Worship and Sunday School Times

Sunday
Two worship services are offered at 9:00am and 10:45am.  There are various options for Sunday School during each of these services. Before each service, an opportunity to have fellowship, eat doughnuts, and drink breakfast related beverages is provided in the Fellowship Center.  

Wednesday
On Wednesday night, you can take part in our Journey Meal at 5:00 pm for $3 per person or $10 per family.    After that, at 6:00 pm, a variety of JeffStreet Journey classes are offered to help deepen your walk with Christ. A list can be found under Ministries->Adults->JeffStreet Journey from the menu at the top of the page

Direction Statement

We are a Family of Worshipers,
Walking with the Living & Written Word,
Relying upon all of God’s Resources,
Serving and Sharing Jesus from Neighbor to Nations.

Our Mission

Our purpose is to be a Caring Community Journeying with Christ.  While we are not a perfect people, we serve a perfect Savior whose Father wills that we be “transformed into His likeness” (2 Corinthians 3:18). 

To exist as a Caring Community, we believe it is necessary for everyone who considers making JSCC their home to understand what we value most. In other words, if an individual, couple, or family is considering JSCC as a potential home church, what would that mean for them? 

Because this is such an important question, a large cross-section of leaders from within our congregation invested several months of time studying God’s Word to determine what He values most highly. We desire to cultivate a heart like God’s heart. 

Our Biblical Core Values

1. We are created to worship God.
2. We are commissioned to seek lost people.
3. We are challenged to grow in Christ.
4. We are commanded to be whole-life stewards.
5. We are convinced to serve one another.
6. We are called to care for one another.
7. We are compelled to disciple the next generation.

Statement of Faith

We believe that:
1. God is our Father: He is the Creator of the universe and the lover of all people.
2. Jesus is our Lord and Savior: He is the unique Son of God, who was born of a virgin, shed His blood for the sins of the world, was resurrected from the dead, reigns now with God in heaven, and will return.
3. The Holy Spirit is our Guide: He is the divine Comforter and Counselor sent by God to convict sinners and guide Christians, in whom He dwells. Believers must be open to God’s leading through His Spirit.
4. The Bible is the Word of God: The Bible is inspired by God, and is His unique, full and final authority on all matters of faith and Christian living. The central purpose of Scripture is to call all people into fellowship with God.
5. All people need God: All people are sinful and lost without a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Salvation is the result of one believing in Jesus, repenting of sin, confessing Jesus as Lord, being baptized for forgiveness of sin and the gift of the Holy Spirit, and living by faith in the grace of God.
6. The Church is God’s family worldwide: The Church is comprised of all those who have acknowledged Jesus Christ as Savior and surrendered to Him as Lord. Full devotion to Christ and His cause, and a yearning for continuous growth in Him are normal for every believer.

Commonly Asked Questions

1. Does your church offer counseling?
Yes. Clare Gramley is our staff counselor. He partners with Lincoln Pastoral Counseling Services. You can reach Claire at (217) 732-6225

2. What is your church’s belief concerning baptism?
Baptism is a believer’s decision to be immersed into Jesus Christ. The purpose of baptism is not to become a member of the Jefferson Street Christian Church. The purpose of baptism, according to Scripture, is to be cleansed by Jesus Christ and to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. We realize that many churches do not practice baptism in this manner. While we do not recognize infant baptism or sprinkling in our congregation, our intention is not to condemn those who do. We simply desire to practice baptism as it was practiced in the Bible.

3. What are the requirements for membership at JSCC?
The only requirements for membership at JSCC are the ones the Bible gives, which include:
• Believing that Jesus is the Christ, God’s Son
• Being immersed into Christ for the forgiveness of sin and to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit
• A commitment to becoming like Christ

You do not have to:
• Get up in front of the congregation (You are welcome to come forward during the time of commitment, but it is not mandatory.)
• Sign on the dotted line
• Get a letter from your previous church
• Commit to a creed (other than the Bible)

Simply stated, membership at JSCC is a Christian’s affirmation that they commit themselves to this church family. Just contact the church office, one of the ministerial staff, or an elder of our congregation.

