On Mission in VT - August 2025
VBS 2025 at Faith Community Church, Barre, VT
THE PAST FOUR MONTHS HAVE BEEN EXHAUSTING as we have navigated a series of ups and downs, both in ministry and personally. As we have reflected on all our years of ministry and life together, we agree that these four months have been the most difficult, the most emotional. They have required much of us.
As we were taking a walk last week, thinking back over the hardest events, we could feel how storm-tossed we were. To use another metaphor, life has truly felt like a roller coaster with all the ups and downs, loops and sudden jerks. It has had thrills, uncertainties, and pains. There has been no “normal”—not that we are well-acquainted with what that looks like.
While you are reading, you may be able to feel that roller coaster ride along with us. We know that the pattern of life is not unique to us, but the passage of life is happening alongside ministry in a state that remains one of the least churched in the nation and continues the distinction of having the highest percentage of those who claim “NONE” as a religious preference (46%).
With all that laid before you, here are the “highlights” of the last four months….
APRIL
In our last newsletter, Robyn was on her way to speak at a girls’ event in Lenoir City, Tennessee. This event was hosted by First Baptist Church of Lenoir City. Approximately 125 middle and high school aged girls attended. Robyn chose to break down Proverbs 3:5-6 for the girls, using the passage to teach them about trusting in the Lord and how a life with God at the center leads to straight paths (walking rightly).
While she was in Tennessee, Robyn got to visit her dad, who had been in a nursing home for a little over a year at that point. This was the first time she was able to interact with her dad in over a year and a half. While the time was short, it was treasured. He had declined so much that he no longer remembered her, but Robyn remains thankful for that visit.
The following weekend, our church held an Easter event for families. This year, rain threatened to move us all inside, but God controlled the timing, and the kids were able to have their egg hunt outside. Trey was also able to share the gospel message with all those in attendance. Many in our church volunteered in a variety of areas so that we could offer this event with excellence.
On Easter Sunday we were able to celebrate through baptism the new life in Christ found by a young man in our church. It is always exciting to see lives changed!
MAY
Our church hosts two follow-up events throughout the year that partner with the Night to Shine prom we lead in February. These events are called Shine On and can be best described as a time of fellowship and fun for those in the special needs community. We held a Shine On event in early May that included lots of food, games, and a worship service designed especially for those with special needs.
Robyn was asked to speak for the ladies spring tea that our church hosts every Mother’s Day weekend. Ladies from area churches are invited to participate, and close to 50 were in attendance. Her topic for this event was “The Perfect Woman,” which isn’t at all like it sounds!
Finally, after three years of classes, all the reading, all the papers, all the lecture videos, and all the assignments, Robyn graduated from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (Wake Forest, NC) with her Masters in Christian Education! We drove down to the seminary for her graduation ceremony, and Robyn’s mom, sister, brother-in-law, and our daughter were able to meet us there. It was so great to have some time with them, always too short, though.
We brought Robyn’s mom back to Vermont with us, and she was able to stay with us for two weeks. The first week she was with us it rained every day, but after that week, we were outside every chance we could get. We did all the “touristy” things with her (she hadn’t been to Vermont since 2013), and she got to experience the beauty of the state. We then drove her to Ohio so she could spend time with her extended family there. Robyn’s brother-in-law picked her up from that point and took her back to Lenoir City.
JUNE
In mid-June, we were able to see two more men baptized in our church. We are so thankful for their testimonies and for their desire to live their lives for Jesus!
The day after those baptisms, we received the first phone call from Robyn’s sister regarding her dad. He had been taken by ambulance to the hospital. There was nothing conclusive regarding his issues, so after a couple of days, they sent him back to the nursing home. On Wednesday night, we received the second phone call. Robyn’s dad was back at the hospital. It was clear at this point that he would need to transition to hospice care, so Robyn boarded a plane early Friday morning (her Thursday flight was delayed to the point where she would not make her connection). When she arrived, her brother-in-law drove her straight to the nursing home. This would be the last time her dad would be alert and eating solid food.
That evening, after settling in back at her sister’s house, the nursing home called the family in. Her dad’s breathing was erratic and labored. Her brother drove up from Albertville, AL, and they all stayed overnight in his room. Over the next few days, Robyn and her family took turns sitting with him. He was rarely awake. For the few moments he was awake, Robyn recalls him attempting to sing.
While all this was going on, our church held its Vacation Bible School (VBS). Robyn is a part of the directing team, so leaving was difficult. Added to that was the fact that her dad LOVED the week of VBS more than any other week out of the church year. However, our daughter, Rachel, and her husband, David, were already planning to travel up and help that week. They led the music and recreation. Along with that, we had an incredible mission team from Ebenezer Baptist Church in Bryant, AL, join us. They were absolutely essential!
On a side note, this was the first year the members of our church would lead out in the instruction for VBS. In past years, the mission teams would lead the teaching with our people playing more of a supportive role. With Robyn gone, a few of our members did some last minute shifting, and we ended up with a wonderful week of VBS!
