Tag Archives: Indiana

Youth Pastors, Regions Unite to Prepare Students for Christ-Centered Leadership

Posted on September 6, 2018 by chogministries | Comments Off

Students worshiping the Lord at 3SLI.

By Carl Stagner

IYC and state youth conventions do a tremendous job inspiring students to come to Christ, to rededicate their lives to the Lord, and to accept the unique call God has placed on their lives. Most of the students leave these mountain-top experiences having experienced life change to one degree or another, but some also leave recognizing God has called them to lead. Just after the turn of the new century, several youth pastors from the Midwest came together to identify the best way to prepare such students for lifelong Christ-centered leadership. In 2003, 3SLI (then the Tri-State Student Leadership Institute, now Tri-Level) was launched to serve students in Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio. When West Virginia was added, the name 3SLI didn’t change—and neither did its resolve to come alongside emerging leaders. Continue reading →

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Posted in All Church of God, Leadership Development, Youth Ministries

Tagged 3SLI, Cincinnati, discipleship, emerging leaders, high school, IN, Indiana, Indiana Ministries, IYC, Kentucky, KY, leadership development, mentoring, OH, Ohio, students, Tami Byrd, Tim Jones, Tri-Level Student Leadership Institute, West Virginia, WV, youth conventions, youth ministries

Church Pastored by CHOG Ministries’ Handel Smith Celebrates Urban Ministry Renewal

Posted on September 5, 2018 by chogministries | Comments Off

Handel Smith with Paul, sub-contractor for the church’s affordable homes ministry.

By Carl Stagner

Church of God Ministries staff are known for their roles they play in the collective work of the Movement. But among those who report to “base camp” day after day are individuals who are very active in their local churches. Some are Sunday school teachers, board members, worship leaders, associate pastors, and senior pastors. Others are laypeople who volunteer and get involved in numerous initiatives and projects at the local church level. When Handel Smith accepted the call to fill an executive leadership position at Church of God Ministries in Anderson, Indiana, he accepted a massive portfolio—oversight of the Movement’s influence and impact in the United States and Canada. His ministry Monday through Saturday—and countless Sundays, too—is extensive and expansive. Though a faithful attender of one of the Anderson-area churches when at home, it soon became apparent that he’d received a special leadership assignment that would both bring God glory and give life to a life-giving soul. Continue reading →

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Posted in All Church of God, Great Lakes

Tagged addictions, Anderson, base camp, blight, Celebration Church at Arrow Heights, CHOG Ministries, Church of God Ministries, city, community, decline, deliverance, evangelism, Handel Smith, IN, Indiana, metropolitan, Micah Merritt, multicultural, multiethnic, Nancy Jordan, outreach, salvation, Sharon Montgomery, staff, strategy, testimony, transformation, turnaround, urban ministry, urban missions, vision

IYC2018 Puts Students On Track for Life

Posted on July 9, 2018 by chogministries | Comments Off

Zealand leading students in worship at IYC2018.

By Carl Stagner

For the first time since 1980, Indianapolis, Indiana, was home to the International Youth Convention of the Church of God. Reflecting the local racing culture, the 51st pinnacle of youth ministry experiences capitalized on its proximity to the iconic motor speedway, with four days designed to put students on track for the race of a lifetime. Inspiring worship, top-notch speakers, dozens of breakout sessions, a 5K to support the fight against trafficking, and a day devoted to community service combined to create moments of lasting life change. Those moments may have passed, but eternity—brighter than ever before—lies ahead. The life change continues as four thousand students and youth leaders, who embraced life at IYC2018, return home to give life to their families, schools, churches, and across their communities. Continue reading →

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Posted in All Church of God, IYC: International Youth Convention, Youth Ministries

Tagged 5K For Freedom, 5K4Freedom, CHOG TraffickLight, Impact Indianapolis, Impact Indy, IN, Indiana, Indianapolis, International Youth Convention of the Church of God, IYC, IYC Indy, IYC2018, IYCindy, life change, Spread the Word, student ministries, students, teenagers, younger generation, youth, youth ministry

Building Up to IYC2018: Indiana Church Breathes Life into Students, Community

Posted on May 3, 2018 by chogministries | Comments Off

Renovation at the new NSpire Church location.