4. Is JSCC affiliated with a denomination?
No. Our church is an independent Christian Church that affiliates with other churches within our brotherhood, which is commonly known as the Restoration Movement.

The Restoration Movement is a group of churches that are founded upon the premise of Christian unity. We believe that this unity can be accomplished when the ideals of the church are restored to their original intent as seen in the New Testament. We realize that this is a difficult task, since nearly 2,000 years have passed since the church began. The most important step in this process is looking beyond our own preconceived notions and biases about church and returning to the Scriptures.

Since we are not a denomination, we are not forced to agree with any doctrine simply because a denomination says we must. We are free follow the Scriptures by our convictions as the Holy Spirit leads us. We also do not have to contend with any denominational hierarchy. Rather, we choose to associate with churches and organizations that have similar beliefs and values.

Staff

Since we think it is important to know each of our staff members a little bit, we have provided a short bio for each one.

Kyle Alt, Student Minister

Kyle is a graduate of Lincoln Christian College and is currently pursuing an M.Div. from Lincoln Christian Seminary. While he can essentially call eight different towns in Illinois "home", his hometown is Hoopeston, IL. His interests include traveling, reading, and perfectionism on the drums. Kyle's passion for reaching teenagers is fueled by the growth and relational needs he sees in this generation. His experience in ministry includes 26 weeks of church camp in the last four summers, and he is a big fan of The Far Side, Calvin and Hobbes, the music of Buddy Rich, and studying up on President Lincoln

Aaron Cantrell, Bookkeeper

After his relationship with Christ, the most important thing to Aaron is his family, wife Michelle and sons Drake and Aiden.  Aaron is finishing his dual masters degrees at LCS in Old Testament and Christian Education, and is seeking a teaching position in Old Testament or Christian Education.  His favorite pastime is watching and listening to Joe Satriani play instrumental rock guitar.

Beth Farwell, Receptionist/Children’s Ministry Assistant

After retiring in 2008 from 30 years of teaching in the local school system Beth exchanged her occasional volunteer status at the JSCC reception desk for one of part-time staff member.  Besides sharing the reception desk duties with Patti she also “administratively assists” Laura in the Children’s Ministry.  Beth has four super adult children and four terrific grandkids.  Since being widowed in 2007 she has learned a few new skills (eg. repaired her disposal) and has ventured out on numerous solo excursions (thanks to new best friends Amtrak, Southwest, and Peoria Charter).  Beth can be found at the nursery check-in desk nearly every Sunday morning; she’s also active in the JSCC Wedding Ministry, and dearly loves her “home group”.

Joyce Fulk, Administrative Assistant

 At an early age, it was obvious that Joyce had a passion for writing--from the early book reports to research papers, and more recently, the publications of Jeff Street, as well as a little poetry on the side.  Joyce loves a challenge and is the "Queen of Multitasking"!  Taking trips with her husband, Mike, on their Yamaha Venture motorcycle is at the top of her list of things she enjoys most.  Joyce is the mother of two adult sons who have brightened her life with 3 beautiful granddaughters.  Being "Grammy" to Sophia, Kiersten and Abigail is also right up there at the top of her list of things she enjoys most

Dustin Fulton, Preaching Minister

Dustin has served as the Preaching Minister here at Jeff Street since 2006. Prior to JSCC, he served ministries in Mason City, IL and Hannibal, MO. He is a graduate of both Hannibal-LaGrange College and Lincoln Christian Seminary. Dustin’s office is currently a shrine to the Chicago Cubs and Wrigley Field. Fellow Cubs fans are welcome to come and mourn the 100 years of suffering with him. He has been married to his wife, Kristen, since 2005. She faithfully spends her summer vacations following Dustin in his quest to watch a game at every MLB stadium (18 down, 12 to go!).

