Our Vision and Core Beliefs

OUR VISION STATEMENT
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Spreading the message of God’s Love, in our church and in our community, through caring for each other.

Our vision statement is what we have heard God calling us to do as a church. It is how we understand our role in the world, and it impacts all that we do as a church. We strive to fulfill our vision statement in practical ways. We seek to be a church that joins with our neighborhood and communities through these ministries: Worship & Spirituality, Fellowship, Outreach and Communications. Please check out these various ministry pages – elsewhere in this website – to learn more about how we are showing our communities how to be a church with Christ as its leader in today’s world.

Our Core Beliefs

As members of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), we confess that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God, and proclaim him to be the Lord and Savior of the world. This is our confession of faith that is the basis of our life together.
Though it is true that the members of our church are diverse in their beliefs and that our congregation does not require you to affirm any creeds as a test of fellowship, there are some common ways we approach our faith.

We practice unity and inclusion at the Lord’s Table.

All are welcome to the Lord’s Table for the sake of mission and for the sake of the world as the one family of God participating in the reign of God. Communion is very important to us, which is why we celebrate Holy Communion every Sunday and use a chalice as our logo.

We practice believers’ baptism.

Baptism is the basis of membership in the Church and also a reminder of God’s love for all. When baptized, a person commits themselves to a life of Christian discipleship and seeking the awareness of the Spirit. As part of our emphasis on unity, our tradition also recognizes the baptisms of other Christian traditions.

We study scripture for ourselves.

We are called to study and read scripture for ourselves. Rather than having tests of faith and creedal statements, we thoughtfully study scripture, considering its content, history, background, and the context in which it was written, along with our own personal experiences.

We affirm the ministry of all believers

One of the unique aspects of our church is that you will see many people leading worship, including ordained clergy and lay people. We believe that God speaks and works through all people!

Centennial Christian Church welcomes all individuals seeking God’s love and keeps our doors open to every soul seeking to welcome Jesus into their hearts. We invite you to open your heart and allow God’s grace to penetrate into your being.
Our church stands as a beacon of hope in Bloomington – Normal, Illinois. We are a place of accepting peace, and joy to all who are moved to join us. At Centennial Christian Church, we are a happy family. We worship together; we serve together, and we have fun together. We are a small church with a big heart.
Our church family is richly diverse, with people of different ages and backgrounds coming together to worship and serve together.

As an open and affirming Disciples of Christ congregation, we are spreading the message of God’s love in our church and in our community through caring for each other. We welcome all of God’s children into the life, ministry, and leadership of Centennial Christian Church, Bloomington, IL, regardless of race, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, nationality, ethnicity, marital status, physical or mental ability, financial status, political stance, or theological perspective. We follow Christ’s example by showing God’s love to all.