We Are Family Of Churches Together On A Mission
We work to strengthen existing churches, plant healthy churches, train and equip leaders, and partner with our global family.
Our Identity
Relationships Really Matter
In Mark 3:14, we read that the first reason Jesus chose the twelve disciples is “so that they might be with him.” He did not gather these men simply because they happened to believe the same things or value the same things (they didn’t initially), but he gathered them first to relationship. For Jesus, relationships were not an add-on or a bonus but the means by which he carried out his ministry.
We see the same pattern in the New Testament, with family functioning as the prevailing metaphor for healthy church life. Confluence believes that an emphasis on relationships is a biblical imperative for any group of churches, and it’s crucial that we build strong relationships with one another.
We build strong relationships because:
God is a relational God.
God's plan has always been to fill the earth through families (Genesis 1:28, Genesis 12:2-3).
The New Testament churches embraced the language of family. For example, Paul writes in Ephesians 3:14-15: "I kneel before the Father from whom His whole family on heaven and earth derives its name."
The New Testament pattern of leadership had a relational bent (Romans 15:30-31, 2 Timothy 1:2; 1 Corinthians 4:17).
For those reasons, we are theologically convinced of the importance of strong, familial relationships between churches and leaders. We want to be churches that are not only on mission, but on mission together.
Values That Inspire
Generally speaking, we are evangelical and adhere to both the Apostles and Nicene Creeds. Confluence churches also share these core values and distinctives:
Gospel-Centered
We believe that receiving the gospel — the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus and the associated benefits to man — is both a moment and a process. The same grace that saves us in an instant also progressively changes us in every area of life. We believe the gospel delivers us immediately from the penalty of sin and progressively from the power of sin. It is the source of new life and also of a new lifestyle.
Paul uses the gospel as motivation for generosity in 2 Corinthians 8:8-9 and selfless living in Philippians 2:3-7. This means that the completed work of Jesus should be central across all ministries and in the lives all believers within a church. It means that instead of growing out of the gospel we need to increasingly grow into the gospel of grace (Col 1:5-6, Eph 4:15-16).
Spirit-Empowered
Paul speaks of individuals being temples of the Holy Spirit and of the church being a house in which God lives by his Spirit (1 Cor 6:19, Eph 2:22). Laying a foundation of the Spirit in churches was high on the apostles’ agenda, strikingly portrayed by Peter and John in Samaria, and Paul in Ephesus, Galatia, and Corinth (Acts 8:14-17, Acts 19:1-17, Gal 3:2, and 1 Cor 12 & 14).
We acknowledge the vital role of the Holy Spirit today, believing local churches should enjoy the presence, power, fruit, and gifts of God’s Spirit in a way that is attractive and beneficial to believers and unbelievers. And above all, we believe the Spirit empowers us for mission to our neighborhoods and nations (Acts 1:4-8).
Team-Led
Our churches are led by called and capable teams of elders, working alongside other servant leaders in the local church body, and supported by our regional Confluence team. They model servant leadership as they equip and release the local church for works of ministry, lovingly guarding, guiding and empowering those in their care. This emphasis on local eldership autonomy and regional relationships, enables Confluence churches to be self-governing, while also enjoying meaningful partnerships, accountability, and opportunities to engage in mission together.
We recommend reading, “The Spirit-Filled Church” by Terry Virgo for a more in-depth description of what these core values look like when they are expressed in the life of a church.
Servant Leadership
The gift of leadership is necessary for any group of people to make progress together, whether they’re part of a family, a church, or a family of churches (Romans 12:8). We believe apostles are given to lead families of churches (Ephesians 4:11-12). It's this leader, along with his team, who casts the vision and sets the tone for what the family does together.
Confluence churches are organized into five regions, and the leaders of these regions form an apostolic team. Bryan Mowrey serves as the apostle who leads this team. He is based at Jubilee Church in St. Louis, MO, where he also serves as lead elder and regional leader for the Midwest. Here’s the complete list of regions and leaders:
Northwest: led by Bo Noonan
Northeast: led by Ian Ashby
Southeast: led by Carl Herrington
California: led by Travis Aicklen
Midwest: led by Bryan Mowrey
While most of their responsibilities are centered around their local and regional churches, regional leaders serve all Confluence churches, not only the ones nearest them. Because of the strong relationships between regions, we collaborate often and learn from each other. Through regular communication, conferences, training weekends, and church visits, our regional leaders work together to serve and unify the whole family.
For an in-depth discussion of how apostolic teams serve and partner with local churches, we recommend reading Fathering Leaders, Motivating Mission by David Devenish.
Mission Is Our Goal
Mark tells us the second reason Jesus chose his disciples was so that “he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons.” (Mark 3:14-15) In other words, he not only chose them for relationship but also for mission.
In John 20:21, Jesus says, “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” Through the Church, Jesus’ mission and ministry on earth continues. We agree with Ed Stetzer when he says, “The church of God doesn’t have a mission as much as the mission of God has a church.”
God calls people together for a purpose — his purpose. We believe that God has brought us together to serve his mission in ways that wouldn’t be possible if we were on our own. Confluence churches work together to:
Strengthen existing churches
Plant healthy churches
Train and equip leaders
Partner with our global family
Global Partners
Confluence churches also have growing relationships with churches all over the world. Through these partnerships, we are serving Christians in other nations and benefitting from what God is doing among global believers. Currently, we’re working closely with churches in Turkey, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Kenya, and Mexico. Additionally, Confluence is part of an international family of churches called Newfrontiers with connections in more than 1500 churches in over 80 nations worldwide.