IB-FINAL2-Winter-2026-JanFebMar-250104-XDir-rev-hires

Interim Executive Director's MESSAGE

Dr. Tom Savage

tel: (317) 481-2400 x223

email: tsavage@scbi.org

How Powerful and Tranquil to Be Thankful

Now that 2025 is behind us and we are just a few days into 2026, this is a great time to pause a few minutes from our busy lives and be truly thankful.

Psalm 136 is a song of thanksgiving that emphasizes God’s enduring love and mercy through repeated praise for His acts of creation, deliverance, and provision in Israel’s history. Each of the 26 verses ends with the affirmation “His mercy endures forever,” highlighting the central truth that God’s faithful love is the foundation for all He has done and continues to do.

The psalm begins with a call to give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, His sovereignty, and His mighty deeds. It recounts the Lord’s role in creation—making the heavens, earth, sun, moon, and stars—as evidence of His wise power and mercy. Next, it celebrates God’s acts in Israel’s history: delivering them from Egypt, guiding them through the wilderness, defeating powerful kings, and giving them the Promised Land. The psalm concludes by praising God’s ongoing faithfulness in remembering the lowly, rescuing His people, and providing for all living things. There are three key truths in Psalm 136.

First, God’s love never fails. The refrain “His mercy endures forever” underscores that God’s love is unchanging, steadfast, and reliable throughout all circumstances and generations.

Second, God is the Creator and Sustainer. Psalm 136 celebrates God’s wisdom in creation and His continuous provision, showing that everything— from the universe to daily needs—comes from His merciful hand.

Third, we see that God’s salvation is an act of mercy. The psalmist recounts historic moments of rescue and redemption (like freeing Israel from Egypt and bestowing the Promised Land) as demonstrations of God’s unfailing love, reminding believers that His acts of salvation are always rooted in mercy.

In every section, Psalm 136 challenges readers to respond with gratitude, worship, and trust— knowing that whatever they face, God’s steadfast love is the ultimate source of hope and security. As you begin or end your day, give Psalm 136 a fresh read. God Bless!

State Convention of Baptists in Indiana

Interim Executive Director

Dr. Tom Savage

President Dr. Larry Lewis

Chairman of the Board

Tami Hubler

Communications Committee Chairman

Josh Singleton

Convention Partnerships and Communications

Vika Chykyrenda

Creative Director

Greg Cooper

Copy Writer

Nikki Hurt

State Convention of Baptists in Indiana

The State Convention of Baptists in Indiana is cultivating the pathway to vibrancy for churches to be faithful in the Great Commission.

Subscriptions

The Indiana Baptist tells of the amazing things God is doing through His Church in Indiana and around the world. It is provided exclusively online free of charge. To read past issues, visit: indianabaptist.org

Creative Design

The Indiana Baptist is created exclusively for the State Convention of Baptists in Indiana by Innovative Faith Resources.

Designer Patti Spencer innovativefaith.org

ON THE COVER

Construction crew readies a cross for placement on church roof, a WatersEdge client.

KINGDOM INVESTMENT

with the Baptist Foundation of Indiana

Spending most of his career in pastoral and non-profit ministry, Brian Boone is uniquely situated to lead as the Baptist Foundation of Indiana (BFI) President, a role he has held for two years now. “I am essentially the ambassador for the state. I serve our pastors and church members, informing them about our church loans and teaching them how Kingdom Investments, whether by individuals or churches, can benefit SBC churches across the country and primarily in the state of Indiana.”

To facilitate these investments, the Baptist Foundation partners with WatersEdge Ministry Services. Boone is quick to state, “Everything we do is powered by WatersEdge.”

BFI, in partnership with WatersEdge, offers everything from estate and gift planning, charitable giving resources, to loans, investments, and accounting services for churches and ministries. Boone explains, “While we have our own assets and investment portfolio, WatersEdge provides our ministrybased lending services to Indiana Baptist churches.”

Additionally, Boone, who also pastors Focus Church in Indianapolis, wants readers to know that WatersEdge could also be a solution for their church’s accounting needs. “A growing piece of WatersEdge is their Ministry Accounting services. We (Focus Church) are one of the SCBI churches in Indiana currently

using their services. For a monthly fee, they provide basic accounting, payroll services, contribution and online giving solutions. We are a small church, and it’s been a great service for us.”

