A Fair Like No Other—A Threshold Crossed Together

Greetings, church family and friends,

As I sit here today, letting the dust settle from this extraordinary week, my heart is full beyond words. Thanksgiving itself was a joy—Rebekah and I hosted our family and a handful of friends, all 87 of them, and we had six turkeys, cornbread dressing, pies, and the laughter of children and grandparents alike. If you’ve seen the little time-lapse clip we posted, you know it captures only a sliver of the hours of slicing, roasting, whisking, and kneading that went into bringing that feast together. But even that enormous Thanksgiving table was only the precursor to what God had in store.

Because what we just witnessed—what we just lived through—was the greatest Homestead Fair in memory. And I don’t say that lightly. I say it with awe.

A Fair Years in the Making

The turning point for this year’s Fair came quietly, months ago. It started one evening in September in my living room, where Brother Josiah met with a roomful of new and emerging team leaders. We spoke about new energy, new responsibilities, fresh wind in the sails—and yes, it had its rocky moments. Any real reformation does. But the grace of God prevailed each step of the way.

I give special honor to Brother Josiah, who has faithfully and sacrificially shepherded the Fair for fifteen years—often carrying far more weight, with far fewer resources, than anyone fully realizes. This year, under his oversight, he entrusted point leadership to a new team: Samuel Cunningham, Tim Anz, Simeon Cunningham, Jed Owen, Blair Joel Adams, Stephen Wheeler, Ezra Cunningham, Judah Jacobson, and Clayton Nolen. They stepped up with humility, creativity, and unity. And every one of them would be the first to say that what rallied them, inspired them, and bound them together was Brother Nathaniel’s steady encouragement—his big-picture vision, his investment in their growth, and the profound respect he shows them as brothers. That spirit of mutual honor and teamwork became one of the quiet engines driving this year’s success.

There were early signs that something different was happening. One music video unexpectedly crossed a million views on a single platform. Marketing became more exciting and organic, alive, and Spirit-infused. There was a sense that we were not pushing a boulder uphill; rather, we were being invited into something God Himself was carrying.

Craft Pavilion Transformed

If my dad could have walked the pavilion this year—as he used to do—he would have stopped every few feet and rejoiced. The pavilion was like a whole new world.

• More booths than ever before
• Higher quality goods, beautifully stocked, the fruit of our maturing cottage industries.
• A complete redesign of layout and flow under the leadership of Tim Anz, whose artistic and logistical vision gave us the biggest uptick in craft excellence we’ve ever seen
• Travis Claborn coordinated the demolition and rebuild, especially of the new demonstration zone at the back—an area that received rave reviews for beauty and engagement.
• Tim worked with a small army of young men—Micah Phillips, Aaron Anz, Joe Cobb, and many more—who poured themselves into bringing this dreamed update to life.
• Richard Farley of Arkansas volunteered professional power-washing of the entire pavilion, stripping posts and booths, restoring brightness and light to a space that often tends to be dim.
• Dozens then stained and repainted the pavilion, transforming the entire atmosphere.

You could feel it when you walked in: fresh, bright, vibrant . . . alive.

The Hands-On Tent Sponsored by Generosity and Faith

One of the most significant quiet miracles of this Fair was the entire Hands-On Activities Tent.

Josh and Amy Haldenstein, through their business Tradesman Services, funded every hands-on station, activity,  and demonstration—out of their own pocket. They sponsored the whole tent so that the revenue could go directly to the church. The goodwill, joy, and connection this tent generated for families was priceless. And yet it came through someone’s sacrificial generosity.

Jesus, bless them.

Landscaping, Tents, Infrastructure—A Herculean Gift

Another miracle happened before the first guest ever walked through the gates.

Addison Livingston donated:

• His landscaping equipment
• His entire crew
• His time
• And the massive labor required to prep, groom, and clean the fairgrounds

Together, they set up all our mega-tents—the first time in our history that we had done so ourselves. This saved the church thousands of dollars and marked a major step in our long-term sustainability and independence.

