In the late summer of 2020, they started to meet on Saturday nights to pray and worship, hoping that God would meet them there. They had no language, no plan, no influence or agenda, but they were hungry and bold enough to take Jesus at His Word: “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

During this time of global shaking, God orchestrated an exodus out of box church, out of religion, and by May of 2021 they were meeting weekly in the home of Matt and Emily Powers. Every Saturday night these misfits, who were fast becoming a family, shared a meal and then worshipped God together. The whole night was blocked out for Jesus. People began publicly confessing their sins and crying out to God for more. A slow drip, small batch Pentecost spread from person to person and house to house, kindling flames that had long gone out and firing new ones on a bed of repentance. The gifts of the Holy Spirit were birthed and team ministry began to develop. From young children to widows in their 70s, a new Jesus generation was born.

Matt and Emily Powers are not professional ministers; they own a construction company. Oddly enough that was the perfect training ground for laying Christ as the foundation of a new work and helping each person find their place on the wall. Pioneering was gritty and they often faced great resistance within and without. As people began to receive healing and follow Jesus out of religion and into the Kingdom, the focus shifted to hosting the presence of God in the city and uniting the church of Akron. Rubber City Revival.

The ONE dream is a house church network with an apostolic hub. It’s modeled after the throne room, the feeding of the five thousand, the way the Israelites camped around the tabernacle and the church at Antioch. The ONE kingdom family desires to build a citywide hub to host the presence of God and contend for regional revival while also raising up shepherding houses that focus on discipleship, the practice of the gifts, fellowship and inner healing. This is Kingdom era, city on a hill church that meets in homes, the marketplace and the public square. It’s a lifestyle, not a learned behavior. It’s flexible, fiery, family oriented and grounded in the Word of God.

After a year long relationship with The Altar Global, the leadership team asked Jeremiah Johnson to father and provide a covering for The ONE Movement. He agreed and visited in early December. While he was here, they decided to check out a church in the community that was for sale on 4.5 acres of property to see if it would make a good citywide hub. As they walked up to the church, they discovered the doors were open and walked into the building.

John Curtiss immediately called the real estate agent, but the property was under contract and closing on Monday. He boldly told the agent that God wanted us to have the building and asked him to contact us if the sale fell through. Late Monday afternoon the agent called and said he’d never seen a buyer walk away at the closing signing, but that was exactly what happened. He offered us the opportunity to bid on the property. We did and our offer of $310,000 was accepted. The remaining funds will be used to renovate the 1952 building.

This property will provide a central hub for our house church network, support revival weekends in our region to unify the citywide church and host our satellite campus of The Altar School, a one-year discipleship intensive.

So, here we are and this is where you come in.

First, would you share our story and help us cast the Rubber City Revival vision far and wide?

Second, would you consider sowing into the purchase and renovation of this building, so that we could move into the next season debt free? We are not asking you to do what we have not done. The fourteen core families in The ONE Movement have sacrificially given $102,570 to the building fund in the last few weeks.

This is a grassroots movement: everyone at ONE is a volunteer. Other than the tithes of our community, there is no outside funding. Will you consider being apart of this miracle and giving a gift to The ONE Movement? We are just following the Lamb wherever He goes. He is building His church. After two years of waiting on the Lord, God’s “Yes!” has gone green. It’s go time.

You can give online HERE.

Alternatively, you can send a check payable to The ONE Movement here:

P.O. BOX 221
Lakemore, OH 44250