2023

Legacy Report

There are moments of contemplation where I see Daystar unfold like a masterful handwoven tapestry, with each person in our congregation represented as a single thread. 

These lives, all woven together, make up the whole picture that is Daystar Church. Often the Holy Spirit reminds me that should any of these threads be missing, the entire tapestry would be weakened and likely ruined.

It is the weaving together of individual and family threads, each stretched by the strains of life, that make the tapestry immeasurably stronger in the hands of our Master Weaver. 

Together we have proven our strength and resiliency, bearing the burden to reach the lost with unwavering determination and commitment through this MOVE(ment) which God has called us to steward.

We invite you to join us in a heartfelt celebration of an extraordinary journey – a journey from a fleeting moment to an enduring Movement that began with a visionary goal of $5 million and has unfolded over the past 3 years.

It is with profound gratitude that we acknowledge your pivotal role in the remarkable achievement of the Move Journey. Together, we have met and surpassed our initial aspirations, injecting life-changing vitality into our mission of Community Transformation through the Love and Power of Jesus.

Your generosity has been a cornerstone of our success, and we want to express our sincere appreciation for your unwavering support.

The Movement has been a testament to the power of shared vision, commitment, and determination. The stories of the life-changing power of God working in the lives of those impacted by Daystar stand as a symbol of faith, hope, and love poured out through you and all who have joined us in this movement.

Take a moment to consider the remarkable progress we have made. An average of $150,000 per month, above and beyond the essentials to operate our church, has poured into our projects, shaping a future that is as inspiring as it is transformative.

We are more than builders; we are shepherds of change. Across three US locations and more than 200 diverse outposts in Uganda, we have sowed seeds of transformation. Daystar Cathedral, a resplendent sanctuary for 5,000 souls, stands tall as a beacon of hope and faith, made possible by your commitment.

Our Cullman campus is a testament to resourcefulness, boasting revamped spaces, and flourishing indoor and outdoor connection areas. Next Steps is easily accessible and Daystar Kids have a brighter home, all thanks to your unwavering support.

Our Uganda project, though initially focused on technology, has transformed into a humanitarian endeavor, reaching out to the hungry and suffering. In partnership with Daystar Missions, we have witnessed a proliferation of house churches and campuses across Uganda, each a testament to your generosity.

The MOVE campaign was never just about buildings; it was about creating a Movement. The pandemic may have postponed our Madison project and presented us with challenges, but we have forged ahead. Today, Madison is on the brink of hosting its first worship service in a permanent facility.

Our journey continues in Hartselle, with groundwork laid and visions of a brighter future. We are poised to see the new building take shape and look forward to the day our new 550-seat auditorium is open for worship.

As we give God the glory of these achievements, we must ponder the inevitable question: What comes next? 

The answer lies in our collective resolve to nurture the Movement that began with the Move Journey. The challenges we've faced, from delays to material shortages, have only served to strengthen our resolve.

As you read these words individually, we invite you to reflect on the journey we have undertaken together. The road ahead, though challenging, has been paved by the Waymaker and our Movement is sure to continue.

Let our deeds continue to inspire, and may the light of the “Daystar” shine ever brighter.

With heartfelt gratitude,
Pastor Jerry Lawson

A Letter From Our Pastor

Decisions For Christ

USA Commitments: 2,041
USA Water Baptisms: 276
USA Holy Spirit Baptisms: 182


Uganda Commitments: 1,463
Uganda Water Baptisms: 1,479

6,090 Total Decisions

Many more lives are being impacted and changed throughout Uganda in the 270 planted churches that are a part of Daystar International Ministries. We continue to be in awe of the work God is doing!

Cullman Location

This has been a year of tremendous growth for Daystar Church in Cullman! Over the past 12 months, we have seen 1,458 people make decisions for Jesus Christ. As a church, we are dedicated to the Great Commission that Jesus gave us in Matthew 28:19-20, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Just at our Cullman location, we have also seen 148 people take the next step of water baptism, and 259 people complete Next Steps, eager to discover how they can get more connected at Daystar Church and discover what God is wanting to do through them in this season of life.

