Irvington Presbyterian Church: A Hundred Years on Johnson Avenue
Set on Johnson Avenue in the historic Irvington neighborhood on Indianapolis's near east side, Irvington Presbyterian Church has anchored its corner of the community since 1906. More than a century after its founding, the congregation still gathers for a single 10:00 a.m. Sunday service, runs a child care center in its own backyard, sends mission teams across the border to Reynosa, and tends a six-bed vegetable garden whose harvest ends up on the shelves of a neighborhood food pantry. Members come from Irvington itself and from New Palestine, Greenfield, Lawrence, Fishers, and the surrounding townships, and visitors who arrive for the first time are met by a community that describes itself, plainly, as a place where anyone exploring a relationship with God is welcome.
From 1906 to the Building Erected in 1928
The congregation was founded in 1906 and marked its one hundredth anniversary of ministry in the Irvington community in recent years. The current building went up in 1928, and as the structure approaches its own centennial in 2029, the church has launched a 2026-2027 capital campaign to address several critical systems and areas that need significant repair and maintenance. Generations of members have kept the building in unusually good shape, but the work ahead is meant to ensure that the building continues to serve both the congregation and the wider Irvington community for another hundred years.
Worship at 10:00 A.M.
Sunday worship begins at 10:00 a.m. and is traditional in form. The service features great hymns, meaningful prayers, readings from the Old and New Testaments, and preaching. The church describes its worship as accessible even to those who did not grow up in a church, and as warm rather than stiff or stuffy. Holy Communion, also called the Lord's Supper, is celebrated about eight times a year, including Easter and Christmas Eve. All who trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are welcome at the table. Baptism, the other sacrament observed at IPC, is offered to both infants and adults; while full immersion is not used, an abundance of water from the baptismal font symbolizes Jesus' own baptism and the washing of sin. Requests for baptism are received throughout the year.
Worship is broadcast live on YouTube and on Facebook, and the full video archive of sermons, services, and the One Minute Church video series is available on the church's YouTube channel for anyone who cannot attend in person or who wants to revisit a sermon.
Children, the Rambler Room, and Sunday School
The church takes seriously its welcome for the youngest worshippers. The nursery opens at about 9:30 a.m. and stays open a little after the service ends; parents are welcome to stay with their child or leave them with the attendant. Nursing mothers are free to nurse whenever and wherever they please, and the nursery can also provide a quiet space if they prefer.
The Rambler Room is set up for children ages two through five. Preschool-age children typically begin worship with their families and head upstairs after the children's time for play, age-appropriate lessons, snacks, and crafts. Parents pick them up after the service. Elementary-age children are warmly welcomed into the sanctuary and may use the contents of the worship bags to stay engaged throughout. Sunday School for ages three through fifth grade happens before worship from September through May.
Irvington Roots and Wings Child Care Ministry
In February 2019, the church opened Irvington Roots and Wings, a full-time, year-round child care ministry that welcomes up to 14 children from 18 months old through Pre-K. The center is housed in one of the church's apartments nearest the playground, across the parking lot from the main building, with direct access to the adjacent outdoor space. Hours are 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The program provides morning and afternoon snacks; families send their child's preferred lunch. Tuition information is available on request and is based on the age of the child and the anticipated start date. Inquiries go to irvrootsandwings@gmail.com.
Music That Spans Choirs, Handbells, Organ, and Piano
Music is central to IPC's worship. The chancel choir and handbell choir are directed by Amy Studabaker, a Butler University music education graduate. Doug Shafer-Johnson, who serves as Director of Choral Activities and Instructor of Music at Earlham College and as Assistant Choir Director and Staff Singer at Northminster Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis, also contributes to the musical life of the congregation. Two keyboard musicians round out the staff: Tiantian Liang, who joined IPC in 2016 as organist and pianist and is pursuing a Doctorate of Musical Arts at the University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music; and Luke Kessler, an Indianapolis-based landscape architect and active leader in the American Guild of Organists Indianapolis Chapter who has played for several congregations in different denominations.
Faith Formation for Adults
Faith formation at IPC extends well beyond Sunday morning. Adult classes meet after the 10:00 a.m. service, with topics ranging from book studies to topical workshops. Discussions are described as lively and stimulating, and the classes meet in the Parlor with all are welcome. A Men's Bible Study gathers on the first and third Wednesdays of each month in Room 24 on the second floor, with donuts included. Presbyterian Women (PW) meet in smaller Circles during the month for Bible study, with the full PW gathering for lunch and program on the third Thursday from September through May.
