City Gospel Movements

Step Eleven - The Adaptable Playbook

City Gospel Movements — Sat, 11 Oct 2025 13:00:48 +0000

Big events can spark big impact—but only if they are rooted in prayer and unity. In this final play, Chris Gough talks with Fred Leonard (Mountain View Church, Fresno) and Duffy Johnson (Palau Festival Director) about discerning the right timing for catalytic events. Hear how Fresno rallied 200+ churches and why Palau prioritizes sustainable movements beyond the festival. Together, they answer: What did this event do for your city and e-team? What did it NOT do? Tell us about the evangelistic and collaborative fruit you saw – during the planning process, the event itself, and after the dust had settled? […]

Step Ten - The Adaptable Playbook

City Gospel Movements — Fri, 10 Oct 2025 13:00:52 +0000

What does it take to sustain gospel impact in a complex city? Chris Gough talks with Guy Wasko (For NYC) about strategic rhythms, data-informed ministry, and why unity means supporting what’s already working. Hear how New York is leveraging research, seasons, and practical tools to create a citywide platform for evangelism. Guy answers: With For NYC, you are in this process of developing ongoing rhythms of evangelism in your city. What does this look like for you, currently? How can you keep those rhythms impactful but not overwhelming or monotonous? Have you been able to tie evangelism into already existing […]

Step Nine - The Adaptable Playbook

City Gospel Movements — Thu, 09 Oct 2025 13:00:35 +0000

Big visions become reality when everyday believers are equipped. In this episode, Chris Gough talks with Gary Kendall (Kansas City) and Jed Mullenix (Omaha) about practical tools like the BLESS rhythms, mapping projects, and clear rally cries that mobilize thousands of ordinary Christians to love neighbors and share the gospel. Together, they answer: How would you approach the idea of mobilizing the WHOLE Body of Christ without becoming overwhelmed with the magnitude of it? Where do you start? What brings you joy, energy, or excitement in this step? If you’re hoping to see a movement in your city, why is […]

Step Eight - The Adaptable Playbook

City Gospel Movements — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 06:00:00 +0000

How do you engage leaders with influence in your city? Chris Gough talks with Jess Gatton (Alpha USA) and Nick Nye (For Columbus) about building evangelism culture through hospitality, prayer, and human flourishing. Hear practical stories of collaboration in Columbus and why evangelism is the natural byproduct of unity.

Jess and Nick answer:

How can leadership trainings shift culture towards evangelism?
Why is it essential to avoid skipping over an organization's key leaders when raising the temp of evangelism in your city?
As you've developed relationships with leaders over time, how can you create a culture of evangelism in leadership that adds value rather than feeling like a burden or sales pitch?
Practically, what do leaders want when they show up to a training or event?

Bios:

Jess Gatton serves on the executive team of Alpha USA and works with an incredible group of people to come alongside churches and organizations to make room for people who don’t know Jesus. Before working for Alpha, she was a social worker and served in over a decade of pastoral ministry. The intersection of those two worlds have given her the unique opportunity to help churches see the needs of the spiritually hungry in their cities and set the table for them to come into a meaningful conversation about faith, life and meaning. Her passion is to see the church at it’s best all over the US and to see Christians do their part in co-creating with God in their cities.

Nick Nye has led as a church planter, church revitalizer, multi-site lead pastor, non-profit founder, church planting network board member, speaker, and leadership coach. He has also lived and worked in urban environments, serving a wide range of socio-economically and culturally diverse populations in both the Midwest and New York City. Nick holds a bachelor’s degree in world religion and a master of divinity in missiology and church planting.

Nick is currently working toward a city-wide gospel movement in Columbus, Ohio. He works with marketplace leaders, specialty ministries, and congregational leadership to see gospel-centered collaboration for the city's flourishing. Nick is married to Brittany, and they have four children: Viola, Charlotte, Simone, and Elliott. They live in Columbus, Ohio.

