What is Common Ground?
We’re a young church, planted only 6 years ago.  Like all believers (and churches) we’re still in formation, but are always discerning who God has called us to be.  We believe these statements speak not only to what we believe but how we are compelled to live.  

We are Christians who…

…believe the Bible is the revelation of God’s plan to overtake the world through sacrificial love.  The story of the Scriptures reveals that we have been created by God to be loved by Him and to love His creation with that same love.  We acknowledge the Scriptures authority for those who trust God and we submit ourselves to the reading, hearing and transforming power of that story together.

 …confess that we have not loved God or his creation sacrificially, but selfishly.

…trust Jesus of Nazareth as the perfect example of God’s love.  His life is the pattern for those who will come after Him.  He died that the world might live.

…submit to the Holy Spirit to transform our whole selves into the image of Jesus so that we can join God in loving the world more accurately.  We recognize that this will compel us to seek out forgotten, mistreated and oppressed peoples in Indianapolis and around the world.

…hope that one day Jesus will return to complete what he started in his life and ministry.  He will rule the earth with justice and mercy. 

…engage in living out Christ’s vision for creation now in eager anticipation of the fullness to come.  We acknowledge that our active engagement in the mission of Jesus will take us to the forgotten places and mistreated peoples in Indianapolis and around the world.

We are organized as a church so that we can become more like Jesus together and love the city of Indianapolis and the world accurately.

House Church is the context of our formation in the image of Jesus and service to the places where God has planted us locally.

We gather together on Sundays in Broad Ripple and on the west side of Indianapolis to express our thankfulness to God for what He is doing in restoring all things.

We are listening and waiting to hear from God as to where He wants us to go and tell His story.

In a recent sermon I said something like, “The person that you are today is not the person that God has in mind for you to be.”  We are in a constant state of becoming.  It is a challenging realization for sure.  Sometimes that shaping process is exciting and sometimes it is difficult and at other times it is excruciatingly painful and we might even think that God is trying to kill us.  He is not, but it feels that way.  This formation is the work of the Holy Spirit and it is for our good.  Yet, there are times in the process when we are not sure that it is for our good or that God is even concerned about us.  It is only on the other side of the pain that we are able to see what God is up to.  These times of formation build for us a catalogue of stories and experiences that give us faith when the next formation opportunity comes.  It is called life with God. 

In the same way, CGCC is also in the same process of formation.  We are being shaped as a family.  Our elders are constantly listening to God in regards to this formation.  Who has He called us to be?  How has He called us to respond to His mission?  What part do we play in the “body of Christ” in Indianapolis?  These are conversations that we regularly have.  We want to be submitted to God’s plan for us.  And we have noticed that this plan is not stationary, but rather it is a process of formation, just like the process that God is working in all of our hearts.  God is continually forming CGCC as a faith community and we are continually listening so that we can best respond.

To respond to what God has called us to be means that we must open our hands to let go of the preconceived notions that we might have on what CGCC should be and submit ourselves to the place that God has in mind for us.  And the elders have continued to ask God and He has continued to respond.  We know that God has called us to tell the story of Jesus in Indianapolis by equipping Christians to be the church where they live.   

We are changing the way in which we meet on Sunday mornings to respond to our continued formation.  We are excited that we will now have two different sites for worship.  They will both be CGCC.  One will be on the west side of Indianapolis and one will be in the midtown area of Indianapolis.  This is the first of what will hopefully be many sites around Indianapolis where networks of house churches gather for weekly celebration of what God is doing in their neighborhoods.

We have hired Nate Smith to serve as the west-side site pastor.  His role will be to oversee the growing house church network on the west side of town and to help resource and shepherd the leaders of those house churches.  Nate will also be responsible for the logistics of the Sunday morning gathering at Eagle Creek Elementary School, known as CGCC-West.    

We are taking this strategy because we want you to be better equipped to be the church where you live.  We want you to be involved in your neighborhoods and communities and schools.  We want you to share life passionately with those who God has given you the privilege to live around.  And we want to support you in your mission, equip you for your mission, and release you into your mission.  For the past 6 years we have continued to see God provide for us when and where He leads us and we are confident that this will be the case again.  Please join the elders and house church shepherds in praying for these next steps.  We are asking God to continue to use us so that Indianapolis will know how much God loves them.

Why we can't tell you who they are...
Jesus has called the church to bear His image all over the world, in places of peace and hostility.  Common Ground is a sending community—we want to equip and mobilize people who are passionate about taking the Gospel to some of the least reached people in the world.

We have a family in the country of Turkey, a place of extreme hostility towards the Gospel, a place that has recently gone from persecution of believers to a place where the sword is an option.  God is present everywhere and we have sent this family to join in with what God is already doing in Turkey.  They are partnering with the local church and helping with leadership development, Pastoral care, and helping establish jobs for Turkish believers.  Turkey is a country of 70 million people and 99.9 percent of them are Muslim. Due to the dangers in Turkey, we are not able to identify the family serving there.  The dangers of following Christ are very real, and we ask that you pray for this family and for the advancement of the Gospel in Turkey.