Robyn’s dad held steady the week she was there, although he was not able to get out of bed. Eventually, he could only drink if a nurse was pouring it into his mouth. Robyn decided to return to Vermont so that she could at least be present for the final day of VBS and visit with her daughter and son-in-law.
JULY
Robyn’s dad passed away on July 3. The time between the first call Robyn received from her sister alerting her to the possibility of him dying and the reality of that fact was approximately 20 minutes. The next day, Rachel had a gender reveal party. She is having a girl! Our distance from both of these parts of our family meant we were not present for either event. The pain we felt at this time was acute.
A few days later we welcomed a mission team from Life Community Church in Jamestown, NC. They came up to paint the majority of the interior of our church. They also assisted at the donation center for Amy’s Armoire, the non-profit where Robyn works part time. This team also provided a meal for our youth discipleship weekend, which was held on the second weekend in July.
The youth discipleship weekend was a first for us. We have a close-knit group of teens we have been working with for about two years now. Our first goal for this group was to deepen their relationships with each other, and we were finding that accomplished as they would open up more in our small group Bible studies. The second goal for this group was to grow in their relationship with Jesus. That is where the discipleship weekend came in. Robyn wrote the curriculum, which was a basic survey of ways we can live out our faith. The weekend was filled with fun, Bible study, and, of course, food!
Just after that weekend, we took part in a 5-day cruise provided by Phil Waldrep Ministries. By this point, we were on fumes, so the timing of this cruise gave us the opportunity to just breathe for a bit. It also allowed us to process so much of what had taken place in the three months prior. We were at least able to return home better prepared for what was coming up next.
Trey and Robyn headed for Tennessee just five days after returning from that cruise. Because Robyn’s dad had been in ministry for all of his adult life, two services were held. The first was at First Baptist Church of Lenoir City, TN, where Robyn’s sister and brother-in-law are on staff and where her dad served for a short time as well. The second service took place the following weekend and was held at Farley Community Church in Huntsville, AL, the church Robyn’s dad planted in 1996 and pastored until 2013. In between the services, we were able to spend needed time with family and assist where we could.
We were saddened that our son Joshua was not able to make it. We had booked him a flight that would arrive the day before the service in Huntsville, but that flight was cancelled. The flight we scheduled for him next was delayed to the point where he would not make his connecting flight. This was another painful moment in the midst of our grieving.
BRIGHT SPOTS DURING HARD DAYS
Of course, knowing there is a grandbaby on the way is a bright spot, but we were also blessed with visits by those we have known for several years. Kim Putman, who grew up in the same church as Robyn AND who was our real estate agent in Alabama AND who works for American Airlines, paid us a visit a few months ago. It was so wonderful to catch up with her! Tony and Loyce Salas, friends from our church in Huntsville, Alabama, were on vacation in New Hampshire and carved out a little time to meet us in the nearby town of Berlin, VT. Matt Johnson, a graduate of Norwich University, and a part of our college group ministry when we were church planting in Northfield, found himself at a training in Burlington and met us for a meal. In all of these instances, we were blessed to be able to connect with friends we have made throughout the years.
PRAYER NEEDS:
Pray for Faith Community Church as we are participating in “Operation Andrew” along with many other churches in our area. The hope is that as each person is committed to praying daily for ten (10) people they know need Jesus, we will see a harvest of souls for the Kingdom of God. Pray for our church as we prepare to host a block party in the coming months where we can invite our “10” to meet our church family and prayerfully respond to the Gospel!
Pray for Barre and surrounding communities. The percentage of those in the state of Vermont who claim “None” as a religious preference (meaning Atheist or Agnostic) is currently at 46%. WE NEED MORE WORKERS HERE!
We are currently seeking the next family or individual who would commit to a 2-year residency with our church to assist with the ministries at Faith Community Church while developing relationships and praying toward planting a church in Vermont.On that note, pray for our church. We continue to see growth numerically and in deep discipleship, but there is so much work to do. Again, we need more seasoned believers to partner with us in this endeavor as we work to raise up disciplemakers within our own congregation.
As always, please pray for our children. You can pray for Rachel with her pregnancy and for Rachel and David together as they seek God’s will for their marriage and ministry together. Pray for Joshua as he prepares for the fall semester of his junior year at Norwich University and seeks to do well there.
Pray for our extended families. It is difficult to be away from them during this season with so many joys and sorrows. Please pray for us as we continue to carry out this mission God has called us to. The sacrifices are many, but we press on.
In Christ,
Trey, Robyn, & Joshua Cates
12 Cassie Street
Barre, VT 05641
mhcates3@gmail.com / trey@fccbarre.org
HOW TO GIVE TO OUR MINISTRY
Tax-deductible donations can be made through our sponsor church. Make checks payable to the following:
Faith Community Church
30 Jones Brothers Way
Barre, VT 05641
Please write “Cates-VT Church Planting” in the memo line.
Online Donations can be made at:
https://pushpay.com/g/fccbarre
Please write “Cates-VT Church Planting” in the memo line.
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