A Come-As-You-Are Church on Graham Road
Tucked along Graham Road on the south side of Franklin, Indiana, Victory Christian Church has spent close to a century building a reputation as the kind of place where the parking lot fills up early and the welcome starts at the curb. The motto on the front of the church - "Connecting People Back to God" - is more than a slogan. It is the lens through which every ministry, message, and missions partnership is shaped.
Victory runs three identical Sunday morning services at 8:00, 9:30, and 11:00 AM in its Auditorium, a single Sunday morning service at its Indy campus on the west side of Indianapolis, and a full online experience called Victory Everywhere that streams live at the same three times with a re-stream at 5:00 PM. Whether a guest walks through the doors, drives across town to Addison Street, or pulls up a livestream from a couch, the goal is the same: a contemporary, Bible-centered hour that leaves room for one more step of faith.
Hope for Everyone: A Three-Year Movement
Victory is currently in the middle of Hope for Everyone, a three-year movement of prayer, generosity, and facility renewal that the church calls its most defining season in years. Lead Minister Josh Cadwell describes the vision as simple: "expand our worship and ministry spaces to create room for more people to feel seen, known, and welcomed into a relationship with Jesus." With 9:30 and 11:00 services running more than 80 percent capacity and kids' rooms overflowing, the building itself has become the next mission field.
The movement carries a $3.2 million financial goal over 36 months, paired with a primary goal of 100 percent participation - not equal gifts, but equal hearts. The plans target four outcomes: a reimagined 780-to-800-seat auditorium and lobby, secure and age-specific environments for kids and students, a dedicated family entrance with a mother's room attached to the auditorium, and an additional 199 to 220 parking spaces to the north and west of the building. Victory's leadership studied relocation and new construction before choosing to renovate the existing facility, citing both stewardship and the value of remaining rooted in the heart of Franklin.
Each commitment to Hope for Everyone is designed to be above and beyond regular giving, and the church publishes a 21-day devotional guide, regular updates, and an FAQ hub to keep the whole family walking together through the campaign.
What a Sunday Service Looks Like
Each in-person service runs about 60 to 65 minutes and follows a predictable rhythm. About 20 to 25 minutes of energetic, modern worship led by the Victory Worship team opens the gathering, followed by roughly 30 minutes of biblical teaching that the church describes as "relevant, practical, and applicable to everyday life." Video, storytelling, and moments of response are woven in between. Communion is observed weekly as part of every service.
All three Sunday morning services are identical and contemporary - there is no separate traditional service. Visitors are invited to "come as you are," and most people wear jeans. Children are welcome in the Auditorium, though families are strongly encouraged to check in newborns through fourth grade into Victory Kids and fifth through eighth graders into Victory Students so parents can engage fully with the service.
Guests who want a softer landing can fill out the Plan Your Visit form in advance, which pre-registers the family and speeds up the kids' check-in process on arrival. The Church Center app, available on the Apple Store and Google Play, lets members check in, take message notes, register for events, give, and access digital resources from a phone.
Victory Kids: From Nursery Through Fourth Grade
Victory Kids is split into two environments that meet every Sunday during all morning services. Early Childhood (birth through age 5) offers age-appropriate Bible stories, worship, and hands-on activities led by a team the church calls Gamechangers - screened volunteers who have passed background checks. The nursery and preschool rooms are designed to feel safe, loving, and engaging for even the youngest hearts.
Victory Kids Elementary (kindergarten through fourth grade) gathers for large-group worship and teaching, then breaks into small groups where kids dig into the lesson with hands-on activities and talk through how the Bible applies to their week. Parents can pre-register their family through the kids' page so that the first-time check-in process is as quick as possible. Victory Kids also produces weekly on-demand content for preschool and elementary families through its Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube channels.
Victory Students: Middle School, High School, and Beyond
Middle School students (grades 5 through 8) meet during the 9:30 and 11:00 AM services in a space called The Hangar, near the south end of the building. The morning includes fellowship, games, small group discussion, and teaching designed specifically for the pressures 11-to-14-year-olds face. Curriculum comes from Grow, and the Student Minister and a team of communicators lead the message each week.
High School students (grades 9 through 12) gather most Sunday evenings from 6:00 to 8:00 PM downstairs in the Main Auditorium. The format includes dinner, games, worship, and teaching built around the question "What is God doing, and how are you a part of it?" High schoolers are also encouraged to attend an adult Sunday morning service, where they often sit with leaders and small groups.
College and young adults are invited to any Sunday service and can join a college-age group that meets Tuesday evenings for community and conversation. Students interested in serving can plug in through student ministry opportunities, and every Student volunteer passes a background check before being placed.
Groups, Serving, and the Four G's
Victory does not hand out membership cards. Instead, the church talks about being fully engaged, a rhythm built around what it calls the 4Gs: Gathering, Groups, Gamechangers, and Generosity. Showing up on Sunday is the first G; joining a small group is the second.
The on-ramp to groups is a four-week experience called Group Launch, where participants meet new people, work through practical topics of faith, and get a feel for what small-group life looks like at Victory. Childcare is available, and the church regularly trains new leaders as interest in groups grows. For people who want to learn more about managing household finances, Victory also runs Freed Up, a four-week course held during the 9:30 service that costs a one-time $49 per couple and covers budgeting, margin, and generosity.
