On the east side of Elkhart, Indiana, just off Mishawaka Road, Elkhart Calvary opens its doors each Sunday morning to a steady stream of English and Spanish-speaking neighbors. As an Assemblies of God congregation, the church has built its life around a single, clearly stated mission: for people to know God, find freedom, discover their purpose, and make a difference. Everything from the coffee shop just inside the front doors to the food pantry that opens twice a month is shaped by that aim.
A Simple Process for Discipleship
The church's teaching team describes discipleship in plain terms. God, they say, is vast and complex, but serving Him does not have to be. They summarize the Christian life as three callings: love God, love others, and bring hope to the world. Each ministry, class, and group at Elkhart Calvary is designed to help people move forward in one of those three directions, and the building is laid out so that newcomers can find the next step without having to guess.
Sunday Mornings in English
Pre-service prayer gathers at 9 AM each Sunday, and the main worship service begins at 10 AM, generally wrapping up by 11:30. Music is contemporary, led from a stage rather than a loft, with guitars, piano, drums, and whatever else the team can find that makes music. The congregation is encouraged to come as they are; the church's own words on dress are, "Come as you are. Your clothing doesn't matter to God so it doesn't matter to us." Services are livestreamed on the Elkhart Calvary Online YouTube channel for those unable to attend in person.
Sacred Grounds Coffee Shop
Just inside the main doors to the right sits Sacred Grounds, the church's in-house coffee shop. It opens at 9 AM on Sundays and stays open before and after the service, giving early arrivals and lingering guests a place to sit, talk, and ease into the morning. First-time guests often use it as a first touchpoint before heading to the Welcome Center straight ahead.
Una Tarde en Español
The same building hosts a second Sunday gathering fully in Spanish at 3 PM, led by the Spanish Ministry team. During the 10 AM English service, Spanish translation is available for those who prefer it. The bilingual rhythm of the day has made Elkhart Calvary a gathering place for both long-time English-speaking families and the area's Spanish-speaking community.
Children's Church and Family Safety
Children in kindergarten through fifth grade have their own program, Children's Church, that meets during the 10 AM worship service. Parents who pre-register online can pick up printed name tags at the Front Desk; everyone else checks children in at the Welcome Center. The safety system is straightforward: each parent receives a sticker that matches the one placed on the child, and only workers who have been background-checked and approved are allowed into the children's area. The team treats child safety as a top priority and has built the check-in process around that commitment.
Student Ministry on Wednesdays
Middle school and high school students meet on Wednesdays at 7 PM through the Student Ministry, directed by Adam and Hannah Rines. Wednesday nights also double as Calvary Community Nights, when adult Life Groups and other midweek ministries meet at the church at the same time, giving families a reason to be on campus together. The student ministry keeps its own presence on Facebook and runs through the Church Center app.
Life Groups: The Heart of Connection
Life Groups are the small-group ministry Elkhart Calvary is most proud of, and the church describes them in unusually detailed terms. Each group is closed, meaning members commit to one another for a set period, usually twelve to eighteen months, and then multiply into new groups. A typical Life Group includes five to ten individuals or four to six married couples who meet two to four times a month, often in a member's home, for Bible study, prayer, friendship, and accountability.
The church organizes groups by category (married, men's, women's) and works toward offering Spanish-speaking options where possible. Groups are advertised twice a year, in February and August, and interested people register for the one that best fits their location, night of the week, and group type. Diana Rowan serves as the Small Groups Director and walks with leaders through any challenges that come up. The life-group approach is built around the idea that significant change happens in intentional relationships, and the church trains leaders to be humble, curious, teachable, and intentional.
Starting Point for the Curious
For people still exploring faith, Elkhart Calvary runs Starting Point, an eight-week in-person group held at the church. The class is described as a safe, judgment-free environment for asking honest questions, facilitated by leaders who have wrestled with their own doubts. New participants register through the Church Center app, show up for their first meeting, and are encouraged to be real rather than perform. It functions as the church's on-ramp for those who are interested in Christianity but not ready to call themselves believers.
