It has been just over two years since Morgan Hill Community Christian revived a church at 305 W. Main Ave. In the 18-month span since their launch, there have been remarkable results.
The old sanctuary originally seated 170 worshippers. The congregation has renovated it, reorienting the stage and replacing fixed pews with moveable chairs, increasing room capacity to 300; attendance is getting closer to that number each week.
The congregation has embarked on another strategy that has led to growth. Pastor Kyle Windsor calls it, “One church, two campuses.” On Easter, the first official worship service was held at the Campbell Community Center (1 W. Campbell Ave.), and 200 attended the grand opening. Worshippers at both campuses will benefit from the same message and music; since Campbell has demographics similar to Morgan Hill, it is expected other features of the CCMH program will soon be expanded to the new facility.
The leadership and members of Community Christian have a passion for serving their community. An example is the Community Suppers program established at the church in January, led by Jim and Linda Reade. Each Thursday the congregation opens its doors to serve a free hot meal to South County residents. Cooked in San Jose by a charity known as Martha’s Kitchen, the food is brought down, heated and shared at 6 p.m. with all who wish to participate.
So far the weekly attendance is about 60 people, and it is increasing. The homeless, senior citizens, low-income residents of the area – everyone is welcome. Besides leftovers from the evening’s menu, items like milk, juice and bread are available for guests to take home with them. Kathy Robertson, a member of Community Christian, praises the friendly atmosphere created by “a fabulous team of volunteers.”
Many Hispanics live in the neighborhood of Community Christian, and special efforts are under way to serve their needs. For example, a traditional reenactment of “La Posada,” the journey of the Holy Family to Bethlehem, was held on Crest Avenue before Christmas. A procession with people dressed as Joseph, Mary and the Baby Jesus, a mariachi band and other participants marched up and down the street, stopping in doorways to ask if they could have shelter. Then, joined by neighbors, more than 200 returned to the church for a party featuring Mexican food and refreshments.
On April 28, a celebration for “El Dia de los Ninos” (Day of the Children) will be held at the church. Popular in Mexico, this holiday is a celebration of children shared by the entire family.
From 5 to 8 p.m. there will be jump houses, arts and crafts, clowns and Mexican food available for all in attendance. With an emphasis on health and safety, sponsors will provide fresh fruits and vegetables as well as Child Safety Kits for parents to collect DNA samples and fingerprints of their children. There is no charge to participate, and all are welcome.
Celina Rodriguez is well known in the Spanish-speaking community as a former news anchor on Telemundo and now host of a radio show on 104.5 FM called “Buenos Dias con Celina.” She has been working on outreach initiatives to the Hispanic residents because she knows many Latinos are lonely, living in the United States without their families.
“Their tradition is to trust the church, not the government,” she said. “We are helping them to adapt to the U.S., giving them tools to become self-sufficient.”
For more information about Community Christian or any of its programs call (408) 779-4914 or visit www.community-christian.us.
