Our mission at Calvary is to see the gospel changing people’s lives forever. We are called to be on mission (Matthew 28:19-20) and want to see the gospel saturate communities across northwest Indiana. God has abundantly blessed us at Calvary, and this blessing was never intended to terminate on us! This is our primary driver as we seek God’s guidance in cultivating a family of healthy, gospel-centered churches in this region.

We are considering many factors as we evaluate potential locations. For instance, do we already have Calvary attendees living near this area? Is it located 20 to 30 minutes from Valparaiso? Are there adequate facilities and parking available? Is this area experiencing growth? Does it need a gospel-centered local church? These questions have led us to identify Winfield, Chesterton, and Westville as possible locations. Of course, first and foremost, we are open to the Holy Spirit guiding us to wherever He wants us to establish our next campus!

The earliest we can realistically launch is Easter 2026, and we have created a plan and timeline for what needs to be achieved by that time. However, we are also open to launching later in 2026, including in the fall or even at Christmas. Ultimately, this will depend on how the Lord leads and provides a location and the necessary funding. We are open to His guidance!

Based on what we have learned from other multisite churches, a healthy goal is to launch with approximately 300 weekly attendees, about half of whom will come from our current campus. By the end of the first year, we aim to increase weekly attendance to around 400 people.

We will invite current Calvary attendees living near the new campus to prayerfully consider if God is leading them to join the launch team. However, no one should feel pressured to start attending the new site.

The new campus will have its own pastor who will shepherd the people attending that location. This campus pastor will be part of Calvary's leadership and teaching teams. We will also start with a coordinator for children’s ministries and an administrator, both of whom will be part of our staff team at Calvary. Many of the administrative functions of the new campus will be managed within our current ministry team. This will help ensure we steward our resources effectively.

In the first year, we will focus on Sunday morning services, prayer, children’s ministries, and small groups. Other ministries at our Valparaiso campus—including care, students, and outreach—will be accessible to attendees at both campuses. In the second phase, we will begin to incorporate additional ministries, including for students, at the new campus.

This is an important question! Three key areas will require funding: acquiring the site, equipping and furnishing the facility, and covering ongoing operating and ministry expenses. We have begun developing a financial plan and budget for CalvaryNEXT, aiming for the new campus to be financially self-sustaining within three years. As part of this effort, we are setting aside some initial funding for the new location and expect that funds will become available from refinancing our current mortgage in April 2025. We will share more details about our financial plan for CalvaryNEXT as it develops, and we are trusting God for his provision for these needs!

As you know, we have a talented team of worship leaders and musicians at Calvary who will be fully engaged in leading live worship at the new campus. We also plan to stream preaching via video to the new campus. From our discussions with pastors from other multisite churches, we've learned that this approach is highly effective. Ensuring all Calvary locations receive the same message will foster unity and alignment. One intriguing statistic is that multisite churches using video teaching grow at rates up to twice as fast as those that do not use this method!

You’re right—this represents a significant change! That’s why we’ve spent the past year in prayer about it. We’ve also talked to other churches that have transitioned to multisite and consulted with The Unstuck Group—church leaders who have assisted hundreds of other churches—to guide us in this area. We are confident that we are accessing the best possible advice as we make important decisions about CalvaryNEXT.

First, please join us in prayer, both personally and in your small groups, for God’s wisdom, provision, and favor as we seek his guidance. If you have any questions or insights or feel the Holy Spirit is placing a word in your heart about this, we would love to hear from you and discuss it further. Additionally, you may be able to help clarify where God is leading us. Please let us know if you know of buildings, land, or opportunities we should consider or people we should speak with! Thank you for joining us as we seek to understand how God is guiding us. We’re excited to see what he has in store for CalvaryNEXT!

Feel free to connect with any of the following pastors with any questions, feedback, or insights you have about CalvaryNEXT: