Healing Hearts, Changing Lives in Ellettsville
Ellettsville First Assembly of God, often shortened to EFA, sits in the small town of Ellettsville in southern Indiana. Locals know the church by its motto - "Healing Hearts | Changing Lives" - and for the Pentecostal warmth it brings to Monroe County. Since 1941, generations of families have gathered at 115 West Association Street to worship, learn, and serve. Lead Pastor Ronnie Hinson and his wife Angel say the mission that drives the church today is the same one that has shaped it for more than eighty years. "We believe God has placed Ellettsville First Assembly of God into this community for a specific mission: to heal hearts and change lives by the power of Jesus Christ," Pastor Ronnie shares.
Sunday Mornings at Ten
The church's main weekly gathering begins at 10:00 AM each Sunday. Worship is led by Angel Hinson and a team of sound techs, video volunteers, and a live-stream crew who together help the congregation "enter into the presence of the Lord." Sundays are intentionally family-friendly, with EFA Kids (also called Kidopolis) running alongside the adult service for children from nursery through fifth grade. The service is also broadcast live and archived on the church's YouTube channel, so homebound members and curious first-timers can keep up with the week's message.
Wednesday Nights at Seven
Wednesday evenings at 7:00 PM are the church's second weekly gathering, and they are built around small groups. Two adult connect groups meet - the EFA Sisterhood for women and Men of Purpose for men - and they share the building with three other ministries running at the same time. Fuel Student Ministry gathers sixth through twelfth graders for worship, teaching, and friendship, and Rangers and Mpact Girls offer missions education and discipleship for children. Younger siblings are cared for in the nursery and preschool rooms. The rhythm of the evening makes it easy for a family to arrive together and split off into age-appropriate groups.
EFA Kids (Kidopolis)
EFA Kids serves children from birth through fifth grade with what Pastor Mariah Kendall describes as ministry through "multiple creative illustrations, puppetry, and characters." Kids meet Sunday mornings for their own kid-focused worship and return on Wednesday evenings for teaching and what the church calls "relational discipleship." Kendall came to EFA to minister to children and families, and she is a licensed minister within the Assemblies of God. The Kids ministry has its own Facebook and Instagram pages under the name Kidopolis Ellettsville First.
Fuel Student Ministry
Fuel Students is the church's ministry for middle and high schoolers, meeting on Wednesday nights at 7:00 PM. Beyond the weekly gathering, Fuel runs activities throughout the month that help students "connect to God, each other, and to reach their friends with the message of hope through Jesus." Mike and Ann Gastineau, who have attended EFA for decades, lead the ministry. Mike works part-time for the church in leading students, and the ministry is online at Facebook/fuelstudents812 and @fuelstudents812 on Instagram.
Connect Groups and Saints Alive
Two adult groups anchor the Wednesday night schedule. EFA Sisterhood is the women's connect group that meets at 7:00 PM, while Men of Purpose gathers the same evening for men's ministry. Pastor Angel Hinson helps lead Sisterhood, and the church office handles initial contact for either group. For older adults, Saints Alive is a seniors' fellowship that meets regularly for games, conversation, and occasional lunches out. Vernon and Linda Bettis lead the ministry.
Worship, Sound, and the Live Stream Team
Worship at EFA is led by a broad team that includes vocalists, instrumentalists, sound techs, video volunteers, and a live-streaming crew. Angel Hinson, who also serves as the church's worship leader, invites anyone interested to plug in - "We are not performers. We are worshipers." The tech side of worship matters just as much at EFA as the singing, since it makes the Sunday gathering available to viewers online at 10:00 AM and leaves an archive for the rest of the week.
A Legacy Since 1941
The church traces its roots to 1941, when a community of believers began meeting in what is now Ellettsville. Decades later, that original foundation still shapes how the congregation sees itself. The leadership team envisions a church "where people are loved and accepted for who they are, yet their encounter with the manifest presence of God is life transforming." Five core values guide that work: the manifest presence of God, the authority of the Word of God, the conviction that people matter, team ministry, and a pursuit of excellence in everything the church does.
Reaching Beyond Ellettsville
The church's heart for its community extends well beyond Monroe County. EFA supports a network of missionaries around the world, and the giving platform highlights the countries where those partners serve. Members give to those missionaries through the church alongside tithes and offerings, and teams of short-term workers are sent out when the opportunity arises. The missions section of the Tithe.ly giving portal allows members to direct gifts specifically to that work.
The Assemblies of God Connection
Ellettsville First Assembly is affiliated with the Assemblies of God, a Pentecostal fellowship of nearly three million members in the United States and more than eighty-five million adherents worldwide. The church holds to the denomination's Statement of Fundamental Truths. Clergy on staff are ordained or licensed through the Assemblies of God, and Pastor Mike Gastineau is training through the Indiana Assemblies of God.
Visiting Ellettsville First Assembly
Sunday worship begins at 10:00 AM, and the Wednesday evening schedule starts at 7:00 PM. The church building sits at 115 West Association Street in Ellettsville, with a mailing address of P.O. Box 550, Ellettsville, IN 47429. Office hours run Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and the staff can be reached at 812-876-4334 or by email at info@ellettsvillefirst.org. Online giving is available through Tithe.ly, and the church maintains a Linktree that pulls together the various social channels, the live stream, and ministry updates.