Let There Be Light

11/13/25 Edition

The problem facing America and the world is not that there's too much darkness.
The problem is there's not enough Light.  ~ Brad Bright

 

 

Why ... and Why Not?
Why Christian CEOs Must Lead Now

Convene Exists for this Exact Moment

 

For years we’ve emphasized the importance of knowing your WHY – your mission, your calling, your Kingdom purpose. But James 2:14–26 makes it unmistakably clear:

“Faith without works is dead.”

Faith is the WHY.
Works are the WHY NOT—as in: “Why not get to work NOW?”

Because belief alone doesn’t transform cities.
Action does.
Execution does.
Leadership does.

There is no such thing as a leader without action.

 

The Church Talked. The Marketplace Must Now Build.

~ 80% of churches in America are viewed as irrelevant—not because the Gospel is weak, but because the stewards of the Gospel have traded action for endless talk.

For decades we’ve seen:

• Conferences and campaigns
• Prayer walks and unity rallies
• New books, new slogans, new initiatives
• Big promises with little implementation
• New rounds of singing Kumbaya

Lots of inspiration. Very little transformation.

Territorialism, competition, slow responses, and an obsession with ownership have paralyzed local leadership.

The Church and Community Flourishing Leaders could have led the movement of city transformation. But the Church hesitated. City Movement Leaders rinse and repeat the same old messages but with new optics while claiming headlines, rewriting the books with fresh covers and propping up their messages with headlines, studies and surveys.

And that leadership vacuum remains.

 

God Is Calling Christian CEOs to Step In—Now

This is where marketplace leaders come in.

God is raising up:

• President-Pastors
• CEO-Shepherds
• Marketplace Apostles
• Entrepreneur-Disciple Makers

Leaders who already know how to:

• Build systems
• Lead teams
• Execute strategies
• Solve real problems
• Measure outcomes
• Drive sustainable growth
• Mobilize people with clarity and urgency

“These are not merely business skills—these are Kingdom skills!  And they are desperately needed right now”
~ Kraig Bougher, President, Ignite Kingdom Builders

 

This Is Why Convene Exists!

Convene was created for this exact moment in history—to support and unleash Christian business leaders who are called to lead spiritually, economically, and missionally in the marketplace.

Convene equips leaders to:

 

• Pastor their people inside their businesses
• Disciple teams through real-world leadership
• Build communities and relationships that unite faith, work, and mission
• Launch measurable initiatives where cities can actually flourish
• Create sustainable revenue streams to fund Kingdom impact
• Collaborate across networks, industries, organizations and ministries
• Accelerate execution instead of waiting for permission
• Transform cities through coordinated, accountable action
• Lead and succeed where churches are not leading and not succeeding

Convene is the ecosystem, the infrastructure, and the economic engine that empowers Christian CEOs to do the work the Church has struggled to mobilize.

 

We Honor the Church — But We Will Not Wait for It

We ARE the Church — Without Boundaries

We are not abandoning the established Church.
We are not competing with it.
We are praying it will awaken— but we are not putting the movement on hold until it does.

The harvest is ready.
The workers are available.
The marketplace leaders are prepared.
The only thing missing is action.

And action is the language of Convene for the Cities!

This Is Your Calling. This Is Your Moment.

If God has stirred your heart to lead spiritually within your business…
If you feel the weight of responsibility for your people…
If you see your city’s needs and know you can help…

That stirring is the pastoral calling.
That burden is the marketplace mantle.
That urgency is Holy Spirit timing.

Why? Because God appointed you.
Why not? There is no excuse left.

The Church has hesitated and stalled.
The marketplace must not.

This is your moment.
This is your mantle.
This is your call.
Why? Because God has appointed you.
Why not? There is no excuse left.
Lead. Build. Act. Now.

 

With hope and resolve,
Dana Dunmyer, Chief Innovation Steward, Convene for the Cities

 

 

Because Unity Works Better
Than a Body with Competing Body Parts

 

For generations, the Church has preached unity, but let’s be honest—sometimes the parts of the Body act like they belong to different people. Marketplace ministry can become a holy circus of good hearts, good ideas, and zero coordination. But when Christian businesses and networks unite under a shared system, something remarkable happens: vision aligns, referrals multiply, and the Body finally moves like it was designed to—on mission, in step, and occasionally even on time.

