§ ANVIL CROSS FOR CHURCHES

Gatherings and
consultancy
for your church.

Grow your people. Strengthen your church.

Two ways in. Start a Gathering where your people meet and grow. Or bring in consultancy to grow your vision and your leaders.

Path one

Start a Gathering in your church

Bring people together to grow in faith, build friendships and help each other. Pray together, work through the Journey, and help your town. Your church stays their home.

Path two

Church consultancy

We help you implement and grow your vision, sharpen the mission, and upskill your leaders.

The two feed each other: Gatherings grow your people, and consultancy grows your leaders.

§ AFTER THE RETREATTHE MISSING PIECE

The retreat ends on Sunday. Then what?

Every church knows this. People go away, something shifts, and by Wednesday normal life has it back.

The teaching, from my mentor Pastor Billy: three ways to live.

01

A surrendered life

You hand the day over to God.

02

A submitted life

You follow where he leads.

03

A structured life

You build the habit that keeps you there.

The week after is where it is won or lost. So the group from the retreat keeps meeting: reflect on what they learnt, put one thing into practice, check in with each other, and stay connected. That is a Gathering — and Anvil Cross runs it, one short day at a time.

§ FOR PASTORSAN EXTRA SMALL GROUP, NOT A NEW PROGRAM

Your people stay in your church. We just give them the path.

A church Gathering is simply your church running the Anvil Cross faith journey as a small group. We provide the content — the Compass, the weekly rhythm, the questions. You provide the room and the people. It is not a random group and it is not a new program to manage.

Your church can have its own Gathering, with your church named on it. Members can also meet Christians from other churches. People stay part of their own church and grow together.

James hosts One Step Closer with Anvil Cross. Pastors and priests from all over the country share what they are doing, bring their message, and help us learn. Members can invite their pastor from their weekly check-in. James learns alongside everyone. Gatherings can then reach out and do good together.

§ THE SIX PILLARSCOVERED IN ORDER

Compass first. Then all six pillars. Then sent.

PILLAR 01
Faith

Christ as Lord. Repentance, confession, and the Spirit. The foundation for everything else.

PILLAR 02
Leadership

I lead myself first. Character under pressure, before anyone else follows.

PILLAR 03
Flourishing

Marriage, family, body, rhythms. Wholeness as a leader — married, single, divorced, widowed.

PILLAR 04
Enterprise

I do my work God's way — for Kingdom impact, not personal empire. Stewardship and generosity.

PILLAR 05
Community

Iron sharpens iron. The cord of three that keeps a leader honest.

PILLAR 06
Impact

I serve the Kingdom. Generosity in action, vision, and the legacy I'm actually leaving.

§ 01 / One way to run it: the eight weeksSCRIPTURE · TEACHING · PRACTICE

What each week looks like.

Some churches run the training as an eight-week cohort with a facilitator leading. Others just meet every week and work through the lessons one day at a time. Both are Gatherings. Same three beats every week — Scripture, teaching, shared practice. The pillar changes; the rhythm doesn't.

Open the eight weeks+
WEEK
1

The Compass · Find your path

Before any teaching, every leader reads where God is calling their attention right now — and says it out loud to the room.

Scripture

Psalm 139:23–24 and Proverbs 20:5. Ask God to search you; draw the deep water up where others can see it.

Teaching

You cannot repair what you will not name. The Compass is not a score — it is an honest reading of the whole of a life, and it sets the path each leader walks for the next seven weeks.

Practice / Sharing

Every leader creates their dashboard account and takes the Compass in the room (about three minutes). Each one reads their primary pillar to the group and answers two questions: why is this the gap, and what does it cost me if nothing changes? The facilitator records the room's readings — you compare them again in Week 8. The course starts next week.

WEEK
2

Faith

Can God trust your soul? Repentance, confession, and a built rhythm with Him — the foundation He builds everything else on.

