Investor Report
November 2025
A message from Justin Elam, Director of ICN
Network Metrics
42,091
First-time Guests
5,547
Baptisms
$5.56 Millon
Money Given Back to The Community
Network growth
Current parters — 227
New Partners UP 50% in 2025
ICN North America — 90 churches
Launched in 2005 with 5 churches
Iglesias Irresistibles
(Latin America) — 53 Churches
Launched in 2014 with 3 churches
ICN Australasia — 28 churches
Launched in 2018 with 3 churches
Further Faster
(UK and Ireland) — 45 churches
Launched in 2018 with 5 churches
Momentum continues: We’ve identified 372 North American churches that strongly align with our network’s values—up from 164 in March—expanding our pool of potential partners.
ICN South Africa — 11 churches
Launched in 2024 with 3 churches
Celebrating What God Is Doing Across the Irresistible Network
Every month, incredible things are happening across our network — churches growing, leaders innovating, and communities being transformed. From milestone anniversaries and building dedications to creative outreach, baptisms, and hurricane relief, these moments remind us why we do what we do. Together, we’re helping people experience church in a way that’s truly irresistible.
And before we dive in, we’re starting with something special: a few big birthdays — honoring pastors and churches who’ve been faithfully creating irresistible experiences in their communities for 15, 20, even 30 years.
Athens Church — 20 Years
Lead Pastor: Sean Seay
Brazos Fellowship — 20 Years
Lead Pastor: Shawn Parish
Journey Church — 20 Years
Lead Pastor: Matt Johnson
Southside Church — 20 Years
Lead Pastor: Chris Patton
Ashley Ridge Church — 15 Years
Lead Pastor: Jenn Williams
Centerpoint Church — 15 Years
Lead Pastor: Bryant Golden
CedarCreek Church — 30 Years
Lead Pastor: Ben Snyder
Tri County Church — 30 Years
Lead Pastor: Chris Trethewey
Ashley Ridge — New Building Grand Opening
True north — Celebrates 20 Years
Athens Church — City of Reguge Partnership
Pinnacle church — HURRICANE relief
Hammock Street — BAPTISM celebration
Athens Church — 20 Year Celbration
Grace Bible Church — Baptism Celebration
Ridge Church — Outreach Magazine Feature
Church at the creek — Grand Opening
Around the World
A Global Movement, One Shared Mission
From Sydney to São Paulo, Accra to Atlanta, churches across the Irresistible Church Network are seeing momentum build in remarkable ways. Leaders are planting new churches, developing future pastors, launching training schools, and shaping communities with a shared vision—to inspire people to follow Jesus.
This year has marked a defining moment for the global network: new gatherings, new facilities, new leaders stepping forward, and, for the first time, a shared language uniting every region. Across Australasia, Brazil, West Africa, South Africa, North America, and the UK & Ireland, we’re seeing what happens when partnership becomes co-ownership—and when churches around the world define together what it means to be an Irresistible Church.
ICN Australasia | Building Co-Ownership and Developing Leaders
Across Australia and New Zealand, the ICN Australasia Network continues to grow stronger by deepening co-ownership and developing future leaders.
This year, the School of Irresistible Church Leadership officially launched—training pastors and residents in the core principles and practices that define an Irresistible Church. It’s a key step toward equipping a new generation of leaders for church planting and revitalization across the region.
In addition, Summit gatherings brought pastors together across multiple cities, strengthening collaboration, alignment, and shared vision for reaching more than 350 key communities across Australasia.
Momentum continues to build as churches move from partnership to true co-ownership of the mission.
Iglesias Irresistibles | A New Era in Brazil
In Brazil, Red Church celebrated the launch of its new facility with room for more than 3,000 people per service—a dream twelve years in the making.
Led by Tiago Mattes, this new space represents far more than a building. It stands as a flagship model for churches across Latin America, showing what’s possible when vision, generosity, and perseverance align to create environments that reach people and inspire leaders.
This launch marks a defining moment for Iglesias Irresistibles and the broader Latin American movement.
West Africa | A Partnership and a Vision for the Future
In Ghana, Agape Church officially became an Irresistible Church Network partner—marking the beginning of a shared vision for a future ICN West Africa Network.
This story began years ago through ICN partner pastor Reid Robbinette’s friendship with Agape’s leaders, which deepened when they attended DRIVE. Over time, Reid, Justin Elam, and Julio Volcy invested in their ministry residents and partner churches, strengthening their foundation for growth.
