Year Established
2016
Gathering Frequency
Microchurches gather often and frequently. Context dictates. Equipping Teams gather once a month to weekly for leaders.
Gathering Style Priorities
- Training/Equipping
- Discussion Based
- Baptism
- Communion
- Art
- Preaching/Teaching
- Worship/Music/Singing
Church Planting Engagement
- Financial supporter of new plants
- Equipping leaders and sending them out to start churches
- Partner with a network or denomination to plant churches
- Residency Program
- International church planting partnerships in the majority world.
Is there anything unique to the way you gather?
MICROCHURCHES
In our microchurches, we gather to intentionally cultivate the headship of Jesus—guided by the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 14.
Rather than relying on one-way teaching, we embrace a dialogical, discovery-based environment where every person brings something to offer—trusting that the Spirit speaks through the whole body.
It’s not rows and stages, but circles and shared meals.
Not congregations or classes, but spiritual families.
Not staff and volunteers, but mothers and fathers raising sons and daughters in the WAY OF JESUS.
Equipping Gatherings
Equipping Gatherings are where movement gets muscle.
Equipping Gatherings are training gyms—spaces designed not to inspire the crowd but to train the committed disciple-makers, microchurch leaders, and everyday missionaries living out the way of Jesus in real life. These gatherings are:
- Focused: Designed for those already on mission—not built for mass appeal.
- Formational: “Listen and sing,” more “practice and debrief.”
- Relational: Circles over rows. Dialogue over monologue.
- Discovery-Based: Scripture is opened together, wrestled with, and put into practice.
- Testimony-Rich: Stories emerge from the people, not just the platform.
- Accountable: Every learning moment leads to real-life commitment and follow-up.
Our rhythm follows the Disciple-Maker Pathway—extraordinary prayer, living as missionaries, planting the Gospel, church emerging, and multiplication. That’s our liturgy.
Core Ecclesiology
Jesus Is Lord—the three-word worldview that changes everything. It begins here, with three words.
Jesus is Lord. This is not a slogan. Not a bumper sticker. Not a fine print on a tract or a preacher’s sign-off. It’s a declaration that shook empires, unseated idols, and turned ordinary people into movemental revolutionaries. It is, as Alan Hirsch says, the three-word worldview of Christianity—a lens through which we are meant to see everything.
But in the modern West, the phrase has become tame. Its edges dulled by repetition. In the first century, “Jesus is Lord” was a defiant, Rome-defying imperial confession: “Caesar is Lord.” It was the audacious claim that another King ruled the cosmos—and ruled me.
When early believers said it, they weren’t offering sentiment. They were transferring allegiance. Renouncing old deities. Declaring that their bodies, households, decisions, sufferings—even deaths—now belonged to Jesus. This wasn’t private belief—it was a comprehensive reordering of reality.
“All authority in Heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples…” — Matthew 28:18-19
The Lordship of Jesus is the beginning of all discipleship. Before disciples are made, churches formed, or cities saturated, there must first be a reckoning: Who reigns? Who decides?
“We don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord…” — 2 Corinthians 4:5
If Jesus is Lord, then everything comes under His reign—our resources, sexualities, occupations, neighborhoods, parenting, politics, theology, and especially our ecclesiology.
Because if Jesus is Lord, then the Church belongs to Him. Not to us. Not to denominational machinery or inherited assumptions. He is the Head. We are the body. He defines the mission, the structure, and the methods.
“God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for the church…” —Ephesians 1:22
So what kind of church structure flows from that? Not one that mimics Caesar. Not one built on control or consumerism. But one lightweight and deep-rooted. That prioritizes movement over monument. That returns to New Testament simplicity—designed to multiply disciples, saturate cities, and forming spiritual families under His Lordship.
We begin here: Jesus is Lord. Then we trace the implications: Gospel saturation, disciple-making, decentralized Kingdom emergence, and the trellis that supports microchurch growth.
We’ll draw from voices like Alan Hirsch, Brian Sanders, and Tim Jore. We’ll mine Scripture. We’ll challenge old paradigms. And we’ll lay out a vision for a movement of ordinary people, multiplying Jesus’ presence everywhere.
This isn’t just theology. It’s our birthright. Let’s return to the center. Let’s return to Jesus.
GOSPEL FLOURISHING – WHEN HEAVEN INVADES EARTH
When early followers declared, “Jesus is Lord,” it wasn’t just belief. It was intent. They were anchoring their allegiance in a new Kingdom. But that allegiance didn’t stop at personal salvation. It erupted into witness, mission, and multiplication.
Gospel flourishing is what happens when the Lordship of Jesus becomes not only personal but pervasive. It’s when every man, woman, and child have everyday opportunities to see, hear, experience and respond to the good news of Jesus Christ in their network of relationships, until the holistic expression of Jesus’ mission is experienced by everyone everywhere.
