More than 60 World Impact staff members came together in Wichita this October, and there was plenty to celebrate! For three days, we got to work and worship in the same room instead of seeing one another through screens. We shared meals, too, with conversations often continuing well after we finished eating. Our theme, “God’s Faithfulness,” gave us a fitting focus as we thanked the Lord for the past year’s ministry and sought His guidance for the work ahead.
For a team spread across the country, the annual Community Gathering is a much-anticipated reunion. Conversations that usually happen through video meetings could happen between sessions, during lunch, or even over a spirited ping pong match. And yes, there was laughter! It was good to catch up with colleagues we work with regularly but rarely get to see in person.
Time to Worship and Pray
Hearing our whole staff sing together was a joy. Most of the year, we worship in our own churches, many miles apart. Here, we could hear one another’s voices as we thanked God for His provision and the doors He has opened for church leaders serving in communities experiencing poverty.
Small-group prayer gave us time to hear from one another more personally. We shared the concerns we carried into the gathering and prayed for the people and communities we serve. Being able to sit together and pray face to face was a gift we treasured.
We came away knowing more about what one another are facing with specific things to keep praying about once we were home.
By God’s grace and through your generosity, in fiscal year 2026 we trained more than 27,000 workers in 32 countries, equipped 177 church planting teams to establish healthy, gospel-centered churches, and trained 343 trauma healing leaders to bring Christ-centered healing to individuals, families, and communities.
Looking Ahead with Faith
We spent time praying together for the coming year. We brought our five God-sized missional goals for 2030 before the Lord, asking for His guidance as we work toward a healthy church in every community experiencing poverty.
We prayed for our ministry partners, the pastors and church leaders they equip, the people they are serving, and the donors whose generosity helps make this work possible. Together, we laid these needs at God’s feet, asking Him to help us trust Him with the year ahead.
God had been faithful through the past year. Remembering that encouraged us as we prayed.
A Heartfelt Evening for Al and Don
Thursday evening brought an especially meaningful celebration at Ridgepoint Church. Community members, friends, and faithful supporters joined our staff to honor Rev. Al Ewert and Dr. Don Davis as they prepare to retire after more than five decades of service each.
“God’s Faithfulness” was the theme for this celebration, too. As stories were shared, we laughed at familiar memories and shed some tears. Fifty years is a long time to give yourself to a ministry. Looking around the room, we could see some of the people whose lives had become part of Al and Don’s own.
Al’s connection to World Impact began while he was a student at Tabor College. In 1970, he volunteered with an outreach bringing Bible clubs to five Wichita neighborhoods. By 1972, he was directing World Impact Wichita.
That young volunteer could hardly have known how far the work would take him. Over the years, Al has traveled around the world to equip pastors and help expand the reach of TUMI. His love for people is familiar to anyone who knows him. It has shaped the way he serves, wherever he goes.
Don joined World Impact in 1975. In 1995, he launched The Urban Ministry Institute, helping make seminary-level theological education accessible to pastors and church leaders who had few opportunities for that kind of training.
The courses he helped develop, including Capstone, Cornerstone, and Fight the Good Fight of Faith, are now being taught in churches and classrooms in inner cities and communities around the world.
Also read: Celebrating Dr. Don Davis and Rev. Al Ewert — and the Ministry They Helped Build
Multiplying a Legacy
The evening also marked the launch of the Multiplier Initiative, a strategic effort that invests in proven ministry partners who are effectively raising up local church leaders but lack the resources needed to scale their efforts. The initiative builds on the foundation established through the ministries of Rev. Al Ewert and Dr. Don Davis. Every gift represents an investment in a ministry partner who will train other church leaders, creating a multiplying effect that extends far beyond a single event, church, or region.
Today, those leaders are doing mighty kingdom work, preparing others to serve. The influence of Al and Don’s work reaches into congregations and communities far beyond Wichita, continuing through pastors and teachers who are sharing what they have learned.
Al and Don plan to keep serving in retirement, too. We’re grateful for that, though we will miss having them in their familiar roles at World Impact.
Heading Home Encouraged
By the end of our three days in Wichita, we had much to carry home. There were decisions to follow up on and coworkers’ prayer requests to remember. We had enjoyed being together, and Thursday’s celebration was one we would be talking about for a long time.
Thank you for praying for our staff. Your support helps put training into the hands of the church leaders we came together to talk about and pray for. As we celebrated God’s faithfulness this year, we thanked Him for you, too.
Read next: Celebrating God’s Faithfulness at Our 2025 Community Gathering
