Heyworth Christian Church sits on Vine Street in the heart of Heyworth, a small McLean County town roughly fifteen minutes south of Bloomington-Normal in Central Illinois. From that single location the congregation runs a preschool, three weekly children's and youth ministries, several adult small groups, and a teaching ministry that streams sermons on Facebook every Sunday morning. HCC describes itself as a multi-generational community of apprentices of Jesus, learning to love God, love others, and live out His kingdom reality in everyday life.
What a Sunday Morning at HCC Looks Like
Sunday is the rhythm that holds everything else together at Heyworth Christian Church. The whole church gathers at 9:30 am for a single worship service that includes music, teaching, communion, and fellowship. The sermon livestream opens on Facebook at about 9:42 am each week, so anyone who is traveling or homebound can join in real time. There is no dress code: blue jeans and flip-flops are common even in December, and visitors are encouraged to come as they are.
Guests can park in either the front lot or the lot behind the church. The main entrance is the door under the parking awning, which leads straight into the fellowship hall. From there it is a short walk to the sanctuary, with restrooms down the hall near the back entrance. Free coffee and soft drinks from the fountain are available for anyone who wants to grab a cup before the service begins.
Inside the fellowship hall, a Welcome Center staffed by friendly volunteers helps families check in. First Impressions volunteers in blue lanyards are easy to spot, and they will help with everything from locating the restrooms to finding the children's classrooms. On the third Sunday of every month, HCC sets aside the usual children's programming for a Family Worship service where everyone stays together in the sanctuary, with activities still provided at the children's ministry check-in for younger kids who need them.
God's Garden Preschool
Long before kids arrive in Sunday worship, many of them have already spent years at HCC through God's Garden Preschool. The preschool is a Christ-centered early learning program run out of the church, and the staff are clear about why it exists: by the age of five, much of who a child is and how they learn has already begun to take shape, and the early years are a meaningful opportunity for the church to help lay a strong foundation for both learning and faith.
God's Garden offers a Preschool class on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 to 11:00 am, a Pre-K class on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 8:30 to 11:15 am, and a Pre-K Special on Tuesdays from 12:00 to 2:30 pm. The program nurtures social development, intellectual growth, and spiritual formation, with the goal of preparing children not only for elementary school but for life.
Victoria Crow serves as Director and Head Teacher, working alongside teachers Nola Dittus, Karen Hartwig, and Abby Dittus. Registration fees are paid directly to the preschool, and monthly tuition is paid through the church's online giving system, ChurchTrac. The school year follows a published calendar that is updated each August, and applications for the following year open in early February.
Children's Ministry: KidMin and King's Kids
HCC takes seriously the conviction that children are not just the future of the church but an important part of the church right now. Sunday morning KidMin runs at the same time as adult worship, beginning at 9:30 am, and welcomes children from age three through sixth grade. Kids are grouped by age: 3 years through Kindergarten, 1st through 3rd grade, and 4th through 6th grade. In each room they experience age-appropriate Bible teaching, energetic large-group worship, and small-group time built around relationships.
A staffed nursery is available for infants and toddlers from birth through age three, so parents can attend the worship service with confidence. Safety is a priority: check-in requires some basic demographic information, and the welcome team takes those steps to keep kids secure. Parents who prefer to keep children with them can pick up clipboards with quiet activities at the Kids' Guest Services check-in. Children in 7th grade and up are invited to attend worship with their families.
Beyond Sunday mornings, King's Kids is a summer-only midweek ministry that meets Mondays from 9:00 to 11:00 am for children ages three through fourth grade. Each week uses costumes, props, characters, videos, crafts, music, and puppets to bring a Bible story and a practical application point to life. Vacation Bible School is one of the biggest weeks of the year at HCC, with the building transformed into an immersive environment and a full slate of high-energy music, games, and teaching. VBS has been a tradition at the church since at least 2012, and each year's theme song and review videos are saved for families to revisit.
Junior High and High School Students
Students in junior high meet Tuesdays from 7:00 to 8:30 pm during the school year, shifting to Tuesday mornings at 9:00 am during the summer. The goal is to present the Gospel in a relevant way and to give students a place to worship, learn, build friendships, and serve. Programming includes contemporary worship, teaching tailored to their age, and plenty of time for games, food, and conversation. The summer calendar adds outdoor activities and casual hangouts.
High school students gather for SHY (Senior High Youth) Wednesdays from 7:00 to 9:30 pm. SHY focuses on developing authentic community, worshiping Jesus, studying Scripture, loving neighbors through service, and having fun together. The schedule includes outreach events, mission trips, and what the church cheerfully calls other shenanigans, all for the sake of following Jesus with friends who are doing the same. Both junior high and high school ministries are led by Youth Minister Candi Evans.
Small Groups for Adults
HCC believes that real spiritual growth happens best in smaller communities, and small groups are a central part of how the church lives out its apprenticeship vision. Groups typically include about eight to twelve people and meet in homes or at the church for Bible study, discussion, and prayer. They are casual, welcoming environments where it is safe to ask questions and share honestly about how Scripture connects to everyday life.