By Carl Stagner

The Latin word spīrāre inspired the name of the Church of God in Westfield, Indiana, now known as NSpire Church. In the Hebrew and Greek, its meaning is understood as having to do with breath, life, wind, and the Spirit. Building up to IYC2018 (July 2–5), the church is preparing to work with IYC students by hosting an Indianapolis-area Impact Day project. As the church transitions out of a season of building and expanding, their partnership with the International Youth Convention is but an extension of who they already are. Leading into a new season of outreach, NSpire Church is breathing life into their community and will soon breathe life into the lives of teenagers attending IYC. Continue reading →

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Posted in All Church of God, Great Lakes, IYC: International Youth Convention

Tagged Brad Ruggles, community, expansion, Impact Day, Impact Indy, IN, Indiana, International Youth Convention, IYC, IYC2018, life change, Matt Gaylor, Nspire Church, outreach, renovation, service projects, students, teenagers, Westfield, youth

Victory in Jesus: Fort Wayne Ministry Gives Life to Women in Need

Posted on February 7, 2018 by chogministries | Comments Off

Victory House leadership celebrates a success story!

By Noel Marquis

Since its creation in 2010, Victory House has offered hope and extended the message of Christ’s love to over 150 women in need. Victory House, which is hosted by Destiny Life Center, a Church of God congregation in Fort Wayne, Indiana, serves women in transition by offering them temporary housing and advancement opportunities. In addition, Victory House provides the chance to grow closer and delve deeper into God’s Word. Continue reading →

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Posted in All Church of God, Great Lakes

Tagged deliverance, Destiny Life Center, Fort Wayne, homelessness, IN, Indiana, Karen Staton, Noel Marquis, PattiJae Jimerson, poverty, prevention, rescue, social services, transitional housing, Victory House, women in need, women in transition, women's ministry

Motorcycle Ministry and the Church of God

Posted on February 6, 2018 by chogministries | Comments Off

Bikers gearing up for a ride at Owingsville First Church.

By Carl Stagner

The Church of God movement is known for making Jesus the subject—looking past ethnic and cultural differences for the Lord’s sake. Recognizing that the call to ministry doesn’t distinguish between male and female, and reaching our hands in fellowship to every blood-washed one—regardless of color of skin, or name over the church doors, for example—the Church of God has placed a premium on unity, holiness, and the mission of reaching anyone and everyone with the gospel. It should be no surprise then, that over recent decades Church of God congregations across the country have developed motorcycle ministries that really make a difference. Often stereotyped and frequently feared by a four-wheeled society, the distinct culture and community of bikers has proved a field ready for harvest in the Church of God. Continue reading →

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Posted in All Church of God

Tagged Anderson, Andover, Benton Harbor, bikers, Bill Bridgman, Christian Motorcycles Association, CMA, community, Crystal Springs Church of God, Don Billey, First Church of God, Hope Community Church, IN, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, KS, KY, Lowell Rice, Main Street Church of God, MI, Michigan, Motorcycle, New Martinsville, outreach, Owingsville, Owingsville First Church of God, Rocky Wills, society, Steve Weldon, subculture, West Virginia, WV

Local Churches Set Aside Differences, Establish and Sustain Community Ministry

Posted on January 19, 2018 by chogministries | Comments Off

Volunteers from local churches help sustain the ministry.

By Carl Stagner

Another title of this article could have appropriately been, “Local Churches Set Aside Differences, Discover They Can Do More Together.” That’s because this is exactly what happened when Operation Love Ministries was formed in Anderson, Indiana. The collaboration and unity among churches representing multiple denominations and cultures make this yet another Jesus-is-the-subject story, and a potential model for other communities. Today, twenty-seven area churches prayerfully and financially support the parachurch organization, also giving governance to the work. As a result, these local churches have access to a tried-and-tested resource to more effectively help neighbors in need. Continue reading →

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Posted in All Church of God, Great Lakes

Tagged Anderson, Andrea Baker, better together, collaboration, community, cooperative, IN, Indiana, Jesus Is the Subject, needy, neighbors, Operation Love Ministries, poverty, unity, urban, Volunteers

Chicago-Area Church Plant Gains Momentum

Posted on September 22, 2017 by chogministries | Comments Off

By Charlie Arms

In 2014, after consultation with Indiana Ministries, our family moved from sunny Florida and took on the responsibility of planting a church in northwest Indiana. Locals refer to this area of Indiana as “the Region,” primarily because we are part of Indiana, yet in many ways more closely connected through business and lifestyle with Chicago. Continue reading →

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Posted in All Church of God, Great Lakes

Tagged Charlie Arms, Chicago, church plant, church planting, community, Crown Point, IN, Indiana, Indiana Ministries, Momentum Church, outreach, Schererville

Comfort Zones Stretched, A Harbor for Women Gained

Posted on September 20, 2017 by chogministries | Comments Off

Photo: A creative welcome to Dove Harbor.

