SEEN · KNOWN · LOVED on Crest Street
Reynoldsburg Nazarene Church sits at 1340 Crest Street in Reynoldsburg, Ohio, tucked behind the CVS at the corner of Main Street and Rosehill Drive. The single descriptive line the church uses for itself - Seen, Known, Loved - sets the tone for everything that happens on the property: a casual, relaxed environment where a first-time guest is greeted, a child is welcomed by name, and people who might never step inside a typical church building are invited to come for the love of the game.
The church is part of the Church of the Nazarene, a Wesleyan-Holiness tradition that traces its formal organization to 1908. Locally, it sits within the South Central Ohio District of the denomination and operates under a board structure led by the Lead Pastor. Around 300 people call this congregation home during a typical weekend in Reynoldsburg.
A Sunday Built for Two Kinds of Guests
Sunday at ReyNaz does not ask visitors to choose between a traditional service and a contemporary one. The day is structured for two distinct crowds.
Sunday School gathers at 9:30 a.m. Adult classes study books of the Bible together, share needs, and pray for one another, while ReyNaz Kidz Sunday School meets at the same hour for students in first through sixth grade. The first worship service begins at 10:30 a.m. and runs roughly sixty to seventy-five minutes. Music, prayer, the offering, and a Bible-based message make up the gathering, and the service is livestreamed on YouTube so anyone can follow along from home. Dress is casual - the church says plainly that there is no need to dress up - and a complimentary coffee and tea bar in the lobby lets people grab a warm drink on the way to the sanctuary. Cups are welcome in the room.
At 1:00 p.m., the second service - known as Basketball Church - takes over the building. Doors open at 12:30 p.m. for snacks, shooting around, and registration. A short, thirty- to forty-five-minute worship service at 1:10 p.m. is the only requirement to play that afternoon. After prayer, the gym becomes the center of the afternoon: eight-minute full-court games with teams chosen at random, designed so that everyone plays about the same amount. Games wrap up around 4:00 p.m., and a family-style dinner closes the day together. Youth meet separately in the evening, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the youth room inside the Family Ministries wing.
Where to Find the Church on Sunday Morning
The building is easy to reach whether someone is coming from the highway or from a nearby neighborhood. Two parking lots serve the campus: one next to the building and another across Crest Street behind the bank. Both lots connect directly to the building. A covered carport on the Crest Street side, plus accessible spaces in the lot beside the church, make drop-off easier for anyone with mobility needs. A team member greets each guest at the Hello Center in the lobby, answers questions, and points visitors in the right direction.
The Basketball Church Story
Basketball Church is the ministry that sets Reynoldsburg Nazarene Church apart from most congregations of its size. It began in 2016 as an open gym night, an experiment in reaching the young people of Reynoldsburg who had no interest in walking through the doors of a church but would gladly walk through the doors of a gym. A decade later, that single open gym has grown into a thriving Sunday afternoon outreach that draws young men and women from across the area, including many who would not otherwise be open to the Gospel message.
The church describes it plainly: The Church has not always had the best relationship with the community and society around it. Because of this, there are a great many people that are hesitant and resistant to anything the Church might offer. In hopes of sharing the love of Jesus and taking his mandate to make Christ-like disciples of all nations, we started to use the game of basketball to do just that. Steve Pritchet is the Basketball Church Director and the point of contact for anyone who wants to learn more about how the ministry runs, how to play, or how to volunteer.
Family Ministries from Birth Through Graduation
Family Ministries at ReyNaz span the entire span of growing up, and they are led by Family Pastor Christy Robison. Children from birth through fifth grade gather as ReyNaz Kidz at 10:30 a.m. every Sunday in the chapel of the Family Ministries wing. Programming is designed to be fun and interactive while introducing each child to the love of Jesus Christ. Parents are not left out: the Family Pastor offers ongoing support and resources for parents, invests in the relationship with each child, and on every fifth Sunday of the month the children join the rest of the congregation in the sanctuary for the entire worship gathering. Activity pages help the kids engage with the music and the message as every generation worships in one room.
Students in sixth through twelfth grades meet as ReyNaz Youth on Sunday evenings from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. Snacks, icebreakers, games, and Bible teaching shape the hour. The aim is straightforward: students are not just the future of the church, they are the church right now.
