Main

 
CCC's Building and Purpose
[Information about our Church Building]   [CCC's Home Page]   [Site Menu]
CCC's  Church Building & Purpose
 Central Christian Church
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
 [History]  [Sanctuary & East Wing]  [West Wing]  [Parking]  [Real Purpose]  [Picture]  [Top of Page]
 
History
Our congregation was initially established in 1878 and was called First Christian Church
and the name of the congregation was changed to Central Christian Church in 1925.
(Watch for more on the early history of our congregation to come!)
The building that houses our congregation is the third building in Elkhart
to house our congregation and at our 4th location.
The current building is a two story brick structure with the oldest section
dating from 1925.  It is located on a southwest quarter
of the city block bounded by west Franklin Street and 5th Street.
Our neighborhood has changed over the years, as has our mission.
Today the neighborhood is a typical near downtown area in a small town 
- a mixture of older family homes and homes that have been converted
into professional offices, businesses and rental units.
[History]  [Sanctuary & East Wing]  [West Wing]  [Parking]  [Real Purpose]  [Picture]  [Top of Page]
Sanctuary and East Wing
As one faces the church from the corner of 5th and Franklin, the sanctuary is in
the east wing of the building (the right side of  the picture above.)  The sanctuary is
typical of the church architecture of early 1950's when the sanctuary was added
and includes a number of beautiful stained glass windows depicting biblical scenes,
which enhance and enrich our experiences during our worship services.  The natural woodwork epitomizes the love and warmth that one feels as a member of this congregation.
 
 This wing includes the library on the main floor.  The Youth Sunday School
classroom, the loft - a special room for 4 & 5 year olds during the 
worship service and our Board room.
 
The Fellowship Hall is also located in this wing in the basement and
is handicap accessible.  The fully equipped kitchen serves us well for 
congregational meals and to prepare the meal for the kids
in our W.O.W. after school program.  Also the Chi Rho (middle school ages)
Sunday School classroom, a recreation room and a craft room are located
on the sides and behind the small stage in the Fellowship Hall.
[History]  [Sanctuary & East Wing]  [West Wing]  [Parking]  [Real Purpose]  [Picture]  [Top of Page]
West Wing
Looking again from the corner of 5th and Franklin we have the west wing (left side
of the above picture) of the building.  This wing was part of the original building
erected in 1925, but was substantially renovated in 1971 to house 
our Chapel, the church offices, and additional Sunday School rooms.
Today the neighborhood Headstart Program is also accomadated here.
Renovations again were completed at the beginning of 1999
to facilitate housing "Dave's Place" - the office of the administrators
for the program supported by churches in the Elkhart Downtown
Coalition of Churches that provides information and funds
to those in our community with short term needs.
[History]  [Sanctuary & East Wing]  [West Wing]  [Parking]  [Real Purpose]  [Picture]  [Top of Page]
Parking & Our Neighborhood Mini-Park
Off-street parking is available behind the church with entry off 5th Street. 
The parking area includes both a paved section and a grass covered section.
The paved area is also home to our neighborhood basketball court and the 
grassy area serves double duty as a volleyball court and playground for 
the W.O.W. program and the neighborhood kids.
[History]  [Sanctuary & East Wing]  [West Wing]  [Parking]  [Real Purpose]  [Picture]  [Top of Page]
Real Purpose
The most important thing about our building is not the beautiful structure itself, but
the wonderful things that happen here as we work towards fulfilling our 
God given mission.  Our mission includes staying in our downtown location
in this time of urban change, providing meaningful worship and fellowship to 
all who come, reaching out to and sharing our blessings and gifts with those that may 
not be as fortunate as many in our society and providing traditional & non-traditional
services in our facility.  Thus our Church building plays a major role as
we share in the work of the Church of Jesus Christ.
Dedicated to serving Christ and our neighborhood community,
we invite all to join in our worship, our fellowship and our service.
[Top of Page]   [CCC's Home Page]   [Site Menu] 
last updated on 4/25/99 and originally published 1/24/99 by Central Christian Church
site webmaster: Keith Smith