Carmel Assembly of God Church Displays a True Passion to Minister

Pastor Keith Trump of Carmel Assembly of God. (Photo by Jonathan Haag)

Originally founded in 2003, Carmel Assembly of God relocated to its current space at West Main Street and Old Meridian three years ago with a new mission and heartbeat, which was to display a true passion to minister to the residents of Carmel. Keith Trump, pastor of Carmel Assembly of God and lifelong resident of Carmel, sat down and shared his heart and his congregation’s mission in relation to the community of Carmel.

Pastor Trump shares that, “Our mission is summed up in receive, reflect, and redeem.” He explains further, “Receive everything scripture tells us, what we see in God’s Word, and reflect it in our lives; and if we do these things then He will accomplish His ultimate purpose of redeeming people.”

This mission is practically being lived out daily in the lives of those who attend Carmel Assembly of God. Each year the congregation hosts a back-to-school outreach for a local apartment complex. This outreach, Pastor Trump explains, is about meeting a very apparent need of a group of people while at the same time sharing the love of Jesus to the community. Carmel Assembly of God also hosts Easter and Halloween outreaches with the same mission.

Carmel Assembly of God gathers as a community every Sunday. At 9:30 a.m. there is a pre-service prayer and then at 10:30 a.m. their worship service begins. The children’s ministry meets during the worship service hour.

Beyond Sunday morning gatherings, members of Carmel Assembly of God gather together with other members that have similar interests and passions. Some of these groups study a book of the Bible or a specific topic while others choose a more laid back approach like organizing a men’s poker night or a women’s fitness class. The church also hosts a plethora of Wednesday night activities and classes that begin at 7:00 p.m. Call the church office for a complete schedule.

In all things that Carmel Assembly of God puts together they ultimately want to share the message of the hope they have. Pastor Trump sums up his heart by saying, “‘Churchianity’ is not Jesus. Carmel doesn’t need another church; it needs the real revelation of who Jesus is and understanding that God is really wanting to reveal Himself to this community.”

You can visit Carmel Assembly of God in person at 1009 West Main Street in Carmel, by phone at 317-569-9673 or online at www.carmelassembly.com.

Church Plant Incubator at the Aspen Group

Lynn Noe, Customer Relations Coordinator at the Aspen Group in Carmel.

As Carmel sees rapid growth in population we are seeing parallel growth in the number of churches moving into the area. Interestingly, most of these new churches will not build a new building but will meet in a school or other rented spaces. These types of churches are called “church plants.”

Several months ago, we profiled a church plant called itown church which meets in a local elementary school. Itown is just one example of several new church plants in Carmel.

One of the inherent issues of church plants is the lack of meeting space for church staff to hold meetings during the week. Many church plants are making use of local coffee shops and eateries to hold meetings, but what about when they need to hold confidential meetings or counseling sessions?

A local organization sought to fix those issues. The Aspen Group, an innovative church design and construction group with an office here in Carmel, recognized the need and sought to do something about it.

Lynn Noe, customer relations coordinator for the Aspen Group, has been the leader in this project and is starting to see her idea and hard work come to fruition.

Noe’s idea was to take unused space in their office and turn it into a modern “church plant incubator.” Her idea included turning the excess space into different meeting rooms so church plants could hold meetings or private counseling sessions with congregants in an environment that suits their needs.

President of the Aspen Group, Ed Bahler.

The church plant incubator includes several different spaces. The Fireside Room includes relaxed seating for four, a phone and a fireplace. The Scenic View Conference Room includes a conference table with seating for six, a phone and a whiteboard. The Collaboration Room includes a conference table with seating for twenty, a phone and a projector.

The Aspen Group provides these spaces at no cost and even includes Wifi and coffee! Noe and the Aspen Group ultimately want these spaces to be available for church planters who need a space on weekdays for meetings, counseling or just a quiet place to reflect.

The Aspen Group is located at 90 Executive Drive in Carmel. They can be found online at www.aspengroup.com and on Twitter @Aspen_Group. If you are a church or nonprofit interested in more information or wanting to reserve a space, please contact Lynn Noe at 317-582-5100 ext. 129 or email her at lnoe@aspengroup.com.

A Fixture in the Carmel Community: Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Father Richard Doerr of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Our Lady of Mount Carmel held its first Mass in 1955 with a congregation of about sixty families. Fast forward to today. With nearly 14,000 members Our Lady of Mount Carmel is striving to minister to the spiritual and physical needs of not only the residents of Carmel but the entire world. I recently had the opportunity to talk to Father Richard Doerr about the mission and heartbeat of this Carmel congregation.

