Chad Temple and his wife, Cheryl, were married in 1987 and resided in Brooklyn, New York where he had been working with Metro Ministries, a ministry to inner-city children and families.  They were able to open a new branch in the Bronx and Harlem and increased the program’s outreach from 4,000 to 6,000 children per week!  During the fall of 1988, the couple moved to Indianapolis, IN to serve  at Calvary Temple with the expectation of  bringing the same energy and programming to their ministry, called the Caring Place.  Over the course of thirty plus years,  Chad and Cheryl established a great team that has served over 25,000 children and youth in the Indianapolis area.

 

Chad has also been involved in curriculum writing and production, specifically addressing developing and implementing successful inner-city ministry, working with families in poverty, building relationships with children and youth, and providing practical resources to assist underserved families who live in drug-infested, violent communities.  He also specializes in developing staff and teams who serve inner-city communities, which has been the key to his outreach ministry’s success. This includes organizing teams for long term ministry such as the thirty plus year leading the Caring Place program, and for short term needs such as mobilizing teams to assist in post tornado rebuilding, assisting the needs of families in crisis, and directing small community projects. Chad has also provided leadership oversight in the development of various ministries as he identified needs of the children and youth who actively participated at the Caring Place.  These programs include Chi Alpha Teen Ministry, Tomorrow’s Vision Program for alternative students, small groups for parents, after school programs, tutoring, sporting competitions, kids choir and dance team. 

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Chad has provided leadership to community holiday programs such as the Caring Place Thanksgiving Giveaway and the Caring Place Christmas Store,ministering to thousands of families over the years.  The Caring Place Christmas store is entering its 26th year of giving over 1,300 children from The Caring Place and partner organizations the opportunity to experience the meaning of Christmas through the thrill of giving.  The Christmas Store is set up like a department store and children have “currency” called Zoons that they spend “buying” gifts for family members and themselves. 

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Chad leadership also extends to working with other ministries and programs locally and around the world.  He has led three different Convoy of Hope outreaches in Indianapolis, ministered to students in Venezuela, co-written and taught a college course on Urban Ministry in Romania, and led children’s camps in Greece and Thailand.

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Cheryl and Chad raised four children here in Indy.  Their children grew up attending the program and then they became volunteer staff.  Doing so helped them to be very balanced, loving, involved, compassionate young adults and now adults with families of their own.  Cheryl and Chad have been blessed with nine grandchildren, to date.