What’s Happening 9/4/26

Congratulations to Ally Gray on her baptism this past Sunday! Your Forward Church family is rejoicing with you!

Ally, your testimony was absolutely beautiful. Thank you for sharing your story and for being such a beautiful example of obedience as you follow the example of Jesus through baptism. We are so excited to celebrate this important step of faith with you!

💛 Golden Matriarchs Brunch

Calling all women of Forward age 65+! Join us for a fun morning of good food, conversation, and connection with other ladies in our church family. We’d love for you to come out, enjoy brunch together, and get to know one another!

📅 Wednesday, September 16
⏰ 10:30 AM–12:30 PM
📍 Wild Eggs in downtown New Albany

Come hungry and ready to enjoy some time together! We hope to see you there!

Are you new to Forward Church and wondering how to become a member? Or maybe you’ve been attending for some time and are ready to make Forward Church your home. Join us on Sunday, September 20th beginning at 12:30PM, following the
worship service, for our next Membership Class.

This is a great opportunity to learn more about Forward and ask any questions you may have. This class will cover the history of Forward Church, leadership, core values, beliefs, and more.

Lunch and childcare are provided with registration.
Register by Sunday, September 13th. We hope to see you there!!

Walk for Life — Join the Forward Church Team!

The Annual Choices Walk for Life is coming up, and we would love for a team from Forward Church to join us this year!

Choices Life Resource Center is a Christian organization committed to helping parents choose life and providing support to individuals and families in our community. Through free pregnancy tests and ultrasounds, adoption counseling, parenting and fatherhood programs, and practical resources such as diapers, clothing, and car seats, Choices walks alongside families regardless of their income. They also have the opportunity to share the Gospel with the individuals and families they serve. Choices currently has locations in New Albany, Corydon, and Salem.

📅 Saturday, September 26, 2026
📍 Sam Peden Community Park, New Albany
Check-in: 9:00 AM
Walk: 10:00 AM

The walk is typically two laps around the lake, but there is no required distance—walk as much as you’re comfortable with! Lunch will be provided following the walk.

Help Us Reach Our $5,000 Goal!

We would love to have a strong Forward Church team this year, and our goal is to raise $5,000 to support the important work Choices is doing in our community. There is no required fundraising amount to participate.

Ready to walk or donate? Visit the Forward Church Team Page.

From the team page, you can register to walk or choose someone to support with a donation. If you don’t select a specific walker, your donation will simply be credited to the Forward team. However, because there are prizes for top fundraisers and the largest groups, please consider selecting a specific team member when you donate. If someone has already reached their goal, choose another Forward walker who could use your support!

Prefer not to donate on-line? Reach out to the individual you are wanting to support in person.

Shirts: Anyone who raises at least $50 by September 12 will receive a Walk for Life shirt. Families can also register additional walkers, such as children or spouses, without requiring each person to raise $50.

Let’s come together as Forward Church to support families, equip parents, serve our community, and stand for life! We hope you’ll join us!

Supporting Our Missionaries

The Wilkins family, our missionaries serving in Southeast Asia, will be home in Southern Indiana for a three-month home assignment. This season includes reconnecting with supporting churches, sharing what God is doing through their ministry, and preparing for their next term.

We’d love to bless them by providing gift cards for everyday travel and living expenses. Gift cards for gas stations, Kroger, Costco, Walmart, Sam’s Club, Amazon, or Visa are appreciated.

Please place gift cards in the Giving Boxes at the Worship Center exits and mark them “Southeast Asia Mission.”

Gift cards will be collected through Sunday, September 27.

💕 Breakaway Recovery House

📅 Upcoming Dates:
September 20 • October 25
December 6 – Christmas party

Women of Forward, come be a part of something meaningful! Once a month, we have the opportunity to share a meal, build friendships, and show the love of Christ to the women living at Breakaway Recovery House, our neighbors right across the alley from Forward Church.

Our hope is to help each woman feel welcomed, valued, and cared for, while extending an invitation to worship with us if they don’t currently have a church home.

Volunteers can help by preparing a meal and/or joining us for a time of fellowship with the residents. No special experience is needed—just a willingness to serve and share Christ’s love.

Interested in helping or want to learn more? Contact Tonia Hatfield at Hatfield912@gmail.com.

We Need You!

We’re looking for a few willing volunteers who can serve on an as-needed basis providing childcare during special events at Forward Church. This is a great way to serve our church family and help make it possible for others to participate in these special opportunities.