Father Doerr states that the mission of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is to “Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of time.” This mission, found in scripture, is lived out daily in the life of this church.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel is first and foremost a Catholic Eucharistic community. Father Doerr explains what that entails, “We are known for our adherence to Catholic Church teaching as well as our fine liturgies thanks to our many liturgical ministers. We are obedient to the teachings of Jesus Christ and his Church and I think are a very welcoming community. We also have a special chapel where men and women gather 24 hours a day and seven days a week to adore our Lord in prayer and contemplation.”

With over 14,000 members, a catholic school, and a food pantry, Our Lady of Mount Carmel has become an integral part of the Carmel community.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel is also home to an outstanding school of nearly 700 students. The vision of the school is to be “a vibrant Catholic learning center where respect and responsibility are integral parts of the school culture.” The school also employs a wonderful staff that includes the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecelia. You may have seen the Sisters around the community in their traditional black and white habits.

The Matthew 25 Center, located on the property of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, seeks to provide free to low cost solutions to those struggling physically and financially. Father Doerr explains, “Many simply believe that poor people do not exist in our affluent community. Yet, particularly in today’s economy, there are many families that are in crisis. We serve them through our Matthew 25 Center for the Poor with a large food pantry that assists hundreds of families each month, countless emergency assistance programs, a school supplies drive, and several assistance programs throughout the year (Christmas, Thanksgiving etc.).”

As the new year starts, so do new classes. Father Doerr wants to inform the community that Our Lady of Mount Carmel is sponsoring a Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University that starts on January 18 and meets every Tuesday through April 12 from 7-9 p.m. They also have an abundance of adult education programs such as a Bible study on St. Matthew that begins on January 6.

Beyond all of the programs and events that happen at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Father Doerr desires that everyone in the community know that “God loves them abundantly and his Church is here to serve you and invite you into the ministry of Jesus Christ. When we reach out to others, then we find happiness that the world cannot give!”

Our Lady of Mount Carmel is located at the intersection of 146th Street and Oak Ridge Road at 14598 Oak Ridge Road in Carmel. You can also visit them online at www.olmc1.org or contact the parish office by telephone at 317-846-3475.

Relax and Enjoy the New itown Church

Dave Sumrall, Pastor of itown church, and his wife Kate Sumrall. Photo Submitted by itown church

Relaxed, friendly, contemporary, and relevant are all words that describe one of the newest churches in Hamilton County. On August 15, 2010 itown church opened it’s doors to the community. On the first weekend alone they welcomed 340 people through their doors. I recently had the opportunity to talk to Dave Sumrall, pastor of itown church, about the start of itown and the mission of this community faith.

Sumrall explains that the mission of itown church is, “to reach people with the life-giving message of Jesus-Christ.” Sumrall continues by saying, “itown church is excited for the opportunity to help the people of Carmel and Hamilton County find purpose in life through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We believe that we have been created by God to make a difference in the lives of people. We also believe that your life will never make sense until you find, develop and fulfill your purpose.” This mission is played out in the every day lives of those who attend itown church and also during their Sunday morning worship.

itown church launch from Dave Sumrall on Vimeo.

itown church meets at 10:30 AM and wants you to feel as comfortable as possible when you visit. When you arrive at itown you are warmly welcomed and offered free coffee. Dress code is not an issue when you come to itown, as they encourage you to wear whatever makes you feel comfortable. For those with kids (Birth to 5th Grade), itown offers some amazingly creative and exciting programs that provide a strong foundation of faith to grow on. Online preregistration for your child is also available.

The worship and teaching time is incredibly contemporary and relevant. Their desire is to provide an atmosphere and service that helps you make the most of a relevant message. Sumrall shares, “We are excited about the two upcoming series for November and December. November: Confessions of a Pastor. December: Hope.” They welcome you to join them as they wrestle through these topics.

Sumrall wants everyone to know “God loves you more than you can imagine, and it’s never too late to become who you might have been.” This is the heartbeat of itown church and the message that they want to share, more than anything, with you.

itown church would be very excited to have you visit them in person on the border of Carmel and Fishers at Riverside School at 10910 Eller Road. They are also online at www.itownchurch.com and you can follow them on twitter at www.twitter.com/itownchurch.

itownchurch.com welcome from Dave Sumrall on Vimeo.

Spreading the Good News at Carmel Lutheran Church

Pastor of Outreach and Discipleship at Carmel Lutheran Church, Daniel Schumm.

