Ancient Gospel, Future Church

A Strategic and Urgent Vision for the Future

Don Carson speaking at a TGC pulpit
“We wanted to build a community of churches and pastors in which the gospel was the central thing, the exciting thing, what we got out of bed for in the morning.”
Don Carson

As The Gospel Coalition celebrates its 20th anniversary, we’re at a strategic moment.

What began as a vision of Tim Keller and Don Carson has grown into a global ministry.

20M+annual website users
53pastor-theologians on our Council
8K+people attending our annual conference
31U.S. regional chapters
18global chapters

TGC was founded at the dawn of the internet and social media age, and we stand at the dawn of another new technological era. AI will revolutionize the world, accelerating change and forging a future we can’t even imagine. The daunting challenges we already face—cultural confusion about identity, distrust of institutions, disillusionment with “truth,” algorithm-fueled echo chambers, and fragmentation—will only be exacerbated in this new technological frontier.

Yet for all that has changed and will change, the truth of the gospel remains the same. Whatever shape the future church takes—and whatever challenges and crises she faces—the ancient gospel will always be her most crucial and life-giving anchor.

The best way the church can prepare for an uncertain future is to reinforce her grounding on the certain past: the finished work of Christ and his revealed truth in Scripture.

TGC wants to serve the church’s current needs while also preparing and strengthening the future church by shoring her up in the ancient gospel. In January 2025, the TGC Board selected Mark Vroegop, a pastor, author, and TGC Board member as the next president. With a passion for the local church and a ministry deeply affected by TGC, Mark is charged with leading TGC into the next chapter—moving from a “founder” generation into the future.

But to do this, we need generous financial partners who share our conviction that the way forward is not reinvention but recommitment, not redefinition of the gospel but renewal in its unchanging truth and power.

To continue in our mission, and to adapt it to a rapidly changing world, we are seeking to raise $27 million over the next 5 years. These funds are critical if we are to keep pace with technological change and be the resource the church needs today—and will need more than ever in the next decade and beyond.

TGC’s mission—to help renew and unify the contemporary church in the ancient gospel—is more urgent than ever, for several reasons:

Crisis of Truth

Epistemological and Theological

Digital technology, combined with institutional skepticism and expressive individualism, has ushered in a “post-truth” era. Algorithmic “answers” are easier than ever to find, but unifying consensus and trusted truth are rarer than ever. For the church, the internet presents challenges because people in pews turn to Google, distant “influencers,” and now AI chatbots as sources of truth, sometimes over against their own pastors or leaders.

Crisis of Humanity

Anthropological and Relational

Confusion about what it means to be human—including our embodiment as male or female—was already a problem. The age of AI is about to make it worse. Defenses of human-to-human relationships and embodied community will be more pressing as AI companions become normalized and declining marriage and fertility rates create problems globally. Digital fragmentation will continue to erode established networks and accelerate tribalism, disunity, and loneliness.

Crisis of Pragmatism

Ecclesiological and Technological

Pragmatism—favoring “what works” over what’s wise—is a perennial temptation for the evangelical church. Our era of rapid technological development—the emerging AI revolution—will aggravate this problem. Pastors and church leaders will have to carefully consider how technology can enhance but not undermine the nature of the church, the pastoral calling, and mission. The pragmatic impulse also continues to tempt the church to compromise on challenging issues (e.g., marriage, sexuality, complementarianism) because “what works” in reaching the most people seems to require revisionism.

The Opportunity

Gospel Bearings for an Uncertain Future

As we look to the future, we believe the best way to prepare the church is not to reinvent the wheel but to help renew and unify the contemporary church in the ancient gospel. There’s a lot we don’t know about how the AI revolution and the crisis of truth will unfold, and how it will challenge the church. What we do know is that God’s Word stands forever (Isa. 40:8).

The answers aren’t new. But the innovative applications are. The message is timeless, but the medium is ever changing. To prepare the church for the future, we need to equip the church leaders of the future: purposefully engaging Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha Christians and providing them the ministry tools and gospel bearings they need to faithfully navigate an uncertain future.

With your help and in alignment with our strategic vision, we can advance four key areas.

A long, glass-walled server corridor lit in blue

1.Artificial Intelligence

The way people search for and find answers is about to be radically altered. Young people already go straight to AI for inquiries, bypassing Google and other search bars. Within the next few years, most people won’t use their phones at all for search; they’ll simply speak a question and an AI will speak back an answer. To respond to this fast-moving and hugely consequential change, TGC will:

  • Rebuild TGC.org.

    We want TGC to remain on the leading edge for gospel-centered resources by optimizing our website for AI, and leveraging AI to smartly organize and display relevant content from decades of trusted publishing. By integrating AI-powered search and foregrounding theological resources for ministry leaders and pastors, TGC.org will continue to be a global leader in digital media.

