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 Emboldened by God, these men were convinced of the need for a
Christian home for older adults. With the support of several area
churches and an account that held only $10.66, these dedicated men
took a leap of faith to plan a Christian nursing home.
With contributions from local churches and individuals, as well as
the sale of bonds and a government grant, they were able to secure
enough funding to build the Christian Nursing Home. The home was
called “a demonstration of Christian concern in brick-and-mortar
terms.”
Since it opened, the home has expanded its offerings to include
rehab-to-home, independent living and memory care. To reflect the
diverse options residents have, the name was changed to The
Christian Village.
The vision to care for older adults soon spread to other locations,
resulting in the original dream expanding to a family of 13 senior
living communities throughout the Midwest known as Christian Homes,
Inc.
With the theme of “Honoring God with a Faithful Past and a Thriving
Future,” The Christian Village has planned special 50th anniversary
festivities this Saturday.
From 10 am to 1 pm there will be children’s activities, a flea
market, live music and a free BBQ lunch. A free concert of the
Illinois Symphony Orchestra will be held at LCU that night in the
Earl C Hargrove Chapel at 7 pm. Tickets aren’t needed, but seating
is limited.
Many Lincoln-area individuals played an important role in the
history of The Christian Village. Ray Goodman, Gerald Carter and
Jack Getchel were among the founding fathers. Goodman also served as
the first administrator of the nursing home and later as corporate
building agent. He was followed by George Gahr, who had a 35-year
career with Christian Homes, serving most of that as president/CEO.
Charlotte Bennett followed him as administrator and later served as
executive vice-president of Christian Homes. Tim Searby served as
administrator longer than any other – from 1977 to 2000. Today, Jo
Hilliard of Lake Fork serves as administrator.
When Gahr retired in 2001, he reflected on the ministry of Christian
Homes.
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“Looking back over the years from 1962, I am sincerely amazed at how all the
ministry of Christian Homes came about,” he said. “I do know, and knew when I
was working with them, that the members of the Board of Directors radiated a
great faith, enthusiasm and determination that was infectious.”
“The ministry of Christian Homes is immeasurably more than we could ask or
imagine,” he continued. “People of great faith and generosity offer their
support for the work of the ministry but it is the power of Christ Jesus within
us that brings it about.”
Searby recalled the focus of The Christian Village during his tenure.
“We honored God by working hard to show care and concern for our residents,” he
said. “At staff meetings we spent a lot of time talking about ministering to
residents’ hearts and souls – the whole person.”
“We worked hard at not being institutional,” he added. “Early on, we set that as
our standard.”
The current leaders of Christian Homes strive to maintain that standard as well.
“Just as our founding fathers remained committed to our God-honoring ministry,
we, too, remain committed to serving older adults with the love of Christ in the
years ahead,” said Dr. Tim Phillippe, CEO of Christian Homes.
[Jan Schumacher, Christian
Homes/Christian Village]
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