In 1976, 130 individuals gathered together with the mission of spreading the good news of Christ to the community of Carmel. Years later, along with the addition of countless members, Carmel Lutheran Church has stuck to their mission of spreading the good news of Christ and serving the community of Carmel. I recently had the opportunity to sit down and talk to Pastor of Outreach and Discipleship Daniel Schumm about the mission and heartbeat of Carmel Lutheran Church.

Carmel Lutheran Church is a vibrant community of believers eager to serve our community not only physically, but also spiritually. Pastor Schumm describes the mission of Carmel Lutheran Church as, “reaching out, caring for, and building people toward maturity in Christ.” They accomplish this mission through personal relationships alongside ministries that help foster relationships. Described below are just a few of the many ministries that Carmel Lutheran Church offers.

Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) is an international organization that meets locally in the facilities at Carmel Lutheran Church. The mission of MOPS in Carmel is to “provide a Christ-centered, caring ministry where friendships, creativity, and personal relationships with Jesus Christ can develop.” Moms of children ages six and under can take advantage of the MOPS ministry. MOPS meets during the Carmel Clay School year with both a day session and an evening session. The day MOPS meets 9-11:15 a.m. on the 1st and 3rd Fridays of each month. The evening MOPS meets from 7-9 p.m. on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of each month.

GriefShare is a seminar and support group for people that are grieving the loss of someone close. Each GriefShare meeting includes a video seminar by authors, counselors, speakers, and pastors whose expertise is in grief recovery. After the video seminar there is a small group discussion time. During the small group time you will be able to interact with others who are going through a recent loss, as well as being able to share your own story. The next GriefShare class will be Mondays from 7–8:30 p.m. from September 13 – December 6.

DivorceCare is a ministry for those who are going through divorce or separation. The class is a “special weekly support group and seminar conducted by people who understand what you are experiencing.” The class features a video seminar taught by renowned experts on divorce and recovery. After the video seminar there is time to discuss what was presented in the video as well as to share what is going on personally. Meeting at the same time as DivorceCare is DivorceCare for Kids. This support group is for kids ages 5 to 12 and allows kids to “heal from the hurt caused by separation or divorce of their parents.” Each of these groups meets Tuesdays from September 14 – December 7.

Blitz Indy is an annual event spearheaded by Melissa Luepke and David Reed. Blitz Indy devotes an entire day to multiple service projects in the community of Carmel and beyond. This year’s Blitz Indy included 520 members of Carmel Lutheran Church embarking on a variety of projects that included packaging 44,712 meals to be sent to Haiti in conjunction with the Kids Against Hunger organization. Other projects included working at the Ronald McDonald House, painting rooms at the Salvation Army Women’s Shelter, various grounds projects at Agape Therapeutic Riding Center, and meals prepared with Second Helpings. These were just a few of the many projects completed by Carmel Lutheran Church.

Carmel Lutheran Church has several worship times.

Saturday Schedule:

• 5:00 p.m. Traditional Service in the Sanctuary.
• 5:15 p.m. Contemporary Service in the Worship Center.

Sunday Schedule:

• 8:00 a.m. Traditional Service in the Sanctuary.
• 8:30 a.m. Contemporary Service in the Worship Center.
• 9:30–10:20 a.m. Sunday School.
• 10:35 a.m. Contemporary Service in the Worship Center.
• 10:45 a.m. Traditional Service in the Sanctuary.

You can visit Carmel Lutheran Church in person at 4850 East Main Street, Carmel, Indiana 46033 or online at www.carmellutheran.org. For more information about any of the ministries listed, please call the church office at 814-4252.

Carmel Churches Serving the Community

A group from Northview Church serving Brookside Community Church in Downtown Indianapolis. (Photo submitted)

Over the past several months I’ve had the opportunity to profile many churches in Carmel and explain how they are impacting not only our city, but the cities surrounding us as well. If you were to ask any church in Carmel to make a list of core values, I would guarantee that service would be high on that list. So this month, instead of profiling just one church, I wanted to give you a big picture view when it comes to Carmel churches, specifically when it comes to serving the poor and under resourced in our city and the area surrounding us. With that being said, if you are a Carmel resident and have a desire to serve in our community may this article be an encouragement to you, or if you are a Carmel resident seeking help during a difficult time may this article be a resource for you to find help.

