An Open, Justice-Seeking Church on 86th Street
St. Luke's United Methodist Church is one of the larger United Methodist congregations in Indianapolis and one of the most openly progressive. From its North Indy campus at 100 West 86th Street, its growing Midtown campus on Guilford Avenue, and a livestream that draws more than two thousand worshipers each week, St. Luke's has spent years describing itself in language that is unusual for a mainline Protestant church: open, affirming, inclusive, antiracist, and justice-seeking. The congregation's own Open Statement pledges to ensure that its staff and leadership represent the community around it, that women, people of color, and LGBTQIA+ people are included in positions of leadership and decision-making, and that the church will be a leader in "eradicating racism and discrimination."
Senior Pastor Rob Fuquay, the congregation's fifth senior pastor, was appointed in 2011 after serving Williamson's Chapel UMC in Mooresville, North Carolina. A graduate of Pfeiffer College and Emory's Candler School of Theology, Fuquay is also a published author whose works include The God We Can Know and The Passion Play: Living the Story of Christ's Last Days. He and his wife Susan have three daughters and a growing number of grandchildren. The pastoral team includes Executive Pastor Jen Gibbs, Midtown Campus Pastor Mindie Moore, Minister of Care and Contemplation Rachel Haines Cowart, Pastor of Visitation Bryan Smith, Pastor of Planned Giving and Stewardship David Heetland, and Theologian in Residence Adolf Hansen.
St. Luke's is, by its own description, a place for "longtime churchgoers, someone in the midst of deconstructing their faith, or an individual exploring this whole Jesus thing for the first time." Diversity in age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, and life experience is treated not as a goal but as an expectation.
Two Campuses and a Worldwide Online Parish
St. Luke's has been a multi-site congregation for years and continues to grow that way. The North Indy campus at 100 West 86th Street is the larger of the two and houses the Sanctuary, Robertson Chapel, the Connections Gift Store, the Kids wing, and the Lodge (a separate building in the northeast corner of the parking lot used for student ministry and events). The Midtown campus at 6185 Guilford Avenue has been expanding as well; it currently holds services at 9 and 11 AM, with a single 10 AM summer hour. Mindie Moore, who came to St. Luke's after time in Chicago and California and a master's from Fuller Theological Seminary, preaches and leads there.
Beyond brick and mortar, St. Luke's runs an intentional Online Campus that meets at 9:30 and 11 AM on Sundays in both traditional and contemporary formats, livestreamed from the North Indy Sanctuary and Robertson Chapel. More than two thousand people join online each week. The Online Campus is treated as a real community with its own groups, Bible studies, and serving opportunities, and the church has posted an opening for a Director of the Online Campus to lead it further. Members have organized serve events "hundreds of miles away from Indianapolis," and the church actively supports them with promotion and T-shirts.
Traditional and Contemporary Under One Roof
Worship is at the heart of St. Luke's identity, and the church takes seriously the two very different ways people like to pray. The Traditional service at North Indy draws on a 85-plus member choir, an orchestra directed by Bob Zehr, the Joyful Rhythms and Wesleyan Ringers handbell choirs, the New Song ensemble, organ and piano, vocal and instrumental ensembles, and liturgy from the United Methodist Book of Worship. Michael Conley, who has been playing at St. Luke's literally since before he was born, directs Traditional Worship.
The Contemporary services are led by Joel Ogburn (North Indy) and Beck Buchanan-Schwanke (Midtown), and feature modern worship music with a band. The pastoral preaching team includes Fuquay, Gibbs, and Moore, and sermons are explicitly described as "biblical, relevant, and hopeful." Recent sermon series have included Holy Rhythms, Run It Back, Run It Back: Forgiveness, and the older Words That Make America Great, Rise: Resurrection for Today, and A New Reformation: From Luther's World to Ours. A meditation series called "Sacred Rhythms" has invited the congregation into the Jewish High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot, with worshippers sometimes invited to take a red ribbon from a cross as a tangible practice of repentance.
