An Apostolic Fountain on Groveport Road
TurnPoint Church sits along Groveport Road in the small Franklin County village of Groveport, just southeast of Columbus. The congregation describes itself as "an Apostolic Fountain," a place, in their words, "where God's love flows to reach the lost, restore lives, and provide a safe haven for our community." Pastors Joseph and Cara Arata, who have led the church since April of 2008, frame their mission around creating a sanctuary where people find hope, healing, and a deeper connection with God.
TurnPoint identifies with the Apostolic tradition, and the life of the church reflects that. Services are described as spirit-filled, and the church's teaching roster on the sermon archive lists visiting evangelists, missionaries, and revival preachers alongside the home pastors, a pattern common in Apostolic and Pentecostal churches that value guest ministry. The church draws people from across southeast Franklin and northern Fairfield counties, including Columbus, Canal Winchester, Obetz, Reynoldsburg, Lithopolis, Orient, Chillicothe, and Pickerington.
Weekly Services and What to Expect
Sunday morning worship begins at 10:00 AM, with a Family Worship service following at 6:00 PM. During the summer months the schedule condenses to a single 10:00 AM Sunday service. A midweek service gathers on Wednesdays at 7:00 PM in the main sanctuary, while the student ministries and children's classes meet at the same hour in other buildings on the property.
Visitors are invited to "come as you are." The dress code is wide open; some people wear suits, ties, and dresses, while others come in jeans and a t-shirt. First-time guests are pointed to a dedicated Guest Parking lot on the left, or carport, side of the church. The weekly services are described as spirit-filled and inspirational, with a strong emphasis on worship, prayer, and Bible teaching.
Two live translation ministries run alongside the English services. A live Spanish translation is offered through an earpiece that can be picked up from a greeter at either entrance, and a live American Sign Language translation is provided in person in the front right section of the sanctuary. These accommodations are available at every regular service.
TurnPoint Kids: Nursery Through Sixth Grade
TurnPoint Kids is the children's ministry for newborns through sixth grade. On a first visit, families stop at the TP Kids check-in area, where volunteers gather basic information including allergies, preferred names, and a parent's phone number. Both parent and child receive stickers with matching numbers, and if the volunteers need to reach a parent during the service, they send a text referencing the child's number. The same sticker is used at pickup, which keeps the system secure.
Once checked in, children move to classrooms that are designed to be fun, safe, and engaging. Volunteers are trained to give each child a warm welcome and to walk them through age-appropriate Bible teaching. TP Kids classes meet on Sundays at 10:00 AM and during the midweek service on Wednesdays, when classes are held in the Activity Center at the back of the church.
UTURN Students: Middle and High School
UTURN Students is the youth ministry for grades six through twelve. The group meets every Wednesday night at 7:00 PM in the Youth Center Building at the back of the property. Each gathering includes time for one-on-one conversations with youth staff, a period of prayer and worship, and teaching aimed directly at teenagers. On the first Wednesday of every month the group breaks into Junior High and Senior High breakout sessions, where the focus is on helping students pursue God in every part of their lives and walk out feeling empowered to make a difference.
Once a month the two groups come back together for UTURN Connect, an evening that swaps the lesson for outings like Get Air Trampoline Park, ice cream at Dairy Queen, or an evening of pizza and games in the youth center. Sunday mornings the youth join the adults in the main sanctuary for both the AM and PM services.
Families with early arrivals find a game room for pre- and post-service hangout, plus an outdoor space where it is easy to meet other students. The Wednesday dress code is business casual, and the youth leaders say about fifty students come on a typical Wednesday. The youth pastors are Donovan and England Arata, who have served in youth ministry since 2015 and as TurnPoint's Youth Pastors since August 2021.
Bridge: College and Career
Bridge is the young adult ministry aimed at college students, career-age adults, and the "in-betweeners" of their twenties. The group's name reflects its purpose, which is to "BRIDGE" the gap between youth and adult life. The mission is to equip young adults to build a strong foundation on the Word of God so that the choices they make from this point forward are rooted in reverence for God.
