Northside Baptist Church on East 71st Street in Indianapolis is known for its 10:30 a.m. Sunday worship gathering, 9:15 a.m. Community Groups, and a food pantry that has served the area since 2008. Its motto, “Inspiring People to Follow Jesus,” expresses a goal of helping people become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.
From a 1963 Mission to a 500-Seat Church
Northside began as a mission on March 10, 1963, sponsored locally by First Southern Baptist Church, now Fall Creek Baptist. Southwayside Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, provided a large portion of the early financial support. The first meeting was in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Gene Lake, and the third was at the Washington Township Fire Station on 71st Street. The Lake family gave the church its first pastor when Rev. Gene Lake led the mission and later the congregation. Its first permanent home was the old fire station at 1619 Haynes Avenue in Ravenswood.
The church was constituted on December 31, 1963, with 26 charter members. That same year, it became the 1500th church in the Great Lakes states affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. The present church property was acquired in September 1963 for $17,500. A first auditorium and educational wing were completed in March 1965, and the present auditorium was constructed in 1982. The building has continued to serve worship, teaching, fellowship, sports, missions, and outreach through its sanctuary, Education Wing, Christian Life Center, and prayer garden.
Sunday: Groups at 9:15, Worship at 10:30
Every Sunday at 10:30 a.m., Northside gathers in its auditorium to worship through music and the preaching of the Word of God. The whole congregation also participates in a time of prayer during the service. The gathering can be watched through the church's livestream, while past messages and podcasts are available in the sermon archive.
At 9:15 a.m., Community Groups meet across the Education Wing and other church classrooms. Northside places strong emphasis on connection with God and other people as part of Christian growth, and its groups welcome adults at different stages of life. Northside Kids Sunday School and the youth Bible study begin at the same time, giving families a coordinated morning of worship and teaching.
Northside Kids and Northside Youth
Northside Kids teaches children about Jesus in a fun, safe setting with teachers who are described as loving and committed to sharing the gospel. Sunday school at 9:15 a.m. has classes for children from birth through grade 6, with families checking in at a desk to find the appropriate rooms. Childcare and teaching are provided every Sunday for children from birth through preschool or kindergarten during both Sunday School and worship. During the 10:30 worship hour, students in grades 1-6 participate as Bible Explorers with a curriculum designed for them. On the first Sunday of each month, that group does not meet, and the children join their families in worship.
Awana meets in Kids Cove at 6:15 p.m. on Wednesdays during the fall and spring semesters. The club welcomes children ages 3 through grade 6, using workbooks, vests, and badges to reinforce Bible verses and stories. Northside Youth Ministry serves students in grades 6-12. They meet for Bible study at 9:15 a.m. Sunday in the upstairs Assembly Room at the Christian Life Center, then gather again at 6:15 p.m. on Wednesdays to worship, learn from the Bible, enjoy time together, and bring friends.
Wednesday at 6:15 and 6:30
Wednesday evenings divide into age-specific gatherings around the church. Awana begins at 6:15 p.m. in Kids Cove, while Northside Youth meets at the same time in the Assembly Room. Adults gather at 6:30 p.m. in the Fireside Room for an hour of Bible study led by Pastor Jeremy during the fall and spring semesters. Childcare is provided for children under 3.
Northside also offers a 10-week, full-time summer internship for college and graduate students preparing for ministry. Concentrations include pastoral ministry, worship ministry, youth and family ministry, and missions ministry. Interns work alongside church leaders in planning, promotion, and execution, participate in ministry activities, and develop a special project connected with their concentration. The program is designed to give participants practical experience while they reflect on leadership, reading, and writing.
Community Groups for Every Stage of Life
The Sunday groups include The Journey for adults in their 20s, led by Alex Darnall; Freed to Lead for adults in their 30s, led by Jerod and Ashli Evans; and Parents and Professionals for single or married adults in their 40s, led by Matt Donaldson and Matt Kern. The Moran Small Group welcomes single and married adults of any age under Jim Moran. James 1:22 is led by Cliff Pittman and Veda Dickerson, Legacy Ladies welcomes women of any age or marital status, and Senior Women's Small Group serves women age 70 and older who may be married, widowed, or single. The Brethren welcomes men of any age, while Living Stones is open to single and married adults of any age.
Several groups use Lifeway's Explore the Bible curriculum. The groups commonly read a passage in its biblical and historical context and consider practical ways to apply it. The Moran group undertakes multiple service projects each year. James 1:22 provides meals for people who have been hospitalized and also gathers for shared meals and holiday celebrations. Senior Women's members support one another through calls, cards, and visits, including contact with former members who are shut-ins. Legacy Ladies commonly uses video-driven studies, while Living Stones uses Bible Studies for Life.
Northside also hosts GriefShare, a 13-week support group for people experiencing grief. It offers a safe, welcoming setting for understanding difficult emotions, learning what to expect, and finding helpful ways to cope with the unpredictable nature of grief. The Women's Team plans studies and social gatherings throughout the year, including an annual Belles' Brunch with fellowship, Christmas music, food, and an inspiring speaker. Men from the church provide valet parking and table service for that gathering.
Music, the Upper Room, and Weekly Prayer
The worship ministry seeks to create an atmosphere in which people encounter God and Jesus remains at the center of the congregation. Its instrumental ministries include a worship band and worship orchestra. Those involved see their musical gifts as a calling to serve and believe that fresh, creative, high-quality music can speak to both seekers and believers.
