Emmanuel Church celebrated the grand opening of its Garfield Park campus on East Pleasant Run Parkway Drive, just north of Raymond Street in Indianapolis. The community was invited to an open house Dec. 12 followed by weekend services on Sunday, Dec. 15.
While its identity as Emmanuel Church’s fifth campus is new, the 18,0000-square-foot facility built in the 1920s is rich with history. The former Garfield Park Community Church has undergone months of updates and renovations after being welcomed into the Emmanuel Church family this spring.
The goal of the renovation was to modernize the existing structure and allow the campus to offer a full Emmanuel Church experience, while honoring the history and legacy of the historical site. New flooring and lighting have been installed, a new stage constructed and a new family and nursing room have been created. Additionally, updates have been made to the children’s area, lobby, auditorium and entrances. In order to maintain the church’s aesthetic, the auditorium pews have been refurbished and the original 1920s exterior brick has been exposed inside the campus’s café area.
The location will be led by campus Pastor Chris Clay, who will work directly with lead Pastor Danny Anderson and Emmanuel’s staff leadership team to provide guidance, support, encouragement and direction to the campus, as well as identify strategic ways to partner with and serve the local community.
“I’m excited to connect with and serve the people of the Garfield Park community,” said Clay. “If you’ve written off church as boring, judgmental, or irrelevant, give us an opportunity to change your mind.”
Since it began live streaming its services at the Garfield Park Campus on May 19, attendance at the new site has grown from 40 people to an average of 154 people each weekend, with eight people beginning a relationship with Jesus.
Emmanuel Church, founded in 1977 with 17 attendees, now reaches more than 5,300 people across its five campuses. As a multi-site church – one church with multiple locations – Emmanuel offers video-streaming of Lead Pastor Danny Anderson’s weekly messages, which are broadcast from the Greenwood Campus to its Garfield Park, Franklin, Banta (Southside Indianapolis) campuses, as well as anyone around the world via an Online Campus community that gathers on Facebook, YouTube and the church’s website.
“Our goal with our multisite strategy is to make church closer and more easily accessible to the people of our communities,” said Lead Pastor Danny Anderson. “We want to provide for them an easy and accessible way for them to invite their friends and family to church who may not be willing to make a longer drive – to ultimately give them the opportunity to grow Emmanuel’s’ impact in their own backyard.”
Emmanuel has seen continued growth in recent years, ranking among the 2019 Largest Churches in America and 2017 Top 100 Fastest-Growing Churches in America in Outreach Magazine.
“We hope as many people who are able will join us for our grand opening services this weekend,” said Clay. “Come as you are, dress casually, grab a cup of coffee brewed locally at Calvin Fletcher and enjoy a welcoming environment for the whole family.”
About Emmanuel Church:
Emmanuel Church is a non-denominational, multi-site church – one church in multiple locations – offering live or video-streaming services at four physical locations on the south side of Indy: Greenwood (opened in 1977), Banta Rd (2013), Franklin (2015), and Garfield Park (2019), along with its Online Campus (established 2017). Averaging more than 5,300-weekend attendees at five campuses, Emmanuel attributes its growth to relevant and authentic teaching and a Relentless Pursuit of those who are far from God. Lead Pastor Danny Anderson has served Emmanuel Church as Lead Pastor since 2006. The church partners with many local organizations who are helping to meet the practical and spiritual needs of the Indianapolis community, including the Shepherd Community Center. Each year, Emmanuel sends teams to Nicaragua, Colombia, Haiti, and Rwanda, helping with needed projects and sharing the love of Christ. For more information, visit eclife.org.
