What’s Happening 1/16/26

CONGRATULATIONS!
Congratulations to Joseph Roberts on his baptism this past Sunday! We look forward to seeing all the wonderful ways God is going to work in and through your life.

“For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” ~ Galatians 3:27

UNDER CONSTRUCTION!!
We’re excited to share that construction on our new forKids classrooms is officially underway! Thank you for your grace and patience as we prepare these new spaces and implement a few updated protocols to better serve the kids and families of Forward Church.

🔥 PROPEL YOUTH SUMMER TRIP 🔥
Forward Conference 2026

Get ready for an unforgettable few days of worship, teaching, and fun as Propel Youth heads to Forward Conference this summer!

📌 WHO: Propel Youth — students entering Grades 7–12
📌 WHAT: Summer Trip to Forward Conference
📌 WHERE: Gas South Arena • Duluth, GA
📌 WHEN: June 25–27
💲 COST: $300
👉 We are exploring fundraising opportunities to help offset the cost!

⏰ SIGN-UP DEADLINE:
🗓 Wednesday, January 28
💵 $50 deposit required to secure your spot

🗓 TRIP DETAILS

Day 1 – Thursday (6/25)
• Depart early morning for Duluth, GA (approx. 6.5-hour drive)
• Lunch on the road (not provided)
• Attend Session 1
• Dinner at our rental house (provided)
• Hangout time at the house

Day 2 – Friday
• Breakfast at the house (provided)
• Attend Session 2
• Lunch at the house (provided)
• Free time to enjoy the house amenities
• Attend Session 3
• Dinner at the house (provided)
• Evening hangout time

Day 3 – Saturday
• Breakfast (provided)
• Load vans and attend Session 4
• Depart for home after the session
• Lunch & dinner on the road (not provided)

🎶 Powerful worship.
📖 Life-giving teaching.
🤝 Meaningful friendships.

This is a trip your student will not want to miss!

🔗 Learn more about the conference: forwardconference.org
📝 Sign up today to reserve your spot!
📧 Questions? Please reach out to Pastor Blake Belles at
Blake@forwardchurchfamily.com

PLast weekend to sign up!
Registration ends SUNDAY for our upcoming parenting class! We will meet for the next 3 weeks beginning this Wednesday, January 21st, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the church. Reminder, this three-week course is designed for parents of toddlers through middle school students. Childcare is provided with registration, so be sure to sign up today!

LADIES 65+
Women of Forward ages 65+, we would love to have you join us for our Golden Matriarch lunch outing on January 28th to Stream Cliff Farm in Commiskey, IN. We will meet at the church at 10AM to coordinate carpooling.

Please register today to let us know you would like to come. You can register on-line on our events page or stop at the Welcome Desk and our volunteer can help you.

Email Rachel McWhirter at rachel@forwardchurchfamily.com with any questions.

REGISTRATION FULL!
Sign-ups for our Mission of Hope meal-packing event have been amazing! We are blown away by the response! Because of that, we’ve started a waiting list, so go ahead and sign up—we’ll reach out as soon as spots open up.

Just a reminder, we’ll be packing 40,000 meals on Saturday, February 21st, starting at 8:00 a.m., and we won’t stop until the job is done! We can’t wait to serve together!

CHILDCARE VOLUNTEERS for Church Events/Bible Studies Needed!

As we move into 2026, we are seeking support to provide childcare for upcoming church events, classes, and Bible studies. Offering safe, welcoming, and loving childcare is an important part of supporting families so they are able to participate.

We’re inviting adults (18+) and student helpers (ages 13–17) to serve with our childcare team. Whether you can help occasionally or more regularly, your time makes a meaningful difference for parents and kids alike.

Adult Volunteers (18+)
Adults serving in childcare will be asked to complete a standard background check, which is part of our church’s commitment to providing a safe and secure environment for every child.

Student Helpers (13–17)
Student helpers serve alongside approved adult leaders and help support activities, playtime, and check-in.

If you’re interested in serving, please complete the signup form below. We’ll follow up with next steps and event-specific details.

