A local church. A teaching community. A people learning to live from the life of Christ.
About The Gathering
OUR STORY
It began with a simple yes.
Before The Gathering had a name, a Sunday service, or a place to call home, there were years of friendship, prayer, and a shared hunger for Jesus. We learned to seek Him together—to listen, to wait, to open the Scriptures, and to make room for His presence.
Then God began to highlight Colorado Springs.
The timing was unexpected. The way He moved the pieces was surprising. But His leading became unmistakable. What began in homes and small rooms slowly became a local church—a people gathering around Jesus through worship, prayer, the Word, communion, and shared life.
Today, The Gathering is becoming both a local church and a teaching community.
We believe the Gospel is not merely the message that begins the Christian life. It is the life from which we live. As Christ is revealed in the Scriptures, His life becomes visible in a people—in the way we love, belong, pray, forgive, serve, and walk together.
Teaching has become an important part of what God is forming among us. Co-pastors Leah Ramirez and Chris Berglund share a desire to open the Scriptures, behold Christ, and help people live from the finished work of Jesus rather than religious striving.
But teaching is not the destination.
We do not want to build an audience around gifted voices. We want to see a people formed in Christ.
We are still asking the question that helped give birth to this church:
What would happen if everyday believers awakened to who they are in Christ and were formed, strengthened, and released to carry His life into the world around them?
We believe the Church was never meant to be an audience gathered around a stage. It is a living body—a people participating in the life of Christ and becoming His visible expression in a city.
What God is forming locally is also beginning to widen beyond Colorado Springs through Company 318, Behold School, and The Grove. These are not separate ambitions. They are expressions of the same table widening.
The Gathering is becoming a home base—a place to behold Jesus, receive the Word, belong to a people, and be sent into everyday life carrying His presence and love.
We are still growing. Still listening. Still learning what this yes will require.
But the vision is becoming clearer:
Christ revealed in the Word.
Christ becoming visible in a people.
OUR LEADERSHIP
Meet Our Co-Pastors
Leah Ramirez and Chris Berglund co-pastor The Gathering with a shared desire to open the Scriptures, behold Christ, and help people live from the Gospel rather than religious performance. Together, they carry a heart to see Christ revealed in the Word and His life formed in a people.
Leah Ramirez
Chris Berglund
Leah teaches by tracing the redemptive thread through Scripture and revealing Christ where He has often been missed. With a gift for making deep theology personal and accessible, she helps people see the Gospel not merely as something to believe, but as the life from which they are invited to live.
Chris teaches with a prophetic eye for patterns, shadows, and the hidden architecture of Scripture. With a particular depth in the order of Melchizedek, he brings together biblical themes, dreams, and spiritual insight to reveal Christ with unusual clarity and help the Church recover the Gospel as the foundation for how a people are formed.
Chris teaches with a prophetic eye for patterns, shadows, and the hidden architecture of Scripture. With a particular depth in the order of Melchizedek, he brings together biblical themes, dreams, and spiritual insight to reveal Christ with unusual clarity and help the Church recover the Gospel as the foundation for how a people are formed.
Our Beliefs
What we believe.
THE TRINITY
We believe in one God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—eternally united in self-giving love.
God is not a solitary being but an eternal communion of love. From before the foundation of the world, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have shared perfect joy and fellowship. This divine relationship is not closed—it is open, generous, and overflowing with invitation. We were created not just by God, but for participation in that love. Union with God is not a future reward; it is the starting point of our existence.
REFLECTION
How does knowing God as a relationship of love, rather than a distant deity, change how you relate to Him?
JOHN 17:20–24 · MATTHEW 3:16–17 · 2 CORINTHIANS 13:14
JESUS CHRIST
We believe Jesus is the full revelation of God and humanity’s true image. His life, death, resurrection, and ascension unite us with the Father.
Jesus did not come merely to save us from something—He came to restore us to Someone. He is the visible image of the invisible God and the perfect picture of what humanity was meant to be. In Him, we see a God who walks with us, suffers with us, and brings us into glory with Him. He does not just show us how to live; He gives us His life.
