Share the Gospel

The message of the gospel can only reach those who have not yet become disciples when it is shared with clarity and conviction. This is the great commission that we must all take up and fulfill.

The Gospel is of First Importance

Every ministry should be Christ centered, Holy Spirit reliant, and resolute on keeping the Gospel of first importance.

1 Cor 15:3-4

Our Core Beliefs

The Gospel Must Be Shared

The power that grows and sustains any ministry comes from God through the sharing of the gospel to the lost and saved.

Rom 1:16

The Gospel is for Discipleship

Only ministries that equip their people to share the gospel, from the pulpit to the pew, can make disciples that multiply.

2 Cor 5:20-21

Our Purpose

To empower churches, ministries, and individuals to reach the world for Christ by restoring the gospel to first importance.

Our Mission

Gospel First Ministries is dedicated to empowering churches and ministries by providing comprehensive training that enables them to effectively share the entirety of the gospel message in all their interactions, whether through sermons, discussions, or various settings. Our accessible online and in-person training initiatives aim to equip individuals to confidently communicate the message of Jesus Christ in its fullness.

Our Vision

To train 5,000 new leaders to effectively share the full gospel by 2025.

Our History

  • Created by David Nicholas in 2009

    Gospel First Ministries was created by David Nicholas in 2009 to meet the needs of the church planters wanting to be effective in starting gospel - centered churches to reach the lost around the world.

  • David Founded Spanish River Church & Acts29

    David believed that the gospel calls disciples to make disciples and churches to plant churches. During his time as Senior Pastor of Spanish River Church in Boca Raton, FL, he founded the Spanish River Church Planting Network, cofounded Acts29, and served as President of Knox Theological Seminary.

  • A Heart for Discipleship

    David's heart for making disciples and his belief that a clear understanding of the Gospel is the key to disciple making led him to partner with Ed Stetzer and Lifeway Research to conduct a national study. They assessed the presence of the gospel in 1000 sermons from across the United States. Lifeway determined that only 6% of pastors from a variety of denominations and contexts preached a clear presentation of the Gospel.

  • Gospel Boot Camps Launched

    Gospel First Ministries and our Gospel Boot Camps were launched to ensure that church planters, pastors, and ministry leaders could effectively and confidently present the gospel from any passage, in any conversation, and in any context.

  • David Goes Home to Jesus

    Since the Lord took David home in 2011, his widow Nori Nicholas has led the ministry to become an international organization, overseeing the translation of the GF7 curriculum into multiple languages, distributed around the world, and established partnerships with some of the world’s leading gospel-centered organizations.

  • The Next Generation of Leaders

    Upon Nori Nicholas’ retirement she passed the baton on to Ryan McInerney, David’s Church Planting Strategist and Gospel Boot Camp facilitator. Ryan was key to developing the ministry to where it is today and continues as an essential partner. In June of 2022, Dr. Bob Orner assumed leadership.

Leadership | Meet
Bob Orner

Bob has partnered with Gospel Boot Camps as a trainer for over ten years. He received his Doctor of Ministry from Reformed Theological Seminary Orlando. 

He presently serves as a Pastor at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. He has served as a youth pastor, senior pastor, church planter, helped start church planting networks and continues to serve as a church planting coach.  Bob was the Dean of Students and Guest Lecturer of Practical Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Florida for four years.

Bob is passionate about the ministry of the local church and committed to see people discover Christ and grow in grace.  He grew up in East Africa where he developed a love and appreciation for cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic diversity. God used these years to build a passion to equip leaders for the global community who are Biblically and theologically grounded, Gospel motivated and culturally intelligent. 

He and his wife Chris, a Licensed Professional Counselor, have one adult son.