Prairie Avenue Christian Church sits on the east side of Decatur, Illinois, at 2201 East Prairie Street, where it has served the surrounding neighborhoods since the late 1920s. The congregation belongs to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), a tradition known for its practice of celebrating the Lord's Supper every Sunday, its commitment to believer baptism by immersion, and its chalice logo with a cross running through it. Worshipers arriving on a Sunday morning will find a blended service that weaves together traditional hymns and modern praise music, supported by a 13 rank pipe organ and the choral work of the PACC Singers. The building is fully accessible, parking is convenient, and a Stephen Ministry team of trained lay caregivers is ready to walk alongside anyone in crisis.

A Heritage Spanning a Century

The story of Prairie Avenue Christian Church began in April 1922, when members of the boards of Central Christian and First Christian churches in Decatur met in the basement of First Christian Church to create a Decatur Missionary Society. Their goal was to plan the expansion of the Christian churches across the city. Two and a half years later, on September 26, 1924, the society gathered seventy-five men at 7:00 a.m. to build a church in a single day on grounds the society had secured. By 7:00 p.m., Dedicatory services had been conducted by H. H. Peters, the state secretary of the Christian churches. The first worship service in the frame building took place on September 28, 1924, led by Rev. R. R. Finlayson.

At the close of that first meeting, the congregation took the name Seventh Street Christian Church. The name remained in place until February 1942, when the city renamed Seventh Street as 22nd Street and the church adopted its current name, Prairie Avenue Christian Church. The original sanctuary was destroyed by fire in 1949, and the congregation began worshipping in its current sanctuary in 1951. Ground was broken for the education wing in 1968. Today the campus includes the 1951 sanctuary, an education wing with classrooms for every grade level, a Parlor seating up to seventy, and a Fellowship Hall where the Social Committee hosts receptions.

Sunday Morning Worship and Music

In-person worship is held at 9:30 a.m. on Sundays. The service is described by the congregation as a modern worship experience that incorporates hymns and praise music, a choral anthem from the PACC Singers, a relevant message from the pastor, the celebration of communion, and music drawn from the church's 13 rank pipe organ. The total service runs about one hour. Attendees may come in a suit and tie or in jeans and a t-shirt; the dress code is welcoming at either end of the spectrum.

Several practical details make the morning easier for first-time guests. A handicapped-accessible elevator is conveniently located at the south (parking lot) entrance, at the east end of the education wing. Convenient parking is available on the south side of the building, including limited garage space beneath the education wing. Hearing assistance devices are available, and a nursery is offered so parents can worship without distraction. Communion is distributed at the table or by passing, and offering plates are received. Visitors may also attend online through the church's Facebook Live stream or worship videos.

A Disciples of Christ Identity

Prairie Avenue Christian Church belongs to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and operates within the regional body known as Christian Church in Illinois & Wisconsin. The congregation adopts the Design of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) as its organizing document, including its Affirmation of Faith, which confesses Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God, and proclaims him Lord and Savior of the world. Members rejoice in God the maker of heaven and earth, enter newness of life through baptism into Christ, and celebrate at the Table of the Lord the saving acts and presence of Christ.

The congregation embraces the distinctive practices of the wider Disciples movement. Communion is celebrated every Sunday, reflecting the chalice-and-cross St. Andrew's emblem. Membership rests on believer baptism, with each adult choosing baptism as a personal act of faith. Rather than requiring formal creedal subscriptions for membership, Disciples study scripture thoughtfully and in context, honor their heritage of Christian unity, and partner ecumenically with other faith traditions, including a long-standing cooperative relationship with the United Church of Christ in Global Ministries. The tradition is summarized in the phrase "unity, not uniformity" and described by some as "getting dirty for Jesus," a way of saying that hands-on mission, particularly on behalf of the earth, women, children, the poor and hungry, and immigrants, is core to the call.

Prayer Ministry and Pastoral Care

Prayer is woven into the fabric of the church. Anyone can submit a prayer request through the church's online form or by calling the office. Online requests are shared with the prayer team as they arrive, identified by first names only, and the team prays for each request for at least a week. Pastors are available to pray with families before surgery or during hospitalization. Because hospitals restrict visitors in many cases, the pastor and prayer team make pre-surgery phone calls the evening before surgery, place calls to currently admitted patients, and contact hospital chaplains to visit when the facility permits. When a member is approaching the end of life, the staff works with the family to arrange a visit whenever possible.

Since January 9, 2017, Prairie Avenue has been a Stephen Ministry congregation. Members of the church are trained and organized to provide one-to-one, lay Christian care to people who are grieving, in crisis, or experiencing other stresses in life. A Stephen Minister is a trained volunteer, not a professional counselor, who listens, supports, encourages, prays, and maintains strict confidentiality. Each meeting is held between two people of the same gender, and Stephen Ministers meet twice a month in small groups to give and receive peer supervision. When care receivers need professional help, Stephen Ministers or Stephen Leaders assist in finding it. The framework makes clear that any care receiver may end the relationship at any time, and pastoral staff will help locate alternative resources.

Stephen Ministry for Grieving, Recovery, and Wellness

The Care and Support ministry gathers around three areas of particular need. Prairie Avenue Recovery offers a community of support for those navigating addiction, with content available for anyone seeking to learn more. Grief Support provides care for those who have lost loved ones, working closely with the Stephen Ministry team. Health and Wellness programs look after the whole person - body, mind, and spirit - connecting members with classes and resources that complement medical treatment and a healthy lifestyle. Each of these groups exists as a place to find Christian companionship and skilled listening during life's heaviest seasons.

