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.