If you’re willing to help, we’d love to hear from you! Please reach out to Rachel Searcy at rach.searcy@gmail.com with any questions or volunteer today on the Church Center app or online at Forwardchurchfamily.com.

WOMEN OF FORWARD FALL RETREAT
** COMPLETE PAYMENTS DUE BY SUNDAY, SEPT. 27TH **

“This Is My Story”
Cliffview Resort | Natural Bridge, Kentucky

📅 Thursday, November 5th at 7:00 PM – Saturday, November 7th at 3:00 PM

We can’t wait to spend this special weekend together! As we gather at Cliffview Resort, we’ll reflect on God’s faithfulness and the story He is continuing to write in each of our lives through a time of worship, fellowship, encouragement, and connection.

We look forward to this meaningful weekend together!

Show your connection to the Forward Church family wherever you go with our FORWARD MERCHANDISE! Shop t-shirts, hats, tote bags, and more—perfect for representing our church family and starting conversations that point others to Jesus.

📦 Enjoy $10 flat-rate shipping on your entire order, and be sure to check back often as we continue adding new designs and products!

Shop today at forwardchurchfamily.com

Please note: Forward Church does not receive any proceeds from merchandise sales.

Forward Church family, have you tried Azure Around the Table yet? Azure provides organic foods and natural products delivered nationwide. You’ll receive 15% off your first order, and 2% of every purchase comes back to support Forward Church!

Grab a flyer at the Welcome Desk for more details, or contact Lynn Jenney at lynnjenney5@gmail.com with any questions.

.

Propel middle and highschool ministry meets every Wednesday from 6:30–8:00 PM. In this ministry you can expect authentic community, worship, and strong, Bible-centered teaching designed to help students grow in their relationship with Christ.

Bring a friend, come ready for to be a part of what God is doing at Propel! 🙌

.

Merge Young Adults (ages 18–29), whether you’re single or married, we’d love for you to join us for a time of community, Bible study, and discipleship.

We meet every other Monday evening at Forward Church.

Our next Merge gathering is Monday, September 7th (Labor Day)! 🎉

We’ll be meeting at the Crouse house for a Labor Day BBQ—we’d love to see you there!

Stay connected through the Church Center app. Just select the Merge group to find out what’s happening and stay up to date on all things Merge!

Contact Tanya at tanya@forwardchurchfamily.com.

Women of Forward – Accountability & Prayer Partners
• 💕 Connect with other women for encouragement, accountability, and prayer
• 👭 Small groups of 3–4 women centered on Christ and spiritual growth
• 🙏 Share prayer requests, encourage one another, and walk together in faith
• 🗓️ Each group sets its own meeting schedule and format

• ✍️ Sign up online or contact Lisa Sutherland at lisa@forwardchurchfamily.com for details

Women of Forward T2 Groups are for women ages 30 to 49 who want to grow in Christ, build meaningful relationships, and encourage one another through different seasons of life.

Inspired by Titus 2, these groups bring women together for biblical discipleship, honest conversation, and true community. Women will learn from and encourage one another as they seek to live out their faith in everyday life.

Register if you’re interested in joining a T2 Group. Lisa Sutherland will follow up with you about the groups and next steps.

Care Ministry – Volunteer Opportunity
We invite those who feel called to serve our church family in both life’s challenges and celebrations by sharing the love of Jesus in practical, tangible ways through care and support. You can get involved in the following ways:

• Provide meals through MealTrain
• Visit those who are sick at home or in the hospital
• Offer support during times of loss and grief
• Help meet other care needs within our church family

• Questions or more information? Contact Lisa Sutherland at lisa@forwardchurchfamily.com

Tuesday Morning Men’s Bible Study

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

Tuesday Evening Men’s Bible Study

All men are welcome! We meet every Tuesday evening at 6:30 PM at the church. If you have any questions or want to learn more, reach out to Vince Garmon at vinceg0710@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.

📲 Download the Church Center App!

If you haven’t downloaded the Church Center app yet, now is the time! This app is becoming our main hub for staying connected and getting involved at Forward Church.

It’s where you’ll find event registrations, class sign-ups, volunteer opportunities, payments, forKids check-in, giving, tithe statements, and more. If you want to register for an event, sign up to serve, or stay connected with what’s happening at Forward, the Church Center app is the place to go!

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!