE Team sign ups, as we’ve seen tremendous growth these past few months.
I’m praying for you, Manna Family! Can you believe we get to do this?!? Honored to be your pastor.
Chris Shinnick
Prayer should be our first response, not our last resort.
Commit now to join us in the special time of asking God to do what ONLY HE CAN DO both in and through our lives.
Starting on January 5th, we’ll have daily devotionals available online (Facebook & Youtube), as well as weekly prayer gatherings on Wednesday nights at 6 pm (family-friendly, with childcare for children 5 & under).
Worship & Prayer, two things our students love to do! In December we held our second ever STU worship & prayer night. The students prayed for each, knelt at the altar with each other, and worshipped with everything they’ve got! These students are on fire for the presence of God! Pizza, the Grinch, and STU! This year we held STU’s Christmas Party at the Suds & Cinema theater in Fort Walton Beach! We had so much fun getting to celebrate an incredible year of STU!
January 7th, 14th, and 21st we are encouraging our students to join us for STU hangouts on the back porch before our church wide prayer nights! We will start at 5pm and then transition into service at 6pm.
STU camp registration is OPEN and we have a limited number of guaranteed spots! To reserve your spot a $75 deposit is required. You can signup at the link provided!
January will mark the first My Manna Connection Night for Manna Church West Florida.
Mark your calendars for January 25th. The auditorium will be transformed into a connection center, where people can meet Small Group Leaders and sign up for new groups. More details about the evening will be released throughout January, so stay tuned!
Are you interested in leading a Small Group in 2026? Please fill out the form by clicking the button below and a team member will be in-touch with you.
Sydney (Sully) and Angelica Sullivan are a dynamic Air Force family who have been navigating life’s adventures together for 13 incredible years. With three amazing kids – Makayla (12), Kai (9), and Ezra – they’ve had the privilege of exploring new places and making lifelong friends across five duty stations and six assignments. As a family, they’re passionate about living out their faith, serving others, and making a positive impact in their community. They’re excited to get involved in SERVE opportunities at our church and see how God will magnify their gifts and talents to bless others and bring the Kingdom to Earth. “Unity is more than a mindset, it is an active commitment to each other”
This month, our Growth Track Alumni gathered for a joyful fellowship night called The Table of Talents, where everyone brought a hobby or special interest to share. From card games, board games, and trivia to crochet, puzzles, diamond art, and baking, the room was filled with creativity, laughter, and meaningful connection. We also celebrated our incredible SERVE Team with a party honoring their faithfulness and heart for service. These moments reminded us that growth continues beyond the track and that community is built when we make space for one another’s gifts. We are grateful for a church family that values both service and shared life.
Growth Track: A Record-Breaking Year & What’s Ahead
2025 marked a record-breaking year for Growth Track. We celebrated 108 FirstStep graduates, 77 NextStep graduates, and 33 LeaderStep graduates, with four outreaches completed through Growth Track small groups. This year represented a full relaunch centered on small groups, discipleship, outreach, and relationships. Through this focus, participants were equipped to discover their gifts, deepen their walk with Jesus, build meaningful connections, and step into serving opportunities aligned with their unique callings.
Despite changing group locations four times this year, the Growth Track team endured, adapted, and grew stronger. We’ve emerged more unified and focused as a ministry lane. Looking ahead, we are already planning innovative strategies for 2026, including weekday and evening small group options, expanding our team of faithful facilitators, and launching new leadership development opportunities designed to support healthy, equipped leaders.
Growth Track will resume in January 2026, with NextStep at 9:00am Sundays and FirstStep at 10:30am Sundays. Beginning in February, additional weekday and evening options will be made available. LeaderStep will run as an 8-week experience from February through March, with time, day, and location to be announced soon.
Don’t miss what the Holy Spirit is doing in Growth Track this year as He draws us IN, moves us OUT, and grows us UP in Christ.
Here it is—the update you’ve all been waiting for! Last month, as a church, we served through five outreach opportunities and reinvested $10,000 directly back into our community.
On Sunday morning, you may have noticed plates of homemade cookies lining the front porch. The THRIVE Small Group collected cookies baked by members of our church, packaged them with care, and delivered them to families who shop at the Airmen’s Attic.
On Sunday, December 14th, the Red Shirt Mafia geared up in their RED Manna Outreach shirts and spread out across Niceville to complete random acts of kindness. Some paid for gas, others covered groceries or food orders. Each family embraced the assignment to LOVE those around them and share the Gospel—not only through words, but through actions.
Throughout December, you also watched presents slowly fill the space beneath the Christmas tree in the lobby as we prepared for our Christmas Outreach at One Hopeful Place. One Hopeful Place is a homeless shelter located in Fort Walton Beach, where our church has partnered through Street Church over the past year. Street Church meets in a tent on the property and provides a safe place for those experiencing homelessness to enjoy a meal and hear the Word of God on Saturday nights. Since not all residents attend services, the Manna Outreach team—who serves at Street Church on the third Thursday of each month—decided this Christmas to go directly to them.
Manna Church, you absolutely knocked it out of the park. Forty-five families stepped in to sponsor residents of One Hopeful Place through the Angel Tree this season. Not only were gifts returned on time, but many of you went the extra mile by personalizing them with cards and encouraging notes. THANK YOU! The residents were overjoyed to receive their gifts and even more touched knowing that someone had gone shopping specifically for them.
If you have been through our Growth Track you know the verb of the Bible is, give. This season we felt how it is truly more of a blessing to give than receive.
As we begin a new year, take a moment to reflect on the Reach Out Celebration from November 2025. Pastor Chris spent the month teaching on the great commission and encouraging everyone to walk through their ROC Booklets.
The ROC Booklet was full of questions/answer sections as well as commitment pages. As we enter into a new year and 21 Days of Prayer and fasting, reflect back on the commitment sections and determine what areas you will bring to God through this time of prayer.
How are you making the great commission great in your life for 2026?
