Zionsville Presbyterian Church, at 4775 West 116th Street in Zionsville, Indiana, is known for making disciples and releasing them for service. The Reformed, Evangelical congregation within the Presbyterian Church (USA) combines Scripture-centered worship with Home Groups, age-specific education, mission partnerships and an emphasis on trained lay leaders. Its Sunday rhythm is clear: worship at 9:00 and 10:45 a.m. in the Sanctuary, with the 9:00 service livestreamed.
Two Sunday Services, About Seventy-Five Minutes Each
Two Sunday services meet in the Sanctuary at 9:00 and 10:45 a.m. Each lasts about 75 minutes. The church office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and the church's main phone number is 317.873.6503. The 9:00 service can be joined through the ZPC livestream.
Families with children have several ways to take part. Programming for children from birth through 4th grade is available during both Sunday services, while Middle School Ministry for grades 5 through 8 is available at 10:45. Littles, the birth-through-Kindergarten ministry, uses age-appropriate worship and teaching with Bible memorization, music, group lessons and hands-on crafts. First-time visitors may complete a NextGen registration form before arriving and meet a volunteer at the NextGen Hub.
Worship is intentionally accessible in dress but Christ-centered in substance. The congregation sings both old and new songs, using music and relationships to draw people toward God and his desire for the local church. Flip-flops or heels, a tie or a T-shirt are all equally welcome. The church's sermon archive preserves recorded messages and sermon audio, with the week's recordings and audio available after 12:30 p.m. each Sunday.
People who want to learn about the church can attend the Inquirers Class, which meets three times a year. Its Friday gathering is off-site and includes dinner and relational time with Pastor Jerry Deck and other leaders. The Saturday gathering takes place at ZPC and includes teaching from staff and lay leaders, with childcare available through advance registration.
From a Middle School Cafeteria to West 116th Street
ZPC's story begins in the early 1980s, when local Presbyterians felt led to establish a new congregation in the Zionsville area. Nineteen people attended the first organizational town meeting in the summer of 1982. Worship began in the cafeteria of Zionsville Middle School in February 1983, with 23 people attending. Rev. Glenn McDonald was called as the organizing pastor, and the congregation soon purchased property at the corner of Michigan Road and 116th Street.
ZPC was chartered as a Presbyterian Church (USA) member congregation in October 1984 with 143 members. Its first 10,000-square-foot building was completed in June 1987, and 13,000 square feet of education space was added in 1990. Growth in the mid-1990s required another 42,000 square feet, including the present Sanctuary, Gathering Space and Gym, all dedicated in 1997.
During that period of growth, ZPC moved away from a clergy-driven model and began empowering lay people to carry out ministry. Small groups and ministry teams have remained central to the church's life ever since. After Rev. McDonald resigned and an interim period, ZPC called Rev. Dr. Jerry Deck to become senior pastor in 2014.
A Reformed, Evangelical Identity Put Into Practice
ZPC states its mission as Called together by God to make disciples and release them for service in our broken world. The church describes itself as a congregation following Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and seeking to live out his teaching in everyday life. Its goal is to become more like Jesus through worship, Scripture study, prayer, relationships and service both inside the church and throughout the world.
The congregation affirms the Trinity and the Incarnation. Its Reformed heritage emphasizes God's love and sovereignty, election for salvation and service, covenant life, stewardship, the fallenness of humanity and the preaching of Scripture. Its Evangelical emphasis includes personal trust in Jesus, his atoning sacrifice on the cross, a conservative interpretation of Scripture and active engagement with cultures to share the gospel.
ZPC is also part of The Fellowship, an order within the Presbyterian Church (USA) that calls Presbyterians to gather around a strong theological center and share a life of discipline, prayer and mission. ZPC's Session joined The Fellowship in 2014, citing its emphasis on disciple-making, covenantal relationships and accountability among like-minded churches.
Home Groups Turn the Sermon Into Shared Discipleship
Home Groups are the central means of discipleship at ZPC. A typical group contains 8 to 12 people who meet weekly in homes, study the previous weekend's sermon text, share prayer and support one another. Meetings last about an hour and a half to two hours, include light refreshments and require no homework. Each group has a trained facilitator.
The groups operate in 10-week sessions, with three sessions each year and a brief break between them. Some groups remain open to newcomers, while others close when full. Meetings occur on different days and times throughout the week, usually in homes across the community, although a group may request a room on the church campus when no home is available.
ZPC removes childcare as an obstacle to participation by reimbursing the cost of hiring a sitter when a Home Group arranges shared childcare for its children. Leadership development is part of the model. People are invited to begin as participants, then move toward facilitating or hosting a group through recommendation, discernment and conversation with ministry leaders.
A Full Rhythm of Adult Study and Fellowship
Bible Study Fellowship meets Monday evenings from 6:50 to 8:20 p.m. Participants spend part of the week in personal Bible study with questions designed for deeper thought, then gather for small-group discussion. The ZPC format includes a women's class and a school-age program for grades 1 through 12. Chinese and Spanish discussion groups are offered at ZPC and online.
