Granger Community Church

Coordinates: 41°43′18″N 86°10′21″W / 41.721714°N 86.172466°W

Granger Community Church

Granger Community Church logo
Location Granger, Indiana
Country  United States
Denomination United Methodist
Weekly attendance 5,500 (2008)[1]
Website www.gccwired.com
History
Founded 1986[2]
Clergy
Senior pastor(s) Mark Beeson

Granger Community Church is a United Methodist megachurch located in Granger, Indiana, USA, near South Bend. It was founded in 1986 by Mark Beeson, who is currently the senior pastor.[2] The church has seven weekend services with approximately 5,500 attendees, making it the third-largest United Methodist church in the United States.[1][3]

Granger Community Church is a multi-site church. The service times at the Granger Campus are Saturdays at 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. and Sundays at 9:30 and 11:30 a.m.[4] There is also a campus in Elkhart, Indiana, with services on Sundays at 8:30 a.m., 10:15 a.m. and 12 p.m.[5] Childcare is provided through the All-Stars ministry for newborns through 5th grade.[6]

Senior Management Team

Senior pastor

Mark Beeson is the senior pastor at Granger Community Church. In 1986, he and his wife, Sheila, started the church in their living room, with fewer than ten people. Their dream was to reach out to people who were not currently attending church, instead of pulling from other churches. Beeson is known for focusing on the areas in which he excels, and he gives the rest of his leadership team the freedom and encouragement to do what they do best, without micromanaging them.[7]

Beeson has delivered the keynote address at Rick Warren's Purpose Driven Church Conference. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Ball State University, his Master of Divinity degree from Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, and his Doctor of Ministry degree in leadership development from United Theological Seminary in Trotwood, Ohio.[7]

Executive pastor

Tim Stevens is the executive pastor at Granger Community Church. He has the responsibility to hire and lead the staff at the church. Stevens is also involved in strategic planning, overseeing projects and shaping the weekend series. He has been instrumental in completing five major construction projects and developing the church's nationally recognized children's center.[7] Stevens is also Executive Search Consultant Team Leader at Vanderbloemen Search Group.[8]

Before he was hired at Granger Community Church, Stevens held various leadership positions with Life Action Revival Ministries for nearly ten years. He used his skills in information technology, resource development and executive management.[7]

Pastor of life mission

Rob Wegner is the pastor of life mission at Granger Community Church. After Beeson, Wegner is the featured speaker at the greatest number of weekend services. Along with teaching, he contributes to church mission work in Indiana and in Tamil Nadu, India. His tasks are planting churches, developing partnerships, equipping leaders, assisting the poor, caring for the sick and educating the next generation. Wegner graduated from Taylor University in Upland, Indiana.[7]

Pastor of connections

Mark Waltz is the pastor of connections at Granger Community Church. He is the leader of the First Impressions teams at the church and the pastor of the Elkhart campus.[9] Waltz works to ensure that members and guests have a relaxed, rejuvenating and relevant experience. He helps people discover where they should volunteer in the church, since there are over 200 opportunities. Waltz is also responsible for the many groups and retreats.[7]

Before being hired at Granger Community Church, Waltz was a student pastor at Rainier View Christian Church in Tacoma, Washington. His ministry experience is complemented by his market place expertise, which includes retail management, employment and recruitment.[7]

Pastor of arts and teaching

On December 7, 2009, Jason Miller replaced Butch Whitmire in a new role as the pastor of arts and teaching at Granger Community Church.[10] Jason is currently studying for a master's degree from the University of Notre Dame.[11] Jason oversees a team of 14 staff and over 200 volunteers. They include actors, musicians, sound and lighting crews, singers, dancers, set designers, production crews, and stagehands.[7]

Communications director

Kem Meyer is the communications director at Granger Community Church. She leads creative, technology and digital media teams to champion clarity and flow across departments and campuses. Her marketplace career spanned 15 years and involved roles in the advertising, business consulting, technology and global financial services fields before joining the staff team at Granger Community Church in 2002.[7]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Fenstermacher, Ed (2008-11-06). "Movie theater virtual service makes impact in Elkhart". Hoosier United Methodists. p. 6. Retrieved 2009-07-08.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Who We Are". Granger Community Church. Retrieved 2 June 2010.
  3. ↑ "Methodism's Largest Churches". Seeing Gray. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
  4. ↑ "Granger Campus". Granger Community Church. Retrieved 8 July 2009.
  5. ↑ "Elkhart Campus". Granger Community Church. Retrieved 8 July 2009.
  6. ↑ "Children Matter at the Granger Campus". Granger Community Church. Retrieved 8 July 2009.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 7.8 "Meet the Staff". Granger Community Church. Retrieved 2 June 2010.
  8. ↑ Vanderbloemen, William. "Tim Stevens Bio". Vanderbloemen Search Group.
  9. ↑ "GCC's Elkhart Pastor". Mark Beeson. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
  10. ↑ "Update". Common Jason. Retrieved 31 October 2010.
  11. ↑ "Why I Chose Notre Dame". Common Jason. Retrieved 31 October 2010.

External links