Indiana Is Home To One Of The Midwest’s Largest Megachurches, And It Keeps Growing

A former junkyard now holds one of the busiest church campuses in the Midwest.

The land covers 92 acres, and it sits right off a major interstate. That deserves a second thought.

The congregation behind it started in a log cabin back in 1834. It stayed small and rural for well over a century.

Then the growth arrived, and it never really slowed down. National rankings even placed it among the fastest-growing churches in America.

Here’s something worth knowing about this Indiana campus. Families show up for a free indoor playground, even on days without services.

Pastors often preach in jeans. And the plan calls for a new campus every single year until 2034.

A Log Cabin Church Grew Into A Regional Powerhouse

Traders Point Christian Church started with a humble gathering place and a long story ahead.

Back in 1834, ten charter members organized Ebenezer Christian Church and initially met in one another’s homes.

A member donated land south of Fishback Creek, and a log cabin-style building followed. In 1886, the congregation moved its church building to a lot in the Village of Traders Point, the community that gave it today’s name.

For decades it remained a country congregation. A move to Lafayette Road in 1964 brought a building with seating for 375. Under new leadership beginning in 1983, attendance grew from fewer than 300 people to more than 1,000.

The next major change came in 2007, when a spacious Northwest campus opened in Whitestown. The facility had room for a far larger congregation and became the center of an expanding network.

That’s a remarkable journey for a church that began in a log cabin. Few churches in the region have such a direct link between nineteenth-century rural life and today’s large suburban gatherings.

A 92-Acre Purchase Changed Everything

An unlikely seller helped make the Northwest campus possible. In 2004, the church bought 92 acres on Indianapolis Road from a company that operated a junkyard business.

The congregation had worshipped on Lafayette Road since 1964, expanding its building as attendance rose.

The property eventually offered too little room for growing children’s programs, meeting spaces, and weekend gatherings.

The Whitestown land created an opportunity to build on a different scale. Construction began after a 2005 groundbreaking, and the new 156,000-square-foot building opened in April 2007. Its auditorium was designed to seat about 2,600 people.

Visitors now arrive at 6590 S Indianapolis Rd, Whitestown, IN 46075, just off the Interstate 65 corridor. The campus includes gathering areas, rooms for children’s activities, and facilities serving the wider church network.

An additional land purchase in 2009 expanded the property beyond that initial 92-acre tract.

It’s worth remembering how the project began, though: an available parcel, a rapidly growing congregation, and plans much larger than the old building could accommodate.

The Numbers Behind All That Growth Are Kind Of Wild

Outreach Magazine took notice in a big way. Its national rankings placed Traders Point among America’s fastest-growing churches in 2016 and 2017.

In the 2017 ranking, it reached fifth place. The magazine’s later 2025 list again recognized the congregation for growth and included it among the country’s largest participating churches.

By early 2020, combined weekend attendance had surpassed 9,100 across its locations, according to the church’s historical account.

The network now lists seven campuses: Northwest, Carmel, Downtown, Plainfield, Midtown, Fishers, and Westfield. Westfield joined the list in 2026, extending the church’s reach across the Indianapolis area.

Each campus has its own gathering schedule, while the wider organization shares programming and teaching. The Northwest site continues to serve as a central hub.

Leaders have also set out an ambition to launch one new campus annually through 2034.

That’s a plan for future growth, not a promise that every proposed opening will happen exactly on schedule. For Indiana, the scale of the change since 1834 is striking enough already.

Kids Get Their Own Free Indoor Playground

Rainy Indiana afternoons just got easier for parents. The Northwest campus offers The Park, a free indoor playground open to the community.

You don’t have to belong to the church to bring children. Two play areas separate ages three and under from older kids, with climbing structures and slides in the larger space.

Grown-ups get practical conveniences too. Picnic tables offer places to sit, and wireless internet is available throughout the play space. Parents and caregivers must stay with their children.

There’s a little preparation involved. Children need socks, and accompanying adults need a government-issued ID for check-in. Registration before a first visit can make arrival easier, although it doesn’t reserve a play spot.

The playground has its own hours, separate from church gatherings.

