Sacred Sitdowns

Today, Danny and Kyle sit down with Max Michael. Born and raised in Pendleton, Max embraced a unique blend of interests during high school that have continued throughout his life. Married to Dana, he spent a large portion of his life working for the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, where he managed the statewide emergency spill response program for two decades. Now retired, he balances part-time roles at Roxley Games in Calgary and Saltire Games on Pendleton Pike. A dedic...

On this special episode of Sacred Sitdowns, Rev. Sarah Renfro will join Danny and Kyle again as they talk about turkey, family, and thankfulness. It’s been over a year since we started this podcast, and we would like to thank all those who have come to share their stories with us and the podcast world. We also want to thank all those who keep tuning into this podcast. We believe stories allow us to connect to God and each other, and we hope to continue providing powerful, faith-filled stories...

Casey Osterkamp is currently serving as the Vice President of Operations at Herron Classical Schools. This intentionally diverse, tuition-free, college prep charter school network serves 1900 scholars in three schools in downtown Indianapolis. She and her family moved to Indianapolis earlier this year from Missouri where she was the Director of the Division of Personnel for the State of Missouri. Casey started her professional career as a Surface Warfare Officer in the U.S. Navy and has worke...

On this episode of Sacred Sitdowns, Kyle and Danny sit down with Geist Christian Church Elder Lindsey Schiesser. Lindsey and her spouse Jason have two children: Tyler is a freshman at Clemson University, and Mia is a junior at Fishers High School. Lindsey and Jason met while in college at Camp Tecumseh, where they were both serving as camp summer staff. She has served as a sponsor on numerous youth mission trips and is involved with Taking Flight Ministries Geist's ministry to college student...

Today, we sit down with Dominic Minatel, a Junior at Texas Christian University. Dominic grew up at Geist Christian Church and was an active member of the youth group.  In our sit-down, we will explore his call to ministry, his summer with “Be the Neighbor,” a ministry that equips youth and adults to live lives of love, service, and justice, as well as, all things TCU.

Sam Copeland is the Associate Minister for Youth and Young Adults at Geist. She's originally from Richardson, Texas in the Dallas area and studied at TCU (go Frogs!!) and Vanderbilt Divinity School. She is the proud dog mom of Mocha, who she rescued from the Humane Society for Hamilton County in 2021 right after she moved to Indy. Sam loves all things Target and sometimes spends more time there than at her house in Broad Ripple, but when she is home she loves hosting her friends for dinn...

Today we sit down with one of the most energetic and fun-loving pastors we know. She is a former Geist Christian Church staff member and currently serves at Saguaro Christian in Tucson, Arizona. She is the Rev. Kelley Dick. In her own words, she is a Senior Minister. Wife to Jay Deskins. Dog lover. Passionate about life, ministry, and pizza. Loves the Wildcats. Don't ask which one. Accent declared the official accent of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Today we sit down with Deb Strock-Kuss and Randy Kuss as they conclude their work at Geist Christian Church and enter retirement. Both have served the Church faithfully and in a variety of roles throughout their call. We wanted to see what wisdom they have found along the way and how the Church has adapted and changed during their time as ministers. It’s also a chance for Danny and me to thank them for their partnership in ministry at Geist Christian Church.

Carolyn Reed began her ministry with the Indiana Region on May 10, 1999. Her work is focused on relationship building among pastors and congregations throughout the region. This ministry includes Search and Call and designing a variety of congregational transformation and conversation processes.Carolyn also gives support to the Commission on Ministry.Carolyn has a B.A. from The University of Indianapolis and a M.Div. from Christian Theological Seminary. She and her husband, Bill, have two adu...

Rev. Troy Tatum has served in ministry all of his adult life. Diagnosed with ALS in January 2022, he recently retired at the age of 47 from Hillyer Memorial Christian Church in Raleigh, NC. He is a gifted musician, preacher, and storyteller. Troy joins us to share his powerful insights on ministry, faith, and the power of the church community as he and his family navigate living with ALS. He has just released a new album called "The Journey is Our Home." Troy also shares one of the songs of t...

It's 2023, and it's time to celebrate!  Today Danny and Kyle will look back at 2022 and explore what it means to walk into 2023 faithfully.  Wherever you are in this new year, may it be filled with new opportunities, and may God continue using you to be God’s hand and feet in creative and life-giving ways. 

Christmas Eve Service TimesMud Creek Campus 3 pm Children and Family Service5 pm Family Service7 pm Lessons and Carols9 pm Sermon11 pm SermonPromise Road Campus 1:30 pm Acoustic Christmas Service5:30 pm Children and Family Service 7:30 pm Contemporary Christmas ServiceOn Sunday, December 25, you are invited to join in a special all church worship service. There will be ONE worship service across both campuses. Join us at the Mud Creek Campus at 10:30 a...

Judy Apple-VanAlstine is an educator, author, and thinker. She is retired from a long career in teaching and administration and currently serves on the Board of Trustees at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis. She has been a member of Geist Christian Church for 15 years and is one of the wonderful spiritual teachers at Geist. She also has served on the Board of Geist and as an Elder. Enjoy this conversation between Kyle, Danny, and Judy. 

This week’s guest is Rev. Joshua Tripp Jackson. Josh is the Associate Minister at Allisonville Christian Church in Indianapolis. Josh is an enneagram 3, which he has lived up to by receiving not one but two Bachelor's degrees from Texas Christian University and a Master of Divinity from Vanderbilt Divinity School. There is only one area in which his 3-ness fails: if Josh asks you to come over for dinner, there is a 70% chance that it will be burnt when you arrive. When Josh is not working, yo...

James H. Pritchard served in World War II in the 5th Marine Division. Growing up in Ottawa, Kansas, Jim joined the Marines immediately upon graduation from high school. After training at Camp Pendleton, Jim deployed to Hawaii before going on to be a part of the invasion of Iwo Jima. He served in the 81mm mortar platoon. After Iwo Jima was secured, they returned to Hawaii and were there when the bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Their next deployment would be as an occupying ...

CJ McClanahan is a speaker, author, and “Recovering Overachiever,” who is obsessed with inspiring professionals to become charitable leaders within their communities. After advising entrepreneurs, CEOs, and other high-impact leaders for years, he recognized no matter what goal they achieved, it never seemed to be enough to deliver what they really craved – happiness, joy, and contentment. On today’s podcast, CJ will challenge our understanding of success as we strive to improve our quality of...

In today's episode, we will sit down with writer, preacher, mother, and teacher Sarah Renfro. Sarah works for Pension Fund of the Christian Church and is a member of Geist Christian Church. She has a dynamic faith-filled story, and we look forward to hearing and exploring her story today. 

Today we sit down with Rev. Grace Kozak. Grace is an Indiana native and graduate of Christian Theological Seminary. Prior to seminary, after completing her Masters of Social Work degree in 2015, she worked as an organizer for Clean Water Action and the American Cancer Society. Grace’s call to ministry is animated by her core belief that God desires a world where all people deserve to live with enough resources to thrive in healthy, supportive communities. Grace currently serves as ...

Dick and his spouse Marcia moved to the Indianapolis area from Wisconsin and joined Geist Christian Church in 2009. Dick is passionate about continuing to learn and grow in faith, expanding both mind and heart. He is active in The Bridge men's ministry, the Guatamala mission trip, and currently serves as an Elder. He is retired from a career in finance and is an avid cyclist.