Online, both traditional and contemporary services are streamed live. Funeral services and special events are also livestreamed when families choose.
Kids Ministry from Infants Through Fourth Grade
Kids Ministry at St. Luke's is led by Director Amy Boles, with Sarah Flores leading the Midtown Kids Ministry. Programming follows a curriculum called STEPS, with each grade level tied to a faith milestone. Infants learn about Treasure, Toddlers about Time, Preschool about Care, Kindergarten through second grade about Baptism, third graders about the Bible, and fourth graders about the Lord's Prayer. Both campuses use a fully digital check-in system: a parent receives a matching security sticker, and the nursery has at least one staff member trained in Infant and Pediatric First Aid/CPR. Snacks are not served in any classroom, and allergies are flagged on every name tag.
For parents with newborns, the church reaches out during pregnancy with prayers and support, and baptism is treated as one of two United Methodist Sacraments. Parents attend a class before a child's baptism and are connected with other parents walking the same road.
Kids Music is a serious piece of the program. Genesis Music (ages four through kindergarten), KidzSing (first through fourth grade), and Youth Choir (fifth through twelfth grade) rehearse on Sunday mornings at 10:25 AM, with Karen Alessandrini directing KidzSing and Laura Krell and Karen Alessandrini directing Youth Choir. Children sing in both the Traditional and Contemporary services throughout the year. Vacation Bible School is offered each summer for children up through incoming fourth grade.
Mosaic Ministry: Special Needs at the Center
St. Luke's has built one of the more visible special needs ministries in Indiana and is now the first church in the state to earn the Gold Badge for Disability-Friendly and Accessible Churches. The Mosaic Ministry, directed by Alex Baker, exists at every age level: Kids, Youth, Adults, and Parents and Caregivers.
Mosaic offers a buddy program that pairs trained volunteers one-on-one with children and youth in the typical Sunday morning environments, sensory toys and adjustments at both campuses, a sensory retreat room in room C110 at North Indy with dim lighting and lower volume, and a Genesis Music and KidzSing program that welcomes children with various needs alongside peers. Beginning in spring 2026, a Mosaic Community Group meets Wednesday evenings for prayer, games, and service projects. A support group for parents and caregivers meets the second Sunday of each month during the school year, with childcare always provided. Theologically, Mosaic grounds itself in Ephesians 2:10: "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
Students from Fifth Grade Through College
Student Ministries, led by Director Travis Bannon and Assistant Director Leslie Robbins, walks alongside middle and high schoolers through small groups, large group teaching, worship, and service. At North Indy, students meet in the Lodge at 9:30 AM and 11 AM. At Midtown, they gather in the Youth Room in the basement at 9:45 AM. High schoolers at North Indy also have a "Hub" inside Door 15 where they can grab a donut before and after services.
The teaching plan is intentionally age-specific. Fifth and sixth graders focus on the foundations of the Old and New Testaments. Seventh and eighth graders study what Christians believe and what they personally believe. Ninth and tenth graders explore identity and belonging in God's story. Eleventh and twelfth graders take up how to live faith in the world. Confirmation is offered annually for students in seventh grade or above who have not yet been confirmed, with eight monthly sessions, a mentor, a retreat, and a confirmation ceremony in the spring.
Safety is taken seriously through the Safe Sanctuaries program. Every volunteer eighteen and older is required to pass a federal background check and complete Safe Sanctuaries training before being approved to work with children, youth, and vulnerable adults. The Student Ministry also has a Fundraising Account system that banks money through graduation and can be applied toward retreats and mission trips.
Hub for Hope and a Four-Part Outreach Strategy
The Outreach and Justice ministry, led by Director Shelly Clasen, organizes most of the church's local work under a single banner called Hub for Hope. The stated vision is "a community where everyone freely experiences and contributes to wholeness and flourishing." Four hubs shape the work.
