Sowing the Gospel Together

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Our Story

The vision for Ascent birthed when a group of church leaders gathered to discern the most important needs for the future of gospel in North America, and to pray to God about what to do in response.  What emerged is the compelling conviction that the church needs an innovative movement, anchored in the historic, global witness of the gospel, for the future of mission in North America.


We are passionate about engaging the growing de-churched, un-churched, never-churched community AND engaging all the peoples of the world that are finding their way into our cities, towns, and neighborhoods.  It is our joy to partner with you toward this awesome task of living out the great commission locally, regionally, nationally, and globally.

Welcome to ascent

Our Vision

to sow the Gospel in North America and throughout the World


Our Missi0n

to create a thriving Collaborative Connection for the Church to live out the Great Commission in Today’s Context

Our partners

Testimonials

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"Ascent is a sign of hope. Kingdom-focused, Gospel-driven connection with resources reflective of historic theological convictions without denominational divisions. I'm excited to see how God uses & grows this movement."

Rev. Kelly Legg | Senior Pastor

West Shore Church

Camp Hill, PA

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“The Ascent movement is the ‘new wineskin for new wine’ we’ve sought. I am convinced churches need connection beyond themselves, especially as we seek to meet the challenges of sharing the eternal gospel in a time of radical changes at warp speed. Ascent is a new network that addresses these challenges and provides support to meet them in ways our other connections do not.”

David Blackwell | Senior Pastor

Florence-Carlton Community Church, Florence, MT

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"After serving as district superintendent for six years, I must say that I was deeply impressed by the emphasis Ascent places on each leader’s spiritual life and formation, which transcends the tasks we perform as pastors and spiritual leaders."

Carlos Rosa-Laguer | Pastor/Church Planter 

Jesus Esperanza Viva

Rochester, NY

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“In this kairos moment, Ascent is hands down the best bet we have to equip and resource the people of God to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus so that we might see a renewal that only the Holy Spirit could ignite.”

Pastor Brian Johnson | Executive Minister

American Baptist Churches of Michigan, Lansing MI

News & Articles

$99 Registration for the Multiply Summit Ends in a Few Weeks!

By Chris Backert • October 22, 2026
February 24-26 at Old Town Community Church in Alexandria, VA Our second gathering of planters, pioneers, multipliers, and missional leaders is happening in partnership with the Ecclesia Network. This year’s focus will be exploring the formational aspects of the call to multiply, pioneer, and plant. A more developed schedule for Multiply has recently been released with workshops and conversations groups added soon. This year’s focus is on discovering the “Narrow Path” of the kingdom of God that is meant to be found. We’re pleased to welcome Rich Villodas , Lead Pastor of New Life Fellowship in New York City, together with dozens of experienced practitioners from across North America. Here are some of the topics that will be addressed during the Multiply event. · The Narrow Path that is Meant to Be Found · The Narrow Path: The Paradoxical Way to a Spacious Life · Inviting the World onto the Narrow Path · How to Invite the World: Real Stories From Everyday Invitations · The Narrow Path Toward Our Interior Lives · The Slow Journey Toward the Narrow Path Due to the generous support of the EverBless Foundation, the Multiply Summit is offered at the very low cost of $99 for first-time attendees who register during the Early Bird time period. You can find out more and register now here.