Visitors who want to know more about becoming a member are invited, every few months, to attend Inquiry Classes led by the pastors. These classes describe the theology, history, and practice of the church. Those who choose to join then take traditional Presbyterian vows of turning from sin, trusting in Jesus Christ, obeying his Word, and promising to share in the church's ministry through prayer, gifts, study, and service.
Mission to Reynosa and the Irvington Fish Fry
For more than fifteen years, IPC has sent mission teams to Reynosa, Mexico, where volunteers build a house for a family through the oversight of Faith Ministry. The church holds a Fish Fry during the Irvington Halloween Festival to raise money for this work, and many people from the wider community join in volunteering at the Fish Fry as well as on the trips themselves. The church's Sewing Group recently produced one hundred sun dresses for girls in Reynosa.
Westminster Neighborhood Services and ICAN
Closer to home, IPC members volunteer with Westminster Neighborhood Services (WNS), working in the food pantry and soup kitchen and serving on the board of directors. Each year before Christmas, large numbers of IPC members fill Christmas baskets at WNS, and ongoing collections at the church supply food and clothing throughout the year.
IPC is also a primary supporter of the Irvington Churches Advocacy Network (ICAN), a ministry of the Irvington Ministerial Association. Volunteers from IPC help at the Downey Avenue food pantry on Thursdays from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
Tutoring at School 57 and the IPC Garden
Each Tuesday, ten to fifteen IPC tutors meet at School 57, the nearby elementary school, for thirty minutes of homework assistance. At the end of each summer the church collects large amounts of school supplies to deliver to the school. IPC also supports the school's music program and, when able, provides financial assistance to families in need. On the southeast corner of the church property, six raised garden beds are planted each spring, and the summer and fall harvest is passed on to the ICAN food pantry. Volunteers are welcome to join the gardening effort to provide fresh vegetables to those in need.
Justice Advocacy in Irvington and Beyond
The IPC Justice Advocates, whose first meeting was held on June 13, 2021, grew out of a Statement on Racism adopted on September 29, 2020. The team has shared educational moments with the Session about antiracism and inclusivity, built a list of women and minority vendors for IPC committees and boards, partnered with Downey Avenue Christian Church, St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, and Lourdes Catholic Church to benefit the community, hosted forums on housing, sponsored Christ Café classes, led a Community Read event at the Irvington Public Library, helped lead worship on Justice Advocacy Sunday, and supported the Indy Pride Parade. The church has also made a banner promoting IPC visible during the Irvington Garden Tour.
Senior Matters
Senior Matters is IPC's outreach to older adults and family caregivers, coordinated by Denise Harrington, a Licensed Social Worker and Addictions Counselor who also serves as Senior Ministry Consultant for Irvington, Faith, and Northminster Presbyterian Churches and as Faith Partnership Coordinator for CICOA Aging and In-Home Services. Denise is available at the church on Tuesdays and can be reached at 317-509-7085 for questions about Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, caregiving, rehabilitation therapy, estate planning, grief, probate, and guardianship, and for elder law referrals. IPC has received a grant from Smock Ministries to help cover the costs of Adult Day Services, and the program now has a new location at the Eastgate Center, 8100 East 16th Street, Indianapolis.
Pastoral Team and Congregation
The pastoral team is led by Senior Pastor Rev. Robert Heimach, who has served IPC since October 2003 after previous congregations in LaPorte and Bluffton, Indiana. He is a 1981 graduate of the University of Notre Dame and a 1987 graduate of Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Rev. Dr. Jonathan Reinink, an alumnus of Redeemer University, Princeton Theological Seminary, and Boston University, also serves as a pastor, and Rev. Maureen Wilson returned to IPC as Designated Associate Pastor in 2020. Rev. Elizabeth Kaznak-Hall serves as Parish Associate. Other ministry leaders include Craig Shaw, Director of Communications and Community Engagement; Carolyn Lesmeister, Director of Christian Education; Aeriel Lewis, Youth Coordinator; and Fox Alexander, Interim Director of Youth and Children's Faith Formation.
Giving, Membership, and the Arts
Online giving is available through the church's Vanco giving portal, and members are encouraged to give through bank checking or savings accounts to reduce processing costs. The 2026-2027 capital campaign accepts pledges online as well. Open Circle Arts, formerly the Irvington Arts Collective, receives donations through a separate page on Givebutter. For weddings, the church publishes its IPC Wedding Policies, and visitors and members alike are warmly invited to consider membership in a congregation that has been rooted in Irvington for more than a hundred years and looks toward another century of ministry on Johnson Avenue.