One of our core values at Daystar Church is “Community is our Vision.” This year has been visible proof that transformation happens when we do life together. As great as those statistics I shared before have been, I am so excited to see that people have not stopped there in their discipleship journey. This fall semester, we were able to see over 100 small groups launched, providing more opportunities than ever before in the Cullman area for people of all ages to commit to taking the next step in their faith journey together. And this is just the beginning… We have watched as not only are our small groups covering much needed discipleship topics, but these same groups are being the hands and feet of Jesus in our church and our community, wrapping around individuals and families in their times of sorrow and pain, but also joining together to celebrate some of life’s greatest moments with their group members. One person at a time, one family at a time, and one small group at a time, we are seeing “Community transformation through the love and power of Jesus.” 

Every Sunday we are seeing so many new faces come check out Daystar Church for the very first time. Just this past year we have seen over 550 people attend Daystar Church for the very first time, a majority of those choosing to make Daystar their church home. In light of this, we must remain focused on two things as we continue moving forward. One, we must continue to consistently and unapologetically love God and love every single individual God places in our faith family. And second, we must never neglect God’s commission to us to continually “Go and make disciples…” As great as it is to experience what God is doing now, there are still tens of thousands of people in Cullman County and the surrounding areas whom God has placed us here to reach with the Gospel. With this in mind, remember another core value of Daystar: “Holy Spirit is our Power.” With Him, anything is possible. Join with us as we continue to dream God-sized dreams together.

Hartselle Location

Daystar Hartselle has experienced an awakening of purpose and impact. Last year, we witnessed over 670 individuals embrace the transformative power of faith by making a decision for Christ. We celebrated 50 baptisms and had 101 individuals taking their next steps in faith. The warm embrace of our church family has also extended to 265 first-time attending families. This surge in spiritual growth exemplifies our mission of "community transformation through the love and power of Jesus."

Over the last year, we've also welcomed fresh faces to our team, infusing us with renewed vigor to carry forth our mission of purpose and hope. Simply put, our Hartselle Staff is more excited than ever to see the community of Hartselle touched by the heart of Jesus! 

We believe our ministries are thriving and walking into a beautiful season but we are thankful for all the ministry that has happened over the last 12 months. Together, our church gave 75 children new bicycles for Christmas, while more than 450 folks enjoyed a warm Thanksgiving meal thanks to our efforts. We've cultivated a dedicated group of prayer warriors during our services in our newly renovated Prayer Room. Our student community has surged with attendance records, while the expansion of Small Groups has created more opportunities for connection and growth while also achieving all time high group attendance and groups offered.

God has crafted a remarkable community in Daystar Hartselle, leading with generosity, kindness, and an unwavering commitment to the common good. As we step into the future, we do so with boundless gratitude for your support and an unwavering resolve to continue our journey of faith, love, and community transformation in the year ahead.

Madison Location

We couldn't have imagined what God had in store for us this year. Daystar Madison has been growing consistently throughout the past year. We've seen growth in small groups, growth in serving, growth in community outreach, and we have DOUBLED our pre-covid attendance numbers! We fed hundreds of people free lunches. We gave pallets of school supplies and disinfectant wipes to local schools. We’ve continued to reach under privileged families and support foster & adoptive parents. And more important than all; hundreds of hours of prayer have laid the foundations for what God is going to do through 21 Days of Prayer and prayer walks at the new building. We know that our mission is so much more than numbers. It is all about loving the person God places in your path every single day. Our vision for Community Transformation through the Love and Power of Jesus is happening every single week one life at a time. God is moving and we are so excited about the life change that is happening and will happen in the coming year. His timing is perfect and we are so excited to MOVE into the coming year in our new home!

Church
Online

This has been an amazing year for our Online Campus! Over the past few years, the online campus of our church has grown tremendously! Not only does this platform provide a unique experience for families and individuals traveling, but it has become a campus of its own. The health of this ministry is vital as we serve those all across the world. We have officially added Pastor Jaron as the Online Campus Pastor!

We’re filled with excitement as we look to the future of our online campus! I’m reminded that our mission statement, “Community transformation through the love and power of Jesus Christ,” doesn’t stop at our physical locations. We’re extending the reach of that transformation to a global community. God’s love knows no bounds, and His power transcends all barriers. Together, we’ll continue to live out our mission by sharing the boundless love of Christ with everyone, everywhere!

