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On One Mission: The 2025 Leaders Summit


On March 13, over 400 pastors, nonprofit leaders, workplace leaders, and others looking to strengthen gospel collaboration in Columbus gathered for the For Columbus Leaders Summit! Over 160 churches were represented, and many leaders from other cities across the US and even Guatemala joined us as well. It was a joy to gather and celebrate the ways the Lord is already unifying His Church, and also look ahead as we consider how deeper collective impact will transform our city in the future.


When everyone arrived, the Villa Milano Banquet and Conference Center buzzed with conversation and a palpable presence of the Holy Spirit. Our first keynote speaker, Nancy Ortberg, former CEO of Transforming the Bay with Christ in San Francisco, and esteemed author and speaker, spoke on Leadership for Renewing a City. Then, we announced the launch of the State of Our City website, a tool to help us learn from data, stories, and resources to help make the best missional decisions so that the Church of Greater Columbus can seek the flourishing of our city together. We heard updates from local leaders on three realities that the State of Our City touches on: immigration, family flourishing, and evangelism. Jonathan Huguenin of Close the Bible Gap taught us how a model of collaborative impact can renew a city, referencing his work in Bible translation and distribution. Next, we transitioned into a time of celebration, acknowledging the work of God over the past year. We learned about the strengthening of a hub for workplace leaders, the collaboration of urban Christian schools, and the explosive growth of Run with Christ and their unique opportunity to reach the next generation. After praying for these initiatives, we had the honor of awarding Bishop La Fayette Scales for forty years of gospel integrity, collaboration, reconciliation, and generational investment with the City Catalyst Award. Our second keynote speaker, Pastor Jon Tyson of Church of the City in NYC, spoke on Dynamics of a City Gospel Movement, teaching from Acts 11:19-30. Finally, Pray for Columbus Director Shawna Shepherd closed in prayer and outlined next steps for each attendee to consider in order to participate in the gospel city movement of For Columbus.


One of the benefits of hosting out-of-town speakers is hearing their feedback about what God is up to in Columbus. Jon, Nancy, and others mentioned that the synergy amongst the Church in Columbus is unique, and we are richly blessed to have it. We also know there is more work to be done, and that one Leaders Summit cannot move the needle on its own. For that reason, we encourage you to think about the role collaboration plays in your life and seek out your next step toward helping to create a more unified Church in our city!


We invite you to:



 
 
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