On October 21, 2012, a new church plant was started in the small town of Coulterville, IL by a young pastor, Tim Bauersachs, and his worship leader, Jeff Wagner. Tim and Jeff heard the call of God to reach out to a community just down the road that had very little evangelical witness. After much prayer and affirmation, they stepped out in faith and "The Gathering" was started.
The motto at The Gathering is "Following Jesus and leading others to do the same!" The Gathering seeks "to intentionally establish relationships with people God brings to them with the goal of showing them who Christ is and how to follow Him as He changes their hearts and speaks into their lives." The Gathering looks to Acts 1:8 as their guide for everything they do. It is not only a "mission statement" for them, but "it also guides their time, finances, efforts, and lives."
Soon after they launched, Jeff returned to Haiti to lead a vision team on behalf of his former church and The Gathering to Alex's House on December 1-8th. However, his first introduction to Alex's House came a year earlier when Tim and Jeff went to Haiti to work with IMB/BGR missionaries Sam and Delores York in September 2011. Through that trip, God laid an enormous burden on their hearts for the nations and, specifically, the people of Haiti. Since BGR was pulling out of Haiti, Wagner had "to find another organization through which to make his next trip down there. That organization was Alex's House."
It was during Jeff's recent December trip that God "truly opened the eyes and hearts of those who went to the needs of the children in Haiti and the fact that God was using Alex's House to meet those needs. Through this experience, God laid a burden on the hearts of those at The Gathering to partner with Alex's House in rescuing the children of Haiti and teaching them about our wonderful Savior." As a result, The Gathering took another leap of faith in becoming an Alex's House partner.
The Gathering has stepped up and made a commitment to continually pray for Alex's house -- the leaders, the children, and the work that they are doing. A commitment to help through the sending of teams to work in doing whatever is needed. And, a commitment to support Alex's House financially on a regular basis. What a blessing!
Alex's House welcomes The Gathering as a 2013 Partnering Church, and looks forward to what God will accomplish through this partnership! We give thanks to the Lord for sending others to help us carry out His will for Alex's House!
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| Worship Leader, Jeff Wagner, sharing Christ w/ the Evangecube during recent December trip! |
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