Make It Awkward 2025-2026
Theme Summary
When [Jesus] had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So, they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. LUKE 5:4-7, NIV
In a world that values polish over vulnerability, we’re reclaiming the power of awkwardness. Why? Because awkward is authentic and charming. It’s a breath of fresh air. Sometimes in our quest to be seen as competent, professional and sophisticated, we forget the value of being real. Isn’t it interesting how we love and appreciate awkwardness in others yet fight it off when we feel it in ourselves? Moms self-report loneliness in staggering statistics, probably because they feel no one truly knows the truest version of themselves. And there’s one way to make that happen—by getting awkward.
It’s simple but powerful: Once you give yourself permission to be awkward, fear loses its edge. This is when growth happens, relationships deepen, and obedience moves us from frustration to abundance. Perhaps, awkwardness isn’t a weakness but your greatest asset. What a liberation!
We’re entering a new era of earnestness. It’s about showing up as awkward as necessary to express real kindness to other moms. We will be wild, weird, fun, authentic and a little freer. We will become comfortable embracing our unique spark because denying it leaves everyone around us starving for warmth and light.
This year is about to get awkward … in a good way.
Here’s how we’ll do it.
OWN YOUR STORY
VERSE “They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.” REVELATION 12:11, NIV
EXPLANATION This is the year to share your story. The compassionate witness of brave women is life-changing. Our stories find healing in community, and we help others heal when we are honest about what we have experienced. The moments of failure, frustration and imperfection are often where God’s grace shows up most profoundly. It means forgiving others who have hurt us and also forgiving ourselves for the mistakes we’ve made. Vulnerability may feel awkward, but it’s how we heal and invite others into their own journey of freedom. Your story matters. This year, we will resist insecurity, choose to forgive and share our stories boldly in community.
AUDACIOUS FAITH
VERSE “Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” JOHN 14:12-17, NIV
EXPLANATION Jesus often called people to defy logic—to stretch out a withered hand, dip in the water seven times or cast nets on the other side—which shows us that our effort matters. Take a risk, learn a new skill and dare to grow. Our action speaks louder than frustration. This year, posture your life around expectation and allow God to stretch your faith. Trust him with the wildest dreams of your heart. As Christine Caine says, “Don’t be afraid to ask your Father for anything.” Dare to do something new. Remember God’s pattern of providing more than we could have hoped for. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results. So mom? Wife? Friend? If there’s something in your life you deeply, desperately want to change, something you feel in your soul that God has for you, it’s time to try something different. This year, when God calls us to do or say something, we will respond with confidence: “Because you say so, I will” (Luke 5:5, NIV).
SPEAK KINDNESS
VERSE “She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.” PROVERBS 31:26, ESV
EXPLANATION We live in a time where we are constantly bombarded with words, which cheapens them and makes us forget just how powerful they truly are. A kind word spoken at the right moment is life-altering. A home filled with encouragement instead of yelling and criticism is medicine to the soul. Our kids are listening, and the words we speak over them will shape who they are becoming. Words change the atmosphere; they impact our biology, and they can bless and curse. This year let’s reclaim the power of our words by choosing kindness. Speaking kindly isn’t only about how we communicate with others but also how we talk to ourselves. The voice inside our heads can often be the harshest critic, saying things far crueler than any enemy ever could. True kindness must extend both outward and inward in equal measure. Let’s release ourselves from harsh self-criticism and step into the truth of who God says we are: beloved and worthy. When we accept God’s kindness, it overflows, enabling us to extend the same gentleness to those around us.
ENJOY THE JOY
VERSE “I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay. You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. PSALM 16:8-11, NIV
EXPLANATION For too long, we’ve lived afraid, fending for ourselves and letting fear dictate our lives. But anxiety was never meant to be our guide. It may have protected us in moments, but it has also built walls that kept joy out. To be absorbed by joy means releasing the constant need to control, defend and strive. We’ve bought the lie that if certain things in our life were different, then we could relax and enjoy ourselves. But you don’t actually need to buy that red-light mask, to upgrade your kitchen, or for your kid to “make good choices” to be filled with joy. Joy is a relief. It is enjoying the small things, and it is a defiant resistance to darkness. It’s time to enjoy the joy.