The current schedule of adult small groups includes:
- Sundays, 8:00 to 9:00 am with Steve Wissmiller at the church building
- Tuesdays, 7:00 to 9:00 pm with Dar Evans at the parsonage next door to the church
- Wednesdays, 9:00 to 11:00 am with Wilber Wertz at the church building
- Thursdays, 6:30 to 8:00 pm with Rondel Ramsey at the church building
- Thursdays, 7:00 to 9:00 pm with Candi Evans at the church building
Some groups run year-round while others meet for specific seasons or studies. New people can join at any time.
From Fan to Apprentice: Baptism at HCC
Baptism is treated as a significant step at HCC, and the church has put real thought into explaining what it means and how it happens. The baptism page lays out a four-part journey: hearing the good news that Jesus is King, moving from being a fan of Jesus to being an apprentice of Jesus, responding in trust, confession, and repentance, and finally stepping into the water as a public act of allegiance to King Jesus.
HCC practices baptism by immersion, explaining that this is the New Testament pattern, citing the baptism of the Ethiopian official in Acts 8 as one example. The church is careful to honor those who were baptized by other means in other traditions while still teaching that immersion is the biblical expression of baptism for their own congregation. For anyone interested in baptism, Rondel Ramsey can be reached at rondel@heyworthcc.com.
The baptism process itself is meant to feel both solemn and joyful. During a Sunday morning service, after the sermon and a closing prayer, the worship band begins an invitation song. The person being baptized moves to the front pew, confesses faith in Jesus using a simple statement based on Peter's confession in Matthew 16, and then steps behind the stage to change into dark-colored clothes. The minister and the candidate enter the baptistery together, the candidate is lowered backward under the water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and the congregation celebrates with applause and singing. Separate changing rooms are available for men and women, and the church provides step-by-step guidance on what to bring and what to wear.
What HCC Believes
HCC's statement of beliefs is rooted in Scripture and centered on Jesus Christ. The church teaches that there is one God who exists equally in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - and that God has revealed himself through his Son, through the Bible, and through creation. God is described as sovereign, all-powerful, all-knowing, everywhere present, all-loving, and all-wise.
About Jesus, HCC teaches that he voluntarily came to earth, lived a sinless human life, died on a Roman cross for the sins of humanity, rose again on the third day, ascended to the Father, and now serves as Mediator between God and humans. He will return at the appointed time to take those who belong to him to live with God for eternity.
About the Holy Spirit, HCC teaches that the Spirit indwells every believer at the moment of salvation, marks and seals them as believers, and guides and equips them for ministry. By the Spirit's presence, believers understand and apply the truth of Scripture and are empowered to live God-honoring lives.
The church teaches that human beings were created to be in relationship with God, that sin entered the world through the choices of the first humans, and that every person since has suffered the consequences of that brokenness. Salvation is by grace alone through faith in Jesus Christ. A person is saved by trusting in what Jesus did on the cross, confessing faith, repenting, and being baptized by immersion into the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.
The Bible is described as the uniquely inspired Word of God and the complete and final source of authority for Christian faith and practice. HCC practices two ordinances, baptism and communion, with communion celebrated typically at least weekly in remembrance of Jesus' death and in anticipation of his return. The church teaches that marriage is the lifelong union of one man and one woman and that sexual intimacy is reserved for that union.
On church government, HCC holds that each local congregation is autonomous, led by elders and served by deacons, with both men and women gifted for service. The Elders are the final interpretive authority on the Bible's meaning and application for the life of the congregation.
Leadership
Rondel Ramsey serves as Senior Minister and is the primary teaching voice at HCC. He also teaches the Change and Conflict course at Lincoln Christian Institute, and his writing and sermon notes are shared through a Weekly Connections email and a teaching page. Candi Evans serves as Youth Minister and oversees children's ministry along with her husband Dar, who leads a Tuesday small group. Victoria Crow directs God's Garden Preschool. The office is staffed by Administrative Assistant Amber Stiehl, and John Stiehl serves as Custodian.
The church is governed by a board of Elders: Joe Carroll, Candi Evans, Ken Kascel, Andrew Lee, Rondel Ramsey, and Todd Runge. Ministry Team Leaders and Deacons include Dee Hamilton, Julie Kascel, Michael Mattson, Paul Quinn, and Jim Spaid. The church holds to the Restoration Movement conviction that each local body is autonomous under the Lordship of Christ, and HCC is affiliated with the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ tradition, as reflected in its support of Osaka Bible Seminary and other like-minded ministries.
Learning and Growing as an Apprentice
HCC describes discipleship in the language of apprenticeship. Following Jesus is not about earning God's love but about training, the way an apprentice in the ancient world would live with a master, learn the master's habits, and gradually take on the master's way of life. To help with that, HCC has built an extensive set of resources.
The Learn and Grow page organizes these resources into Getting Started, Going Deeper, and Additional Learning. New disciples are pointed toward the Spiritual Practices and a 22-day Journey through Psalm 119. A Bible Story Overview walks through the Old Testament, the 400-year intertestamental period, and the New Testament with videos, timelines, and recommended resources including the Bible Project's video library.
