Just off Averitt Road on the south side of Greenwood, Indiana, Greenwood Christian Church fills its 1,300-seat worship center twice on Sunday mornings and its gym, classrooms, and student center overflow with activity the rest of the week. The church has been part of this Johnson County community since April 1860, when a small group of believers gathered in a $200 log schoolhouse. More than 165 years later, the mission is still simple and is printed on nearly every page of the church's own materials: Love God through a life of worship, Grow together as disciples of Christ, and Inspire others to follow Jesus.
From a Log Schoolhouse to a 1,300-Seat Worship Center
The congregation's first home was a log schoolhouse purchased for $200. By 1868 the church had moved into a white-frame building at Smart and Pearl Streets, and later still a brick structure at Broadway and Smart Streets. In 1960 the church purchased 4.7 acres on Madison Avenue; a first building there was finished in 1963, a larger auditorium was added in 1971, and classrooms, offices, and a gym followed in 1984.
By the year 2000 the church had again outgrown its space. Greenwood Christian bought land at the corner of Worthsville and Averitt and completed "Phase 1" in time for the first services on May 30 and 31, 2000. Phase 2, finished in March 2002, added a gym, offices, and a student ministry center. In 2009 the current 1,300-seat Worship Center was added. The story is one of continual expansion, but the through-line has been the same: a church family that keeps finding new ways to serve Greenwood.
What to Expect on a Sunday Morning
Services are held at 9:30 and 11:00 AM, each running about 65 minutes. Dress is casual, jeans and shorts are fine, and a Welcome Center near the main entrance hands out a free gift to anyone who is new. Music is led by a band and runs the gamut of modern worship, with a hymn tossed in here or there. Songs by Brandon Lake, Elevation Worship, and Chris Tomlin are common. Free gourmet coffee from Every Tribe Coffee is available in the lobby. The building is wheelchair accessible, and team members are glad to help anyone find the best seat.
The worship service is also livestreamed. Anyone who wants to check things out online first can watch from the live page, and past messages are kept on demand. Message notes are posted weekly so people can follow along or catch up later.
Children's check-in opens 30 minutes before each service in the Commons. Every GC Kids volunteer is background checked, and a secure system prints matching tags for drop-off and pickup.
GC Kids: Five Age-Specific Rooms Plus Special Needs
GC Kids runs during both Sunday services and is organized by age so that every child hears teaching written for where they are. The 0 to 23-month and 2s rooms provide a safe, nurturing environment with age-appropriate toys and caring volunteers. The 3s, 4s, and 5-Kindergarten class introduces children to Jesus through free play, worship, interactive Bible stories, and activities; parents get take-home materials each week to reinforce the lesson.
First and second graders experience age-appropriate Bible teaching, worship, interactive activities, and small group conversations. Preteens in third through fifth grade move into a space built for kids who are starting to ask bigger questions and make their faith their own, with Bible teaching, worship, and small group conversations designed to build friendships as well as understanding.
A dedicated Special Needs Ministry is offered during the 11:00 AM service, including a one-on-one buddy program and a sensory break room. The goal is for every child to feel welcome, supported, and included. Lydia Murillo Slevin serves as the GC Kids Director and is the contact for families with questions.
GC Kids also runs GC Sports leagues for kids, regardless of whether their families attend Greenwood Christian, with basketball and soccer seasons throughout the year.
GC Students: Summit on Sunday Nights and Summer Trips
Middle and high schoolers have a ministry of their own, organized around the idea that "Every1Matters." Summit, the weekly student gathering, meets Sundays from 6:00 to 8:00 PM and packs in games, worship, teaching, and small-group community. All middle and high schoolers are welcome.
Summers are built around CIY trips. Every other summer (odd years) middle schoolers head to CIY MIX, and every summer high schoolers go to CIY MOVE. Mission trips alternate between local and international: even years bring a trip to Eastern Kentucky with Crossroads Missions Appalachia, where students help with home repairs after devastating floods, run community events, and work to improve living conditions. Odd years have taken students to Northern Ireland with Salt Factory Sports, Haiti with Lifeline Christian Mission, and Ghana with Ghana Christian Mission. A medical form is required for participation.
Adults: LifeGroups, Young Adults, Men, Women, and Senior Adults
Greenwood Christian believes growth happens best in community. LifeGroups are the church's primary vehicle for adults to connect, study Scripture, and pray together, organized around the conviction that people are "connected by Jesus and are encouraging one another to grow spiritually." New groups form on a regular basis and are open for sign-up.
The Young Adult ministry meets Sundays from 9:30 to 10:45 AM in Room 405, creating space for people in that season of life to build authentic relationships and explore what following Christ looks like in their twenties and thirties. Matt McGovern is the contact.
The Men's Ministry centers on Proverbs 27:17, that "as iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another," and offers Bible study, service opportunities, leadership development, and mentoring programs. The Women's Ministry runs two Sunday-morning options in addition to special events: a Women's Bible Study at 8:00 AM in Room 405 and Women of Grace at 9:30 AM in Room 502C.
Senior Adults have their own rhythm, including a Sunday morning Hymn Sing at 9:00 AM in Room 502C, where a faithful group gathers each week to sing the classics and enjoy community. A newsletter keeps older members connected to ongoing gatherings and trips.
Outreach in Greenwood and Beyond
The Outreach Ministry is led by John Veech and touches both the neighborhood and the world. Locally, three ongoing efforts stand out.
