Last Chance to Register for Gather
Gather launched in April 2024 with the idea of bringing together CRC people from across North America for a time of fellowship, encouragement, and renewal. Now, nearly one year later, the initiative is drawing to a close. With only three events remaining, people are invited to register as soon as possible for their last chance to participate.
Gather was designed in direct response to an assignment from Synod 2023, which discussed membership challenges in the denomination and asked the Office of General Secretary to develop a plan to “halt and reverse the trend of membership decline.”
“The Gather events are a first step toward encouraging and assisting CRC congregations in their renewal,” said Zach King, general secretary. “God is not done with the CRC. He is working through us and has a vision and plan for our future. Gather is an attempt to help us testify to what God is doing and to share best practices for how we can join him in that work.”
At each Gather event, five classes are invited to send up to 15 representatives to spend two days together in prayer, worship, reflecting on Scripture, and discernment. These representatives may be pastors, elders, or deacons, but they could also be members who are involved in their congregation or who are interested in renewal.
At the upcoming events in Chicago, Houston, and Des Moines, individuals from Classes Rocky Mountain, Hamilton, Yellowstone, Minnkota, Grandville, Hanmi, Illiana, Grand Rapids South, Wisconsin, Hudson, Northern Michigan, Central Plains, Zeeland, and Arizona are specifically invited to attend.
“At each event, stories and key learnings are captured and will be used to create a comprehensive report to be shared with Synod 2025 and then the entire denomination,” explained Elaine May, project director for Gather. “It is so important that we get good participation from each of our classes.”
All expenses related to participating in Gather – including flights, food, and lodging – are paid for through generous donors. If you are a member of one of the classes listed here and would like to attend, please visit crcna.org/Gather to see which event and date are reserved for your classis. Then email [email protected] to indicate your interest.
If you are not a member of one of those classes but would still like to attend, there may be space available at either the Chicago or the Des Moines event. Please complete this form to indicate your interest.
“Each Gather event has had its own personality and flavor,” added May. “But at the same time we’ve seen consistent themes arise as people share their stories. We’d love to finish strong with robust participation at all of the remaining events.”
Learn more at crcna.org/Gather.