Prayer is woven into church life in several ways. The staff meets weekly to pray for the congregation. A prayer team prepares a weekly prayer guide that is distributed by email and in print on Sunday mornings. During the Sunday service, two or three people gather in the Upper Room prayer room to pray for the church. Northside's men meet for coffee, fellowship, and prayer on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 7:30 a.m. in the Fireside Room, and they may bring a bagged breakfast.
Tuesday at Covenant Foods
Covenant Foods, Northside's food pantry, began serving the community on September 9, 2008. It is open every Tuesday from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the church. The pantry serves households in Indianapolis ZIP codes 46205, 46208, 46216, 46220, 46226, 46228, 46236, 46240, 46250, 46256, and 46260. Guests seeking assistance should bring photo identification, Social Security cards for household members, and proof of residence, such as a piece of mail sent to their home address. Guests may return once each month. The pantry's number is 463-212-8007.
The name Covenant Foods comes from Isaiah 55:1-3 and its vision of coming to the waters, eating without money, and finding an everlasting covenant. The ministry's goal is to reach people who are hungry both physically and spiritually. It remains one of the clearest expressions of Northside's conviction that serving the Lord begins at home and extends into the surrounding community.
From Indianapolis to Indiana and the Nations
Northside's mission life begins close to home. The church hosts the Chinese-speaking Jiayin Church each week under the leadership of Michael Man. It also has a long-standing relationship with the Metro Baptist Center in downtown Indianapolis. Church members contribute clothing and toiletries for people in need, contribute food for Christmas baskets, and volunteer for special projects as needed.
Northside considers Indiana to be its “Judea” in the Acts 1:8 Challenge. The church is involved in church planting and relationship building across the state and supports the work of the State Convention of Baptists in Indiana. North America is its “Samaria.” Northsiders have traveled to Florida to sing for prison inmates and to New York to distribute granola bars on city streets. Short-term mission trips also focus on medical needs, teaching children, prayer walks, personal interaction, and opportunities to share the gospel. Members may receive assistance through the BJ Higgins Missions Fund.
International mission support includes gifts through the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions. Northside supports members serving as missionaries in several countries and in stateside missionary-support roles. Groups and individuals also take short-term trips to encourage and assist missionaries, with each trip shaped around the needs and opportunities of the ministry being served.
Education Wing, Christian Life Center, and Prayer Garden
The Education Wing contains classrooms used by Community Groups and houses the Kids Wing. The auditorium seats up to 500 people. The Christian Life Center includes a full-size gym, racquetball court, and fitness deck, with sports equipment and roller skates available for use. The gym has multiple basketball goals and a scoreboard. The Fireside Room has a fireplace and a large-screen television, and the church kitchen is also located in the Christian Life Center.
Upstairs are the Assembly Room and additional classroom space used primarily by Northside Youth on Sundays and Wednesdays. Just south of the parking lot is a prayer garden for prayer events, and beyond it are soccer fields used for church picnics. Northside makes its facilities available for ministry events, weddings, funerals, and other gatherings. Requests are prioritized for ministry events, church memberships, and then outside groups. The campus is smoke-free, alcohol and illegal drugs are prohibited, children must remain under adult supervision, and safety guidelines apply during recreation.
What Northside Believes
Northside describes itself as a local congregation of baptized believers in Christ under the guidance of Scripture and the leading of the Holy Spirit. Its statement of faith holds that the Bible is divinely inspired, trustworthy, and centered on Christ, and that there is one eternal God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It affirms the dignity of people made in God's image and teaches that salvation is received by God's grace through personal faith in Jesus Christ, involving regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification.
The church describes a New Testament congregation as an autonomous local body under the lordship of Christ, with every member responsible and accountable. It recognizes baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper as the church's two ordinances. Its doctrinal commitments also include evangelism and missions, Christian education, stewardship of time, talents, and possessions, cooperation among churches, and religious liberty with church and state kept separate. Christians are called to make disciples of all nations while pursuing justice, caring for vulnerable people, opposing racism, greed, selfishness, and sexual immorality, and contending for human life from conception to natural death.
Northside's statement also defines marriage as a covenant between one man and one woman and assigns parents the responsibility to teach children spiritual and moral values. These themes support the church's emphasis on worship, biblical teaching, accountable community, practical service, and gospel witness.
Pastoral Education and Lay Leadership
Pastor Jeremy Couture holds a bachelor's degree from Cedarville College, a Master of Divinity from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Ministry in Missions, Evangelism, and Church Growth from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He leads the Wednesday adult Bible study and carries primary pastoral responsibility for the congregation.
Alex Darnall holds a degree in Worship and Pastoral Leadership from Boyce College, has served in full-time ministry since 2016, and leads the Journey Community Group for adults in their 20s. Jared Barham combines a degree in Sports Management from the University of Tennessee Knoxville with a Master of Arts in Christian Education from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Luis, a Toccoa Falls College and Dallas Theological Seminary graduate, brings church and municipal facility-management experience along with mission experience in Ecuador.
Northside's elder team includes Glen Christie, Mike Bowman, Cliff Pittman, and Tim Schlotterbeck. Several also serve as Community Group leaders, including Christie and Schlotterbeck in Living Stones and Pittman in James 1:22. Their service reflects a leadership made up of pastors, ministry staff, elders, and congregational leaders.
Centered on Following Jesus
Northside Baptist Church's identity is built on worship, fellowship, teaching, service, and mission. The church on East 71st Street continues to center its life on its motto: “Inspiring People to Follow Jesus.”