A United Methodist Church in the Plain City / Dublin Area
Jerome Church sits at 10531 Jerome Road in Plain City, just northwest of Columbus and a short drive from the growing Jerome Village and Dublin communities. The congregation describes itself as a United Methodist community built around a single mission: "to love God, love people, and make world-changing disciples of Jesus." Worship is the anchor of the week, but the building is in constant use - Sunday services, weekly small groups, a Friday outreach in downtown Columbus, Upward Sports practices, Vacation Bible School, and a preschool operated out of the church facility.
Two Sunday Worship Services Plus Online
Worship happens in person twice on Sunday morning and once online. Visitors can pick the style that fits them best.
The 9 am Traditional Worship Service takes place in the Sanctuary and includes music led by the Choir and traditional musicians, liturgy, prayer, and Holy Communion. Most attendees dress in business casual. The 10:30 am Gathering Worship Service takes place in the Gym and is led by a worship band playing familiar songs from Christian radio alongside hymns of the faith. That hour includes the same pastoral message as the earlier service, plus prayer, Holy Communion, and often creative or experiential worship elements. Attendees typically dress casually.
The Online Worship Service premieres at 9 am on Sundays on Facebook, YouTube, and the Church Center app. Online viewers see the same message from the pastor and hear music from the worship band, with information about upcoming opportunities to learn and grow. The full service is available on demand on every platform right after the live premiere.
Children's Programming: Jerome Kids
Jerome Kids is the children's ministry for ages 0 through 5th grade, and it runs during both Sunday morning services. Children are checked in electronically at a station in the lobby or kids/education wing before or during worship. Parents receive a matching check-out tag, and every child wears a printed nametag.
The nursery serves infants and toddlers (ages 0 to 2). The preschool room (ages 3 to 5) explores the Bible through stations, crafts, and activities. Elementary kids in kindergarten through fifth grade join large and small group learning that is age and grade specific, with stories, crafts, experiments, activities, and music. All areas are staffed by paid early childhood professionals and trained volunteers who have completed background checks and safety training. Rooms are cleaned and sanitized regularly, and no snacks are served during programming so that children with food allergies are fully included.
A weekly on-demand kids video is released each Sunday with teaching from the Family Ministry team, learning videos, activities, and discussion prompts for families to use at home. A private Jerome Kids Facebook group keeps families and leaders connected with updates and digital resources.
Jerome Students and Upward Sports
Jerome Students is the ministry for grades 6 through 12. Students meet on Sunday mornings and gather for special events, mission trips, and volunteer opportunities throughout the year. A private Jerome Students Facebook group shares updates and digital resources with students and families.
The Upward Sports program offers basketball and cheerleading for kids from preschool through 4th grade. It is framed as a ministry that helps young athletes and their families grow mentally, athletically, spiritually, and socially and discover Jesus through sports. The season runs from early December practices through games in January, February, and early March, with divisions for preschoolers, kindergarten co-ed, first and second grade boys and girls, third and fourth grade three-on-three, and cheerleading.
Vacation Bible School and Origins Preschool
The annual Community VBS and Safety Week takes place at the Jerome Township Fire Station Park in New California. Families register for the event each year.
Origins School of Learning is a full-day preschool operating inside the Jerome Church facility Monday through Friday from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm, with part-time options available. The preschool uses the HighScope Curriculum and is run by Dublin Latchkey rather than by the church itself.
Small Groups, Classes, and Discipleship
Small groups are a central part of life at Jerome Church and meet online and in person throughout the year. The church partners with Amplify Media to give every congregant free access to an on-demand video library for discipleship and growth, available on computers, Roku TVs, and iOS and Android devices with the congregation code "SJYTPK." A seasonal round of classes and small group studies is offered each year, including a "Find Your 3" tool that helps people pick three relationships to invest in.
Breakthrough Prayer and the Unpastorized Podcast
The Breakthrough Prayer initiative invites everyone in the church family to pray the same prayer at 3:20 am or pm every day, asking God to use Jerome Church to love Him, love people, and make world-changing disciples of Jesus. A prayer wall lets people submit requests publicly, anonymously, or privately to the pastor and prayer team.
The Unpastorized Podcast is hosted by Pastor Bruce and Sara along with friends and special guests. The podcast takes a candid, conversational look at faith, the church, and theology for "regular people," answering questions and breaking down parts of the Christian faith that can feel confusing. Episodes are available wherever podcasts are streamed, with video on YouTube.
Missions: Local, National, and International
Jerome Church builds its missions work on Acts 1:8, reaching out locally, nationally, and internationally.
Locally, the church partners with Church for All People in downtown Columbus, where Soup for the Soul volunteers make and serve soup on Friday afternoons and the congregation serves a Thanksgiving Dinner each year. Boxes of Hope partners with Hopewell Elementary in Dublin City Schools to deliver curated boxes with educational items, family activities, non-perishable food, and hygiene products to the highest-need families. The Diaper Angels collects diapers and wipes that are sorted at the church and distributed to local food pantries, free stores, and shelters. Each September, Habitat for Humanity Wall Build gathers volunteers to frame walls for an Ohio home in a single morning. An Early Response Team trained through the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) deploys for disaster response across the country.
Nationally, Jerome Church sends an adult mission team each fall to the Appalachia Service Project to repair and build homes for low-income families in rural Central Appalachia, and supports UMCOR through regular giving, special offerings, and relief kit packing.
Internationally, the church supports missions through its district and conference, along with connectional giving and special offerings for UMCOR.
Serve and Grow
The Serve and Grow pathway ties everything together: volunteering on Sunday mornings, joining a mission team, and joining a small group or Bible study. There are weekly opportunities to serve inside and outside the building.
Giving and the Church Center App
Giving is available online, by mailing a check to 10531 Jerome Road, Plain City, OH 43064, or by texting "GIVE" to 614-587-7871. The Church Center app, available free on iOS and Android, is the hub for check-in, registrations, volunteer sign-ups, giving, event information, small group messaging, and more.
What Jerome Church Believes
Jerome Church holds to the teachings of the United Methodist Church and centers its worship, studies, family programming, and missions on the Bible. The mission that runs through every ministry is to follow Jesus by loving God, loving people, and making world-changing disciples - transformed people who go on to transform the world around them. A fuller statement of beliefs is published as What We Believe at umc.org.