Step Eight – The Adaptable Playbook

Posted October 8, 2025

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How do you engage leaders with influence in your city? Chris Gough talks with Jess Gatton (Alpha USA) and Nick Nye (For Columbus) about building evangelism culture through hospitality, prayer, and human flourishing. Hear practical stories of collaboration in Columbus and why evangelism is the natural byproduct of unity.

Jess and Nick answer:

How can leadership trainings shift culture towards evangelism?
Why is it essential to avoid skipping over an organization’s key leaders when raising the temp of evangelism in your city?
As you’ve developed relationships with leaders over time, how can you create a culture of evangelism in leadership that adds value rather than feeling like a burden or sales pitch?
Practically, what do leaders want when they show up to a training or event?

Bios:

Jess Gatton serves on the executive team of Alpha USA and works with an incredible group of people to come alongside churches and organizations to make room for people who don’t know Jesus. Before working for Alpha, she was a social worker and served in over a decade of pastoral ministry. The intersection of those two worlds have given her the unique opportunity to help churches see the needs of the spiritually hungry in their cities and set the table for them to come into a meaningful conversation about faith, life and meaning. Her passion is to see the church at it’s best all over the US and to see Christians do their part in co-creating with God in their cities.

Nick Nye has led as a church planter, church revitalizer, multi-site lead pastor, non-profit founder, church planting network board member, speaker, and leadership coach. He has also lived and worked in urban environments, serving a wide range of socio-economically and culturally diverse populations in both the Midwest and New York City. Nick holds a bachelor’s degree in world religion and a master of divinity in missiology and church planting.

Nick is currently working toward a city-wide gospel movement in Columbus, Ohio. He works with marketplace leaders, specialty ministries, and congregational leadership to see gospel-centered collaboration for the city’s flourishing. Nick is married to Brittany, and they have four children: Viola, Charlotte, Simone, and Elliott. They live in Columbus, Ohio.

To learn more about Evangelism Teams, the Adaptable Playbook, or what God is doing through collaborative evangelism efforts across North America, visit citygospelmovements.org.