Indian Heights United Methodist Church
10211 Nall Avenue, Overland Park, KS 66207
Phone: (913) 649-9040
Sunday school - 9:15 am
Morning worship - 10:30am In-Person & via Facebook Live
Kingdom Kids - 10:30am (during worship) Please contact the office if you would like to learn more at
(913) 649-9040. Indian Heights UMC was planted by the Kansas City District Missionary Society of the Methodist Ch
urch, after it concluded that a new Methodist congregation was needed in the area. The Society purchased seven and a half acres at 103rd and Nall Avenue in October 1966. The site included a house and a pony barn. At that time, the site stood on Overland Park's southern edge. John Patterson, a retired missionary, agreed to be a Parish Home Visitor and temporary pastor. He and Dr. Benjamin Schmidtke, the district superintendent, performed the organizational work and made many personal calls. A special letter invited the community to the first worship service, held in the house on April 2, 1967. The living and dining rooms served as the sanctuary, and other rooms hosted Sunday school classes. Other churches and members donated furnishings. Asbury Methodist Church sent some members to help start the new congregation. There were 24 families that first Sunday, and a business meeting followed the first service. The congregation accepted the name suggested by Mrs. Schmidtke, Indian Heights Methodist Church, which referred to the church's location on the hill above Indian Creek. Allen Polen, Jr., was appointed pastor in 1967. He and his family moved into the back rooms of the house, which were prepared as an apartment. Polen made many calls in the neighborhood, including calls on friends and alumni from Baker University. Indian Heights was the first church in Johnson County to have a black pastor when Rev. Moore served as the associate pastor from 1969 to 1973. He was greatly loved and is still remembered for the emphases that he brought to Indian Heights, including its theme song, "There's A Sweet, Sweet Spirit." In his remembrance, a wall hanging commissioned in 1989 now hangs in the narthex. The church building was completed in December 1970. Additional space and sanctuary remodeling took place in 1989, and other additions were built in 2004. The other accomplishments of Indian Heights UMC include:
A Mother's Day Out, begun in 1973, now a State Licensed Pre-School and Parent's Day Out. A record of local mission outreach that includes donations of food, clothing, and sponsorship of the clothing section of the Cross-Lines Christmas Store, volunteer work at Harvesters Food Bank and Meals on Wheels, and support for Kansas City Habitat for Humanity. Mission teams that have worked in Guatemala on projects with Methodists, Mennonites, Roman Catholics, and Habitat for Humanity. Youth Mission trips that have taken place in several states. A public labyrinth for those who choose to walk a prayer path
Cooking and serving casseroles at Wilhemina Gill Center and Interfaith Hospitality Network.