1. VisionTrack Mission Impact Plans — Bring Purpose, Planning & Performance Together

Christian organizations often struggle to bridge the gap between God-given vision and day-to-day execution. VisionTrack changes that by giving leaders a unified digital ecosystem for the full journey: strategic planning, discipleship development, coaching pathways, organizational planning, and measurable results.

VisionTrack allows users to create and share:

• S.W.O.T. analyses
• Business plans
• Discipleship and growth plans
• Balanced scorecards
• Employee 360s
• OKRs, CFRs, and BHAGs
• Strategy frameworks and charters
   

We’ve combined modern planning tools with a Kingdom-first approach, giving Christian businesses and networks a way to articulate their mission, track their progress, equip their teams, and align their culture with Biblical values.

Why Christian Networks & Chambers need VisionTrack

• Creates cross-organizational unity around shared goals, mission, and culture.
• Brings clarity and accountability to teams, boards, committees, and member businesses.
• Provides a scalable coaching/mentoring framework for leadership groups.
• Helps everyone—from solopreneurs to large organizations—actually see their Kingdom impact.

VisionTrack gives faith-driven organizations what they’ve always needed: a simple, structured, deeply spiritual way to plan and execute mission.

 

2. The Convene Referral Hub — Turning Connections Into Kingdom Impact

Referrals are the lifeblood of any business community. But historically, Christian networks have lacked a shared, transparent, accountable system to track introductions, leads, opportunities, and outcomes… until now.

The new Convene Referral Hub allows every network, member, and partner to SEND, TRACK, and CELEBRATE referrals—all in one place.

Users can:

• Send introductions, leads, and collaboration opportunities
• Track the progress of every referral
• Receive notifications and updates
• Celebrate wins and recognize top connectors
• Build deeper relationships through stewardship-driven collaboration

Every introduction becomes more than an exchange—it becomes Kingdom multiplication.

Why Christian networks & Chambers need the Referral Hub

• Creates real-time accountability for referrals (no more “lost” introductions).
• Helps Chambers demonstrate measurable value to members.
• Strengthens trust and collaboration across the entire network.
• Generates new revenue and business growth by clarifying deal flow.
• Transforms networking from casual to purposeful—rooted in stewardship.

This innovation gives Christian business ecosystems the same referral-power as top-tier corporate networks—without sacrificing purpose, relationships, or values.

 

3. Points, Recognitions & Gamification — Motivating Participation Through Celebration

People engage when they feel seen, valued, and celebrated. The new Points Dashboard creates a fun, encouraging, energizing culture of participation inside any Christian business network.

Members earn points for:

• Sending referrals
• Acknowledging referrals
• Updating progress
• Attending events
• Contributing value to the community

As points accumulate, they unlock status levels, rewards, recognition, and friendly competition within the community.

Why Christian networks & Chambers need this

• Boosts engagement across member businesses
• Encourages consistent participation
• Creates a visible culture of generosity and collaboration
• Rewards those who strengthen the network
• Helps leaders easily identify their top connectors, rising leaders, and highly engaged members

Gamification turns passive members into active contributors, building stronger Chambers, stronger networks, and stronger local economies.

 

 

Have You Seen This?
THIS is how Convene Works for Christian Business

 

An example from Ignite!

From One Marriage to a Movement — The Animated Journey of The Marriage Architects & Ignite

How a calling became a catalyst, and how Ignite (powered by Convene) transformed a simple yes into a global Kingdom ecosystem.

What happens when a banker and his Psychology / Counselor Partner say yes to God’s call — and find themselves swept into a story bigger than anything they imagined? From One Marriage to a Movement is a five-episode animated journey following Mark & Heather, “The Marriage Architects,” as they move from vision to growth, from transformation to sustainability, and finally into a global network of networks. Each episode builds anticipation and reveals how Ignite — fully powered by Convene for the Cities — becomes their directory, their discipleship engine, their communication hub, their revenue generator, and ultimately the ecosystem that allows their ministry to flourish across churches, cities, and nations. This is where simple obedience meets innovative technology… and where the marketplace becomes the miracle place.