To learn more about Evangelism Teams, the Adaptable Playbook, or what God is doing through collaborative evangelism efforts across North America, visit citygospelmovements.org.

Step Seven - The Adaptable Playbook

City Gospel Movements — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 13:00:20 +0000

Strong movements start with strong leaders. In this episode, Chris Gough sits down with Kevin Palau and Eric Swanson to unpack how genuine relationships, encouragement, and trust help leaders raise the temperature for evangelism in their cities. Discover how to nudge leaders toward mission without guilt trips—and why every lane matters. Kevin and Eric answer: How do you help leaders consider their plan to raise the temperature in their organization? How does the work of an e-team provide “gentle accountability” for gospel clarity in your city? How do you build genuine relationships with leaders that naturally leads to change, rather […]

Step Six - The Adaptable Playbook

City Gospel Movements — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 13:00:59 +0000

How do you introduce your Evangelism Team to your city? In this episode, Chris Gough talks with Jad Levi (Phoenix Evangelism Project) about listening tours, trust-building, and creating compelling gatherings that elevate evangelism without creating sideways energy. Learn how Phoenix leaders launched a citywide initiative rooted in prayer, relationship, and mission. He answers the questions: How did your E-Team use your Listening Tour findings to invite local pastors into conversation? This is all about making behind-the-scenes conversations public. Why is that so valuable? How has the temperature of evangelism increased in Phoenix because of these conversations? If you were sharing […]

Step Five - The Adaptable Playbook

City Gospel Movements — Sun, 05 Oct 2025 13:00:45 +0000

Listening is the first step to impact. In this episode, Chris Gough talks with Stacie Mickelson (Emmanuel Gospel Center, Boston) about how listening tours uncover blind spots, connect leaders, and spark informed action. Discover practical tools and real stories showing why slowing down to listen may be the fastest way to advance the gospel in your city. She answers the questions: How would more talk lead to an increase in evangelism? Why did your team choose to do this in Boston, benefitting the work of EGC and the Boston E-Team? Walk us through your process in Boston… What will you […]

Step Four - The Adaptable Playbook

City Gospel Movements — Sat, 04 Oct 2025 13:00:45 +0000

Good communication fuels lasting collaboration. In this episode, Chris Gough talks with Steve and Patti Buss (One Hope Network, Eugene, OR) about how prayer, storytelling, and clear vision help churches speak with one voice. From testimonies to billboards to the Overflow Hope project, discover practical ways communication builds unity and keeps the gospel at the center. They answer the questions: What kind of communication does it take to build a fruitful and mature city network? How did your communications evolve over time as you learned and grew? How does good communication lead to Gospel opportunities? What happens when we do […]

Step Three - The Adaptable Playbook

City Gospel Movements — Fri, 03 Oct 2025 16:08:13 +0000

Strong frameworks create space for fruitful mission. In this episode, Chris Gough and Mark Matlock (Barna, WisdomWorks) unpack why governance, structure, and funding aren’t boring details but vital supports for citywide evangelism. Learn six key questions every collaborative team must answer to sustain impact and prepare for harvest. Mark will answer: What is the most important thing when setting up a framework for a collaborative team like an E-Team? Leader? Structure? This step can seem “behind the scenes.” How is it actually raising the temperature of evangelism as you work through it? Which tangible practices in this resource would help […]

Step Two - The Adaptable Playbook

City Gospel Movements — Thu, 02 Oct 2025 21:06:05 +0000

Discover how mapping your city’s spiritual ecosystem can spark unity and raise the temperature for evangelism. In this episode, Chris Gough and Geoff King (Love Fort Wayne) share how prayer, listening, and connecting leaders turn isolated efforts into a collective movement of hope.

Bio:

Geoff King is a shepherd leader with a heart to see people, families, and communities, firmly rooted and expressively loved in the way, truth, and life of Jesus. As CEO of Love Fort Wayne, Geoff serves to advance the mission and vision of Love Fort Wayne, which is to bring the Church and community together to love the city and see it flourish in Jesus' name.