Here are a few examples of Carmel churches branching out and serving. Please understand as well that there are hundreds of additional opportunities available through various Carmel churches.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, which is located on the corner of 146th and Oak Ridge Road, has a resource called the Matthew 25 Center located on their property. The Matthew 25 Community Outreach Center is a multipurpose ministry that includes a food pantry as well as a free clinic. The Trinity Free Clinic provides “free medical, health, and dental support to the uninsured and low income residents of Hamilton County by using a volunteer professional staff.” For more information check out www.olmc1.org.

Northview Church, located on the corner of Main Street and Hazel Dell Parkway, has not only partnered with local organizations like Habitat for Humanity of Hamilton County and Agape Therapeutic Riding Center, they also have a partnership with an inner city church called Brookside Community Church in downtown Indianapolis. They are constantly collecting food and sending volunteers to help out at Brookside. To learn more check out www.northviewchurch.us.

Grace Community Church, located on 146th Street near the Hazel Dell Parkway intersection, is also a very active church. Grace hosts a food drive every Saturday from 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. in their parking lot and at local grocery stores. All the donated food goes to Third Phase, which is Hamilton County’s largest food bank. Beyond the food drive, Grace sends many volunteers to the Shepherd Community Center on the east side of Indianapolis to tutor kids during the school year. To see more service opportunities check out www.gracecc.org.

In my conversations and interviews, I can tell you that the Church, as a whole in Carmel, is very eager to serve. If you have a burning desire to serve those in your neighborhood, those in your city, those in the city a few miles down the road, or those on the other side of the world, visit (or check out a website) some local churches and get plugged in!

Northview Christian Life’s Grand Re-Opening

Pictured in photo (from left): S & B Construction William Cooper, Northview Church Lead Pastor Steve Poe, City of Carmel Mayor Brainard, building designer Lenzy Hendrix, and Carmel Chamber of Commerce Patty Steffen (Photo Submitted by Melody Carpenter)

On April 17, 2010 Northview Christian Life Church held their first official services in their beautiful new auditorium. I had the opportunity to check out the new auditorium and talk to the Lead Pastor of Northview, Steve Poe, during the Grand Opening Celebration.

Northview already has one of the biggest facilities in Carmel, so you may be asking yourself, as I did, why they built the new auditorium. According to Pastor Poe, “For the last 10 years we have been adding services to accommodate the increased attendance, but there finally came a point when we needed to have a bigger space. But we didn’t just want a bigger box; we felt like the space was way too important to only be concerned with how many people would fit inside. We wanted to make sure we were being sensitive to how the space would impact people spiritually as well as reinforce our values as a church.” He continued by saying, “Our mission statement here at Northview church is “Connecting people with God and connecting people with people. And therefore, we believe that creating environments that are inviting helps us to carry out that mission.”

The 51,000 square-foot auditorium has enough seats for 2,070 people. The intention of the design was not to give Northview the biggest auditorium in Hamilton County, but to provide a place to better serve the city and citizens of Carmel. Pastor Poe says, “The increased capacity will give us plenty of room to accommodate more of our friends and neighbors. The space is the largest venue in Hamilton County, so it will give us plenty of room to grow. Our heart has always been to invite the community onto our property.” Northview recently demonstrated how they are going to use the new facility to serve the community. Pastor Poe mentioned that over spring break they opened their doors all week and showed children’s movies for free. They had a few thousand parents and children take advantage of the experience.

Technology and innovation played a major role in the construction. Poe says, “People are very visual, which is why we use creative ways to communicate and strengthen our message with technology, music, the arts, sophisticated lighting and video. This is why we felt the state-of-the-art audio and video technology was an important part of the space. While some may come with the idea that church is boring, we want them to discover that’s not the case. We want them to discover that Christians are real people who laugh and have a good time together and appreciate excellence.”

As I stepped onto the Northview campus I felt an amazing level of excitement by the people and staff of Northview. When I asked Pastor Poe about how excited he was that the project was complete, he said, “For three and a half years we have been praying, dreaming, planning, preparing and working toward this building, so to see it finally completed is very thrilling.” He continued by saying, “And while it is exciting to have the space finished, we realize it’s just the beginning of the next chapter God has for us as a church. We want the people in this community to know that we genuinely do care about them. We want to be good neighbors. We’re being intentional about different ways we can reach out to the people in this community.”

Northview invites you to check them out either online at www.nvcl.org or in person at 12900 Hazel Dell Parkway in Carmel.

River Oaks Community Church Embraces Carmel, Technology

Pastor Dominic Francese, Bible in tow.