Clare Gramley, Pastoral Counselor

Clare Gramley is a Pastoral Counselor who has been on staff at JSCC since 1998.  Clare is a graduate of Lincoln Christian Seminary with an M.Div. degree. He has also done graduate work at both Trinity Evangelical Divinity School,  and Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary.  Clare is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, and currently acts as director of Lincoln Pastoral Counseling Services. He has  been counseling in Lincoln since 1989.  Clare also teaches several courses at Lincoln Christian Seminary in the counseling program. 

Clare is married to Paula, and they have two adult children, Thomas and Rebecca. Clare and Paula are also the proud grandparents of Lily and Logan.

Bill Lewis, Minister of Worship and Fine Arts

Bill has followed several pursuits throughout his life: raising ponies, playing guitar, electronic repair, American history. He never thought he’d be on a church staff, but God has plans we don’t always expect. So, instead of embarking on a more frivolous midlife crisis, Bill began leading worship professionally. He’s also fond of cooking, traveling, and reading – and anything that involves spending time with his beautiful wife and daughters.

David Mauhar, Jr. High Ministry Resident

David Mauhar  is the Jr. High Ministry Resident. He hopped on board in August of 2007. He was recently married in May 2008, and loves spending time with his lovely wife, Meg Mauhar. David is a Junior at Lincoln Christian College studying to receive a degree in Youth Ministry. He plans to obtain his masters in either counseling or apologetics.  He loves youth and is excited about what God is doing in the lives of the students. David also enjoys being outside and active, spending time with his friends, snowboarding, soccer, video games, and an occasional good book.

Laura Moore, Children’s Minister

Laura has been on staff at Jeff Street since 2001.  She holds a degree from Blackburn College where she earned a B.A. in Elementary Education.  She took a break from teaching school to stay home while raising she and her husband’s 3 sons.  Following 8 years of in-home daycare and several years of substitute teaching, Laura began her career in Children’s Ministry.  She currently teaches Children’s Ministry classes at Lincoln Christian College and tries to find time to complete her M.A. in Christian Education.  She has a passion for helping children develop into the person that God has designed them to be.

Craig Smith, Minister of Administration

Craig is in his 10th year as JSCC’s minister of administration. His gifts and strengths lie in team leadership; as he facilitates the staff, coordinates the elders, and oversees implementation of the vision as set by these leadership teams. Craig is a graduate of Monmouth College and Lincoln Christian Seminary. He is currently enrolled as a D Min student at Asbury Theological Seminary with a concentration in the area of Christian Leadership. Craig has served in 4 local churches in central Illinois over the past 23 years; and, his passion is developing leaders and helping all members of Christ’s Body, the Church, find fulfillment by discerning their gifts and serving Him with joy and excitement.  

Craig and his wife Brenda have been married for 20 years. They have five children: sons, Tyson (18) and Tanner (15); and triplet 10-year olds, Josiah, Mikayla and Devin. The Smiths recently built a home north of Lincoln where they enjoy raising Great Pyrenees puppies. In his free time, Craig also enjoys golfing, watching and coaching baseball.

Sarah Wilson, Director of Guest Relations

Sarah began working at JSCC in 2003 as what she calls the "Receptionist, with a side-order of Guest Relations."  Two years later she stepped into her current role as Director of Guest Relations.  Interior and Exterior Door Greeters, the Information Island, Fireside Room Hosts, Cookie Calls, and Guest Follow-up are all within the scope of her ministry.  Her desire is to see every person who walks through the JeffStreet doors be welcomed with open arms.  "There's a place for you in His kingdom, and there's a place for you at Jefferson Street Christian Church."

Sarah graduated from Lincoln Christian College and Seminary with a B.A. in Christian Education, and after some time in "The School of Life," met and married her sweetheart, Rob Wilson (J.Rob to the church youth).  In addition to enjoying nearly 10 years of marriage, she loves dogs (including her cairn terrier puppy Brodie), dancing, cooking, gardening, and domestic and international travel.