The Next Phase of the Journey

An Update on the Engstrom Family

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

I pray this new year finds you thriving in Christ and full of hope! I’m writing a rather lengthy letter below because some significant changes are coming in 2025 for me and the Engstrom family. While I would love to meet with everyone, writing is a way to communicate some details to those we love and have labored alongside for the sake of the gospel. 

As we have reflected on the past year, we are grateful for how God has worked in our lives through a challenging year. It has been a season of change, marked by challenges and God’s unmistakable faithfulness. We want to share this journey with you—to give you a glimpse of what God has done, where He seems to be leading us now, and how you might join us in this next chapter.

What God Has Been Doing in Our Lives

More than anything, last year was one of profound change and transformation. The Lord has guided our family through a season of wandering in the wilderness following physical suffering and resignation from my role as Executive Pastor of Ministry Strategies. Through it, Psalm 37, particularly verses 23-24, has been a cherished truth: “The steps of a man are established by the Lord. Though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand.” 

God used these words of Scripture to call me into ministry many years ago, and they have been all the more critical as we have walked through so much change and uncertainty. If you’d like to hear more of my journey of suffering and change, please listen to my sermon at The Austin Stone here.

For a more abbreviated version, here’s a brief summary of the past year:

  • Spring 2024: Disorientation
    The year began with a deep sense of floating and flailing. I was wrestling with the changes behind me and the challenges ahead. The revelation of my significant spinal degeneration and the shift in role revealed the depth of my self-reliance and fear. Yet, they were the means to trust God in new and deeper ways, releasing control and surrendering to His good, pleasing, and perfect will.
  • Summer 2024: Closure
    As the summer unfolded, I experienced the bittersweet process of serving and shepherding through transitions at The Austin Stone from behind the scenes. These moments helped me recognize that I had written the last sentence of this chapter of ministry in a vocational capacity at The Austin Stone and provided plenty of sadness that my assignment was complete. God graciously allowed me time to grieve and connect differently with people, even as He prepared my heart to step into what’s next.
  • Fall 2024: Discernment
    This season has been marked by prayer, wise counsel, and tentative exploration of new pathways. I have had conversations inside and outside The Austin Stone, seeking to faithfully discern where God calls us to serve His Kingdom next. The question Olivia and I put on the table was, “Lord, are you calling us away from Austin?” After months of prayer and conversation with our kids and many others, it seems God is keeping us in Austin, even though we remain open-handed. While the future remains somewhat unclear, God continues to uphold and guide us as we walk forward in faith.

Through each season, God has reminded us that suffering and change, though painful, are tools He uses to draw us closer to Him and conform us to the image of Christ. This year has taught us to depend on Him and the body of Christ in new ways as we were weak, needy, and confused. While we are still waiting, we are confident in God’s promise that He will establish our steps and uphold us every step of the way.

What Might God Be Up To Now?

In 2022, a trusted friend shared a word with me: “You are called to build.” This resonated profoundly and stirred questions about what God might have next for us. During a sabbatical in 2023, I reflected on my gifts, desires, and sense of calling, but I still found myself waiting on God for clarity. That waiting continued into 2024, and God certainly shaped us deeply through the proverbial valley of suffering.

As we look to the future, Olivia and I have a growing sense that God is calling us to something new—something rooted in trusting the Lord and a willingness to step forward in faith and creativity. The last few years have been a journey of discipline and discernment, shaped by the Lord’s gentle guidance and obedience to daily steps even when we can’t see the whole picture. Still, God has given us breadcrumbs along the way that are guiding us.

While I don’t yet know the complete picture, several convictions have emerged during this season:

  • A calling to build and empower others
    God has consistently placed me in roles where I equip leaders, strengthen teams, and help bring stability to new works. While I can’t see what this will fully look like, I do have a sense that the people I am already serving are a starting point for some kind of calling to serve leaders who share a vision for advancing God’s Kingdom. The Spirit seems to be stirring once again in Austin, and I’m excited about both this city and the nations!
  • A commitment to the local church
    While I value the role of parachurch organizations and desire to support them, I remain deeply rooted in the local church and see it as the primary means through which God works to advance the gospel. My gifts and passions lend themselves toward parachurch kinds of ministries. Still, my heart remains deeply committed to the local church, and will always want to be a faithful covenant member of a local church even as I serve many who may not belong to that local church. We will continue to worship at The Austin Stone, and also seek to serve other local churches to be faithful to all God has revealed in His word.
  • A pull toward pioneering and multiplication
    I feel a strong desire to help build what’s next for God’s Kingdom in innovative and faithful ways. I am so thankful for churches like The Austin Stone, who are thinking deeply and investing well in the future of gospel ministry to the next generation. Still, I can’t shake the need for so many in Austin and the nations who are unlikely to hear the good news of the gospel or have no access. I love existing churches AND strongly desire to support those trying new things to reach those far from God.
  • A heart for collaboration
    I thrive in environments where apostolic, prophetic, and evangelistic leaders collaborate to pursue clear, Spirit-led vision. God’s Spirit moves in mysterious ways, but I do believe that some new leaders are emerging in Austin who are distinctly gifted for a new work, and these leaders are in multiple churches and ministries. While I can’t see the whole picture yet, I do have sufficient evidence to step out in faith and collaborate with new leaders and historic leaders across the Greater Austin area.