In their own words... 
Ten years ago, my wife said she'd never go to Turkey.  After a strange turn of events, she found herself standing in Istanbul.  Nine years ago, while considering what the Lord desired from me, He gave me a "sign" to go to Turkey when a button advertising a short-term trip fell in my lap.  It was on that trip that my wife and I met.  How strange and wonderful are the ways of the Lord!

So, when someone asks, "Why Turkey of all places?" it's easy to say it was God's doing.  God has a heart for the nations and He placed in our hearts a desire for this nation.  So much so, that I can say I sometimes feel more at "home" here than I did in the U.S.  That's not because it's more comfortable or that we even fit in, but, instead, we have a sense of peace that this is where God wants us to be at this time.  

In a place where the call to prayer rings over the land 5 times a day from over 70,000 mosques, how can the Good News be heard?  In a place where people are taught that Christians believe in three gods, have four Bibles, and that God replaced Jesus with Judas on the cross, how can the Truth be shared?  First and foremost, we pray.  We pray for wisdom, guidance and for God to move in mighty ways.  And He is!  People who have never read the Bible have seen visions of Jesus depicting Him in ways only found in the book of Revelation.  Out of the martyrdom of three Christians in April, Turks are asking what kind of faith can the martyrs' wives have that they forgive the men who killed their husbands?   And that's just the beginning.

And, despite our imperfection, God is using us.  He's blessed us in friendships with leaders in the church.   We are seeking to partner with them in leadership development, while also investigating training and work opportunities for believers.  God has provided relationships with Muslims who appear to be seeking the only god they know with all their hearts.  Could it be that in their journey to be the best Muslims they can be, to be “moderate” Muslims of faith and peace, that their path is bringing them closer to a saving knowledge of the true Lord?  As we journey with them, sharing with them the love Christ has given us, our hope is exactly that!

God is also teaching us that our call to Turkey is one for our whole family.  Our children, who are quickly learning the language, are melting the hearts of the Turks with adorable smiles and loving affection.   As for us, we have downed thousands of glasses of tea, spent endless hours discussing money, politics, God, Jesus, the Bible, and the Koran, and have tried to live life with and love the people to whom the Lord is calling us.

If you would like to connect with this family, or to join their team of prayer and financial supporters, please email turkey@cground.org.

• we’ll increase our children’s ministry space by 50% and have space that is more centralized and better suited for the children;
• office space will increase nearly 100%, providing a single corridor of staff offices verses our current disjointed office locations;
• we have developed a relationship with the regional leadership of the denomination that sold us the building;
• we will serve as another worshipping community within walking distance of Butler; and  
• we have developed a relationship with Heritage Place – an organization that helps older adults in the midtown area and throughout the city.  They have maintained offices at this building for nearly 20 years and will continue to do so after our move.

Staff Updates
We are excited to announce several new additions to our staff:

Nate Smith is the site pastor for the west side.  As site pastor, Nate oversees logistics and ministry connected with Common Ground on the west side of Indianapolis.  In addition, he works closely with the west- side elders to facilitate shepherding and discipling within the collection of house churches that are connected with CGCC-West.  Email: nate@cground.org

Shawn VanDerAa is the office administrator, and is really the glue that holds the office together. In addition to providing administrative support for each of the pastors, Shawn coordinates and oversees the scheduling of weddings, Baby Dedication and provides general support to our members. Email: shawn@cground.org

Martina Gaughan is the director of children's ministry.  She oversees the teachers and ministry of our children on Sundays.  Martina plays a vital role in strategically implementing children's ministry into the house church gatherings. Email: martina@cground.org

Zach Mauer is the media coordinator and oversees the sound and video technical needs of the church.  Email: zach@cground.org

Where’s Ben?  Ben Biggerstaff recently moved to Muncie, IN where he will join the Master of Divinity program at the Anderson School of Theology.  Meanwhile, his wife Jenny has joined the Ball Memorial family practice residency program.  Both programs are three years in duration.  In the meantime, Ben plans on leading worship a few times each month here at CGCC.

Parking
Please continue to help us be Jesus where we live and worship by parking carefully in our neighborhood.  Our neighbors are contacting the church office with concerns regarding unfriendly parking behavior – blocked driveways on Sunday mornings are the #1 complaint.  A bike rack has been installed on the east side of the building for those who would like to bike in rather than drive.  For those without small children or special needs, we encourage you to park further away from the building and enjoy a nice walk to service. Thank you for being a good neighbor.

Your Thoughts
So, what do you think?  Do you feel more informed, more in the loop?  Please complete the short survey to let us know what you like and what we can do better.  Don't be shy - help us keep you informed!