“And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” —Ephesians 1:22-23
Did you know you were invited into the epic adventure of joining Jesus in “filling everything in every way?” In fact, if you’re a part of the Church, you’re going to be a part of the expectation that everything, in every way, is going to be filled with the goodness of God. This is Gospel saturation: God’s grace filling every person, every street, every home, every workplace, schools, and networks.
If Jesus is Lord, His reign must extend beyond Sunday—into neighborhoods, workplaces, schools, and networks. It becomes a fire in our bones, a holy ache for everyone to see. “I’ve seen the Kingdom. I’ve heard the story. I’ve felt its presence. Now I have a decisional incarnation.”
DISCIPLE-MAKING AS MISSIONAL INCARNATION
If the Gospel is more than a message—if it’s a movement—then its method is people. Transformed people. Sent people. People who live with Jesus, become like Him, and do what He did. In other words: disciples.
“Go therefore and make disciples… teaching them to obey everything I’ve commanded.” — Matthew 28:19-20
Jesus didn’t say, “Build services.” He said, “Make disciples.”
A disciple isn’t just a believer—it’s an apprentice of the King. Someone who takes His words seriously. Who lives in such a way that others can follow them into the Way of Christ.
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” — Luke 9:23
Disciple-making is not curriculum. It’s not content delivery. It’s shared life—obedience, presence, and transformation in living rooms, cafés, break rooms, and prison pods.
“The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.” — John 1:14 (MSG)
It’s slow. It’s messy. It doesn’t scale well. But it multiplies.
“Entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.” — 2 Timothy 2:2
That’s movement math: four generations deep. And it means equipping every believer—not just pastors—to make disciples in their homes, workplaces, and networks.
SPIRITUAL FAMILIES AND THE BIRTH OF MICROCHURCHES
Disciples are born into family. The New Testament is soaked in family language—brothers, sisters, households. Church isn’t a service we attend. It’s a spiritual family we belong to.
“You are no longer foreigners…” — Ephesians 2:19
In KC Underground, we call this extended spiritual family “oikos.” Your household network—family, friends, coworkers, neighbors. It’s the relational ecosystem where Gospel transformation happens.
Like redwoods, microchurches are resilient not from deep taproots, but from intertwined roots—shared life. We eat, serve, pray, and suffer together. This is the Church.
“Let us not give up meeting…” — Hebrews 10:25
“Carry each other’s burdens…” — Galatians 6:2
THE OIKOS STRATEGY: HOUSEHOLDS AS KINGDOM OUTPOSTS
Jesus didn’t send us to build institutions. He sent us to people. Into homes. Into networks.
“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household (oikos).” — Acts 16:31
The early church spread household to household. Not with marketing, but with transformation.
“Households as lighthouses… from which the Gospel could illuminate the surrounding darkness.” — Michael Green
That’s why in KC Underground we say, don’t plant churches. We plant the Gospel. Disciples form. Churches emerge.
A microchurch isn’t imported—it’s born when the Gospel takes root in an oikos. When disciples live as family, they start praying, eating, sharing burdens, and serving. And what you have isn’t a small group—it’s the Church.
“They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts…” — Acts 2:46
This is the Church Jesus started. And it’s the Church we’re returning to.
THE ECCLESIAL MINIMUM: WORSHIP, COMMUNITY, MISSION
When you strip the Church down to its irreducible core, what do you find? What are the essential ingredients that define and animate the Body of Christ—not in theory, but in lived reality?
In KC Underground, we refer to this as the ecclesial minimum: worship, community, and mission. These are not programs or preferences. They are the essential functions of a spiritual family formed around the Lordship of Jesus. Remove any one of them, and you no longer have a functioning church—you have a fragment.
WORSHIP: A LIFE LAID DOWN
Worship isn’t just singing. It’s surrender.
Paul says it plainly:
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice… This is your true and proper worship.” — Romans 12:1
Worship is the daily, embodied act of aligning our lives with Jesus. It’s submitting our time, our energy, our relationships, our gifts, our pain, and our dreams to His reign. It’s living in such a way that Jesus is not only confessed as Lord, but seen as Lord in every part of the day.
In a microchurch, this happens commonly. We worship by reading Scripture together, praying together, singing together, and above all—obeying together. We ask, “What is Jesus saying?” and “What will we do about it?” And then we go do it.
COMMUNITY: A FAMILY ON PURPOSE
The Church is not a crowd. It’s a community—a spiritual family rooted in love and forged in mutual commitment. The New Testament is filled with one another commands: love one another, bear with one another, encourage one another, forgive one another.
“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” — Galatians 6:2
This kind of life isn’t possible in rows facing a stage. It happens in circles. In shared kitchens and prayer walks and meal trains and hospital rooms. It’s not fast or efficient, but it’s real. It’s durable. It’s discipleship.
And it’s only sustainable in a small, local, relational-rich environment: a microchurch.
MISSION: A LIFE SENT TOGETHER
Mission is not a department. It’s not a special calling for a few. It is the identity of the Church. If God is a missionary God—and He is—then His people are a missionary people.
