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Welcome To

AFC NAZARENE

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First Time Guests

Check out the community center at AFC

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Get Involved

Serving at AFC is a great way to use your gifts while getting to know others! We encourage everyone who attends to be a part of a Team so they’re serving consistently in a way that is meaningful.

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Olivet Nazarene
University @ AFC

This unique college experience combines Olivet’s academic excellence with the community support of AFC Naz in Anderson! Click to learn about this affordable, fully-accredited, four-year degree.

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The Community
Center @ AFC

Our mission is to reduce barriers to success by educating and empowering the community through collaborative community-based outreach, development, and revitalization programs.

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Donate Now

We would like to thank you in advance for supporting the Ministries, Vision, and Mission of AFC Nazarene. Your generosity allows us to do incredible things for the sake of the Kingdom. We are seeing lives changed for the gospel of Jesus Christ and your donation helps us spread that message of love to our community.

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Upcoming Events

09/27
5:00 pm

AFC MIDWEEK!

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09/29
7:00 am

Men’s Breakfast

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10/03
9:00 am

Daytime Bible Study

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10/04
11:00 am

ONU Chapel

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10/06
10:00 am

Pre-School Playdate

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10/06
6:00 pm

Youth Retreat

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10/07
8:00 am

Men’s Breakfast

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10/19
6:30 pm

Book Club

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10/20
10:00 am

Pre-School Playdate

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10/20
6:00 pm

BOND+FIRE

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10/20
5:30 pm

Corn Maze Trip

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10/21
9:00 am

Spiritual Fathers Orientation

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11/03
6:00 pm

NEI Men’s Retreat

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11/03
9:00 am

Women’s Retreat

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11/09
6:30 pm

Holiday Workshop!

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11/10
10:00 am

Pre-School Playdate

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11/10
6:00 pm

Holiday Hero

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11/14
5:30 pm

Mental Health Fair

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11/17
7:00 pm

Christmas Concert!

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12/08
7:00 pm

The Gift!

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12/13
6:15 pm

YTH Christmas Party

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CLICK HERE FOR TICKET INFO

Latest Message

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Here at AFC, we combine the life-changing stories of the Bible, with fun-filled games and hands-on activities, so that your kiddos will have a blast learning and growing with us! AFC Kids is offered during all of our Sunday services, with additional age-divided classroom programming during the Sunday School Hour and activities Wednesday evenings, during regular programming times.

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We are excited to see how students are growing in their relationship with God, each other, and their community. We believe that there is no Junior Jesus and that students are the church of right now. We invite you to come hang out with us, grow together, and reach our community!

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Your PASTORAL Team

Dr. Joseph
Dagostino III

Lead Pastor

Mark
Heskett

Executive Pastor

Cortney
Coombs

Children’s Pastor

Keri
Kardatzke

Church Admin

Elias
Cabello

Spanish Ministries Pastor

Joey
Claus

Pastor to Students & Young Adults

Ashley
Dagostino

ONU+ Director, Bookstore

Lilli
Burkhardt

Worship, College Age Ministry

Rudy
Lee

Visitation Pastor

Jami
Dailey

Nursery & Childcare Coordinator

Elizabeth
Shepherd

Children’s Ministry Assistant

SUPPORT STAFF

Tim
Cox

Facilities

Mike
Derexson

Custodial

Lilli
Burkhardt

Community Center, College Age Ministry

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© 2023 Anderson First Church of the Nazarene.  All Rights Reserved. 

Dr. Joseph Dagostino III

Lead Pastor

afcnazpastor@gmail.com

Outnumbered, outdaughtered, and outdogged is a great starting point. Living with one wife, four daughters, and two female puppies basically sums it up. Dr. Joe has heart that bleeds for the lost, the community, preaching, Sunday morning worship, and that our churches embody the heart of Christ. He received his bachelors from Nazarene Bible College, Masters from Cairn University in Pennsylvania, and earned Doctorate Degree from Olivet Nazarene University. Pastor is always ready to greet someone and welcome them. So, come meet Dr. Joe and his precious family.

Pastor Joey Claus

Youth Pastor

afcnazyouth@gmail.com

Pastor Joey can be best described as innovative, animated, and excited to serve Jesus.  He currently serves as the Pastor of Student & Young Adult Ministries at AFC.  Married to his best friend Stacie together with their sweet daughter, little Annie – collectively known as the Claus Family – they seek to empower younger believers to truly live out their faith through a simple phrase, ‘Saved People, Serve People.’

Joey is an honors graduate from Ohio Christian University, where he double majored in Pastoral Ministries and Business Administration.  He is currently enrolled in the Masters of Pastoral Leadership program through Olivet Nazarene University.  Having grown up in the Church of the Nazarene, Joey has worked toward ordination and will be confirmed in 2022.

For the past 7+ years, Joey has served congregations in Indiana, Ohio, and Virginia and has emersed himself into teenage culture – along with all its pros and cons.  He is committed to investing in every student and determined to help them discover where their true identity comes from – Jesus Christ.

When not in the office, Joey can be found exploring local cultural and culinary scenes or dabbling in graphic design.  He is an avid reader, coffee addict, and Indianapolis Colts Fan.  He and Stacie can often be found vacationing in the mountains of Tennessee or the beaches of Florida.

Mark Heskett

Executive Pastor

Bio coming soon!

