Christmas is not only the season where we take much-needed time off from work to vacation at lavish alpine bungalows or gather ‘round the glowing hearth of our homes in celebration of family and the years to come. It is also a season of great spiritual contemplation, the season that brings “tidings of comfort and joy” as well as “peace on earth, goodwill to mankind.” So, to gain more understanding about the true meaning and long-established traditions surrounding the season of “Christ’s Mass,” I sat down with Reverend Juan Carlos Martinez, pastor of The Woodlands Reformed Church and a trustee of Westminster Theological Seminary, to gain his pastoral and theological insights.
1. To begin, tell us a bit about your journey—how long have you lived and pastored in The Woodlands?
I was born in Mexico, but in 1996, I moved to Houston to attend Rice University. I knew about The Woodlands, but I don’t recall visiting here until 2012. I remember thinking how beautiful this place was, with all the trees lining up the streets, but I never imagined I would live here one day.
In the summer of 2023, while living in Houston and serving as an associate pastor at a church there, I was invited to lead a Bible study in The Woodlands. After much prayer, the people who had begun the study believed that the Lord was leading them to plant a church. A couple of the members of the Bible study had met me at a Christian retreat and believed I would be a good fit to lead the study and turn it into a church plant. So, I led the study, and we all prayed, and the Lord did in fact stir all of us toward planting this church.
The Woodlands Reformed Church received its first members on October 27, 2024, and the Lord has blessed us with growth—both in numbers and in our love for Christ. We could not be more thankful for the Lord’s call upon our lives.
2. What is it like to pastor in this community? What encourages you most about The Woodlands, and where do you see opportunities for continued growth?
Being a pastor anywhere is a great privilege. The church is the bride of Christ, so it is a great honor—and an equally great responsibility—to shepherd the apple of Christ’s eye. That being said, each location, and each church, for that matter, presents its unique characteristics and challenges. One of the distinguishing features of pastoring in a place like The Woodlands—as opposed to pastoring in a large city such as Houston—is that it more readily lends itself to gatherings outside of Sunday. The Woodlands enjoys all the amenities of being close to a large city, but it doesn’t come with one of the major drawbacks: traffic. This enables people to get together regularly during the week, and to more quickly build deep friendships that are centered around a common faith, a common love for God’s Word, and a commitment to do life together, as members of the household of God. Therefore, a big part of pastoring in The Woodlands is liberally putting to use the gift of hospitality. We are a church that spends a lot of time together, enabling us to love and serve one another, but also to serve our community as one body. Since The Woodlands is a community that is self-contained, it is not uncommon to run into the people in restaurants or in parks, which allows us to build relationships outside the church.
A very encouraging feature of living in The Woodlands is that there really is a healthy sense of pride and love for the community. People care for their neighbors, and care to keep The Woodlands beautiful and safe. This not only makes our community a great place to live, but it also is a wonderful example of the kind of love for neighbor that the Bible calls us to display.
One of the areas of spiritual growth for a place like The Woodlands is in the area of making God our ultimate source of joy. Life in The Woodlands is so good—with all the beautiful parks, great schools, fine dining, shopping, entertainment, and, yes, golf. It is not difficult to make life all about comfort and the pursuit of pleasure. The problem with that, of course, is that if we fall into such temptation, we will make something good into something that is ultimate; and, when we do that, we always end up disappointed, because true joy and fulfillment can only be found in the Triune God of Scripture. So, we always have to be on guard against the snares of materialism, so we can enjoy the good gifts that God gives us, instead of ending up as slaves to those gifts.
3. As the Christmas season draws near—a time filled with joy, family, and giving—how would you advise our readers to prepare for it?
The best way to prepare for Christmas is not by rushing through stores, but by slowing down before Scripture. I encourage families to choose one of the four Gospels—perhaps Matthew or Luke, since they begin with the birth of Christ—and read through it together. As you do, reflect on the person and work of Jesus, who gave up His life to save sinners who could not save themselves. The story of Christmas is not merely that a child was born, but that God became man to redeem us. That truth should fill our homes with awe and gratitude.
Second, I would urge every family to commit themselves to a faithful, Bible-preaching church. The local church is where we learn to worship God according to His Word, grow as disciples of Christ, and proclaim His gospel to others. We are not meant to live as isolated believers, but as members of a body—encouraging one another through study, prayer, and lives of integrity that testify to God’s grace.
Third, cultivate gratitude in your hearts. Everything we have—our health, family, friends, and even the breath in our lungs—is a gift from God. The Christmas season is an opportunity to give thanks for these mercies, and to let thanksgiving shape our outlook on life.
Finally, look for ways to bless those in need. The world defines wealth by how much we possess, but the gospel teaches that true riches are found in Christ. The more we rest in Him, the freer we are to give. When we realize that we already possess every spiritual blessing in Him, that He has given us an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, generosity becomes not an obligation, but a joy.
4. What Christmas traditions are most meaningful to you—either personally or within your congregation?
In our home, one of our favorite traditions is decorating the house for Christmas. In fact, we do this quite early: on November 1st! We especially love decorating the tree and setting up the nativity scene. We set up a little town of Bethlehem, and the whole display is more than a nice decoration—it is a visual sermon about the humility of God. As we arrange the figures, we’re reminded that the eternal Son of God took on human flesh to redeem us and to give us eternal life. Our home is filled with the sounds of our most beloved Christmas hymns as we decorate, and together we reflect on what the incarnation means for us as a family, and as members of the household of God. It truly is one of the most joyful times of the year.
As a church, we cherish the season of Advent, when our worship is built around the great themes of expectation and fulfillment. Each Sunday, our songs, prayers, and Scripture readings point us to the coming of Christ. The highlight of the season is our Christmas Eve Lessons & Carols Service, where we trace the story of redemption from Genesis to Revelation, culminating in a candlelight singing of “Silent Night” a cappella. It is one of the most beautiful moments of the year—when the sanctuary glows with candlelight and the people of God sing of the Light of the world who has come into the darkness.
5. Our beautiful, growing community has a rich history and unfolding legacy. How do you hope to see The Woodlands continue to flourish—spiritually and socially?
The Woodlands was founded on the vision of a community where faith and flourishing go hand-in-hand. George Mitchell, its founder, believed that a healthy community required strong churches at its heart. I couldn’t agree more. For The Woodlands to truly flourish we need churches that faithfully proclaim the truth of Scripture, but as embassies of God’s kingdom.
Healthy churches produce healthy citizens. When the church takes seriously its calling to make disciples of Jesus Christ, it offers not only the hope of heaven but also becomes an outpost of heaven on earth. As believers live out their faith—loving their neighbors, serving those in need, forgiving those who wrong them—the community itself is transformed by grace.
If Christians in The Woodlands reflect the grace of the gospel in our daily lives, then this already-beautiful city in the trees can become something even more glorious: a City on a Hill, where the light of Christ shines through acts of love, mercy, and truth. That, I believe, is the true legacy worth building upon.
Reverend Juan Carlos Martinez is pastor of The Woodlands Reformed Church and a trustee of Westminster Theological Seminary.
The Woodlands was founded on the vision of a community where faith and flourishing go hand-in-hand.