Greg Ford serves as Lead Pastor of One Church and is committed, along with his entire staff, to “Igniting a Movement to Reach a Disconnected Culture” for Christ in Columbus, Ohio, and around the world.
Greg and Shaylyn Ford moved to Columbus, Ohio, in March of 2010, with a vision to ignite a movement of Christ-centered, multiplying churches. The first step was to start One Church. They began by working in the community (five jobs between the two of them), building relationships, and hosting meetings in their apartment. One by one, people began to see the vision and join the movement. Pretty soon they built a team and word began to spread.
The Fords are now a family of five, and lives are being transformed through the power of Jesus. We believe there is no limit to what God can do!
BELIEFS
GOD
God is the loving Creator of all that exists. He has no beginning and no end. His majesty is indescribable with the limitations of human language! God exists as the Trinity, in three persons, yet one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is not removed from our world. He deeply desires and relentlessly invites us into a relationship of faith, friendship, learning, and service with Him.
Genesis 1:1; John 14:6-9, 15-17 and John 16:7-15; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 John 4:9-10
JESUS
God expressed himself in human form through Jesus Christ, the Son of God, born of the virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life, was crucified for the sins of us all, was buried, rose again from the dead, and ascended to heaven.
Colossians 1:13-23 and Colossians 2:8-14; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Matthew 22:36-40 ; John 14:1-3; Hebrews 1:1-3; Acts 10:42-43; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
HOLY SPIRIT
When Jesus ascended to heaven He sent the Holy Spirit to join us, fill us, and teach us to live Christ-centered lives. When you see a believer full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, and self-control, you know that the Holy Spirit is alive in them. In addition to that, the Holy Spirit can empower believers to witness and pray beyond their own human capabilities.
Acts 1:8; 2:4; Romans 5:5 and Romans 8; 1 Corinthians 12-14; Galatians 5:16-25; Ephesians 3:16, Ephesians 4:3-4, and Ephesians 5:18; John 14:26 and John 16:7-14
BIBLE
The Bible is the living and active Word of God, it is truth personified. It is timeless, and it’s timely. It’s so old, and yet so fresh. There’s nothing else like it. If you think the Bible is boring then we challenge you to take a closer look at it with us. We believe that God speaks through the Bible, and it’s our constant endeavor to seek to understand His message and apply it to our lives. We hold the scripture in high esteem, and give our absolute best to presenting it passionately, clearly, and relevantly.
Matthew 5:17-19; 2 Timothy 2:15 and 2 Timothy 3:14-17; Hebrew 4:12; 2 Peter 1:16-21 and 2 Peter 3:14-18; Psalm 19:7-11 and Psalm 119:9-16; Joshua 1:7-8; Acts 17:11
SALVATION
When Jesus walked the earth He made a very simple invitation, “Come follow me.” Today he makes the same invitation. The bad news is that because of our sin we are all in need of a savior. The great news is the work of Salvation was done when Jesus was crucified, buried, and rose from the dead. For those who accept it, His finished work on the cross saves us from eternal separation from Him. Our works don’t save us…the work is already done!
I Peter 2:24, 3:18; Romans 3:9-28, Romans 6:23, and Romans 10:9-10; John 3:16 and John 5:24; Ephesians 2:1-10; Titus 3:3-8; James 2:14-26
BAPTISM
Baptism is an outward expression of an inward change. It’s a public declaration of how Jesus changed your life. Being baptized shows others that you’ve decided to follow Jesus, and allows them to celebrate this decision with you (Acts 16:31-34).
Baptism doesn’t save a person; it’s a symbol and celebration of salvation (1 Peter 3:21). The power that brought Jesus back to life is the same power Jesus uses to change our lives – and that’s worth getting excited about!
VALUES
ALIGNMENT
Everyone Pulling in the Same Direction
Alignment simply means everyone pulling in the same direction. Disunity causes confusion, wastes energy, and limits effectiveness. Our goal is for ONE CHURCH to be both unified as believers and aligned with God’s purpose for our church. Different churches appeal to different people. That doesn’t mean that one is right and the other wrong, it just means that they’re different. If ONE CHURCH is not your particular flavor or style, no hard feelings, in fact we would love to help you find a church that better fits you.
INVOLVEMENT
Belong and Contribute
ONE CHURCH is not a place to just sit and watch. No matter where you are on your spiritual journey we have a place for you to belong and contribute. You were crafted with a purpose. Your passions, abilities, and experiences uniquely qualify you for a specific role in the kingdom of God. When you become a part of One Church, we’ll help you find what that is. Imagine being part of a church where you can discover your calling, and be used by God to bless others. That is ONE CHURCH. Together, there is no limit to what God can do through us.
CHANGE
Healthy things grow and growing things change
Healthy things grow, and growing things change. Our church will never be static, not now or 20 years from now. As culture evolves and our church grows, we may alter the methods, but we will never change the message. An openness to change is deeply ingrained in our identity and philosophy. God has called us to be a movement, not a monument.
COLLABORATION
Build Bridges Together
If somebody broke into your house to steal, kill, and destroy your family, what would you do? Would you attack your brother? Of course not, you would join with your family and fight off the enemy. Why does the body of Christ waste energy competing with each other instead of working together? ONE CHURCH is all about building bridges with other believers, churches, and our community to make an eternal difference. It’s time for the body of Christ to work together.
ADVENTURE
Take Spirit-Led Risks
It’s tragic that so many Christians reduce their relationships with God down to a set of mundane rituals, and unimaginative routines. The Christian life should be an exhilarating quest…a fulfilling adventure. Jesus doesn’t call you to play it safe…He calls you to live on the edge! Taking calculated, spirit-led risk is, and always will be, a part of our DNA. The God of the universe has called us to take part in His mission. We invite you to join us on the adventure of a lifetime.
MULTIPLICATION
Make Disciples
In Acts 1:8 as Jesus sent His disciples out to reach a disconnected culture He said, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Jesus Himself set up a model for multiplication that we follow still today. One Church will always be a church that is focused on reproducing leaders, planting churches, and spreading the gospel. Igniting a movement happens through multiplication!
DIVERSITY
We are Better Together
We don't just tolerate our differences, we celebrate them and fight for unity in the midst of diversity. In our world, there is so much polarization and divide. Now more than ever it is critical for the body of Jesus — the local church — to exemplify His mission to bring together all people and celebrate the uniqueness He designed us with. God calls us to come together in our diversity and build His church in His image, from every tribe, tongue and nation (Revelation 7:9).
Our Team
Featured
