In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt signed a bill of Congress for the creation of a new railway station in Washington D.C. just blocks from the Capitol. It simply stated, "A bill of Congress to create a Union Station—and for other purposes." A century later those other purposes include the purposes of God. Today, Union Station serves as the home of National Community Church, one of the fastest growing churches in the city.

The story of National Community Church (NCC) began twelve years ago when an optimistic pastor named Mark Batterson moved his family to Washington D.C. from Chicago to start a church. His plan was conventional: begin with a small group, then meet in a rented public school, and finally buy or build a permanent church facility. But Batterson's plans were dashed when the public school his small church of thirty-five was meeting in was closed for fire code violations.

Frustrated and uncertain about the future, Batterson was walking through the shopping ...