Weddings at Prairie Avenue

The marriage service at Prairie Avenue is described as a worship service, not a social event, in which two people commit their lives to each other under the blessing of God and are united in holy wedlock. Couples who are not members of Prairie Avenue must attend at least two worship services prior to the wedding, and the minister of Prairie Avenue Christian Church must officiate at all weddings held in the sanctuary. Weddings may be held in the Sanctuary, which seats about 225, or the Parlor, which can hold up to seventy. The church's organist is the only musician permitted to play, with a fee of one hundred dollars. Soloists and guest musicians may participate after a rehearsal with the organist, and pre-recorded music is discouraged. Couples are required to meet with the minister three times for roughly an hour each. A Reception can be held in the Fellowship Hall, served by the church's Social Committee. A complete list of fees, responsibilities, and expectations is available on request.

Funerals and Memorials

Pastor and staff are honored to walk with families before, during, and after the loss of a loved one. When a death is imminent, the pastor will come and pray with the family, including after office hours through an emergency line. When the death has occurred, the pastor and staff can provide a service at the church, at the funeral home, or at the graveside, depending on the family's wishes. Two planning documents are available for download - one for planning your own service and one for planning a loved one's service - and completed forms can be mailed, scanned, or emailed for safekeeping. Some services are streamed online through the memorials page so that those unable to attend can participate remotely.

The congregation treasures its members across the years. Longtime members served as Sunday school teachers for more than fifty years, sang in the choir, served as Deacons and Elders, and chaired many committees. Their histories, written and shared at the time of memorial services, are part of the church's living archive.

Creation Care and the Green Chalice

Prairie Avenue Christian Church joined the Green Chalice program in 2018 and has been active in creation care since 2015. The Green Chalice is a Disciples' ministry that supports congregations in walking more gently on the earth. The church's response has so far included the replacement of the 1964 education wing boiler with a 93.6 percent energy-efficient system, the replacement of all single-pane windows with double-pane energy-efficient units, and the replacement of lighting fixtures throughout the education wing. The church participates in the City of Decatur recycling program and continues working on reducing waste in fellowship hall, including the elimination of disposable silverware and styrofoam plates and a return to glass communion cups.

The Green Chalice group at Prairie Avenue is the environmental sustainability and justice ministry committed to reducing waste, reusing and recycling, and developing sustainability resources. The group meets monthly and is responsible for an Adopt-A-Street cleanup on the third Saturday of each month at 9:00 a.m., weather permitting. The church also participates in a partnership with Blessed Tomorrow, a coalition of faith communities responding to climate change.

Wednesdays, Classes, and Lifelong Learning

Wednesday programming at Prairie Avenue is built around group studies, music ensembles, and other midweek gatherings that allow members to grow together in faith. The Sunday morning Adult Discussion Group gathers each Sunday following worship in the Sunshine Classroom for current events, spiritual practice, or Biblical study. The group is open to anyone eighteen and older, and members may join for a particular study or remain for several.

The congregation has offered Alpha, a free, friendly, no-pressure introduction to the Christian faith through discussion, in which everyone is welcome to bring their questions about life, the Bible, the Holy Spirit, evil, and healing. Another course, "In God's Time: The Bible and the Future," used Professor Craig Hill's book as a guide to explore the meaning of the Bible's most difficult books, including Revelation and Daniel, over ten weeks. Children and youth programs include Sunday school and nursery care during worship, and youth activities across the week. Programs are offered for men, women, families, and those in the 50+ age group.

Membership at Prairie Avenue

Anyone exploring membership at Prairie Avenue is invited to "Coffee with Pastor Jason," a casual gathering with the Senior Pastor where the history of the congregation, the beliefs and traditions of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and the ministry of the church are discussed. After the conversation, those who wish to take the next step may participate in an optional membership ceremony.

Five expectations shape the life of a member: worshiping each weekend, growing in faith outside of worship through study or a small group, using one's gifts and talents to serve both inside and outside the church, giving in proportion to income with the tithe of ten percent as the goal, and sharing faith with others through words and actions.

Stewardship, Memorial Gifts, and the Legacy Society

Stewardship at Prairie Avenue is grounded in the conviction that everything comes from God. Members are encouraged to begin with prayer, assess their income and current giving, set a giving goal that grows toward the tithe, determine a giving method, and worship with gratitude. The church publishes quarterly financial statistics publicly as part of its commitment to corporate stewardship and transparency.

Memorial giving is a meaningful way to remember loved ones. Recent gifts have been directed to areas such as the Sunshine Classroom renovations. Legacy gifts, established with the Prairie Avenue Legacy Society (PALS), allow supporters to remember the church in a will or trust or as a designated beneficiary of another asset. Electronic giving is available online and by text. Recurring gifts can be set up by debit, credit card, or bank transfer, and the church prefers bank transfers because they save roughly three percent compared to credit card fees. Appreciated stock and qualified charitable distributions are also accepted. The continuing investment of time, talent, and treasure underwrites worship, programs for children and youth, Bible studies, small groups, pastoral care, mission work, community service, and the operation and care of the building.

Worship Online and Around the Week

Worship services are livestreamed, and a library of recent sermons, daily devotions, and memorial services is available online. Sermon series have included deep dives into Paul's letters, including studies on the cost of real ministry, the kind of power that builds up rather than tears down, contentment in every circumstance, peace that guards the heart, and pressing on toward the prize. The church also publishes weekly e-notes from the pastor and an active calendar of adult classes, special events, and seasonal services, including remembrance services for All Saints and the Longest Night.

For everything the church does, it circles back to its mission statement: to be learning, loving, and serving disciples of Christ from its doorstep to the ends of the world. In a Decatur neighborhood that has welcomed the congregation for a century, that mission shows up in the hymns on Sunday morning, the prayer chain that lifts up a neighbor's surgery, the Adopt-A-Street pickup on a Saturday morning, and a Stephen Minister sitting quietly across from someone who needs to be heard.