The Gathering is a movement whose mission is distinctively different from the traditional church model. How? Primarily because we are about connecting you to God and each other, rather than collecting people on a membership role.
The American church has been built on a “join the institution” model. As a result, being a member is the main goal. Membership is about signing a contract with the expectation that you will “attend” all the activities of the church weekly, and give to this church for the rest of your life.
In this model, membership means; attending all services, every week, for the rest of your life and don’t you dare ever visit another church, unless of course it is while you are out of town on a vacation. And by the way, bring us a bulletin from the church so we can verify you didn’t cut church to relax on the beach! Don’t get us wrong, attending worship on a weekly basis is a good thing, but too often these “good things” become the only yardstick by which we measure the growth and vitality of our faith.
Come-down-front, sign-a -card, attendance-based church membership no longer works; if it ever did.
At The Gathering, we believe each person is called by God to make a difference in the world. But to grow and stretch to our full God-given potential requires the love and support of a whole host of other good like-minded people. That’s why we view “membership” as totally voluntary and a matter of the heart not a signature on a piece of paper.
Want to join this movement? Here is what you do; attend The Gathering regularly, serve at the Gathering joyfully, and give to support The Gathering generously, and you’re in! No paper contract necessary!
This is what we mean when we say, “we specialize in God simple, not church complicated!” While we come together around our common pain, we are held together by our passion for Jesus. His love drives us to be the change in the world we long to see.
We want you to join this movement. Stay here, grow here, serve here, give here, but if you decide to move on for a season, we’ll still love you and support your desire to grow up into Christ and His church.
It takes all kinds of churches to reach all kinds of people. There is no one-size-fits-all church. If you love Jesus and seek to love what He loves; then we are members of the same family, no matter what church gathering you attend!
Again, here is a simple formula for church membership:
- Attend The Gathering regularly . . .
- Serve at The Gathering joyfully . . .
- Give to support the mission of The Gathering generously . . .
. . . and you’re in! Welcome to the movement that has been redeeming, restoring, and reconciling the world for over 2,000 years!
How To Stand Out And Be Heard Above The Herd