The Old Map No Longer Fits

By Adrian Gardner • October 20, 2026
Over the next month, we will feature articles and stories from our global partners participating in the Advent Journey. These articles are intended to familiarize the Ascent community with each ministry and to provide helpful insight into your local context. We are delighted to feature CBM today. To sign up for the Ascent Advent Journey, please register your interest personally here . If your congregation is interested in participating, please sign up here. Growing up, one of my favourite events at church was when missionaries visited and shared stories from faraway places. I remember sitting in the Fellowship Hall at Grand Bay Baptist Church on Sunday evenings, watching slides projected at the front of the room. There was almost always a map showing where these missionaries lived and served. The map told a simple, unspoken story. We were here in Canada, and we had the gospel. Mission was something that came from us and happened over there. The arrows seemed to move in one direction, from us to the rest of the world. Without realizing it, I came to understand mission as something that travelled outward from Canada. Of course, there was truth in that story. Our history includes faithful women and men who crossed oceans and cultures to share the gospel and serve in Jesus’ name. Through their witness churches were planted, schools and hospitals were established, and lives were transformed. But it was never the whole story. Even then, God was at work through local churches and leaders around the world. Today, that old map no longer fits. The arrows have changed. In some places, they now move in multiple directions. In others, they begin in places Canadian churches once imagined only as destinations. And in many cases, we are discovering that the map was always more complex than we were taught to see. I see this new reality in the two regions I serve as CBM’s Director of Partnerships for the Americas and Asia. In these contexts, the church is not simply receiving mission. It is originating it, shaping it, and influencing the wider Church. Across these regions, partners are not waiting for direction from Canada, but discerning, leading, sending, teaching, and strengthening one another from within their own contexts. Mission is not one region teaching and another learning. It is partners sharing wisdom across borders and discovering that each voice can help form the others.

New Congregation Profile – Boulevard Church

By Chris Backert • October 14, 2026
On October 4, 2026, Boulevard Church had its first Sunday Gathering at 11:00 a.m. in their new home, Montclaire Elementary in Charlotte, NC. This first public gathering gave witness to their desire to be a community on mission: "Learning to follow Jesus, living as his ambassadors, for his glory." Over 280 people from 23 countries gathered to worship, pray, read God’s Word, and enjoy his presence. Hospitality, service teams, and children’s ministry were also launched on October 4. The joy was palpable from beginning to end for all in attendance. Co-planters Roland Chandler and Jorge Hernandez preached in both English and Spanish (“ping-pong" style) about Matthew 4:12-17: the beginning of Jesus' ministry. The sermon was called “Leaving, Going, and Living,” reflecting Boulevard Church’s journey, the experience of the immigrant community they serve, and Jesus’ own journey from his hometown of Nazareth to Capernaum, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, in “Galilee of the Gentiles.” Jesus’ willingness to leave home was inspired by God-given purpose: to fulfill the promise of being a GREAT LIGHT to ALL people who lived in darkness. Roland also shared several stories of new people coming to faith at this first gathering, including a new volunteer and a worker at the host school facility. A few short days later, in reflecting on the official public beginning of Boulevard, Roland had this to share: “Many stories have followed from people of all ages in the church, and a tangible joy has lingered into this week. Our team is exhausted and still has much to do, but the most present sentiment we share is gratitude. God has sustained our bodies, minds, and spirits to prepare everything necessary for this beginning. He has done so much of it through Ascent, and we can't thank you enough for your spiritual, financial, and time investment in the heart of our church. But we try!”

Meeting Global Needs

By Chris Backert • October 12, 2026
The season of Advent is a season of giving, not simply because it intertwines with the global celebration of Christmas, but because its heart is found in the gift of the Son from the Father. It is fundamentally a moment when those who have “more” exercise an unflinching generosity to those who have “less.” For generations, Christians have embraced this season as an opportunity to give sacrificially, meeting practical needs around the world while sharing the deeper message behind every act of compassion: God loves the world, and He draws near to His people. The inaugural Ascent Advent Offering carries this spirit of generosity across the globe, bringing the message of God’s nearness to communities throughout North America and across continents, from South America to Asia. Through this offering, we will support a variety of initiatives, including providing clean water, food relief, recovery from disaster and war, support of local churches and leaders in these challenged contexts, and above all, the demonstration and declaration of the Good News itself. Each day of the Ascent Advent Journey, you will catch a glimpse of the difference that your participation in giving will make. The map below provides a visual picture of the places where your gifts will make a difference, connecting our Advent journey to communities around the world.