“As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” — John 20:21
Every microchurch is a missionary team. They own the mission of Jesus in a pocket of people or place. They live as salt and light in a network. They share the good news in word and deed. They embody the Kingdom in tangible ways. And as disciples are made, new spiritual families emerge.
This is the rhythm of movement: worship, community, mission. And when these three overlap—when a group of disciples live these out together under the authority of Jesus—you have church. You don’t need a building. You don’t need a band. You don’t need branding. You need obedience. You need love. You need the Spirit of God and the people of God sent on the mission of God.
That’s the ecclesial minimum. And from there, anything is possible.
First Connection Points
In their network or neighborhood with ordinary people who are living incarnationally. (Party or normal social interactions as a friend/neighbor/co-worker).
Average Weekly Attendance
Nearly 10,000 are being influenced. About 2,200 constantly join microchurch gatherings, and 750-1,000 are actively engaged in daily disciple making.
Community Engagement + Disciple-Making
Community Engagement
We equip ordinary people to live as a Gospel presence among the unreached and overlooked in our city. Instead of organizing around a building or weekend service, we send people to plant themselves deeply—like redwoods—into a focused place or with a focused people. These five incarnational, joining-Jesus through a way of life we call Breathe and B.L.E.S.S.
These rhythms are not programs or strategies; they form a spiritual way of life that shapes us in two directions—like breathing.
Breathe In – Rhythms that form and fill us
Breathe Out – Rhythms that pour out into others
BEGIN IN PRAYER
Breathe In: Contemplative prayer—attending to God’s work in us.
Breathe Out: Contending prayer—naming people and places we’re sent to.
“Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” — Luke 5:16
LISTEN AND ENGAGE
Breathe In: Listen deeply to the people and place.
Breathe Out: Engage relationally with empathy and curiosity.
“Let everyone be quick to listen…” — James 1:19
EAT
Breathe In: Share life and meals with your spiritual family.
Breathe Out: Open your table to others in your context.
“The Son of Man came eating and drinking…” — Matthew 11:19
SERVE
Breathe In: Let people of peace serve us.
Breathe Out: Meet tangible needs through practical love.
“The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve…” — Matthew 20:28
STORY
Breathe In: Internalize the Gospel for personal transformation.
Breathe Out: Share your story and Jesus’ story with others.
“Go home to your people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you…” — Mark 5:19
As people live out these rhythms consistently in their neighborhoods, workplaces, and relational networks, something beautiful begins to happen—microchurch families emerge. These are small spiritual communities of disciples who love one another deeply and live on mission together.
Microchurches become a living presence of the Kingdom, embodying the culture of Heaven in the everyday. They are not event-based but relationship-rooted. They become a spiritual family that transforms the relational ecosystem around them—shaping the atmosphere of a block, a school, a workplace, or a social circle. Through these families, love becomes visible, justice becomes tangible, and the good news of Jesus takes root and multiplies.
We are witnessing a quiet movement of renewal—not led by professionals, but by everyday people who are committed to being with Jesus, like Jesus, and for Jesus in the forgotten spaces of our city.
Equipping for Mission
Disciple-making workflows are Discovery Bible Study (DBS) or Three Circles are taught to everyone—not just leaders—so people are equipped to disciple others in everyday settings.
Regular equipping environments (e.g., workshops, training cohorts, learning communities) help people learn to join Jesus, listen, and engage within their neighborhoods.
1. TRAINING ORDINARY PEOPLE AS MISSIONARIES
Disciple-making frameworks like Discovery Bible Study (DBS) or Three Circles are taught to everyone—not just leaders—so people are equipped to disciple others in everyday settings.
Regular equipping environments (e.g., workshops, training cohorts, learning communities) help people learn to listen, discern, and engage within their relational networks.
2. OIKOS MAPPING AND RELATIONAL EVANGELISM
Help each person identify their oikos (Greek for “household”—meaning friends, neighbors, coworkers, etc.).
Use simple mapping tools to visually organize the people God has already placed around them.
Empower them to begin praying and engaging those people with intention and love.
3. MICROCHURCH OR MISSIONAL COMMUNITY MODELS
Instead of focusing only on centralized Sunday gatherings, offer models where groups are sent as communities into neighborhoods, workplaces, and networks.
These groups often lead their own worship, discipleship, and mission efforts—while remaining connected to the larger church body for support.
4. APEST AND GIFTING ACTIVATION
Help people discover and activate their gifts—especially using tools like APEST (Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Shepherd, Teacher) and spiritual gift assessments.
This release them to lead initiatives, serve in their context, or start something new with support.
5. COACHING AND STORYTELLING
Ongoing coaching relationships help people stay faithful and fruitful in their local context.
Regularly celebrate stories of ordinary people reaching their neighborhoods—this normalizes missional living and inspires others.
6. DECENTRALIZED PRAYER RHYTHMS
Establish rhythms of extraordinary prayer—not just for personal needs, but for the lost in their community.
Invite people to fast and pray for breakthrough in their local mission fields.