Bridge meets every Wednesday night from 7:00 to 8:30 in the Youth Center, except for the last Wednesday of the month, when the group moves to an Offsite gathering at the leader's home. The Offsite is a Bible study built around fellowship and tools for studying Scripture on your own. A typical Wednesday night draws roughly eighteen to twenty young adults, and the group often heads out together for food after class.
Bridge is co-led by Tiffani Livengood and her husband Todd Livengood, the church's Executive Pastor. The couple has served at TurnPoint for twenty-seven years, including a decade as Youth Pastors, and they share a strong passion for helping young people find their purpose.
ConnectPoint Groups: Small Groups for Every Stage
ConnectPoint Groups, sometimes shortened to CPGs, are the church's network of small groups. They meet throughout the week in homes across the area, with options for singles, families, and seniors. The groups are designed to be a place to study the Bible, pray, share meals, and build real friendships. New participants can browse the current lineup of groups and sign up through the church's online system.
Support Groups: Recovery, Divorce, and Grief
TurnPoint's Support Groups exist to help people find purpose and healing through some of life's hardest seasons. Each group is led by a specialized team, and every gathering is filled with people walking a similar road.
True North Recovery Ministry is a faith-based addiction recovery group. Open to anyone battling addiction, walking through recovery, or supporting someone who is, True North centers its work on Christ's grace, truth, and restoration. The group meets every Tuesday from 6:30 to 8:00 PM in the Activity Center, with light refreshments at 6:30 and the recovery meeting from 7:00 to 8:00.
Buoyant is a divorce recovery ministry for people navigating the emotional and practical challenges of separation. The group meets in the Conference Room on the second Tuesday of every quarter from 7:00 to 8:30 PM. Participants share experiences and hopes in a confidential setting, with a focus on encouragement and community.
H.E.L.P., which stands for Healing the Effects of Loss and Pain, is the church's grief support group. It is designed for anyone processing loss, whether from the death of a loved one or another significant life change. H.E.L.P. meets in the 5th and 6th Grade TPK Classroom on the first Tuesday of every month from 7:00 to 8:00 PM.
Sermons, Series, and Teaching Voices
Sermons from TurnPoint are archived online, with a deep library that goes back to the fall of 2024 and continues to grow weekly. Pastor Joseph Arata is the church's primary teaching voice, with more than 160 archived messages. Other regular contributors include Sis. Cara Arata, the church's co-pastor, as well as Sis. Teri Spears and Sis. Kedrin Cobb, both listed among the featured speakers.
The archive also reflects the church's commitment to guest ministry. Recurring visiting preachers include Evangelists David Smith, Bobby Wade, Aaron Adams, Nick Mahaney, Dillon Morgan, and Morton Bustard; Revs. Greg Bixby and Michael Cobb; Drs. James Hughes and Ron Rogers; and missionaries Matt Nash, Sergey Tomev, and Steven Drost. Local ministry leaders such as Bro. Donovan Arata, Bro. Todd Livengood, Bro. Brian Coyan, Bro. Garry Montgomery, and Bro. Nathan Stewart also preach in the rotation.
Recent teaching series on the archive include "The Tabernacle," "Spiritual Gifts," "A Letter from Nona Freeman," "A Study on Romans 7 & 8," "Hearing the Voice of God," "Understanding the Mystery of One God," "The Fivefold Purpose of the Church," "The Kingdom Life," "The Character of Christ," "Active Faith," "Revival of Jesus," and "Build Strong Breakout Sessions." The Q&A Session series invites the church to submit questions for the pastor and leadership team to answer together.
Discipleship Classes and What We Believe
TurnPoint runs an ongoing set of Discipleship Classes for anyone wanting to grow in the basics of the Christian life. The church describes discipleship as "a journey of transformation," with the goal of guiding individuals from curiosity to commitment through fellowship, teaching, and service. The church's own statement of belief frames the body of believers as "a body of believers who desire to be in the presence of God," with a heartbeat of advancing His Kingdom.