In light of these truths and trusting in providence, we are pursuing a pathway with Reliant to begin raising support to allow us to continue serving in various ministry capacities. I will remain faithful to the responsibilities of my job function at The Austin Stone through July 31, but will formally conclude employment then. 

As we consider this transition, our provision will no longer be from a single local church and 501(c)3. But we have always believed God provides for those called according to his purposes. Developing a ministry partner team and raising funds will enable us to serve the Kingdom faithfully and many different ministry opportunities as the Spirit leads in the future.

What Might It Look Like?

While we do not have a plan to build anything formal yet, we envision the following:

  • Strengthening What God is Already Doing
    Supporting and amplifying the work of existing churches, ministries, and organizations. There are many different kinds of churches and ministries here in Austin, and several are already considering partnering with us to explore what’s next.
  • Fostering Innovation Where Gaps Exist
    Encouraging and aiding the development of new ministries to address unmet needs in the Greater Austin area. Perhaps some of the most exciting things happening in our city are the 117 faith-forward non-profits that are doing various work in the name of Jesus. Several are working through growth and change, and there are some generous people in Austin who see unique ways I can help.
  • Developing Leaders for Mission
    Creating spaces for training, mentoring, and equipping emerging leaders for Kingdom work. I’m particularly keen to spend time with young leaders who are pioneering new churches, but also have seen how many evangelistic parachurch leaders are disconnected and undersupported, and long for them to have investment and growth!
  • Supporting Goers and Pioneering Leaders
    In my role at The Austin Stone, I developed deep and committed relationships to several of our goers, and desire to continue helping facilitate their care, resourcing, and collaboration. I have had a handful of mission agencies approach me to serve in senior leadership roles, but my heart and relationships remain committed to those sent from Austin and continuing to advance their work among the unreached.
  • Advancing Intercessory Prayer
    Perhaps the single greatest gap I have seen over this past year is a lack of earnest prayer. In decades past, there have been a number of intercessors and prayer groups laboring over this city. There are still a handful, but the willingness of God’s people to corporately seek his face, repent together, and plead for the blessing of the Holy Spirit’s power in our midst is concerning low right now. I long to see this change!

If you want to read a bit more of the tentative idea, you can find it here: Greater Austin Mission Network Vision and Strategy Paper. Please know this is just a tentative idea…I will depend deeply on many leaders here in Austin to refine and shape what may come!

What Are We Asking For?

As we step into this next chapter, we humbly ask for your partnership in three specific ways:

  1. Prayer for the Engstrom Family
    We deeply value the power of prayer and ask that you join us in interceding for our family. Pray for wisdom, clarity, and faith as we navigate this new season.
  2. Ministry Partnership
    Your partnership will allow us to serve these organizations and ministries faithfully while minimizing the financial impact on their resources. By supporting us, you help free these ministries to continue directing their funds toward advancing the Kingdom.
  3. Long-Term Financial Support
    We invite you to consider a long-term commitment to monthly, recurring financial support. Your generosity directly impacts the ministries we serve by allowing us to provide coaching, resources, and encouragement to leaders, strengthen new and existing works, and foster collaboration across churches and organizations.

Practical Ways to Give

We are partnered with Reliant, which allows us to manage support efficiently and securely. Details on how to financially support us can be found at reliant.org/todd.engstrom.

Let’s Connect!

We’d love to connect with you in person or digitally to share more about this journey and pray for any specific needs you may have. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly at todd@engstromventures.com!

Thank you for walking this journey with us. We are deeply grateful for your prayer, support, and encouragement as we seek to follow God’s leading in this new season.

With affection,

Todd, Olivia, Micah, Hudson, Emmaline, Owen, and Lucy Engstrom