Kids Discipleship (0-5th Grade)
Yes, but in a decentralized network like ours, discipleship for kids is integrated into the life of the microchurch or community rather than being siloed into separate programs.
Here’s how it typically happens:
1. INTEGRATED FAMILY DISCIPLESHIP
Parents are seen as the primary disciplers, so we equip them with tools, encouragement, and rhythms to disciple their kids in everyday life—at the dinner table, during bedtime routines, or while out in the neighborhood.
We regularly recommend simple, story-based tools like the Jesus Storybook Bible or Bible Project Kids content that parents can use at home.
2. MICROCHURCH-INCLUSIVE WORSHIP
In many microchurches, kids are present during gatherings—often participating in worship, storytelling, and prayer in age-appropriate ways.
Communities create flexible, interactive environments where kids can ask questions, respond, and contribute. This models a whole-family approach to faith.
3. MENTORING AND INTERGENERATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS
We encourage intergenerational discipleship, where older kids, teens, and adults intentionally invest in younger kids—often through play, shared experiences, and storytelling.
Relationships, not curriculum, are the primary delivery mechanism of formation.
4. SPECIALIZED TOOLS (WHEN NEEDED)
For communities that want more structure, we provide access to or create developmentally appropriate discipleship content, but always with the aim of equipping parents and the community, not replacing them.
The reminder: tools support relationships, they don’t replace them.
Student Discipleship (6th Grade & Up)
Yes, our network offers intentional discipleship for students (6th grade and up)—primarily through a student-led microchurch movement called Zero Hour.
Here’s the context and how it works:
1. WHAT IS ZERO HOUR?
Zero Hour is a decentralized movement of student-led microchurches that exist in schools across our city. It’s built on the conviction that students don’t need to wait to be the Church—they are the Church right now.
The name comes from the idea that now is the time to live out on mission. We’re not waiting for adulthood, ordination, or a permission slip to follow Jesus boldly.
2. STUDENT-LED, ADULT-SUPPORTED
Each Zero Hour microchurch is led by students—usually high schoolers—who are discipled and coached by adult leaders. These adults don’t run the show; they walk alongside students, offering guidance, prayer, and encouragement as students lead their peers in:
- Bible discovery
- Prayer
- Listening to the Holy Spirit
- Acts of service and mission in their context
3. ON-CAMPUS
Zero Hour microchurches meet in schools (before or after school hours), often starting as simple prayer gatherings or Bible studies that grow into full expressions of Church.
Others meet in public spaces—anywhere students naturally gather.
The context is always local and always relational—fueled by students reaching their own networks.
4. DISCIPLESHIP AS A WAY OF LIFE
Discipleship isn’t a separate youth program—it’s woven into daily life and peer relationships.
Equipping & Discipleship Pathway
Students are equipped to:
- Share their story
- Invite others into discovery Bible studies
- Multiply groups
- Live out their faith visibly at school, on teams, and online
We often use simple tools like Discovery Bible Study, oikos mapping, and spiritual gift assessments adapted for students.
5. RHYTHMS AND SUPPORT
Monthly Zero Hour Gatherings create space for all student leaders and supporters across the city to connect, share stories, worship together, and get re-equipped.
Adult leaders meet regularly for coaching and prayer, ensuring students are not alone in the work.
In short, we’re not just discipling students—we’re raising up student leaders who are planting churches in the most strategic mission field they have: their schools and peer groups.
Discipleship Pathway
Yes, we do have an intentional discipleship pathway—what we call the Disciple-Maker Pathway, also known as the Missionary Pathway. It’s a simple, reproducible framework designed to help ordinary people grow as everyday missionaries and disciple-makers within their existing relationships and contexts.
Here’s an overview of the pathway:
THE MISSIONARY PATHWAY: FROM DISCIPLE TO DISCIPLE-MAKER
This pathway helps people move from being passive participants in religious spaces to active participants in God’s mission—right where they live, work, learn, and play. It’s built around five key phases, each with clear markers and practices:
1. EXTRAORDINARY PRAYER AND FASTING
- Focus: Returning to the Lordship of Jesus in every area of life
- Practices: Abiding in Scripture, prayer, and community
Live as a Missionary
Goal: Cultivate intimacy with Jesus and clarity calling
“You can’t multiply what you haven’t first internalized.”
1. CALLING
- Focus: Giving intent into your existing networks (oikos)
- Practices: Oikos mapping, listening prayer, engaging with intentionality
- Goal: See yourself as a missionary in your neighborhood, school, job, etc.
2. LIVE AS A MISSIONARY
- Focus: Living sent into your existing networks (oikos)
- Practices: Oikos mapping, listening prayer, engaging with intentionality
- Goal: See yourself as a missionary in your neighborhood, school, job, etc.
