Call the church office for more information.
Message and lesson series. Sign up to be part of an Outflow LIFE Group on Sunday either at the Welcome Center or by using the tear-off in your bulletin.
Cost is $20 and includes lunch. Doors open at 9am. Event begins at 9:30. Call the church office to buy tickets. Purchase yours soon because space is limited.
September 19th during worship.
In Concert December 5th.
Minier Christian Church
405 E. Stringtown Road
Minier, IL 61759
309.392.2290
Our vision is simple:
Get Connected -
With God
With His People
With His Church
With Others
Our goal is to encourage people to grow in their relationship with Jesus by moving through these four areas. From the first step into MCC we want to help people get connected with God as they learn of God's love for them and encourage them to take that first step of accepting Jesus as the One in charge of their life.
Next we want to help people get connected with His people by helping them to find a small group that fits who they are. There are children's and youth groups for those from elementary through high school, and LIFE Groups for adults.
The third step we want to help people to take is that of getting connected with His church by encouraging people to find ways to serve here at MCC and by doing so they will learn how to express themselves and to have a voice in what happens around here.
Finally, we want to help people get connected with others by equiping them with the necessary tools to effectively share their love for God with those they encounter every day.
Sunday Morning
9:00 am
Fellowship Coffee
10:15 am
Sunday School & Sunday LIFE
10:45 am
Sunday Night - Youth
05:15 pm
Weekly LIFE
Various days and times
Minier Christian Church began as an out-reach of the Little-Mackinaw Church in 1874. The first building was erected in Minier in 1874 on property which was part of the George Minier estate at the corner of Central and School streets.
The first pastor of the church was Reverend Samuel Lowe; George Minier was the second pastor. Several remodeling projects and additions in 1900, 1911, 1967, 1971 and 1973 kept the building useful to the growing congregation.
In 1990 it was determined that the church family was outgrowing the current facility; the Evangelism & Membership Committee began conducting a study of future growth projects and facility needs.
In the spring of 1991, the board and the congregation approved the purchasing of a suitable building site, decreed that the new building must be built debt free, and would be built with volunteer labor. May 24, 1992, agreement was reached to purchase five acres from the Darnall family on the southeast edge of Minier along Stringtown Road.
Mr. Theron Summers with Lincoln Christian College began advising us for the capital fund-raising campaign. The theme of the campaign was Building Because We Care.
On February 28, 1993, a special kick-off supper was held for the entire congregation, which was followed by an intense seven-week period of prayer vigils, training lessons, special Bible studies with Don Green (of Lincoln Christian College), testimonies, fasting, in-home calls, and an Inspiration Banquet.
Meetings began with the architect, volunteer labor was recruited, and a meal coordination plan was made as construction began March 25, 1994. Along with the MCC volunteers, we had many volunteers from other churches and organizations who assisted us throughout the next few years.
It took countless prayers of this congregation and its friends to enable us to work together safely and harmoniously. But more than our time, more than our money, more than our prayers, it took an all-knowing, all-powerful, all-present God who, for reasons beyond our understanding, chose to work a miracle through us here at Minier Christian Church.
The building was dedicated to the Lord's Service on March 22, 1998. To this day, the building is an on-going, evolving structure as the congregation's needs continue to evolve.
I and our staff at Minier Christian Church would like to welcome you to our website. We are a congregation of a cross section of people, from all walks of life: from farmers to State Farmers.
Minier is a small town of about 1200, filled with people who are for the most part employed in any one of a number of cities, businesses, industries, and corporations nearby.
Many work in the city but choose to live in a smaller setting, because they place a high priority on relationships; within the context of family, community and church family. They not only enjoy knowing the person living across the street from them, but also the person sitting in the row next to them at worship.
About half of our present congregation are drawn from nearby small towns, and several from the nearby cities of Pekin, Peoria, Bloomington, and Normal.
Our staff is convinced that biblical faith was and is intended to be lived out in everyday, meaningful relationships with God, our families and other people. Our purpose and process for accomplishing this is seen in four ways:
•First by helping people to get connected with God in a meaningful way through a personal relationship with Him.
•Second is by helping people to get connected with His people through small groups, fellowship, relational preaching, and a personal style of worship.
•The third way we accomplish our purpose is seen with His church through involvement in one way or another in the various ministries that the church supports and encourages.
•Last, but not least, is helping people to connect with others outside the walls of the church in their respective communities through meaningful ways of sharing their faith.
We, the staff of ministers, Norv, Russ, Alyssa, Kevin and Carrie would like to extend to you a personal welcome, not only to this website, but also to the regularly scheduled services and activities associated with Minier Christian Church, which you will see featured on this site. Thanks for visiting.
