| Who We are at First Christian Church | |
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First Christian Church was established in the Rochester Community in 1881 and has been faithfully serving God and the people of Rochester for over 140 years. First Christian Church is part of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), which is one of the largest Christian denominations founded on United States soil. This affiliation allows us to work together with other congregations in areas of overseas missions and disaster relief as well as providing educated pastors and connections beyond the local congregation. At the same time, this affiliation also allows each congregation autonomy in hiring ministers, theological stances, and financial matters. |
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What Disciples Believe
Open Communion
The Lord's Supper, or Communion, is celebrated in
weekly worship and it is open to all.
The Oneness of the Church
All Christians are called to be one in Christ and to seek
opportunities for common witness and service.
Freedom of Belief
As Disciples, we are called together around two
essentials of faith:
a belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and that Christians are
free to follow their conscience guided by the Bible, the Holy Spirit,
study, prayer and are expected to extend that freedom to others.
Baptism by Immersion
In baptism, the self-centered life is set aside, washed away and a
new life of trust in God begins. Although Disciples practice
baptism by immersion, other baptism traditions are honored.
The Ministry of Believers
Both ordained ministers and lay persons lead in
worship, service and spirited growth.
And above all that, Jesus Christ is the son of the Living God, who offers saving grace to all who seek it through the Son.
Our MissionFirst Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is a gathering of people around our Lord Jesus Christ. In short, our mission is to bring people to Christ, grow as disciples, and together serve God.
We live out our mission by teaching, learning, and experiencing the lessons of Jesus in everything we do. Jesus' Great Commandment calls us to love God and love our neighbor as ourselves. With unconditional love and acceptance of individuals, meeting people at the point of their deepest need, and drawing closer to God through prayer, Bible study and worship, we strive to grow into the loving and giving people God wants us to be. It is good to live out the truth that God loves us right where we are but loves us too much to let us stay there.
We are a congregation that supports disaster relief and Christian missions around the world through our affiliation and support of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) denomination as well as serving locally in food, friendship, and teaching ministries.
The leadership of this congregation recognizes the incredibly powerful and positive impact being a follower of Jesus has had in their lives here on earth as well as preparing them for life with God after death. We want to share that power.
Perhaps our mission is best illustrated in worship as we gather around the communion table each Sunday morning. The table is a place where all are invited to share in bread and juice as a means of connecting to Jesus and each other
Pastor
Pastor Mike VanHeyningen
Pastor Mike grew up outside of Cleveland, Ohio before heading off to Bethany College in West Virginia where he graduated with honors with a Bachelor's degree in psychology, then onto Lexington Theological Seminary in Kentucky graduating with a Masters in Divinity degree in 1991. Mike spent the next 19 years serving as the pastor of Crofton Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Crofton, Kentucky. Thanks to some hard work by mutual friends, Mike and Amy fell in love and were married in December of 2001. Their son Will arrived as a late Christmas present in December 2004. The Van Heyningens moved to Rochester and Mike began serving as pastor of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in August 2010. Amy works as a kindergarten teacher at Columbia Elementary School in Rochester and enjoys music and reading. Since arriving in Rochester, the family has taken up boating on Lake Manitou with Will in Cub Scouts and Mike participating in triathlons (swim, bike, run) and occasionally enjoying time in his woodworking shop.
Organization
The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is a congregational denomination. That means the congregations run the churches. Each church has it's own By-Laws that establish the church organization. First Christian Church's By-Laws establish the groups described below and several standing ministry teams to carry out specific aspects of the work of the church. They are described here.
Executive Team: Board Moderator, Vice Moderator, Board Clerk, Chair of Elders, Pastor -- serves as personnel committee.
Board: meets 10 times a year to carry out the business of the congrgation. The board is made up of congregation officers listed above, plus Deacon chair, Trustee chair, Little Lambs leader, chair of ministry teams and representative of other major groups like Disciple Women and Youth.
Little Lambs Daycare: is a ministry of this congregation dedicated to providing quality, affordable childcare in a Christian atmosphere. Little Lambs has their own board which is made up of church members, parents, and community representatives. Lori Simpson serves as chair.
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Denomination