About Us

Small business is the backbone of our communities. When Small businesses thrive, communities thrive and families thrive. When we create opportunities to connect the transformational power of the gospel to business, we believe that is when things change drastically.

Generous Influencers strives to follow Jesus and the example He set. He gathered together people to follow Him, to spend time with Him, to learn from the example of His life and teaching, and to explore what it means to be in relationship with God and with each other.

Jesus’ concern was not with programs to reach the multitudes, but with men and women whom the multitudes would follow. Mankind is His method of winning the world to God. His method hasn’t changed and His mission continues…to draw people into vital, life-giving relationships with Himself and with each other. This fuels each of us to engage in bringing the community together and help to build solid relational foundations in our cities. 

First Pursuit was founded in 2004 by Neil Hope and the influence of Young Life and its Christ modeled relational ministry.  In 1978 a young life leader, much like Jesus, reached out to Neil. Knowing him by name, he invited Neil into his activities and adventures, and eventually his life.  

Having discipled him, he sent him on his way to do the same.  After many years of working with the ministry of Young Life, Neil realized that the relational ministry he’d been doing with youth and the leadership training he’d been doing with Young Life Leaders, was much needed with men. 

Men are beaten-up by a world that promises a lot but delivers very little. Most are tired, restless, and confused. They’ve pursued fulfillment by giving the best years of their lives to ideas that can’t provide it. “Is this it?” “Is this all there is to life?”.  What seemed so sure of providing fulfillment, of filling the void at the core of their hearts, has left them empty and discouraged. First Pursuit has been dedicated to coming alongside men, to helping them discover and hear the Creator say, “I AM IT!  I Am what you’ve been pursuing.”

First Pursuit strives to follow the example Jesus set. He gathered together a group of men to follow Him, to spend time with Him, to learn from the example of His life and teaching, and to explore what it means to be in a relationship with God and with each other.

Through the shared experiences of recreation and sports, weekly small groups, and one-on-one time spent together, thousands of men are now doing the same; they’re influencing, building up, and encouraging the men around them, to go and do the same. It’s through the encouragement of these men that firstPursuit was formed.