Sunday classes provide additional avenues for spiritual formation. Thinking Biblically is open to high school age and older, while Spiritual Formation uses guided reading, reflection and meaningful conversation to explore Christian classics, spiritual disciplines and God's presence in ordinary life. Both classes meet at 9:15 a.m. during their seasonal runs.
Women can join several Bible studies and discipleship groups. Soul Sisters meets Monday evening and Thursday morning, combining small-group conversation with a large-group lecture on Thursday. Heart to Heart pairs two women for friendship, prayer, encouragement, time in God's Word and preparation to pass on what they learn. The Lies Women Believe study is for women in their 20s and 30s, and Grace Marriage offers four Saturday date nights a year focused on biblically based teaching, reflection and time for couples.
Men of all ages are welcome at the 6:30 a.m. Thursday Bible study in the Chapel, which includes coffee, treats, fellowship and study. ZPC Men also gathers for meaningful relationships, service and spiritual outreach. The MomCo offers a separate rhythm for mothers, meeting twice a month from September through April with brunch, childcare, a speaker, fellowship and small-group discussion.
For adults 60 and older, 2nd Half Adventurers meets monthly for luncheons, speakers and entertainment. Freebirds gathers people from their 40s through retirement for social outings, community service, spiritual enrichment and shared experiences. Starting Anew meets monthly for single women who have processed grief following widowhood or divorce, using Christian-themed books and optional shared lunches.
Great Banquet weekends welcome adults 18 and older who want to grow in understanding of God's grace and Christian community. The Young Adult Ministry creates space for fellowship, volunteering and social events while helping young adults navigate adult life with faith and purpose. Inquirers Class offers a separate path for learning about ZPC's beliefs, leaders and life together.
NextGen Spans Birth Through High School
ZPC's NextGen Ministry is divided into four stages: Littles, Bigs, Middle School Ministry and High School Ministry. The approach is to partner with parents and caregivers while helping children and students discover who God is, build friendships and connect with the wider church family.
Littles welcomes children from birth through Kindergarten during both primary Sunday gathering times. Lessons combine stories, songs and hands-on activities with age-appropriate worship, Bible memorization and crafts. Bigs serves 1st through 4th grades, with Becky Woods leading the ministry and helping families establish a biblical foundation. Children's leaders are vetted volunteers who receive training and screening.
Middle School Ministry serves grades 5 through 8 and includes Sunday gathering, small groups, discussion leaders and short-term trips. High School Ministry offers retreats and times of teaching, fellowship and mission for students. The goal for both groups is to walk alongside young people as they grow in faith and relationships with adults and peers.
Safety is central to NextGen. ZPC maintains child safety and sexual misconduct policies, requires volunteers to complete background checks, references, an interview and training, and provides a nurturing environment where children can learn, play and grow. Vacation Bible School welcomes children from age 4 through completed 4th grade, while volunteers with children from birth through age 3 can receive childcare.
Care Starts at the Food Pantry and the Front Door
The Community Assistance Ministry fields calls from neighbors in Boone and Hamilton counties who need help with utilities or rent because of job loss, illness, injury or another financial crisis. Team members facilitate ZPC financial assistance when appropriate and connect callers with other community resources. The ministry also coordinates Adopt-a-Family opportunities during November and December.
The Zionsville Food Pantry supports individuals and families experiencing food insecurity. It is open to Boone County residents from 5 to 6 p.m. Thursdays and from noon to 2 p.m. Fridays. Volunteers unload and sort food, prepare distributions and welcome clients in their cars. The need is practical and recurring, making the pantry one of the clearest ways the church's mission reaches people who live nearby.
Loose Threads meets on Thursday morning to turn repurposed fabric into warm quilts. The group also makes knitted hats, small stuffed toys and crocheted prayer shawls that are given to people who are homeless and others in need of comfort. Its work combines practical service with shared conversation, prayer and laughter.
Local mission relationships extend beyond ZPC's own ministries. Habitat for Humanity of Boone County builds homes, Outreach Indiana walks alongside youth and young adults experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity, and Str8Up serves urban youth in grades 8 through 12. Other relationships include Fuller Center for Housing, Hispanic Ministries, Shepherd Community Center, Wheeler Mission, Kairos Prison Ministry of Indiana and Progressive Life Ministries.
Shalom House shares meals and encouragement throughout Boone County. Shepherd Totes assembles food items for children during the winter school break. Around 71st Street and Michigan Road, ZPC is building relationships with the Crooked Creek community through service opportunities coordinated by Traci Kaufman. These partnerships connect the church's members with organizations already serving people in central Indiana.
Mission Reaches From Central Indiana to the World
ZPC's mission emphasis includes both nearby service and work beyond the United States. The church lists Fountains of Hope, which works on safe water solutions for poor and marginalized communities, among its international relationships. Its mission partners and areas also include Brazil, Haiti, Romania, Uganda, Mongolia, the Philippines and the Middle East and North Africa.
