New Elgin church offers 'Sneak Preview' service Sept. 20
An existing church in Elgin recently closed its doors, while at the same time a new one is opening its own to the Elgin community.
Elgin City Church is offering a "sneak preview" service to the public this Sunday, Sept. 20 at 11 a.m. The church currently meets at the Ola la Ijorere events space in the Elgin Artspace Lofts building on 51 S. Spring St. A preview is a Sunday gathering of Elgin City Church where you can get a taste of the style of a new church. They will do these once a month as they prepare to launch in February 2016. Kid's ministry and coffee also will be provided.
Many people ask, "Why a new church?" Elgin seems to have no shortage of church buildings, however statistically, the church in America seems to be in decline. In a 2002 survey of 1,159 U.S. churches, Thomas Rainer, a well-known church researcher, found that only 6 percent of the churches were growing - he defines growth as not only increasing in attendance, but also increasing at a pace faster than its community's population growth rate. "Stated inversely, 94 percent of our churches are losing ground in the communities they serve," he says.
"A new church is a great way to reach new people who may not normally step foot in an established, existing church," says Rusty Wimberly, founder and senior leader. "Many existing churches have given up on reaching out to the community. They tend to get comfortable in their existing relationships and stop there. New churches allow people to get involved without all the pre-existing relational hoops to jump through."
Elgin City Church exists to help people find their purpose in life, create strong relationships and grow in their relationship with God. They hope to provide educational resources and city youth programs in the future.
If you're interested in attending a preview service, they welcome you to join them this Sunday for a short 90-minute service. Upcoming preview services will be held in October, November, December and January. For more information, visit www.ElginCityChurch.com.