People Reaching People on Clark Avenue
Bluffton Church of the Nazarene sits on Clark Avenue in Bluffton, Indiana, a small city in the state's northeast corner. As a Wesleyan-Holiness congregation, the church holds to three core identities: a Christian people, a holiness people, and a missional people. Its whole reason for being is captured in five words - "people reaching people with Christ" - and that mission shows up in everything from a Sunday school hour that welcomes Spanish-speaking neighbors to a Thursday night Bible club held inside a renovated trailer in a local mobile home park to a closet of clothing that supports foster and kinship families across Wells County.
The team that leads the church includes Pastor Mark Heskett, who stepped in as interim lead pastor in July 2026, Andrew Miller as youth and young adult pastor, Scott Keiser as worship, tech, and senior adults pastor, and Grace Langel as children and outreach pastor. The staff is rounded out by administrative assistant Valorie Dunmoyer.
Sunday Mornings at Bnaz
Sunday school begins at 9:00 a.m. with classes for every age, from the nursery through adult electives. The main worship gathering follows at 10:15 a.m., with a 6:00 p.m. evening service rounding out the day. Music is mostly contemporary, with hymns still sprinkled in - a blend the worship team leads from a stage that includes electric and acoustic guitar, piano, keys, drums, congas, and vocals. Rehearsals for the team happen Wednesday evenings at 6:30 and Sunday mornings at 8:30, with the 10:15 a.m. service the weekly milestone.
On Wednesday nights, three groups meet at 6:30 p.m. - teens, children, and adults in Bible study - alongside Dare 2 Care, the church's outreach arm for prayer, visits, cards, and phone calls.
Safe, Intentional Children's Ministry
Children's ministry at Bluffton Naz is run with the same intentionality as the adult services. Every volunteer who walks into the children's area is background checked and NazSafe certified, and every classroom - including the renovated nursery that opened in spring 2020 - is monitored by camera. Sunday school at 9:00 a.m. divides children into Nursery (0-2), Pre-K (2-5), Kinderchurch (kindergartners), 1st-2nd grade, 3rd-4th grade, and the 56ers, a leadership track for 5th and 6th graders who greet visitors, run the computer, and lead music and games.
During 10:15 a.m. worship, Pre-K and Kinderchurch meet in their own space while first through sixth graders attend Children's Church, which includes a music time, a Bible story, and hands-on activities. On the fourth Sunday of every month, the focus turns to missions. For students who need a quieter environment, two tables in the back of the children's chapel are set aside as Safe Zones, draped with dark cloths so children can slip under to self-regulate and rejoin when they are ready. The children's department is also a place where special needs students are welcomed, with volunteers trained to adapt to each child's needs.
Teens, Young Adults, and Senior Adults
Andrew Miller oversees the youth and young adult ministries, with teen gatherings on Wednesday nights and a steady rhythm of district quizzing, service nights, and outings for the older students. Young adults connect through monthly meet-ups and group outings throughout the year.
Scott Keiser shepherds the senior adults, planning roughly one fellowship event each month. The newest ministry for the 55-and-up crowd is Grandbuddies, which pairs senior adults with children from Pre-K through sixth grade as spiritual mentors. The pairs meet in person every three months and stay in touch year-round through letters, calls, and prayer. Monthly men's breakfasts at Richard's Restaurant give the men of the church their own fellowship rhythm.
Reaching Out: Illumin8, Love Abundant, and Dare 2 Care
Three outreach ministries carry the church's mission into the wider community.
Illumin8 began as a summer Kids Klub in a local mobile home park and has grown into a year-round ministry based out of a trailer the church purchased and renovated on the property. The main gathering happens on Thursday nights with games, food, and a Bible message for all ages. Every volunteer is background checked and NazSafe certified, and the long-term goal is for the ministry to be led by members of the park community itself rather than by pastoral staff.
Love Abundant is the church's response to the foster care system. The ministry runs a foster care closet stocked with new-to-good-condition clothing and items and organizes events such as a fun festival and Breakfast with Santa. The closet is open Wednesdays from noon to 2:00 p.m. and 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., and on the second Saturday of each month from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. Donations are accepted during regular church office hours. The vision is to encourage and support the families who have chosen to love and care for those in the foster care system.
Dare 2 Care is built on four simple practices - prayer, visiting, sending cards, and making phone calls. Members who join dare themselves to step outside their comfort zone and reach the people around them who most need the love of Christ.
Connxtion Retreat Center
Outside Bluffton in Upland, Indiana, Connxtion Retreat Center is a separate nonprofit the church supports. The center hosts families and groups of up to fifty with inside and outside amenities, and it serves as an affordable gathering place for retreats and events across the region.
Planning a First Visit
Visitors are greeted at the door by volunteers and signs that point the way. The dress code is simple: come as you are; the only rule is to wear something. Spanish-speaking guests will find translator earbuds for the sermon, Spanish lyric sheets for worship songs, and a free ESL class at 9:00 a.m. in room 16, next to the gym.
Sunday services are livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube, with archives available on both. The Sunday morning service is also broadcast on TV channels 21 and 33 and on WBCL radio at 90.3 FM.
The church office at 1515 Clark Avenue is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Office number: (260) 824-0460. Email: blufftonnazarene@adamswells.com.