A Legacy Of Service -Celebrated Kentucky Derby Style

Some events raise money. Others raise hope. This family we call Combat Ministries, did both.

It wasn’t just a fundraiser. It was a reminder of who we are, where we came from, and where

God is calling us next.

Every part of the evening was thoughtfully crafted. Many moments were planned. Some of the best were not. Good martial-arts fanatics that we are, we just rolled with the punches.

The whole event was beautiful, imperfect, ripe with growth, both past and future.

Stories were told.

Tears were intense.

Victories were shared.

Hugs were deep and long.

There were impromptu songs and jokes.

Every emotion was sincere and familiar.

We showed our biggest fans, and the rest of the world, we are just getting started!

There is more to us than the list of classes we offer. If you’re here, you’re family. Like any

family, we grow best together. Combat Ministries is on a mission to love and serve the way

Jesus did.

You can bet we will have some ridiculous fun while we’re at it!

So why not do it with a Kentucky Derby dinner party?

Horse-Stance In Dress-Pants

On a dreary spring evening in Anderson, Indiana, Combat Ministries fought back the gloom

with art, food, games, laughs, stories, and some wild fashion-sense too! We traded in our

black-belts for big hats and bow ties, all for a cause worth fighting for.

The 2025 Combat Ministries Gala was, in many ways, a fundraising dinner-party, but that

wasn’t the only goal. Just like the people of Combat Ministries, there is always more than

meets the eye.

We don’t just train fighters. We fight for our right to party!

Nobody parties with as much love, sincerity, and style as we do! (Derby dress-code included.)

The fitness center is usually dressed in a martial arts gi, or gym clothes, drenched in sweat

and stinking of honest work. For this party, the mats got the night off. Instead, the gym was

beautifully decorated with string lights, matching table cloths, and themed decorations unique to each table. Guests were welcomed by a very different scene, and fell right into character themselves.

The other (office) building usually smells like a coffee pot that works like a revolving door, plus paint. The kind of paint and clay that Tabitha Fletcher and her art students scrape out of their fingernails every week. That is where the party really began.

Creating Our Way Forward

The evening opened with hors’derves in the art gallery. Guests who entered the fitness center first were soon directed next-door to the church sanctuary acting as the showroom of colorful talents. Most guests were easily persuaded, following the caterers carrying trays of goodies across the parking lot.

Combat Ministries is home to artists of all ages. Tabitha Fletcher guides these students to not just sharpen their skills, but to stay truthful in their creativity. Guests got to browse through all that honesty with an open mind.

There were no pretentious explanations, no fanfare—just personal stories told through

various mediums. With a charcuterie plate in one hand and two pieces of tape in the other, guests voted for their favorite artwork. Prizes were later awarded to the artists with the most votes in each category.

“Art can help you create your way through a problem while connecting with the Creator,” she said later that evening. Like the martial arts they teach at Combat Ministries, Tabitha wants her artists to give a sincere expression of themselves in everything they do.

A few days after the Gala, the students and their families came to receive their awards and

take home their creations. Tabitha was available to answer questions. She took time to praise

each student and discuss their progress with family and friends. She is so proud of these

students.

A Game With Purpose

Before dinner and the main agenda of the evening, guests were encouraged to mix and

mingle. As people filed into The Center, conversations popped up everywhere. Introductions

were made. Networks expanded. More importantly, every guest realized just how many

people believe in our mission.

The “Cultured Urban Winery” provided a small cash bar, but the real buzz wasn’t from the

wine. As people settled into their seats, emcee Mike Chandler explained the horse race

game. We took this Kentucky Derby theme seriously!

Each table was a team. Every team had their own horse. Teams earned point through trivia

questions, scavenger hunt challenges, and donations. For every dollar given, tables earned

10 points. The more points a table earned, the further their horse advanced on a game board across the room. This gave guests a tangible picture of donation progress throughout the night.

Some of the loudest laughs came when each table named their horse. Inside jokes and wild

creativity filled the air, but beneath the fun was something serious.

All those people came for the joy of supporting a place where lives are being changed.

Combat Ministries couldn’t do what we do without the help of our friends, family, and

generous supporters. That special evening brought together all the hope and good faith that has helped build Combat Ministries into what it is today.

The Stories That Matter Most

Along with the stories told by Combat Ministries staff and board members for the evening,

guests were directed to 10 framed stories on the wall. They looked like a single newspaper

page with a QR code in the corner. Scanning that QR code would take readers to the full-

length story. These stories showcase coaches and students who have been deeply changed

by Combat Ministries, and who have helped make Combat Ministries a beacon of hope in the world.

These stories of impact show humanity, not perfection. They are stories about people like

Brian & Lisa Nevins, Mike & Kennedy Scott, and Officer Isaiah Thomas. These are just a few of our longest standing members and staff. Their stories are real. Stories of pain that turned to grace. Struggle created strength and triumph. No one has a perfect, easy ride through life. It’s messy.

The humility of life’s hard lessons led these broken people, and many more, to give back

twice as much as they received. More times than we will ever try to count, Combat Ministries

has walked through dark valleys with people and helped them come out stronger on the other side.

Brian &Lisa shared the story of Brian’s father, Mike “Tank” Nevins during dinner. Mike was a Marine, a mentor, and a symbol of strength for our ministry. It was Mike who first led the Nevins family to join Combat Ministries. Many years ago, Mike broke three bones during a belt test and still finished it. That grit is why there’s a hidden tank in the Combat Ministries

logo today. Brian accepted the first-ever “Tank Award” in his father’s honor, his voice trembling with emotion.

“Don’t suffer in silence,” he said. “Find strength in community.”

The grief of losing his father left a wound, deep and wide, for Brian and his family. As the

Combat Ministries family helped the Nevins through their sorrow, the legacy Mike left got

louder. Now, Brian and Lisa are on a mission to help and heal others who may simply need a

shoulder to cry on.

They have seen struggle, sadness, doubt, overwhelm, and confusion. They leaned into each

other, listened to where God was leading them, and had countless “leap of faith” moments to get where they are now.

Any of the good people here would give you the shirt off their back if you needed it. It’s what

we have always done, and it won’t change.

That’s why our stories matter. We are here to show the community around us that we scar just

as easily as they do, and we are here to help.

The whole evening at the Gala was packed with similar stories, all with the same theme.

Hope.

Movin’ On Up (From the Basement to the Center)

Gene Fletcher creatively led the audience through the past, present, and future of Combat

Ministries. Starting with a video, filmed on-location at each landmark in the story, he traced

the journey of Combat Ministries.

Gene started teaching on the grass at Anderson University. They had no mats, no protection

from the elements, just passion for martial arts and mentoring. Soon he got the opportunity to teach from the basement of South Meridian Church of God, to Journey Church at the old

Meadowbrook Elementary, to what is now The Center on Central Way. As we grow, our

facilities level-up just like we do. (We just started classes on the 2 nd floor of White River Club in Anderson.)

Though he may have spent the most time on stage that night, Gene focused the limelight on

the two most important women in his life that have built Combat Ministries with him: his

mother, and his wife, Tabitha Fletcher. He frequently mentioned their critical roles in his life,

personally, and professionally.

Gene spoke with deep emotion about his mother, whom he called “the greatest warrior I’ve

ever known.” Tears filled his eyes as he shared the impact she made on him. Her strength

helped shape him into the man he is today.

Though he can survive street fights and business deals, Gene knows his limits. He credits an

immeasurable amount of the success of Combat Ministries, including that colorful evening, to Tabitha. She has been his best friend, his partner, and his creative director through it all. She has an eye for beauty and vast artistic talents that are the perfect compliments to Gene’s

strengths and weaknesses.

Their love and teamwork has dramatically shaped not just this organization, but countless

lives that God has put in their path. They built this thing as a family, but also with an ever-

growing family of friends they never expected. The Gala brought them all together to

remember why, just as much as how, we got here.

Tabitha Fletcher and Lisa Nevins were the dynamic duo that brought the whole night together. From planning to designing, and everything in between, they did it all. It was a huge success. The evening was lively, whimsical, fun, colorful, thematic, beautiful, down to the smallest decorations. We work best when we work together.

The catering staff was mostly teenage students from our various classes. We had friends and

family volunteering for various tasks throughout the night. It took the whole village to raise this baby, and it worked! Teamwork is an understatement. This is a family.

This ministry is about building people into the best version of themselves, and loving them the way Jesus taught us. The Gala reminded everyone of that mission.

Board Members, Mentors, and More

Throughout the night, other voices rose up to testify about what God is doing here:

Stephanie Stevens, a board member and early student, opened and closed the event in

prayer. She also brought a guest—encouraging her to support an organization she truly

believed in. She ended the night with a spontaneous singalong of “This Little Light of Mine.”

Gary Nicholson, board member and accountant, spoke about the desperate need for more

1-on-1 mentoring in our community, especially for youth from broken homes. “The

transformational power of one good mentor can change a life,” he said.

Steve and Donna Madinger, dear friends and longtime supporters of Combat Ministries,

were honored with the Pillar Award—the highest recognition of the evening. Their support and mentorship of Gene and Tabitha over decades has been an integral part of the success of this place.

Austen Michael, a long time martial arts student and church youth leader, spoke about how

he met Jesus through Combat Ministries. Now, as part of Catalyst Church, he brings youth

groups to the campus for weekend events several times a year.

There were so many people with equally personal stories of how Combat Ministries has

changed their life, we just can’t tell them all here. The success of the Gala is that we can

continue to help more stories, like these, thrive in this community.

Looking Ahead

As the evening wound down, Gene’s stories seemed to be pointing to one central question

that filled the room like the smell of freshly baked cookies.

“How do we pass this legacy on to future generations?”

Combat Ministries is already planting those seeds.

Our story isn’t finished—it’s still being written.

On the mats.

In classrooms.

Through mentorship.

Through art.

In prayer.

And in the hearts of every person who walks through our doors.

That is the real essence of who we are.

The Gala brought together people from all walks of life to do what has always been critical to the success of community growth throughout human history. We broke bread together. We ate together. We told stories together. We laughed and cried, but we leaned into a common goal.

Combat Ministries continues to stand as a beacon of hope for a community in pain. Through

self-discipline and selflessness, we bring out the best in each other. Our people are all the

proof we need.

The first annual Combat Ministries' Gala was a fun Kentucky Derby themed party, but our race is never over.

Come join us.