The story

The journey started four years ago with a chance meeting on a retreat. In the fall of 2014, students from all of Kensington Community Church's Michigan campuses converged on SpringHill Camps for a weekend of fun, community, and spiritual growth. It was there that Caitlin McGuire and Carley DeKryger (serving on staff with Kensington), and Erik Bledsoe (serving as the guest worship leader) would meet for the first time.

Helped along by early program and technical difficulties, the three of us became fast friends. We spent the rest of the weekend laughing, dreaming, and repeating the words, “YOU JUST GET IT” over and over again. As the weekend drew to a close it was clear that a unique friendship had been formed; a friendship that felt more like family and a friendship that would ultimately become a life-changing journey to move the Kingdom of God forward.

As our friendship has grown, it has become clear to us and to our church families that the Lord is leading us to join together and to start something new; to create not just another church, but a movement that is pushing back on the loneliness and isolation that plagues our world. We recognize that at the deepest core of every person there is a desire to be known, understood, and loved.  Often times, because of the fast paced culture we live in, these core needs are unmet leaving a majority of people lonely and unfulfilled. 

We believe that true fulfillment is only found when we experience the outrageous love of God. At the same time, we recognize that for most of us, it takes a physical representation of this love to help us fully understand. This is what we long to be. Movement Nashville is a church that seeks to help every[one] who is lonely or unfulfilled reconnect with God and with other people, so they can live lives full of meaning and purpose surrounded by friends who feel more like family. We will do this through a simple strategy that is focused on people first. Imagine a church that wants to invite you to dinner and not just to a service; a church that’s focused on loving each other well and on spending time in our community, loving people where they are. This is who we desire to be. 

Movement Nashville is a place where every[one] can find a seat at the table, because we believe that there is no better place to experience the outrageous love of God than sitting across from a friend who has already met Him.