First Christian Church Champaign

We’re aware that on occasion, a judge will demand ‘order!’ in his courtroom to coral unruly people. But, what about a passage of Scripture that demands the same thing for the church? In Week 22 of True North, we dive into a passage that has nothing—and everything—to do about what we tend to think it does!

Prepare and plant for the promised plentiful harvest! First Christian Church's 70th Birthday!

In some ways, “love” has become a buzz-word in the church, hasn’t it? Well, we just need to ‘love on’ people better… the world first needs to know we love them… when in doubt - love! There is no shortage of wanting to feel, share and extend love. So, how do we go about love in a practical way?

At almost every wedding you can guess the “Love Chapter” is going to be read or referenced. 1 Corinthians 13 is arguably one of the most popular passages in the entire Bible - and for good reason! In this week of True North, we dive into this popular passage on love.

For this week in True North, we continue last week's message by looking at the roles we all play in the larger mission of Jesus’ church! We hope you lean in to help discern and discover the role you have been called to play for the sake of the mission of Jesus! Yeah, you read that right! Someone is waiting for you to step into what God has called you to!

Do you know what a Rune Goldberg machine is? You probably do, just not by that name! (Think of the board game: Mousetrap!) The definition is simple: a complex machine to accomplish a clear and simple task. In many ways, we could say the same for the church! A complex group of individuals coming together to achieve a clear and simply mission - to make disciples! For two-weeks, we will unpack the ro...

Every week we gather as a faith community, the same things happen: we sing songs in worship, we give financially, we serve in ministries, we hear a sermon and we take communion together. If you’ve ever wondered why we take communion in the first place or what it represents, then week 17 of True North is for you!

Everyone has a preference - on almost anything in life! From the type of salad dressing and what belongs on pizza to what songs should be sung in church or length of service, preferences are everywhere! In this week of True North, we will be challenged to see how to best approach our preferences in life and faith.

‘idol’ = a person or thing used as an object of worship; object that centers our priorities… If we were to ask you - what are your idol(s) in life? You might be inclined to say, “none.” But, is that really the case? This week in True North, we will learn how to identify, test, and challenge the potential idols in our lives.

One of the best-selling books in the past few years is entitled Atomic Habits. In that book, author James Clear talks about the importance, value and necessity of building good habits. So, what does the Bible have to say about self-discipline and the motives behind our habits in life? Let’s find out in week 14 of True North!

We love our church - and we hope you do, too! Every week our pastors, elders, and volunteers come together to serve so many people and families to help them grow closer to Jesus. This week, our True North series reminds us the importance of taking care of those who take care of us spiritually.

From Mr. Miyagi to Master Yoda, we all learn the importance of who we follow and imitate in this life. Most studies will tell you that who or what you give your attention to is what you will, at least attempt, to become. So, if you had to answer the question - who or what gets most of your attention or desire? - would that answer line up with who you desire to become?

Nobody ever gets married with the intention to see it end. Whether or not divorce is a part of your story, the rippling effects are noticeable. As disciples of Jesus, our faith is built on the foundations of grace, forgiveness, but also life change. For week 11 of True North, let’s see how those attributes play out in one of life’s more difficult choices.

This Sunday, we're excited to have Joel Williams speak. Joel and his wife, Rachel, are one of our global mission partners, dedicated to fostering disciple-making communities in Africa. They've made a significant impact—leading to 12,000+ baptisms and 7,000+ active groups over seven years. Their work is instrumental in spreading the teachings of Jesus to over 30,000 non-believers across Kenya and n...

Beyoncé captured a generation with her hit song, “All the Single Ladies.” As a culture, singleness is on the rise! And the question for all of us is not will you ever be single, rather - how do we steward our season(s) of singleness well, no matter how long it ends?

What makes for a good marriage? While there are many pieces of advice that are helpful and true, there is one ‘central’ thing above them all. For week 9 of True North, let’s discover the encouragement for a Christ-Centered marriage!

Imagine yourself sitting on a bench eating lunch and a fly is buzzing around you… you probably just swat it away, right? Now, imagine a flock of pigeons coming your way to help you eat… you probably run! When it comes to our spiritual lives, we are told to flee from sin - easier said than done! For week 8 of True North, we will see why this command is so serious!

The saying goes: If you want to go fast, go alone… if you want to go far, go together. As we move forward together as a church, we lean into the clear vision and direction from the Spirit! Join us as we wrap up We Are the Church!

Whenever the people of Israel wanted to commemorate a move of God, they built a 12 stone altar. Through the land, these altars would have been everywhere and served as constant reminders for the faithfulness and goodness of God! This Sunday is a 12 stone moment in the life of our church! Join us for week 3 of We Are the Church as we seek to immortalize the faithfulness of God!

Sometimes things go according to plan and other times they most certainly do not. Ups and downs, peaks and valley, clarity and fog follow us wherever we go. While specific moments might be tough, we can always remember that (almost) everything is just for a season. As we continue our series, We Are the Church, we explore the many seasons many of us are in along with what the next season for our ch...

Throughout the life of an individual, business, or even a church, defining moments occur. The big question is not if they arise; rather, what will the response be? One of the best attributes of belonging to the family of God is that when these moments come, we have a God that goes before us! For week 1 of We Are the Church, we see how to navigate the defining moment we find ourselves in at this cu...

Ever heard the phrase, “it’s just water under the bridge” or “water off a duck’s back?” It’s pretty good advice on smaller qualms… but does it apply to recurring patterns or “bigger” issues? While the church is a place founded on grace and love, is there a line when people are out-of-line or over-the-line? As we continue our series in True North, we see direction on how Christians are to approach...

Everybody reports to somebody. Throughout life, we all have some type of authority over us. From parents over children to bosses at our jobs to laws over our nation, avoiding authority is impossible. So, what makes for a good leader and someone worth following? Let’s find out together in week 6 of True North!

As a kid, you probably played the game ‘follow the leader.’ The rules were simple: you copy whatever the leader did. And whether we realize it or not, we are all following someone or something as our ‘leader’ with our lives. The question is: do you like where you’re headed?

In 2006, a movie called Failure to Launch was released and centered around grown men who were still living at home - who “failed to launch.” As we continue our study through 1 Corinthians, we see that we, too, sometimes fail to grow up and launch our faith. Let’s dig in together to discern how to have faith that continues to grow and thrive!