“Love God, love people, make disciples,” is the motto for Heartland Church, a planting church in Campbellsville, Kentucky.
This church was born in the fall of 2023 by the desire of Chapman Bean to connect more people to God.
Chapman is a CU alumna and his experience at Campbellsville gave him a huge heart for the community.
“The idea of planting a church was born out of a heart of my wife and I to plant a church in a place we love so deeply,” Chapman said. “Campbellsville gave me so much. We wanna reach people with the good news of Jesus Christ. That he loves us, that he cares for us, that people can find freedom, hope, love and joy and transformation in Christ. I’ve just experienced that in my own life, and we wanted to tell everybody else about it, so that’s our mission.”
One of the big challenges for Heartland Church is the lack of a building.
“We don’t have a space,” he said. “We literally started meeting in our home and then we moved to an event space that we set up and tear down every Sunday. So, that’s challenging.”
Despite that challenge, Chapman has his eyes set on helping others. He and his team have committed themselves to serving and engaging with the community. They have organized a fall festival, served pancakes at the Vine for college students, created opportunities with local schools to support the Backpack Program and given financial support to schools. The church has launched different group Bible studies and tried to find homes and places where people could gather on a consistent basis.
“We’re just planting this church,” Chapman said. “I’m on a journey to join Jesus outside. Hebrews 13 talks about Jesus went outside to bear disgrace, and the people followed him outside the city gates, and we need to be people that go outside. We don’t just look at the four walls of the church and be content, we go out and we reach new people with this message and that’s what we’re trying to focus on.”
Chapman is very hopeful for the future.
“We want to continue to build a church where everyone feels welcomed and loved,” he said. “We want to get to know you. We want to take care of you.”
Olivia Moore, worship singer and CU sophomore, started her journey at Heartland Church when there were only a few college students going. She was helping with the worship until she was asked to sing on a regular basis by the worship leader.
“I’ve seen more people come to church and grow and it is amazing,” she said. “I love helping out with worship. Any chance that I get an opportunity to worship with other people I always like to take it. At Heartland, not only do I get to worship with others, but I have a church family that’s just so encouraging.”
According to Moore, the most rewarding aspect of leading worship at Heartland is the community.
“I think the Lord is using me in such a way to invite others into worshiping him and giving him glory,” she said.
CU freshman Briley Choate started her journey at Heartland when she came to college in the fall of 2024.
“I love Heartland,” she said. “Heartland creates a great community among its members by just allowing us to really be who we want to be and guiding us to be more like Jesus.”
Choate has a lot of memories, but her favorite one was Thanksgiving dinner, where she connected with others, ate a great meal offered by the church and attended a late-night worship service.
“Heartland had a big impact in my life,” Choate said. “Chapman and his wife, Gentry, were so loving and so kind.”
According to Choate, this was an answered prayer.
“In high school I was praying so much to find a community that loves me and takes care of me, and here at Heartland I found it.”
CU freshman Josie Smallwood has been attending Heartland since the fall of 2024. She found Heartland Church by going on a tour hosted by CU Campus Ministry.
“It stood out to me because people from Heartland Church cared enough to get to know me and welcome me in like I was family,” she said.
According to Smallwood, it’s a very supportive environment, where the community helps individuals to grow spiritually and as a person.
“Being part of Heartland Church has connected me to a body of believers that holds me accountable in my faith and inspires me to love God,” she said.
Smallwood enjoys the 10 a.m. Sunday service, but she also enjoys attending the college group on Sunday mornings and college hangouts on Wednesday evenings.
“Heartland Church creates a sense of community among its members by welcoming people from all kinds of backgrounds and treating everyone with love and respect,” Smallwood said. “I would tell someone who is thinking about attending Heartland Church to give it a chance because the Lord calls each of us to be in a Christ-centered community, which is exactly what Heartland Church is.”
For more information about Heartland Church, visit heartlandky.church online or email Chapman Bean, [email protected].
Currently, Heartland is having its 10 a.m. service on Sundays at The Good Company located at 111 West Main Street in Campbellsville.
