Why is the Gathering Network fundraising right now?

There are two primary reasons.

First, the Gathering Network is made up overwhelmingly of young families. We have many families faithfully growing in generosity - in fact, nearly 80% of our Covenant Partner households are already giving at some level—a remarkable reflection of their commitment to the mission of God. Still, we don’t have a large base of empty nesters or retirees with decades of accumulated resources.

The reality is that many of our families are still growing their capacity for generosity while navigating the costs of raising children, housing, and everyday life. That growth is part of the discipleship journey, but it takes time.

Second, we recently made a strategic investment in the future of the Gathering Network by adding an Executive Vision Integrator to our staff team. This role strengthens our ability to care for leaders, develop disciples, support House Churches, and steward the vision God has given us.

This fundraising season isn’t about simply closing a gap—it’s about creating capacity. It’s about tending the greenhouse: raising up healthier leaders, making more disciples, and helping the Kingdom of God grow through the Gathering Network for generations to come.

What Major Initiatives Am I Funding?

Our Elders have outlined a five-year vision to further develop the culture of the Gathering Network. We don’t simply want to be a network that does these things—we want to become a people who embody these five essentials. And we believe this vision is within our reach.

• A Culture of Prayer — Prayer everywhere.

• A Culture of Discipleship — Everyone being discipled and becoming a disciple-maker.

• A Culture of Mission and Witness — Ten new House Churches that embody invitation and welcome.

• A Culture of Radical Generosity — Moving beyond fully funded.

• A Culture of Fruitfulness and Sustainability — Doubling Covenant Partnership.

The year 2027 will be one of significant convergence, with measurable initiatives supporting each of these priorities.

Three major initiatives stand out:

1. A Robust Discipleship Ecosystem

We are developing a clear pathway that can help someone grow from initial faith in Jesus to mature ministry leadership. This ecosystem will include two new schools and a complete redevelopment of Leader School:

Jesus School — An eight-week experience exploring who Jesus is, what His lordship means, and how knowing Him shapes our identity.

Kingdom School — An eight-week experience exploring the Kingdom of God and how every follower of Jesus is invited to live within—and participate in—its reality.

Leader School — We are redesigning and decentralizing Leader School as a months-long experience for those who want to understand how their personal story affects their leadership and learn to multiply the life of the Kingdom in others.

These schools will represent the fruit of almost 20 years of discipleship innovation and practice. They will make the best of what we have learned about forming the next generation in North America available to the wider Body of Christ.

2. Our First-Ever House Church Planter Cohort

The Gathering Network has been a pioneering voice in the North American House Church movement for almost 20 years.

For the first time, we are establishing a comprehensive House Church Planter Cohort designed to identify, equip, and support a new generation of House Church planters for our network.

3. Rule of Life and Family Discipleship Tools for Every Family

One of the most important questions facing the House Church movement in North America is, “What about children in House Churches?”

We have been pioneering in this space for almost two decades. Now we are making these hard-earned practices and resources available to families, helping them build a Rule of Life—a practical framework for organizing family life around prayer, discipleship, and mission.

A comprehensive publication outlining our full five-year vision and our specific initiatives for 2027 can be found HERE.

From the very beginning, our heart has been to raise up a next generation of wholehearted disciples of Jesus—people deeply formed by God's presence, transformed into His likeness, and equipped for Kingdom mission.

Our history tells that story. Over the years, hundreds of people shaped in the Gathering Network are now serving throughout Kansas City—leading churches, starting ministries, discipling others, raising faithful families, serving nonprofits, leading Kingdom-centered businesses, and advancing God's Kingdom in countless ways.

We've come to believe that success isn't simply measured by how many people stay, but by how many disciples are formed and sent.

The Gathering Network was never meant to build our own empire. We believe God has given us a grace to seed an entire Kingdom ecosystem across our city—where people are deeply rooted, transformed by Jesus, and sent wherever He leads them.

Some will walk with us for decades. Others will be sent into other churches, ministries, neighborhoods, and expressions of Kingdom mission. We celebrate both, because when disciples are formed and the Kingdom grows, the ENTIRE ECOSYSTEM WINS.

If you have been shaped by life at the Gathering Network, or if Jon and Alissa's investment or influence has made a lasting impact on your life - we're asking you to prayerfully consider investing in the mission of the GN so it can continue shaping lives for years to come. 

When you give to the Gathering Network, you're investing in a ministry with decades of fruitfulness—every disciple formed, every leader raised up, every family strengthened, and every person sent becomes another seed in the Kingdom God is cultivating across Kansas City.

First, this is not an invitation to redirect your tithe. If you are rooted in another church family today, we want to encourage you to continue giving your tithe there.

The local church where God has planted you should be the primary place where you invest your generosity.

This is an invitation to consider an above-and-beyond Kingdom gift if the Gathering Network — or the Shirley family’s ministry — has been a meaningful part of your journey with Jesus.

Jon’s goal is to raise $25,000 annually through a team of ministry partners prayerfully giving $25, $50, $75, $100, or 200+ per month to help supplement a portion of his salary so he can continue investing in disciples, leaders, and the next generation.