COGO Ohio Ministries of the Church of God

COGO Ohio Ministries of the Church of God COGO Ministries (Church of God Ohio) is the state organization for the Church of God (Anderson, Indiana)

E076: Everyday Disciples Make Everyday DisciplesIn this episode of the COGO Podcast, R.W. Moody sits down with author, p...
05/29/2026

E076: Everyday Disciples Make Everyday Disciples

In this episode of the COGO Podcast, R.W. Moody sits down with author, pastor, and disciple-making leader Jeff Vanderstelt for a conversation that feels both challenging and deeply encouraging. Jeff shares pieces of his own story from growing up around church while wrestling with a “mask” of Christianity, to the moment God met him personally and changed the direction of his life. Along the way, the conversation dives into what it really means to make disciples in everyday life and why genuine spiritual formation has to move beyond programs and Sunday routines.

R.W. and Jeff also unpack the heart behind disciple-making movements, the importance of gospel-centered community, and how churches can help people follow Jesus in practical, everyday ways. Whether you’re a pastor, ministry leader, or someone simply trying to live your faith more intentionally, this episode offers honest insight and a refreshing reminder that discipleship is meant to be lived out where we already are.

Jeff is the founder and visionary leader of Saturate and the Soma Family of Churches. He serves as a teaching pastor and director of missional communities at Doxa Church in Bellevue, Washington. Additionally, Jeff supports church planting globally through training and as a member of the advisory board of C2C Network. He and Jayne, his wife of 24 years, have three children: Haylee, Caleb, and Maggie. Connect with Jeff at his website www.jeffvanderstelt.com

WATCH HERE
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www.cogo.church/podcast

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Campmeeting Season is in Full Swing!The Southwest District campmeeting in Lebanon is going on this week. R.W. and Meliss...
05/28/2026

Campmeeting Season is in Full Swing!

The Southwest District campmeeting in Lebanon is going on this week. R.W. and Melissa were there last night.

Evangelist, Steve Chiles, spoke on “Getting Past Your Past.”

Here are some of highlights from his message:

Peter and Judas were told on the SAME NIGHT that they would fail Christ. Judas’ failure became a prison, one that ended his life. Peter re-surrendered himself to Christ and lived into the future that God had created for him. We will all fail. What we do with those failures will determine how God can use us in the future.

It’s not always personal failures that imprison us to our past, but it is often our response to things that happen to us. Sometimes it is things like disappointment, hurt, unforgiveness, bitterness and resentment that chain us to our past.

Pastor Chiles suggested some ways we can break free from our past and allow God to use what we have been through to serve His Kingdom purposes.

1. To be free from the past, we need to allow God to be the Healer of our wounded places. “Unless you let the doctor touch you where you’re hurting, you won’t ever be healed.” Allowing God to bring healing to our hearts and minds enables us to live free from unforgiveness, bitterness and resentment. As His healing grace flows into our lives, we can allow what we have been through to grow us and to become a steppingstone into a God-ordained future.

2. To be free from the past, we need to immerse ourselves in the great grace of God. Shame and self-condemnation must go. Those shackles come off as we, like Peter, experience God’s grace to start again! For where sin abounds (where hurt and pain abounds) God’s graces abounds even more! (Romans 5:20) As grace flows into our lives, the hurt and pain of our past is transformed into a platform for ministry to others. As we serve from that wounded place, greater healing comes not only to us, but also to others!

Pastor Steve’s words reminded us of a Gospel song written by Bill and Gloria Gaither:

"So long I had searched for life's meaning,
Enslaved by the world and my greed;
Then the door of the prison was opened by Love,
For the ransom was paid - I was free.

I'm free from the fear of tomorrow,
I'm free from the guilt of the past;
For I've traded my shackles for a glorious song,
I'm Free! Praise the Lord! Free at last!

I'm free from the guilt that I carried,
From that dull empty life I'm set free;
For when I met Jesus, He made me complete,
He forgot how foolish I used to be.

I'm free from the fear of tomorrow,
I'm free from the guilt of the past;
For I've traded my shackles for a glorious song,
I'm Free! Praise the Lord! Free at last!"

Church of God, let’s live FREE and take the freedom we have found in Christ to those who are still chained to the pain of their past!

We’re celebrating salvations, baptisms, and recommitments happening through churches across our state. Every number repr...
05/28/2026

We’re celebrating salvations, baptisms, and recommitments happening through churches across our state. Every number represents a life touched and transformed by Jesus and we give God all the glory!

Join us in praising God for what He is doing through First Church Miamisburg, Madison Avenue Church, Great Trail Community, and Eaton Road.

Thank you to our churches for faithfully serving their communities and helping people take their next step in faith. 💙

Remember to report your baptisms and salvations so we can celebrate with you!https://bit.ly/5kgrow
05/26/2026

Remember to report your baptisms and salvations so we can celebrate with you!
https://bit.ly/5kgrow

Today, we remember and honor all those who sacrificed their freedom for ours.COGO offices are closed today and will resu...
05/25/2026

Today, we remember and honor all those who sacrificed their freedom for ours.

