Local churches are beginning to look beyond the number of people in their pews and toward the bigger picture of what they can do for the city of Columbus as a whole. A local network, For Columbus, has been leading area Christian pastors since 2019 in collaboration, with the goal of bettering the city. Soon, that work will be aided by a new partnership with national research and technology companies so that Columbus pastors can have an even better idea of what the city — and their congregants — need. "We are here to help the community and to lessen human suffering and to improve thriving," said Adam Ward, city director of For Columbus. "We can't impact the whole city if we aren't collaborating. ... If we're not working together, no one's going to care and we're not going to make the city better.