Operation Care is the church's benevolence arm. It does not promise financial assistance to every applicant, but the team comes alongside individuals and families in hard seasons, helping with rent, utilities, gas, and other basic needs. In 2025, Operation Care distributed more than $145,000 and assisted over 2,800 people. Ann Kieffer coordinates the team and is the contact for those needing help or thinking about giving to the fund.
Community Meals are served free every Monday night from 5:00 to 6:30 PM in the Commons. The meals are open to anyone with no strings attached, and a monthly calendar is published online. Volunteers sign up to help prepare and serve, and church members also rotate to bring funeral dinners when families in the congregation experience bereavement.
Counseling and Care offerings include Biblical Soul Care, a confidential, biblically-based counseling service staffed by trained church members; Divorce Care, a 13-week video seminar series with group discussion led by Dennis Frazier; and pastoral care that includes hospital visits, home communion for shut-ins and hospitalized members, and a prayer team that prays over each request submitted to prayer@greenwoodchristian.com.
Beyond Greenwood, the church partners with nine missions organizations: Fellowship of Associates of Medical Evangelism (FAME), which funds medical projects around the world; Crossroads Missions, which serves in Kentucky, New Orleans, and Mexico; Ghana Christian Mission, which focuses on church planting, medical outreach, Christian education, and community development; the Jesus Film Project, which has translated the Jesus Film into more than 1,800 languages; Nate and Whitney Hutchison, who are planting churches in New Zealand; TCM International Institute, which trains Christian leaders in Vienna for ministry in more than 40 countries; Camp Allendale, a Christian camp and retreat center; Orchard Group, a church-planting network; and Filter of Hope, which distributes quart-sized water filters that provide clean drinking water for a family for a decade at a cost of about $50 each.
The church also points volunteers toward Clarity (pregnancy care, counseling, and health services), the Interchurch Food Pantry of Johnson County, Resources of Hope (foster youth support), and Wheeler Mission (help for those experiencing homelessness in central Indiana).
What Greenwood Christian Believes
The church's statement of faith rests on seven convictions: that Jesus Christ is the one and only Son of God who died for our sins and rose bodily from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:1-8); that the Bible is the inspired Word of God given to guide every believer (2 Timothy 3:16); that every person has worth as a creation of God, yet all have sinned and fall short of His glory and are in need of a Savior (Romans 3:23); that forgiveness of sins and the promise of eternal life are available to those who trust Jesus as Savior and Lord (John 3:16); that those accepting Christ should repent, confess faith in Christ, and be baptized into Him (Romans 10:9; Acts 2:38); that the Church, made up of all Christ-followers everywhere, is the body of Christ on earth, empowered by the Holy Spirit to reach lost people with the saving message of Jesus and to equip them as spiritually mature disciple-makers (Matthew 28:18-20); and that Jesus Christ will return one day to earth and reign forever as King of Kings and Lord of Lords (1 Thessalonians 4:1-18).
Baptism is celebrated regularly and is one of the church's "Next Steps." A short class walks people through what it means and how it connects to Jesus' life, death, burial, and resurrection.
Greenwood Christian School
Sharing the Averitt Road campus is Greenwood Christian School, a preschool through twelfth grade program that families can choose alongside the church's ministries. The school and church share facilities and grounds under a coordinated Facilities Director role, with the church helping to maintain a "safe, welcoming, and functional environment for ministry and education." School career openings are listed on the school's own website.
Getting Involved and Giving
The Serve page breaks involvement into nine teams: Creative (worship, production, photo, video, social), Hospitality (greeters, section hosts, coffee, valet, The Hub, new here, baptism), GC Kids (nursery, Pre-K, elementary, special needs), Facilities and Grounds, Outreach (community meals, funeral dinners, transportation), GC Sports, GC Students, Security, and Medical. Each has its own sign-up form.
Electives are short-term studies and classes that supplement the regular LifeGroup rhythm, and the Get Involved menu also lists Sports and Missions as their own tracks.
Giving is available online through Pushpay (recurring or one-time), in person during services, by mail to 2045 Averitt Rd, Greenwood IN, 46143, or by transfer of other assets through the Director of Operations. Beyond regular giving, members can direct additional gifts to Operation Care, the Look Beyond building debt reduction fund, or the annual Christmas Offering. The church frames giving as an act of worship, citing Matthew 6:19-21, 2 Corinthians 8:2-7, and Acts 4:32-35. GCC Music and GCC Merch extend the church's worship and identity beyond Sunday, with songs available on streaming platforms and apparel available through an online store.
Leadership
Matt Giebler serves as Senior Minister. Adrienne Leech stepped into the Executive Minister role after the passing of long-time executive minister Steve Poston. Craig Howie is the Discipleship Minister, John Veech is the Outreach Minister, Darryl Slevin is the Director of Operations, Lydia Murillo Slevin leads GC Kids, and Matt McGovern oversees Young Adults. An Annual Report is published each year to give the congregation a transparent look at ministry impact, finances, and direction.
Sunday mornings in Greenwood keep their steady rhythm at 9:30 and 11:00 AM, Monday nights keep their open table at 5:00 PM, and students keep filling the Summit room on Sunday evenings. The rest of the week is filled with Bible studies, support groups, mission trips, and the steady work of a congregation that has been doing this in Johnson County for more than a century and a half.