Serving is organized around two tracks. Serve Now offers one-time, no-commitment opportunities to fill immediate needs, while Get In the Game is a one-time event that walks potential volunteers through ministry areas, helps them discover their gifts, and connects them to ongoing teams. Volunteers - called Gamechangers - serve in roles ranging from greeting and parking to leading kids' small groups and running cameras.
Baptism, Communion, and the Path of Next Steps
Baptism sits at the center of the church's teaching. Victory practices baptism of the repentant believer by full immersion, describing it as "the public declaration of a life surrendered to Jesus." A downloadable Baptism Q&A PDF walks through what baptism symbolizes, when to be baptized, whether re-baptism is ever appropriate, and whether baptism has to happen during a worship service. Baptisms at Victory can take place at any time, including immediately after a decision.
Communion is celebrated every Sunday as "the remembrance of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ." Beyond baptism and communion, the church organizes growth through a series called Next Steps and a recurring What's Next environment - a casual lunch and Q&A with Lead Minister Josh Cadwell that gives newcomers a behind-the-scenes look at the ministries and a chance to find where they fit.
What Victory Believes
Victory's statement of faith walks through the historic Christian doctrines - one God in three persons, the incarnation and authority of Jesus Christ, the work of the Holy Spirit, the inspiration and authority of the Bible, the Church as the body of Christ, humanity and the fall, salvation by grace through faith in Christ, baptism, communion, spiritual gifts, and the final return of Jesus. On marriage and sexuality, the church teaches that marriage is a lifelong relationship between one man and one woman and that sexual activity outside of marriage is not God's design; it also affirms that every human being, from conception, bears the image of God.
The mission of the church is rooted in the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19-20, and the vision - "Connecting People Back to God" - is pursued through seven core values: Biblical Authority, Transformation, Authentic Community, Invest and Invite, Irresistible Environments, Generous Living, and Passing Down Our Faith to the next generation.
Victory Worship and the Sound of the Church
Music is a defining part of the church's identity. Victory Worship is the in-house team that leads Sunday services, and the ministry releases original songs on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube. Recent titles include What a God, Hope for Everyone, Keep Praying, Cradle to Crown, and Expectant EP. The team describes its work as "creating moments that point people to Jesus," and the church encourages attenders to take the sound of Victory with them throughout the week.
Missions: Local and Global
Victory organizes its missions work under the slogan Go, Send, or Disobey. The Victory Cafe, a coffee and pastry bar opened in 2019 after a year-end Above + Beyond initiative, donates all net proceeds to Victory Missions, funding local partner projects and global mission trips.
Local partners include the Boys & Girls Club of Johnson County, Camp Allendale Christian Camp and Retreat Center, the City of Franklin (working alongside the mayor, Franklin Police Department, and Franklin Community Schools), Clarity Pregnancy Services, Hands of Hope (foster care and adoption support), Hope Center Indy (residential recovery for women exiting trafficking and addiction), the Interchurch Food Pantry of Johnson County, Johnson County Community Corrections, Johnson County Senior Services, Leadership Johnson County, Mountain Mission School in Grundy, Virginia, Pack Away Hunger, and Victory in the City (inner-city youth ministry in Indianapolis).
Globally, Victory partners with Central India Christian Mission - an indigenously led ministry founded in 1982 that feeds, clothes, and plants churches across Southern Asia - and Mas Que Creyentes, a discipleship-focused ministry in Navarrete, Dominican Republic, led by Pastor Michell Marte.
Resources for the Whole Person
Victory invests heavily in ongoing spiritual formation. A weekly Top 3 email gives a snapshot of upcoming opportunities, the Church Center app carries the calendar, and Right Now Media gives every attester access to a deep library of Bible studies and family content. A Bible Project New Testament reading plan walks readers through Scripture in a year, and the MDWK Motivation midweek devotional delivers a short encouragement in between Sundays.
The church is unusually open about mental health. Sermon series like Bend, Don't Break and Mastermind tackle anxiety, depression, and the war within, and the Mental Health Resources page links to self-scoring Beck Anxiety and Beck Depression inventories, counseling referrals (Peace Family Counseling in Greenwood and New Day Treatment Center in Indianapolis), the Suicide Prevention Lifeline, and recommended books on anxiety, overthinking, grief, and disappointment. The page explicitly says, "You can love Jesus and still battle anxiety, depression, or emotional overwhelm."
Giving and Generosity
Victory teaches that generosity is a spiritual discipline, not a transaction. Gifts can be given online through the Church Center app, dropped in the giving boxes just inside the Auditorium or in each stairwell to the balcony, or mailed to the church's Graham Road address. A Legacy Giving option allows members to plan a financial gift that outlives them, coordinated through staff member LouAnne Herschell. As the church's own statement puts it, "Your generosity creates fun, relevant, and welcoming environments that connect people back to God."
How to Get Plugged In
The path from "I'm new" to "I'm fully engaged" runs through a small set of clear on-ramps: Plan Your Visit to make a first Sunday easy, What's Next for the overview lunch with Josh, Group Launch for community, Get In the Game for serving, Freed Up for financial stewardship, and baptism for the public next step. Prayer requests can be submitted any time, and a Prayer Room is available for those who want to pray for others by name.
For anyone who has not yet stepped inside the Graham Road building, the message from the church is consistent - "come as you are." For those already walking through the doors each week, the message is equally consistent - there is always another step, and there is room for everyone.