Five Sites, One Congregation Across Indianapolis
Cornerstone Lutheran Church describes itself with a simple phrase: one church with five locations, united in Christ to build God's kingdom. The congregation gathers on the north side of Indianapolis and into the surrounding suburbs of Carmel, Fishers, and the Eagle Creek area on the city's west side, plus a fifth site near East New York Street on the east side. The shared main office sits at 4850 E Main Street in Carmel, with weekday hours from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pastors rotate among the locations, and ministry staff serve the network as a whole rather than one site alone.
The motto on the church's materials is "The Corner of Faith + Family," and that phrase frames a ministry organized around households at every stage, from a parent with a toddler in the indoor play area to a retiree at a Wednesday euchre table. The congregation belongs to the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS), and that affiliation shapes its teaching and liturgy. Cornerstone is a member of Lutheran Church Charities through its K9 Comfort Dog affiliation and joins the wider LCMS women's auxiliary (LWML) at the Carmel site.
Beliefs
Cornerstone's statement of belief is built around the Apostles' Creed. The church confesses God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and teaches that God has sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the price for our imperfections - that "Jesus willingly did this, going to the cross for our forgiveness." The empty tomb, in this telling, seals the work of the cross. Baptism is treated as the means by which God makes a promise to be with His people forever, referencing Matthew 28:18-20 and Acts 2:37-39, and the church points to John 3:16 and 1 John 4:9-10 to explain the motive: "Love."
Discipleship is described as a journey on which disciples are called "to think, believe and act like Jesus." Stated values name Relationships, Obedience, Teamwork, All Generations, Resourcing, Multisite, and Courage as the framework for that work. Lutheran Women in Mission (LWML) gathers women of the church into the wider LCMS structure, and the Cornerstone Foundation carries out planned and legacy giving for the future of the ministry.
Worship at Each Location
Every site of Cornerstone Lutheran offers both a traditional and a contemporary service, with the exception of the Indy location, which gathers for one Sunday morning service at 10:45 a.m. The rhythm was set for visitors with a question about timing rather than style, and each main site adds a Saturday evening option as well as Sunday morning services.
At the Carmel site (4850 E Main Street) the schedule runs Saturday at 5:00 p.m., Sunday at 8:30 a.m. (traditional), and Sunday at 10:45 a.m. (contemporary), with Sunday School and adult education at 9:45 a.m. The Carmel campus also operates one of the indoor Play Areas. Eagle Creek (6100 N Raceway Road, Indianapolis) follows the same Saturday-Sunday pattern at 5:00 p.m. and 8:30 a.m. and 10:45 a.m., with the same 9:45 a.m. education hour. Fishers (13450 E 116th Street) runs Sunday-only worship, traditional at 8:30 a.m. and contemporary at 10:45 a.m., with the 9:45 a.m. education hour, and operates a weekday Play Area. Indy (2837 E New York Street, Indianapolis) meets for worship at 10:45 a.m. with its education hour at 9:45 a.m. and opens its Play Area on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. A fifth location at 8540 E 16th Street in Indianapolis (the Warren site) holds Sunday worship at 10:00 a.m. with education for adults and children at 9:00 a.m.
Traditional services are led by Director of Traditional Worship Jess Brandt and Assistant Director Josh Pedde, with Sanctuary Choir, a Symphonic Choir and Orchestra, brass and wind ensembles, handbells, and cantors drawn from the musicians across the network. Contemporary services at Carmel are coordinated by Kendall Guse; at Fishers, by Michaela Paige. Online, two services stream each weekend at 8:30 a.m. (traditional) and 10:45 a.m. (contemporary), with archived services and sermon series like "Written to Live" and "Growing Up in the Faith" available through Church Center and Cornerstone's YouTube channel.
Visitors are told "there's no dress code. You'll see people wearing jeans and a T-shirt, as well as others in a dress or suit." Children are welcome in worship, with the church noting that "maybe they'll get rambunctious and noisy, but that's OK." A cry room or quiet area is available at every site, and a staffed nursery for infants through age three runs during the worship and education hour at Carmel, Fishers, and Eagle Creek.