Outside of his leadership at Love Fort Wayne, Geoff also serves as a Board member at Building Blocks Outreach, Four:10 Ministries, and the Fort Wayne Rescue Mission. Additionally, Geoff is a pastor, speaker, coach, and committed mentor of young men. Geoff enjoys running, reading, downtime with his family, and traveling with close friends. Geoff is married to his wife Erika, and they have three children, Amaiya (16), Layla (15), and Xander (7).

To learn more about Evangelism Teams, the Adaptable Playbook, or what God is doing through collaborative evangelism efforts across North America, visit citygospelmovements.org.

Step One - The Adaptable Playbook

City Gospel Movements — Wed, 01 Oct 2025 21:04:04 +0000

Discover how prayer, collaboration, and the right leaders can transform cities. In this first step of The Adaptable Playbook, Chris Gough and Ian Stevenson explore what it takes to identify and empower evangelistic champions who bring the good news to life in their communities. Ian will answer: How did you start with this in Costa Mesa? How does leading a “meta-network” involve this step? What have you learned doing it over time in so many different contexts? What are your favorite “failure” and “success” stories? What are the differences between a leader, champion, and specialist? Bio: Ian Stevenson is the […]

Introduction - The Adaptable Playbook

City Gospel Movements — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 06:00:00 +0000

This is a special series sharing the Adaptable Playbook – a framework for success for your Evangelism Team. Together we’ll explore 11 proven steps that really work for cities across North America who want to raise the temperature of evangelism in their communities.

We will hear from practitioners in these cities, humble leaders who have wrestled faithfully with the challenges these steps address. We hope you leave these conversations encouraged and equipped to own the lostness of your city, one step at a time.

Today, our host Chris Gough speaks with Jesse Northway, who oversees North American Ministry for Palau. Before joining Palau, Jesse pastored a church in Wellington, New Zealand.

He will answer the questions:

Why does this resource exist?
How did we choose these 11 problems?
How would an E-Team use this?
Why should I listen to this podcast series?
Where can I get the Adaptable Playbook?

To learn more about Evangelism Teams, the Adaptable Playbook, or what God is doing through collaborative evangelism efforts across North America, visit citygospelmovements.org.

Exploring Evangelism Myths: Evangelism is Regularly Celebrated in Churches

City Gospel Movements — Mon, 22 Feb 2021 00:00:25 +0000

How does your church celebrate evangelism? What does it even look like to celebrate it? We’re going to explore this in our final episode of Exploring Evangelism Myths. Ben and Lizzie will discuss why celebrating and sharing stories are vital to evangelism. You’ll also hear from Rachel Jordan Wolf, Executive Director of Hope Together.

Want to read along while you listen? Find the transcript here.

Download discussion questions for your small group or for personal use here.

Exploring Evangelism Myths: Evangelism is About a Single Moment.

City Gospel Movements — Mon, 15 Feb 2021 00:00:11 +0000

Do you think evangelism needs to lead to a single, powerful moment of decision? Or do you think it could look more like a journey? That’s what we’re discussing in episode 4 of Exploring Evangelism Myths. Listen to learn if there are strengths and weaknesses to both of these mindsets. You will also hear from our friend: Finu Iype from Passion to Reach Ministries.

Want to read along while you listen? Find the transcript here.

Download discussion questions for your small group or for personal use here.

Exploring Evangelism Myths: Evangelism Should be Easy.

City Gospel Movements — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 00:00:10 +0000

Does sharing your faith come naturally to you? There’s this belief that evangelism should be easy for us, but we have some thoughts about this. Listen to episode 3 where we explore if evangelism will always be hard for some people and easier for others. Or if there are ways it can be easier for those that find it hard! You will also hear from an expert on evangelism: Professor Jerry Root.

Rather read the episode transcript? Click here.

Download discussion questions for your small group or for personal use here!

Exploring Evangelism Myths: Evangelism is Best Done by Pastors and Extroverts.

