How it all started...
Community Bible Church (CBC), originally founded as the Central City Berean Fundamental Church, has been sharing the Gospel in Central City for over 60 years. Its location in the heart of the neighborhood on the north side of town quickly helped make it part of the fabric of the community. In 1959, the Lord was moving in the Central City area broadly, and CBC’s origins cannot be separated from those of Nebraska Christian Schools, so the story must start there.
After 3 years of prayer, seeking the Lord, and hard work, the founders of Nebraska Christian Schools praised God when the school’s doors opened in the fall of 1959. The school’s opening brought with it to the community a number of families to help staff the school as well as all the students who lived most of the school year in the dormitories. (At the time most students stayed in the dorms all week and most weekends.) The area’s new residents were deeply invested in their spiritual growth, and their attendance at the local churches pushed facilities to their limits. There just wasn’t ready physical space for the influx of students and staff. Something had to be done to meet the overnight need for church meeting space for the town’s new residents.
CBC was founded in the fall of 1959 to meet this need. Some of the founding families and first faculty of Nebraska Christian Schools joined together to start a new church under the Berean Church Fellowship affiliation. With meetings initially in the basement of the Central City Public Library, the Merrick County 4-H Building, and a vacant Nazarene church, the group prayed for guidance and a more permanent location.
In March of 1961, shovels turned the earth on the corner lot at 403 F Avenue where the church building still sits. A modest 2-level structure was built with a sanctuary on the upper floor and classrooms on the lower floor. Since September of 1961, the congregation of CBC has gathered together at that location.
The growth of that body of believers brought on the addition of a kitchen and fellowship hall in 198?, and continued growth led to the addition of a larger sanctuary, restrooms, and classrooms that was dedicated and opened in 1999.
Five pastors have led the flock in service to the Lord throughout the church’s history. CBC is currently led by Pastor TJ Rexilius.
After 3 years of prayer, seeking the Lord, and hard work, the founders of Nebraska Christian Schools praised God when the school’s doors opened in the fall of 1959. The school’s opening brought with it to the community a number of families to help staff the school as well as all the students who lived most of the school year in the dormitories. (At the time most students stayed in the dorms all week and most weekends.) The area’s new residents were deeply invested in their spiritual growth, and their attendance at the local churches pushed facilities to their limits. There just wasn’t ready physical space for the influx of students and staff. Something had to be done to meet the overnight need for church meeting space for the town’s new residents.
CBC was founded in the fall of 1959 to meet this need. Some of the founding families and first faculty of Nebraska Christian Schools joined together to start a new church under the Berean Church Fellowship affiliation. With meetings initially in the basement of the Central City Public Library, the Merrick County 4-H Building, and a vacant Nazarene church, the group prayed for guidance and a more permanent location.
In March of 1961, shovels turned the earth on the corner lot at 403 F Avenue where the church building still sits. A modest 2-level structure was built with a sanctuary on the upper floor and classrooms on the lower floor. Since September of 1961, the congregation of CBC has gathered together at that location.
The growth of that body of believers brought on the addition of a kitchen and fellowship hall in 198?, and continued growth led to the addition of a larger sanctuary, restrooms, and classrooms that was dedicated and opened in 1999.
Five pastors have led the flock in service to the Lord throughout the church’s history. CBC is currently led by Pastor TJ Rexilius.
Expanding the vision...
Our purpose is to glorify Christ in who we are, in what we do, in making Him known to those around us and through helping believers to follow Christ.
We continue to be faithful to what and where God has called us. We want to keep the main thing the main thing: the Gospel. We will continue to do this by: Exalting the Lord in uplifting worship, Encouraging each other through meaningful fellowship, Educating the believer through life changing Bible study, Equipping the saints for personal ministry, Evangelizing the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
We continue to be faithful to what and where God has called us. We want to keep the main thing the main thing: the Gospel. We will continue to do this by: Exalting the Lord in uplifting worship, Encouraging each other through meaningful fellowship, Educating the believer through life changing Bible study, Equipping the saints for personal ministry, Evangelizing the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Where we are headed...
Life is hard. God did not intend us to do it alone. We need each other. We believe God made you so that he could love you—and his love is most deeply experienced in fellowship with other followers of Jesus. Community Bible Church offers numerous ways for you to gather to study, care, encourage, and serve one another. We offer ministries for all ages and continue to invest in others in the "why" we do things as a church.
We want to be a lighthouse in Central City and surrounding areas, where it would go noticed if our doors closed.
We want to be a lighthouse in Central City and surrounding areas, where it would go noticed if our doors closed.
