Christ Community Mennonite Church (Schaumburg, Illinois, USA)
The Schaumburg-Palatine Mennonite Church in Schaumburg, Illinois, USA began in 1988 as an outreach to a growing suburban area northwest of Chicago's O'Hare airport. It was a project of the Chicago Area Mennonites that initiated a feasibility study in 1986. LeRoy and Pauline Kennel led the initial core group of about 20 people who met at the Tamarack Retirement Residences every Sunday evening for study, worship, and fellowship. Efforts included telemarketing to 22,000 phones. Eighty persons attended the first public worship service, but only 30 as a result of the telemarketing.
The group, which changed its name to Christ Community Church by the end of 1988, met at the Schaumburg High School and later at a community center. By 1992, the congregation called itself Christ Community Mennonite Church.
In 1993, the congregation bought a two-acre historic property that included a house and a large barn. The house provided living space for the pastors, along with a church office, a counseling center, and a small Ten Thousand Villages outlet. By the late 1990s, the congregation began exploring renovating the barn to serve as its meetinghouse. The Hoffnungsau Mennonite Church of Inman, Kansas, helped to partner in the project. After the barn renovation was complete, the congregation used it for worship and instituted the Big Barn Preschool program.
In 2023 the preschool continued, and the house on the property contained a Gifts of the World shop and Transitions Counseling.
By 1990, the congregation had joined both the Illinois Mennonite Conference of the Mennonite Church (MC) and the Central District Conference of the General Conference Mennonite Church. In 2009 the congregation withdrew from the Central District Conference and remained only with the Illinois Mennonite Conference.
In 2023 the congregation was part of the Illinois Mennonite Conference of Mennonite Church USA.
Bibliography
Kennel, LeRoy and Pauline. "New church profile: Christ Community Mennonite Church, Schaumburg, IL." Central District Reporter 39, no. 6 (November-December 1995): 3.
Rich, Elaine Sommers, ed. Walking Together in Faith: The Central District Conference, 1957-1990. Bluffton, Ohio: The Conference, 2003: 84, 89.
"Schaumburg-Palatine Mennonite Church...." Gospel Herald 81, no. 22 (31 May 1988): 386.
Schreiner, Sally. "From seed to harvest: a report on current efforts to plant new churches." Gospel Herald 82, no. 24 (13 June 1989): 412-414.
Zuercher, Melanie. "To celebrate anniversary, Kansas congregation reaches across cultural differences to repay favor." TheMennonite 3, no. 17 (2 May 2000): 11.
Additional Information
Address: 888 South Roselle Road, Schaumburg, Illinois 60193
Phone: 847-895-3654
Website: http://www.ccmc888.com/
Denominational Affiliations: Illinois Mennonite Conference
Pastoral Leaders at Christ Community Mennonite Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| LeRoy E. Kennel (1930-2019) | 1988-2009 |
| Pauline Kennel | 1990-2009 |
| Janice Kennel Ropp (Counselling) | 1996-present |
| John Bushi (Evangelism) | 2002-2004? |
| ? | ? |
| Libby Conley | 2010-2013 |
| Lay Leadership | 2014 |
| Amy Aschliman | 2015-2021 |
| Suzanne Ford | 2021-present |
Membership at Christ Community Mennonite Church
| Year | Membership |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 20 |
| 2000 | 52 |
| 2009 | 50 |
| 2020 | 20 |
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | January 2023 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "Christ Community Mennonite Church (Schaumburg, Illinois, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. January 2023. Web. 1 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Christ_Community_Mennonite_Church_(Schaumburg,_Illinois,_USA)&oldid=178266.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (January 2023). Christ Community Mennonite Church (Schaumburg, Illinois, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 1 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Christ_Community_Mennonite_Church_(Schaumburg,_Illinois,_USA)&oldid=178266.
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