I tend to be a chief skeptic of “big events” that claim any life-changing opportunity. They cost a lot of money, require huge organizational effort, and come and go with maybe a little bump in passion, but are quickly forgotten by the average attendee. Typically, we put on our best-extroverted face only to hear how this congregation is “crushing it,” or that business is “changing the world,” or this nonprofit is “saving lives,” wondering what my part in all this is.
BUT, what if One City Weekend was different?
The One City Leaders Summit has been an annual event since 2019 (2020 was online, of course) where we’ve tried to gather as many Christian leaders in the three vocational streams we serve – Clergy, Nonprofit Directors, and various workplace leaders in business, government, education and so on. We bring in some challenging speakers, celebrate stories of collaborative impact, and make space for you to get outside your typical circles to meet other movement makers.
It’s simply not possible to jam in all the incredible work various leaders are doing throughout the city, but our constant prayer is that you’d experience the Kingdom of God a little more fully and be reminded that God’s hand is in many places. There is no need to posture or compare but to humbly look to Jesus and celebrate that none can do it all but he’s doing it all!
Enter in One City Worship. I keep coming back to the words of Jesus that some things can only be changed through prayer and fasting. (Matthew 17:21) We can talk about collaboration, strategy, and vision, but if we are not a movement saturated in the power of collective prayer and worship, this local network cannot be effective. As Ursula Kemp always reminds us, “every movement of God is preceded by a movement of prayer.”
One City Worship is no mere event to attend but a movement of prayer and worship to participate in. So, we are calling on the entire Church of Columbus to participate!
So why do we do this “big event?” We all need these snapshots, the visuals, these local opportunities to see the Kingdom of God– to see different ethnicities, races, denominations, vocations, and ministry specialties moving together. We may never experience perfect unity of the whole church but let’s get as close as we can! But we also need the voices of the entire Church praying, worshiping, and trusting in the Lord to do far more than we can do.
Come eager to participate in God’s story for our city!