Thank you for being part of creating a church where families feel supported and kids feel cared for.

👉 https://www.forwardchurchfamily.com/connect/#events

ALMOST FULL!!
We have a women’s in-home Bible study beginning soon in the Georgetown area. This will be a 12-lesson study, Acts of the Apostles: The Birth of the Church by Dr. David Jeremiah. The study begins Monday, January 19th and meets every other Monday for 12 sessions.

Space is limited, but we’d love to welcome as many women as we can, so please get signed up today!

Contact Tonia Hatfield at Hatfield912@gmail.com with any questions.

Share the Love of Christ – Serve at The Breakaway Recovery House

Join us once a month as we share a meal and the love of Christ with the ladies residing at The Breakaway Recovery House, our neighbors just across the alley from Forward Church. Our goal is to make these women feel welcomed, valued, and invited to worship with us if they don’t have a church home.

Volunteers from Forward Church will prepare a meal and/or spend time in fellowship with the residents. Women of Forward, if you’d like to help or learn more, please contact Tonia Hatfield at Hatfield912@gmail.com.

Upcoming Dates:
January 18, February 15, March 15, April 19, May 17, June 21, July 19, August 16, September 20, October 18

Volunteer Opportunity: White Flag Shelter

You can bless our community by volunteering with Southern Indiana’s White Flag Shelter—an emergency overnight shelter that opens its doors when temperatures drop below 35 degrees. The shelter operates from November 15 through April 15.

There are many ways to serve, including helping with dinner, laundry service, preparing bedding, and—most importantly—building relationships with guests.

👉 Learn more or volunteer at nomadchurch.org/volunteer

Propel Youth Ministry
Propel is a ministry for all middle and high school students that meets every Wednesday evening at the church. It’s a place where students grow in God’s Word while building meaningful friendships and community.
Contact Pastor Blake Belles at blake@forwardchurchfamily.com with any questions.

Merge Young Adults
Merge will be gathering on January 26, 2026, so be sure to mark your calendars. If you are a young adult (age 18-29), make plans to join us and bring a friend. We can’t wait to kick off the new year together!

Sunday School Class
Open to all and meets Sunday mornings from 9-10am in the classroom behind the Worship Center.
Contact Dave Hollander at dgchollander@yahoo.com with any questions.

Tuesday Men’s Bible Study
All men are welcome! If you have any questions or want to learn more, reach out to Vince Garmon at vinceg0710@gmail.com.

All men are welcome to join! Every Tuesday morning from 7-8am at Panera Bread on State Street. For any questions, reach out to Brent Kulwicki at brentkulwicki@gmail.com

If you are interested in becoming a member of Forward, contact Pastor Neil at neil@forwardchurchfamily.com!

The Chest of Joash provides an opportunity to give above and beyond the normal tithe. The money from it goes directly to work needed done on our building.

In 2 Chronicles 24 we find Joash repairing the temple and a chest was set outside of it for people to bring a tithe that was used to pay the workers restoring the temple. Verse 10 says, “And all the princes and all the people rejoiced and brought their tax and dropped it into the chest until they had finished.”

A huge THANK YOU to all of you who have joyfully donated just as the Israelite officials and people did!

You can give to the Chest of Joash by clicking the button below and selecting “Chest of Joash” in the drop down menu.

We want you to know that you are not giving TO Forward Church, you are giving THROUGH Forward Church! Our commitment is to stewarding every dollar that God entrusts to us for the advancement of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Join us online from anywhere every Sunday at 10:30am! You can stream our services here on our website! Just click “Watch Live” at the top of any page!

1 Peter 4:10, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:”

We’re encouraging and challenging everyone to take the step to get connected in serving on a team with us at Forward! We have many opportunities to serve:

• forKids (Nursery, Toddlers/Twos, The Clubhouse/Pre-K, God City/K-1st, The Dig/2nd-5th)
• Propel Middle (meets Sunday mornings) and Propel High (meets Wednesday evenings)
• Greeters and Ushers
• Parking Team
• Tech Team

For any area you may be interested in or want more information on, click the “Serve With Us!” button below and we’ll get you started!