Norv Condy
Lead Minister
Having a plan for any endevour is a must. When building a house, a blue print is required to make sure things line up as they should. In football, a game-plan is needed so that all team members know what they are supposed to do, and when. For planes a flight plan is used so other planes know where you are and where you are going, and to help you in case you drift from your course.
It's no different here at MCC; we have a plan too. Our plan is simple but it defines what we are hoping to look like, it unifies our members, and it gives us guidance to help us stay the course.
Our plan is:
Get Connected...with God, with His people,
through His church, and with others
This is also the process we use to aid Christ-followers toward spiritual maturity. God expects His people to grow in their faith. to mature beyond the basics. Our plan works as the standard by which we encourage our members to grow.
Service
The Bible says that we are created in Christ Jesus for good works. We here at MCC express those good works by serving in a variety of ways, but most notably by serving in one of the ministries here at MCC.
We are a servant-oriented community of people who actively search for ways we can tangibly share the love of God. Below is a partial list of ministries offered at MCC, and it represents part of how we express our devotion to God through our service to His church.
Look thru the various ministries and try a few out; find where you fit with your talents and your passions. Find the best fit for who God made you to be.
Alyssa Wier
A couple weeks ago, my mom and dad had to put down the family dog. His name was Wiley and he had been in our family for almost 14 years.
While I was talking to her this
week she kept mentioning how very quiet the house was and how she can see him in all the everyday things that she does.
I'm sure some of you reading this know exactly what she means. As they started the procedure she said he just looked at them, was totally calm and knew he was so loved. She went on to tell me a story that she had heard that went like this:
A little boy had a grandpa who was a vet and he had grown up around animals. He had seen them hurt, get fixed, get medicine and sometimes he has seen his grandpa have to put down animals that where old or too sick to save.
It came the time that the little boy had to put their own family dog down and after his grandpa performed the procedure he asked, Grandpa, why do dogs not live as long as people?
The grandpa answered, Well, dogs age faster than we do so they do live to be as old as we do but that's just not how the years are counted.
They boy said, I think that it just takes dogs less time to learn to obey and become good then it does us humans. We are sometimes slow learners.
How true is that statement!!
One thing about our pets is that they depend on us, their masters, to take care of them.
They trust us completely in whatever we do, its like they know we have their best interest in mind.
What would our lives be like if we had this same kind of trust in the God that loved us so much, he died for us?
How often do we look for his face? How often do we accept that what is happening is for the best? How often do we completely trust his unconditional love?
Life can be unexpected. Sometimes things happen that we dont understand and we dont like.
Our hearts get broken, our feelings get hurt, we lose someone that we love, our kids disobey us, and this list could go on and on.
The joy in life comes from knowing that God is in control of ALL OF IT! That his ways are the best and his plan will always turn out better than what we had planned.
He wants us to trust him, to love him, to live for him, and show him to others through the way that we live.
Life is hard. Life just stinks sometimes. Yet, think of life without a savior, without an eternal reward, without a Master that has your life in his hands and your best interest in his mind. That life seems a lot worse to me.
I challenge you this week to see the good through the hurt, to seek his face through the tears and to recognize Gods unconditional love for you!
Alyssa
Carrie Williams
I by nature am a forgetful person. I lose my homework, my books, my wallet, sometimes even my car.
Take a couple weeks ago for instance. As the weather had begun to change my friends and I decided to bust out our bikes for cardio instead of running.
After our ride I thought it would be a great time to start locking my bike up outside as well. So I did.
I went to ride it the next day only to discover I had lost the keys. Alas but I had 3 keys! All of which I left on the same key ring!
I never did find them and had to free my bike by practicing my thief skills and hack sawing the lock off!
It seems in life we are always forgetting the simple things and grasping onto that which makes life rough.
We carry our burdens, our sins, our grudges, our mistakes. We forget compliments, kind deeds, friendly smiles. And it seems we've got it all wrong.
Philippians 3:13-14 says: But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Let your past be your past, and let Him guide your future.
My challenge for you is this, what have you been holding onto that is in turn holding you back? Forget it.
Strive to make peace with whatever the situation is by realizing that by carrying it around you are weighing yourself down. By resolving our issues we not only remove them from ourselves but we also free ourselves up to move forwards.
God wants us to have one purpose in life and that purpose is heaven. Do not let anything keep you from reaching that goal.
Carrie
The messages are listed with the oldest closer to the top.
If you would like a CD copy of a message that is not listed here, just stop by the church office and request it.
The videos that accompany the "Giving Back Series" are available in the church library or from the church office.
Sunday Mornings:
9am-10:15am
Nursery (up to age 3)
Critter Corner (ages 2-5)
Junior Worship (ages K- 5)
10:45-11:45am
Age appropriate Sunday school classes for all age children
Wednesday nights:
6-7:30 youth program for children ages K-5th grade. We meet in home rooms (K/1,2/3,4/5) then we go to a time of singing/celebration, then rotate through three different classes before they are dismissed at 7:30pm Drop off and pick up at the west door. We meet from Sept - mid May with other events planned throughout the summer.