3. GOSPEL PLANTING
- Focus: Helping people discover and follow Jesus
- Practices: Discovery Bible Study (DBS), spiritual conversations, obedience-based discipleship
- Goal: Move from relationship to spiritual discovery to obedient response
4. CHURCHES EMERGE
- Focus: Forming spiritual families that live out the core functions of church
- Practices: Baptism, communal rhythms, shared mission
- Goal: See new spiritual communities form among people who come to faith
5. MULTIPLICATION
- Focus: Coaching others along the pathway
- Practices: Releasing others, decentralized leadership, modeling and multiplying
- Goal: Raise up new leaders, disciple-makers, and microchurches
IT’S NOT LINEAR—IT’S RHYTHMIC
People don’t always move through this like a checklist. It’s a rhythmic, Spirit-led journey that starts with intimacy and leads toward multiplication, often cycling back to deeper surrender and dependence.
SUPPORT STRUCTURES
To support the pathway, we offer:
- Training cohorts (like the Disciple-Maker Cohort and Hub Cohorts)
- Tools and frameworks (like oikos maps, DBS guides, and coaching huddles)
- Coaching and community at every stage
Church Facilities + Finances
The pathway is simple enough for anyone to engage, but robust enough to lead to multiplication. It’s not about gathering people to us—it’s about sending people to where God already has them.
Bible Study Methods
- Small Group Study
- One-On-One Disciple-Making
- Corporate prayer guides that include meditating on Scripture.
- Discovery Bible Studies
Meeting Space Description
Meeting Space Description
Our church doesn’t meet in a single space—because the Church isn’t a building. We are a decentralized network of microchurches that meet in homes, coffee shops, break rooms, school campuses, prison pods, and anywhere ordinary life happens.
Each microchurch is deeply embedded in a relational network—an oikos—and the meeting space reflects the context. Some gather around dining tables. Others circle up in neighborhood parks. Some gather in shelters or addiction recovery centers. These spaces are not leased for consumption but cultivated for community, worship, and mission.
The community experiences our expression of church not by walking into a building, but by being invited into a shared life. They encounter Jesus through meals, conversation, shared burdens, prayer walks, birthday parties, service projects, Bible discovery, and tangible acts of love.
It’s not about attending church—it’s about being the Church in every place and space Jesus sends us. Just because a few people gather around Scripture doesn’t automatically make it a microchurch. A microchurch isn’t simply a “smaller church service.” It’s something much more: an extended spiritual family living under the Lordship of Jesus and joining Him on mission in a specific context.
Do microchurches gather? Absolutely. In fact, they often meet frequently. But those gatherings aren’t the point—they’re expressions of a deeper, ongoing way of life shaped by three core rhythms.
The Remaining Missionary Pathway Phases (Details)
2. ENLISTING
- Focus: Committing to the mission of Jesus
- Practices: Baptism, confession, and belonging to a microchurch
3. EQUIPPING
- Focus: Learning to live out the three core rhythms of a disciple: Up (Intimacy), In (Community), Out (Mission)
- Practices: Intentional coaching, DBS, and spiritual gifts discovery
4. MOBILIZING & 5. SENT (Combined)
- Focus: Applying learned rhythms to specific mission contexts and multiplying leaders
- Practices: Starting a new microchurch/DBS, finding a co-coach, and continuous reproduction
- Worship: moving from unbelief to belief in Jesus in every part of life
- Community: practicing the “one anothers” in authentic, relational ways
- Mission: making disciples and making the Kingdom tangible right where we are
It’s not just about having a meeting. It’s about cultivating a life together that puts Jesus at the center of everything.
We encourage people to meet in the everyday spaces of their context.
Facility Ownership
Because KC Underground is a decentralized network of microchurches, the majority of our gatherings happen in spaces that are freely available—homes, neighborhoods, public spaces, workplaces, schools, and online platforms. These are relationally owned, not organizationally rented.
We do not own a central building for weekend gatherings. However, we do own an Equipping Center and leadership base, which is occasionally rented or are gifted space by partner churches or community organizations. These spaces are used strategically for forming and sending disciple-makers, not for ongoing programming.
A few of our Hub Teams rent facilities for office space that can also be used for events. These spaces help generate income when rented out, but they are always free of charge for microchurches that need a place to gather.
Our posture is lightweight and local—minimizing overhead so we can maximize mission.
Community Use of Facility
See previous response.
Office Space & Use
Yes. Some of our Hub Teams rent office space throughout the city. These are typically modest, multi-use environments located in commercial buildings or storefronts. They function as strategic outposts rather than central headquarters.
These spaces are used for a variety of purposes:
- Staff and core team collaboration
- Coaching and equipping gatherings
- Hosting small groups, microchurch leaders, or prayer times
- Providing hospitality for neighbors or community initiatives
- Offering free space for microchurches to meet as needed
Additionally, many leaders work out of their homes or third spaces like coffee shops, further emphasizing our commitment to a decentralized and incarnational model. Our office spaces are designed not to be a central “hub” but rather to support the decentralized mission.
