This article was originally published in Altitude: Stories of Impact 2024.
The Niedermeyers, married since 1966, both accepted Christ early in life, but, by their own admission, spent the first forty years of their marriage as pew sitters. After moving from Michigan to Indianapolis in 2005, the couple started attending College Park at the behest of their new neighbors.
Then in 2006, Jeanne learned she had kidney cancer. One of the Niedermeyers’ first calls was to the church. “The elders and pastors got together with us, and we had a time of prayer, confession, and healing,” remembers Jeanne. “That was a huge turnaround. Our lives and priorities changed right then.”
Dick agrees, and adds, “We realized that at College Park we were hearing solid preaching about a personal relationship with Christ—which had been missing up to that point in both our lives.”
As their relationship with Christ deepened, their focus radically changed. “When we retired, we had a vision of what our retirement was going to be: lots of travel and golf,” reflects Dick. “We weren’t originally focused on a lot of Jesus-centered things. The shaping and sharpening that has happened over our years at College Park has dramatically changed that.”
In addition to being involved in men’s and women’s Bible studies, they now prioritize time with Jesus together. On as many mornings as they can, they start their day studying the Word and praying as a couple. They say that this intentional choice helps them keep Christ at the forefront of their minds on a daily basis.
And their intentionality extends far beyond their personal time with Jesus.
“Another thing we’ve done to keep God in front of us is to be thankful for everything,” Jeanne explains. “There’s so much to be thankful for, and we try to regularly express our gratitude to God, even for the little things.”
Looking for opportunities to lift others up in prayer is also important to the Niedermeyers. When they eat out, they always ask their server, “How can we pray for you?” Additionally, Jeanne looks for opportunities to pray with people at work and in day-to-day life. Over the years, they’ve heard many stories and had the privilege of praying and speaking into the lives of countless people.
Dick is also intentional about serving his neighbors—from mowing grass and clearing snow for single women in the neighborhood to loaning out his tools and helping with home maintenance projects. “People can see Jesus in you in a lot of different ways,” Dick shares. “You are glorifying God when you have an attitude of serving others.”
The Niedermeyers’ acts of service aren’t limited to their neighborhood though. A 2007 Vision Trip to Hungary became the starting point of a legacy for them. They are now preparing for their fifteenth trip to Hungary, where they will lead a team who will serve at the Word of Life summer camp. Over the years, they’ve witnessed many youths come to Christ, assisted with construction projects, and poured into the lives of the camp’s staff and workers.
Here at College Park, you’ll see Dick and Jeanne serving at THINK conferences and other events, filling in at the reception desk during the week, and lending a helping hand in whatever way they can. “We’re not a perfect couple by any means,” Jeanne emphasizes, “but we try to be intentional about our lives and how we are serving.”
In a world where our time and attention can be pulled in so many directions, the Niedermeyers provide us with a good reminder that intentionality in decisions, both big and small, help us keep the Main One the main thing.
To learn about serving opportunities at College Park, go to yourchurch.com/serve.
