Believe: Belong

Introduction: Brief history of CCC

At the 4-H Building of Scott County, Kansas, on March 5, 1967, at 10:00 A.M., a group of sixty people including forty adults, ten youth, and ten children met with the purpose of worshipping God, and to form a new Christian Church congregation.

At the business session the temporary name for our new congregation was chosen to be "Community Christian Church" with the words "A New Testament Church" to be placed beneath. An offering of $458.42 was received at the close of our first service .At our "first days" evening worship service we had forty people in attendance, thirty-four adults, two youth, and four children. An additional offering of $15 was received, bringing one day's total to $473.42

Margaret Harper Acting Secretary

Split over church structure, missions, and key doctrines such as baptism.

The Community Christian Church signed the Statement of Purpose of the Articles of Incorporation. At the final signing on April 30, they had a total of 117 signers. This included 98 transfers from the First Christian Church, Scott City, Kansas; 10 transfers from other congregations, and 9 by confession and baptism. Approximately 48 families were represented in this number of people. As of May 4,1967 they became an Incorporated Congregation.

1. The Church is Biblical.

-Jesus established the church.

Not a man made organization.

Matthew 16:16–20 (NIV)

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

-Jesus cares for the church.

Ephesians 5:29–30 NIV

After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church—for we are members of his body.

Because of this the church cannot fail. (…the gates of Hades will not overcome it.)

-The Apostles instructed and corrected the church.

Galatians 1:1–2 NIV

Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead—and all the brothers and sisters with me, To the churches in Galatia:

1 & 2 Corinthians are books that heavily deal with church instruction and discipline.

2. The church has design and purpose.

-The church is called a body and a family.

1 Corinthians 12:12–14 NIV

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

Ephesians 2:19–20 NIV

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.

-The head of the church is Christ, and people make up the body.

Colossians 1:18 NIV

And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

- At CCC, elders and the pastor shepherd and lead the church while deacons assist in serving and decision making.

3. CCC has a mission statement containing three specific points.

Community Christian Church exists to:

Celebrate God

This is about worship

Call the lost to Christ &

This is about evangelism

Connect believers with a deeper relationship with God

This is fellowship, discipleship and ministry

Introduce Supper Club