Through the investments of churches and individuals across the state since 1967, the Foundation manages a portfolio worth several million dollars. Boone explains, “These funds are invested in so-called faith-friendly investments. That’s another blessing that many people don't realize. We're also trying to communicate that our interest rates are competitive.

Kingdom Investments is a

wonderful way to be wise stewards of what the Lord has entrusted to all of us.”

Due to funds established by generous donors over the years, the Foundation was able to provide ten scholarships this past year to students pursuing education in a ministry-related field. “Recipients should have some kind of ministry direction, but it doesn’t have to be pastoral. It could be counseling, missions, or another ministry-related degree. This year, we were able to award $30,000 to ten individuals.”

These are just some of the ways the Baptist Foundation

of Indiana is partnering with WatersEdge to invest in kingdom advancement. Together, we will continue to invest in the future of our churches and ministries so that the Gospel reaches Indiana and beyond.

If your church is interested in learning more or if your association would like Brian to speak at your next meeting, please reach out at: bboone@inbaptistfoundation.org.

Reflecting ON THE ANNUAL SUMMIT

Fellowship, encouragement, business, and pleasure—all are necessary, and all were found at the Annual Summit.

Reflecting

Jonathan LaFleur, Senior Pastor of First Southern Baptist Church in Terre Haute, had the opportunity to attend the Annual Summit in October of last year at Highland Lakes Camp and came away refreshed in the Lord. “To have some time away from my normal context and be in a retreat setting was very refreshing and encouraging. It’s just the kind of thing that we need from time to time. Our position as pastors is to pour into others, so to have those moments when we can be poured into is very valuable. That part of it was tremendous.”

He went on to share that a highlight for him was the incredible speakers that SCBI brought in for the event, “Whoever oversaw putting the guest speaker lineup together did an incredible job, a home run. Dr. Robert Smith was the first, and he spent some time with us on Monday morning at an informal breakfast. He taught for 30 minutes on expository preaching, which is my passion.” LaFleur himself is a graduate of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and appreciated the additional equipping provided by the speakers.

In addition to the powerful speaking lineup, the attendees were led in worship by a group of students from Cedarville University. LaFleur stated that the students did an incredible job and was thankful to be led in worship by them.

When it came time for business, LaFleur was grateful for the opportunity to fellowship with his brothers in Christ and add in some

humor to the more strait-laced aspects of the Summit. He was able to lighten the mood during the voting time for Recording Secretary, a tradition that is growing. The job isn’t one that most people would choose to take, as it essentially involves recording meeting minutes. However, one faithful brother, Steve Taylor from Evansville, enjoys the role and has kept it for six consecutive years. “For the last two years, I’ve gotten to give the nomination speech for Steve. It’s fun for me because I like to get up there and sort of shake it up a little bit. I like to take this otherwise unexciting position and try to make it as exciting as I can. It gets the crowd riled up.” LaFleur went on to explain that while Steve has run unopposed for the last couple of years, he’s had a few guys express an interest in him writing a speech like that for them!

Fellowship, encouragement, business, and pleasure—all are necessary, and all are found at the Annual Summit. LaFleur would love to see even more brothers across the state participate next year. “I look forward to this meeting every year to see friends in the ministry and around the state. For a lot of these guys, it’s basically the only time I see them all year. It’s so good to catch up and share stories of what God is doing in our churches. I like to participate in the state convention, and I hope even more guys around the state will join us.”

And if you happen to have an interest in recording minutes, LaFleur might be open to writing a speech for you too. If you can get through Steve, first. n

Moving with the Lord

OAK HILL BAPTIST

As God moves, we move…

This vision has been a mainstay in the life of Pastor Alan Scott. Growing up in Evansville, Scott left the area to answer a call to pastor. He was willing to follow the Lord wherever He led and didn’t expect it to be back in Evansville. But after pastoring for many

years, the retiring pastor of Oak Hill Baptist submitted Scott’s name to the church search committee, and God moved.