Financial Model
Every microchurch is encouraged to be financially sustainable. They practice giving to support real needs within their local context—whether that’s helping a neighbor with rent, funding a shared meal, or resourcing a justice initiative. Microchurches disciple toward social generosity, teaching people to see money as a tool for Kingdom impact, not institutional maintenance. That means most of the giving in the Kansas Underground doesn’t “show up” on our nonprofit ledger. But make no mistake—this is by design. Our economy doesn’t just fund the institution, it’s loaves and fishes stuff. Quiet, ordinary acts of sacrifice that will echo into eternity.
At the organizational level, Kansas Underground receives giving like any other nonprofit, primarily through digital platforms. These funds are used to equip and coach leaders across the network. That includes:
- Funding training resources, workshops, and citywide gatherings
- Providing microgrants for new disciple-making initiatives
- Offering benevolence and support for leaders in crisis
- Covering administrative costs to maintain lightweight systems and infrastructure
Offering compensation for Hub Directors, most of whom also raise support
In addition to regular giving, we are also funded through:
- Grants from mission-aligned foundations
- Strategic donor partnerships
- Rental income from Hub spaces
- Bi-vocational Hub Directors who support their own ministry through outside employment or personal fundraising
Budget for Staffing
Approximately 57% of our total budget goes toward personnel costs. This includes compensation for Hub Directors, coaching staff, and administrative support—most of whom are bi-vocational or raising additional support.
Budget for Facilities
Only 5% of our budget is allocated toward facilities, reflecting our commitment to a decentralized and mission-first financial model.
QUALIFICATIONS
Elder Eligibility
- Disciple-makers who demonstrate maturity, humility, and faithfulness
- Those recognized by their community for spiritual authority and servant leadership
- Individuals affirmed through relational discernment and accountability within their Hub or network
In KC Underground, eldership is not a title conferred by hierarchy—it’s a function recognized in community. Elders shepherd microchurches, coach leaders, and help guard the theological and relational health of the network.
Pastor Eligibility
- Disciple-makers recognized for shepherding others
- Microchurch leaders functioning as spiritual parents
At KC Underground, “pastor” is never used as a title and more about a function. We recognize shepherding gifts wherever they emerge—especially among those who provide relational care, spiritual guidance, and community formation within microchurches.
Elder Role & Qualifications
In the New Testament, leadership wasn’t positional or hierarchical—it was shared, relational, and Spirit-led. Elders shepherded local communities with a focus on guarding doctrine and discipling (Acts 11:30), partnering with apostles in matters of doctrine and discernment (Acts 15:1-23), and stewarding unity across cultural lines (Acts 21:18-26). This model—plural, local, relational—is echoed throughout the early church (Acts 14:23; Titus 1:5). Elders weren’t just “on a board”; they were hands-on shepherds (1 Peter 5:1-3) who lived exemplary lives (1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:6-9). This is the model we embrace.
The KC Underground is organized to reflect the two essential leadership functions of the New Testament church: local eldering and translocal equipping. Rather than building a top-down organization, we are cultivating a decentralized, Spirit-led network of disciple-makers and microchurches shaped by relational authority, mutual submission, and spiritual gifting.
1. FUNCTIONAL ELDERS AS MICROCHURCH LEADERS
Within each microchurch, leaders naturally emerge as functional elders—spiritual parents who walk closely with their communities, offering care, guidance, and relational oversight. They may not hold formal titles, but they embody the biblical role of elder through lived faithfulness, presence, and sacrificial love. While not all microchurch leaders choose to pursue formal eldership, every microchurch leader is asked to uphold these biblical standards by signing the Microchurch Leader Commitment.
2. FORMAL ROLES: GOVERNING ELDERS AND HUB LEADERS
As the network grows, we’ve begun naming formal roles to support and strengthen our shared life together. Two key roles have emerged:
- Governing Elders – Local elders who provide pastoral oversight and spiritual care across the network.
- Hub Leaders – Translocal equipping servants who focus on movement, leadership development, and mission advancement. Hub Teams serve alongside Hub Leaders. Hub Teams are apostolic teams that exist to equip, coach and convene specific networks of disciple-makers and microchurches.
These roles mirror the leadership functions we see in the New Testament:
- Local Elders rooted in place and community
- Equipping Servants (apostolic, prophetic, evangelistic) who fuel the movement across contexts and networks
3. HUB LEADERS AS EQUIPPING SERVANTS
Hub Leaders are elders who have helped disciple, coach, and equip disciple-makers, and see microchurches emerge. They serve as recognized equippers within the network, often embodying apostolic, prophetic, and evangelistic gifts. Their focus is not on control but equipping—catalyzing others on mission and into multiplication.
Over time, Governing Elders emerging from among the microchurch leaders—much like Paul and Barnabas saw happen in Acts 14:23, when they returned to affirm those whom the Spirit had already raised up.
4. THE ROLE OF GOVERNING ELDERS
Though still in development, the Governing Elder role will focus on the left side of the umbrella—nurturing health and wholeness within the church family. Their responsibilities will include:
- Providing spiritual oversight and pastoral care
- Protecting theological integrity and relational unity
- Engaging in conflict resolution and restorative discipline
- Freeing up Hub Leaders to focus on mission and translocal advancement
- Strengthen the Collectives. Governing Elders can help strengthen these Collectives by leaning into their shepherding, teaching, and evangelistic gifts, asking:
- How can we grow in maturity together?