Scripture

Psalm 139:23–24, 1 John 1:9, and Mark 1:35. Honest prayer, repentance, and the rhythm of the Quiet Hour. Pastor or elder opens the Word.

Teaching

God doesn't entrust more to leaders who perform Christianity — He entrusts more to leaders who practice it. Why honesty, confession, and rhythm precede everything He gives you.

Practice / Sharing

Each leader writes one Honest Sentence each morning. The room shares one out loud, no fixing. Compare it to what the Compass said in Week 1.

WEEK
3

Leadership

Can God trust you to lead yourself? Character under pressure, before He trusts you to lead anyone else.

Scripture

1 Timothy 4:7–8 and Proverbs 16:32. Train yourself to be godly; rule your own spirit before you rule a room.

Teaching

God doesn't hand authority to leaders who can't govern themselves. The private life is the qualifying exam for the public one.

Practice / Sharing

Name one area where your private life and your public leadership don't match. Bring it to the room. Pick one concrete next step.

WEEK
4

Flourishing

Can God trust you with your home and your body? Marriage, family, health, rhythms — the people and the temple He gave you first.

Scripture

Ephesians 5:25–33, Deuteronomy 6:4–9, and 1 Corinthians 6:19–20. Sacrificial love at home; the body as temple; faith handed down at the kitchen table.

Teaching

The home is the first stewardship test. If God can't trust you with the people across your kitchen table, He's not handing you more out there.

Practice / Sharing

Name one conversation owed to your spouse, child, or close friend — and one of the four leaks (sleep, food, movement, Sabbath). Have the conversation; close one leak for seven days. Pick your weekly REVIVE day — a 24-hour Sabbath off the wheel — and tell the room when it starts. It doesn't have to be Sunday.

WEEK
5

Community

Can God trust you with real friendship? The triad — three leaders who keep you honest. Two people agree too easily, and four people means no one really owns it.

Scripture

Proverbs 27:17, Ecclesiastes 4:9–12, and James 5:16. Sharpening, the threefold cord, and confessing to one another.

Teaching

Most people are surrounded by others and still feel alone. God grows people He can place in a close, honest group — not just a network.

Practice / Sharing

Name your three. If you don't have three, the room helps you name a first call this week. Confess one thing you've been carrying alone.

WEEK
6

Enterprise

Can God trust you with your work? Stewardship, generosity, and getting honest about money — working like it's all already His.

Scripture

1 Corinthians 10:31, 2 Corinthians 9:6–11, and 1 Timothy 6:9–10. Do it all for God's glory; grace-giving (cheerful, not transactional); refuse the love of money. Tithing handled as discipleship, not as a prosperity transaction.

Teaching

Owner vs. steward. God grows what He can trust you with — and the budget tells the truth your sermon won't.

Practice / Sharing

Pull last month's numbers. Mark the first gift. Share one money confession the room can pray over.

WEEK
7

Impact

Can God trust you with what comes next? Vision, generosity, and the legacy you're actually leaving — Kingdom, not empire.

Scripture

2 Corinthians 9:6–11, Habakkuk 2:2–3, and Proverbs 13:22. Cheerful generosity; write the vision plain; leave an inheritance to the children's children.

Teaching

A simple one-page plan for the next 12 months, plus one clear act of giving, shows He can trust you with the next ten years. Losing focus shows He can't.

Practice / Sharing

Write a one-page vision for your life, family, and work in 12 months — including one concrete act of generosity. Read it to the room. Let them ask the hard question.

WEEK
8

Plant & Send · Mission

Can God trust you to send others? Refer, apply, go — the Compass closes the loop and opens the next door.

Scripture

Matthew 28:18–20 and 2 Timothy 2:2. The Great Commission, and entrusting what you've learned to faithful people.