That was 20 years ago, and Scott has been leading Oak Hill ever since. The church recently embarked on an expansion project born

out of the desire to stay in step with the Lord. “We’ve dedicated ourselves to local missions and working with partnerships that we have in the area. I believe God blesses all these things and He starts moving. Then you must take steps to build and raise money. But God remains the driving force behind everything we're doing. He's bringing the blessing, and we're just trying to walk with Him.”

Recently, walking with Him has meant saying yes to acquiring a property just minutes up the road, “At the end of 2019, we ran out of space and needed more parking. As a church, we prayed about what to do. Meanwhile, there was a church about one minute up the road from us that was not able to continue. It was a Presbyterian church. That pastor talked to me, and we prayed about it. We ended up making an offer on their 12 and a half acres, including the buildings, to use as an

expansion of our ministry. We now call it our North Campus, and our original building is our South Campus.”

During negotiations, COVID occurred, and the shutdowns had the potential to derail the project. However, the church pressed on believing God was at work, so they stayed the course. Although the timeline was shifted due to the pandemic, the church acquired the property and is currently renovating it with plans to move in by Easter of 2026.

However, their current building, the South Campus, will still be used. “We will move our first of three services there {to North Campus} as well as our adult life groups that meet on Sunday and do not need childcare. That will help us gain the extra parking that we need. I'll preach the first service there, then I'll return

to preach the second and third services at our South Campus. Ultimately, we’ll be dependent on God to lead us forward as we have been. In the future, we foresee building a brandnew sanctuary up there and moving all our services up there.”

And yet, do you remember all those local missions and partnerships? That work will continue and be supported by the South Campus. “We have a weekday childcare ministry, but we don't have any more spots available for it; we need more rooms. {When a new sanctuary is built at the North Campus}

our plan is to expand that childcare ministry for the weekday here at this campus. We would still use Sunday evenings and Wednesday evenings for student and children's ministry at this campus as well.”

Scott is quick to praise God for moving in the life of their body, “You plant, you water, and only then do you reap a harvest. We’re so thankful to God that He is moving, and we get to follow Him.” Scott may still be in Evansville, where he was born and raised, but make no mistake, he is still willing to move…as long as God moves first. n

Next Steps Certification: JOSHUA LAMB’S STORY

A recent Next Steps Certification class.

Joshua Lamb, an MDIV student at New Orleans Baptist Seminary, never imagined himself walking around the stately campus and taking classes in pursuit of the renowned graduate degree. However, a strong interest in apologetics followed him throughout his undergraduate studies in mechanical engineering. “In my undergrad, I developed a passion for Christian apologetics. As young believers, we are often faced with different skeptics and ideas. Wanting to be prepared for that, kind of launched me into studying apologetics unofficially in my undergrad. From there, the passion grew, along with my desire to gain more knowledge.”

This growing desire led Joshua to enroll in the Next Steps Certification program the same year he started his career in mechanical engineering. Encouraged by his pastor, Scott Kallem of New Life Baptist in Greencastle, and his connection with Team Leader for Church and Leader Mobilization, Scooter Kellum, Lamb began taking the monthly classes offered by the program to further his growth in apologetics. He quickly connected with the visiting professors, “I really appreciated the NOBTS staff that came

to teach in the Next Steps program: Dr. Newsom, Dr. Harwood, Dr. Wetzel, and Dr. Wilton. I enjoyed listening to their wisdom, but also sharing in their passion for ministry. It was really encouraging.”

Once his Next Steps Certification was completed, Lamb began taking more online classes, but he quickly discerned a desire to pursue his education in person. “I started taking classes online while working full time. That was great, but for where I was at in my career, I could sense God's direction towards being in person in New Orleans.”

This led him to take the life-altering next step of resigning from his engineering position to attend seminary full-time and in person. Lamb arrived on campus in the early fall and plans to remain in New Orleans for about two more years to finish his degree. As for his next steps after graduation, he remains open to wherever the Lord leads him. “I think long-term, I see myself going back into engineering. Now that being said, if God does direct me into a full-time ministry role, I have my doors open for that. Either way, I will be a better-equipped layperson in the church, having spent this time at NOBTS.”

