Today’s Logan County Spotlight is on the Indian Lake Community Church (ILCC).
This past weekend, ILCC hosted a Classic Car Cruise-In and Open House on Saturday to celebrate the 100 years of the church’s founding. There was a cruise-in, along with homemade ice cream and appetizers, to involve the community in the celebration. In addition, there was a campus tour that featured a tour of the original stained glass windows in the sanctuary that tell the life story of Jesus Christ.
This weekend, there will be an all-church catered dinner celebration on Saturday evening at Indian Lake High School. On Sunday, there will be a combined worship service.
Pastor Jim Ellington explains this past weekend and upcoming weekend’s events to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the church:
ILCC was founded on September 12, 1923. It was originally named the Union Sunday School and was housed in a small cottage on Chase Avenue. The Ladies Aid purchased the cottage through raised funds and ILCC. The land where the church now stands on Orchard Island Road was purchased in the early 1930s, and the building was completed in various states finally being dedicated in 1938 as the Indian Lake Community Church.
The Fellowship Hall (now The Lighthouse) was built across the street from the church and was dedicated in 1977.
The Daycare was started in 1990. It was closed in 2020 after a great 30 years. Approximately 2,000 children were served through the Daycare.
In June of 2009, the ceiling in the main sanctuary collapsed. So, the church was remodeled and the church family began worshiping back in the sanctuary after lengthy renovations were completed.
In 2015, The Lighthouse at Indian Lake, a contemporary worship service, started. In May of 2017, the church purchased the building at the corner of Main Street and Orchard Island Road to house its youth programs, offices, and Good Sam outreach. The youth program is now known as Ignite Student Ministries and is housed in The Lookout. The youth meet every Wednesday evening for worship. The Lookout is also used for an after-school program for middle and high schoolers, along with a summer program for kids.
The project to buy the building and renovate the offices, The Lookout, and eventually the Gathering Grounds coffee shop was a $775,000 commitment, part of that amount being borrowed. Just two weeks ago, the entire loan was retired and the church is once again debt-free and ready for new challenges!
In 2017, the Gathering Grounds coffee shop was opened. All Gathering Grounds profits are reinvested into the community. For example, Sharing Saturdays is a program where some profit is donated each week to a non-profit in the Indian Lake region. The coffee shop does very well, and it wouldn’t be successful without the generous support of the community, great staff, and volunteers.
Indian Lake Community Church is a truly non-denominational Community Church and has no denominational affiliations. ILCC and The Lighthouse welcomes all to attend the services, get involved, and find a welcoming church family.
ILCC has a deep and wide array of services to the community. The Good Samaritan Outreach Center, Community Meals, Blessing Box, Helping Hands, Community Rummage Sales, and Pancake Breakfasts, among many other activities and services, are done to help those around the community, county, and beyond.
Pastor Jim explains the history of the church and today’s church family:
Indian Lake Community Church is located at 120 Orchard Island Road, Russells Point, OH 43348. The church office phone number is 937-843-5636 and can be reached Monday-Friday from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. The website to learn more can be found here.