City Gospel Movements — Mon, 01 Feb 2021 00:00:03 +0000

Who do you think is best at evangelism? We asked believers to describe the people who they think are. Two responses came up over and over again: pastors and extroverts. Let’s talk about it in the second episode of Exploring Evangelism Myths. You’ll also hear from two special guests: Pastor James Meeks from Salem Baptist Church of Chicago and Andrew Palau from the Luis Palau Association.

Rather read the episode transcript? Click here.

Download the discussion questions for a small group or personal use here.

Exploring Evangelism Myths: Evangelism is Unethical. Should We Even Be Evangelizing?

City Gospel Movements — Sun, 24 Jan 2021 23:59:41 +0000

Do you want to discover what we found out when we asked people their thoughts on evangelism? Listen to this episode to learn why people feel uneasy about sharing their faith and what Scripture has to say about ethics and evangelism. You will also hear from an expert on apologetics: Alycia Wood.

Rather read the episode transcript? Click here.

Download discussion questions for your small group or for personal use here!

Exploring Evangelism Myths Trailer

City Gospel Movements — Sun, 17 Jan 2021 23:00:23 +0000

What do you feel when you hear the word ‘evangelism’? If you’re anything like us, you feel a mix of emotions. We get it.

If you’re a pastor, you may feel like evangelism is yet another thing to juggle. If you go to church, it’s common to feel insecure—what if a conversation gets tense? Maybe you haven’t talked openly about Jesus in years.

In our new podcast series Exploring Evangelism Myths we discuss five myths that hold people back from sharing the Gospel with those around them.

See evangelism with fresh eyes and sign up for the series at Exploring Evangelism Myths.

Growing in Empathy for Youth feat. Aaron Pierce

City Gospel Movements — Tue, 25 Aug 2020 17:01:18 +0000

Aaron Pierce is the Executive Director of Steiger International, a global mission organization that is called to reach and disciple the Global Youth Culture for Jesus. He also co-leads the Lausanne Movement’s new initiative on Global Secularization. Growing up as a missionary kid in Amsterdam, Aaron often saw hope brought to the city. He witnessed this mainly through the evangelistic punk rock band his dad founded, No Longer Music. Aaron also co-leads the Lausanne Movement’s new initiative on Global Secularization. We recorded this conversation a while ago (in an airport... for unique sound effects) and have held onto it for the right time. Steiger International has many different avenues to reach youth. At the root of it all, they know how community is vital for people to experience Jesus. We're all in need of a dose of hope in our lives right now and this episode is sure to do just that. In this episode with Aaron, you will:

Discover Aaron's story of how he joined the mission his parents started - Steiger 14.
Grasp how Steiger International creates a place for youth to connect and experience a self-sacrificing community.
Learn how the strategy to reach students is not a strategy at all (the 5 steps to reach Gen Z isn't where we should start).
Hear Aaron's favorite story of a hip-hop artist coming to know Christ in São Paulo.

Bringing Hope to Public Schools feat. Bob Lenz

City Gospel Movements — Wed, 15 Jul 2020 10:16:18 +0000

Bob Lenz from Life Promotions wanted to be a dump truck driver when he graduated high school. However, God had another plan for Bob. Even though he still wanted to go work with trucks after going to Bible school he ended up being a public speaker. Bob shares the Gospel with students across the nation through anti-bullying and suicide prevention assemblies. He empowers educators with curriculum he co-authored with award-winning teacher, Deobrah Tackmann. We’ve held onto this interview with Bob Lenz since before the global pandemic, but it resonates now more than before. Bob is an advocate for students and loves them like Jesus even when he cannot mention the name of Jesus in public schools. In an isolating time like right now, we need to hear from Bob. In this episode with Bob, you will:

Gain insight on why he never wanted to be a public speaker.
Hear how he instills the hope of Jesus in students without ever saying His name.
Learn why Bob says we need to stop evangelizing people.
Discover how Bob's talks and curriculum have inspired the government's Stop Bullying Campaign.