Sunday, May 4, 2025 marked one year of Sunday gatherings for Grace Church Lake Campus in Indian Lake, Ohio. The church celebrated with a special service at Old Field Beach on Indian Lake that included a reflection on the history of the church campus plant, a time of worship, a special honoring of those who worked on a recently-completed work project, a brief message by Lead Pastor Kohltin Hoeppner, and a family potluck.
The church, which is a campus plant of Bellefontaine Grace Church, began meeting two years ago in a home. As attendance grew, the church began hosting monthly services. Last May they launched regular weekly gatherings, held in Indian Lake High School. Jared Gudeman, former pastoral resident at Urbana Grace Church in Urbana, Ohio, serves as the worship pastor at Lake Campus, and Lily Hoeppner serves as the director of Grace Kids.
In the two years since they began meeting, the church has grown from 11 people to 75 regular attenders, and they have celebrated two baptisms. As a campus of Bellefontaine Grace Church, they share the same mission of being light in darkness by learning, living, and giving the Gospel. The church strives to do this by connecting with their community through various events and outreach opportunities. In April they hosted a community egg drop event where 1,200 people attended, despite inclement weather.
A big way the church has connected with their community over the past year was by rebuilding a home that was impacted by a tornado in March 2024. Lake Campus partnered with Charis Disaster Response to help facilitate the project and connect with other Charis Churches. The Augustus family has been part of the campus plant since the beginning, and the church was honored to come alongside them in the rebuilding of their home.
During the service Kohltin read a thank you letter on behalf of the church to those who served the community during the disaster response following the tornado last spring. An excerpt from the letter reads:
Your faithfulness in serving those affected, especially the Augustus family and others in our church and community, is a living testimony to the Gospel. The Augustus family, whose home was damaged in the storm, has been deeply touched by the outpouring of love and support. Your acts of kindness—whether through financial assistance, labor, or prayer—have given them hope and strength as they navigate this difficult journey toward rebuilding their lives. Through every hour of labor, every dollar donated, every prayer lifted, and every word of encouragement spoken, you have embodied the very heart of Christ.
In attendance of the celebration service were volunteers from Ashland Grace Church, Marysville Grace Church, and East Side Grace Brethren Church who served on the project. Kohltin also honored several community partners and local businesses who donated supplies.
This summer Lake Campus has plans for a monthly Lake Day where the community is invited for free food and free activities such as a giant slip-n-slide, a family fun day, and a spikeball tournament. A unique service that is a highlight of the summer is their “Church on the Lake” where the worship band sets up their equipment on the boat dock and church attenders gather on boats parked near the dock for the service.
Continue to pray for Grace Church Lake Campus as they build community and share the Gospel in Indian Lake, and follow along with them on Facebook here or Instagram here.