By Karen Roberts

“Have You Ever…” is a game I play with a class I teach. It begins innocently enough, with an easy question, and then it moves into more challenging ones. Let’s try it. Have you ever…gone sledding? Have you ever…had to sleep in your car? Have you ever…knowingly talked with a homeless person? Those who answered yes are ready for more. Have you ever…volunteered somewhere out of your comfort zone? Have you ever…donated material items or money to a food pantry? Have you ever…shared a meal with someone living in a shelter? Continue reading →

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Posted in All Church of God, Great Lakes

Tagged Anderson, Cherilyn Horning, community, Dove Harbor, IN, Indiana, Karen Roberts, Madison Park Church of God, mentoring, outreach, safe haven, transitional shelter, Tyrone Chandler, women's shelter

Upcoming AU Events Attract Community Interest, Involvement

Posted on August 16, 2017 by chogministries | Comments Off

Truth, Faith, and Service Speaker Scott Russell Sanders

Writer and conservationist Scott Russell Sanders will be speaking in Nicholson Library on the campus of Anderson University on Friday, September 8, at 7 PM as part of the Truth, Faith, and Service speaker series. The event is free and open to the public.

Sanders’ work examines the human place in nature, the pursuit of social justice, the relationship between culture and geography, and the search for a spiritual path. He has written more than twenty books exploring these topics, and retired in 2009 as distinguished professor of English after thirty-eight years at Indiana University. Continue reading →

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Posted in All Church of God, Colleges & Universities

Tagged 100th anniversary, Anderson, Anderson University, AU, Centennial, IN, Indiana, Scott Russell Sanders, speaker series, York Children's Literature Festival

When Teachers Become Learners: Barefoot and Humbled in Bangladesh

Posted on June 8, 2017 by chogministries | Comments Off

Photo: Cross-cultural footwashing in Bangladesh.

By Carl Stagner

If you’ve ever been on a mission trip, you know it’s a mistake to think you’re going to another country only to teach and bless someone else. More often than not, you end up learning more than you could offer. Instead of leaving feeling impressed by all the good you did, you feel humbled by the good people you met. When a group from Church at the Crossing in Indianapolis, Indiana; First Church of God in Marion, South Dakota; and Church of God Ministries in Anderson, Indiana, came together for a missions trip to Bangladesh this year, the teachers once again became the learners. Continue reading →

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Posted in All Church of God, CHOG TraffickLight, Global Strategy

Tagged Asia and the Pacific, Asia-Pacific, Bangladesh, baptism, Barefoot Pastors Training, CARE, Carla Zerkle, Caroline Armstrong, Church at the Crossing, Church of God Ministries, cross-cultural, Don Armstrong, First Church of God, footwashing, Hindu, IN, Indiana, Indianapolis, international, Islam, Joe Cookston, John Zerkle, Joseph Cookston, Lalmonirhat, Marion, mission trips, missions, multicultural, Muslim, Nikki Bauerle, SD, Shelly Clasen, South Dakota, travel

Stuck in the Past: Women Still Denied Their Place in Church Leadership

Posted on May 17, 2017 by chogministries | Comments Off

By Megan DeBruyn

Since the early 1900s, American women have been fighting for equal rights and impartial treatment in both society and the workplace. This movement has developed monumentally since its humble origins, and today, women enjoy freedoms across a plethora of fields. The single institution that lags behind the rest is the church. Continue reading →

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Posted in All Church of God

Tagged Akron, Akron Church of God, egalitarian, female pastors, IN, Indiana, Kathy Nelson, leadership, Megan DeBruyn, women clergy, women in ministry, women pastors

Children of Promise Celebrates 25 Years of Hope

Posted on May 9, 2017 by chogministries | Comments Off

Photo: Children of Promise blessings in Tanzania.