Pastor Cortney Coombs

Children’s Pastor

afcnazchildren@gmail.com

At the age of five, I met Jesus in a children’s church service. I remember the service, the caring leaders, the music, and even what I was wearing! The Lord has allowed me to remember that day and countless other childhood memories very vividly. I remember asking Him one day to never let me forget what it felt like to be a child. He has granted that request and allowed me to help lots of children over the years by reminding me what it feels like to be in their shoes. I am an ordained elder in the Church of the Nazarene. I graduated from Olivet Nazarene University with a degree in Elementary Education with minors in Christian Education and Sociology. I finished ordination requirements from the NEI School of Ministry and Nazarene Bible College. I taught fourth grade in Chicago public school before becoming a children’s pastor. I have served as children’s pastor at Kokomo First Nazarene and Harris Chapel Nazarene.  I currently serve as the Northeast Indiana District. Children’s Ministry Director and Consultant as well as the children’s pastor here at AFC. It is such an honor to be able to serve with such amazing people who love Jesus and love children! My husband, Christopher, and I and our two kids love to travel, camp, boat, and have lots of fun in the great outdoors! We love our two Bernese Mountain dogs, Minnie and Max, and our little, tiny four-pound lap dog, Ollie! We live in a cabin in the woods, and we love where God has placed us!

Keri Kardatzke

Church Admin

office@andersonfirstchurch.org

Whether you’re new to AFC or have been here forever, I’m here to help! Stop in, email me, or give me a call, and I will give it my best try!

After hours, some of my favorite things to do are spending time with family, reading, baking cookies, watching Hallmark movies, and cheering on the Chicago Cubs!

I love to travel and see new places and am usually known to be planning that next trip. In 2021, I marked Glacier National Park off my bucket list!  I have now been to 26 National Parks and have plans to see more!  Some of my favorite destinations have been Colorado, Utah, Marco Island, Prince Edward Island,  and cruising the Pacific Coast Highway. Our family tries to visit a different MLB ballpark each year and my count is currently at 19. Go, Cubs, Go!

2 Timothy 4:17 

Pastor Elias Cabello

Spanish Ministries Pastor

ecabello@afc.email

Hello, my name is Elias Cabello.  I was born and grew up in Mexico City.  I am the second son of a pastor’s family.  All of my life has been played out in the brotherhood of Christ.  I was baptized at 15 years of age.  I have always wanted to do something to help my parents in their ministry.  After finishing my studies in architectural design, I followed one of the other passions of my life:  Study music, which would help in my parents’ ministry.  I married Liliana in 1985, and God confirmed our call to ministry in 1987.  She is also the daughter of pastors.  God has given us the blessing of 6 children, whom we love deeply.  Now we are the grandparents of Allyana and Luca.  They are an extension of our live and passion for the family.

We grew in ministry for 10 years in Mexico City.  Then we arrived in Sacramento, California in the year 1998 to begin working in Hispanic ministries in the United States.  We moved to Indiana in the year 2001 to continue working with Hispanic churches in northern Indiana.  In 2008 we became part of the ministry of the Church of the Nazarene.  We came to the city of Anderson, to AFC AND WE ARE STILL HERE!

As a Hispanic family, we get great pleasure in being a bridge to connect families to a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.  The family circle will always be a strategic nexus for carrying this to fruition.

We greatly enjoy passing time with friends, family and brothers and sisters in Christ.  Our purpose is always to be a reflection of service and of the love of God in their lives.

 

Ashley Dagostino

ONU+

When you serve Jesus, people often ask how or why you do what you do… “because He would love first” is my answer and the theme song of my soul. My passion is loving people exactly where they are at and partnering with them in a journey of Christian community to see them grow and stretch into the identity God has ordained for them. I love to write, teach, and speak, not because it’s something I crave, but because I know it’s a calling of God on my life and when I’m doing that I am operating in his anointing.

My husband and I have four girls, two dogs, two sheep that think they’re dogs and some boujie chickens that all live on our little farm/piece of heaven. I crave the simplicity of quality family time, a good book, a warm campfire, sheep snuggles, camping, and of course, netflix and chill. Next to Jesus, family is everything.

I graduated from Southern Nazarene University with my Bachelors in Psychology and from Texas A&M with my Masters in Counseling Psychology. I have a history of working with at risk youth in the juvenile prison system, crisis management, curriculum development for the State of Texas, and church ministry galore, wink wink.

Lilli Burkhardt

Administrative Pastor

community@andersonfirstchurch.org

Lilli’s bio coming soon!

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Kaitlin Sierra

Nursery Director

afcnaznursery@gmail.com

Born and raised here in Anderson, it was never my intention to work in a church or even with children after growing up the oldest of 7 siblings! However, as I planned my life attending Anderson University for nursing, God laughed! I graduated with a bachelor’s in psychology, fully intending to finish my nursing degree elsewhere when I fell in love with a job working as a behavioral clinician for preschool and elementary age children.

In 2019 my grandma told me about a part time job in the AFC nursery. I immediately applied and was hired! Fast-forward a few years and I am still here at AFC now the full time nursery director and loving it!

I have a BIG family so when I’m not working, I love hanging out with my younger siblings and cousins! I love taking trips to visit family in Texas and Mexico as often as I can and escape some of our cold Indiana winters! I love being outside all summer long kayaking and swimming as often as I can and taking my dog Marco on walks!

It’s truly amazing to think about where I thought my life would take me, and to see where God has taken me instead. I look forward to continuing my journey here with AFC and I am so excited to see what God has planned for me next!  

Jeremiah 29:11

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