Generosity at Northminster
The Generosity Team seeks to provide visioning, education, transparency, and accountability for faith-based giving that sustains the mission of Northminster Presbyterian Church. Working in collaboration with the Session, Foundation, and other Northminster Teams, committees, and ministry areas, the Generosity Team promotes the love and support of Christ.
Featuring various initiatives and content from throughout the year, you can use the links below to jump to different content on this page!
Hidden Gems Moment for Generosity
Hidden Gems
"Hidden Gems" is a monthly feature of The Generosity Team to celebrate members who quietly demonstrate generosity through service, leadership, and compassion. This initiative highlights the diverse ways our congregation shares its gifts, inspiring others to discover how they, too, can serve and strengthen our community connections.
Melodie Sarver Mary Holland Barb Angotti
Melodie Sarver | February 2026
Knowing that someone believes you are an example of Northminster Generosity, how would you describe how you share or have shared your generosity with the Church?
Melodie currently serves on the Spiritual Growth Team. She found her calling working with youth and children at Northminster. She enjoys helping at the preschool for a couple of hours each week. She volunteers at Westminster Ministries' food pantry on Mondays. Melodie is a regular at Trunk or Treat, the Easter Egg hunt, School 55, or
any event where volunteers for youth and children’s programs are needed. Having served on the deacons for three terms reinforces her role as a caring and committed
believer in engagement and service to others.
What motivates you to share your gifts with others?
She responded directly, “I believe that if we are truly following the teachings of Jesus, then we are called to share our time and talent with others. My life is blessed in so many ways. I can do things for other people.”
How would those close to you say how your light shines outside of Northminster?
Melodie served the same group of girls as a Girl Scout leader from 1st grade through freshman year in high school. All the girls stayed engaged in scouting and in the same troop. This speaks to the light Melodie shined on the lives of these young women and their commitment to organization and each other.
What is your Northminster origin story?
Melodie and her family started attending Northminster in 1986. She and her husband, Steve, were looking for a church home for their young family. She received a Christmas flyer, and it piqued her interest. At the time, Northminster had a very large youth program and, with young children, that was very attractive.
Interesting Note: Melodie was in family practice nursing for twenty years, then got into the IT world. Her family practice office was the first, through the Community Health Network to roll out the use of electronic medical records. In 2011, CHN made the decision to roll out EMRs to the entire network, and Melodie was asked to coordinate this work. She retired in 2023.
Mary Holland | January 2026
How do you share your generosity with Northminster?
“When I joined Northminster, I realized I would get out what I put in, so I’ve been involved in just about everything,” Mary says with a laugh. First, she taught Sunday school, then joined the choir in the early ‘90s, where she also serves as librarian. When she retired, she became involved with chancel care, various committees, Circle Three, Spiritual Striders, and has been a deacon three times. You may have seen or spoken to her in the church office, where she volunteers on Mondays. According to Mary, “it’s a wonderful place to be.”
What motivates you to share your gifts?
When Mary sees a need, she rolls up her sleeves and meets it. The choir librarian role happened that way. “It’s a job I think many people would find tedious, but it appeals to my sense of organization,” Mary said.
What's your Northminster origin story?
Mary grew up in the Presbyterian faith in North Carolina, but dropped out of organized religion during college. “In my early 20s, I started looking for a church and explored several—but my sister-in-law and mother-in-law were here,” Mary recounts. Northminster appealed to her sense of community, her daughter joined the youth group, and “I stopped searching,” Mary said.
What's something about you that most people don't know?
“I worked for almost 40 years at Wishard Hospital (now Eskenazi Health) as a psychiatric crisis clinician,” Mary said. “I loved my job—I found my forte helping people in crisis.”
Bill Lord | December 2025
How do you share your generosity with Northminster?
“Following my parents' lead, I have provided time and funding to approach any question or problem that needed to be addressed. This has included work around the facility as well as participating in outside events that focused on the church.” Bill has served as an Elder with each of the pastors (Closterhouse, Lindquist, Mathias, Thomas) and a member of Buildings and Grounds since 1996.
What motivates you to share your gifts?
“Dad, a repairman for National Cash Register, taught me tools and about working with people. Mom ran a smooth home and taught English and Home Ec in middle and high school.” They set an example and, as Bill said, “They taught me that if something needed to be done, you better well do it!”
What's your Northminster origin story?
As a youngster, Bill attended Presbyterian summer youth camps. In 1952, Camp Pyoca opened, and Bill was hired as Assistant Camp Director. Through this, he met several folks from Indianapolis, including Pastor Wilbur Closterhouse. After his service in the Army, Bill was asked to work in Indianapolis with Merrill Stage Equipment in Broad Ripple. Bill lived in a room on the second floor and met the part-time secretary, Cathy Ball. They began dating and soon became members of Northminster in early 1956. It only took until late summer of 1957 for Bill and Cathy to become the second couple married in the “new” sanctuary.
What's something people might not know about you?
During construction of the “new” North Central High School in 1957 (now the old North central at the Northview location) Bill supervised and helped install the stage lighting and curtains in the theatre. Bill was so involved that Washington Township hired him as a Theatre teacher. He decided to get his Master's from Northwestern University and went on to teach at North Central for almost 40 years. Thirteen of which Bill chaired the Performing Arts Dept. He has also been a consultant for over 600 stage and lighting projects around the world, including several at Northminster!
Barb Angotti | November 2025
How do you share your generosity with Northminster?
"Time, enthusiasm, caring, and commitment," Barb says simply. For nearly 20 years, she's led Spiritual Striders, a group that combines walking, fellowship, and faith study. "I've run my schedule around being in town for the Striders. It's really special." She has also chaired Chancel Care for two decades. “I began by volunteering for 3 or 4 years,” and then she moved into the chairman role. She is grateful for the 16 people who help with everything from preparing and cleaning up communion to making sure the pews are orderly (and much more).
What motivates you to share your gifts?
In the early 2000s, church members were encouraged to create Christ prayer groups. Barb recalls a persistent feeling that "this was something I should do." After pushing it off a few times, she decided to step forward and created Spiritual Striders! Why does she continue to lead the group? "It's joyful service. I always walk out feeling great. I get more than I give."
What's your Northminster origin story?
Barb and her husband Art discovered Northminster in 1972 when they moved to Indianapolis. "Howard Lindquist was the pastor. We came for one service, and we never left," she shares. While acknowledging the tough transitions Northminster has experienced in the past, Barb exclaims, “Now we're reaping the rewards with Brian and Karen's leadership!"
What's something people might not know about you?
Beyond her volunteer work, Barb taught at Butler University's School of Education for nine years. "Professor Jack Fadely hired me on the spot after career counseling my kids," she laughs. "Those college students kept me on my toes. I love to learn—it's very important for me to keep growing as I age."