The Gathering USA, Inc.

Summary

The Gathering/USA, a movement begun by Dr. John Tolson in 1978, participates with the church in mobilizing Christian men towards spiritual maturity and to reach non-Christian men for Christ. The Gathering is a ministry of evangelism, discipleship, and missions opportunities. Most of this effort has been geared for years to men, but an effort is currently being made to fund and start a Gathering of Women. The organization was officially formed in 1987 in Orlando, when Larry Kreider came on board as the President. Laymen from a number of cities were trained to setup and run a Gathering of Men in their own city. The Gathering has worked closely with local churches and encouraged men to get involved in the church of their choice. Bible study/luncheons and small groups were developed to help men grow further in their Christian walk This organization is a nonprofit. Contributions to it are fully tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Contact Information: [ Back to top ]

Organization Details [ Back to top ]

Purpose [ Back to top ]

The Gathering/USA, a movement begun by Dr. John Tolson in 1978, participates with the church in mobilizing Christian men towards spiritual maturity and to reach non-Christian men for Christ. The Gathering is a ministry of evangelism, discipleship, and missions opportunities. Most of this effort has been geared for years to men, but an effort is currently being made to fund and start a Gathering of Women. The organization was officially formed in 1987 in Orlando, when Larry Kreider came on board as the President. Laymen from a number of cities were trained to setup and run a Gathering of Men in their own city. The Gathering has worked closely with local churches and encouraged men to get involved in the church of their choice. Bible study/luncheons and small groups were developed to help men grow further in their Christian walk

This organization is a nonprofit. Contributions to it are fully tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Mission Statement [ Back to top ]

The Gathering/USA's Mission Statement is:

to participate with the church in mobilizing Christian men towards spiritual maturity and to reach non-Christian men for Christ.

Program Accomplishments [ Back to top ]

The Gathering's accomplishments and programs include the following:

City-wide Outreach Breakfasts using nationally known communicators typically at convention centers or major hotels,

Lunch Gatherings (biblically based messages dealing with men’s issues),

Small group meetings,

Local and international short-term missions opportunities,

Social outreach projects,

Resources including "the best of the best" Men's Ministry Resource Directory, discipleship and small group books, tapes, and other materials,

A certified training course for pastors or lay leaders on developing a men’s ministry in the local church,

The Gathering has programs in more than 25 cities across the US.

Statement of Faith [ Back to top ]

This profile needs a statement of faith

History [ Back to top ]

The Gathering was a movement begun by Dr. John Tolson in 1978. Alarmed by the lack of spiritual direction men were providing for their families and the alarmingly low number of men attending church, John developed an appealing and effective way to reach men for Christ by mobilizing Christian men to invite their friends to a non-threatening outreach event in a secular setting. Men were recruited and trained to be table hosts for the Outreach Breakfasts, where a dynamic, nationally known speaker would present a winsome message with an evangelistic thrust. Typically 500 to 2000 men would attend, including business, professional and government leaders in the community.

The organization was officially formed in 1987 in Orlando, when Larry Kreider came on board as the President. Laymen from a number of cities were trained to setup and run a Gathering of Men in their own city. The Gathering has worked closely with local churches and encouraged men to get involved in the church of their choice. Bible study/luncheons and small groups were developed to help men grow further in their Christian walk. Several resource books for small groups were published. A short-term social outreach, called Dirt Bros. (formerly 50 Good Men), was begun to encourage men to give back to their community. In addition, short-term mission trips began and a missions ministry, MasterWorks, came under The Gathering umbrella. Recently, the Gathering developed with Promise Keepers an accredited seminary level program to train pastors and others on How to Develop a Men’s Ministry in the Church. John Tolson also became a regular speaker for the PK stadium events.

Ministry Needs [ Back to top ]

This organization has not offered MinistryWatch.com with specific needs to be posted on the profile. At such a time that MinistryWatch.com receives a response from the ministry, it will be posted immediately.

Research Analysis

Transparency Grade [ Back to top ]

MinistryWatch.com 5 Star Financial Efficiency Ratings [ Back to top ]

Ranking Category	Rating	Overall Rank	Fellowship Evangelism Sector
Overall Efficiency Rating		81 of 348	3 of 19
Fund Acquisition Decision		81 of 348	3 of 19
Resource Allocation Decision		of 348	8 of 19
Asset Utilization Decision		of 348	8 of 19