By Pete Smith
Lost in the excitement about the announcement that the Legacy development at River Road and 146th Street was back on the table was the fact that a new church would also be built on the former Conner Prairie-owned land.
In fact, the church has a head start.
Construction has already begun on the permanent home for the Hamilton County location of Harvest Bible Church with an expected completion date in early 2015.
About 650 members of the church currently attend one of two services held on Sundays at Riverside Middle School in Fishers.
“We, from the very beginning, have set out to minister and serve the north side of Indianapolis,” said Senior Pastor Brian White of the church that began in 2007 at Carmel High School.
“It was important to us that we were in a location that people could get to easily anywhere on the northside,” White said, noting that the nearby highways would help attract a congregation than spans the central Indiana region. “It was just a natural fit.”
Harvest Bible Church is the latest of about a hundred mega-churches of the same name that started out in the suburbs of Chicago. They’re non-denominational and evangelical. All Harvest Bible Chapels share the same doctrine and basic ministry philosophy and cooperate together for missions. However, each church is independent in its leadership and funding.
“We’re trying to help equip our people to be missionaries where they live and around the world,” White said, noting that Harvest “plants” churches in Asia, South America and East Africa.
White said the church wants people to have a relationship with Christ and to live God’s word.
“We exist to glorify God and make disciples of all nations,” he said.
The new church building will be funded entirely by its members.
For more information visit www.harvestnorthindy.org.