Worship That Involves the Whole Self
ReyNaz worship is guided by a clear philosophy: people worship the Lord not just with their voices but with their whole selves - heart, mind, and body. In practice that means singing together, praying together, reading Scripture, hearing the Word, and sometimes raising hands or kneeling at the altar. On the fifth Sunday of the month, the entire congregation, including the children, worships together in the sanctuary, blending generations at the front of the room. There is also room for other art forms, painting and dancing included, and a large team working behind the scenes to support musicians, artists, and technicians.
Growing as Disciples Together
Discipleship at ReyNaz moves beyond the sanctuary into smaller circles scattered throughout the week. Adult Sunday School at 9:30 a.m. studies books of the Bible, prays for shared needs, and welcomes newcomers. Daffodils & Peanuts, a women's group, meets on Mondays at 6:30 p.m. in the Fireside Room for study, support, fellowship, and service, except when a special event such as the monthly fellowship dinner takes its place. From time to time the church launches short-term seasonal studies - usually during Advent and Lent - and a virtual prayer gathering meets online every Friday at 9:00 a.m. for anyone who wants to pray and encourage one another from home.
What the Church Believes
Reynoldsburg Nazarene Church shares the agreed statements of belief of the wider Church of the Nazarene. The congregation affirms belief in one God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - and in the Bible as fully inspired by God, containing all truth necessary for salvation and a faithful relationship with God. ReyNaz teaches that human beings are born with a selfish nature and inclined toward evil, and that those who never turn from evil and trust in Jesus Christ are eternally lost. The church holds that Jesus Christ died for all humanity and that whoever repents and believes in the Lord Jesus Christ is delivered from sin and welcomed by God as His child. It teaches that God's grace can cleanse the inward selfish nature, that the Holy Spirit assures believers they are children of God, and that the Lord will return, the dead will be raised, and final judgment will take place. A full description of Nazarene beliefs is available through the Church of the Nazarene.
Outreach Partners and Recovery in the Fireside Room
ReyNaz treats outreach as a partnership. Raider Aid is the church's response to homelessness and scarcity among Reynoldsburg students: several times a year the congregation collects school supplies, hygiene items, and winter clothing, then channels the donations through the schools so that students in need can quietly pick up what they require. Care Portal, a care-sharing technology organization, connects the church with specific needs of children and families in crisis, and ReyNaz members use the approval code ReyNazCares when they sign up. Learning Tree, a Christian-viewpoint homeschool cooperative, holds enrichment and supplemental classes on the campus and is organized by homeschooling parents.
The Fireside Room at the far end of the building also opens its doors to the wider recovery community. ReyNaz is a regular meeting site for several Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous groups: Courage to Change on Thursdays at 6:30 p.m., the Friendship Group of AA on Fridays at 8:30 p.m., the Men's Eleventh Step AA on Saturdays at 11:00 a.m., Saturday Night AA at 6:00 p.m., the Fairway Group of AA on Saturdays at 8:00 p.m., and Promise Is Freedom NA on Sundays at 7:45 p.m.
Serving and Giving
Service is part of the church's identity rather than a sidebar. The Serve page frames it in the language of the body of Christ - everyone has gifts that can be offered to the ReyNaz family and the wider community, and the church is happy to walk alongside anyone discovering where they fit. Giving supports four areas: regular tithes and offerings, the annual Faith Promise pledge for world missions, and special efforts such as the diaper drive that supports parents in the church family. Online giving is available through Tithe.ly.
Leadership and Governance
The pastoral team is led by Lead Pastor Brad Crumbacher. Christy Robison serves as Families & Connections Pastor, overseeing ReyNaz Kidz and ReyNaz Youth along with parent support. Justin Robison serves as Worship Leader, and Steve Pritchet directs Basketball Church. The church is governed by a seven-member board chaired by the Lead Pastor; two members represent Nazarene Missions International and Nazarene Discipleship International in one-year terms, and four at-large members serve two-year terms, with two new members elected each year.
First-Time Visitors, Quickly
For anyone planning a visit, the practical path is short. Sunday School starts at 9:30 a.m., worship at 10:30 a.m., and Basketball Church at 1:00 p.m. Parking is available both beside the building and across Crest Street behind the bank. There is no dress code. ReyNaz Kidz and youth are open from birth through twelfth grade. Those who cannot attend in person can join the livestream on YouTube. Plans to pursue baptism, child dedication, or membership are coordinated through Pastor Brad, and a three-week ReyNaz 101 class is offered periodically for anyone wanting a fuller introduction to the church.