YOUTH GROUP KICK'S OFF SEPTEMBER 8th from 6-7:30! Come on wednesday nights for a fun evening of songs, lesson, games and much more!
OCTOBER 27th 5-7:30 will be our annual Harvest Party! This is an all family event so come and wear your costumes and have fun here at MCC! Dinner is provided.
K-5 Boys: we will be headed to a LCU college basketball game this fall! Watch the bulletin and here for more info on date and time!
Upcoming Events
Welcome to the MCC Youth page! We are glad that you have found your way here, and we hope it will provide you with all the necessary information to "get connected" here at MCC!
If you have never joined us then we hope you know you are welcome to come and join us! If you need more information about upcoming programs, click the above button. If you need to contact me for any reason, email me below! We are so excited about what is going on wih the youth here at MCC! We hope to see you soon!
Alyssa Wier - Youth Minister
Carrie Williams - Associate Youth Minister
Our Junior High Student Ministry is for students that are in 6th grade through 8th grade.
We meet every Wednesday from Sept - mid May from 6-7:30 upstairs in our youth room. We have special events that are scheduled over the summer.
Our youth night is a time of fun, games, fellowship and lessons. We are currently learning about baptism.
Come and join us for a great night and Get Connected!
Our Senior High Student Ministry is for students that are in 9th grade through 12th grade.
We meet every Sunday night all year round with special events and trips planned throughout the summer.
Our youth night is a time of food, fellowship, games, and lessons. We are currently studying the Old Testmament characters of the Bible.
We would love for you to join us!! Come check us out and Get Connected!
We were challenged this year at Christ in Youth to MOVE for the kingdom.
Every month our HS youth will do a "Service Sunday" where we get this accomplished!
If there is anyway that we can "MOVE" for you, please let the church office or I know!
Watch the newsletter for ways that God is moving through our students
Yes my friends, it's true!
December 17th and 18th we will be headed to Little Galilee Christian Camp for our 2nd annual Snugg Bear Retreat!
The cost is $30 and that covers the rental and the food for the weekend!
This is for students in HS and College!
It's a great time to get away from the crazy of life!
Start praying now for lots of snow!!!
Youth group for the Junior HIgh will start on September 8th from 6-7:30
In October we will have a cookout at the home of Tim and Holly Gottschalk! Date and time to come!
February 11th and 12th we will head to Peoria for our annual Christ in Youth weekend! It's such a fun weekend to hear great music, hang out with our great group, and hear more about the amazing love Jesus has for you!
Mark it down, more info to come!
Go Back
LIFE Groups
LIFE Groups are smaller gatherings of people for the purpose helping them Get Connected with God, His people, His church through service projects, as well as those outside His church.
They meet on various days and times, and in various locations. Some meet on Sunday morninngs (called Sunday LIFE), while others meet at MCC during the school year (called Mid-Week LIFE). Still others meet on different days in people's homes (called Weekly LIFE).
The idea is that you find the best fit for who you are, what your schedule is like and what your learning style is. We would love to help you Get Connected, so give us a call, drop us an email, or even better, visit us this Sunday.
Sunday LIFE -
After Worship at 10:45 am
Mid-Week LIFE -
Meet at MCC
Weekly LIFE -
Meet in homes
Sunday 6 pm (Hopedale)
Out of the Box: Surprising things Jesus said
Monday 9:30 am (Minier)
Chip Ingram: God's Boundaries for Abundant Living
Thursday 6:30 pm (Minier)
Nooma
Outward focused living in an inward focused world. Take a deeper look at the sermon series for September and October by following this study.
A look at the spiritual disciplines from the Jewish perspective.
Study of 1 Peter and Jude.
Life and ministry of the Messiah
A Beth Moore study.
DVD based discussions on life-topics.
Surprising things Jesus Said
Senior Pastor
Russ Lance
Associate Pastor
Youth Pastor
Kevin Niles
Worship Pastor
Youth Intern
Tracey Whitaker
Office Assistant
Vicki Miller
Office Manager
The Leadership Team functions in a pastoral role as well as setting broad policies and providing oversight of the church, seeing that all ministries align with the vision. The micro-management of all ministries is delegated to leaders of those ministries and accountability will be maintained through leadership training meetings and disciple-making activities.
We don't want to make all the decisions. We want to encourage you to find your area of ministry, and then we want to empower you to serve God to the fullest. We will lead in prayer, encouragement, and service to the ministries to which we're aligned.
Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Psalm 100:1-5 (NIV)
At Minier Christian Church, we recognize that worship is one of the central functions of our corporate gatherings. We are a people called to worship the Living God.