Wherever the Lord leads in the future, one thing is certain: His work will be completed, and the Lamb will be equipped for every good work that He has planned.

If you want to learn more about the Next Step Certification program, email Scooter Kellum at skellum@scbi.org.

Lamb proudly accepts his Next Steps certificate of completion.

STRENGTHENING Men’s Ministries ACROSS INDIANA

The Indiana Men’s Ministry in SCBI is on a mission to strengthen men’s ministries throughout the state. The unveiling of a new logo and vision statement — To see men transformed by the gospel, growing in Christlike character, leading with integrity, and strengthening the local church through faithful discipleship and service — marks the start of an exciting new chapter.

This initiative aims to equip men for Kingdom advancement by helping churches rediscover and embrace the vital role men are supposed to have in the life of the church. When men lead with humility, serve faithfully, and grow in Christlike character, both families and congregations thrive.

In November, the state’s first men’s conference, Connecting the Dots, focused on helping men see Jesus as the connection that unites the fragmented parts of their lives. Moving forward, intentional follow-up will be a top priority. Many conferences

inspire men in the moment, but true transformation occurs when continued discipleship takes place back home in their local church.

To help close this discipleship gap, plans are underway to gather leaders from across the state who can come alongside churches to strengthen and support their men’s ministries. Whether a church already has a thriving ministry or is just getting started, the goal is to provide practical help, encouragement, and resources to make men’s discipleship sustainable and effective.

Additional events and training opportunities will be created to keep men actively engaged in the ongoing process of discipleship. Focusing on quality over quantity, future plans include a Mentorship Pathway, where experienced believers will be paired with younger men for intentional discipleship, and Service Projects, where men can connect through serving their communities together.

If you're interested in more information or want to get involved, please contact the Associate Team Leader for the Church & Leader Development Team, Caleb Head, at chead@scbi.org.

STRENGTHENING

SCBI TRAILERS: EQUIPPING CHURCHES TO SERVE

THEIR COMMUNITIES

Imagine

Imagine hosting a block party as a church and having a trailer delivered right to your parking lot—complete with outdoor games, a snow cone or cotton candy machine, and other fun equipment to help make your event a success. Or picture organizing a community cleanup day without having to gather supplies for painting, cleanup, or yardwork—because a fully stocked trailer could be delivered directly to your chosen location. Finally, think about the Gospel conversations you could have with neighborhood kids if you had access to a gaming trailer that draws them in with multiple TVs and game consoles inside.

Available!

Scooter Kellum, Team Leader for Church and Leader Mobilization, wants you to know that by giving through the State Cooperative Program, you’ve helped equip these three trailers—and your church now has access to them as a member of SCBI!

Kellum has been planning and praying for SCBI to acquire and equip these trailers for nearly two years. That dream became a reality in May 2025. “After dreaming about this for years, we were finally able to make it happen—and that’s amazing! We don’t always get to see our plans come to fruition, but when you dream of something that feels like it’s from the Lord, and then it comes to pass, that’s really fun.”

In addition to the three trailers, SCBI also has a grill available for churches to use. The only expense associated with using the trailers or grill is the cost of gas for delivery. However, if you have a vehicle capable of towing and prefer to pick up the trailers yourself, there is no cost involved. The goal is for churches to use these trailers to serve their communities while creating opportunities for Gospel conversations.

Serving our churches

Kellum explains, “We at SCBI are here to serve our churches, and these trailers are a resource for evangelism. When churches give through the Cooperative Program, they’re not just giving so someone like me can sit in an office—they’re giving to help resource churches across our state, both big and small. Some give a lot, and some give a little, but we can come together and share resources strategically.” He hopes the trailers will be viewed as an example of that cooperation and that they will be used regularly.

Interested?

Interested churches can find the reservation forms on the SCBI website. Kellum and his team would also be glad to answer any questions you may have. You can contact him at chead@scbi.org.

STATE ROUNDUP Ministry to Women & Children

In Christ: SCBI Women’s Conference 2026, March 6th-7th

Who are you in Christ?

Every woman in every generation wrestles with the question—whether she’s just starting college, raising a family, or mentoring the next one. In a world that pushes women to define themselves by what they do or how they look, we’re inviting women across Indiana to rediscover who they already are in Jesus.