Uganda Location

Daystar Cathedral in Uganda has been able to see so much growth and hunger for God in 2023. Daystar International Ministries (DIM) has worked to spread the gospel to thousands of people living in Uganda. Under the covering of the mother church Daystar Cathedral, 270 local churches are supported and 3 new churches were planted this year! Each month, Daystar Church ensures that the pastoral, administrative, and support staff receive salary payments and that the church has the needed funds to complete necessary projects that their tithes and offerings are not sufficient to cover.  This year we partnered with DIM to hold the annual Youth Conference, a Women’s Conference, and the annual FREEDOM Conference. This year 170 people completed FREEDOM, and this upcoming year 288 people are projected to go through it. Over 1,200 people attended the Youth Conference this year! Another project led out of Daystar Cathedral is Grace Radio. This year alone 12 million people were reached with the Gospel through Grace Radio! 

Projected in January of 2024, ONE30 will be sending Micah and Lyndsie Camper who will be the Field Directors full time in Uganda. They will be able to partner with Daystar Cathedral and DIM! ONE30 is a sponsorship program that seeks to support children suffering from generational poverty. Since its beginning, we have positively impacted nine impoverished communities in five countries by providing food, clothing, shelter, and career training within a Christian environment.

This year in Daystar Kids we saw our weekly attendance surpass 2022 and pre-covid numbers by 20%. We also saw more children baptized than any previous year at Daystar with 142 vs 96 in 2022! Redesigns of the children’s areas are complete in Madison as they move into their new facility and they are underway at Hartselle. Daystar Kids had 238 salvations, 205 Dream Team members, 701 children attended Kidfest!

Daystar Kids

Ministry Highlights:
138 Salvations
205 Dream Team Members
701 Children Attended Kidfest

This year we saw Daystar Students completely shift in our community. We got more involved in our schools than ever. Our students started leading in so many different capacities. We saw spiritual growth in so many ways. This year 10 students went on mission trips and 87 students went public with their faith through water baptisms as well as a total of 655 students attended Flow Nights. There was an amazing spiritual formation that happened at Camp where students came back more sold out for Jesus than ever. With over 275 weekly students, Daystar Students is building something that will be a legacy for years to come. We are believing that through Daystar Students the future of our church and world will be birthed out of this ministry.

Daystar Students

Daystar College exists to provide the tools needed for all students, young and old, to become a relevant and intelligent voice of Christian leadership in our culture today. We champion the calling of students of all ages for ministry and the marketplace. The continued growth of Daystar College shows the desire of believers to walk in this discipleship path of knowledge and practical application and become a leader in their jobs, their families, their relationships, and learning to lead themselves in a deeper understanding of the truth laid out in God’s Word and growing in their pursuit of Him. 

Daystar College offers two programs uniquely designed to enhance Biblical Knowledge and Leadership Development:

The Degree Seeking Program equips students ages 18 to 25 with real life hands-on leadership development opportunities through our Practicum Program with Ministry leaders in Worship, Kids and Family, Missions, Production/Creative, Pastoral Leadership, and Events. This practical approach to ministry is also in conjunction with achieving an accredited Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree from Lee University. All degree seeking students will be awarded the Leadership Certificate of Ministry in addition to their accredited degree. 

The Leadership Program is designed for non-degree seeking students of all ages. This two year program has been designed for working adults with both the pocketbook and time commitment in mind. Meeting one night a week and covering topics such as Methods of Bible Study, Old Testament Studies, New Testament Studies, Study of the Holy Spirit, and others in conjunction with weekly Leadership Lessons given by staff ministers and guest ministers every week make for a strong experience in development of skills needed to be a Christ-like leader in today's world. Completion of this course also awards a Leadership Certificate of Ministry.  

Hundreds of adults have completed the leadership program with a current enrollment at 30 while there have been over 100 individuals completing their studies through Daystar College Evening and Traditional Programs and Lee University. We are constantly looking forward to helping all believers to “Find the Life You Were Born to Live”.

Daystar College

Missions

Daystar Missions has been able to make a difference in the lives of many across the globe this year. In 2023 we were able to purchase 12 acres of land to build the Daystar Village which will include an orphanage and school with projections for a secondary school and trade school. This will become a place of rescue and hope that will continue to transform the community through the love of Jesus, by preparing new generations with careers and faith. For the Kinyamaseke Orphanage, we purchased uniforms for all the children there, totalling to 300 uniforms for 300 children! 

