Setting the Table on Swanson Road
Real Life Community Church of the Nazarene meets at 3134 Swanson Road in Portage, Indiana, where it has become a hub for families, students, and neighbors across Northwest Indiana. The church describes its calling in three short phrases that shape everything from Sunday worship to its preschool and global partnerships: "Setting the table for people to Encounter God, Embrace Community, and Embody Mission."
The church belongs to the global Church of the Nazarene, a Wesleyan-Holiness tradition organized in 1908 that now includes about 2.3 million members worshiping in more than 29,000 congregations in 159 world areas. In its own statement of beliefs, Real Life teaches that one God exists as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; that the Bible is the word of God containing all truth necessary for faith and Christian living; that human beings are born with a fallen nature and need forgiveness; that Jesus Christ died for sins and rose again; that believers are born again into the family of God when forgiven; and that God calls believers to entire sanctification, a life of freedom and holy love through the power of the Holy Spirit. The church also confesses that Jesus will return, the dead will rise, and a final judgment will take place.
Leadership at Real Life centers on a team that models what the church calls "going low," a phrase drawn from the way Jesus washed his disciples' feet. Pastor Rich Doering is named as part of the pastoral team, and Travis Jackson serves as NextGen Pastor, overseeing children, students, and family ministries.
Sunday Mornings at Ten
Worship gathers at 10:00 AM on Sundays in the main auditorium. Each service runs between sixty and seventy-five minutes and follows a steady pattern: the church begins with songs, scripture readings, and prayer, then one of the pastors shares a message designed to show where God is at work and to challenge the congregation to be everything it is called to be in the world. People who want to share or receive something during the service can fill out a Next Step Card.
Those who arrive early can stop by the Coffee House, which serves from 9:15 to 10:00 AM in the Community Space just outside the auditorium. The HUB, on the north side of the lobby, is the place to find information about the church's local and global mission partnerships. Welcome banners mark both the north and south entrances of the building, and a Welcome Desk staffed by the First Impressions team helps newcomers find restrooms, get kids checked in, and locate a seat.
Services are livestreamed at 10:00 AM each Sunday for those who cannot attend in person. A sermon archive and weekly devotionals are also available online. Giving can be done through the Church Center app, in giving boxes in the lobby, or through the offering collected during the service as a practice of worship.
Real Life Kids from Nursery to Preteen
Children from birth through fifth grade have their own wing at Real Life. Check-in opens at 9:40 AM in the West Lobby, where each family receives matching identification tags that stay with the child and parent for the duration of the visit. If a parent needs to be reached during the service, the kids team sends a text message; in the nursery, parents carry a pager instead. Every volunteer who works with children undergoes a background check and MinistrySafe training.
On Sunday mornings at 10:00 AM, classrooms are grouped by age: Nursery for infants through age three, Pre-K and Kindergarten for three- to five-year-olds, Elementary for first through third grade, and Pre-Teen for fourth and fifth grade. Parents who want to keep a baby with them can use the Infant Courtesy Room, located just outside the south sanctuary doors, which has a live feed of the service, comfortable furniture, and kid-friendly activities.
Two milestones mark the journey through the children's wing. Child Dedication is offered for families who want to present their child to the church and ask for the congregation's support, and Baptism is celebrated several times a year as a public profession of faith. Children who grow up at Real Life move on to Student Ministries when they enter middle school.
Student Ministries on Wednesday Nights
Real Life Student Ministries, branded as #RLSM, gathers middle and high schoolers from across Northwest Indiana on Wednesday nights at 6:00 PM. Students arrive for games and food, then move into a time of worship before breaking into grade- and gender-specific small groups led by youth staff members who have been through an interview and training process. Through the year, the ministry hosts Family Thanksgiving, a Christmas Party, retreats, and a Summer Mission Trip.
Pastor Travis Jackson oversees Student Ministries as NextGen Pastor. Forms for medical releases and special event registration are available online for parents.
Real Beginnings Preschool
Real Life Community Church operates Real Beginnings, a half-day preschool and Pre-K program for children ages three to five. Director Stephanie DeMoss leads a staff that believes early childhood education lays the foundation for a lifetime of learning, curiosity, and growth, and that children learn best through play, hands-on experience, and meaningful relationships.
The preschool classroom for three- and four-year-olds meets Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 9:00 AM to noon. The Pre-K classroom for four- and five-year-olds meets Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings from 9:00 AM to noon. Tuition is $200 per month with a $50 non-refundable registration deposit. Real Beginnings holds a Level 4 rating on Indiana's Paths to Quality system, the highest tier, which recognizes nationally accredited early childhood education. Applications can be downloaded and returned to the church office at door three.
Rooted, Life Groups, and the Next Steps Path
Real Life offers a layered path for adults who want to grow in faith and put down roots in the church. Rooted is a ten-week experience designed for anyone at any point on the spiritual journey, from long-time attendees to spiritual seekers to those just curious about faith or returning after a long time away. Each group explores experiences built around the church's three-part mission.
Life Groups are small gatherings of usually ten to twelve people that meet in homes or on-site at the church. Most groups follow a study connected to the Sunday sermon series and the weekly devotionals. The groups pray for and encourage one another and are designed for every season, with options for families with children.
For those who want to formalize their commitment, the church offers a Membership Class that covers what Real Life believes and how members join the mission. Baptism is celebrated several times a year, and anyone interested can sign up for an upcoming class.
For the Region: Partners in Porter County
Real Life carries the tag #FORTHEREGION for its local outreach. Three partnerships anchor this work. CoAction works to resolve and prevent homelessness across Porter and LaPorte Counties. Helping Hands is the Portage food pantry the church supports, providing meals for hundreds of families each month. The Portage Community Garden, a project of Real Life, grows produce in dedicated beds for distribution through local food pantries and on a community "sharing shelf." A limited number of garden beds are also rented to community members who want to grow their own food or share with neighbors.
Each May, Serve the Region gathers volunteers for projects across the area where the church serves, loves, gives, and partners. The church describes this as something Real Life is, not just something it does.
For the World: Palmarcito and the Nazarene Family
Real Life carries a second tag, #FORTHEWORLD, for its global work. For five years the church has partnered with Iglesia del Nazareno Palmarcito through Nazarene Compassionate Ministries. The relationship includes child sponsorship, community health initiatives, school partnerships, children's programs, and the Vida Real Bakery, as well as a new chapel in the neighboring community of Los Angeles.
Cafe Kreyol supplies the coffee for Real Life's Coffee House. The roaster sources organic coffee directly from farmers and emphasizes sustainability and fair wages. Nazarene Compassionate Ministries itself partners with Nazarene congregations worldwide to clothe, shelter, feed, heal, and educate those who suffer under oppression, injustice, violence, poverty, hunger, and disease. Nazarene Missions International mobilizes the church in missions through prayer, engaging children and youth, giving, and education.
What to Expect on a First Visit
First-time guests are welcomed at the Welcome Desk in the main lobby. People wear everything from suits to jeans and shorts, so newcomers can come in whatever feels comfortable. The Infant Courtesy Room sits just outside the auditorium for parents of babies. Kids check-in opens at 9:40 AM, and the Coffee House serves from 9:15 to 10:00 AM. Services last sixty to seventy-five minutes, and giving baskets as well as the Church Center app make giving straightforward.