In October of 1978, Sheridan and Debbie Wright arrived in Muncie, Indiana to plant a campus ministry at Ball State University. Beginning with one student and the Ball State women’s gymnastic coach, they saw scores of students come to Christ, with the ministry growing at one point to over 80 students.
With a solid foundation of godly discipling, many of these students went on to help build up churches all over the US, now serving as evangelists, women’s ministry leaders, elders, house church leaders, and faithful disciples.
After the Wright’s departure for Columbia, South Carolina in June of 1985, the ministry diminished, and eventually our churches no longer had a presence in Muncie or on the Ball State University campus.
We’re excited to announce that as of last week, our church in Indianapolis has sent out Nate Leo and Sarah Kruger, along with a small group of incoming freshmen, to re-start our outreach to the Ball State campus, a thriving midwest university of 22,000 students. Nate was baptized into Christ in 2015 through our Indiana University planting. He was a standout student-leader and since January has served as an intern at our IUPUI (Indiana University/Purdue University at Indianapolis) campus work in Indianapolis. Sarah was baptized into Christ in 2014 as a student at the University of Kansas, later serving as a campus intern in the ministry in downtown Chicago. Both are continuing their training through the Midwest School of Missions.
The Ball State inaugural service occurred on Sunday, August 25, with an attendance of around 50, including notable Ball State alumni, who came to give their support, a mission team of seven disciples and their friends, and a number of students from our IUPUI ministry.
This is the third in a series of Indiana campus plantings, which include Purdue University (Lafayette) and Indiana University (Bloomington), all of which continue to invigorate ministries throughout the state of Indiana and well beyond. All three of these ministries are thriving under the outstanding leadership of Ross and Samantha Sawyer, who are expert campus builders serving in Indianapolis.
Please join us in praying for open hearts among the students of Ball State University!
