FOR the Future | Phase 2 | Joe Deeter’s Story
More than 50 years ago, a generation at Bachelor Creek chose to step out in faith and make room for what God was doing. Today, we’re still experiencing the impact of that decision. As Joe reminds us, “If you believe the Gospel you’re preaching is true, make room for them.”
FOR the Future | Phase 2 | The Hendrix Family
“It means that I’m changing my family tree.”
Tanner didn’t grow up knowing Jesus or being part of a church. Today, he and Allison are watching their daughters grow in their faith, find a place to belong, and discover that Bachelor Creek isn’t just Mom and Dad’s church—it’s their church too.
That’s why making room for the next generation matters.
FOR the Future | Phase 2 | Judy McKillip’s Story
“It’s amazing to me how many I don’t know—and that’s good.”
For nearly 70 years, Bachelor Creek has been home to Judy McKillip. She’s watched the church grow and change, spent more than 40 years investing in children, and now has four generations of her family worshiping here.
But Judy isn’t interested in simply holding on to what has been. She still gets excited about new faces, baptisms, children filling our spaces, and people finding a church home.
Her hope for the future is simple:
“I hope we fill up again and have to build again… And I won’t be here, but that’s my hope.”
There are still people who aren’t here yet. Let’s keep making room for who’s next.
We believe everyone should have access to the good news of Jesus. At its core, this movement is about helping Bachelor Creek, and the church at large, reach our community and world in the name of Jesus.
Whether it be about creating more physical space, improving our digital space, making our physical space more accessible and safe, or helping local mission partners, we are hyper focused on making sure all people hear about the good news of Jesus.
For The One
“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”
There are moments in the life of a church when you can look around and realize, God is doing something special here.
I believe we are living in one of those moments.
Over the last two years, we have watched God move in ways we could never have accomplished on our own. We have seen lives changed, families connected, people baptized, and our church grow. We have remodeled our Worship Center, moved our adult classrooms, upgraded our multipurpose space, strengthened security, and paid off the mortgage at Lighthouse Mission.
But the most exciting thing isn’t what has happened to our buildings. It’s what God has been doing in people.
Now Is The Time
Our mission has never changed: Making and growing disciples of Jesus. Buildings are simply tools that help us accomplish that mission. They create environments where people can encounter Jesus, grow in their faith, build relationships, and be equipped to make disciples themselves.
And right now, God is giving us another opportunity to make room.
Bachelor Creek is growing. More families are coming through our doors. More children are being born, more students are being discipled, more people are finding community, and more lives are being transformed by the Gospel.
In fact, 40% of the people who call Bachelor Creek home have joined us in the last five years. We’ve seen our average Sunday attendance grow from 680 in 2022 to more than 925 today. And in 2026 alone, we’ve already celebrated 62 baptisms.
God is moving.
And when God gives us an opportunity to reach more people, we want to respond with faith. That’s what Phase 2 of FOR the Future is about.
Our focus is simple: Kids and Connection.
We want to create safe and secure spaces for the next generation. We want to make our building more accessible for everyone. We want to create environments where children and students can learn about Jesus, build relationships, and grow in their faith.
And we want to create welcoming common spaces where people can linger, connect, have conversations, and feel at home.
Some of the plans you’ll see in these pages are things we envisioned years ago. Others have emerged as God has opened doors, provided resources, and given us greater clarity. The journey hasn’t always been a straight line, but God has been faithful at every turn.
We’ve seen His provision in ways that remind us this is His church and His mission. A piece of property was generously gifted to us. A significant fire suppression variance was approved, saving hundreds of thousands of dollars. We have seen people within our church family use their gifts and resources to help us save money. Again and again, God has provided what we needed to take the next step.
As you explore what God is doing in phase two, I want you to see more than walls, rooms, playgrounds, hallways, and numbers.
I want you to see people.
See the child who will hear the Gospel for the first time.
See the teenager who will discover that following Jesus can shape the rest of their life.
See the young family who walks through our doors and finds a church home.
See the person who doesn’t know Jesus yet, but encounters Him because someone made room.
See the generations that will worship, serve, grow, and make disciples together.
That’s what we’re building FOR.
We are a church that believes in standing on biblical truth, connecting relationally, giving sacrificially, raising up the next generation, pursuing excellence for God’s glory, and being FOR Wabash and beyond.
Phase 2 gives us an opportunity to live those values in a tangible way.
So I invite you to dream with us. Pray with us. Ask God what your part might be. And believe with us that the best days of Bachelor Creek are still ahead of us.
Because we aren’t building merely for today. We are building FOR the Future.
Joel Cogdell
Lead Minister
Our primary goal is 100% participation.
Our primary goal is simple: we want everyone to participate.
One of our core values at Bachelor Creek is “We Give Sacrificially.” We want this campaign to help all of us develop the rhythm of generosity and experience the blessing of trusting God with what He has entrusted to us.
Our goal isn’t equal giving. It’s equal sacrifice.
For some, sacrificial giving will look different than it does for others. What matters is that each of us prayerfully asks, “God, what are You asking me to do?”
This is a journey we’re taking together. We believe we grow most when we’re stretched together, learning to trust God and put His Kingdom ahead of ourselves.
Our primary goal isn’t how much money we raise. It’s how many people participate.
Primary Goal
$2.35 MILLION
Our secondary goal is financial. The total cost of Phase 2 is $6.1 million, and the good news is that we already have $3.75 million on hand. That puts us just $2.35 million away from completing Phase 2 debt free, which has been our objective from the beginning.
We’re trusting God to provide as He has throughout this journey, and we’re asking each person to prayerfully consider how God might invite you to participate.
$6.1 million is the project.
$2.35 million is the goal.
100% participation is the vision.
And we believe God wants to do more than build spaces through this campaign. He wants to build our faith, our generosity, and our dependence on Him.
Secondary Goal
Pray
Join us as we embark on a 28-day prayer journey as a church. Pray that God would use our efforts to make and grow disciples. Pray that He would do immeasurably more than we could ask or imagine (Eph. 3:20).
Commit
Commit to what God is calling you to do during this season at Bachelor Creek. Devote yourselves fully to God’s work and allow Him to stretch and grow your commitment and generosity to the Kingdom.
Give
When the time comes, be prepared to give to help FOR the Future become a reality. It’s not about equal gifts but equal sacrifice.
Lead
Be a champion for Bachelor Creek and our FOR the Future initiative. We have much to celebrate and be thankful for here. Use your influence to encourage others to catch the vision as they take steps of faith and commitment.
What’s next?
MAKE A COMMITMENT
