IN-FOCUS '25 ~ |
IN-FOCUS '25
for IACS Pastors,
Administrators,
Principals and
School Leaders
THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2025
9:00 AM - NOON
LUNCH SERVED AT NOON (RSVP)
COLONIAL CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
8140 UNION CHAPEL RD.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46240
Keynote speakers
John Elcesser has spent the past 44 years working in and on behalf of private schools. Seventeen years ago, John moved to Indianapolis to assume the role of Executive Director of the Indiana Non-Public Educators Association. INPEA is a membership association for non-public schools in Indiana and currently represents over 400 faith-based and secular schools. In his role at INPEA, he has been an actively engaged partner in the school choice movement here in Indiana and across the country. As a part of a broad school choice coalition, he was involved in the passage of both the Tax Credit Scholarship Program in 2009, the Choice Scholarship (voucher) Legislation in 2011, and the voucher expansions in 2021 and 2023. In recognition of his influence and impact on education statewide, John became a recipient of the Sagamore of the Wabash, Indiana's highest honor, on Sept. 26, 2024 at an event marking the 50th anniversary of INPEA.
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Ryan McCann, M.A., is the Executive Director of the Indiana Family Institute. As a follower of Jesus, he is passionate about cultural renewal and God-honoring public policy here in Indiana and nationally. He firmly believes that the family is the key institution of any society, and that the overall health of any city, state, region, or nation is largely determined by the health of this bedrock institution.
McCann graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University with a double major in political science/pre-law and history. He graduated magna cum laude from the Regent University Robertson School of Government, earning a Master’s degree in government with a focus on public policy. Ryan and his wife have been blessed with five wonderful children. |
Dr. Chuck Phelps has served as Senior Pastor of Colonial Hills Baptist Church in Indianapolis since 2009. Under his leadership, the Lord has continued to expand Colonial’s ministry, reaching both the local community and mission fields around the world. A seasoned mentor, Pastor Phelps has guided numerous young men through his internship program—many of whom now serve as pastors and missionaries. His pulpit ministry is marked by a comprehensive knowledge of Scripture and an ability to communicate it with clarity and conviction.
A strong advocate for Christian education, Pastor Phelps has served as a school administrator while pastoring in New England and has consistently taught Bible in the Christian schools associated in each of the his churches he has pastored. He has also served as President of the New Hampshire Association of Christian Schools and Maranatha Baptist Bible College. In addition, he has taught in more than a dozen Christian colleges and seminaries across the United States and in nine foreign countries. His love for ministry is reflected in his family as well—his three sons are pastors, and his two daughters serve as Christian educators. |
event sponsors
DWAYNE REED
Abeka Representative
Having served as a high school science teacher in a Christian school for 16 years, Dwayne joined the Abeka team to utilize his experience to help other Christian schools with their curriculum needs. Whether assisting administrators with school-wide curriculum needs, or helping teachers maximize their time and effectiveness in the classroom, Dwayne is ready to be of service.
ATTENDEES WILL RECEIVE A COPY OF NAVIGATING CONVICTION V. PREFERENCE IN CHRISTIAN EDUCATION by Attorney David C. Gibbs, Jr. (2023). Navigating the education of our children can be challenging in our current world. In this offering, Attorney Gibbs offers insight into developing parameters for Biblical submission to government, determining what makes an education Christian, and distinguishing between conviction versus preference. |
THERE IS NO COST FOR THIS MEETING.
PLEASE REGISTER BELOW FOR THE MEETING
AND RSVP IF YOU WILL BE STAYING FOR LUNCH.
PLEASE REGISTER BELOW FOR THE MEETING
AND RSVP IF YOU WILL BE STAYING FOR LUNCH.