At Common Ground, we recognize the power and potential that a healthy marriage can have in bringing glory to God. We also recognize, however, that spiritual warfare is real and that Satan will stop at nothing to tear down anything that brings power and glory to Christ. CGCC offers two primary avenues to help couples build the foundation for their marriage - Foundations of Marriage Retreat and the Pre-Marital Mentor Program.

The Foundations of Marriage Retreat is designed to equip engaged couples with the knowledge and the tools for building a strong and healthy marriage. The retreat, which is held four times per year at Camp Allendale, is designed to give couples the opportunity to take a look at five specific areas of their marriage:  the Biblical foundation and God’s design for marriage, roles within a marriage, communication and peacemaking, finances and intimacy. Because the retreat is interactive in nature, each retreat is limited to a maximum of eight couples.   

The Pre-Marital Mentor Program is designed to connect engaged couples who are involved in house churches with a married couple for the purpose of support and encouragement both pre- and post-wedding. Mentor couples typically meet with engaged/newly married couples 3-4 times to celebrate the joys and walk through the challenges that come with marriage.

The Pre-Marital Mentor Program is coordinated by Arch Nevins, pastor of discipleship.  The Foundations of Marriage Retreats are lead by Nick and Jenn Sproull. Nick and Jenn have been hc shepherds since 2003, and Nick has served as an elder since 2005. They are currently expecting their first child in April.   

For more information on weddings or upcoming Foundations of Marriage retreats, please visit the wedding information page on our website. You may also contact Shawn at shawn@cground.org.

Common Ground has partnered with Trader’s Point Christian Church, East 91st Street Christian Church, Kingsway Christian Church and Plainfield Christian Church to plant a life-giving community in downtown Indianapolis.  Our church network is working closely with Stadia, an organization that casts vision for collaborative church planting.

Common Ground will participate in this church plant in two main ways.  First, we will provide financial support for the plant.  This support is provided by each of the participating churches.  Secondly, Jeff, our lead pastor, will serve as a coach for the church planter.  Jake Nelson has been hired as the lead planter for the new church.  You will have the opportunity to learn more about this plant and to meet Jake over the coming weeks and months.

To learn more about Stadia and their work in church planting, please visit their website at www.stadia.cc. For more information on CGCC's involvement, please contact Jake at jake.d.nelson@gmail.com

Have you ever wondered what other house churches do in addition to meeting once a week?  What living life together looks like for them?  For the Alexander house church on the west side, community includes dedicating one day a month to serving either someone within their house church or someone in the community they have a relationship with. They call it C-Day, or Community Day, and it typically includes working on some projects together, sharing lunch, and “ministering” to those in need. 

In September, a sister in their house church was blessed with some help in and around her house. The men dedicated their time installing two bathroom vanities for her while the women helped her with some landscaping. While spreading mulch and trimming shrubbery can be a daunting task for one person, it was a great community builder and quick work for several servants. This kind of giving really helped to lighten the burden of home ownership for our sister.

In past months, the Alexander house church has also looked beyond their own members and served within the neighborhood. They’ve helped a neighbor stain a fence and provided assistance to a woman cleaning the home of a loved one she lost. These little, intentional acts of service go a long way in building a feeling of family. Setting time aside each month to help someone and to show them that they are loved, is a great example of being Jesus where you live. Below are some pictures from their September C-day.

Each year, Common Ground participates in Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan’s Purse, an evangelical outreach organization run by Franklin Graham. The organization collects and distributes shoeboxes filled with toys and Gospel booklets to children around the world. Since the project started in 1993, children in more than 120 countries have received the boxes and have had the opportunity to learn about Jesus through booklets in their own language. In 2006, Samaritan’s Purse distributed more then 7 million shoeboxes to children throughout the world.

This year, we hope to send several hundred shoe boxes from Common Ground to children throughout the world. Participating is easy. First, save your shoe boxes, or similar containers with removable lids. Next, purchase small items such as toys and stuffed animals for a boy or girl. Finally, bring your filled box (wrapped or upwrapped), along with a completed shoe box label and your donation of $7 per shoe box, back to Common Ground by the first week in November. Want to get a head start? Visit www.samaritanspurse.org for full details on this project and other ways to help. You can even make your $7 donation online now – simply click on the EZGIVE button on their website.

Instructional brochures with donation information will be available in the Welcome Center at Midtown and at the information Table at CGCC-West in the coming weeks.