- How can we deepen relational community?
- What rhythms of shared formation and discernment do we need?
These elders will operate as trusted spiritual guides, ensuring the collective stays grounded, nourished, and whole.
5. DUAL ROLES, SHORT-TERM NECESSITY, LONG-TERM CLARITY
In our current phase, many leaders wear multiple hats. Some serve as both Hub Leaders and Governing Elders out of necessity. But long-term, we aim to multiply leaders and clarify callings so that individuals can operate within their unique spiritual gifts and focus areas.
6. HOW GOVERNING ELDERS AND HUB LEADERS RELATE (RELATIONAL AUTHORITY)
Governing Elders and Hub Leaders are co-laborers, not supervisors and subordinates. They relate through mutual submission, not chain-of-command structures.
Just as Paul wielded great spiritual authority without exercising institutional control, so we envision teams of elders and equippers leading together, rooted in trust, wisdom, and relational influence. “Jesus is the Head.” We are brothers and sisters—some further along the road, but all under His Lordship.
Pastor Role & Qualifications
In the KC Underground, “pastor” is understood as a spiritual gift and function, not a formal title or office. We see pastoring (shepherding) as one of the fivefold gifts Jesus gave the Church (Ephesians 4:11)—a calling to care, guide, protect, and nurture others into maturity in Christ.
Anyone—man or woman—who consistently shepherds others in love, truth, and presence may be described as functioning pastorally.
Qualifications mirror those of elders: spiritual maturity, relational integrity, sound doctrine, and a life shaped by the Gospel. Pastors in our network disciple others, cultivate spiritual families, care for the hurting, and model the way of Jesus in everyday life.
Pastoring is not a platform—it’s a way of life. And in our decentralized model, it’s often practiced around tables, in living rooms, and through one-on-one care.
Who Can Preach
In the KC Underground, we believe the Spirit speaks through the whole body. We don’t reserve preaching for professionals—anyone, regardless of title or training, can preach if they are faithfully leaning into Jesus, rooted in Scripture, and connected to their community. We value testimony, Scripture reflection, and Spirit-led insight from all voices, not just a few.
Who Can Teach
Anyone can teach.
Teaching in the KC Underground is a function, not a position. We believe all disciples are called to teach others what they’ve learned (Matthew 28:20). If someone is faithfully following Jesus, grounded in Scripture, and recognized by their community for wisdom and clarity, they can teach—regardless of title, education, or platform. We emphasize discovery-based learning and shared teaching environments where the whole body contributes.
Who Can Baptize
We believe baptism is a disciple-making moment, not a clergy-only event. Following the pattern of the early church, any follower of Jesus who is making disciples can baptize others into the faith. Often, the person who led someone to Jesus is the one who baptizes them—whether that’s a parent, a friend, a neighbor, or a student. It’s a powerful expression of shared mission and the priesthood of all believers.
Who Can Officiate a Wedding
Anyone who is legally authorized and relationally trusted.
In the KC Underground, we believe marriage is both sacred and communal. While we recognize that legal requirements vary by state, we encourage weddings to be officiated by those who know and walk with the couple—often a microchurch leader, mentor, or disciple-maker. If they meet the legal criteria (e.g., licensed or ordained as required by the state), they are free to officiate.
We prioritize relational trust and spiritual maturity over institutional title.
Who Can Conduct a Funeral
Anyone who is spiritually mature, relationally connected, and able to provide pastoral care.
In the KC Underground, funerals are not reserved for professionals—they are moments for the spiritual family and leaders who walked with the person to speak hope, comfort, and truth. Microchurch leaders, trusted friends, or disciple-makers often lead these gatherings, offering care and Gospel witness in the context of relationship. We believe those closest to the person are often best equipped to honor their life and point others to Jesus.
Who Can Serve Communion
Anyone who follows Jesus and is part of the spiritual family.
We believe communion is a sacred, family meal—meant to be shared in the context of worship, community, and mission. In the KC Underground, there is no “special requirement” to lead communion. Any believer can lead others in remembering Jesus through the bread and the cup, especially in microchurch settings where shared meals and table fellowship are central. What matters most is the posture of the heart, not the position of the person.
LEADERSHIP + STAFFING
Leadership Structure
KC Underground operates as a decentralized network of microchurches and a mission agency—not a traditional, top-down institution. Our leadership structure reflects the two primary functions of the New Testament church: local eldering and translocal equipping.
At the microchurch level, leadership is highly relational. Each microchurch is led by spiritual parents who function as local elders—ordinary people living on mission, offering care, discipleship, and spiritual guidance within their communities. These leaders may not carry formal titles, but they live out biblical qualifications and are supported through coaching and training.
