Do you ever really think about what you believe?  Do you ever really take the time to think through all the things that are thrown at you on a daily basis and how you respond to them? What you think about things? How you feel? Your world can sometimes be divided into containers: your work, your school, your friends, your church. And how you function and respond in each of those worlds can be different and confusing.  Church should be a place where you can find the answers to the issues that life throws at you. A place where you can be free to explore, be loved, welcomed, accepted.

So in November of 2006 a group of people asked the question, “Can a church like that really exist?” The answer was a resounding, “yes!” Jeremiah 29 talks about how God knows the plans He has for us, “plans for hope and a future”. Armed with that promise, that group of people set out believing in a goal of creating a church built on the belief in hope, hope for life change, hope for redemption, hope for grace from a God that knows we are not a perfect people. But loved us enough to send His Son for us.

WHERE ARE WE GOING?
So that’s how we started. Born out of a belief that grace and people REALLY can meet, we set out to create a church where people could be free to come as they are. Broken, hurt, beat down, confused, sick, weak or just plain tired of doing church in the usual plastic way. Caring more about where they are going than where they’ve been.

So where does The Gathering go from here? We have been totally depending on God for answers. After months of searching, we believe that He has shown us the location of our church home. He is doing some tremendous things, all with a group of totally imperfect people. That is what makes it so wonderful, so miraculous! That is why “We Believe”!

WHAT WE BELIEVE
Why do we do what we do? And what do we believe? At The Gathering we believe that church should not be an ugly word or a place that people are afraid of. We believe that The Gathering has to be a safe place for people who are far from God, people who Jesus would have hung out with, can come and explore to begin their own journey with Him. And, it is a place where many of us, which have been on this journey with Him for a while, can come and grow and help show others the way.

‘Because We Believe’ is not just a financial journey, but is a spiritual one as well. We hope to answer some of your questions. Hopefully, we will provoke some conversation with you about what you believe.