Their contribution was enormous. Quiet. Faithful. And essential.

A Timber Frame, Built in Three Days

In what may be one of the most stunning feats of the year:

Jez Dumont took a crew of young men and, in three days, built an entire timber frame barn from scratch—a masterpiece that sold to benefit the church.

Jez personally fronted $37,000 for materials so the work could continue, trusting God and trusting the community. The barn’s sale generated a positive net margin that may well be the difference between the Fair breaking even or experiencing a loss.

This gift deserves to be remembered.

The Music: A Glory We Have Only Dreamed Of

What happened in that auditorium—night after night—is beyond any description I can give. Still, I must try.

Our Heritage Youth Ministries Choir and Orchestra didn’t improve by 5% or 10 % or even 50 %. They leaped forward by 200%—in clarity, power, beauty, and spiritual anointing. Under the direction of Stephen Wheeler (youth choir) and now David Wheeler stepping in to co-direct the Children’s Choir with Sister Marcia, and then Tim Lancaster with the youth orchestra, we now have third-generation leadership in all our youth music.

On Friday afternoon, especially, thousands of people packed inside—with hundreds standing behind in a wide semicircle—and the presence of God descended as we sang together the simple refrain, “Jesus, I love You.”

Some were weeping. Thousands had their hands raised. Some stood in whole-souled worship. But all of us—all—were caught up in something holy.

The adult choir and orchestra stepped into new territory as well. Friday night was a little rocky, as new ground usually is. But Saturday night—Saturday night was glorious.

And Brother Rory Feek’s contribution—his authenticity, his stories, his songs—was a gift straight from God.

Food, Fellowship, Competition

This year we brought back the Pie Contest and the Chili Cook-Off, coordinated by Josh Wheeler, and they were an absolute explosion of fun and community involvement. We filled every available slot. The buzz was real.

And yes—Aviva’s chili won first place. (No, I’m not biased. But yes, I’m proud.)

Food brings people together, and this year it did so with laughter, excitement, and a renewed sense of tradition.

The Books: A New Season of Witness

For the first time in years, our book tables featured a broader, richer array of new offerings, including:

• Amanda’s book — A Time to Be Born
• Rory’s beautifully illustrated children’s book — Welcome to My Church
• Mom’s long-awaited book — The Beauty of Order

These books sold well and are now ministering to many.

Business Sponsors: A Miracle in Itself

Scores of businesses contributed equipment, sponsorships, and labor—raising tens of thousands of dollars on short notice. Combined with the barn, the hands-on tent, and cost savings through internal labor, these efforts likely made the difference between a financially fragile Fair and one that finishes in strength.

We owe these brothers and sisters our gratitude.

A Threshold Crossed

On Saturday night, during that worship service, I believe we crossed an event horizon—a spiritual threshold we have prayed for and dreamed of for decades.

This Fair was not just the culmination of a long journey.

It was also the beginning of one.

God took our fumbling, feeble efforts—our paintbrushes, lumber, microphones, pies, songs, sweat, and sacrifice—and multiplied them into something far beyond our ability.

This Fair was built on the prayers, labors, and tears of decades:

• From our pioneers
• To our parents
• To our generation
• To our children, now stepping into leadership
• And even our grandchildren, who painted, sang, swept, and served with joy

How beautiful is the Body of Christ!

Thank You

To every one of you—

• who stayed up late painting booths
• who cooked tens of thousands of meals
• who trained youth musicians, practiced late into the night
• who hauled lumber or tents
• who served quietly behind the scenes
• who gave sacrificially
• who prayed faithfully
• who endured stress or difficult transitions for the sake of unity
• who poured out your treasure and talents

Thank you.

It was a record-breaking fair!
You brought honor to your king.
And the glory we tasted together is only the beginning.
With a full and grateful heart,

Asi