Growth Track for Members
After Starting Point, the Growth Track is the formal pathway toward membership and ministry. It is built in three steps: becoming a member, discovering personal design, and joining a serving team. The first step introduces the church's beliefs, leadership, finances, and structure. The second helps people identify their gifts and personality shape. The third connects them to a Dream Team role where they can use those gifts. The track is open to anyone who wants to go deeper and is the church's way of turning spiritual interest into active participation.
The Dream Team: Serving Opportunities
Volunteers at Elkhart Calvary are part of what the church calls the Dream Team, and the options are broad. Children, Outreach, Host Teams, Creative Arts, Media Team, and Maintenance are listed as separate teams, each with its own application process. Care Team, Celebrate Recovery, Community Night, Connection Team, Nursery, Security, Small Groups, Tech, Treehouse, Worship, and Youth Group are additional places where new volunteers are welcome. Shalon Estrada, the Marketing and Media Director, leads much of the behind-the-scenes work that keeps the church's communications running.
OASIS for Older Adults
Older adults have their own ministry called OASIS, which stands for Older Adults Still in Service. The group meets at varying times throughout the year for fellowship, fun, and activities, with events appearing on the church's calendar under the Older Adults category. It is one of several community-style groups that exist alongside the more structured Life Groups.
The Food Pantry on Mishawaka Road
Twice a month, the church's front parking lot becomes a small hub of practical help. The Elkhart Calvary Food Pantry opens on the second and fourth Saturday of each month from 9 AM to noon, providing groceries to families in Elkhart County. There are no income forms or lengthy applications; the church simply asks for a name, county of residence, and household count so volunteers can serve each family well. The pantry is part of a wider local outreach that also connects the church to organizations like Shepherd's Cove Food Pantry in the region.
Kingdom Builders and Global Missions
Each year the church launches a fundraising effort called Kingdom Builders, asking members to pray, seek, and give toward a specific goal, recently set at $150,000. The money supports three streams: global missions (vehicles, humanitarian aid, church planting, pastoral development), local church expansion (planting Spirit-filled churches and reaching the hurting in the area), and future leaders (organizations caring for the physical and spiritual needs of children and young adults). A particular emphasis is placed on raising up and sending Elkhart Calvary's own missionaries from within the congregation for a year of overseas service, with the hope of a lifetime commitment.
Care and Prayer
The Care Ministry exists to walk alongside congregation members and their families during crisis and transition. Prayer requests, care requests, and praise reports can be submitted through online forms in the Care section. A Testimony and Praise Report form invites members to share stories of what God has done, with the option of allowing the church to publish them publicly.
Beliefs
Elkhart Calvary holds to the sixteen fundamental truths of the Assemblies of God. The church summarizes its convictions through the lens of its mission: love God, love others, and bring hope to the world. Baptism is understood as a public declaration of faith, performed by full immersion for anyone over age seven who understands what it symbolizes, and the church provides dedicated baptism Sundays where family and friends are invited to celebrate together.
Leadership
Pastor Nathan and his wife Shauna serve as Lead Pastors. Pastor Brian and Melody oversee Operations and Administration, and Pastor Eugene and Esther round out the pastoral team. Adam and Hannah Rines direct the Student Ministry, Diana Rowan leads the Small Groups ministry, and Shalon Estrada directs Marketing and Media. Together this team oversees a congregation that meets in two languages on Sundays and continues through the week in homes, classrooms, and food lines across the county.
Planning a First Visit
Guests who want to plan ahead can fill out the Visit Us form online or simply show up on a Sunday morning. The Welcome Center straight ahead through the front doors is the place to go for a first-time gift, and Sacred Grounds just inside to the right is the natural place to grab coffee before service. Children can be pre-registered through the Church Center app to speed up check-in, and the service itself, the church promises, will end close to 11:30. Questions before or after a visit can be sent to info@elkhartcalvary.org.