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OUR HISTORY
The story of The One Network began in 1986 with a simple but powerful calling: Reach the One.
In 1986, Cal and Vicki Callahan had a deep passion to reach the city of Pittsburgh for Jesus, with a particular focus on children. As volunteer children's leaders at Allison Park Church, they began bringing children from both the city and surrounding suburbs to participate in Vacation Bible School.
The ministry quickly grew and reached nearly 1,000 children. But the following year, only 200 children registered for VBS. Confused and concerned, Cal began asking God what had happened and what they should do next.
In that moment of prayer, Cal felt God speak clearly to his heart:
“Don't look at the hundreds. Care for the one—the one that no one else thinks about, the one that lives farther away—and I'll take care of the rest.”
They responded in obedience. Instead of focusing on the crowds, they went the extra mile to bring the hope of Jesus to the one who might otherwise be overlooked. God breathed on their work, and over the following years, teams were sent into more than 40 neighborhoods throughout the Pittsburgh region to share the love and hope of Jesus with children and their families.
Kate has been part of this journey from the very beginning. Over the years, she has witnessed firsthand the faith, vision, and obedience that have shaped this movement and has played an active role in helping carry that vision forward.
A Vision to Seek First the Kingdom
In 1996, Allison Park Church was continuing to grow—and with that growth came a practical challenge: a parking problem. Pastor Jeff Leake began praying for direction about what the church should do.
Again, God gave a simple but powerful response:
“Focus on My problems, and I'll take care of your problems.”
That message became deeply connected to Matthew 6:33:
“Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
This became a guiding vision for the church. Rather than focusing solely on its own growth and needs, Allison Park Church committed itself to seeking God's Kingdom by planting and starting churches in small communities throughout the Pittsburgh region—many of the same neighborhoods where ministry teams had already been serving children and families.
Kate continued to be part of the journey as this vision expanded, seeing firsthand how churches could make a lasting impact when they looked beyond their own walls and focused on the needs of their communities.
Building a Network of Hope
As churches were planted, the vision of “The One” became part of Allison Park Church’s DNA. These churches were committed to reaching their communities and caring for the overlooked and underserved. However, many were small churches with limited resources.
In response to the growing needs of both Allison Park Church and its church plants, Network of Hope was birthed in 2001. The nonprofit organization supported these churches' community initiatives. Church leadership appointed Kate as the organization’s first director.
Through her leadership, Kate helped connect churches with community resources, partnerships, training, and one another. By working together, churches and organizations reached far more people than any one church could alone.
This work became a natural extension of the vision that had been developing since 1986: care for the one, seek first the Kingdom, and work together to bring hope and transformation to communities.
Carrying the Vision Forward
Over the next 20 years, the church-planting vision continued to grow to more than 100 churches, each carrying the heartbeat of reaching the one.
Throughout those years, Kate remained part of the journey—serving in ministry, nonprofit leadership, community outreach, education, and organizational development. She has seen the challenges churches face as they seek to serve their communities, and she has also seen the incredible impact that can happen when churches connect with the right people, resources, ideas, and partnerships.
As the network expanded, so did the need for collaboration, resources, idea-sharing, connection, and training. Over the years, we have seen the hand of God move through churches and communities as people came together to serve, love, and bring hope to those in need.
The One Network Today
Today, that journey is entering a new chapter with the launch of The One Network.
The One Network is the Home Missions organization of Ridgewood Church, the fourth church planted by Allison Park Church. It carries forward the same heartbeat that was birthed in 1986—to reach the one that others may overlook—and the same commitment to seek first the Kingdom of God.
For Kate, The One Network is not simply a new organization or idea. It is the continuation of a journey she has been part of from the very beginning. It brings together more than 30 years of ministry experience, church planting, community outreach, nonprofit leadership, and collaborative partnerships.
The One Network exists to serve churches and ministry leaders who have the same heartbeat for their communities but need help creating, funding, sustaining, and expanding the work God has called them to do.
We believe churches are uniquely positioned to bring hope and transformation to the people around them. By providing connection, collaboration, resources, training, strategic support, and partnerships, The One Network will come alongside churches as they serve the least of these and reach those in their communities who might otherwise be forgotten.
The vision is still the same: Reach the One. Seek first the Kingdom. Work together.
What began with a calling to care for one child, one family, and one overlooked community continues today through The One Network—connecting churches and communities so that together, we can bring hope, meet needs, and see lives truly transformed.
For more insight into the formation of the One Network, please watch the video below, where Pastor "Cal" Callahan shares the vision that sparked it all.
Also attached is the e-book by Pastor Jeff Leake, where he discusses his vision for "5 churches in 5 years."
