we exist to gather, equip & unleash the next generation of women to live out their purpose.
hello My name is Jennie Allen. I am a wife, mother, author, and the Founder and Visionary of a parachurch organization called IF:Gathering. IF:Gathering seeks to gather, equip, and unleash women to live out God’s calling on their lives. We are a generation of women that believes God at His Word that He called us to our places and will use us for His glory and for the good of His people. Last February, we hosted our very first gathering, and God moved. Over 40,000 small groups and individuals streamed our 2-day gathering, and we believe it was only the beginning. We will come together around the world again on February 6-7, 2015 in a spirit of humility and unity to pray that God works in even greater ways. Our desire is not to pull women out of their communities to fill a massive stadium, instead, we work to equip women who desire to be leaders to bring IF:Gathering to churches and communities all over the world. This is our model because we believe in the local church. For 10 years my husband was a pastor, so as a pastor’s wife I know firsthand that the church is where real life change happens. We are seeing women rise up to take responsibility for the souls of other women in their local churches and communities, and all we’re doing is providing the tools for them to do it. We are not super creative, cutting edge, or innovative. In fact, we are very old school. We gather around a book of the Bible daily to read, pray, & apply it. We break bread together and have deep, honest conversations about faith. Finally, we get on our knees together and pray that God would use us for His glory and for the good of others. Our aim here is not to make great the name of IF:Gathering in your town. We succeed if the name of Jesus is made great in and through the women in your church, neighborhood & city. The following pages contain more information about IF:Gathering. We hope this letter gives you peace and understanding about what God calling us to do and what we are inviting women in your church to be a part of. This is a responsibility that we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your leadership. Jennie Allen IF:Founder & Visionary
gather Our 2-day gathering each year brings together women from all over the world to humbly seek God and to equip them to better live out their callings. We seek to model, resource, & empower women so that they create fresh, honest spaces in their local contexts to wrestle with essential questions of faith like: IF God is real‌ THEN what? We call them IF:Locals. The makeup and mechanics of each IF:Local is unique. There are monthly and annual opportunities to gather with women for prayer, for convening at dinner tables, for processing of Scripture, and for dreaming about what God can do through the laying down of our lives in obedience.
equip We have created a free, simple equipping tool for reading the Bible daily. By providing easy online access to scripture, insight from thought leaders in our generation, and a like-hearted community, we hope IF:Equip will prepare women around the world to know God more deeply and to live out their purposes. We aim to release more holistic equipping materials in 2015.
unleash We believe in women uniting for healing and reconciliation in homes, neighborhoods and local churches around the world. By partnering with other non-profit organizations and coming specifically alongside women, fostering relationships and utilizing our God-given gifts, we believe that our generation could not only transform hearts but leave a tangible impact on the entire world.
w h at w e be l i e v e Nicene Creed We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen
IF:Gathering exists because of Jesus, and under His name we are unified and for His name we gather. If you are wrestling with your faith, we hope you will find this gathering a safe deep place to wrestle.
va l u e s
authenticity We want to create a safe environment where women can bring their wrestling, their doubts, and their confessions. participatory We believe that together, by unleashing our God-given gifts, we can restore ourselves and the world to be more like God intended. humble We will humbly come together with our unique gifts, resources, and perspectives, believing that unified under the name of Christ, we can be more effective at reaching our generation than divided. christ-centered We believe in one God. Everything we do is grounded in the truth of Christ’s life, death and resurrection. What we do exists for the glory of God. honoring We honor each person and their values. We respect the values and traditions of each individual, while coming together for the sake of unity and to carry God to the next generation of women. church-centered We believe in the local church. We are passionate about creating resources and tools to serve the church as it serves women around the world.
Jennie Allen is a Bible teacher who is passionate about inspiring women of all ages to live out God’s calling on their lives. She married Zac Allen and together they attended Dallas Theological Seminary where Jennie graduated with a Master’s in Biblical Studies. Jennie’s journey with writing began in 2011, with the release of Stuck. The following year, Jennie released Chase, and her award- winning trade book, Anything. Jennie’s latest book and video-based bible study, Restless, helps women discover their unique life callings through the study of Joseph.
jennie allen
Founder & Visionary
Jennie and Zac have four children and live in Austin, Texas.
Lindsey Nobles is a founding member of the IF:Gathering leadership team and has worked hand-in-hand with Jennie Allen for several years to help bring vision to life. Throughout her career, Lindsey has worked in development, marketing, merchandising, and communication arenas for global non-profits and corporations alike. In her spare time, she consults for Feed the Children, an international anti-hunger organization providing hope and resources to those without life’s essentials. Lindsey lives in Aus-
lindsey nobles COO & Strategist
tin, Texas, with her dog Molly.
advisors These extraordinary women have paved the way for women’s ministries all over the globe. As leaders of this generation, their voices give invaluable advise and guidance to the IF Leadership Team.
christine caine
debbie eaton
shelley giglio
Top Row: Melissa Greene, Lauren Chandler, Tara Jenkins, Esther Havens, Bianca Olthoff, Jen Hatmaker, Ann Voskamp Bottom Row: Lindsey Nobles, Jennie Allen, Rebekah Lyons, Angie Smith
This diverse group of influential women believed in IF Gathering before it existed. They are participatory members of our mission to gather, equip and unleash women to live out their calling. They have given incredible amounts of their time, their gifts and their leadership to shape and communicate the heart of the IF:Gathering mission. While each of these women’s ministry looks different, they have the same heartbeat to see God to be made much of, in and through women’s lives, in our generation.
lauren chandler melissa greene jen hatmaker esther havens tara jenkins rebekah lyons bianca olthoff angie smith ann voskamp
“We want to see the Spirit burn like fire in our hearts, where we walk in newness of life from a heart that’s been torn and broken and mended and made new. And we want to do it together. Because behind the attempts at pretty and put-together, we long to be a part of something bigger than ourselves.” -Rebekah Lyons
if:austi n + if:local In February, for the first time, IF:Gathering brought together women in Austin and around the world via a live webcast. The diverse IF:Gathering leadership team, speakers, worship leaders and attendees sought to make the things they agree upon - loving Jesus and loving others - the central focus and the beliefs that unify. Many participants described the gathering as vulnerable, humble, and authentic. The goals were simple: to encourage women to walk in freedom from sin, to set their eyes on Jesus and to dream about what God wants to do with them individually and corporately. Women spent time in small groups discussing the things that held them back, where God was calling them to risk, and other questions that inspired deep conversation.
1,200
women in austin, texas
40,000
igroups streaming online
150,000
estimated number of if:local attendees
facebook our reach includes over 35,000 likes on facebook with thousands interacting on a regular basis.
pay what you can our donation ticket model allowed an economically diverse audience to participate. averaging $48 per person.
t witter our hashtag trended over the course of the weekend, and eclipsed the top five trends in the united states.
16.9 million
impressions
countries if:locals were hosted all across the us and in countries around the world.
millions of people participated and interacted throughout the gathering taking our reach to millions.
Since the February gathering, IF has worked to bring tools and resources to women to equip them to lead in their local contexts. Over 3,600 women have stepped up as leaders, gathering women in their home, their communities, and their cities to dream about what God might do in them and through them.
The vision for IF:Table is based on Acts 2:46
“they broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.” We are inviting women to host dinners once a month in their local communities. Inspired by Acts 2:46, IF:Table is:
2 4 6
hours questions women
We believe the table is place to gather women and share a simple meal and dive deep with people over real stories and Christ centered conversations. A time for a whole lot of laughter – and maybe a few tears – but time spent that leaves us with glad hearts. Full hearts. Grateful hearts.
2,500
all over the country women are registered to host if:table each month
“IF Table brought some really amazing conversation with some really amazing women. Thanks for making us intentional about friendships and Jesus.” -Lauren
IF:Equip is a daily Bible reading tool that is designed to help women around the world to know God more deeply and to live out their purpose. Every day we provide a passage of scripture, three processing questions, and a video of two leaders discussing that same passage.
18,500+ subscribers to the email each day
“Honestly, this keeps me in the Word better than anything in a long time. After coming off of the IF:Gathering, and being so inspired by that, it’s been a blessing to wake up each morning and look forward to that email. I read the scripture and listen to the video before I do anything else.” -Sharron
Thank you for considering joing us to gather, equip, and unleash women to live out their calling.
www.ifgathering.com