Imagine More
To God – whose power now at work in us can do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine. Ephesians 3:20 (Inclusive)
To every one of you attending the Gathering for the first time ...
To every one of you doubting that you are worthy of God’s love ...
To every one of you who has called the church your spiritual home but still wanders in and out ...
To every one of you facing a life-altering change in the days ahead ...
To every one of you grieving the death of someone you love ...
To every one of you who believes God does not know your name ...
To every one of you experiencing the promise of resurrection in a new way in your life ...
To every one of you wondering if there is a place for you here ...
We invite you to imagine.
Imagine arms wrapped around you in love. Imagine a place for you at the table. Imagine a word of forgiveness shared with you. Imagine the sense of joy when you witness the unthinkable happening. Imagine a world waiting to hear your voice.
Imagine more.
The power of God at work in us is a measure not of our own strength but of God’s limitless ability. God is the source of our encouragement and hope, always surpassing our expectations. Ephesians 3:20 comes from a section of Paul’s letter in which he prays for the early Christians in Ephesus, a major city of the Roman Empire:
For this reason I bow my knees before [God], from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to [God] who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to [God] be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever (Ephesians 3:14-21).
In Ephesus, followers of Jesus faced social rejection, opposition and even violence because Jesus’ message stood in direct opposition to the pagan goddess Artemis. Our own world distinctly parallels the times Paul references in his letter. He stresses God’s love, God’s forgiveness of sins and the unity of those who believe in Christ.
Through the Gathering, young people come together to experience that unity and understand their role in the community of the larger church. We recognize both the joy of community and the unique role of each participant as they return to their individual communities after this life-changing event. The apostle Paul sought to provide for the needs of the Ephesians with encouragement, hope and confidence in God’s faithfulness. The needs of faithful young people today are much the same.
Imagine more love.
(Mark 4:35-41 — Jesus Calms the Sea)
Imagine more welcome.
(Matthew 9:9-13 — A Place at the Table)
Imagine more grace.
(Luke 15:11-32 — The Prodigal Son)
Imagine more joy.
(John 20:1-18 — Resurrection and Naming Mary)
Imagine more courage.
(John 4:1-42 — The Woman at the Well)
The ministry of the Gathering seeks to remind young people that God is already at work in them for the sake of the whole world. Often there are pressures and fears that limit their sense of worth and their ability to change the world. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus and the presence of the Holy Spirit, God invites young people to imagine more, immeasurably more, for their own lives, the city of Minneapolis, the body of Christ and the life of the world.
Will you imagine more with us in Minneapolis?
To download our brand guidelines and logo files, visit the resources page and click the “Prepare” tab.
