About Us
Our 1on1 Church Mission
Who We Are
First and foremost, every church is mandated to connect each of us directly with God:
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment.” (Matthew 22:36-38)
But it is so easy for this most important of all commandments to get lost. Over time, church members can lose focus, as they jump through all the hoops of everyday church life. All too often, the typical churchgoer serves in a ministry, makes time to attend a small group, contributes tithes and offerings and makes it to the church building most weeks, but can’t seem to find time each day to experience their all-important 1on1 time with Jesus.
So we believed it would please God to birth a church that is determined to keep the main thing the main thing! Not only have we named it, “1on1 Church” to keep this value front and center, but God has given us a pastor in Stephen Schwambach whose passion and calling from God is to devote the rest of his life to equip and inspire our entire congregation – along with a growing number of people worldwide – to experience DDMM1ON1 (Deep, Daily, Moment-by-Moment, 1on1 relationship with Jesus). Everything good flows out of this primary relationship with God. As the life of Jesus flows through each of us in this way, we discover that we have far more love for each other and increasingly live our lives in ways that bring glory to God.
Our Pastor
Pastor Stephen Schwambach is author of a dozen books. He has appeared on more than 300 radio and television talk shows, including Oprah, the 700 Club, ABC News and Sally Jessy Raphael. His syndicated newspaper column has earned four national awards. He holds PhDs. in Psychology and Biblical Studies.
For 32 years, Pastor Steve served as lead pastor of Bethel Church in Evansville, Indiana. Under his leadership, Bethel became one of America’s Top 100 Fastest-Growing Churches and was featured in Billy Graham School of Missions and Evangelism’s founder Thom Ranier’s book, “Breakout Churches.”
In 1975, Pastor Steve and his wife Judith launched Evansville Christian School, now recognized as one of the leading K-12 schools in the state and nation, with nearly 1,000 students. Pastor Steve continues to serve on the ECS board.
In 1986, Pastor Steve challenged a businessman in his church to donate a nearly 100 year-old monastery, naming it Evansville Christian Life Center. Since then, ECLC has become one of the city’s premiere forces to help alleviate poverty through its clothing bank, food co-op, 12-step recovery, health clinic, school abstinence education, life skills, budgeting, parenting and job training ministries.
In 1994, Pastor Steve began publishing a daily, 60-second prayer that instantly plunges the reader/listener into a white-hot, laser-focused, 1on1 encounter with Jesus. To date, he has created more than 4,000 unique, Biblically-based prayers, taking its subscribers and listeners through every book of the Bible nearly 70 times.
Listen: (812) 473-PRAY (7729) Read: Lazaroo.com
On November 10, 2013, the LORD was pleased to found 1on1 Church through Pastor Stephen Schwambach and his wife Judith.
In 2015, the 1on1 Movement was born. Since then, God has blessed it with stunning growth. Today, 1on1 Church provides counsel, ministry materials and videos of its weekly livestreaming services to more than 340 church and ministry leaders in several hundred cities and 40 countries.
First Lady Judith Schwambach holds a Ph.D. in Counseling. For a number of years she conducted Biblical counseling through her Compassionate Counseling practice, before stepping away to focus on their growing, extended family.
For years, she wrote a weekly, Biblically-based mental health column for the Sripps-Howard Evansville Press. She also co-authored with her husband the bestselling marriage book FOR LOVERS ONLY.
She and Stephen have conducted “For Lovers Only” marriage seminars around the country and have been interviewed on numerous local and national radio and television shows.
Pastor Steve and Judy have six children, 18 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren.