Rick Grover became our Executive Director in July 2025 after the death of our founder, Alan Ahlgrim. Alan had picked Rick to be our next CEO, never expecting it to happen so suddenly!

Rick has served as the Lead Pastor at East 91st Street Christian Church in Indianapolis for the past thirteen years. He’s been in our ministry with our founder, Alan Ahlgrim, from the beginning—an early adopter of the Covenant Connections vision and our most committed and productive group leader over the years.

Rick continues to lead Covenant Groups (he is starting his 4th in 2026!).  His focus is on soul care for greater spiritual and emotional health.

Rick is married to Laura, and they have three grown children.

Covenant Connections determined that the most important person in our ministry is the facilitator of a Covenant Group. Our focus needed to be on training, equipping, and caring for those leaders as they cared for their group members. With that mindset, Didi Bacon was called to lead this important area. Didi has led two Covenant Groups and plans to lead more. He understands what it takes to lead and what it means to pass along the culture of Covenant Groups. He is passionate about spreading the “secret sauce” of soul care that the Covenant Group model provides.

He has been serving as a “missionary to America” at the Mount Carmel Christian Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, since 1997.  Married to Shannon since 1992, they have four married adult children and three  granddaughters and a grandson.

Mike brings a remarkable background in both ministry leadership and organizational management. After an 18-year ministry with TCM International, where he served as European Vice President, Mike joined East 91st Street Christian Church as Executive Pastor for four years before being called to Northview Church in 2014, where he continues to serve full-time as Operations Pastor.

Born and raised in Indianapolis, Mike accepted Jesus and was baptized at the age of 10 and has been following Him faithfully ever since. He and his wife, Patty, were married in 1991 and have three adult sons—Mark, Jacob, and Taylor—all married and following Christ, along with three (and counting!) beloved granddaughters. Mike is an avid fan of racquet and paddle sports and loves snow skiing, with a special affection for the mountains over the beach.

Mike is a man who genuinely loves Jesus and carries a deep passion for praying over pastors and the ministries they lead. He has graciously volunteered for this position!

A graduate of Atlanta Christian College (now Point University), Mike has served the Church in a wide range of roles—from campus minister at Florida State University, to camp director, youth minister, teaching pastor, and lead pastor. Through each chapter of ministry, he has cultivated a gift for encouraging leaders and creating spaces where spiritual renewal can take root.

When he’s not praying for or pouring into pastors, Mike loves to fish, cheer on FSU football, and spend time with his grandkids. He and Kathy live in the Johnson City, TN area. As he often says, “Life is adjustable,” and he brings that same spirit of flexibility, humility, and joy into this new role.

Mike is in Alan Ahlgrim’s third Covenant Group (“Best Loved Group”) with David Roberson, Clark Tanner, and Rick Shonkwiler. They continue to meet via Zoom throughout the year.

Alan Ahlgrim passed away suddenly on Tuesday, February 11, 2025. While his death comes in the midst of great dreams and plans for the ministry, Alan was prepared for the day!

It all began with an idea. “In a time when many are merely surviving, those who embrace a deeper life will begin to thrive. So, if you yearn to move beyond a life of drudgery to a life of high calling, from soul-crushing isolation to vigorous community, this if for you!” Alan wrote those words in the introduction to Soul Strength: Rhythms for Thriving his book challenging Christian to do the “hard work of heart work”!

Alan finished strong in his ministry and life on earth. We look forward to seeing him again and rejoicing!

Alan invested heavily in the hard work of heart work, helping other leaders serve well and finish well by connecting them in soul-enriching covenant groups. These small, in-depth communities are transformational and produce remarkable renewal and resilience.