The SCBI Women’s Conference is designed to strengthen churches by investing in women so that Christ might increase. When women are rooted in truth, their homes and ministries flourish. When they know who they are in Christ, they live with confidence and purpose that blesses the whole church.

This year, Dee Dee Williams will take us through the story of Scripture, showing how our identity is woven into God’s redemptive plan. Expect a weekend filled with worship that stirs the heart and teaching that grounds your faith.

Encourage the women in your church—your leaders, teachers, moms, and daughters—to

gather for a weekend that reminds us all that our worth is found only in Christ.

Come ready to be renewed, equipped, and inspired for Kingdom impact.

Vacation Bible School 2026

Get ready to light up the summer of 2026 with Illumination Station VBS, where kids will discover that Jesus is the Light of the World! Based on John 8:12, this year’s theme invites children to explore how Jesus brightens, illuminates, reflects, and reveals truth in a dark world.

Many people today know about Jesus but may not truly know Him. During Illumination Station, kids will dive into Scripture and be challenged to answer Jesus’ timeless question: “Who do you say that I am?” Each day will reveal an essential truth about Jesus—showing that He is exactly who Scripture declares Him to be, the perfect, proven, and powerful Son of God.

Through hands-on activities, energetic worship, and engaging Bible lessons, Illumination Station offers an unforgettable week where children experience the hope and light of Christ.

Equipping Churches to Shine the Light

The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) equips churches for Vacation Bible School

through Lifeway Christian Resources, which develops comprehensive curriculum materials for all ages and abilities—complete with Bible lessons, crafts, music, recreation, and missions' activities. Lifeway also provides administrative and training guides, along with leader resources to help set up the local church for a successful VBS.

The State Convention of Baptists in Indiana partners in this mission by offering regional training, online resources, and leadership development opportunities. These sessions provide local churches with practical strategies, networking, and encouragement— helping congregations of every size host an effective, Gospel-centered VBS. We are very excited to partner with you in being the hands and feet of Jesus and sharing the Gospel.

Each day

Illumination Station centers on a truth about Jesus

1. Jesus Is God’s Promised Son (Matthew 16:13–20)

2. Jesus Is God’s Perfect Son (Matthew 3:13–17; Mark 1:1–11; John 1:29–34)

3. Jesus Is the Powerful Son of God (Matthew 15:29–39)

4. Jesus Is the Proven Son of God (Mark 14:43–16:7)

5. Jesus Is God’s Plan for Forgiveness (Acts 2)

Invite your church and community to experience the brightest week of the year!

For more details, scan the QR code on the official VBS 2026 flyer (on the following page) or visit the Indiana Baptist website, scbi.org, to learn how your church can bring Illumination Station to life.

A Band of Brothers The Northwest Indiana Baptist Association:

Our brothers in the Northwest Indiana Baptist Association have enjoyed a long history of fruitful and growing community. So much so that they have gained a reputation throughout the state as having a tight and active association, regularly seeing pastors attend events and times of fellowship. Andy Moore, pastor of Ross Baptist Church in Gary also serves as the AMS (Associational Mission Strategist) and believes

The Lord is using this band of like-minded brothers in the Northwest Indiana Association...

a restructuring of leadership as been profitable for the group, “In 2021, we changed our model. Our full-time AMS resigned and rather than fill that position we moved to three part-time roles in our association. And so, three different pastors are sharing the duties that the full-time AMS was before.”

Along with Moore, JJ Hairston, pastor of Barrington Ridge Baptist Church, serves as the Missions Mobilization Leader and Mitch Tabla, pastor of Valparaiso Baptist Church, serves as the Church Health and Revitalization Leader. Moore explains, “All of us have our plates full of church responsibilities; those are the primary focus for all of us. But there are advantages to this model because now there's three of us to divide up some of the responsibilities and connections that need to be made.”

In addition, Moore explained the financial blessing in the restructuring as well, “Financially, it’s been a much more cost-effective model for us. It’s freed up money for different things we've wanted to do, and we’ve been able to give it back to the churches in our association: whether it’s maintenance projects at a church, or an event of some kind, like an outreach or

VBS. I think it’s been something that's really blessed our churches financially.”

