Worthington Christian Church: Rediscovering Identity for Growth
When Worthington Christian Church (WCC) in Columbus, Ohio, marked its 50th anniversary in fall 2025, Lead Minister Austin Seevers wanted the milestone to spark movement in the church. So instead of simply celebrating the past, he invited the congregation to rediscover it—and, in doing so, rediscover themselves. The season became a catalyst for reflection and renewal.
The pastors did a sermon series leading up to the anniversary called “We Declare,” in which they revisited the church’s founding values and origin stories. That intentional return to the beginning didn’t just stir nostalgia—it ignited growth.
“Being a 50-year-old church, we needed to shake things up and hear those courageous and innovative stories,” says Seevers.
The “We Declare” series became the foundation for a new cultural identity. “We began using the phrase ‘we’ in everything we do now,” Seevers adds. “We’re a team of ‘we’—we as a staff, an elder team and a congregation.”
In addition, the church launched The Gathering, a twice-a-year event that brings every volunteer who has served in some capacity for the church together for celebration, vision-casting and encouragement.
“Our elders say we’ve never been as aligned as we are now,” reports Seevers, noting that legacy churches often wrestle with inertia and get stuck in ruts. That’s why he has encouraged his team to think about what would make the greatest kingdom impact and then go do that thing.
“I tell them to align with the vision, then go get some skinned knees,” he explains. “In other words, don’t be afraid to fail.”
This mindset has reshaped how ministry happens as staff members at every level are asked who they are investing in, training and recruiting. The result is a church where leadership is multiplied, not centralized.
“We’re not just counting who has been baptized but rather how many people are doing the baptizing. We want to equip, empower and release our staff and our congregation,” notes Seevers, who shared a recent story about a high schooler who came forward after a service to declare that she wanted to give her life to Christ. She had been invited by her friend and so that friend will be the one to baptize her.
A 2025 demographic study helped the church tailor its preaching and ministries to the real needs of the people around them. WCC sits at a unique crossroads, literally and figuratively, as they are a confluence between an established older city and one of the fastest-growing counties in the country.
“We merged the traditions of an older city with a community that is establishing its identity in real time,” says Seevers.
Promoting unity and belonging—the heartbeat of the “we” theme—resonates deeply in a community that’s both rooted and rapidly changing. Therefore, church leaders are making sure to strengthen what already works. According to Seevers, the church has established good community partnerships. “We lean into those and do those better instead of trying to come up with something new.”
For example, WCC hosts a kids’ camp every week of the summer. Instead of just providing the venue, this year the staff showed up to hand out Popsicles, Gatorades and high-fives to campers.
One of the church’s most transformative initiatives has been the “Love Where We Live” sermon series, which encouraged congregants to practice daily organic acts of love. The stories that emerged were powerful. One family gave an elderly woman a day of reprieve for caretaking for her ill husband by bringing her along to watch their kids’ sports games, then treating her to dinner.
Another family cleaned the yard of a middle-aged couple who were both facing their own health obstacles while also caregiving for their 90-year-old parents. What started as helping with a gardening and landscaping project became something much more meaningful. Amanda Rango and her daughter spent the morning alongside the couple and their elderly parents. As they worked, they all shared stories and fellowship.
“Watching four different generations connect through a simple act of service was incredibly special and a powerful reflection of what I love most about WCC,” says Rango. “It was a beautiful reminder of how the church brings together people from different generations and stages of life to serve, connect, and care for one another.”
The “Love Where We Live” series culminated in a 24-hour prayer event.
Rango says, “We’ve been blessed by people investing in our family, and we’ve had opportunities to invest in others. That ripple effect of connection, service and belonging continues to impact not only our family, but our broader community in ways that only God could orchestrate.”
Worthington Christian Church isn’t growing because it reinvented itself. It’s growing because it remembered itself. And in rediscovering its origin stories, the church has found its future.
WORTHINGTON CHRISTIAN CHURCH
Columbus, Ohio
Pastor: Austin Seevers
Website: WorthingtonCC.org
Denomination: Nondenominational
Founded: 1975
Fastest-Growing: 78
