The Movement Day Story
Every city faces spiritual and social challenges that no single church, ministry or organization can solve alone.
Movement Day unites Christian leaders from the Church, marketplace, and parachurch communities to pursue the spiritual and social flourishing of their cities.
Our Foundation
Movement Day is rooted in Jesus’ final prayer before His crucifixion, when He prayed that His followers “may all be one… so that the world may believe” (John 17:21). His prayer reminds us that unity is not simply an aspiration; it is central to the Church’s witness.
When leaders from every sector of society come together around the Gospel, they become a visible expression of the Body of Christ. Through collaboration, prayer and shared purpose, they are able to address the spiritual and social realities of their cities with greater wisdom, influence and effectiveness. Movement Day exists to cultivate that kind of collaboration because unity is the foundation for lasting city transformation.
The First Movement Day
Movement Day was launched in New York City in 2010 following a conversation between pastor Tim Keller, businessman Bob Doll and nonprofit leader Mac Pier. Together they asked a simple question:
“What could happen if leaders from the church, marketplace and nonprofit sectors came together to address New York City’s most stubborn spiritual and social realities?”
That question became the foundation for Movement Day.
Movement Day NYC has met annually since 2010, convening church, business, and nonprofit leaders. The ripple effect of Movement Day NYC and the NYC Movement Project (a collaboration with Redeemer City to City) was staggering:
87 New Churches Were Planted
26,000 Leaders Were Trained Through Ministry Partnerships
And have impacted over 1 million people in the NYC metro area toward specific action to address social ills in their neighborhoods.
MDNYC Incubated City Serve
Which mobilized the church for 1,700 projects throughout the New York City area. City Fest gathered 200,000 people and recorded 10,000 gospel conversations.
A Movement Goes Global
In an unexpected development, over 50% of the participants at the very first Movement Day in 2010 came from outside New York City. And 13 countries were represented in NYC that very first year!
In 2014, Movement Day expanded to Dallas-Fort Worth, marking the beginning of its growth beyond New York City. The next year (2015), the first international Movement Day gatherings took place in Pretoria, South Africa and Port au Prince, Haiti. In 2016, Movement Day Global Cities was held in New York, convening 3,000 attendees from 95 nations and 400 cities.
The Spirit of God is using Movement Day in a way no one could have planned. What began in New York City 16 years ago is now rippling across the globe. Christian leaders from around the world are gripped with an urgency to see the Body of Christ unite for Kingdom impact. The movement is accelerating.
What began as a single gathering has grown into a global movement reaching more than 300 cities across five continents. Every Movement Day creates new opportunities for Christian leaders to build relationships, share ideas and work together to advance the Gospel and serve their communities.
Join a Movement Day gathering
And discover how greater unity and collaboration can help transform your city.
