WHO WE ARE
BELIEVE. BELONG. BECOME.
Located in the southwest suburbs of Chicago, Christ the King is an Acts 29 affiliated community of believers serving the Plainfield area. We are a group of people with diverse stories, from diverse backgrounds, who have in common the gratitude for having received “a kingdom that cannot be shaken.” Our shared story starts as rebels against the King, by nature acting out of allegiance only to ourselves, with lives marked by inner turmoil and futility. But when the goodness and loving-kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of anything good we had done, but because of his own mercy! His Holy Spirit washed us into a pure identity as we came to trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ to make us right with God.
This can be your story too. We invite you to come alongside us, delight in Christ with us, and belong to this local outpost of his kingdom. There’s nothing terribly unique happening in our midst that hasn’t happened historically in all faithful churches. But what happens in every faithful church is earth-shattering: it’s nothing less than the remaking of humanity, raising us up as heirs according to the hope of resurrection life! Christ is the only one who can save us, satisfy us, and bring us into the presence of God the Father. He does this by His grace alone, which means we cannot compel Him to love us more, or less, by our behavior. Yet we find that as we believe on him and belong to his people, he does transform us through his love, making us even more truly human – with the freedom and power to be the person we were always intended to be.
This is the heart of Christ the King Church, and the message we bring to the people of Plainfield and surrounding communities.
OUR STORY
Greek mythology tells a story of how Jason, captain of the Argo, hired Orpheus, the greatest of all musicians, to usher them past the Sirens – creatures who lured sailors to their doom through their singing. So as they passed the place of danger, Orpheus pulled out his harp and began to sing a sweeter song. It drowned out the enchanting tune of the Sirens, and the Argonauts sailed away in safety.
When we consider the rapid pace of life and ponder how quickly each of us will face eternity, we are dismayed by the commonplace stories of shipwrecked lives: lives ruined on the rocks of greed, pornography, substance abuse, and marital unfaithfulness are scattered all across suburbia, and every now and then you will hear the tragic story of an adult or student taking his or her own life. But the countless stories of lives ruined on less obvious rocks are never told.
Christ the King is located in the suburbs of Chicago. Our houses are built in what not long ago were cornfields. In talking with our neighbors, we repeatedly hear a similar story of “good people” who graduated from college, took a job, and began to climb the ladder. They followed the steps that everyone takes, and now life is so chaotic that the joy is gone. Not far under the surface, there is a sense of longing and loneliness. The allure of a new home, a good job, a well-balanced family, and fun vacations is not lasting; that dream has simply not delivered what was promised. We live in an area that echoes with the sound of seductive forces all day, every day; the song enchants people to believe that if they will abandon all for the sake of “success”, they will be satisfied. This is a mold that presses down on everyone in one way or another, but especially intensely in the suburban context.
How does the Argo’s tale connect with church? We believe God’s good news is that sweeter song, and Jesus is the one who sings it. For all who turn to Him in obedience, away from their doomed attempts at self-rule, our good King declares, “My peace I give to you,” and “Behold, I am making all things new.” By His death on the cross and resurrection in power, He accomplished for us a way to be restored to the one good and holy God. He not only saves us from our sins but continues filling and refilling us each day until finally we come home to dwell in His satisfying presence forever.
Christ the King Church exists to echo this sweet song to the people of Plainfield and surrounding communities, with the prayer and expectation that God will redeem many broken lives, sparing many from the rocks of destruction.