A Family
Born in a
Living Room.
What began as a handful of believers gathered around kitchen tables has grown into a worldwide family spanning six continents — united not by structure, but by a shared love of Jesus.
▞ Where it all began
Planted in Pennsylvania,
Rooted in Prayer.
D · O · V · E
Declaring
Our
Victory
Emmanuel
A confession that Jesus — God with us — had already won the victory.
In 1980, a young couple named Larry and LaVerne Kreider felt a clear call from God — not to build a church in the traditional sense, but to reach the unchurched youth of south-central Pennsylvania.
What emerged was something unexpected: a house church movement that would eventually span the globe. They called it DOVE Christian Fellowship. Small groups gathered in homes, breaking bread together, praying for their neighbors, and discipling one another in the ways of Jesus.
There was no grand building program, no celebrity pastor, no polished program. Just ordinary people following an extraordinary Savior — living out the Book of Acts in the suburbs of Pennsylvania.
1980
The first DOVE small group gathers in a living room in Pennsylvania, USA.
▞ Milestones
Decades of faithful steps.
Each chapter written in prayer, obedience and the courage to trust God beyond the familiar.
-
1980
A Living Room in Lancaster
Larry and LaVerne Kreider launch the first DOVE small group to reach unchurched youth, with no building — only a mandate from God and a circle of willing hearts.
-
Late 1980s
Growth Beyond the Suburbs
The movement multiplied rapidly — dozens of cell groups forming a network of house churches across the region. The model: everyone a minister, every home a sanctuary.
-
1996
Transitioning to Apostolic Teams
DOVE undergoes a significant structural shift — transitioning from a single congregation to a family of autonomous churches under apostolic oversight. A biblical model for a new era of multiplication.
-
Early 2000s · Pivotal moment
The Gospel Crosses the Atlantic
DOVE Europe is born as the movement takes root across the continent — planting churches in the UK, Germany, Austria, and beyond, responding to a post-Christian Europe as a fresh mission field.
-
2010s
Six Continents, One Family
The DOVE family expands to 35 nations and over 1,000 churches and ministries, with thousands gathering in small groups — the house church vision scaled globally without losing its relational heart.
-
Today
Reaching Post-Christian Europe
With only 5–10% of Western Europeans attending church, DOVE Europe presses forward — planting, praying, discipling, and serving as missionaries in one of the most spiritually needy regions on earth.
▞ The family today
From one living room to a global movement of houses.
35
Nations
1,000+
Churches & Ministries
6
Continents
40+
Years of Faithfulness
▞ Core Identity
What defines
who we are.
These aren't corporate values pinned to a wall — they are the convictions that have shaped every decision, every church plant, every small group for over four decades.
Conviction 01
House to House
The church is not a building — it is a people.
From the very beginning, DOVE has championed the home as the primary place of discipleship, fellowship and prayer. The kitchen table, the living room couch, the shared meal — these are our sanctuaries.
01 ▞
Prayer
Worshipping God, bringing our world's needs to Him, allowing the Spirit to empower us.
02 ▞
Discipleship
Building relationships, training in godliness, multiplying mature followers of Jesus.
03 ▞
Evangelism
Making known the glory of God through proclamation, service and cross-cultural mission.
▞ The story continues
The next chapter is being
written in your living room.
Whether you lead a church, sense a call to plant one, or simply want to gather a few people around a table — we'd love to walk this journey with you.