Over the past twenty years, River Oaks Community Church (ROCC) has provided an intimate setting for people from Carmel and beyond to gather as a community and worship. I recently had the opportunity to talk to Dominic Francese, Pastor of ROCC, about the mission and future of this particular body of believers.

Pastor Francese tells me that ROCC’s mission in relation to Carmel is to “provide followers of Jesus Christ an intimate setting for worshiping and serving God, in a way which a small church is especially well suited.” Part of this mission includes building a, “strong sense of small group community and strong friendships.” Neil Cox, a member of ROCC says, “ROCC is kind of the perfect size, so as we gather to worship and learn together, people can still feel comfortably ‘at home’, children and all.” Cox adds, “It’s a very caring place.”

Pastor Francese shoots a video spot for ROCCTV.com.

Unique to ROCC is the calling to “bring the life of the church both on-site and online.” This calling involves bringing stories and sermons to the virtual world via video. Pastor Francese calls this new medium of reaching out the “Click and Mortar” church. These creative videos allow for a wide range of topics to be viewed and discussed. As well, ROCC has provided a series devoted to children, “Kid’s Corner.” Francese estimates that the addition of online small groups and interactive Bible studies will probably take at lease two years to come to fruition.

Beyond the small group community atmosphere and the uniqueness of becoming a “Click and Mortar” church, ROCC is a host site for Angel Food, a nationally known grocery assistance ministry. Angel Food provides food relief at a deeply discounted price for those in need. ROCC adds, “Anyone can receive the benefits of this ministry; there are no applications or qualifications.”

In addition to the Angel Food ministry, ROCC has partnered with Trinity Baptist Church located in Indianapolis to create outreach events. ROCC describes the intent of this partnership to “is for periodic ROCC-Trinity fun outings and meal fellowships to culminate in joint outreach work projects.”

Moving beyond Carmel and Indianapolis, ROCC sends a team to work in Nicaragua every year for 10-14 days. The purposes of these trips are to “help build schools, renovate orphanages, etc.”

These ministries listed are not just programs. They are the heartbeat and the passion of the people of ROCC. Cox says, “It’s pretty amazing how a church our size can be so impacting … whether through our neighborhood food program, our multicultural involvement with an inner-city church, and mission trips to Nicaragua, not to mention the church’s aggregate impact through so many online involvements.”

ROCC encourages you to hang out with them in person every Sunday at 10 AM. You can visit ROCC at 13200 Old Meridian Street Carmel, Indiana 46032 or visit them online at www.myrocc.com and www.rocctv.com.

Come as You Are to Lifepointe Church

Josh Riedy, Youth Minister, in Lifepointe Church's auditorium.

Lifepointe Church first came together on Easter Sunday in 2005. Meeting in a rather unconventional space, which happens to be an office complex called Hamilton Crossing, Lifepointe invites the community of Carmel through the doors to a gathering of a real casual faith. I recently had the opportunity to talk to Josh Riedy, Youth Minister at Lifepointe, about the role Lifepointe is playing to the residents of Carmel and beyond.

Riedy says that the mission of Lifepointe is to be “a place where people will find life through faith in Jesus.” When you sit down and examine this community of faith, you begin to understand that they are more about focusing on the individuals that walk through their doors, and the needs of those individuals, than they are about starting a program to bring the community to them.

Lifepointe meets in an office complex at Hamilton Crossing.

Riedy explains Lifepointe in this way, “At Lifepointe we are real, we are casual, and we are a church.” He continues by saying, “The people at Lifepointe are real with each other. This isn’t a place to act like you have it all figured out. Lifepointe is casual. Come as you are and just get away from the craziness of life. Lastly, Lifepointe is a church. It is probably one of the friendliest places I have ever walked into. People really care about you here.”

This community of faith has also been actively involved in missions. Riedy tells me, “For the past 4 years, Lifepointe has partnered with International Impact Ministries to do a Vacation Bible School Mission trip in Jamaica.” He adds, “This coming February, a group from Lifepointe is heading back to Jamaica for a week of construction and service.”

Lifepointe also has many other ministries that the community can take advantage of. For the little kids, Lifepointe has a dynamic nursery, preschool, and grade school program on Sunday mornings. The older kids in the community can take advantage of mission trips and other fun events happening all throughout the year. The adults at Lifepointe can attend Sunday school classes, breakfasts, and conferences. Lifepointe also has a biblical and authentic counseling program available to those in the Lifepointe community.

To learn more about Lifepointe Church feel free to visit their website at www.lifepointeindy.com or visit them in person at 12770 Hamilton Crossing Boulevard, Carmel, Indiana 46032.