A purple stain a thousand years old. That’s what archaeologists might find they think. Actually it’s grape soda. Spilled by a toddler. Welcome to Christ Community Church. Right here on this very spot.
This isn’t just any church. It’s a story of faith sacrifice and growth. It started small. In 1984 six couples met for Bible study. They dreamed of a church. A church for their friends their neighbors. People who felt disconnected from God.
They found a young pastor Jim Nicodem. He and his wife Sue moved from Cape Cod. They launched Christ Community Church. Their first services? A movie theater in the St Charles Mall. People called them the “K-Mart church”. The “blue light special church”. It didn’t matter. People came. They found Christ.
The church quickly outgrew the theater. They needed a bigger space. Faith Lutheran Church in Geneva helped. They offered their sanctuary for midweek services. Christ Community’s generosity became a hallmark.
They saved money to buy land. They drew a square on a map. Their northern boundary? Bolcum Road. But God had other plans. They found land on Randall Road north of Bolcum. Forty acres of alfalfa. Randall Road was a two lane country road then.
They built a chapel. Then a gymnasium. An 800 seat auditorium. It wasn’t enough. They raised six million dollars. A state of the art auditorium. A welcome center. A bookstore. A cafe. People gave sacrificially. They dedicated the new auditorium in 2003. They added 500 more seats.
KidsWorld a children’s ministry opened in 2006. The Hub for teenagers and college students came in 2008. Christ Community Church wasn’t just growing in St Charles. They launched regional campuses. DeKalb Aurora Bartlett and Huntley. They used videocasts from St Charles. Unity through shared sermons. It freed campus pastors to focus on local ministries.
The grape soda stain remains a reminder. A reminder of the humble beginnings. A testament to faith generosity and the enduring power of community. Christ Community Church a living testament to God’s faithfulness. A place where people find belonging growth service and reach for something more.