By Emily Ploetz

Bishu was a young boy who lived with his family in the remote rice fields of eastern India, in a state called Odisha. His family worked alongside many other families from sunrise to sunset in the rice fields, earning only thirty to forty cents per day. Somehow, Bishu’s family went into debt to the landowner. This put the landowner in control of their home and ultimately, their lives. The only way the family could pay back the landowner was to sell Bishu as a slave. Paul Maxfield, director of Children of Promise, was traveling in Bishu’s village in 2010 and heard about his story when he did not show up for a scheduled interview. After many prayers and hard work with local volunteers, Bishu was released from slavery. Three years later, Paul had the chance to talk with Bishu. He asked him, “What is the most important thing that has happened in your life?” To this day, Paul has never forgotten Bishu’s answer: “The day Children of Promise rescued me.” Continue reading →

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Posted in All Church of God

Tagged 25th anniversary, Alanna Story, Anderson, Bishu, child sponsorship, Children of Promise, Church of God Convention 2017, Emily Ploetz, events, IN, Indiana, Madison Park Church of God, missions, Paul Maxfield, Reclaim 2017

ONE Gives Students Glimpse of Heaven, Desire to Change the World Together

Posted on April 27, 2017 by chogministries | Comments Off

By Carl Stagner

Some had likely never worshiped in Spanish before. Others had probably never experienced firsthand the high-octane energy of urban gospel. History suggests that few had likely ever been in a setting where three cultures converged in the name of Christ. But that’s exactly what happened at the first-ever ONE event, which took place at Church at the Crossing in Indianapolis, Indiana, on April 21 and 22. The result was a glimpse of heaven and a renewed desire to change the world together. Continue reading →

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Posted in All Church of God, Youth Ministries

Tagged Adam Rentas, Andy Stephenson, CATC, Church at the Crossing, community service, Concilio Hispano, convention, diversity, Gleaner's Food Bank, high school, Hispanic Council, Humberto Mena, IN, Indiana, Indianapolis, International Youth Convention, IYC, Kevin Earley, multi-ethnic, multicultural, multiethnic, National Inspirational Youth Convention, NIYC, ONE Event, Ramon Rivera, students, teenagers, teens, Tim Quainoo, unity, worship, youth

Creativity, Generosity, Boldness Characterize Easter Celebrations

Posted on April 20, 2017 by chogministries | Comments Off

Photo: Lord’s Supper drama at First Church, Inverness, Florida.

By Carl Stagner

As a pinnacle in the church year, some might get the feeling that it’s all downhill from Easter. But perhaps Pastor Paul Strozier of Madison Park Church of God in Anderson, Indiana, said it best last year in an article he wrote: “The baskets have returned to the attic, the plastic eggs are being recycled, somewhere in the house there is at least one purple Peep left unconsumed—at least until the toddler finds it…But can we really let the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ wait a whole year to be acknowledged and celebrated again? Easter never ends for the follower of Jesus Christ…Imagine how it might change our homes, our families, and our communities if we lived every day with resurrection power, hope, and joy.” For Church of God congregations across the country, Easter has only just begun! Here’s a look at how churches observed Easter week. Continue reading →

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Posted in All Church of God

Tagged Anderson, baptisms, Bellingham, Campton, carrying the cross, Communion, community, Cornwall Church, Defiance, dinner, donations, drama, Easter, egg hunt, evangelistic, First Church of God, FL, Florida, foot washing, footwashing, Giving, handicap, Harvest Point Church of God, IN, Indiana, Inverness, Jennifer Crum, Kentucky, KY, Lord's Supper, Lordstown, Madison Park Church of God, Main Street Church of God, Maundy Thursday, multicultural, OH, Ohio, outreach, Paul Strozier, Resurrection Sunday, salvation, saved, Shannon New-Spangler, special needs, unity service, WA, Washington

Tag Archives: Indiana

Youth Pastors, Regions Unite to Prepare Students for Christ-Centered Leadership

Church Pastored by CHOG Ministries’ Handel Smith Celebrates Urban Ministry Renewal

IYC2018 Puts Students On Track for Life

Building Up to IYC2018: Indiana Church Breathes Life into Students, Community

Motorcycle Ministry and the Church of God

Local Churches Set Aside Differences, Establish and Sustain Community Ministry

Chicago-Area Church Plant Gains Momentum

Comfort Zones Stretched, A Harbor for Women Gained

Upcoming AU Events Attract Community Interest, Involvement

When Teachers Become Learners: Barefoot and Humbled in Bangladesh

Stuck in the Past: Women Still Denied Their Place in Church Leadership

Children of Promise Celebrates 25 Years of Hope

ONE Gives Students Glimpse of Heaven, Desire to Change the World Together

Creativity, Generosity, Boldness Characterize Easter Celebrations

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