  • Create AI Discipleship Resources.

    AI is already creating discipleship challenges in churches. We want to get ahead of the seismic technological changes already in motion, helping churches equip Christians to live with wisdom in the age of AI. We’ve already published a book, The AI Apocalypse: A Survival Guide for Humanity, created a new podcast (Silicon Spiritualities), hosted a virtual cohort, and produced two AI Christian Benchmark studies. AI’s reshaping of the world will be fluid and unpredictable, which is why we believe more books, cohorts, curriculum, and articles on AI’s various implications for Christian life and ministry are needed. We will be ready with timely and trusted resources for Christians and church leaders, whatever comes. TGC will be a trusted resource for these turbulent times.

Five young people sitting together on a bench outdoors

2.Gen Z

Interest in Christianity and church is rising among young men and women across the Western world. As Gen Z rediscovers church or comes to faith for the first time, we want TGC to be a go-to resource that helps them grow toward maturity, becoming godly men and women, church leaders who carry forward the gospel-centered movement into the next generation. To do this, TGC will:

  • Invest in Multimedia.

    TGC will continue to produce excellent content to resource Gen Z, but without savvy and effective video presentation and marketing, it will be hard to reach them. The content landscape is noisy and glutted. To capture the next generation’s attention, TGC needs to hire young talent who can help us up our game in YouTube videos, Instagram Reels, email marketing, and podcasts.

  • Launch Intergenerational Resources.

    We need a men’s podcast and resources that match the quality and reach of our women’s podcasts and feature 4-5 Christian men discussing a range of topics related to life, church, relationships, family, theology, ethics, and current trends. The regular “hosts” will include two younger men and two older men modeling intergenerational discipleship and the impartation of wisdom from one generation of men to the next, along with publishing resources to supplement the content. We also hope to create relational convening opportunities for Gen Z women to benefit from the encouragement and expertise of older women in ministry, writing, and discipleship.

Colleagues working around a table behind a glass wall

3.Faith and Work

Among the areas of life likely to be most disrupted by the AI revolution are work and vocation, as well as micro- and macroeconomics. We want to make sure the church is well equipped to disciple people in these critical areas at a time when new challenges and questions will arise. To do this, TGC will:

  • Create New Faith and Work Resources.

    These resources, for Christians, will provide wise advice and Christian perspectives on questions related to work, personal finance, economics, and how this relates to the local church experience. We’ll create a new TGC podcast with a particular focus on local church conversations.

  • Establish TGC Advisory Group.

    We envision a regular gathering of 20–30 business leaders representing diverse industries and regions. These top Christian leaders model how to integrate Christian faith in a variety of secular vocations. We’ll glean wisdom from them by convening this group for input and ideation on some of TGC’s biggest challenges. We’ll incorporate members of this group as expert guests on TGC podcasts and faith/work breakout sessions or panel discussions at national conferences, with a particular focus on integrating the faith and work conversation into the local church context.

Church leaders praying together around a table

4.Leader Network

Organizations often lose their historical mission in the second and third generations. To prevent this “drift,” it’s critical to intentionally invest in the less apparent but important foundations of a ministry. This “internal renewal” will allow TGC to weather the storms of culture and adapt to the changing landscape without compromise or stagnation.

  • Local Church Impact.

    TGC serves the local church, and we have a vast but underdeveloped network connected to our church directory and 31 regional chapters. Finding solid churches and connecting with like-minded leaders—city by city—is critical for the gospel-centered movement. We envision increasing to 50 chapters, hosting regional conferences, and producing compelling content that can be delivered in cities around the country.

  • New Strategic Leader Connections.

    Strong relationships and new partnerships create the opportunity for robust dialogue about the most critical issues and a basis for encouragement in the loneliness of ministry. We plan to invest in strategic gatherings, relationship development, and young-leader focus groups for men and women leaders. TGC is uniquely positioned to create a powerful gospel-based network of relationships.

The Impact of Your Investment

Your support is crucial in this pivotal moment. By investing in TGC, you will help...

Assist

current and future church leaders as they navigate the AI-accelerated crisis of truth with wisdom and fidelity.

Foster

unity and relational fellowship among gospel-centered Christians and churches, pushing back against trends toward isolation and fragmentation.

Provide

plausibility structures for the next generation of church leaders to choose biblical fidelity and spiritual health over pragmatism and instant-fix mindsets.

Ensure

TGC is able to keep up with best practices amid rapid changes in the media landscape, so we can better reach Gen Z in the ways they access content.