A formal partnership was established this summer, and the momentum continued when Vernon Gordon and his team traveled to Ghana in September to invest in Agape’s pastors and residents—another step toward seeing an ICN West Africa Network become reality.
Seeds of a movement are taking root in West Africa through friendship, partnership, and a shared vision for the future.
A Shared Language for an Irresistible Church
From Australasia to Brazil, West Africa to South Africa, North America to the UK & Ireland, every network has played a part in shaping a common vocabulary for what we mean when we say “an Irresistible Church.”
Together, we’ve captured the essence of who we are—outward-facing, dedicated to healthy leadership, and strategically organized to reach our communities and inspire people to follow Jesus.
This unified language isn’t just words on a page; it’s a reflection of shared conviction, creative collaboration, and the Spirit-led work happening in churches around the world. It marks a new chapter in our story—one that celebrates our diversity, amplifies our unity, and points us toward the future we’re building together
We believe an Irresistible church is…
OUTWARD FACING:
We are committed to removing all unnecessary obstacles for people turning to Jesus.
DEDICATED TO HEALTHY LEADERSHIP:
We are leaders worth following—emotionally mature, spiritually grounded, and relationally trustworthy.
STRATEGICALLY ORGANIZED:
We align staff and volunteers around our mission and vision with clear ministry steps.
PRIORITIZING THE NEXT GENERATION:
We believe the faith of the next generation is worth everything, and we staff and budget accordingly.
COMMITTED TO INTENTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS:
We pursue authentic community to inspire maturing faith.
CREATING IRRESISTIBLE ENVIRONMENTS:
We design spaces and experiences that draw people in and keep them coming back.
FOR THEIR COMMUNITY:
We want our community to be glad we’re here and better because we are.
What ICN means to me
In 2007, my wife Ashley and I were on staff at Heartland Church in Rockford, Illinois, when our elders were approached by a small church in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin (a suburb of Madison, the state capital). They had just come through a very difficult season and found themselves without a lead pastor or worship leader, with a rapidly shrinking congregation, and only nine months left in their building before the state took possession through an eminent domain case. They reached out to Heartland to ask about potentially becoming a campus of our church. The elders said yes, and asked me to be the campus pastor.
As you can imagine, the first few years were incredibly difficult. Thankfully, after a lot of hard work, and even more grace from God, the campus reached a place of health, and we began to grow. Around that time, the senior leadership changed at the central campus in Illinois, and we were spun off as our own local, independent church. While growth continued, below the surface our staff team was paddling as fast as we could just to stay afloat. Because we weren’t part of any network or denomination, we were trying to figure everything out ourselves. We often felt like we were on an island in the middle of the ocean, isolated and alone.
When I first heard about the Irresistible Church Network, I literally said out loud, “Where has this network been the last 15 years?!” I was so grateful to discover a network of churches that shared our mission and vision. It was truly an answer to prayer. Since joining the network, our staff team has found encouragement, support, and resources that have made our lives healthier and our work more effective. We are so grateful for this community of like-minded pastors and leaders. ICN has truly helped us go further, faster than we ever could have on our own, and now we’re excited to pour back into the network however we can—to do for others what God has done for us through ICN.
Jon McNary, Heartland Church, Sun Prairie, WI
I’ve been a lead pastor in Canada for over 25 years. The church landscape is, while hopeful, a bit dry and scattered. That means the opportunities for connection with other like-minded churches and pastors, especially if you are not tied to a denomination, are hard to come by. Before our church joined ICN, our staff would attend one conference each year where we would get our annual chance to acquire some fresh ideas, try and make new connections, and get our tanks “filled up” for another 52 Sundays. For many of our staff, meeting other people who are trying to do exactly what they do and who are oriented toward reaching lost people was the literal highlight of their year! But the rest of the time, we often felt lonely and isolated in the way we were trying to reach our community.
Being a part of ICN has taken that annual highlight and turned it into a constant experience of support and connection.
The ICN staff operate with such care and intention, uniquely leveraging the potential of the network. The way they orchestrate the monthly call groups, curate training, and facilitate opportunities for relationships to grow has both made our staff feel more equipped to do our jobs and encouraged as we do them.
So, what do you do when you have experienced something that has really re-energized your ability to do ministry? Of course, you share that good news with friends!