The Neighbor Resources Hub connects families with immediate needs through the Diaper Pantry, the Crooked Creek Food Pantry, and a Spring and Fall Rummage Sale. The Education Hub partners with Washington Township schools through CDF Freedom Schools, a six-week summer literacy program hosted at St. Luke's for its fourth year in 2026, plus Luke's Leaders and a Back to School Bash. The Housing Hub works with neighbors facing eviction through rent support during income gaps and a partnership with Family Promise of Greater Indianapolis. The Social Action and Advocacy Hub brings together Creation Care, Congregations United to Reduce Violence, a Racial Justice committee, the Indiana Remembrance Coalition, a Tenant Advocacy Group, Bread for the World, an Inter-faith Social Action Group, and the Multi-faith Alliance.
St. Luke's also hosts Antiracist Indy, an Immigration Updates page, and a Covenant to Build a Beloved Community. A Governing Board Statement Regarding Same-Sex Marriage from July 2022 is publicly posted.
Care, Contemplation, and a Long List of Support Groups
The Care and Contemplation ministry, led by Rachel Haines Cowart, treats pastoral care as one of the church's central callings. The Care Team includes Pastor of Visitation Bryan Smith (a former hospice chaplain), a Health Ministry with Caring Cars (a volunteer ride ministry), a Lending Closet of gently used mobility aids open to anyone in the community, Healing Partners Ministry that combines gentle touch and prayer through the Pilgrimage Integrative Healing Process, and Stephen Ministry for confidential one-on-one listening. Visitation, prayer, and hospital visits are all coordinated through the church office, with a pastor on call after hours.
Support groups meet across the week. GriefShare is offered at 3:30 and 6:30 PM on Wednesdays. DivorceCare runs thirteen Mondays at 6:30 PM at North Indy, beginning each September. A Suicide Loss Support Group, a Chronic Pain Support Group, a Dementia Caregivers group that meets the first Tuesday of each month, a Cancer Support group, and the Brooke's Place grief program for children are all part of the rotation. Outside recovery groups hosted at St. Luke's include Gamblers Anonymous, multiple AA meetings, Men's AFG Al-Anon, SAA, and SA.
Contemplative offerings have grown as well. A Taizé service returns the third Monday of each month with a chant choir led by Janet Tiebert and Betty Brandt. Labyrinth Walks are held on the fifth Monday of each month from 6 to 7 PM on the Prism Labyrinth. Contemplative Communion meets at 9:15 AM each Sunday in the North Indy Prayer Chapel. New groups this fall include A Course in Miracles and an Introduction to Contemplative Practices.
Adult Discipleship: Groups, Classes, and Bible Studies
Adult Discipleship is led by Senior Director Jon Jones and Small Group Coordinator Heidi Schopmeyer. Small Groups run in three six-week sessions a year (Fall, Winter, Spring) and gather around shared life stages, hobbies, parenting, retirement, running, books, or Bible study. Some have been meeting for years. Disciple Bible Study is a long-standing curriculum, and a broader list of classes covers world religions, gun control, leadership, relationships, homosexuality and the Bible, and grief. Support groups are also folded into the Adult Discipleship structure.
Men's ministry gathers for Java Joe's coffee across from Robertson Chapel on Sunday mornings, where men pick up copies of the daily devotional Stand Firm. A First Saturday Men's Breakfast meets monthly. The United Women in Faith circle (formerly United Methodist Women) hosts the Holiday Bazaar on the second Saturday in November, a juried event featuring over one hundred artisans, with proceeds supporting UWF missions. The Mary Magdalene Circle meets the third Thursday of each month, and Projects with a Purpose sews book bags for Freedom School scholars, burp cloths for Hub for Hope, and fleece hats for East 10th Street Children's Center.
The 20|30s Ministry, led by Beck Buchanan-Schwanke, hosts Restaurant Takeovers, monthly Dinner Clubs, and Books and Brews. College care packages are sent regularly to undergraduate-aged students, and the church supports virtual college small groups.