At the network level, we have teams of Hub Leaders who serve as translocal equipping servants. These leaders are often apostolic, prophetic, evangelistic, and teach and equip disciple-makers, pastors, and microchurches. Hub teams function more like apostolic bands than executive boards.
Microchurch leaders commit to a shared covenant rooted in biblical elder standards, our Mission & Vision, the KC Underground Manifesto, the Apostles’ Creed, the Lausanne Covenant, and a life of character and disciple-making. These leaders sign a Microchurch Leader Commitment, affirming their role as spiritual parents and their alignment with the values of our network.
We also have a Disciple-Maker Commitment and a Microchurch Covenant—each serving as relational agreements that clarify expectations, foster accountability, and guide shared mission within the movement.
Governing Elders provide spiritual oversight and accountability across the network. They guide conflict resolution, safeguard theological fidelity, and offer restoration when needed. Their authority is rooted in wisdom, trust, and discernment—not positional power.
Our Hub Support Team and Board of Directors provide accountability on the organizational side, ensuring integrity in finances, leadership health, and legal structures. All leaders undergo regular coaching sessions, rhythms of community, and seasonal reviews of health and fruitfulness. Governing Elders are a smaller group of spiritually mature leaders who provide pastoral oversight, protect theological clarity, and support the health of microchurch leaders, and the network as a whole. They focus on relational unity, biblical fidelity, and (when necessary) restorative discipline.
The Board of Directors governs the nonprofit side of the organization, providing legal accountability and supporting the infrastructure that enables movement. However, leadership influence flows not through hierarchy, but through mutual submission, relational trust, and alignment with the way of Jesus.
In short, our leadership is not about titles or control—it’s about equipping the saints, releasing everyday people into mission, and protecting the integrity of a multiplying, Spirit-led movement.
Governance & Accountability
Our governance is relational, covenantal, and grounded in mutual submission rather than institutional control.
In all things, we prioritize relational accountability, Spirit-led discernment, and biblical faithfulness.
Full-Time Staff
Two
Part-Time Staff
12
Bi-Vocational Staff
11
Volunteer Leaders
On the church side—our network—where the church actually exists—no one is paid. Microchurch leaders, disciple-makers, and coaches all serve as volunteers, living out their calling in everyday spaces. These leaders shepherd spiritual families, plant the Gospel in their oikos, and guide others on the disciple-making journey. They are the Church.
On the centralized side—our mission agency—we occasionally have volunteers for specific events (like citywide gatherings or trainings), but we are not an ongoing volunteer-run centralized organization. This side exists to serve and support the decentralized network through coaching, training, and infrastructure.
In short: the church is volunteer-led, and the movement is driven by everyday people living on mission.
Major “Caveat”: We take issue with the language of “volunteer” because it implies a separation between the “staff” (who do the ministry) and the “volunteers” (who help). In the KC Underground, we believe all are called to ministry. This is why we don’t use the term “volunteer” in our “church” language. But for the sake of this survey, the answer is “everyone is a volunteer.”
This new form of church doesn’t center the purpose (mission) in the paid staff, but in the ordinary, everyday people. Jesus gave us—and the pattern the early church lived and died for (Acts 13:1-3, Colossians 1:28-29). This isn’t volunteerism. It’s vocation. It’s the birthright of every child of God.
Volunteer Contribution
95%
Over 95% of the ministry in our network is done by volunteers.
The vast majority of disciple-making, microchurch leadership, and mission happens through unpaid leaders who are living out their calling in everyday life. Paid staff exist only to support, equip, and resource this volunteer-led movement.
Leadership Pathway
Yes. Our Leadership Pathway is built on the Disciple-Maker Pathway, which is designed to help ordinary people grow into disciple-makers, microchurch leaders, and eventually movement leaders. And to be clear—this leadership journey is for everyone. Leadership isn’t reserved for the elite or the super-gifted; it’s simply the fruit of disciple-making.
When people begin making disciples, they step into spiritual leadership—not because they want the title, but because they are living the way of Jesus. Not positional, but relational. Not power-driven, but servant-hearted. We’re not trying to recruit volunteers; we’re raising up everyday missionaries who lead out of love, obedience, and multiplication.
The pathway includes five key phases:
- Extraordinary Prayer and Fasting – Returning to the Lordship of Jesus and discerning calling.
- Live as a Missionary – Identifying one’s oikos and living with Gospel intentionality.
- Plant the Gospel – Engaging in spiritual conversations, Discovery Bible Studies, and obedience-based discipleship.
- Church Emerges – Seeing spiritual families form that embody worship, community, and mission.
- Multiplication – Coaching others, raising new leaders, and starting new microchurches.
We support this journey through:
- Disciple-Maker Cohorts
- Hub Development Cohorts
- Coaching relationships
- APEST training and activation
- Microchurch Leader Commitments
- Tools for oikos mapping, Discovery Bible Study, and spiritual formation
Leadership in our network grows organically—through obedience, character, and calling—not by chasing positions. We multiply leaders through relational, Spirit-led development.
