2023 IN PICTURES
As we started to gather pictures for this end of the year letter we were humbled, in awe and honestly a little shocked at all that God has accomplished through our Yes!
We really want to say a heartfelt THANK YOU for your part in that yes. Whether by prayer, participation, financial gifts, hands on help, believing in the vision, supporting Fermata, sending your kids to Limitless Academy or anything else, your yes made this year possible!
You're about to get bombarded with some awesome snapshots of the fruit of our LIMITLESS vision...
The Tent
10 nights of worship and prayer is a massive undertaking even if you keep it small and simple. But we have a BIG God and we take RISKS! Our annual Pentecost nights, turned into a tent revival where we saw baptisms, multiple salvations, physical healing, inner healing and deliverance!
"Authenticity and then the city!" was the word God gave us through Vanessa for this season. So, we did our best to be ourselves and share the incredible move of God that we are honored to experience! The over-arching theme of the nights was going back to your first love, Jesus, and staying connected with Him!
We are so grateful for all the incredible leaders who partnered with us... Butch & Julieann Hartman, Jay Coopman, Eric Gregson, Ross Johnston, Sandi Derby, Billy Blanks, Jeremiah Klass, Mike Hoesch, Lance Williams, Michelle & Dan Lutz, 805 Revival, Lindy Coffer & Circuit Riders band, To Worship by the Well & Still Small Worship! AND our Limitless Team, Caleb, Autumn, Joelle, Zach, Vanessa, Marshall, Jaden, our prayer team, kids and so many more...
Fermata
On June 17th we opened our long awaited Fermata farm and cafe! The "Oak Tree" property we own next to the church had sat vacant for years. The longterm goal was to turn it into a parking lot for the church. We prayed and asked God two questions: how can we be a blessing to our community and how can we utilize what You've given us? Fermata was the answer to both!
In the 7-weeks we were open we welcomed almost 4,000 people from our community, met 7 direct neighbors (we had only met 1 in 28 years on Erbes) and employed 13 people! Even though we had submitted all our plans to the city, Fermata got such a lot of attention that a whole bunch of new permits were requested. So, we are in the process of RE-OPENING!
A few, of MANY, comments from our community...
"Fermata, to my family and I, was just what it claims to be. A wonderful pause from the rush of life. I was hooked from the very first visit. In the short time that it was open I gathered here often with friends and family. It was a rich combination of community and peace all at once." - Diana
"Fermata has a unique set up that specifically drew me to go to Thousand Oaks while visiting the Ventura County area when I wouldn't have otherwise made the trek over the grade." - Morgan
"The animals and staff were all amazing. We genuinely appreciated the fact that your farm was free and that you allowed us to interact with the animals." - Shawna
"We live in Simi Valley, and I don’t think there is anything like it in our community. I transitioned out of the Army around the same time that I had my daughter. Covid hit the month I had her, and we also moved across country. I struggled for a while to find anything catered to mothers of young children. I was struggling without a village. We immediately felt welcome at Fermata, and felt like the farm was a second home. We don’t have a yard, and it was so nice to come enjoy a cup of coffee while my daughter could play and enjoy some time outside. Motherhood can be so isolating and the farm was exactly what we needed." - Ashley
"As someone who grew up and has lived in Thousand Oaks for more than 30 years, I have never experienced anything else like it." - Dianna
Limitless Academy
A year and a half ago, a few homeschool families decided to start a co-op once a week to gather our kids and seek God together. After a year together, we had been so blessed by what God was doing that we decided to venture out and start a homeschool-hybrid and Limitless Academy was born!
Limitless Academy has 22 families, 43 students and 17 teachers... yes, that's a lot of teachers... but it's because each one comes in to teach from their God-given passions and gifting! Words cannot describe what God is doing and many of the stories of private, but families, not just students are being transformed!
Also, what other school do you get to have class outside, mud baths, spirit-led worship everyday, a farm, wilderness survival skills, discipleship, missions, Hebrew roots, space to learn how to process emotions in a healthy way and so much fun??
LoVE Villages
The stories of LoVE are often a mix of pain and hope. PAIN because of the tragedies these kids come out of and the immense challenges of poverty and the orphan crisis. HOPE because lives change once our children get the love and care they need. We are blessed to be part of something so life changing and God does miracles with the opportunities our kids are given! Your support is making a difference in South Africa and Zimbabwe!
Annually, LoVE raised almost half a million dollars to put food on the table, provide education, offer medical care and give opportunities to kids and caregivers in sub-Saharan Africa. In the next few years, we plan to expand our reach drastically to cover the relocation of Lily of the Valley to a safer, more central area. We are also going to build a home for orphaned babies and improve the opportunities for our current students.
These are a few highlights from the year. Fun outings, Christmas lunch and a picture of the "Rose of Sharon Garden" at Lily of the Valley, dedicated to LoVE's founder Sharon Clack.
We also premiered LoVE's first ever documentary, made in partnership with Oaks Christian School film department!
Mophela, the community surrounding Lily also had a Tent Revival just like Limitless! They had hundreds of people come and 50 salvations!
35+ Baptisms
In addition to the many baptisms at The Tent, we have had dozens of spontaneous and planned baptisms on Sunday mornings! Baptism empowers us for the journey.
Worship Nights
Our community worship nights with the church's outreach ministry 805 Revival, run by Caleb and Autumn have been incredible. We've had multiple worship nights in 2023 and an abundance of encounters with Jesus!
No Junior Holy Spirit
Our youth and young adults have been some of our most powerful prayer warriors and faith-builders. They have inspired us with their passion and have had a ton of fun learning, growing and hanging out together and WITH us!
HELP US END THE YEAR STRONG! GIVE TODAY…
One of the lower down goals of Fermata was to bring in more funds so that all tithes and offerings could be used to spread God's love around the world (through missions, discipleship, recovery homes and more...)! In the short time we were open, we already began to make a profit. However, when we closed we committed to continuing to pay the salaries of those who still wanted work. The main people who have remained on are Zach and Vanessa LaFontaine. As you know, they are our Children and Youth Pastors and do SO MUCH around Limitless. So, in addition to the small budgeted salary for that, we have kept them at the hours they had during Fermata. We know that once we reopen things will turn around quickly, but any help you can provide to get us to that point is greatly appreciated!
This has been one of our most fruitful and exciting years as a church! God has shown up and shown off as we have embraced the name He gave us to remind the world that He is LIMITLESS! Your support, boots on the ground, generosity and vision have meant we have been able to fully pursue everything God has put in front of us! WE ARE SO GRATEFUL!
With LOVE and GRATITUDE,
Your Limitless Leaders and Staff