Worship and the Arts: A Full Music Program
St. Luke's music ministry is unusually broad for a single church. Bob Zehr has led the St. Luke's Orchestra for nearly three decades. Margaret Spilker coordinates its forty players. Michael Conley directs the Traditional music, including the chancel choir. Katie Kouns leads New Song. Marsha Coyner directs the Joyful Rhythms handbells, and Rebecca Holt directs the Wesleyan Ringers, which ring on the first Sunday of each month. Nikki Cheeseman directs Technical Arts, and Owen Myers serves as a Technical Specialist with a background recognized in audio and lighting production.
The Music at St. Luke's concert series brings in groups such as the Indiana Wind Symphony Chamber Concert, the Purdue Varsity Glee Club, the annual Gospel Concert, Sphere Born, and the Indianapolis Brass Choir. A Christmas Concert is held in early December.
The Early Childhood Program
St. Luke's operates a weekday Early Childhood Program directed by Lindsay Wilson with assistant director Niki Dossett. The program serves children ages ten months through preschool, with Parents' Day Out classes for ages ten months to two years, Preschool classes for three- and four-year-olds, and a Junior Kindergarten for children who turn five by December 31. Class days run 9 AM to 1 PM, with aftercare Monday through Thursday from 1 to 2 PM. The curriculum uses Conscious Discipline for social-emotional learning, Minds in Motion for balance and learning, Handwriting Without Tears, and Zoo Phonics. St. Luke's states that it accepts children of all ability levels.
Weddings, Funerals, and Sacred Spaces
Weddings at St. Luke's can be held in either the Sanctuary or Robertson Chapel. Members can expect a fee range of $850 to $1,200; non-members $1,350 to $1,750, with a required pre-marriage seminar. The fee covers a St. Luke's pastor, church organist or pianist, a wedding coordinator, hostess, sound technician, custodial care, and facility use.
Funerals are coordinated through the Care Ministry. Pastors will pray with families before a death, officiate at the church, the funeral home, or graveside depending on the family's wishes, and stream services online when families choose. A Making Room capital campaign is currently underway at the North Indy campus, with the new addition featuring seven classrooms, two family restrooms, and the Hub for Hope.
What Visitors Should Know
Anyone planning a visit can call (317) 846-3404 ext. 428 or fill out a pre-registration form for kids in advance. St. Luke's North Indy has a guest parking area (turn on flashers and you will be directed), a handicap lot, and golf carts that will bring guests door-to-door. Traditional worshipers are encouraged to enter through Door 1; Contemporary worshipers through Doors 6 or 7; handicap parking at Door 4; and families with young children through Door 16 for Kids Church. Midtown has handicap parking and the main entrance under the awning, with additional parking across the street in the former Kroger lot.
Visitors will not be asked to give money, wear a visitor badge, or stand up. The sign-in process is fully digital. The church explicitly states that it is one of the few open churches in the area and that it affirms the full inclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and non-binary persons at every level of participation. As Pastor Moore has put it on Sunday mornings: "You will be loved here, no exceptions."
Beliefs, Briefly
St. Luke's holds to historic United Methodist belief in the Triune God: God the Creator, God the Son Jesus Christ who saves through his life, death, and resurrection, and God the Holy Spirit who comforts, sustains, guides, and empowers. Every person is a beloved child of God created in the divine image. The Bible is authoritative in matters of faith and practice and is interpreted in the power of the Holy Spirit present in the community of faith. The church is called to be an instrument of God's presence, where people worship joyfully, proclaim the Word faithfully, share the sacraments of baptism and Holy Communion, and participate in God's mission among the hurting, the outcasts, and the forgotten. St. Luke's looks forward to the triumph of God's reign of compassion, justice, generosity, and peace, and lives into that future now through worship, formation, advocacy, and care.