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About Us
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HISTORY
You are here: Home >> About Us >> History Originally known as, “Sunday Night Live at 8:45,” The Gathering Place began on the porch of Christophers in 1979 by college kids from University of Georgia. At the time there were no youth ministers in the community so the summer outreach was well received. There was singing, hilarious skits, and someone would share a relevant message about Jesus.  After these students graduated some of the local teenagers wanted to continue this ministry so they approached Bill Walker. Bill was a leader in his Sunday school class at St. Simons Presbyterian Church. With children of his own he knew to reach teens you had to invest in their friends. Bill officially founded the Gathering Place in 1981 as a summer focused ministry.
Now called the “Main Event,” this event draws about 1,200 kids each summer night, with lights, videos, skits, gifted speakers, and fun. The ministry goes year round now with different outreach programs but the main thing is still the main thing: Sharing the Gospel of Christ. The Gathering Place has been blessed and through the years and has seen the fruit of God’s grace: All kinds of people impacted and equipped to reach out in the community and make a difference for the Kingdom. This growth has steadily occurred since 1981 as the ministry has moved from one summer event to a truly year-round effort with many different faces, hundreds of volunteers, and 6 staff members. |
