Since God made all souls, all souls matter to God.

We’re eager to hear your story. Here’s ours.

The Carlins.

We are rural people from the Midwest. Though we’ve been in Florida the past 8 years, we are returning to ‘our roots’. The Midwest is a uniquely wonderful place to live. We have developed a burden for rural Midwest towns because they are some of the most overlooked areas in America. There are roughly 30 million people in this region who don’t live in large cities. Most people assume rural places (esp. in Midwest) are more Christian or religious than urban centers. Our experience (and recent statistics) tell a different story. Our vision is to plant and support strong churches in small places. The rest of this page describes what we mean by ‘strong churches’. We hope to meet you soon, and are eager to begin our life in Crawfordsville, IN.

Gospel-Centered.

All Souls is centered on the gospel of Jesus Christ. This good news is that He has accomplished salvation for God’s people. This what the entire Bible is about. Therefore, as a gospel-centered church, we aim to proclaim the fullness of Christ from every passage of scripture (Old and New Testaments). Everything we preach and teach centers on Scripture’s message that you are saved in Christ alone, by grace alone, through faith alone, and are to live for the glory of God alone. We also believe spiritual formation is about growing as a child of God by grace and faith as you’re set free from the power guilt and shame to live in joyful obedience to Christ. All that we believe and do is shaped by these realities.

Sacramental.

All Souls is sacramental because the ascended Christ is not absent. Rather, he is present in his Church by the Holy Spirit. As you encounter the Church, you’re encountering Christ’s presence on earth. Engaging the church doesn’t give you less Christ; it gives you the fullness of Christ. The Church is where God has promised to be present in a saving way. This belief shapes the way we experience worship, community, and missions. We participate in Church because that’s where Christ is found.

Confessional.

All Souls is a confessional church. Christians are Christians because of what they believe. What you believe about God (and how you believe) matters. We believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are covenantal books inspired directly by God. Therefore, the Bible is the only authoritative text revealing who God is and how humans can have a relationship with him. We don’t interpret the Bible however seems best to us, though. We belong to a 400 year old religious tradition that subscribes to and affirms the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Westminster Catechisms as faithful interpretations of the Bible. We confess Reformed Theology as Biblical theology.

Missional.

All Souls is missional because churches are missional. Being ‘missional’ doesn’t mean we have a ‘mission statement’, though we do. Nor does it mean we participate in ‘missional activities’, though we do. The Church is missional because Christ has filled the Church with his saving presence through the Spirit. Whenever you participate in the Church, you enter the saving presence of God. Whenever the Church comes to you, they bring the saving presence of God (see ‘Sacramental’). Additionally, it is the Church alone who has been entrusted with Christ’s message of salvation for the world. He is the only redeemer for sinners who need grace. Saving sinners by connecting them to Christ is God’s mission. We simply participate in something he is already doing.

Communal.

All Souls cares deeply about forming meaningful relationships in a corporate community. Although Christians are united to God by the Holy Spirit, they are also united to one another. We are one body in Christ. The Christian life is not to be lived in isolation. God intends for his people to be together. Therefore, we love one another, serve one another, give to one another, care for one another, know one another, sin against one another, and forgive one another. Christ has created a new community in the Church. It’s a community where water is thicker than blood. This is the way Christ tangibly ministers to his people. Jesus is pleased to work through people to minister to his people. You need a Christian community.