Who We Are

At CONNECT, our goal is to train up your child in the way of the Lord. We want to partner with you to provide top-notch childcare and education, in a state-of-the-art facility, all with Jesus at the center.

OUR LEADERSHIP

Pastors Dave and Kate Sumrall are the founding and lead pastors of ITOWN Church in Fishers, Indiana. Since 2010, the church has grown from a small launch team to thousands who gather at three locations around the state of Indiana. The Sumralls are passionate about helping people find Jesus and flourish in the local church.

Dave is blessed to come from rich ministry heritage being the grandson of the late Dr. Lester Sumrall. In his twenties, he worked as a missionary in the Philippines for several years where he led a television ministry, a young adult ministry, and tent crusades. It was in Manila that God told Dave to move back to America to plant ITOWN Church. Dave graduated with honors from Oral Roberts University with a bachelor’s degree in Business. Kate graduated with honors from the University of Southern Mississippi with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and is currently working on a MAR in Biblical Studies from Liberty University.

Dave and Kate have six kids: Haley Beth, Hanna, Henlee, Tait, George, and Thunder.

  • OUR MISSION AND VISION

    At CONNECT, our mission is to “train them up.” Based on the principle of Proverbs 22:6, we believe that when we train up a child in the way they should go, when they are old they will not depart from it.

    We want to create a Jesus-focused early childhood educational experience in a state-of-the-art environment. We believe children learn best through a balance of teacher-directed activities and play that nurture children’s natural curiosity about the world around them. At every age, we are invested in the best for your child!

  • OUR TEACHERS

    Our CONNECT teachers are wonderful, experienced educators who love Jesus and desire to work with and teach children educational concepts as well as proper interaction skills.

    Every teacher is required to have First Aid, CPR, annual Universal Precautions Training, and a Criminal Background Check.

  • OUR HISTORY

    In 2021, ITOWN Church purchased the 96th Street property. Since then, CONNECT has provided a fresh face and approach to early childhood education through an updated curriculum, teacher qualifications, and our newly renovated, state-of-the-art facility.

CONNECT Team

AMBER KINDER

CONNECT Director

Ms. Amber has a love for Jesus and for children. With 25 years in Early Childhood Education, she is passionate and committed to seeing children grow and thrive at every age level. She is invested in helping our teachers bring out the best in every child that attends CONNECT. When she isn’t pouring into our teachers and children at CONNECT, she enjoys cheering on her son at rugby, shopping with her daughter, and spending time at the lake.

Ina Hester

Education Specialist

Ms. Ina has spent the last 6.5 years in public education as a classroom teacher and believes God was calling her to step out in faith and do more for our youngest learners. She is working alongside our CONNECT Director to develop curricular resources that marry excellence in ministry with excellence in academics. She supports to teachers in the classroom and spends time with children while they engage in various learning activities. At CONNECT, she loves seeing Jesus interwoven into the hearts of our teachers and students.

In her free time, she enjoys playing volleyball, working out, reading books, snuggling her dog Nova, and most of all, spending quality time with her family and friends.

Janelle Anderson

CONNECT Administrative Assistant

Ms. Janelle has worked in childcare on and off in many centers for over 15 years and is so grateful to have landed at CONNECT, where she gets to be a part of building a Christ-centered foundation for this generation. She is passionate about creating a safe, fun environment for not only the kids, but the teachers as well. When she isn't at CONNECT, Ms. Janelle can usually be found going on adventures or trying new foods with her family.