 

 

For Immediate Release:

IGNITE NETWORKS AND G7 MERGE UNDER CONVENE TO UNITE KINGDOM-DRIVEN LEADERS AND ADVANCE FAITH, BUSINESS, AND COMMUNITY IMPACT

 

CINCINNATI — November 13 — In a powerful move to expand Kingdom collaboration and strengthen the faith-driven business community, Ignite and G7 Networking have joined forces under the facilitation of Convene For The Cities®, a Christian enterprise platform, ecosystem and economic engine, that integrates technology, community, and commerce to empower purpose-driven growth.

Together, these three organizations are uniting around a shared vision: to connect Christian leaders, build trusted relationships, and grow people and businesses of faith—all while helping make the marketplace the miracle place.

 

A Strategic Alliance with Kingdom Purpose

The merger unites Ignite’s mission of transforming the marketplace through faith and innovation with G7’s relational foundation of connection, trust, and growth.
Under the Convene umbrella, this alliance blends G7’s proven community model—Connect • Build Trusted Relationships • Grow—with Ignite’s digital reach and Convene’s powerful enterprise ecosystem.

“This partnership isn’t just a merger—it’s a multiplication,” said Dana Dunmyer, CIO of Convene. “When we combine G7’s relational heartbeat with Ignite’s passion for making the marketplace the miracle place, we see the Body of Christ in action—working together, growing together, and prospering together.”

 

Strength in Collaboration and Calling

Through this strategic alignment:

• G7 brings five years of faith-based networking experience, connecting Christian business professionals to foster trust and collaboration.
• Ignite contributes scalable growth systems, leadership training, and engagement tools that empower leaders to make a lasting difference.
• Convene For The Cities®  provides the unifying digital infrastructure—integrating learning, operations, community, and commerce into a seamless, faith-forward ecosystem that will maximize sustainability for all members.

Together, they are demonstrating how collaboration, technology, and shared purpose can advance Kingdom success in today’s business landscape.

“Our calling is to create environments where believers thrive—in faith, in business, and in impact,” said Kraig Bougher, Founder of Ignite. “This alliance gives us the reach and structure to equip more leaders to “make the marketplace the miracle place.”

“G7 has always been about connection and authentic relationships,” said Bob Willbanks. “By joining forces with Ignite and continuing with Convene For The Cities platform, we’re amplifying what we do best—helping people connect, build trusted relationships, and grow.”

 

Empowering the Next Generation of Kingdom Leaders

This merger marks the beginning of a new season of opportunity for Christian business leaders, ministries, and professionals. Members will gain access to:

• Expanded networks for business collaboration and referrals;
• Innovative eLearning, coaching, and leadership programs;
• Group-building tools and digital community environments;
• Co-Hort and Mastermind power and efficiencies
• Scalable revenue and partnership opportunities aligned with Kingdom values.

With shared mission and advanced technology, the combined organizations are creating a thriving digital ecosystem that empowers believers to succeed in both purpose and performance.

About Convene For The Cities ®

Convene is a faith-forward enterprise platform that unites businesses, ministries, and nonprofits through a shared digital ecosystem integrating learning, community, operations, and commerce. Its mission is to make unite the body of Christ by equipping Christian leaders to collaborate, grow, and flourish together. The Convene for the City Motto: “We don’t do what you do – we HELP you do what you do even better!”

About Ignite

Ignite equips Christian entrepreneurs and professionals to grow their faith, business, and community impact through leadership development, growth systems, and collaborative networks that combine purpose with performance. Ignite’s mission is simple yet profound: “Making the Marketplace the Miracle Place.”

About G7 Networking

G7 Networking helps connect Christian business professionals to build trusted relationships that grow people and businesses. With the simple and powerful mission to Connect • Build Trusted Relationships • Grow, G7 has helped thousands of leaders live out their faith authentically in the marketplace.

Media Contact:
Dana A. Dunmyer
Chief Innovation Steward, Convene for the Cities
[email protected]
877-423-7224
conveneforthecities.com