Highmark Church Plant Sees 42 Accept Christ

God used a 2017 trip to visit family in Indiana to speak to Don and Jamie Champion about a change of direction. They had been active in full-time ministry for almost 20 years.

“Now God was stirring our hearts to step out and plant a church,” Don Champion says.

Jamie had grown up in the Indianapolis area, and Don and Jamie’s visits home through the years began to knit the Indianapolis suburb of Fishers into their hearts.

“As we drove through Fishers, God spoke to us about the thousands of people in this area who are pursuing everything else in life but their true, God-given purpose,” Don Champion says.

With a population of 91,832 (2017), Fishers is one of the fastest-growing communities in Indiana. While this area is fairly affluent, it also faces challenges of mental health and opioid crisis issues. In an effort to find solutions to these problems, the city has invited local ministers and churches to help create and support initiatives to invoke change.

Highmark Church, launched in January 2019, wants to be a part of invoking change in the community and in the hearts of the people. The church currently meets at Hamilton Southeastern Jr. High School and has an average weekly attendance of 140-plus people. Several life groups for youth and adults meet during the week. Within the past nine months, 42 people accepted Christ, three were baptized in water, and 72 people serve on the church's ministry teams each month.

“We serve the city of Fishers in whatever way we can,” Champion says, “including helping parks and recreation departments put on local events and providing a church presence.

“Our church exists to help people find and follow Jesus! Thank you for making it possible for us to be here.”

Through the AGTrust Matching Funds, in partnership with The Church Multiplication Network, a total of 538 church plants across America are reaching people for Christ today.

“Thank you, AGTrust and Church Multiplication Network, for believing in our church plant!” Champion states. “The AGTrust Matching Funds helped us realize the dream God gave us for Highmark Church.”