We acknowledge that He is our Maker and it is through right relationship with Him that we receive that gift of salvation.
While worship is certainly more than music, we acknowledge that it is a gift and a tool for our use in exalting God to His rightful place in our lives.
He is God and we are not. As we worship Him, we bring pleasure to God and He inhabits the praises of His people.
(see also Ps. 22:3 & Zeph. 3:17)
Worship Teams:
Our worship time is led by talented worship teams with vocalists and instrumentalists who have committed to helping lead our congregation in God-honoring praise and worship.
Our song selections are a blend of traditional hymns and contemporary praise and worship music.
Vocal team ministry members are selected and put into a rotating schedule following an audition with the worship minister and are generally requested to also sing as part of our worship choir.
Instrumental teams usually consist of piano/keyboard, drums, guitar, and bass, although other instruments may be added. At times, we will use brass horns, woodwinds, or strings to add to the group or provide additional instrumental music.
Weekly rehearsals are scheduled the week prior to the service they will be leading, generally just before or after choir rehearsals. Anyone interested in more information or inquiring about auditioning for teams, please contact Pastor Kevin.
Worship Choir:
MCCs worship choir contributes to the special music in our services about twice a month from September through May each year. Our selections cover a wide variety of worship songs and styles. We rehearse each Wednesday evening for about an hour.
Choir participation is open and additional singers are always welcome to join us without an auditioning process. You are not required to be able to read print music, though that is helpful.
In addition, the choir also prepares one or two seasonal choral presentations for Christmas and usually Easter. These programs often include narration or drama as part of the presentation along with 8-10 song selections.
Rehearsals start about 6-8 weeks prior to the program and are incorporated into extended choir rehearsals on Wednesday evenings. Additional seasonal choir members are always welcome to join and are not required to be part of the regular choir.
Please talk with Pastor Kevin if you have any questions or would like more information.
Instrumentalists:
As previously stated, we regularly incorporate instruments into our worship teams as well as including instrumental ensembles for special music. If you play an instrument - wind, strings, percussion, or other - and have an interest in participating in our worship teams or ensembles, please contact Pastor Kevin.
Special Music:
Singers and instrumentalists provide special music as part of our weekly worship service. Specials may include solos, preludes or offertories, vocal ensembles, instrumental solos, or small ensembles.
This is by audition only with Pastor Kevin for consideration of your involvement in this specialized ministry.
Drama Ministry:
Our seasonal choir programs often include drama and narration as part of the presentation. We are always seeking persons with an interest in drama for help with these special programs. Several weeks of rehearsals prior to the program are necessary to adequately prepare.
Additionally, from time to time we use short drama skits as part of a sermon illustration and welcome people with an interest in drama to participate in these skits.
There are also many needs for behind the scenes assistance with drama which might include costume assistance/creation, creating scenery and props, lighting and special effects work. If you have an interest in this type of ministry involvement, please contact Pastor Kevin for further information.
June 6 Karen Howell
June 13 Lori Wall
June 20 Sonja Irons
June 27 Bette Jane Otto
July 4 Bev McAllister
July 11 Karen Howell
July 18 Lori Wall
July 25 Sonja Irons
Aug. 1 Bette Jane Otto
Aug. 8 Bev McAllister
Aug. 15 Karen Howell
Aug. 22 Lori Wall
Aug. 29 Sonja Irons
June 6 Alyssa Wier
June 13 Ron Howell
June 20 Ottziger Quartet
June 27 Keith White Group
July 4 Bill Miller
July 11 Ladies Ensemble
July 18 Mickey Hallstein
July 25 Lori Wall, Hannah Wall
Aug. 1 Community Service at
the park
Aug. 8 Toby Terrell
Aug. 15 Melody Terrell
Aug. 22 Men's Ensemble
Aug. 29 Deb Schulltz
June 6 Beth Sondgeroth, Deb Schultz, Toby Terrell
June 13 Alyssa Wier, Amy Manahan, Ron Howell
June 27 Kathy Williams, Chris Ashbaugh, John Nafziger, Lori Wall,
Hannah Wall
July 4 Beth Sondgeroth, Amy Manahan, Ron Howell
July 11 Melody Terrell, Deb Schultz, Toby Terrell
July 18 Ottziger Quartet
July 25 Bruce Otto, Hannah Wall, Lori Wall, Alyssa Wier
Aug. 1 Community Service at the park
Aug. 8 Kathy William, Alyssa Wier, Chris Ashbaugh, Amy Manahan,
Ron Howell
Aug. 15 Melody Terrell, Deb Schultz, Toby Terrell
Aug. 22 Ottziger Quartet
Aug. 29 Beth Sondgeroth, Alyssa Wier, Ron Howell
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