John Kilavos has a big role with the ability to have a positive impact, as he’s the executive and family-ministry pastor at Heartland Christian Center in Valparaiso, Indiana, a church where community and faith cooperate. He took on his current role in 2019, but he’s been working there for 18 years starting way back during his college days.
Kilavos grew up in Valpo. He was brought up Greek Orthodox. For schooling, from kindergarten to 12th grade, he completed each level of his education within the Morgan Township school district. His being a pastor was a calling in every sense of the word. It was in some of the latest years of his teens when he realized there was more for him in the church.
When the time for college came, he started off by attending Valparaiso University, but he eventually transferred all his credits over to Purdue University Northwest in Hammond. The first degree he pursued was in business management, but it didn’t stay that way forever. He was full-time at Heartland, thriving and enjoying the work there, so the change from one school to another, and from one area of study to another, allowed him to succeed as a full-time college student.
The media department, something distant from the role of pastor, at Heartland is where Kilavos began. He worked with middle-school students, too. By the time of his college graduation, he earned himself a certification in youth ministry, and over time that morphed into what he does today.
Kilavos’ job is a layered one. He’s not restricted to one area of focus, nor does he exclusively work with students at one age level. Everything his vocation involves has to do with service and, in more ways than one, giving back. He has a hand in every component of what makes each Heartland location stand out and thrive, such as something as crucial as staffing and the staff’s capabilities.
“I’m more toward the role of executive pastor these days. I oversee a lot, like the preschool that takes place during the week here, Heartland 4 Kidz, and all the different ministry teams that have me collaborating with students and kids of all ages. I help to train, equip, and ensure that the staff is on the same page, as far as what’s going on from one campus to the next goes,” he said.
One thing that makes Kilavos passionate about his work is all the families he encounters. A married man with three children who understands how important the family is, he doesn’t take lightly his responsibility as a family minister. Sometimes his mission is just a bit bigger than merely the families, however. He remains invested in the community so that he might make known his stance as a uniting resource for change.
Not all of it’s sunshine and straight ease. Challenges arise, as they do in any profession, complicating situations and circumstances. Considering where Kilavos is professionally, one person can’t accomplish great things alone, and he’s no exception.
“When you’re trying to be a resource, you can find yourself being stretched, especially through being involved in different aspects of the community. The key is having a solid team of people around you, one that has the same goals and the same heart for the community and reaching families,” he said. “If I were to try to do everything on my own, it would be impossible, and it would be virtually ineffective. It truly is a team effort.”
Mission-based work brings with it the establishment of many meaningful memories and relationships, two things Kilavos regularly creates through Elevate – a school program focused on the development of one’s character and leadership capacities. There, he plays an integral part in assisting younger people in their shaping of who they are. Not only is Kilavos getting kids to interact with one another, he is also altering the personalities of the leaders of tomorrow for the better, no matter where they currently are. Helping others progress to reach higher heights is nothing he’s unfamiliar with.
“You get to see that lightbulb go on in a student’s mind, and more often than not, you can see shifts come when they really focus on who they want to be as people. Those ‘Aha!’ moments in students are always great to experience. With adults and students alike, I try to drive home that we’re doing nobody around us any good if we’re trying to be a lesser, diluted version of somebody else,” he said.
Kilavos loves going to his daughter’s softball games during spring and summertime. His boys are quite active, the two of them playing just about any sport they can. Locally, he coaches Morgan Township High School’s golf team at the varsity level alongside Matt Willingham, one of his fellow pastors at Heartland. The person whom he can’t do anything without, though, is his wife, Kelsey. Both continually make sure they maintain time together and with their children.
Having been in Valpo for his whole life, Kilavos doesn’t see any other place as being capable of matching everything it has to offer. He likely wouldn’t disagree with the one to call Valpo a gem of Northwest Indiana. Its many impressive features, from its fine-dining restaurants to the open-for-all fun available in the parks, have helped him to recognize its importance and significance.
“I don’t think there’s anything else like Valpo. You get to grow up in a community that’s still thriving. The people that live here, the overall environment, and the school systems are incredible. The people and different organizations that care about the community are unique to Valpo, and that’s why I’ve been here for so long, and that’s why I have no desire to go anywhere else,” he said.