Meet Rich Villodas – Special Guest for the 2027 Multiply Summit

By Chris Backert • October 11, 2026
We are excited to have Rich Villodas, lead pastor of New Life Fellowship in NYC , as our guest for the 2027 Multiply Summit in Alexandria, VA. New Life Fellowship is one of the most diverse congregations in North America, located in one of the most complex cities, and is making an ongoing impact throughout the Queens community. Rich is perhaps most well known for his key role in the “Emotionally Healthy” stream of church leadership in North America, as more and more pastoral leaders are recognizing the necessity of developing maturing leaders in their midst who are formed mentally, spiritually, and emotionally according to the character of Christ. Rich is the author of several books, including the award-winning The Deeply Formed Life (2020), Good, Beautiful, and Kind (2022), and his newest release, The Narrow Path (2024). Rich is known for bringing the streams of the evangelical witness and the spiritual formation witness into a coherent vision that is grounded in the local church and fruitful for the Great Commission. During the Multiply Summit, Rich will be delving into the inherent paradox that the narrow path of Jesus leads to a spacious life. In addition, he will be helping us consider how we can walk along this narrow path in our own lives, how we invite our neighbors and friends who don’t know Jesus onto the narrow path, and how we can set our expectations and intentions for the slow process of transformation that we all experience. You can see more of the Multiply Summit schedule here , and you can register here. Plus, all first-time attendees to the Multiply Summit can register for only $99 until October 31st! The Multiply Summit is co-sponsored by the Ascent Movement and Ecclesia Network. All Ascent and Ecclesia members have preferred rates when registering.

Join Us This Advent

By J.R. Briggs • October 8, 2026
If you have any involvement with the Christian faith, you’ve probably at least heard of Advent , the season leading up the celebration of the arrival of Christ’s birth. Before the celebration of the Christmas season, the Church Universal enters a season of intentional waiting, purposeful watching, and reflective remembering. We slow down long enough to rehearse the ancient story of Israel that longed for the coming of the Messiah long ago. We remember generations of people who waited in hope for God to act. Each year Advent reminds us of this reality. And we need this annual reminder because as humans we are so prone to forget what is true – really true. And as we know in our culture, it seems these weeks leading up to the arrival of Christ are the busiest, most intense, more packed our schedules are all year long. Advent invites us to practice attentiveness. It is the time where Christians stand on our tiptoes in a posture of attentiveness and anticipation in order to notice the quiet ways God moves in ordinary moments. Which is why Advent is so necessary . It is like training wheels placed on our lives to help guide us through the cultural busyness, to help us slow down so we don’t fall off the bike. Whether you have engaged meaningfully in the season of Advent for years or you have a cursory understanding of it, I want to invite you to join me on a daily journey through Advent. I want to personally invite you to subscribe to a free daily devotional that will land in your inbox each morning. It won’t be long, but it will be intentional and meaningful, a way to focus on a passage, a thought, and a few questions for reflection. My hope is not that you just read words on a page; it’s that you will take a few moments to slow down enough to notice the ways God is already drawing near in your life. Each week of Advent carries a theme that shapes our waiting for Christ’s arrival: Week 1 is about Hope, which reminds us that darkness does not get the final word. Week 2 focuses on Love, which reminds us that God moves toward us before we ever move toward Him. Week 3 centers on Joy, which reminds us that the nearness of God changes everything. Week 4 brings our attention to Peace, which reminds us that Christ is restoring what is broken in our world. These four themes are clear and hope-filled signs of God’s kingdom breaking into the world through Jesus. Wherever you find yourself this Advent—whether in a season of clarity or confusion, joy or weariness—remember that God is already moving toward you. That is the heart of the Advent story: God coming near. And because God has come near in Jesus, the distance we often feel between heaven and earth has been bridged. The God who created the universe is not far away. He is present. He is attentive. Right here. Now. With us. Our hope is that this devotional will help you to be more attentive, and to notice that nearness of God in your life and in the world. I hope you’ll join us. Simply click HERE to subscribe.
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