February 2026
Honoring the Life of Roy Deterding
My brother-in-law, Roy Deterding, passed away on January 22. He was not only the beloved husband of my only sibling, Sandra, but also a longtime friend and ministry partner who had a deep heart for missions, service, and evangelism. Roy loved the Lord, my sister, sports, and traveling.
Please keep me, my family, and extended family in your prayers as we walk through this time of grief, asking for comfort and peace. We take hope in knowing that he is home with Jesus and that heaven is a beautiful place.
Dear Friends, Family, and Partners,
Wow, What a Month!
This month has been full of encouragement, ministry momentum, and powerful reminders of why we do what we do. Our church, Declaration, celebrated its 10th anniversary.
Instead of focusing on itself, the church chose to bless the community by giving $100,000 to eliminate medical debt for families in Montgomery County. What a powerful example of generosity and kingdom impact.
Another highlight was celebrating the release of my longtime friend and pastor’s new book, “Monuments.” I had the privilege of prereading it before its release, and I can honestly say it’s a must-read. It’s an incredible reminder of the ways God builds lasting markers of faith in our lives.
Claim Your Campus Across Texas
This month, we hosted the Claim Your Campus (CYC) team throughout Texas. As the Texas representative for CYC, it was exciting to see momentum building across the state.
Claim Your Campus has a bold vision: 1 million students praying weekly for their schools.
One of the major highlights was hosting our first-ever Accelerate Texas West gathering in Lubbock, thanks to Alisa Sisemore from Reach Community Church. Scott Burks joined me as we met with ministry leaders from across the area to strategize and connect on reaching students in greater Lubbock.
We’re especially excited that Alisa will likely step in as our West Texas and Eastern New Mexico Area Coordinator, helping us continue to build a strong, growing team across the region.
In San Antonio, Keli Caraveo of the Lock the Shield prayer ministry hosted our Listen and Learn Tour, where we gathered with local and state ministry leaders to begin developing a collaborative strategy for reaching schools in that area.
The team also promoted the prayer initiative in DFW and Houston, finishing their Texas tour at my church. Our Campus Missionaries joined leaders from Grand Oaks Baptist Church to prayer walk local schools, asking God to move in the lives of students and teachers across our community.
And the impact continues to grow. Our 2025 National Impact Report was released this month, highlighting how students across the country are sharing their faith and seeing their campuses changed. Take a look and celebrate what God is doing: nnym.org/impact
A New Outreach Experiment: 3:16 Week
Scott Burks, Travis Deans, and I began brainstorming ways to help students share the gospel in simple and natural ways.
That conversation led to the idea of March 16 (3:16) as a national campus outreach week. We created wristbands with a QR code that sends students directly to john316.today, where they can explore the gospel message. It’s a simple experiment, but sometimes simple tools can open big doors.
Please pray with us for “316 Week” as students use these to start conversations about Jesus on their campuses.
A Personal Milestone: Parker’s Story
One of the most meaningful moments of the month happened close to home.
A young man I’ve been investing in, Parker Grabowski, was baptized during our church’s anniversary service. Parker asked me to assist in his baptism, which made the moment even more special.
Parker’s journey hasn’t been easy. There were seasons when it looked like he might drift away completely. But through persistent prayer and consistent love from people around him, God has been working in his life. Now Parker is not only back on track—he’s passionate about his faith and boldly talking about Jesus with others.
Seeing him step into the water that morning was a powerful reminder of why we invest in students. Lives change when someone walks with them long enough. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if Parker ends up serving in some form of ministry someday.
Please pray for him as he continues to grow and step out in faith.
Strengthening Leaders
Another highlight this month was launching a monthly Zoom gathering for state leaders across our network. Our first guest was my friend of over 50 years, Barry St. Clair, who shared powerful insight on discipleship strategy.
These conversations help sharpen leaders and strengthen student ministry across the country.
On the Home Front
During all the travel and ministry activity this month, we moved across town—trading our two-story house for a one-story home. We’re now closer to our ministry area, which will allow us to invest even more deeply in our local church and community.
We’re incredibly grateful for friends who helped make the move possible—especially Jason and Kelley Davis, and Jason, Holly, and Jacob Bollinger, who helped us get settled.
Looking Ahead
Our NxtMove DFW Advisory Board meeting this month was incredibly productive as we continue working to make the Dallas–Fort Worth area a model for global youth ministry collaboration.
Most importantly, across Texas, we continue to hear stories of students coming to Christ through network-driven campus ministries. Students are in the schools, sharing their faith, praying together, and living boldly for Jesus.
And that’s why we keep going.
Prayer Requests
Please join us in praying for:
Continued health and strength for our family
Upcoming Accelerate gatherings in Houston and Wichita Falls
Preparation for the Youth Ministry Executive Council
My upcoming talk at the Dare2Share Energize Conference in Denver (April)
Accelerate San Antonio and DFW gatherings in mid-April
Hosting the NNYM National Staff Gathering in Waxahachie
Thank you for your prayers, encouragement, and partnership. Your support helps students hear the gospel and empowers leaders who are reaching the next generation every day.
We’re grateful to be on this mission with you.
IMPORTANT UPDATE: If you are a recurring or one-time online donor, please check your emails that were sent out last month. Action is required to move to our new platform, which reduces card fees and allows more funds to go directly to the ministry. Update your donation here: https://linksintl.churchcenter.com/giving/to/eubanks or reach out for help.
Gratefully,
Rick
Thank you all again for your love and support.