For deeper study, HCC provides study guides for The Chosen television series, a Getting Dusty Deeper Bible Study Guide, and access to Lincoln Christian Institute courses. There is also a Money Matters seminar on biblical stewardship and a beginner guitar and bass course for anyone interested in joining the worship team.
Teaching is a particular strength at HCC. Rondel Ramsey's most recent sermon series is RAW: Getting Real with God, a study in the Psalms designed to help believers engage honestly with doubt, lament, and faith. A previous series, Storyline: Making Sense of Our Reality, walked through the grand narrative of Scripture. Both are available through the HCC teaching page and on Facebook.
Questions Are Welcome
One of the more distinctive features of HCC's online presence is a Questions page that takes honest doubt seriously. The page gathers a set of short animated videos on the Kalam Cosmological Argument, the fine-tuning of the universe, the moral argument, the historical case for the resurrection, and other topics. The framing is unusually humble: the videos are presented as reasonable propositions rather than proof, and the page notes that changing minds usually happens through changing hearts. Visitors and seekers are encouraged to find Rondel and talk through their questions in person.
Serving One Another
HCC teaches that every disciple is a minister. Serving is not reserved for a few; it is the calling of every follower of Jesus, and the church frames it as an important next step in apprenticeship. Opportunities include welcoming guests at the door, serving in children's ministry, playing an instrument or singing on the worship team, working behind the scenes, and serving beyond the church's walls. Members are encouraged to talk with Rondel, Candi, or one of the elders about where they might fit.
Reaching Beyond Heyworth: Mission Partners
Living out the Great Commission is a stated priority at HCC, and the church supports a wide network of partner ministries locally and around the world:
- Little Galilee Christian Camp and Retreat Center in Clinton, Illinois, focused on life-change in youth and adults through camping and retreats
- Lincoln Christian Institute in Lincoln, Illinois, equipping followers of Christ and developing healthy leaders for ministry
- God's Shelter of Love in Decatur, Illinois, providing emergency shelter for homeless women and children, along with a thrift store called Blessingdales
- International Disaster Emergency Services (IDES) in Noblesville, Indiana, meeting physical and spiritual needs around the world in Jesus' name
- Deaf Mission in Council Bluffs, Iowa, communicating the Gospel with Deaf people through their heart language
- Team Expansion, working to multiply disciples and churches among unreached people groups
- Mexican Missionary Organization, equipping Mexican people to reach other Mexicans with the gospel
- Myanmar Agape Christian Mission, communicating the Gospel to the lost people of Myanmar and bordering areas of China
- Osaka Bible Seminary, the only Bible college in Japan sponsored by Christian Churches and Churches of Christ
- 24:14 Ministries, engaging unreached peoples and places globally
Weddings at HCC
The church building is available for weddings, and HCC has built a detailed process around the practice. The bride or groom must have been attending HCC for at least six months, the couple must complete a Wedding Request Form, the date must be available, and pre-marital counseling is required. Counseling can be done with an HCC minister, another minister, or an approved Christian counselor, and HCC recommends beginning the process at least twelve months in advance.
Only HCC ministry staff are permitted to conduct weddings at HCC facilities, and the church does not schedule weddings over Easter weekend, Thanksgiving weekend, the first two weeks of July (Vacation Bible School), the weeks immediately before or after Christmas, or on Saturdays after 4:00 pm. Fees include $200 for facility use, an optional $100 for a wedding coordinator, $100 for a sound technician, $100 for the custodian, and $150 paid directly to the officiating minister. Outside Christian counseling starts at around $300. Alcohol and smoking are not permitted anywhere on church property.
Giving and Staying Connected
HCC makes giving straightforward. Online giving is available through ChurchTrac for one-time gifts, recurring offerings, and preschool tuition. Members can also set up bill pay through their own bank at no cost to either party, mail a check to the church office, or drop cash or envelopes into the Joy Boxes at the sanctuary entrances on Sundays.
For ongoing communication, HCC encourages visitors to fill out the e-Connect Card, sign up for the Weekly Connections Email, or submit a prayer request through the online forms. Prayer requests go to the Elders, who pray over them. The Hub page gathers all of these entry points together and can be saved to a phone's home screen for quick access to upcoming events, sermons, and next steps.
Pastoral Counseling and Care
Pastoral counseling is available through Rondel Ramsey, who offers a listening ear, biblical encouragement, and prayerful guidance. For deeper needs, HCC maintains trusted relationships with two professional Christian counseling services in the area: Truth in Love Counseling and Lincoln Pastoral Counseling Services. Both integrate biblical truth with proven psychological practices and serve individuals, couples, and families in Central Illinois.
A Place to Belong
HCC sums up its heartbeat with a simple phrase: a community of regular people from all walks of life banded together to support one another in living out the cause of Christ. From the fellowship hall coffee to the baptistery, from a four-year-old at God's Garden Preschool to a high schooler at SHY, from a Sunday sermon to a Tuesday small group in a parsonage, the church is built around the conviction that following Jesus is something you do together. Whether someone has walked with Jesus for decades or is just beginning to ask questions, there is a place here for them to take their next step.