If you implement a high-impact assimilation system,
With just One Place, One Program, Two Processes, and Two Placements, you can create clarity for your guests, alignment for your team, and an irresistible pathway to full connection.
Assimilation is the engine of church and spiritual growth.
It was a miracle they showed up—a bigger miracle that they wanted to come back. They loved the music, tracked with the message, and felt a sliver of hope for the first time.
But without a few real friends and the chance to make a meaningful contribution, the research says they’ll probably be gone in 6 months.
It doesn’t matter how big the front door is if people can drift out the back door without anyone noticing.
We can’t disciple the people we can’t connect—and yet the job of connecting is often last on our list of importance…
Start the on-demand course that will help you design an Engagement Pathway your church loves.
Assimilation may be a simple idea, but it’s not easy. And you don’t have time to keep reinventing the wheel season after season.
The CTA Video Course will help you design scalable next steps for your guests, automate key processes, recruit more volunteers than ever, and continually place guests in life-changing small groups.
I’m the founder of Climbing the Assimilayas and the Director of Assimilation at Eastside Christian Church.
After many years as a Lead Pastor, our church merged with Eastside and I stepped into a brand new role for me and the church: Assimilation Director.
We were growing way too fast and didn’t have a plan that could keep up. After stumbling my way through, I landed on a system that was shockingly simple and more effective than we had hoped for—we started seeing 1 in 4 guests become connected, serving members. It blew our minds.
As I shared my story, I saw tons of church leaders struggling in this area. Assimilation seemed like the missing ingredient in almost every church, big or small.
My greatest passion is helping more people reach the summit of full connection with God and others. And it’s an honor to come alongside incredible church leaders like you who are making that happen.
My name is Greg Curtis.
I first met Greg just 1.5 years into ministry, after I took over assimilation at our fast-growing church plant. I was already leading two other things, and it’s safe to say I had no idea what I was doing.
After attending Greg’s first-ever training event, I felt like I could finally see clearly. As I started implementing his assimilation system and sharing the principles with my staff, our entire culture began to change. And the results quickly followed.
I recently moved to Franklin TN, partnering with multiple churches and working on a new framework for Trauma-Informed Discipleship, alongside providing small group and pastoral care coaching.
Along that road, Greg and I decided to team up! With our combined efforts, I’m excited to dream up new ways to help churches connect more guests than ever.
And I’m Tommy Carreras.
So what does it look like to help guests Climb the Assimilayas at your church?
There’s no such thing as a plug-and-play engagement pathway—your church is unique and your steps must be, too. But we have found that these 4 simple elements are endlessly customizable for any context, size, or tradition:
One Place to identify guests
Every person that shows up to your church should hear one thing, loud and clear: “we want to meet you at this place, at this time.”
One Program to connect them
The answer to every question about what to do next should be answered with a single question: “Have you been to [our one program] yet?”
Two Processes
A guest’s connection is dependent on the scalable, measurable systems that guide them to the summit, cementing their place in your church family.
Two Placements
Every guest shows up longing for a place to belong and a purpose to fulfill, and that’s where a good assimilation system helps them land.
Your church probably has some version of these four things already — but the question is… How well are they working?
Most churches we work with have the pieces, but they’re not truly in place. The staff isn’t fully bought in. No one’s sure how to measure their impact.
We’ll help you maximize your efforts and build a high-impact system. You’ll have a new circulatory system for your church, bringing a fresh flow of new life to every ministry on a consistent basis.
Start with this 63-point assimilation system checklist.
It covers basically everything you’ll need to implement your own One Place, One Program, Two Process, and Two Placements—and you’ll be automatically subscribed to a series of emails that will breakdown what it takes to start connecting 1 in 4 guests at your church.
Like climbing Everest, the lack of appropriate speed can create a cold or even hostile environment for guests. I'll share 2 things to know about a 1-wk One Program, 2 reasons to rethink your first ask, and 8 things I'm learning and recommending right now.