REFLECTION
When you imagine the face of God, do you see Jesus—gentle, joyful, strong, and present?
COLOSSIANS 1:15–20 · JOHN 1:14 · PHILIPPIANS 2:5–11
THE INCARNATION
We believe that in Jesus Christ, God became fully human without ceasing to be fully God.
The Incarnation is the mystery and miracle of the Gospel—that God did not remain distant, but entered our world in flesh and blood. Jesus is not just a messenger from God—He is God with us. In Him, heaven and earth are joined. Through His life, we see the heart of the Father revealed in every word, touch, and tear. The Incarnation means that God did not come to rescue us from humanity but to redeem it fully from within.
REFLECTION
How does knowing God came in the flesh—into our suffering, our joy, our humanity—change the way you see Him?
JOHN 1:14 · PHILIPPIANS 2:6–8 · HEBREWS 2:14–17 · COLOSSIANS 2:9
UNION WITH CHRIST
We believe we are reconciled to God in Christ. Our belonging begins in Him, not in separation.
The Good News is not about climbing back to God. It is about the God who climbed into our condition and brought us home. In Christ, humanity has been included in the life of the Trinity. You do not start distant—you start in Christ. Union is not a reward for good behavior; it is the gift of grace freely given. When we awaken to this, transformation begins.
REFLECTION
Do you live as though you are already held in the heart of God?
JOHN 14:20 · GALATIANS 2:20 · EPHESIANS 1:3–10
SALVATION BY GRACE
We believe salvation is a relational restoration, by grace through faith, into the life of the Trinity.
Salvation is not just about being rescued from sin—it is about being brought into union with the life of God. It is God’s initiative, not ours. Grace is the ongoing posture of the Trinity toward us: generous, welcoming, and full of love. Faith is simply the awakening of our trust in that love. Salvation is not an escape plan—it is an invitation to live in the reality of divine communion now.
REFLECTION
Do you see your salvation as a relationship with God that is alive today—not just a past event or future hope?
EPHESIANS 2:8–10 · ROMANS 5:8–11 · TITUS 3:4–6
THE ATONEMENT
We believe the atonement reveals the love of the Triune God who, in Christ, entered into our brokenness to heal, reconcile, and restore all things.
Jesus did not come to change the Father’s mind about us—He came to reveal the Father’s heart toward us. In His incarnation, life, death, resurrection, and ascension, Jesus assumed our condition, broke the power of sin and death, and brought us back into fellowship with God. The cross is not where Jesus saves us from the Father, but where the Father, Son, and Spirit work in perfect unity to rescue us from the illusion of separation and the bondage of sin.
This is not a transactional Gospel, but a transformational one. We are not saved by a legal payment—we are healed through participation in the divine life. The atonement is God’s “at-one-ment” with us—uniting us to Himself, restoring us to our original design, and renewing all of creation in Christ.
REFLECTION
How does the cross draw you into deeper relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? What does it change about how you see God?
2 CORINTHIANS 5:18–19 · ROMANS 5:8–11 · JOHN 17:20–23 · HEBREWS 2:14–17 · COLOSSIANS 1:19–22 · EPHESIANS 1:7–10
SCRIPTURE
We believe the Bible is inspired and authoritative, pointing us to the Living Word, Jesus Christ.
Scripture is not a flat book of rules—it is the story of redemption that culminates in a Person. Jesus is the lens through which we read the entire narrative. From Genesis to Revelation, the Spirit breathes through the text to reveal the heart of the Father. The Bible leads us into encounter, not just information. And when rightly read, it always calls us back to Jesus.
REFLECTION
When you read the Bible, are you listening for the voice of Jesus in every page?
2 TIMOTHY 3:16–17 · LUKE 24:27 · HEBREWS 1:1–3
THE CHURCH
We believe the Church is a Spirit-filled family called to embody the love and life of Jesus.
