SAVE THE DATE!

Please mark your calendar to make sure you don’t miss out on this key annual gathering of our movement churches and leaders to be equipped and challenged.

Our Foundations Conference will be held at Community Church Oshkosh, and we hope you can join us!

Register Today!

Leading a small congregation in a rural community comes with unique challenges and you're not alone. The Connect Gathering is a dedicated, peer-driven event created specifically for pastors of rural churches. Hosted at the premier venues of Lodge Kohler and Lambeau Field, this two-day experience offers a rare opportunity to connect with other leaders who truly understand the highs and lows of ministry in a small-town context.

This is not your typical conference. The Connect Gathering is intentionally structured as a peer-to-peer learning experience; centered around real conversations, shared struggles, practical solutions, and encouragement from leaders who get it. It's about building relationships that last and walking away with insights that can actually move your ministry forward.

We’re excited to welcome the new Director of the Rural Church Institute, anchored at the Billy Graham School of Evangelism in Wheaton, IL. He’ll be joining us to bring fresh encouragement and practical strategies for helping rural churches not only survive but flourish. 

This year, we're creating intentional space for the pastor's spouse of the rural church; they are an invaluable partner we know. There will be time set aside for both men and women to connect separately in their own peer-to-peer conversations, because we believe that ministry is something you carry together. So, would you both come and be encouraged and strengthened during this valuable time?

Thanks to a generous Lilly Grant, this event is made affordable to support rural church ministry across the Great Lakes region.

To attend, your church must meet both of these criteria:
Average fewer than 150 people on a Sunday
Be located in a town with a population under 25,000

This is a space where you can breathe, learn, and grow—surrounded by others who are walking the same road. We believe rural churches are essential to gospel impact, and we’re here to champion and support you in the work you’re called to do.

Converge Great Lakes
Your partners for greater gospel impact
You’ve been called on a mission. Don’t go at it alone.

Register by September 22nd!

Register Today!

Leading a multi-staff church presents unique challenges and opportunities.The Connect Gathering, happening on November 17-18,  at SentryWorld in Stevens Point, is a dedicated gathering for pastors of multi-staff churches and their spouses, offering a space to engage with peers who understand the complexities of leadership at this scale.

This event is structured as a peer-to-peer learning experience. Rather than a typical conference, The Connect Gathering is driven by the attendees themselves, enabling them to share insights, tackle challenges, and offer support through open discussions.

This exclusive event fosters real relationships, practical solutions, and ongoing encouragement for pastors who can uniquely empathize with one another. The Connect Gathering provides a rare opportunity for leaders to grow together and gain valuable insights for their ministries.

This year, we're creating intentional space for the pastor's spouse of the rural church; they are an invaluable partner we know. There will be time set aside for both men and women to connect separately in their own peer-to-peer conversations, because we believe that ministry is something you carry together.

So, would you both come and be encouraged and strengthened during this valuable time?

Join us at SentryWorld, a premier venue in the heart of Wisconsin, for this unique and impactful time of connection.

Converge Great Lakes
Your partners for greater gospel impact
You’ve been called on a mission. Don’t go at it alone.

Register by October 22nd!

Hilton Garden Inn - Wausau, WI

Designed specifically for couples in Converge Great Lakes church leadership. This two-day retreat offers pastors and their spouses a much-needed break to refresh their souls, strengthen their marriages, and build meaningful connections with others in ministry.

Hosted at the serene Hilton Garden Inn in Wausau, WI, the retreat provides a perfect setting for rest, renewal, and inspiration. In addition to insightful sessions led by a dynamic speaker (to be announced), you'll have time to unwind, share experiences, and leave feeling spiritually and emotionally rejuvenated.

Mark your calendars and get ready for a Christ-centered time of renewal, where you’ll leave spiritually refreshed and equipped to strengthen both your marriage and ministry!