A church for people exploring faith and people ready to live it out
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Who We Are | The Dream | Why another church in Fort Wayne? | Gatherings | Our beliefs | Our team | Join
Many people today are carrying more than they let on: questions about God, weariness from life, longing for meaning, or a quiet sense that there must be more to life than this. Additionally, many Christians struggle with feeling restless, knowing their faith was never meant to stop at attending church or playing it safe.
Venture exists for both.
We believe following Jesus has always required trust, courage, and faith. From the earliest stories of Scripture to the life of the early church, faith has never been passive, it has always been a venture. God invites ordinary people to step forward with Him, to be renewed, healed, and sent into the world with purpose.
Venture Christian Church is being formed as a disciple-making church, anchored in Scripture, fueled by prayer, and empowered by the Spirit, a community where lives are restored, faith is formed, and people are sent to love the people of Fort Wayne and the world in the name of King Jesus.
Venture is a new Christian church in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
The DreamWe are building a church where spiritually curious people feel safe enough to ask honest questions about God, faith, and life (without pressure or pretense).
A church where weary Christians rediscover that following Jesus is not about checking boxes or playing it safe, but about living with purpose, courage, and joy.
A church where families are healed, marriages are strengthened, and kids grow up knowing the God who loves them. We see people finding freedom, discovering their calling, and learning how to walk closely with Jesus in everyday life.
But our greatest impact will not come from how many we gather, but how many we send. As we live out our identity as the salt of the earth and the light of the world, we will cultivate kingdom entrepreneurship within our culture.
Out of this church will come many kingdom ventures:
more churches planted
ministries launched
organizations established to be a blessing to Fort Wayne and the world.
We are building a church that is a seedbed for discipleship and a sending base for kingdom impact.
Why another church in Fort Wayne?
It’s a fair question.
Fort Wayne already has many churches (after all, it’s nicknamed “the city of churches,” right?!), and we’re grateful for the work God has done – and is still doing – through them. We don’t believe the answer to every challenge is simply starting something new.
But we also believe something important is happening in our city.
Fort Wayne is growing, changing, and welcoming new people at a rapid pace. At the same time, many people are disconnected from church, unsure what they believe about God, or carrying wounds from past experiences. And while there are faithful churches throughout the city, many are struggling to reach the next generation or engage those who are spiritually curious.
So the question isn’t whether Fort Wayne has churches.
The question is whether Fort Wayne has enough healthy, multiplying churches to reach the people who call this city home.
We believe God is calling us to plant Venture Christian Church not to compete with other churches, but to join them in the effort of reaching people who aren’t being reached, form disciples who live on mission, and help strengthen the overall gospel presence in our city.
Our prayer is that Venture would be a gift to Fort Wayne: a church that loves this city deeply, partners generously with others, and sends people out to serve wherever God leads.
Venture Christian Church gathers weekly as a community centered on Jesus.
During our pre-launch season, we gather as a Launch Team on Sunday evenings in homes and other local meeting spaces throughout Fort Wayne. These gatherings include prayer, worship, teaching from Scripture, and meaningful community as we form the spiritual and cultural foundation of our church.
As we move toward our public launch, these rhythms will continue as weekly Sunday morning worship services begin and open to the broader community. We believe the church is not a building, but a people formed by God and sent into the world together.
How We Gather as a Church
Our Launch Team Gathers Every Sunday
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Venture Christian Church gathers weekly as a launch team as we prepare for our public launch in Fort Wayne.
Our Sunday gatherings include prayer, worship, teaching from Scripture, and community as we form the foundation of our church.
These gatherings are part of our ongoing life together and will continue as we move into weekly public worship services.
During our pre-launch season, we gather in homes and other local meeting spaces throughout the Fort Wayne area.
Click here to get involved and join the Launch Team (we’ll send you the location of our next gathering)
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Our Launch Team gatherings are relational, welcoming, and centered on Jesus. You can expect a meaningful environment where people are known, Scripture is taken seriously, prayers are lifted up, and where we dream big for the kingdom of God.