Faith Formation from Cradle to Confirmation
Faith formation across the network is led by Director of Faith Formation Melissa Luepke, with site-level coordinators and assistants supporting each campus. Sunday School gathers children from birth through 4th grade during the 9:45 a.m. education hour, in combined large-group teaching and grade-level small groups. Becca Klemm oversees children's ministry at Carmel, Tricia Statler at Fishers, and Elaina Guse at Eagle Creek, with DCE (Director of Christian Education) certification guiding her role at the latter.
Middle school (grades 5-8) meets at Carmel and Fishers during the same Sunday slot. Students in 5th and 6th grade dig into the Bible with leaders like Elaina Guse, and grades 7-8 enter a two-year Confirmation program with pastors and small-group leaders, ending in a personal confession of faith. Confirmation draws on pastors and staff for teaching, includes retreats and service opportunities, and involves parents throughout the year. The Wednesday-night program called Refuge brings 7th-12th graders together for games, worship music, Bible study, small group time, snacks, and what the church describes as "LOTS of fun and laughter."
High school students (grades 9-12) meet Sunday mornings at Carmel and Fishers, then gather again from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. on Sunday evenings for additional Bible study and discussion. Children's choirs at Carmel and Fishers practice once a week and sing in worship once a month, with K-6 singers exploring music through singing and instruments. A monthly Amplify night serves 5th and 6th graders. An All Students Calendar tracks what is happening at each grade level.
Adult Discipleship, Small Groups, and Bible Study
Director of Discipleship Kate Giger and Discipleship Coordinator Sara Konopka lead the adult-discipleship pathway, with Sara Konopka also serving as the primary contact for volunteers across ministries. The Cornerstone small-group model is intentionally simple: four to six households, meeting once a month in homes for two years, with a planned checkpoint at the end of that period. Each gathering includes time in God's Word, a faith conversation, mutual care, and plain community.
Bible study happens at multiple levels. Women's Bible studies meet on weekday mornings and evenings; men's studies gather through the week; an adult Bible class meets alongside Sunday School at 9:45 a.m. RightNow Media is offered free to people in the congregation - what the church calls "the Netflix of Bible Studies" - with a library of faith-based video content for kids, students, parents, married couples, and adults. The Discover Cornerstone Lutheran (DCL) class is a six-week course taught by pastors and staff as an entryway into membership, and it introduces the church's mission, the spiritual gifts of participants, and the ministry areas where they might serve.
Women's, Men's, and Young Adult Life
The women's ministry supports, equips, and empowers women through Bible study, MomCo groups (formerly MOPS), an LWML auxiliary, and the CLC Women's Book Club, which meets on the first Tuesday of each month from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Carmel site with a different book under discussion each month. MomCo groups, coordinated by Abby Kruse, serve moms of young children through fellowship, mentoring, and leadership formation, building on more than two decades of MOPS programming at the church. The LWML group collects items for missions - socks, baby items, and food - and accepts consignment donations of clothing and household goods on behalf of mission funding, with a large Mite Box placed at the Carmel sanctuary on the first weekend of every month for spare change.
Men's ministry works under the oversight of Executive Pastor Kevin Thomson and includes men's Bible studies and a recurring pickup basketball night for fellowship and fitness. Young adults (couples and singles in their 20s and 30s) gather for Bible study, dinners, outings, and service through the Cornerstone Young Adult Ministry, which meets across the Indianapolis area.
Older Adults and Care Ministry
The Older Adult ministry, for adults 65 and older, includes monthly pitch-in luncheons at Carmel on the first Mondays and at Fishers on the fourth Tuesdays, weekly Seniors Exercise at the Carmel gym on Saturdays from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m., and euchre groups at Carmel on second and fourth Wednesdays and at Eagle Creek on first and third Wednesdays.
Care Ministry is led from the Carmel site under Pastor Max Murphy. GriefShare, a 13-week recovery program, meets at both Carmel and Fishers throughout the year for those who have lost a spouse, child, parent, or friend. A monthly Caregiver Support Group meets on the third Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. at Carmel for those caring for loved ones facing health issues associated principally with aging or memory loss. DivorceCare for Kids (DC4K) is one of several support groups referenced, and mental-health resources - including 24/7 hotlines, Christian counseling referrals, and a network of community partners - are made available through Cornerstone's Care and Prayer resources. Pastoral staff are reachable around the clock: callers after hours are prompted to leave a message that routes to a pastor.