During October 2026, the regular schedule includes Wednesday and Thursday afternoons, split Friday hours, and weekend sessions, with occasional event changes. Capacity limits may mean waiting.

It’s a surprisingly useful feature for an indoor family outing. A few slides and climbing sessions can fill an afternoon, even when church services aren’t part of the plan.

Jeans Are Welcome, And Casual Dress Is The Norm

Jeans and T-shirts look entirely at home at Traders Point.

The Northwest campus encourages newcomers to wear whatever feels comfortable, whether that means casual clothes or something dressier.

Weekend gatherings combine contemporary music, teaching, and opportunities for people to connect. The atmosphere is designed to feel approachable, even though the main auditorium is large.

There are smaller groups for people interested in building relationships beyond a weekend service. The church also offers First Step, a gathering where newcomers can learn about its programs and ways to participate.

Those opportunities include joining a group, volunteering, or exploring baptism. Participation is a personal choice, and attending a gathering doesn’t require signing up for an additional activity.

The church describes its mission in Christian terms and aims to make its programs accessible to a wide range of people. That faith-centered purpose is important context for the casual welcome.

For someone curious about what a large modern church looks like in Indiana, the combination of informal clothing and a full auditorium may be the most immediately noticeable contrast.

First-Time Visitors Get The VIP Parking Treatment

Turn on your flashers, and help arrives. First-time visitors to the Northwest campus can use their hazard lights to signal the parking team, which directs them toward guest spaces.

Free parking removes one arrival detail. Once inside, Info Central can answer questions about the building, worship gatherings, or accessibility arrangements.

Saturday services begin at 4 p.m. Sunday has three options, at 8 a.m., 9:30 a.m., and 11:15 a.m. Sunday services are also streamed for those watching from elsewhere.

Accessible seating is available in the auditorium. People who need hearing assistance can request a listening device at Info Central, and the 11:15 a.m. Sunday gathering offers Spanish interpretation.

American Sign Language interpretation can be arranged in advance.

Wireless internet covers the campus, while music remains a prominent part of the weekly gatherings. That gives first-time visitors a few practical details to settle before taking a seat.

It’s a large operation, but simple directions from the parking area to the welcome desk help make the first visit more manageable.

Your Kids Might Beg To Come Back Next Week

Secure check-in sets the tone for Traders Point Kids. The program serves children from birth through sixth grade, with rooms and activities suited to different ages.

Leaders undergo background checks and are called Difference Makers. The program includes music, interactive Bible stories, and hands-on activities. Parents receive a matching tag for pickup, and families can pre-register before their first gathering.

Children who need additional support can participate through the church’s Disability Ministry, which offers tailored instruction and accommodations.

Middle and high school students have Traders Point Youth, with opportunities for small groups, activities, and age-specific gatherings. Sixth graders can take part in both the kids and youth programs during their transition year.

The Northwest campus has a substantial space for younger members. A 66,300-square-foot addition was developed with dedicated youth worship facilities and a large indoor playscape.

Some youth events also bring students from several campuses together for a shared evening. The building’s size makes gatherings on that scale possible.

For families, the distinction between the supervised church programs and the public playground is worth knowing: each has its own purpose and schedule.

Right Off I-65, So The Drive Is Easier Than You Think

Location is a big reason this campus can serve a broad area. Traders Point Northwest sits near Interstate 65 in Whitestown, northwest of Indianapolis.

That access makes it practical for people coming from Boone County, northern suburbs, and other central Indiana communities.

The church calls Northwest a regional campus, rather than one intended only for its immediate neighborhood.

The site is at 6590 S Indianapolis Rd, Whitestown, IN 46075. Parking is available on campus, and volunteers help guide arriving vehicles during services.

For a worship gathering, the Saturday and Sunday times are the ones to plan around. For the indoor playground, use The Park’s separate visiting schedule. Weekday church office access is not the same thing as unrestricted playground entry.

Nearly two centuries of history sit behind that modern campus. From meetings in family homes to a log cabin, then a succession of larger buildings, the congregation’s physical spaces have changed alongside its reach.

The most surprising part may still be the contrast between the original ten-member gathering and today’s seven-location network. That’s a lot of history beside one stretch of highway.