Solsberry Christian Church

Solsberry, Indiana -

Denomination: Non-Denominational
Church Size: 151 to 250
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SCC Mission Statement  To Love God and Love People.  “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12: 30, 31

SCC Vision Statement   To Help People Become More Like Jesus Every Day. “Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ.”  Ephesians 5:1,2a

A Brief History   SCC was founded in 1914. In 1916, the congregation built its first building in Solsberry.  In 1963, the congregation moved to a new location (current location) and built a new worship and education facility.

In 1970, the church hired its first full-time minister. During his tenure, Sunday morning attendance rose from around 100 to more than 150.  During the ensuing 20+ years, attendance rose and ebbed with high’s in the 160-180 range in the late 1980’s and lows around 120-30 range early 1990’s.

In 2000, the congregation broke ground on a new worship/auditorium facility that was completed in 2002.  A stewardship program preceded the building project that raised ½ of the $650,000 cost of the facility. The remaining loan balance was paid off in less than 3 years.

In 2016, SCC engaged David Vaughan, Senior Minister at Whitewater Crossing Christian Church, as a consultant to lead us through a church health survey project. 

The average annual attendance for the prior ten years was 153 – 177 for 6 years pre-Covid. 2020/Covid year was 97, and subsequent rebuilding years 113, 134, 139.  The last four months average was 147.  Children’s worship/pre-K (6th grade and below) average around 15% of total attendance.  More than 400 people likely refer to SCC as their “home church”.

Elders, Deacons and Leaders   SCC currently has five elders and the senior minister serves as a preaching elder. The elders reach agreement on issues through prayer, analysis, and discussion and more prayer. In matters of significance, a decision is not taken unless the elders are unified in purpose and thought.  The elders will often consult with the staff, deacons and other ministry leaders in the church on significant issues.

SCC has four men who serve as deacons.  SCC is in the process of identifying other qualified men to serve as elders or deacons. With the addition of new deacons, the elders are committed to a transition from the more traditional role to a more Biblical, Acts 6 ministry-leader role, for the deacons.

Staff    SCC employed a Senior Minister, Associate Minister of Youth, a part-time children’s ministry coordinator, a part-time worship coordinator, a part-time media director, secretary and college interns from time-to-time.

Facilities   The congregation owns 11 acres of property on the east side of Solsberry.  The church presently has approximately 17,000 square feet of worship, fellowship, and education space.  Current paved and gravel parking lots have approximately 140 designated parking spaces, with grass overflow areas capable of handling another 30 vehicles.  Both the auditorium and Fellowship Hall are equipped with multi-channel soundboards, video/data projectors, computers, and DVD capabilities.

Worship   The congregation moved from traditional piano/organ-driven hymn singing in the early-middle 1990’s to a blended worship style.  The worship team currently consists of 3 – 4 singers, electric piano, electric bass, electric guitar, electric drums, and acoustic/rhythm guitar. 

Location   Solsberry is a rural community located approximately 15 miles, and 20-25 minutes southwest of Bloomington (home of Indiana University).  It is about an hour and 15 minutes from Indianapolis, about 2 hours from Evansville, and about 2 hours from Louisville.

Community   The Solsberry community is part of Eastern Greene County, Indiana. Greene County is one of the largest and poorest counties in Indiana.  Because of Solsberry’s proximity to both Bloomington/Indiana University and the CRANE Naval Surface Warfare facility (15 minutes to the south) the community includes a wide socio-economic cross-section ranging from families that live in abject poverty to families that live in substantial prosperity, interspersed throughout the community.  Some demographic data that a church growth consultant gathered for SCC in the early 1990’s indicated that approximately 5,000 souls live within a 10-mile radius from Solsberry.

Schools   Because there is no incorporated town or city in Eastern Greene County, the Eastern Greene Schools are the activity hub and focal point of the community.  The Eastern Greene High school (grades 9 – 12) is located approximately ¼ miles from the combined Middle School (grades 6 – 8) and Elementary School (K- 5) facility.  The school is as open and receptive to area churches, youth ministers, and student organized faith-based activities (e.g. See You at the Pole). The school corporation enrolls approximately 1,300 students in K – 12 and is in Class 2A for all high school sports except football (1A).

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