Together, we’re seeking the Lord’s guidance for how to reach those who don’t know Jesus in Fort Wayne.
You’ll encounter a group of people who love Jesus and want to make Him known, working to build the heart of Venture Christian Church.
Whether you’re exploring faith, returning to church, or ready to help build something new, you’re welcome to come as you are and take a next step with us.
Our Beliefs
Our beliefs are rooted in the historic Christian faith and grounded in the authority of the Bible. We believe Scripture tells the true story of God, the world, and our place in it—and it shapes everything we teach, practice, and live out as a church.
At the heart of what we believe are these core convictions:
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We believe in one God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—and that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully human. Through His life, death, resurrection, and promised return, God is reconciling the world to Himself and offering forgiveness, new life, and hope to all who surrender to Him.
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We believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God and the final authority for faith and practice. Scripture reveals who God is, what He has done through Jesus, and how we are invited to live as His people in the world.
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We believe the Church is made up of all who follow Jesus and is called to glorify God by making disciples. As the Church, we are sent to love our neighbors, serve our city, and invite others to journey with Jesus through everyday obedience and faith.
Our full Statement of Faith expands on these beliefs and guides our teaching, worship, and mission as a church.
Our Team
Brandon serves as the Lead Pastor of Venture Christian Church. His heart is to help people encounter Jesus through clear, faithful teaching of Scripture and to lead the church toward health, discipleship, and multiplication. Sara serves alongside Brandon as a pastor’s wife, operations leader, and partner in ministry, bringing wisdom, care, and a deep commitment to marriage, family, and the life of the church.
Together, they are passionate about seeing lives transformed, families restored, and disciples formed who live out their faith with courage and joy. Venture is not simply a ministry they lead—it is a calling they are living as a family.
Brandon and Sara are graduates (and HS sweethearts) of Wayne High School right here in Fort Wayne. They’ve been married since 2010 and have four kids.
Brandon & Sara Kelley
Venture is being formed by a growing Launch Team made up of individuals and families who believe God is calling them to help plant this church.
Our Launch Team gathers regularly to pray, worship, learn, and serve as we prepare for our public launch. These men and women are not spectators – they are builders, disciple-makers, and everyday missionaries committed to living out the mission of Venture in their homes, neighborhoods, workplaces, and relationships.
We believe God builds His Church through people who are willing to say yes, walk together, and trust Him with the outcome.
The Venture launch Team
our partners & accountability
Venture Christian Church is planting in partnership with trusted church-planting organizations that provide spiritual oversight, coaching, and accountability.
Kainos leadership network
Kainos Leadership Network (formally known as N.O.A.H.) is passionate about leading people to Jesus through planting churches and equipping disciple making churches who value multiplication, relational discipleship, generosity, and authority of Scripture.
Nexus Church planting & Leader Care
Nexus is a church-planting organization built to help pastors and church leaders stand in the center of their calling and multiply disciples in their community and beyond.
Passion 4 Planting
Management Team
Passion for Planting exists to equip church planting leaders to plant healthy reproducing churches. They are providing Project Management support for Venture.
Trevor Littleton
Andrew Wauchope
Steve Bolin
Mark Cleaveland
These partnerships help ensure that Venture is not planting in isolation, but with wisdom, support, and accountability as we form a healthy, multiplying church.
Join the Venture
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JOIN THE PRAYER TEAM
Are you willing to go before the throne and plead with our King on behalf of Venture? We need all the prayer we can get to pursue this bold vision.
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JOIN THE LAUNCH TEAM
Want to help us build something new in Fort Wayne? Be the hands and feet of Jesus on the ground in our city. Join the launch team shaping Venture.
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JOIN THE SUPPORT TEAM
Will you help fuel the mission so more people can encounter Jesus? Join the monthly Support Team and help launch Venture through financial generosity.