Revive Indiana was a 52-day long revival with the goal to grow the Christian community in Northern Indiana.

The movement—part of a nationwide movement Time to Revive—culminated on March 4 (see photo above) when leaders of the revival encouraged people to stay home from school and work to pray and then meet for a march in Goshen.

According to a news story on WNDU, “Some 4,000 people gathered Wednesday at the Maple City Chapel in Goshen. And thousands of others gathered at Rogers Park in Goshen.” Thousands, Mennonites included, marched around Rogers Park up to the Court House area and back.

Sam Foxvog, a student at Goshen College, attended the march.

“The marchers made a full loop of people—those finishing coming up behind those just starting,” he said.

On March 4, iStep (Indiana statewide testing) was also scheduled. Twelve schools in the area allowed students to attend and other schools moved the previously scheduled iStep testing to another day.

Kyle Lance Martin is the founder of Time to Revive, which pursues revival among the church in cities across the United States. He is originally from Middlebury, Ind.

Martin says he was pleased that public schools in the area gave excused absences to their students so that they may attend the events of Time to Revive. Martin was also invited to go to factories all over Indiana. Many actually shut down the factories to hear Martin speak.

In 2007 after Martin graduated from college in Dallas, he prayed and fasted for six days asking God what he could do for Indiana. His answer came in the form of Revive Indiana.

Involved churches include: First Baptist Church in Elkhart, Clinton Frame Church in Nappanee, Elijah’s International Church in Elkhart, Bristol United Methodist Church in Bristol, and Griner Mennonite Church in Middlebury.

Clinton Frame left Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference and Mennonite Church USA in 2014.

Time to Revive uses media—a nationwide daily radio program, weekly videos and an online devotional—and “city transformation,” which includes working alongside Christians in the United States to reach out in their own cities through prayer and discipleship.

From January to March, thousands met for worship time in the evenings at Maple City Chapel in Goshen and at Clinton Frame Mennonite Church, with a free dinner prior to the service, which was also translated into Spanish. The services were also broadcast on local radio.

Foxvog said he found these meetings to be a place of spiritual awakening. The worship times where “awesome” because they included people from so many churches and backgrounds, including some in Amish dress.

Seth Conley, communications professor at Goshen College has had what he describes as an “illuminating experience” with Time to Revive.

“What is really compelling is seeing so many different people from a variety of different denominations coming together to worship Christ,” he said. “For a short time we lay aside our differences and turn our focus on Jesus. As Christians, that’s what we should be doing all the time.”

The other really fascinating part of Revive, Conley said, is the number of people that have been drawn to the events so quickly. He thinks this reflects a deep desire in our community to seek the face of God.

When asked what his vision for the future of Time to Revive is, Martin said he would like to take Revive to one city or community in every state and have the movement end in Israel.

Sara Albaba is a senior at Goshen College and a Spring 2015 intern for The Mennonite. She is an English writing major and is from Elkhart, Ind. 

Photo provided from the Revive Indiana Facebook page. Used with permission.