A Message from the Director
Members of the Growth Ministries staff and/or board are available to assist you in developing a Discipleship Ministry in your church. If you pay for the travel expenses, we would be glad to provide workshops for possible disciplers/disciples and meet with the leadership team of your church. Perhaps, several churches in your area would like to provide a combined workshop setting and share resources and personnel.
Our staff has expertise in the following areas: Discipleship Training, Missions, Assimilation, Worship, Church Growth and Planting, Small Church Growth, and Sound Systems.
MEET THE MINISTRY TEAM
Click on any team member's name to read more about him or her.
Rev. James Dodson - Senior Associate; Southland Community Church; Greenwood, IN
A multi-talented musician, Jim brings 41 years of ministerial and musical experience to Growth Ministries. He began playing piano at the age of four and has been passionate about music ever since. He plays a number of instruments and has had wide experience in choral directing. A published arranger, he currently writes and arranges music for his church and professional orchestras and artists. Jim is presently Associate Pastor of Southland Community Church, Greenwood, IN. Having served as a church planter, associate and senior pastor, Jim brings particular expertise in the areas of music and worship; equipping and assimilation; and sound, lighting, staging, and video. Jim earned a B.A. in Music Education from Anderson University and has continued studies at Ohio State University and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He and his wife, Sharon, have three daughters and six grandchildren.
Rev. Allen Holmes - Retired Pastor
A proven pastor, Allen served for 30 years in northern Indiana churches which grew numerically, doubling and tripling in size. His main thrust of ministry centered around evangelism, missions, personal discipleship, church growth and leadership principles. In addition to his pastoral duties, Allen often spoke motivationally for civic organizations and businesses on the subject of leadership. He was instrumental in establishing a leadership program that identified, recruited, and trained future leaders in four northern Indiana counties. In addition to serving as an interim and guest pastor at several churches since 2004, Allen has also developed and led seminars, especially ones which confront the relevant issue of Generational and Life Dominating Sin. Allen graduated from Asbury College and Goshen Biblical Seminary. He has also studied extensively through the Fuller Institute of Church Growth. Allen and his wife, Grace, live in Wilmore, KY. They have four children and seven grandchildren.
Dr. Charles Lake - Executive Director of Growth Ministries
A discipling pastor and author, Charles presently serves as Executive Director of Growth Ministries and Consultant for Discipleship for the Salvation Army Southern Territory. In 1977 he became the founding pastor of Community Church of Greenwood (CCG), Indiana. During the 29 years he served as senior pastor, the church planted ten daughter congregations. They, in turn, helping to create a network of 32 churches, planted 10 congregations in Indiana, and twelve in the country of Brazil, SA. CCG's annual mission budget exceeded half a million dollars, and the network of churches' combined giving was more than $1.2 million. Charles speaks annually overseas at pastor's conferences, missionary retreats, and church dedications. During his pastorate, Charles authored Discipleship Training: An Experience in Training and Accountability (DT) which consists of 10 nine-week levels of small group discipleship training. Translated in nine languages, the DT program is used by churches all over the world, and the Salvation Army adopted it as their tool for making disciples. Charles earned an AB from Asbury College; an M.Div. from Asbury Theological Seminary; an MA from Butler University; and a D.Min. from Asbury Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Vicki, have two married daughters and two grandsons.
Mrs. Vicki Lake - Former Director of Ladies' Ministries and Present Editor of Growth Ministries
A creative communicator, Vicki has taught students from middle school to graduate school, women in community-wide and downtown Bible studies, and missionaries in communication workshops. She wrote two ladies Bible study books for Scripture Press/Victor Books, a book on biblical absolutes for Zondervan, and a 100th year anniversary book for OMS International while serving as their editor. She also wrote numerous vignettes and full-length dramas while directing the Potpourri Players for her church. Vicki's real passion of ministering to women led her to direct the Ladies' ministries for the church her husband pastored, overseeing the Bible studies, Godly Girlfriend Groups, and special events. The ministry grew to attract more than a 1000 women to some of the events. She is frequently invited to speak at ladies' events. Vicki earned a bachelor's degree in English/Education from Anderson University and a master's degree in Journalism from Ball State University. She and her husband, Charles, have two married daughters and two grandsons.
Dr. Bryce Norton - Executive Pastor at Peachtree Corners Baptist Church; Atlanta, GA
A pastor with the world on his heart, Bryce, a native Floridian, worked as a CPA for an international accounting firm for 11 years in SC, NC, and TX before becoming a minister. He presently serves as Associate Pastor for Missions at Mount Pisgah Church in the Atlanta, GA area. Although his current focus is local and global missions, Bryce has also overseen all of the adult discipleship ministries at Mount Pisgah in the past. He has traveled to more than 20 countries for mission ministries and projects. Annually, Mt. Pisgah sends several hundred people on short-term trips and invests about one million dollars in missions. He completed his Master of Theology degree with a focus on cross-cultural studies from Dallas Theological Seminary in 2004 and his Doctor of Ministry degree from Asbury Theological Seminary in 2008. His dissertation provided research regarding the impact of short-term mission trips on the prayer behavior of mission goers. Bryce met and married his wife Vio in Romania in 2001. They have three young children.
Rev. Jon Porter - Senior Pastor at Community Church of Greensburg/Batesville, IN