Welcome to For Glory and Joy
It’s officially October! This is an important month in our journey as a church plant.
First, October 2026, is the start of our church plant on paper. Jordon and I were assessed by the North American Mission Board in June, and my role as church planter of a church called Riverwood starts this month! We have joined our sending church (Faith Baptist Church in Mason, WV), and we are genuinely excited to see how God uses this season of our lives for His glory and the joy of all peoples. Along with NAMB and FBC Mason, several of our key partners are starting to support Riverwood financially this month, allowing us to begin on a solid footing. In addition to our monthly partners, we have a goal of raising $25,000 between October 2026 and September 2027. We’re calling this the Fountainhead Fund, and it’s a pre-launch fund meant to help supply materials for our new church as we prepare to launch in 12 months. Please pray God would provide everything we need, and if He is leading you to give, you can give to FBC Mason and designate your gift for our church plant. Please reach out to me for details!
Second, October 2026, is the start of our first small group meeting. We’re calling this first stage of our church planting journey Reaching Ravenswood. Currently, we have a few families interested in attending this bi-weekly small group at our home in Ravenswood, and we are praying for God to send the right people for the work of making disciples and planting a new church (Matt 9:37-38). Please pray for us to identify those whom God is calling to work alongside of us in planting Riverwood. Please pray for their surrender to God’s call. If you’re interested in learning more about our small group and potentially coming, follow this link: Reaching Ravenswood.
On a personal note, I have officially been hired as a substitute teacher for Jackson County Schools as of October 1, 2026. I praise God for this answered prayer, and I ask you to please pray for me to have several opportunities to teach in Ravenswood area schools and meet new people in the community! Additionally, I am in the thick of completing my Doctor of Ministry thesis on—well, church planting team development. I’m so grateful for how interconnected my thesis is to the work I am most focused on now as a church planter. Please pray for me to write and defend a thesis that serves Riverwood and other sending churches/church planters. But most importantly, pray for the right core team members to be recruited, trained, and sent to plant in Ravenswood.
As for the Pauley family, we’re doing well—especially now that it’s October (our favorite month) and pumpkins sit on the porch. The cool, crisp days are the ones we crave, and you’ll absolutely find us enjoying every bit of it. Jordy will be tracking every hour of it too (just in case you want to know if I’m keeping my word). Dayton turns 5 this month, and he is playing soccer. He is killing it in preschool, and has some new friends in town.
Shepherd is as crazy as ever. He is a self-starter through and through. I already know he’s going to start something—I’m praying it’s something good. He is jealous of Dayton playing soccer … and being in school, but he is loving life. Theodore is the biggest eater in the house. Don’t let his size fool you. He’s a crawler too. The combination mimics a raccoon searching for food anywhere and everywhere he can. I think his favorite part of Ravenswood is the Little Caesars next door. And Jordy—guys, she is running like crazy. Over 80 miles last month. I’m trying all I can to keep up with her. But seriously, she is doing well. The Lord has already provided her with some great friends in town (who are also runners), and she is still making the best americanos and out-reading me too. Please pray for my family as we continue to settle in Ravenswood, develop relationships, and strive to be a light for the gospel.
So, hopefully you enjoyed reading your bulletin today. Be sure to subscribe and stay up to date as we get to work in Ravenswood.
For Glory and Joy,
Pastor Isaiah
(304) 654-2310 | isaiah@riverwoodwv.church