The Gathering - USA, Missouri, Springfield

Life happens in circles, not rows.

The Church wasn't supposed to be about a "weekend experience".

It was about sharing Jesus with each other as we live our lives every day.

This happens where we live. This happens where we work. This happens where we play.

And most of this is inspired through relationships, which are fostered through conversations in a house church.

It's clear from Scripture this was intended. But if it doesn't lead to a Jesus conversation where we live, work, and play, we have to rethink what we're doing.

A DECENTRALIZED COMMUNITY

In the Old Testament in the Bible, so much of what happened was centered around having a primary priest in a primary place. But this changes with Jesus.

Jesus could have absorbed authority and done everything himself. Instead, he gave his authority away, as we see in Luke 9:1. He empowered those that followed him to do what he did, forming relationships to reach the world with the news of who he was. This is our goal as well.

WITH DISTRIBUTED LEADERSHIP

In much of the modern Church (especially in America), it's all about the pastor. But what do we do with what the Apostle Peter said in 1 Peter 2:5 (...you are [Jesus'] priests...).? The pastorship isn't for a select few. According to what God said through Peter, it's for everyone who believes in Jesus. Instead of elevating and separating pastors, we want to identify people and empower and equip them to pastor and shepherd each other.



IN DIVERSE DISCIPLESHIP COMMUNITY

The New Testament Church was anything but homogeneous. They gathered geographically, which meant it was diverse racially, economically, in gender, and in age. As a result, this is church open to everyone, regardless of the life you're coming from. You won't find us endorsing sin, but you will find people who will love you for you, regardless of what you look like or what you believe right now.

web: www.thegatheringma.org