KingsGate Community Church

Growing Churches

Having laid a strong foundation focusing on Healthy Leaders last year, this year we’re turning our focus towards Growing Churches. Using Acts 1 and 2 as a basis, we will unpack nine key areas that remain vital for church growth today, as they were then (Vision, Prayer, Worship, Preaching, Next Gen Ministry, Discipleship, Generosity, Evangelism, and Community).

Year Two:

Growing Churches
OCT 20 - 22

Welcome to KingsGate!

We are so pleased to welcome you to KingsGate, especially if you are with us for the very first time.

Partnering for Purpose is a European Learning Community hosted by KingsGate Community Church, in partnership with several key church networks. This three-year journey is all about equipping churches across the UK and Europe to reach their nation(s) more effectively with the gospel of Jesus.

Our shared vision has been to:

Learn together across networks, peer to peer.
Strengthen relational unity, as different streams and independent churches join together for the greater cause of reaching their nation(s).

Looking back - Year 1 (2024) Healthy leaders

Last year, we laid the foundation with a vital focus on Healthy Leaders. We recognised that healthy leaders build healthy churches, which in turn bring lasting impact to their communities and beyond. Together, we explored personal wellbeing, cultivating healthy culture and teams, and raising and releasing more healthy leaders. It was inspiring to see how God used this emphasis to strengthen and prepare us for what lies ahead.

Looking Ahead – Year 2 (2025) Growing Churches

This year, while continuing to deepen our commitment to healthy leadership, our focus shifts to Growing Churches. We will be exploring best practices on key areas that are essential for sustained growth in both numbers and maturity, drawing on the timeless principles of Acts 1–2. In addition, we’ll be paying close attention to the “Quiet Revival” that is emerging here in the UK, while also recognising encouraging signs of similar movements in many other nations.

At the heart of everything is our shared commitment to remain thoroughly Word-based and Spirit-empowered, holding firm to the gospel as we seek fresh, creative ways to reach our communities.

Looking Forward – Year 3 (2026) Kingdom Expression

Next year, in the final stage of our journey, our focus will turn to Kingdom Expression. Together, we will pursue Kingdom expansion through mission and multiplication—exploring models of multiplying disciples, leaders, missional communities, campuses, locations, church plants, and fresh expressions of church. Our prayer is that, with God’s sovereign hand upon us, we will see significant Kingdom impact across our nations.

This Gathering

For this year’s Growing Churches gathering, we are blessed with a fantastic range of speakers and facilitators who bring both wisdom and experience. Our facilitation team is led by Geoff Surratt, whose years of executive church leadership and church planting experience will be invaluable in guiding us forward.

As you head into your cohorts, my prayer is that you will approach the time with openness and honesty, listening carefully for the Spirit’s leading. May He empower you to put your plans into action for the transformation of countless lives.

I am excited to continue this journey with you.

Love and blessings,

Dave

Leadership Team

Dave Smith

Senior Pastor - KingsGate Community Church

Dave Smith is Senior Leader of KingsGate Community Church which was started with a small group of people in 1988. From the outset, the Lord called Dave to “Think Big”, firstly for the city of Peterborough - to build a local church that would impact the city, the region, the nation and beyond. KingsGate’s vision is “Transforming lives from our neighbourhoods to the nations by the power of God’s love” and is now a large, multi-cultural, inter-generational church with four campuses: Peterborough, Cambridge, Leicester and online. Having studied for a doctoral thesis on the 18th Century evangelist, George Whitefield, at Oxford University, he is passionate about seeing a 21st Century revival in the UK and Europe. Dave has been married to Karen for over thirty-nine years and they have two daughters, Emily and Annabel, and two young grandsons. He is an avid Manchester City supporter, loves to read, walk and especially enjoys playing golf, where he also gets some good opportunities to share his faith.

Team Leader Speaker

Geoff Surratt

CEO - Ministry Together

Geoff has served on the leadership teams at Seacoast Church, Saddleback Church and Exponential. He is the founder and CEO of Ministry Together and coaches churches and leaders in the US and the UK. He is the author of several books including the Multisite Church Revolution and he and his wife, Sherry, recently released ‘Together, a Guide for Couples in Ministry’.

Programme and Facilitation Leader Carey Cohort Facilitator

Sally Duffy

Exec Pastor (Operations and Management Support) – KingsGate Community Church

Sally is one of the Executive Pastors at KingsGate Community Church, where she has served for 19 years. A qualified Management Accountant with a background in the pharmaceutical industry, Sally oversees the operational running of the church. She is passionate about providing support and structures to ensure the church is able to deliver its mission efficiently, and with excellence. Sally is married to Andy and has two grown-up children.

Operations and Logistics Leader