UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

o

Rule 13d-1(b)

x

Rule 13d-1(c)

o

Rule 13d-1(d)

CUSIP No. 320817109

Schedule 13G

1.

Name of Reporting Persons:
Castle Creek Capital Partners IV, LP

2.

Check the Appropriate Box if a Member of a Group

(a)

o

(b)

o

3.

SEC Use Only

4.

Citizenship or Place of Organization:
Delaware

Number of
Shares
Beneficially
Owned by
Each
Reporting
Person With

5.

Sole Voting Power:
1,394,747

6.

Shared Voting Power:
0

7.

Sole Dispositive Power:
1,394,747

8.

Shared Dispositive Power:
0

9.

Aggregate Amount Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person:
1,394,747

10.

Check Box if the Aggregate Amount in Row (9) Excludes Certain Shares (See Instructions)  o

11.

Percent of Class Represented by Amount in Row (9):
4.8% (1)

12.

Type of Reporting Person (See Instructions):
PN (Limited Partnership)

CUSIP No. 320817109

Schedule 13G

1.

Name of Reporting Persons:
Castle Creek Capital IV LLC

2.

Check the Appropriate Box if a Member of a Group

(a)

o

(b)

o

3.

SEC Use Only

4.

Citizenship or Place of Organization:
Delaware

Number of
Shares
Beneficially
Owned by
Each
Reporting
Person With

5.

Sole Voting Power:
1,394,747

6.

Shared Voting Power:
0

7.

Sole Dispositive Power:
1,394,747

8.

Shared Dispositive Power:
0

9.

Aggregate Amount Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person:
1,394,747

10.

Check Box if the Aggregate Amount in Row (9) Excludes Certain Shares (See Instructions)  o

11.

Percent of Class Represented by Amount in Row (9):
4.8% (1)

12.

Type of Reporting Person (See Instructions):
OO (Limited Liability Company)

CUSIP No. 320817109

Schedule 13G

1.

Name of Reporting Persons:
John M. Eggemeyer III

2.

Check the Appropriate Box if a Member of a Group

(a)

o

(b)

o

3.

SEC Use Only

4.

Citizenship or Place of Organization:
U.S.A.

Number of
Shares
Beneficially
Owned by
Each
Reporting
Person With

5.

Sole Voting Power:
1,394,747

6.

Shared Voting Power:
0

7.

Sole Dispositive Power:
1,394,747

8.

Shared Dispositive Power:
0

9.

Aggregate Amount Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person:
1,394,747

10.

Check Box if the Aggregate Amount in Row (9) Excludes Certain Shares (See Instructions)  o

11.

Percent of Class Represented by Amount in Row (9):
4.8% (1)

12.

Type of Reporting Person (See Instructions):
IN (Individual)

Item 1.

(a).

Name of Issuer
First Merchants Corporation

(b).

Address of Issuer’s Principal Executive Offices:
200 East Jackson Street

Muncie, IN 47305

Item 2(a).

Name of Person Filing
See Item 2(c) below.

Item 2(b).

Address of Principal Business Office

See Item 2(c) below.

Item 2(c).

Citizenship

(i) Castle Creek Capital Partners IV, LP

c/o Castle Creek Capital LLC

6051 El Tordo

Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067

Citizenship: State of Delaware

(ii) Castle Creek Capital IV LLC

c/o Castle Creek Capital LLC

6051 El Tordo

Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067

Citizenship: State of Delaware

(iii) John M. Eggemeyer III

c/o Castle Creek Capital LLC

6051 El Tordo

Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067

Citizenship: U.S.A.

The foregoing persons are hereinafter sometimes collectively referred to as the “Reporting Persons.”

Item 2(d).

Title of Class of Securities:
Common Stock, no par value (the “Common Stock”)

Item 2(e).

CUSIP Number:
320817109

Item 3.

If this statement is filed pursuant to Rule 13d-1(b), or 13d-2(b) or (c), check whether the person filing is a:

Not Applicable.

Item 4.

Ownership.

(a)

Amount beneficially owned:   

As of the date hereof, each of the Reporting Persons may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of the 1,394,747 Common Shares held directly by Castle Creek Capital Partners IV, LP.  Mr. Eggemeyer is a managing principal of Castle Creek Capital IV LLC, the sole general partner of Castle Creek Capital Partners IV, LP.  Castle Creek Capital IV, LLC and Mr. Eggemeyer each disclaim beneficial ownership of the Common Shares, except to the extent of their respective pecuniary interest in Castle Creek Capital Partners IV, LP.

(b)

Percent of class:   

Based on the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed by the Company on November 8, 2013, there were 28,825,706 outstanding Common Shares as of October 31, 2013.  Based on this number of outstanding Common Shares, each of the Reporting Persons may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of approximately 4.8% of the total number of outstanding Common Shares.  This does not reflect the merger of CFS Bancorp, Inc. with and into the Company, as disclosed on the Company’s Form 8-K dated November 12, 2013.

(c)

Number of shares as to which the reporting person has:

Castle Creek Capital Partners IV, LP

(i)

Sole power to vote or to direct the vote:   

1,394,747

(ii)

Shared power to vote or to direct the vote:    

0

(iii)

Sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition of:   

1,394,747

(iv)

Shared power to dispose or to direct the disposition of:   

0

Castle Creek Capital IV LLC

(i)

Sole power to vote or to direct the vote:

1,394,747

(ii)

Shared power to vote or to direct the vote:

0

(iii)

Sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition of:

1,394,747

(iv)

Shared power to dispose or to direct the disposition of:

0

John M. Eggemeyer III

(i)

Sole power to vote or to direct the vote:

1,394,747

(ii)

Shared power to vote or to direct the vote:

0

(iii)

Sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition of:

1,394,747

(iv)

Shared power to dispose or to direct the disposition of:

0

Item 5.

Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class

If this statement is being filed to report the fact that as of the date hereof the reporting person has ceased to be the beneficial owner of more than five percent of the class of securities, check the following:   x

Item 6.

Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf of Another Person.

Not Applicable.

Item 7.

Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary Which Acquired the Security Being Reported on By the Parent Holding Company.

Not Applicable.

Item 8.

Identification and Classification of Members of the Group.

Not Applicable.

Item 9.

Notice of Dissolution of Group.

Not Applicable.

Item 10.

Certification.

Each of the Reporting Persons hereby makes the following certification:

By signing below I certify that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, the securities referred to above were not acquired and are not held for the purpose of or with the effect of changing or influencing the control of the issuer of the securities and were not acquired and are not held in connection with or as a participant in any transaction having that purpose or effect.

CASTLE CREEK CAPITAL PARTNERS IV, LP

By:

/s/ John M. Eggemeyer III

Name:

John M. Eggemeyer III

Title:

President

CASTLE CREEK CAPITAL IV LLC

By:

/s/ John M. Eggemeyer III

Name:

John M. Eggemeyer III

Title:

President

JOHN M. EGGEMEYER III

By:

/s/ John M. Eggemeyer III

Name:

John M. Eggemeyer III

Exhibit 1

Joint Filing Agreement, dated as of February 1, 2014, by and among Castle Creek Capital Partners IV, LP, Castle Creek Capital IV LLC, and John M. Eggemeyer III.