The Church is not a business or a building—it is the Body of Christ. A family of believers, joined by the Spirit, growing together in love. The Church is not perfect, but it is deeply loved. It is the primary way the life of Christ is expressed on the earth. We are not merely attending church—we are the Church. And when we live in deep connection with one another, we reflect heaven on earth.
REFLECTION
Do you see yourself as a vital part of the Body, with something unique to offer in love?
ACTS 2:42–47 · EPHESIANS 4:11–16 · 1 PETER 2:9–10
THE KINGDOM OF GOD
We believe the Kingdom is here and advancing, revealing the restoration of all things in Christ.
The Kingdom of God is not only a coming reality—it is present, active, and unfolding through Jesus and His Body. Wherever Christ is received as King, His Kingdom breaks in with righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. This Kingdom is not built through domination, but through love. It is not built on religious performance, but on communion.
Through Jesus, the High Priest of the order of Melchizedek, we have been made a kingdom of priests—royal sons and daughters called to minister to God and intercede for the world. We are invited not only to enter the Kingdom but to participate in it—to carry His presence, extend His reign, and embody His heart in every sphere of life.
REFLECTION
Do you see yourself as part of a royal priesthood, carrying His presence and advancing His Kingdom where you are?
LUKE 17:20–21 · MATTHEW 6:9–10 · REVELATION 21:1–5 · HEBREWS 7:15–17 · 1 PETER 2:9 · REVELATION 1:6
THE SACRAMENTS
We practice Communion and Baptism as sacred rhythms of remembrance, union, and celebration.
These are not just symbols—they are encounters. In Baptism, we celebrate our inclusion in Christ’s death and resurrection. In Communion, we remember and receive the life of Jesus into our bodies and spirits. These sacraments are holy moments of tangible grace, and they ground us in the beauty of belonging.
REFLECTION
How might your heart respond differently if you saw Communion and Baptism as celebrations of union instead of rituals of obligation?
LUKE 22:19–20 · ROMANS 6:3–5 · 1 CORINTHIANS 11:23–26
SPIRITUAL GIFTS
We believe the Holy Spirit continues to give gifts to build up the Church and glorify Jesus.
Every believer has been given gifts—not for performance or platform, but for love. These gifts are expressions of the Spirit’s life in us, meant to strengthen, encourage, and draw people into the reality of Jesus. The gifts are diverse, and none are greater than another. As we walk in love and surrender, the gifts of the Spirit flourish among us.
REFLECTION
Have you discovered what God has uniquely placed in you to strengthen others?
1 CORINTHIANS 12:4–11 · ROMANS 12:4–8 · EPHESIANS 4:11–13
HEALING
We believe Jesus still heals today as a sign of His compassion and restoration.
Healing is not a fringe belief—it is central to the ministry of Jesus and a continuing work of His Spirit. Sometimes healing is instant. Sometimes it unfolds over time. But always, it reveals the heart of the Father to make us whole. We pray in faith, and we trust in love, knowing that even in our waiting, God is near and good.
REFLECTION
What area of your life are you believing Jesus to bring healing and restoration to?
ISAIAH 53:4–5 · MATTHEW 4:23–24 · JAMES 5:14–16
THE RETURN OF JESUS
We believe Christ has come, is present through the Spirit, and will come again in glory.
Jesus is not distant—He is present now by the Spirit. His return will not be to punish but to consummate what He has already begun: the renewal of all things. We live in the “already and not yet” of the Kingdom, holding fast to hope. Until then, we prepare—not with fear, but with joyful anticipation, becoming the kind of people who reflect His light more and more each day.
REFLECTION
Are you living with hopeful expectation that Christ is making all things new—even now?
ACTS 1:9–11 · JOHN 14:18–23 · REVELATION 22:12–13
At The Gathering
Our statement of faith is not a list of boxes to check, but a reflection of the Story we have been swept into—a story of a good Father, a victorious Son, and a present, indwelling Spirit.
We believe the Gospel is not just about getting us into heaven someday, but about restoring us into communion today.