Build

on TGC’s first two decades of ministry by equipping a new generation of leaders committed to our shared mission to renew and unify the contemporary church in the ancient gospel.

We have a bold vision to propel TGC into the next season of ministry while building on our historical track record of global impact. This five-year effort seeks to push forward with urgency and innovation while also remaining committed to the foundation of our ministry.

FIVE-YEAR PLAN AT A GLANCE

This comprehensive campaign creates a pathway for strategic initiatives, sustainable ministry, and financial security. We are prayerfully pursuing an approximately 10% per year increase over 5 years. Here’s our growth plan.

YearFinancial Goal
FY 2026$4,500,000
FY 2027$5,000,000
FY 2028$5,400,000
FY 2029$5,800,000
FY 2030$6,300,000
Total Five-Year Fundraising Goal $27,000,000

FIVE-YEAR OPERATING PLAN

Projected annual operating plan by ministry area, FY26 through FY30.

Line ItemFY26FY27FY28FY29FY305-Year Total
New Initiatives$230,308$255,898$276,370$296,842$322,432$1,381,851
Content$720,580$800,645$864,696$928,748$1,008,812$4,323,481
TKC$360,603$400,670$432,724$464,777$504,844$2,163,618
TCC$187,714$208,571$225,257$241,942$262,799$1,126,283
Events$1,240,041$1,377,823$1,488,049$1,598,275$1,736,057$7,440,245
WIT$273,716$304,129$328,459$352,789$383,202$1,642,296
Networks$295,776$328,640$354,932$381,223$414,087$1,774,659
Development$626,287$695,874$751,544$807,214$876,802$3,757,721
Admin$564,974$627,749$677,969$728,189$790,964$3,389,846
TOTAL$4,500,000$5,000,000$5,400,000$5,800,000$6,300,000$27,000,000

GIFT RANGE CHART

Our Lord can provide this God-sized goal any way he chooses, but history tells us that a successful effort will require commitments as represented in this table. With committed financial partners, we can embrace both the ancient gospel and the future church. Here’s how:

Number of GiftsYearly Commitment (5 yrs)Total Gift AmountTotalCumulative Total
1$400,000$2,000,000$2,000,000$2,000,000
3$200,000$1,000,000$3,000,000$5,000,000
6$100,000$500,000$3,000,000$8,000,000
8$60,000$300,000$2,400,000$10,400,000
12$40,000$200,000$2,400,000$12,800,000
20$20,000$100,000$2,000,000$14,800,000
30$10,000$50,000$1,500,000$16,300,000
50$4,000$20,000$1,000,000$17,300,000
Many< $4,000/yr< $20,000$9,700,000$27,000,000

The world is changing. The gospel is not. The church will endure.

Will you join The Gospel Coalition as we seek to strengthen and equip the church at the dawn of a new technological revolution?

With your help, we can be a trusted and timely source of gospel-centered wisdom for generations to come, advocating for the church to remain faithful and focused amid new challenges and old, and opportunities untold.

Join Us.

Ways to Give

Thank you for your support of The Gospel Coalition. We are happy to discuss any of your gift planning needs. Please contact our Development team at 1-844-448-3842 or giving@thegospelcoalition.org.

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Make checks payable to The Gospel Coalition. Special designations should be noted on the check memo line.

Checks can be mailed to:

The Gospel Coalition
8520 Allison Pointe Blvd, Suite 220
Indianapolis, IN 46250

Bank Wire Transfers

Bank Name:
JPMorgan Chase Bank NA
Bank Address:
270 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017 USA
Bank Phone:
1-800-935-9935
Account Number:
750908741
Routing Number:
071000013
Beneficiary Name:
The Gospel Coalition
Beneficiary Address:
8520 Allison Pointe Blvd, Suite 220, Indianapolis, IN 46250

Stock and Security Transfers

Brokerage Name:
J.P. Morgan
Brokerage Account Number:
42035596 DTC # 352 (Agent ID: 64495, Institutional ID: 64495)
Brokerage Mailing Address:
100 Crescent Court Suite 1300, Dallas, TX 75201-4775
Organization Contact:
Stephen Schindler
stephen.schindler@thegospelcoalition.org

Gifts Through Foundations, Donor Advised Funds (DAF), and Qualified Charitable Distributions from an IRA

The ministry should be identified as:

EIN# 01-0892431
The Gospel Coalition
8520 Allison Pointe Blvd, Suite 220
Indianapolis, IN 46250

International Gifts

Donations made outside of the United States can be made through TrustBridge Global.

Contact Us

If you have questions or want to learn more about the Ancient Gospel, Future Church campaign, reach out to Stephen Schindler (Vice President of Development) using the form below. He will get back to you and answer any questions.