Tucked along Camby Road just south of Indianapolis, Camby Community Church has been gathering people around the Bible and a cup of coffee for more than a century. The congregation traces its roots to a Sunday-school class that Grandma Sanders started in her Camby home in 1917, when local children either stayed home or walked the long road to Fairfield Friends church. Today the church, led by Senior Pastor Brad Long, anchors the small community of Camby with a packed Sunday schedule, a children's ministry that fills its own wing, and a long list of adult programs for women, men, seniors, and small groups.
A Sunday School on Camby Road Since 1917
The story of Camby Community Church begins in 1917 with Grandma Sanders, who saw Camby children either staying home or having to walk to Fairfield Friends church. God laid on her heart to start teaching in her home every Sunday at 9:30 a.m., and within months the class had grown enough to move into a room at the local lumber mill. After the mill sold in 1935, the group met in Ernie Freeman's greenhouse, then in a rented storefront, and finally - on October 5, 1936 - bought a roughly one-acre lot for $150 cash. The church basement was staked off on October 25 of that year, and the first Sunday-school service in the new building was held February 20, 1938, with 74 people present and an offering of $8.36.
Through the decades that followed, God provided a sanctuary whose first wedding was held October 20, 1957, two Sunday services beginning in 1992, a new worship center in 1995, and a fellowship hall whose debt was paid in full in 2019. Brad Long is the nineteenth person to serve as pastor, following a line that began with J.J. Milhouse in 1917 and includes E.A. Freeman, James Hook, Glen Roberts, Alvin Nixon Clark, Jack Jones, Elmer Wheeler, Lewis Marsh, Fred Stevens, JNA Downey, Loren Barnhart, Ray Whitton, Dave Phillips, Berle Eads, Mims Roberts, Tom Kinser, Charles Hamilton, and Charlie Paxton.
Helping People Find and Follow Jesus
The motto "Here to Help People Find & Follow Jesus" captures the mission. Pastor Brad makes a point of meeting new faces himself: visitors are invited to stop by the welcome booth or fill out the attendance card in the pew pad so he can introduce himself, answer questions, or follow up by phone. Office hours run Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the building sits at 8604 Camby Road, with mail directed to PO Box 33, Camby, IN 46113.
What Sundays Look Like
Sunday morning begins at 9:15 a.m. with Sunday school for every age, followed by the children's check-in at 10:15 a.m. and the main worship service at 10:30 a.m. Coffee is served during Sunday school and between services. Pastor Brad and the worship team strive to make the gathering the highlight of the week, pairing contemporary songs and a biblical preaching style that connects Scripture to everyday life. Communion is offered on the first Sunday of each month in an open-communion setting: anyone who has surrendered his or her life to Christ is welcome at the table.
Dress runs the gamut. Jeans and a t-shirt, business casual, or a suit and tie all fit right in. The 10:30 a.m. service is also livestreamed on YouTube and Facebook for those at home or in the hospital. After the service, students in grades 6 through 12 are encouraged to sit with their parents in the morning; their own gathering, Camby Student Ministry, meets Sunday evenings from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Kids and Students
The Camby Kids' Ministry welcomes children from the nursery (newborn through 1 year) up through fifth grade, using the Gospel Project curriculum across toddlers, Pre-K and Kindergarten, 1st-3rd grades, and 4th-5th grades. Families are encouraged to arrive by 10:15 a.m. so kids can play games with friends and teachers before splitting off for worship, prayer, the lesson, and age-appropriate small-group time. Every teacher has passed a national background check, and each child is checked in and given a name tag with a unique number that lets parents be quietly reached during the service if needed. Trunk-r-Treat, an annual community-wide outreach held at the church, draws families from across the area.
Camby Student Ministry, or CSM, partners with parents to help sixth through twelfth graders answer four questions: Who is Jesus? Who am I? Who is on my team? Where am I called? In addition to Sunday school at 9:15 a.m., students meet Sunday nights from August through May for unpredictable activities, a message from God's Word, and an age-appropriate small group with a dedicated leader.
Adult Life at CCC
Adult ministry at CCC is a thick calendar of Bible studies, fellowships, and care. Women's Bible study meets Tuesdays at 10:00 a.m. and again at 6:30 p.m.; the ministry also runs a Secret Sister prayer-and-card program (paired anonymously each year) and an annual Ladies' Tea. Men's Bible study meets the second and fourth Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the church, focusing on the Word and on fellowship as disciples of Jesus. Several small groups meet throughout the week at varying levels of study and sociability.
Senior adults enjoy a monthly lunch at Bob Evans in Camby on the first Thursday at 11:30 a.m., and an annual Medicare information meeting during the open-enrollment period. Cross-Training, an adult elective held Thursdays at 6:30 p.m., runs four- to six-week classes on topics such as How to Study the Bible, Marriage, Family Discipleship, Introduction to American Sign Language, Evolution: Fact or Fiction, Crafts and Card Making, Missions Philosophy at CCC, Photography, and Fitness and Wellness.
The Care Ministry keeps lists of shut-ins, college students, and military personnel in the church lobby for anyone who wants to send a card of encouragement, organizes visits with shut-ins, and - through Cooking for Christ - stocks the freezer with meals for those recovering from surgery, injury, or illness. A book club gathers on the second Sunday at noon, and GriefShare sessions run as interest allows.
Music That Rotates and Sings
Music at CCC is built around several rotating worship teams that serve in the 10:30 a.m. service week by week. An adult choir participates monthly from September through May, a handbell ensemble rehearses Wednesdays, and the children's music ministry - CKM Choir and CKM Chimes - rehearses Sunday evenings. Children's specials highlight Christmas and Easter services. All skill levels are welcome.
What CCC Believes
Camby Community Church holds to a classic evangelical statement of faith. The Bible is the infallible, error-free Word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit. There is one God, eternally existing in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is true God and true man, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, crucified and resurrected for the sins of all who believe, and now exalted at the Father's right hand. Salvation comes through faith in Christ alone; the Lord's Supper and water baptism are ordinances of the church but not means of salvation. The church looks for the personal and imminent return of Christ, the bodily resurrection of the dead, and final judgment.
Pastors, Staff, and Elders
Brad Long serves as Senior Pastor. Deacon Long is Associate and Student Pastor. Peggy Ford directs the Care Ministry, and Shelia Hawkins directs the Camby Kids' Ministry. The session of Elders includes Jason Hackett, Robert Lindhorn, Bruce Marine, and Dennis Staley. Rachel Ferguson leads worship and helps coordinate the music teams, while Janet Shahan serves as treasurer.