As far as church mission statements go, Rock City Church in Hilliard, Ohio, has an ambitious one—”Make Heaven Full”—and it drives everything they do. From after-school programs to neighborhood block parties, or from prison ministries to free medical clinics, they exist only to introduce more people to Jesus.
“Our mission is very clear and communicates the ‘why’ in everything we do,” explains Lead Pastor Chad Fisher. “We are constantly asking how we can make more room for people to experience God.”
When Sunday morning services became full earlier this year, they literally made more room. The ministry team asked for volunteers to attend a 1 p.m. service in order to free up space at the earlier services, and more than a thousand people responded to the call. Within weeks, the earlier services were full again.
“We were able to celebrate as a church—for every person that moved out of a preferred service time, there’s a new person saved at an earlier service,” shares Fisher. “It’s making heaven full.”
In addition, the church is a trusted resource in the community, playing an active role in the Columbus Dream Center, which offers resources, meals, support and hope to people in the surrounding area.
This favor with the city led a local TV station to ask if they would start televising their services during the pandemic. Fisher had no ambitions to be the next televangelist, but the team jumped at the opportunity to reach more people in their community with the gospel.
Two people who were reached with that message were Rick and Tara Gersper. As they sat down to watch the local newscast one morning, they discovered a Rock City Church service instead.
“Jesus quickly got my attention,” Rick testifies. “Pastor Chad was teaching on the Beatitudes, and I was very intrigued, but I wondered where these Christians were—the peacemakers, the meek—I had never met those people.”
Tara and Rick had never heard the gospel before, as neither came from a family that went to church. But the worship and message that day was powerful enough to keep their attention. Week after week they watched. As they watched, they also saw their faith grow.
“God just revealed himself to me in a very real way through those sermons, and I realized that I had never truly been free,” Rick says. “I knew I needed a Lord of my life because I could no longer do it alone.”
Rick and Tara started attending services in person and found a sense of belonging right away. Fisher believes that when people walk through the doors at Rock City, they feel needed and known, and that’s what keeps people coming back.
“We serve together. We worship together. We engage the mission together,” Fisher explains. “We want every person to feel a part of something bigger than them, and when you create that kind of environment, it makes it hard to disconnect from that.”
Rick and Tara agree that Rock City is a place that makes it easy for people to feel welcome, connected and inspired to fulfill the calling that God has on their lives. And the mission is always front and center as a reminder to keep making more room for those who are far from God.
“The entire worship experience is very intentional. It’s all about helping you step in deeper and discover the purpose for your life,” Rick adds. “And the message is always clear: How can we flood the gates of heaven?”