COGO offices are closed today and will resume normal business Tuesday, May 26.

"As I read the account of Pentecost from Acts 1 and 2, while no one could take credit for the powerful outpouring of the...
05/24/2026

"As I read the account of Pentecost from Acts 1 and 2, while no one could take credit for the powerful outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the miraculous ability to speak in languages that people hadn’t learned, and the 3000 souls that were saved except God Himself, I find some practices that were part of the Pentecost experience which set the stage for all that happened. Let’s look again at what took place and see what the disciples were doing on that day.

Just before Pentecost, the followers of Christ were practicing obedience.

Before Jesus ascended into Heaven, He instructed His followers to go to Jerusalem and to wait there for the “gift” the Father had promised. He was referring to the gift of the Holy Spirit. They obeyed, and Luke 24:53 says they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.

I’ve met some believers who are interested in an experience with the Holy Spirit, but they are less interested in obedience to Christ when He speaks. You can’t have one without the other. Obeying Christ’s commands will set you up with an encounter with the Holy Spirit and disobedience to Christ will cause you to miss Divine appointments.

Do you know how messed up the Pentecost event would have been had the disciples not done what they were told to do? They were told in Luke 24:47 that repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached in Jesus’ name to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem. They were going to be the preachers. Pentecost was a Divine appointment for those early Christ-followers. Had they not gone to Jerusalem, they wouldn’t have been where they were going to be needed to preach in all the languages they were miraculously gifted to preach in! Had they not waited until the Spirit was poured out upon them, and had they just started preaching, they wouldn’t have been preaching in the power of the Holy Spirit. They would be preaching in their own strength, and the result would have been dramatically different. The miracles of Pentecost were possible, in part, because the messengers of Pentecost were obedient to Christ.

We are deceiving ourselves if we think we can serve the Lord in miraculous ways and disobey Him at the same time. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ. The Holy Spirit won’t come in power upon people who choose disobedience over discipleship. Being powerful disciples of Christ is about more than being in the right place at the right time. It means complete submission to God’s plans over ours.

Perhaps it would have been tempting for some of the disciples to just strike out and start preaching. Maybe they didn’t understand the purpose of waiting for the Holy Spirit’s coming. Maybe waiting seemed like a waste of time. I mean, they had the truth. They had witnessed the resurrected Christ. They knew what to say, but without the power of the Holy Spirit, the message wouldn’t have brought about the conviction and transformation that took place.

Would you like to see the power of Pentecost fall on your community? Let’s make sure we aren’t hindering the Spirit’s outpouring by being disobedient to the commands of Christ. Let’s practice full obedience to His commands.

- Rev. Dr. Melissa Pratt

Don't forget to register for our next Leadership Listen and Learn Lunch happening in SE Ohio in June!Register here: http...
05/22/2026

Don't forget to register for our next Leadership Listen and Learn Lunch happening in SE Ohio in June!

Register here: https://bit.ly/leadershipll

We are excited to introduce Gracie Ransom to you. She will work as our Office Administrator. Becky Heller, our current ...
05/21/2026

We are excited to introduce Gracie Ransom to you. She will work as our Office Administrator.

Becky Heller, our current Office Administrator, will move into her new role focusing on Events and Communications.

Gracie received her degrees in Human Services and Worship Leadership from Ohio Christian University and has spent the last 5 years working in the Human Resources/Services field. Over the years, she and her husband, Cameron, have loved serving in ministry together. Her husband currently serves as the Production and Creative Director for the 614 Church.

The Ransoms are also blessed with their sweet daughter, Eliza, who recently turned one and brings so much joy and laughter into their home.

In her free time, Gracie loves creating art and music, and some of her favorite moments are spent making memories with family and friends. She looks forward to getting to know everyone and becoming more connected with this wonderful community.

God is moving across Ohio! 🙌We’re celebrating what God is doing through our churches as lives are being transformed thro...
05/20/2026

God is moving across Ohio! 🙌

We’re celebrating what God is doing through our churches as lives are being transformed through salvation and baptism!

Every number represents a life changed by Jesus, and we give God all the glory!

Thank you to our churches for faithfully serving your communities and making disciples.

📚SUMMER BOOK CLUB 📚This summer, let’s grow together in discipleship!COGO Ministries is excited to host a Summer Book Clu...
05/20/2026

📚SUMMER BOOK CLUB 📚

This summer, let’s grow together in discipleship!
COGO Ministries is excited to host a Summer Book Club featuring Multiplier by Dave Ferguson.

Choose the option that works best for your schedule:

🟢 Mondays at 6 PM
with Melissa Pratt
Starting July 6 for 4 weeks

🔵 Thursdays at 2 PM
with R.W. Moody, Jr.
Starting July 9 for 4 weeks

Each session will meet on Zoom.

📖 Order your book through Amazon
📝 Register by filling out the form: https://bit.ly/cogobookclub

We’d love for you to join us this summer as we learn, grow, and multiply together!

Address

653 McCorkle Boulevard , Suite G
Westerville, OH
43082

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 9am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 9am - 4:30pm
Thursday 9am - 4:30pm

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