The association hosts a weekly Monday morning breakfast meeting for whomever can attend along with various training events throughout the year. Moore states that they couldn’t pull off the events that they do without the help of their administrative assistant, Zelma Donelson who is an integral part of the team.

They have also looked to link arms in missions, “We partner together to do missions opportunities; we've developed an intentional partnership with another association in Tennessee. And we'll go down there, or they'll come up here. Just in the last year, we've gone and done mission trips there as well as in Illinois. We have a disaster relief trailer—we were up in Milwaukee just a few months ago with it—so we look to partner together to do missions work.”

Furthering the brotherhood, Moore also highlights their joint commitment to church planting, “We also partner together for church planting. We've

got a gentleman who just went through NAMB assessment last week and is looking to start a church plant in Michigan City. And, you know, we do all these things together; not all our churches are large enough to be able to sponsor a church planter on their own. But through the work of the association, we can all play a part in church planting here in Northwest Indiana.”

The results are clear: The Lord is using this band of like-minded brothers in the Northwest Indiana Association to build community for their pastors and to spread the Gospel throughout northwest Indiana! n

with GOSPEL CITY CHURCH CORE Discipleship

...discipleship should be learning Christ in the context of community.

We’re not a church with small groups, but a church of small groups. The unofficial motto has been a part of Gospel City Church in Granger since it was planted in February of 2009. The commitment has not wavered; however, Pastor of Theological Development, Mitch Helmkamp came to see a way for the church to do even more, “The pastors and elders were discussing biblical literacy and realizing we needed to focus there. We would have morning worship and really emphasize for people to get in a small group, but we found that while small groups are great for a lot of things, they struggle to accomplish everything when it comes to making whole disciples.”

Helmkamp, a graduate of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, was introduced to the book Deep Discipleship by J.T. English through his mother, Michelle, Director of Children’s Discipleship and Family Care who was also a seminary student at SBTS at the time, “J.T. was explaining everything we were already feeling. He had a helpful framework where he said that all

discipleship should be learning Christ in the context of community. He detailed how his church introduced theology classes, not in isolation, but in community with an emphasis on learning together. The book ended up giving us the confidence to try it at Gospel City.”

The result has been the development of Core classes which the church began hosting four years ago. Church attendees, especially members, are encouraged to commit to the 11-week classes that are offered on Sunday nights while remaining in their regular weekly small groups. Helmkamp relayed that some small groups have even taken the classes together.

The first Core class focused on the church’s doctrinal statement; each week attendees had homework where they dug deep into theological concepts such as the doctrine of God, the Trinity, Salvation, and Man. Helmkamp wrote the class workbook using the accompanying textbooks from which students did their reading assignments. They would then arrive to class on Sunday night where they sat at the same table group each week to interact over their weekly studies with a discussion leader and listen to teaching from a pastor or elder. One participant wrote of his experience, “I am in total awe of the character of God. I learned so much. It gave me a closer relationship to The Lord. I am amazed at God's goodness and power. I am more at peace because of my understanding of Him.”

The successful launch has developed into more levels of Core as well, including Academy which is a year-long intensive designed for any leaders of the church. The sweetest partnership though might be the development of Kids Core which Helmkamp developed with his mom, Michelle, “Parents or adults go through Core and then come back the next year as teachers or leaders helping youth go through the same content at an age-appropriate level. It’s all the same format and content but stripped down with less reading and journaling along with more age-appropriate teaching.”

Since launching the classes, the church has seen over 700 people take the journey! Helmkamp concludes, “People are a lot hungrier for theology than you might think and it’s fun to learn about our amazing God together.”

The church plans to continue offering the classes as long as people continue to sign up. Helmkamp credits the Communications Team at Gospel City, specifically Director of Strategic Development, Ben Hannah, for helping to pull it all together from the curriculum to the event planning, and beyond.

Above all, glory to God for the fruit He has produced as evidenced by feedback from another participant, “I learned just how intricate and fascinating God's plan was all along. Now when I read the bible, it isn't just history, but a love story of God saving me from the pit of hell. Every word is important and meaningful.” n