Obviously, I had to pass the good news along to other like-minded Canadian church leaders. Part of the beauty of the network is that it’s not advantaged by exclusivity; the benefits don’t get diffused or watered down as engagement grows. Instead, the more churches that join means the resources, ideas, and relationships just become more abundant. In suggesting to Scott and Trinity Church Kelowna that they join ICN, I didn’t feel like I was recruiting but like I was offering an irresistible invitation. In my mind, not only does a church like that get value from being a part of the network, but they’re able to add unique value to other churches all over North America.
If my church is oriented as it should be, it’s an easy decision to actively encourage others to join ICN.
As churches, we are always looking for ways to help the larger mission of the gospel in our cities, but also beyond. Having an irresistible church in every community would have incomparable eternal impact, and there is no better way to do that than to build this network.
Dustin Funk, Oasis Church, Winnipeg, Canada
Iglesias Irresistibles Conference
September 2025
This past September, more than 340 participants from 64 churches across 59 cities and 8 countries gathered in Monterrey, Mexico, for the Iglesias Irresistibles Conference hosted by our partner church VidaIn.
Leaders came hungry to learn, collaborate, and reflect not a model of ministry, but a person—Jesus—his purpose, personality, posture, and approach. For over two days, the atmosphere was full of worship, conviction, and renewed vision as pastors from across Latin America invested in one another and reimagined what the church can be in their communities.
But the heartbeat of the conference wasn’t found in a session or on a stage—it was found in stories like Kevin’s.
Kevin was a 21-year-old barber when he met Enrique, a volunteer coordinator at VidaIn. At the time, Kevin was struggling and felt alone. With every haircut, Enrique listened, encouraged, and cared. Eventually, he invited Kevin to church.
“I didn’t know what to expect,” Kevin remembers, “but when I walked in, people hugged me and welcomed me. I felt like I was in the right place.”
That Sunday, the message was from the series You’re Not Far. “It said that if you’re looking to grow closer to God, you’re not as far as you think. It felt like it was meant for me.”
Kevin kept coming back—sometimes riding a bus and train for more than an hour to get to church. “It was worth it,” he says. “I found family.” He began volunteering, served at Youth Camp, and was baptized soon after. Today, Kevin mentors a group of high school boys at InsideOut and helps others take the same steps he once did.
“I wanted to know Jesus,” Kevin says. “I didn’t realize it would take a church to help me.”
Stories like Kevin’s are why Iglesias Irresistibles exists—to help churches reflect Jesus so people can experience life with him.
Watch the conference highlight video and see how God is using Iglesias Irresistibles to build irresistible churches across Latin America.
Looking forward to
in 2026
The Irresistible Church Conference (ICC) in May 2026 will be the most catalytic moment in the history of the Irresistible Church Network. Designed for 2,000 attendees, ICC will bring together church leaders, innovators, and practitioners who share a passion for creating churches that unchurched people love to attend. More than a single event, ICC represents a strategic turning point for ICN—a platform to expand our network, deepen engagement with current partners, and launch new systems and services that will sustain momentum well beyond the conference.
Our goal is bold: to host more than 40 qualified prospect churches, ensure strong participation from existing partners, and activate post-conference systems for coaching, consulting, and onboarding that accelerate growth across the network. Every element of ICC—from keynote content to breakout sessions to curated partner stories—is designed to inspire vision, demonstrate impact, and invite churches into deeper collaboration with ICN.
The next nine months are focused on three priorities:
Maximize attendance and engagement. We are mobilizing Partner Services, consultants, and regional champions to lead targeted invite and referral campaigns.
Secure high-value prospects. The Network Expansion team is identifying and vetting churches that align with our mission and are positioned to benefit most from attending the conference.
Strengthen post-conference systems. New coaching and consulting pathways are being developed to seamlessly onboard interested churches following ICC.
By May 2026, ICC will not only showcase the best of what makes the Irresistible Church Network unique, it will mark the beginning of our next chapter of growth. The foundation we build between now and then will determine how effectively we multiply our impact for years to come.
Mark Your Calendars
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May 4-6, 2026
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Irresistible Church Conference
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Mark Your Calendars • May 4-6, 2026 • Irresistible Church Conference •
Lead Pastor Gathering
Hoboken, NJ
Celebrating connection, collaboration, and shared vision
And last but not least, we wrapped up another incredible Annual Lead Pastor Gathering in Hoboken, NJ — a few days full of laughter, learning, and meaningful conversations about what’s ahead for the Irresistible Network. Here’s a look at some of the moments that captured it best.
