Sharing the Ever-Widening Circle on County Line Road
Westerville Community United Church of Christ gathers on five acres at the northwest corner of Spring and County Line Roads in the northern tier of Westerville, Ohio, where it has lived out a single phrase since 1991: "Sharing the Ever-Widening Circle of Christ's Love." Today the congregation counts more than 550 members with roughly 285 in average weekly attendance, drawn from Westerville and the wider Columbus area to a vision first planted in the early 1980s.
From a Five-Acre Tract to a Sanctuary
The story begins in 1981, when the Ohio Conference of the United Church of Christ purchased land for a future church near William and Mae McCorkle's Olde Mill development. After a two-month publicity campaign, the first worship service was held at Robert Frost Elementary School on December 5, 1982, and on May 22, 1983 the denomination officially recognized the new Chartered Congregation. From its earliest days the church set a goal of giving ten percent of its expenses to mission, a pledge that has shaped its life ever since.
The first decade was turbulent. Rev. David Hubner, the Founding Minister, resigned suddenly in late 1983, and the smaller congregation called retired pastor Rev. William Barndt to walk every member through the writing of by-laws and a governing structure. Rev. Charles Lizanich took the pulpit in September 1984, led a pledge campaign that surpassed its $100,000 goal, and broke ground in August 1986 on the first building. That $460,000 multi-purpose structure was completed in June 1987 and dedicated on September 13.
Rev. Harold Steindam arrived on January 15, 1991, and gave the congregation its enduring vision. Membership grew steadily, a second Sunday service was added in December 1992, and a $270,000 Christian Education wing was dedicated in March 1997. A visioning process in 2000 and 2001 led to the decision to build a proper sanctuary; ground was broken in April 2002 and the $1.65 million addition, which doubled the building's footprint, was completed in March 2003, with the first worship held there on April 6 and formal dedication on May 18. Pastor Steindam retired in 2013 after twenty-three years of ministry and now serves as Pastor Emeritus.
Rev. Dr. Sigrid Rother joined the staff in August 2002 as the church's first full-time ordained Associate Minister. Susan Langner was hired in 2011 as the church's first full-time Director of Youth Ministry, left for seminary, returned in July 2021 as Associate Pastor for Discipleship and Engagement, and was elevated to Pastor in December 2023. Rev. Jay Groat served on the pastoral team from fall 2012 through 2019.
Sundays at Ten, In Person and Online
Sunday worship begins at 10:00 a.m. in the sanctuary and is also livestreamed on YouTube. Childcare is provided every Sunday morning from 10:00 to 11:00 for children three and under. Members serve as greeters, lay readers, ushers, and acolytes (children in second grade and above). Excellence in music and care for young children are described as long-standing priorities, with handbell and vocal choirs taking part in services throughout the year.
A prayer chain carries the concerns of members and friends, and the congregation publishes a weekly e-letter that visitors can subscribe to. Bulletins are posted online before each service.
An Open and Affirming Congregation Since 2020
On September 13, 2020, members voted with overwhelming support to declare the church Open and Affirming in the United Church of Christ. The vote formalized what had been a long-standing welcome, and the church is part of the UCC's Heartland Conference and the Central Southeast Ohio Association.
The welcoming statement reads: "We, the congregation of Westerville Community United Church of Christ, seek to affirm the person that you are with loving hearts and open minds.... Any way the world describes you, or you describe yourself, you are welcome here to join and participate in experiencing our still-speaking God." The congregation says it is "open," meaning all are welcome to participate fully, and "affirming," meaning it believes every person is created in the image of God as they are.
From Cherubs to Confirmation
Children's and youth ministry reaches from age three through high school. Cherubs gather preschool through kindergarten, God's Little Buddies cover first and second grade, Good News Friends cover third through fifth, the Exodus Express serves sixth through eighth graders, and the Journey Group walks with ninth through twelfth graders. Most groups meet monthly, with Journey meeting twice a month.
Music is woven throughout. The Cherub Choir (ages three to kindergarten) and the Let It Shine choir (grades one through five) each rehearse three Wednesdays a month at 6:30 p.m. and sing during worship about once a month. The children's bell choir plays roughly once a month using color-coded handbells so that even pre-readers can join. A children's vocal choir practices the first Sunday of each month and sings three or four times a year.
Confirmation is for eighth graders and above, meeting Sunday mornings from 9:30 to 10:20 from October to May, with additional gatherings and service projects with adult mentors during the year. Each Christmas the church produces a non-traditional, intergenerational Christmas Pageant. A summer Vacation Bible Adventure runs four evenings from 6 to 8 p.m. for children age four through fifth grade.
Wednesday Noon and Thursday Morning
Adult Christian Education is described as "a lifelong journey." A Wednesday Noon Study Group, led by Pastor Sigrid, meets in rooms 106-107 to read and discuss books. A Thursday Morning Discussion Group gathers from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. at Java Central, 20 S. State St., for faith-based conversation also led by Pastor Sigrid.
Connection Groups gather in the spirit of Christian fellowship, with some meeting around shared life stages, others around shared interests, and others around care ministry. Each group uses a shared leadership model, with participants taking turns planning activities. The current group list and calendar are kept online, and Bible studies also continue during the week.
Ten Percent and Counting: A Forty-Year Mission
From its founding Westerville Community has given ten percent of its expenses to mission, and that baseline has only grown. The church supports a wide range of local, national, and global causes.
Locally, members collect food for WARM (Westerville Area Resource Ministry), grow produce in the Hope Garden on the church grounds for WARM, host a Blessing Box, provide Christmas gifts and college supplies through Community for New Direction, fill Thanksgiving food baskets, donate blood at quarterly Red Cross blood drives, serve meals at Faith Mission of Columbus, support survivors of human trafficking through The Freedom Collective, and sponsor refugee families through CRIS. Members also give to the Heartland Conference Disaster Response Team and the UCC's Neighbors in Need offering.
Nationally, the church supports a week-long intergenerational mission trip attended by more than thirty members each year, the Christmas Fund for retired clergy, and other offerings. Globally, members provide micro-loans to small businesses through Kiva.org, assemble disaster clean-up kits and donate blankets for Church World Service, give to One Great Hour of Sharing, and maintain a partnership between the Ohio Conference and the Evangelical Church of the Union (EKD) in Schwelm, Germany.
Stephen Ministers Walk Alongside
Westerville Community launched its Stephen Ministry program in 2012 to provide one-on-one care for members going through difficult seasons. Lay caregivers participate in Stephen Ministry training each fall and then provide confidential, Christ-centered care to hurting members of the congregation. The prayer chain, mentioned under worship, is another way the community carries one another's concerns.
A Building That Hosts the Community
The building at 770 County Line Road is ADA accessible, with wheelchairs and walkers available for those who need them. Beyond Sunday worship the facilities host voting, Scouts, Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, and homeowners' associations.
Fellowship Hall seats 200 in classroom formation or 125 for a meal, with moveable chairs and tables, and rents for $200 for four hours. A commercial kitchen with two sinks, two refrigerators, two dishwashers, an oven, a stove, a microwave, and a center island rents for $50 for four hours. Four classrooms, which can be combined into two larger rooms, each rent for $50 for four hours. Weddings are also hosted, with inquiries handled through the church office.
Joining the Circle
Visitors who want to learn more can sign up for the weekly e-letter, attend a Sunday service in person or on YouTube, or stop by during office hours, which run Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The directory of small groups, calendar of events, and current bulletins are available, with giving through Pushpay and a "text to give" option.
Office: 770 County Line Rd, Westerville, OH 43081. Phone: (614) 882-7056. Email: wcucc@westervillecucc.org.