Different regions carry different forms of partnership. ZPC supports The Great Banquet in Brazil, pastors and youth in Romania, and mission work in Haiti. Mission relationships in Mongolia and the Philippines involve Dan Duke and Jennifer and John Keller, as well as Ruth and Mark McDowell. The church also supports a Uganda mission trip and an international focus area for the Middle East and North Africa.
A monthly prayer gathering focuses on mission partners and people serving in the Middle East and North Africa. Short-term mission opportunities also welcome entire families. A family-friendly trip to Leslie County, Kentucky works with Big Creek Missions on light construction, home repairs or projects involving a food pantry, nursing home or school.
These international and local efforts reflect ZPC's phrase of being sent into service. The church does not frame mission as a separate department from discipleship. Instead, Home Groups, students, families and other members are equipped to participate in practical work that shares God's love near and far.
Giving as a Shared Practice of Stewardship
ZPC offers online giving through direct bank transfers or debit and credit cards. Contributions may be one-time or scheduled weekly, monthly or quarterly. Cash and checks can also be given during weekend services, mailed, dropped off at the church or transferred through online banking. The Church Center app provides another giving option.
Beyond cash, the church accepts stock, certain property and other tangible assets. It also accepts matching gifts, memorial and honor gifts, charitable trusts, annuities, life-income gifts and bequests. Contributions can be designated for a particular ZPC ministry or given in honor or memory of a loved one.
ZPC's stewardship principles call people to manage time, talent, treasure and creation with joy, sacrifice and accountability. They emphasize that God comes first, that stewardship is worship, that God's gifts should be used strategically and that everything belongs to God. Giving is thus connected to the church's desire to become fully devoted followers of Jesus and to share that life through local and global service.
Weddings, Gatherings and Buildings That Support the Congregation
ZPC's campus includes the Sanctuary, Gathering Space, Gym, Chapel, Library, education rooms and other gathering areas. The Gathering Space functions as an informal welcome area, while the Gym can host receptions, church meals and community events. General events, ministry fundraisers and other gatherings can be planned through ZPC's event process.
Weddings are a significant part of the church's life. ZPC affirms marriage as a gift from God and describes premarital preparation, pastoral care and ongoing support as central to the preparation of couples. The sanctuary and Chapel can be used for ceremonies, and members may reserve the Gym for a reception.
Couples preparing for marriage participate in a program that begins at least four months before the ceremony and includes at least four sessions. The process uses a trained mentor couple and the PREPARE assessment, and ZPC also provides post-marital counseling, workshops and retreats. Music must be appropriate for all ages. Alcohol is not permitted in the building or on the grounds, and the church maintains a smoke-free environment.
Noah's Ark Daycare provides a Christ-centered, biblically based early childhood program for children from six weeks through six years old. The program is part of ZPC's wider emphasis on supporting families and nurturing children in faith from their earliest years.
Lay Leadership Shapes the Congregation
Senior Pastor Jerry Deck leads ZPC with a focus on understanding how individuals and the community fit into God's wider story. His ministry emphasizes sharing God's love, grace and peace in neighborhoods, the country and the world through the hope of the gospel, care for people in need and worship in truth and grace. Associate Pastor of Discipleship Scott Shelton leads adult discipleship, missions and pastoral care.
Ministry leaders carry particular responsibilities for the life of the congregation. Jason Chapel directs worship, while Ashley Davidson-Lam coordinates worship and hospitality and Isaac Vining leads technical ministry. Brendon Saget directs High School and Middle School Ministries. Becky Woods leads children's ministry and Bigs, and Jennifer Buddenbaum coordinates Littles. Traci Kaufman builds relationships through the Crooked Creek ministry.
ZPC follows the Presbyterian Church (USA) structure of pastors, a Session and a Board of Deacons. The Session includes the two called pastors and 12 lay elders elected to three-year terms. It oversees administration, personnel, missions, education, property, finances, evangelism, worship and spiritual development. The deacons organize hands-on care teams for the congregation and community.
Much of the church's work is carried out by volunteers rather than staff alone. Home Group leaders, children's workers, worship arts volunteers, pantry teams, pantry drivers, quilters, prayer teams and mission leaders serve alongside the pastors and ministry directors. Their work reflects the decision made during ZPC's early growth to move away from clergy-driven ministry and give lay people a central role.
A Church That Brings, Equips and Sends
Zionsville Presbyterian Church's identity is visible in the relationships that surround it: two Sunday worship times, age-specific education, sermon-based Home Groups, studies for every stage of adulthood, a food pantry open to Boone County neighbors, ministry partnerships across Indiana and mission work beyond the country. From its first organizational meeting of 19 people to its present emphasis on trained lay leadership, the congregation continues to center on making disciples who share spiritual life and are sent to serve. That continuing rhythm of worship, formation, care and mission is the enduring shape of ZPC in Zionsville.