You never know what to expect when you open the doors of a new church.

Our core group was surely busy in the days that led up to our first Sunday morning service at The Gathering. Was the effort worth it? It was worth every minute of it!

We arrived two hours early to transform the Elizabethton Recreation Center into a church. We assembled the sound system and put up the video equipment. We set out our chairs not knowing how many we would need. We set up our Nursery and Toddler area and our teachers were prepared with a wonderful lesson. Then we waited…

By the time our service began we had approximately 30 in attendance. While we don’t measure success in how many seats we fill, we do measure it by hearts that are changed. We praise God that there was at least one who responded by rededicating his life and asked if he could begin attending our services!

Sunday morning was a beginning for us. We will continue with the theme “Under Construction”throughout the Summer as it leads up to our September 11th launch. We will continue teaching on the basic beliefs of the Christian faith and telling (and re-telling) our vision for Elizabethton and how others can be part of it.

The Gathering @ Elizabethton truly wants to share a fresh message with as many as will listen. Those of you who are fellow believers and currently involved in your church, we ask for your prayer support as we reach out to those yet to know Christ. Those who are without a church home or currently seeking for purpose in your life, please stop by this week and check us out.

We are looking forward to meeting you again on Sunday!

In His Service,

Pastor Bryan Smith
Lead Pastor, The Gathering

Are you ready to join the movement?

If you’re ready for a fresh start, then we invite you to join us at The Gathering @ Elizabethton on every Sunday morning at 10:00AM! We’re meeting at the Elizabethton Recreation Center on 300 West Mill Street in the Blackbottom area. Of course, we’re a work in progress – and we’re on track to make our big launch on September 11, 2011. But for now, we’re beginning our services to continue the progress we’ve made, as well as to open our doors as an opportunity for you to get involved.

So, please come and check us out! You’ll be blessed by passionate worship from Andy Curtis (of the CURTIS Band), relevant teaching from our brand-new series called “FOUNDATIONS,” and great fellowship with your friends and neighbors, from right here in Elizabethton. If you’ve been away from church, then this may be the perfect time to get back in. If you’ve been searching for a ministry with a heart for connecting people and reaching out to the needs of our community, then The Gathering could be the place for you!

For more detailed information, feel free to contact  us (click here for our contact page). Be praying about how God would lead you to be part of Elizabethton’s newest church – The Gathering!

In His love,

Ashley L. Martin
Small Groups Pastor

Wow, that sounds really great, doesn’t it? For many ministries, these are the moments they live for. However, for The Gathering, these moments serve as confirmation we are on the right track. I admitted last night that I am guilty of not “living in the moment” but looking over the hill for the next fulfillment of our vision. I very much appreciate everyone’s input regarding their thankfulness for what is taking place, but as a leader in this ministry, I must also make sure that the “main thing” remains “THE” main thing.

Now, had our goal been from the beginning to feel warm and fuzzy, then we knocked it out of the park last night. However, this is not the goal but a wonderful benefit of striving for our goal, which is speaking truth into the lives of those who are yet to know.

What are they yet to know? They are yet to know, not only Jesus as personal Lord and Savior, but also that He wants a relationship with them that is genuine and fulfilling in every way.

As we go forward, The Gathering will strive to maintain an environment where God can be accessed, your voice can be heard and all of us can strive together for a common goal – that common goal of harvesting believers and teaching fellow followers of Jesus Christ. This ten week study of Crazy Love comes to an end on February 17th, but thankfully, another small group study begins on Thursday, March 3rd.

For those who took part in the first study, we’re excited to continue growing in our relationship with you and hope you will spread the word. For those who missed the first round for whatever reason, get ready for a wonderful challenge. For those still unsure if this is for you, get over any preconceived notion you may have and give it a try. I am thankful each day that I get to be part of what God is doing and will continue to do in our community through the ministry of The Gathering @ Elizabethton.

Wouldn’t you like an opportunity to begin again? Do you want to learn more of God but have a problem with the Church? Do you have questions about God and life but didn’t know who to ask?

If that describes you, then you’ll want to be at our next “Come & See” Event. Why? Elizabethton’s newest church is opening its doors very soon! Come check it out:

The Gathering: “Come & See!” Event
Sunday, February 6th, 2011 @ 6:00PM
The Coffee Company, 444 E. Elk Ave, Downtown Elizabethton (get directions).

For answers to your questions or to RSVP, just give us a call at 423.297.7017, send us a message on Facebook, or visit our contact page.

Many have asked what The Gathering @ Elizabethton hopes to look like. This two minute video will give you the best idea. Love to hear your comments!

The Gathering: Prayer Support

This is an exciting time for The Gathering @ Elizabethton! We are well on our way toward seeing our dream of a 2011 launch become a reality. It is wonderful to see how God is working and using our current core group, as well as the encouraging response we’ve had in our first bible study – Crazy Love.

We have posted our latest series of Prayer Support Letters below so  you can catch up on how to pray for us as we continue to follow God’s leading for the future. Take a moment to read, download or pass along what we’ve shared with you here – and if you’d like to become more acquainted with The Gathering, give us a call or shoot us an email. We’d love to hear from you!  (You can visit our Contact Page here.)

God bless you!

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