175 Years of Serving

Throughout 2009, Central Christian Church will celebrate its 175th anniversary.
The congregation began worship services led by Dr. Joseph Hostetler in
the old log courthouse on Lincoln Square downtown in 1833, and the congregation was formally organized and established in 1834.

During each month of the new year, there will be a special 175th Anniversary
emphasis. The January emphasis is One Hundred Seventy-five Years in
Mission. During January you are invited to participate in the Mission Challenge
175. We are looking for one hundred seventy-five ways in which a
single individual can strengthen Central’s mission of witness and service.
To participate in the Mission Challenge 175, please think of one thing you
can personally do to strengthen our church in mission such as:

  • Contribute 175 volunteer hours to the church or one of its mission
    partners (DOVE, Inc., BabyTALK, Oasis Day Center, Good Samaritan Inn, a
    local hospital etc.)
  • Contribute $175 to one or more of the six special day offerings for
    mission
  • Contribute $17.50 per week to the church budget or building fund
  • Walk 175 miles (or 17.5 miles) for a sponsored mission cause
  • Practice/rehearse for 175 hours for participation in one of Central’s
    choirs

Your idea to strengthen our congregation’s mission may be better than any
of these. Dr. Rick Lowery challenged all of us at the regional assembly to
contribute a tithe (one-tenth) of our monthly cell phone and internet bill to the
Disciples mission hospital at Bolenge in Congo where five and a half million
people have died in ethnic and political violence (almost as many people as
died in the Nazi Holocaust.) When you have decided what your own Mission 175 challenge will be, please write your idea on a card and place it in the box in the Friendship Center (no need to sign it; no one but you and God need to know). Through the month, Central will list the 175 ideas which may inspire others to accept your Mission Challenge 175. If each of us (or at least 175 of us) participate in Mission Challenge 175, just imagine all the great ideas for strengthening our congregation’s mission and continuing our one hundred seventy-five years of commitment to Christ’s mission.

Monthly Challenge Themes:

January 175 Years in Mission -- 175 ideas for personal challenge
February 175 Years of Love -- 175 New Visitors to Central in 2009
March 175 Years of Building for Ministry -- Capital Campaign 175
April 175 Years of Baptisms -- recognizing those who've been baptisted at Central
May 175 Years of Blessing -- recognizing all who were blessed as children at Central
June 175 Years of Weddings -- recognizing all who have been married at Central
July 175 Years of Fellowship
August 175 Years of Ministry with Children and Youth
September Homecoming
October 175 Years of Music
November 175 Deeds of Kindness
December 175 Years of Lighting the Way

 

 

 

Central Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
(217) 428-4336

email the webmaster at gbarron@cccdisciples.org