Comfort Dogs and Pastoral Care
Cornerstone Lutheran is an affiliate of Lutheran Church Charities' K9 Comfort Dog Ministry. Two AKC-certified Golden Retrievers - Magdalene, received March 2023, and Eternity, received September 2025 - serve in schools, senior centers, nursing homes, community organizations, and disaster deployments. Each dog completes more than 2,000 hours of training and knows more than 30 commands. Top Dog Jane Callahan leads the team. The comfort dogs function as a bridge for pastoral care and outreach, with the church describing their presence as "calming and healing" and encouraging people to talk about their distress and begin the healing process.
Cornerstone Lutheran Preschool at Carmel and Eagle Creek
Cornerstone Lutheran Preschool operates at the Carmel and Eagle Creek campuses for children ages two through five, accredited by the National Lutheran School Accreditation (NLSA) and registered as a Level 1 "Paths to Quality" provider with the State of Indiana. The school is directed by Teresa Millwood and uses Luke 2:52 as its organizing verse: "Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man." Curriculum goals follow the four areas of that verse: physically (large and fine motor skills), academically (language, literacy, math, science, social studies, art, and faith concepts), spiritually (weekly chapel time and daily Bible stories), and socially/emotionally (interactions with peers and adults).
Classes run from 9:00 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. in two-, three-, and five-day combinations for each age level. Eagle Creek adds Before Care (7:30-9:00 a.m.) and After Care (1:15-5:30 p.m.) for working families. A nondiscrimination statement in the school's materials makes clear that admission is "without regard to race, color, ancestry, origin, religion, sex, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, or age, to the extent required by law and consistent with CLC's religious mission." Preschool families register through Cornerstone's Brightwheel app for tuition and payments.
Serving Indianapolis and Beyond
Cornerstone maintains a long list of community partnerships. The Indy site hosts a free community dinner every Tuesday from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. in the gym, and the church supports The Sharing Place Food Pantry, Family Promise of Hendricks County (housing and child care for families experiencing housing instability), Wheeler Mission (overflow shelter at CLC Indy during winter months, plus collections of donated goods), and The Little Timmy Project (which operates "The Little Mom Shop" at the Indy site, providing diapers, formula, clothing, and supplies to new and expecting mothers). A Disabilities Ministry includes the Friendship Bible Class (Tuesday evenings, September-May) and Friendship Saturday (monthly, October-May), programs that welcome teens as helpers and integrate adults with developmental differences into the life of the church.
Members also knit and crochet comfort shawls every Monday evening at the Carmel Seniors Lounge from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. for cancer patients and others needing comfort. A church-supported list of general-help resources (food, shelter, financial assistance, life skills, addiction recovery, and free clinic services) points members and neighbors toward the Merciful H.E.L.P. Center, Trinity Free Clinic, Wheeler Mission, and the 988 Suicide and Crisis Hotline, among others. Volunteers can serve in worship (greeting, ushering, reading, communion assistance), on tech teams (slides, lighting, sound and cameras), in music (choirs, ensembles, bands), with the comfort dogs, in property care, or with the partner ministries listed above.
Pastoral and Ministry Leadership
Scott Giger serves as Senior Pastor. Kevin Thomson is Executive Pastor and Site Pastor at Fishers. Max Murphy serves as Carmel Site Pastor and Director of Care. Shawn Hecksel is Eagle Creek Site Pastor. Logan Davis serves as Indy Site Pastor and Director of Outreach. Dale Ward is Pastor of Worship Arts and Online Ministry. Paul Borg is Pastoral Assistant. Luther Brunette continues in retirement as Visitation Pastor, calling on roughly 40 households each month. Ministry directors lead Faith Formation (Melissa Luepke), Traditional Worship (Jess Brandt, with Josh Pedde), Contemporary Worship (Kendall Guse at Carmel and Michaela Paige at Fishers), Discipleship (Kate Giger), the Comfort Dog team (Jane Callahan), and the Preschool (Teresa Millwood). Coordinators shepherd children's ministry at each main site, run the MomCo gatherings, walk alongside women's ministry, and lead the Indy site's community engagement, while dozens of teachers, support staff, and site coordinators carry out the day-to-day work of five locations.