Success isn’t about how much money you make. It’s about the difference you make in people’s lives. And in the spirit of that definition, Indianapolis based pastor Kenneth Sullivan, Jr. exudes the true essence of success. Kenneth Sullivan, Jr. serves as the Senior Pastor of The New Direction Church of Indianapolis. He’s a devoted husband, loving father, published author, business owner, civic leader, and educator. The New Direction Church happens to be in an area that is considered to be a food desert. There are not a lot of grocery stores within 5 miles in any direction. This leaves a lot of people with few food options, especially those who don’t have adequate transportation. As a result, pastor Kenneth Sullivan, Jr. started a food pantry called “The Masters Table.” Each month the church serves an average of 200 families in the community. In December of 2020, the New Direction Church, with the leadership of Pastor Sullivan, was awarded a $75,000 grant from Lilly’s Endowment to continue their work with the food pantry outreach. Additionally, the church was recognized by one of the local Indianapolis news outlets for their service to the community.
Moreover, Pastor Kenneth Sullivan, Jr. earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree from Crossroads Bible College. He also holds a Masters Of Arts Degree in Christian Leadership from Indiana Wesleyan University. As well, he recently released his second book entitled “Love & Verses,” which teaches people how to build healthy and strong marriages and relationships using proven biblical methods. Additionally, Pastor Sullivan developed a separate 501c3 organization called S.A.V.E.S. This organization is strictly geared towards developing programs, camps, events, and scholarship opportunities that help to reduce violence and crime in the surrounding Indianapolis communities and give the youth and their families alternatives to help them grow, learn, and succeed. As a community leader, Pastor Sullivan serves on several advisory boards and supports initiatives aimed at economic empowerment, community engagement and youth development. With the vast number of challenges and issues that confront society today, his mission is to motivate, re-direct, and lead people in the right direction.
Technology is a very important part of Pastor Sullivan’s ministry. He focuses on social media to reach the masses. In fact, each week the church reaches people from all over the globe, who tune into their broadcast. Social media allows him to reach people, whom he would never be able to reach otherwise. According to the pastor, “each day myself and the church post messages and motivational clips to encourage and uplift folks.” Equally important, the New Direction Church has two campuses. The main campus is located at 5330 East 38th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46218 and their second campus is located at 7701 East 86th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46256. The church has a weekly attendance of 750 -800 people. “Our church is unique in that we operate businesses at both of our campuses. At our East campus we operate a barber shop and beauty salon and a daycare called ‘Little Duckling Daycare # 1,’ which serves 120 children. In addition, we operate ‘Little Duckling Daycare # 2,’ which provides childcare for 35 families. Our church employs nearly 60 people including our various sub-contractors for maintenance and lawn care,” raves the selfless pastor. The church operates 7 days a week and it offers a host of ministries that minister to the whole person and entire families. The mission is to lead people to a better life. The vision is to become one of the premier spiritual enlightenment and social economic empowerment centers.
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Pastoring During a Pandemic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfdYPsNawGo
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