Along with Uganda, Daystar Missions was able to lead successful trips to Greece and Israel, where we worked with the Mars Hills Initiative in Greece. Their main focus is to offer aid and support to refugees fleeing from a variety of countries in the Middle East. While being this first touch for refugees, they spread the Gospel and offer the refugee families an opportunity for a better future by teaching them English, helping them to obtain citizenship, and assisting them with earning jobs. In poverty stricken villages surrounding Yangon, Myanmar, we were able to pay school fees and supplies for 190 children to attend school this year. 

God has also blessed Daystar Missions to be able to support other countries and missionaries outside of trips. This year we have been able to support Agape International Ministries and Hope Outreaches whose mission is to bring the gospel to the unreached people groups of Chiang Mai, Thailand and surrounding countries. We have been able to support them by supplying project-based giving, raising awareness for the ministries, and by providing pastoral care and prayer. Helping Hands Healing Hearts Ministry is another ministry in the Philippines that we have been able to support this year with project-based giving. This ministry’s mission is to save children's lives where possible and to lead them to Christ. They provide the medications/operations they need and we pray for them and their families because every child has a right to life and that poverty should not be the reason for their death. In all these ways and more we are so excited to continue to love God's people across the world!

Small Groups

372 Total Small Groups

5,229 People in Small Groups

Next Steps

God has uniquely created us with our own special talents and gifts to make a difference in His kingdom, by utilizing those unique talents in the service of others. Next Steps at Daystar is a set apart time and space every Sunday. Next Steps allows those attending to learn more about us as a Church, themselves and the talents God has given them. Then, we help them discover their purpose and guide them in joining the Dream Team. In 2023 we had over 500 individuals and families go through Next Steps! All glory to God that they are now making a difference in the lives of others!

It has also been a great year for people living their purpose and making a difference in the lives of others by serving on our Dream Team! There were 2,003 Dream Team members scheduled to serve this past year. How amazing that these people were giving back to God with their time and effort to serve others, therefore impacting all of eternity! Whether it is on the Parking Team, Local Outreach, Greeters, Ushers, helping in Kids, Prayer Team, or handing out a cup of coffee, they are making a difference in the lives of our church family and those in our communities. “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Galatians 5:13-14

In a time when there is so much acrid debate surrounding politics and abortion, Daystar has focused on helping those that have chosen life but need a helping hand. This fund is for families who want to adopt, or be foster parents, moms who want to choose life but don’t think they can do it alone, or for single parents who did choose life and just need some help. Basically, if you’re choosing life, we want to stand with you.

65 Outreaches

1,291 Volunteers

5,553 Hours Served

4,647 People Impacted

111 Choose Life Cases

Outreach

Financials

Benevolence $115,254.80

Campus Upgrades $4,785,860.92 

 Missions $914,770.56 

 Events & Conferences $129,836.96

 Kids/Students/College $246,721.70

 Local Outreach $79,581.16

Mentoring Churches

Our church has a long history of assisting other churches in need. In fact, Daystar is so much more than just a local community church. For example, through 24toDouble we have trained thousands upon thousands of ministers and volunteers from around the nation in various areas of ministry including mission trips abroad and leading worship services on Sunday mornings.

Pastor Jerry and our Executive Director, Jason Zinsmeister continue to lead 24toDouble to train and mentor church leaders in effective ways of engaging their community with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

In total, 24toDouble has provided free training for over 10,000 churches since 2007. While some services are fee-based, these fees go towards a non-profit which assists pastors who are dealing with a crisis or need financial help. The Barnabas Foundation helps pastors to go on prayer retreats, offers funds for medical needs, provides for long overdue vacations, and various other needs.

Every year, pastors who are part of the 24toDouble training continue to visit Daystar for inspiration, encouragement, and additional training with our staff. At some point, most of our staff are involved in coaching and training ministers and volunteers from other churches around the nation in the various areas of expertise they hold. Our church truly is a “church of churches” and a lighthouse that many churches, pastors and ministry leaders look to for much-needed insight and enlightenment.