Candice Hinkle and her husband, Jeremy, were not actively involved at Faith Lutheran Church south of Logansport, Indiana. Then Pastor Marissa Harrison invited them to a meeting to learn about the IK Synod Connect Transformational Ministry process for congregations. Candice agreed to attend. When Pastor Nancy Nyland, Director for Evangelical Mission in the IK Synod, explained the congregational life cycle, Candice was filled with the Holy Spirit.

“I came to the realization that if our congregation didn’t do something we were going to die,” Candice shared. Faith Lutheran decided to participate in the Connect process. Pastor Marissa invited Candice to be the leader of the Connect Team. “Pastor Marissa recognized gifts within me,” Candice shared. “One of them was the gift of bridge-building.”

Candice became the leader of Faith Lutheran’s Connect Team and with the team began to discover the Holy Spirit at work among them. During Connect training, Candice began to discern a call to ministry. “Waking up during the night,” she shared, “I got down on my knees and heard God say, ‘The plans I have for you are beyond what you can imagine.’

Candice is thankful that she discerned a call to ministry through Connect. “Before Connect, God was missing in my life. I was not seeing and really diving into scripture. God was always there, but I didn’t recognize that and give God the glory. Now I realize that God can use even the mundane of your life. God can use you in moments when you don’t even realize that God is using you. The mystery, the hope, the mind-blowing – God is so much bigger than I could ever think. This is so exciting to me. The Spirit is at work, and I get a glimpse and I get so excited!”

Candice is currently serving her internship year at Our Savior Lutheran and the Purdue Campus Ministry in West Lafayette, Indiana. “There are 40,000 people on campus, and I could have conversations with all of these people. I want to talk to everyone to share God’s love and care.”

Thanks to generous gifts of Mission Support to the Indiana-Kentucky Synod, the Connect Transformational Ministry process was available to congregations throughout the synod. The lives of people like Candice and congregations like Faith were transformed through this process. Continued gifts of Mission Support, help support the newly created E-Connect (Ecumenical-Connect) process that transforms individuals and congregations in four denominations across Indiana and Kentucky. Thank you for your generosity and partnership in ministry.