Teaching

Mission isn't a future event — it's the proof God can trust you with more. Three doors open in Week 8: (1) Refer — name one person in your circle who needs this room and make the introduction. (2) Apply — leaders who feel the call can apply to run the next Church Cohort in their own ministry. (3) Go — twice a year Anvil Cross runs a mission trip (service + discipleship). Cohort grads can apply to come on the next one.

Practice / Sharing

Each leader retakes the Compass and compares it to their first reading. They name what changed and choose a next step: lead a group, serve others, or take the full course. The group prays together.

§ 02 / What's IncludedPER CHURCH

Everything your facilitator needs.

  • 8 in-person meetings led by a facilitator (90–120 min each)
  • Everyone takes the Compass — each leader leaves with their own reading
  • A private group thread for your church during the 8 weeks
  • Printable facilitator guide and weekly outlines
  • Ask Anvil (study companion) during the 8 weeks
  • An onboarding call with our team for your facilitator
  • Option to continue into the full paid course (37 weeks across six areas)
§ 03 / Who It's ForFIT

Gatherings are for the whole church. The consultancy work is for your leaders.

SMALL GROUPS

Groups that already meet and want something real to work through together.

THE WHOLE CHURCH

Anyone can start a Gathering. It's not only for leaders.

LEADERSHIP GROUPS

The leaders in your church. They need a safe place to talk honestly about the weight they carry.

ELDER & DEACON TEAMS

Teams who want a shared language for faith and work before they advise others.

CHURCH STAFF

Pastoral staff handling budgets and teams. These principles apply to the church too.

WORK AND MONEY GROUPS

Groups that want to talk about work and money as part of their faith, with a structured 8-week start.

§ 04 / Church ConsultancyYOUR PLAN · YOUR PEOPLE · YOUR DIRECTION

We don't replace your vision. We help you grow it.

Most churches already have a vision. We don't compete with it or tear it up. We help you implement it and grow it — and sharpen the mission where it has gone fuzzy.

Some areas just need an outside eye. We bring that, so the church grows: your team, your community, and your giving back.

STEP ONE
Vision and mission

We help you implement and grow the vision you already have, and refine the mission so everyone can say it plainly.

STEP TWO
Team and leaders, upskilled

Every leader takes the Compass. Each one gets a plan made for them — their strengths, their gaps, their next step.

STEP THREE
Strategic planning

You choose where you want to be in a year. We bring an outside focus to the areas that need it, and walk the plan with you.

The result: a team working in its strength, people who know each other all week, and a church that gives more, serves more, and sends more.

This work is in play right now at a community church in Phoenix — the same three steps, running with their team.

Apply for church consultancy →
§ 05 / Try One Night FirstONE EVENING AT YOUR CHURCH

Not ready for 8 weeks? Host one night.

One 90-minute evening at your church. A meal, everyone takes the Compass on their phone, one honest talk, a prayer. It's free. Your pastor or an elder leads it — we send you everything you need.

If the room wants more, go on to the 8 weeks. If not, your people still had one honest night they don't get anywhere else.

§ WHAT WE SEND YOU
  • Facilitator script.

    One PDF. Your pastor or elder reads it. No prep.

  • The Compass.

    Everyone takes it on their phone. Six minutes.

  • One honest question.

    The room shares one sentence each. No advice. Just heard.

  • An optional next step.

    If the group wants more, it can try the 8 weeks or the course. No pressure.

§ 06 / INVESTMENT

By application —
partnership pricing.

Every church is different. Size, budget, and timing all matter. Fill out the form and we’ll send a plan that fits you. We don’t want to price anyone out of this work.

§ 07 / APPLY

Apply for your church.

Tell us about your church and the leaders you’d bring through. We’ll get back to you in a few days.

Or email us: james@anvilcross.com

§ PartnershipPHOENIX, AZ
A community church in Phoenix
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
A community church in Phoenix
§ Friends of Anvil Cross

People we'd
send you to.

Not formal partners. Not a directory. Just a short list of friends doing work in the same Spirit — if you need what they offer, tell them we sent you.

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