Church Development, of the Indiana Conference of the UMC, is celebrating the appointment of three church planters to three new projects in Indiana.
— Connor Guerzini has been appointed to Huntertown 
Lifehouse UM Church (senior pastor Tony Johnson). Part of his ministry will be to help launch a new faith community at Huntertown’s Forest Park Lifehouse Campus in Fort Wayne.
— Ross Stackhouse has been appointed (beginning July 1) to 
plant a conference-sponsored new church on the growing southern edge of Indianapolis.
— Kara Bussabarger has been appointed (beginning July 1) to Fort Wayne Covenant UM Church (senior pastor Karen Koelsch); half of her time will be spent helping Covenant disciple the 20,000 members of its nearby YMCA.
Their projects join around forty other new-faith communities that have been launched over the past five years in the Indiana Conference. Four of them have become constituted (chartered) United Methodist churches. So far only two have closed. Collectively they’re reaching about 2,500 people in worship each week. Praise God!
Please keep Connor, Ross, and Kara in your prayers. Starting new faith communities is not an easy task. Pray for their families as planting will demand much of their time. Pray that God transforms many lives through their efforts.
— Ed Fenstermacher, Associate Director of Church Development
P.S. Church Development is always looking for churches that are interested in establishing new faith communities, because studies show that it’s the most effective way of reaching the unchurched. If you attend such a church, let us know!