For Such A Time As This: The Building Campaign
TurnPoint is in the middle of a building campaign called "For Such A Time As This," a play on the story of Esther. The campaign is the church's push to expand its facilities and its reach into the surrounding community. Visitors interested in the campaign's vision and progress can ask about it through the church office.
Annual Rhythms: Fellowship Events for the Whole Church
Beyond weekly ministry, TurnPoint gathers the church family several times a year for events that range from large group worship to outdoor fellowship. Recurring annual traditions include All Nations Sunday, when the church acknowledges the different nationalities represented in the body and shares a Taste of the Nations meal in the Activity Center after the evening service. The Men's Deer Roast in late winter draws men of the church for venison and fellowship, and the Ladies' Grand Luncheon gathers women for a meal and a guest speaker. Easter services are a high point of the year, with a special morning gathering and no evening service. The Sunday morning service on Memorial Day weekend is followed by a church-provided Family Picnic on the grounds.
Family-friendly seasonal traditions include the Fall Harvest Party at the TurnPoint pavilion, with hayrides, a chili and apple pie cook-off, and kids' activities like rubber ducky racing, sack racing, kids' karaoke, a bounce house obstacle course, corn boxes, and crafts. The Church Bonfire and Men's Campout at the Shelter House is a casual evening of hot dogs, s'mores, and lawn chairs, followed by an overnight campout. The Men and Boys Campout at Deer Creek State Park is a longer weekend with disc golf, a bucket golf tournament, pickleball, fishing, cornhole, swimming, and optional paid add-ons for the shooting range and boating. The That's My King Christmas Concert fills the sanctuary with the church's worship team and choir for a morning and late-morning worship experience in mid-December, while the TP Kids' We Knead a Little Christmas program gives the children a chance to take the stage for a Saturday morning Christmas musical. The annual Christmas Marketplace brings in vendors from across the state for a day of holiday shopping in the church.
Prayer is woven into the rhythm of the year. Quarterly Prayer Meetings bring the church together on a Friday evening to lift up the community, government, and nation in prayer. 72 Hour Prayer is a recurring prayer chain where members sign up for one-hour slots, either at the church or at home, to maintain continuous prayer across three days. On New Year's Eve the church holds a Communion Service that combines worship, prayer, and a vision-casting moment for the year ahead.
Mission Support
TurnPoint partners with and supports missionaries whose updates and preaching appear in the church's archive. The current missionary team includes Matt Nash, Sergey Tomev, and Steven Drost. Visiting missionaries and evangelists are a regular part of the church's preaching rotation, with their names appearing frequently in the sermon archive.
Giving
Three giving options are available. Online giving runs through Pushpay and allows both one-time and recurring gifts. Text-to-Give works by texting the word "turnpointchurch" to 77977 and following the link in the reply, with standard message and data rates applying. In person, giving can be dropped into the offering bag or into the black boxes in the foyer; tithing envelopes are available on the back of each pew.
Staying Connected
The Point is the church's online community and connection hub, where members sign up for events, find ConnectPoint Groups, complete registration forms, and access sermon content. Monthly Connect is an email newsletter that keeps the church family up to date on what is happening across ministries. TurnPoint Merch, a storefront run through Deco Apparel, lets people purchase church-branded apparel and gifts. The church's social channels on Facebook and Instagram, plus a YouTube channel that hosts sermon videos, provide additional ways to follow along.
Visiting TurnPoint Church
TurnPoint Church is at 7718 Groveport Road, Groveport, Ohio 43125. Sunday services are at 10:00 AM and 6:00 PM, with a single 10:00 AM service during the summer. Wednesday's midweek service, UTURN Students, Bridge, and TP Kids all meet at 7:00 PM. The church office can be reached at (614) 836-3777 or info@turnpointchurch.com.